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Politics goesStateside

Welcome to the Easter issue of High News

This end of term ‘highlights’ snapshot captures the breadth and quality of the many opportunities that are available to all of our young people; there are so many outstanding learning and enriching experiences at Wilmslow High School.

It is not possible to include all of the term’s activities in ‘High News’ which is why, after the Easter break ‘High Notes’ will have an additional news and results section. The aim is to offer a more comprehensive up to date news service that celebrates students’ achievements and school events, on a weekly basis.

We are always looking for ways to improve how we communicate information to parents (do you follow us on Twitter?) so please let us know if there are any areas that we can further develop.

I hope that you have an enjoyable Easter break and that students who are preparing for examinations use the time productively.

Mr M VincentAssistant Headteacher

Contents

3 Introduction

4 - 5 The Arts

6 - 8 News and events

9 Careers week

10 - 11 Politics visit to Washington

12 - 15 News and events

16 French connection

17 Young Ambassadors Conference

18 - 20 Sports roundup

Do you receive the weekly High Notes e-mails containing ‘bitesize’ reminders, dates, events and information?

If not, please e-mail: LMcDermott@wilmslowhigh.cheshire.sch.uk

Wilmslow High School PTA needs you! If you can offer any time or support, please contact Sonya

Wild on cjwild1@sky.com12

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Editions of High News mark moments in time. They provide us with an opportunity to celebrate student achievements, share memorable experiences and affirm actions that we believe to be worthwhile.

This edition does all of this in abundance, demonstrating so much that is exceptional about the Wilmslow High School community. It also illustrates why anyone would be honoured and excited to be given the responsibility of leading Wilmslow High School during its next stage of evolution. The talents of the students, the commitment of the staff and the support offered by families, and an ever widening range of achievement partners, point to a rich and rewarding future for all involved in the school.

Building this future starts with the very strong foundations of The Wilmslow Way, in which excellent “behaviour” by students coupled with personal and collective “pride” leads to “success”.

This success, of course, must be in learning. • Learning about powerful knowledge such as that acquired during Literacy Week, chemistry experiments and National Careers Week activities or during educational visits to Washington, Paris or the Houses of Parliament.• Learning to master skills for life in Forest School, business accounting and as young ambassadors for sport. • Learning how to perform at a high level in plays, music, dance, sport and public speaking.

I am sure that future successes in learning at Wilmslow High will feature all of these familiar opportunities, but I also hope they will feature enthralling and engaging experiences as yet unimagined. As we move into the next stage in the school’s journey, therefore, I invite every member of the school community to dare to dream, to be creative, aspirational and ambitious, and by doing so help us to exceed our previous best.

For me this approach is memorably captured in the following proverb:

These are qualities demonstrated by all our high performing students reported in the pages that follow. They are also qualities that we shall be looking to promote regularly in the days ahead.

I would like to finish by expressing my thanks for the support and good wishes that so many of you have shared with me since my appointment as Headteacher. Thank you also for the ideas and suggestions for the school’s development that have been shared either on a personal basis or through the recent Kirkland Rowell survey.

I look forward to the contribution these views and proposals will make to our next School Improvement Plan.

With all best wishes,

Dr J PulléHeadteacher

HEAD lines

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Anna (left) and Rachel (right) Mulroy sing for the BBC

The centenary of the First World War presented an opportunity to recall the terrible suffering of so

many and the legacy it left behind. For me there is

perhaps no better evocation of the experience of WWI

that Joan Littlewood’s ‘Oh! What a Lovely War’, which the school presented in early

February 2015.

The genius of the play lies in the widespread use of humour to portray the scale of the war and the effects on so many. For example, the drill sergeant, played by Harrison King, put half a dozen pertrified recruits through their paces in a farcical perspective of the recruitment process.

As the audience laughed at the events on stage, they forgot the horrific conditions of the trenches and the fate these soldiers would soon face, only to be reminded in the next scene.

The contrast between the humour and the tragic is effective in encouraging reflection on serious issues.

‘Oh! What a lovely performance’

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If you were watching BBC2 on Boxing Day, did you spot two Wilmslow High School students, Anna and Rachel Mulroy, in the film ‘The Day We Sang’?

Both are members of the Hallé Children’s Choir and Hallé Youth Training Choir whom the BBC approached to ask if their members would take part in this film, written and directed by Victoria Wood.

The musical is set in Manchester 1969, with flashbacks to 1929, and tells the

story of Jimmy ‘Tubby’ Baker and a secretary, Enid, who find love after meeting on a TV programme about a choir they both sang in as children in 1929.

Rachel (Year 9) and Anna (Year 10) had the opportunity to form part of the 1929 choir, shown in scenes where the two main characters reminisce about their experiences in the past. Filming took place at Huddersfield Town Hall and the Hale Assembly Rooms over three weekends in January 2014, where Anna and Rachel had the opportunity to work

alongside musicians and actors such a Victoria Wood, Emelda Staunton and Michael Ball.

Anna and Rachel are committed and talented musicians and are also members of the Congleton Youth Orchestra, Wilmslow High School Concert Band and Voices. Both girls intend to continue to pursue their passion for music in the coming years.

Mrs K DoyleMusic teacher

The day Anna and Rachel sang!

The use of a fantastic music score along with the musicians who brought it to life reminded the audience members of both the nostalgia and the realities of war and the impact it had on the men who survived and the families of those who perished. The music also demonstrated the progression from jollity and optimism at the start of the war, to fatalistic acceptance of the slaughter by the end.

Cast members, teachers and musicians worked tirelessly to bring this play to the stage, but the process of rehearsing was not only thoroughly enjoyable, allowing us to form new friendships but also educational, as the themes of the play set our history and drama courses in a very clear context.

Three nights’ performances seemed to go by in a blur but the highlight for me was the minute’s silence at the end of the play when we were reminded of the reality of war as the ‘Last Post’ played and a projector lit up the walls of the stage with the statistics of the staggering number of losses and injuries suffered in ‘The Great War’.

Harry Chalmers-MorrisYear 11

“The play owed its success to the combined efforts of so many people, proving that a concerted team effort where every contribution is vital can be more successful that a production made up of a small number of stars.”

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Two of our students have been awarded conditional offers to study at Oxford and Cambridge Universities. Hollie Eaton has an offer to study history at Pembroke College, Oxford and Ryan Jenkinson has an offer to read mathematics with physics at Girton College, Cambridge.

Hollie, who volunteers at the MS Society Shop and is an avid theatre goer said, “I am delighted to have been offered a place to study history at Oxford; although the hard work is not yet over, I am glad that it has paid off so far.”

Ryan has been involved in tutoring younger students in mathematics and studies AS level physics independently at home, alongside four other subjects. Ryan said, “ I feel very privileged to have an offer to study mathematics with physics at Cambridge. This opportunity not only recognises my efforts but also the support I’ve enjoyed from teachers, family and friends.”

This is the second consecutive year that a Wilmslow High School student has been offered a place to read history at Oxford, with Anna Bett beginning her studies there last autumn.

Entrepreneurs raise £233 for charityIn order to encourage more students to become involved in enterprise activities, the business studies department has taken part in a new extra-curricular competition this year - The Accumulator Challenge.

The challenge is for young people to organise and run an event or mini enterprise with an initial start-up fund of £50, donated by ‘Mr Hugh’s Rapeseed Oil’. Any profits made are reinvested in order to create further sales. All the proceeds from the activities are donated to the Papworth Trust, a charity that supports children with disabilities.

Over the past three months students Jack Paton, Toprak Sen, Jack Price (all Year 10) and Ellie Harris (Year 9) have run small businesses, organised fund raising activities including a mobile phone case company, an enterprise to promote the use of glow bands to help the elderly find their glasses at night, cake, sweets and smoothie sales. The initial start up capital was used to purchase sweets and paper bags, allowing the students to make use of bulk purchasing economies.

Overall the students have raised £233, which has allowed them to return the initial £50 and make a significant contribution to the Papworth Trust. The business and enterprise team hope to open this opportunity to more students next year.

Oxbridge - here we come!

Earlier this year Mr Leask from the design and technology team approached Tesco in Handforth Dean to ask if they would be prepared to help the department’s ongoing research into new forms of student assessment.

The store generously agreed to donate two Hudl 2 tablets and on 11th March Gary Ashton and Sue Hamilton, two of the store’s managers, came to Wilmslow High School to present the Hudl devices to the team.

The Tesco staff were taken on a tour of the design and technology area, where they were able to see product design and food and textiles students working on their projects. They suggested Tesco could offer other useful links with the school in relation to their industrial kitchens and F&F clothing brand.

Mrs Firth, head of design and technology added how grateful the department was for Tesco’s generous donation and the offer of further links.

Every little helps.....

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On Wednesday 25th February a group of thirty Year 12 science enthusiasts and chemistry degree hopefuls took part in the unique opportunity of synthesising and analysing paracetamol. The Royal Society of Chemistry and Manchester University joined forces to bring this valuable experience to the students of Wilmslow High School.

We started with a test tube full of 4-aminophenol, suspended it in water, added acetic anhydride, filtered it and end up with Paracetamol!

We then analysed the substance using the equipment in the suitcase,

a specialist Infra-red Spectroscopy worth £10,000.

It was great to experience ‘hands on’ what we’d been learning about in lessons. All of the equipment, expertise and advice was provided by some very friendly and experienced undergraduate and PhD students.

Not only did they keep a watchful eye on the practical work, but also provided insightful knowledge into the life of a university student. It was an engaging and worthwhile activity.

Caitlin McAndryYear 12

Spec in a suitcase

The Year 10 public speaking team have achieved considerable success this year in the ESU Churchill National Public Speaking Competition. With entries from almost 400 teams, the competition has now been whittled down to the 8 best teams from across England and Wales.

After negotiating the preliminary rounds, Wilmslow High went on to win the second round, the North West regional final and are now through to the national final.

They have handled topics as diverse as ‘loyalty to the country should trump all other concerns’, ‘24 hour news has led to worse, not better, informed citizens’ and ‘an over examined life is one not to be lived’. At all stages the team has prepared for these topics professionally and has received positive feed back from the judges throughout.

Public speaking competition

Dance workshopsOn Monday 2nd March, Year 10 GCSE dancers were very fortunate to work with a professional dancer from 2Faced Dance Company.

They participated in a 3 hour workshop and learnt professional repertory from the company. The dancers had a very challenging experience and worked with great enthusiasm. They will use the skills and materials learnt to expand their performance work.

Several weeks later a local dance company taught a variety of dance sessions within the school.

‘You Should be Dancing Academy’ taught workshops to Year 7 to 11 students and have challenged them with musical theatre choreography. All students enjoyed the experience and worked extremely hard.

The team consists of Georgia Brown, Katy Walker and Olivia Willett (Year 10) and were delighted to win their regional final to represent the North West at Churchill College, Cambridge on Saturday 25th April.

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Our Hearing Impaired Resource Base provides an inclusive setting for hearing impaired students to learn alongside their hearing peers.

Located in our new Pavilion building, it is staffed by qualified teachers who have undertaken additional training to

become specialist teachers of the deaf, along with five specialist HI learning support assistants and an external speech and language therapist who works with a number of our students on a weekly basis.

From an early age we ensure prospective students become familiar

with the High School environment by inviting local primary schools to visit and join in various activities. This allows the young students to familiarise themselves with the new, much larger, school building and to meet and speak to students and staff about life at the High School, thereby becoming more comfortable with the change and ensuring that the prospect of moving schools becomes less daunting.

On this basis, the hearing impaired resource base hosted a transition morning organised and planned by Mrs McBride and food stylist Angela Boggiano. Nine HI students from Lindow and Brookside Primary School baked and decorated biscuits; working with them were eight high school students so that ages ranged from 4 to 16!

Mrs Holmes (Lindow’s specialist teacher of the deaf) commented, “It was a wonderful experience for all the children, they are so excited about going to Wilmslow High School.”

Mrs L BancroftHearing Impaired Resource Base

The food technology team recently had the pleasure of working with a professional food stylist, Angela Boggiano, and food photographer Craig Robertson. Angela usually spends her time styling and making food look attractive for high profile magazines such as BBC Good Food and television programmes such as Nigella Bites.

Craig and Angela worked with 13 students from Year 11 to 13 producing, styling and photographing finished recipes for a new calendar. Each student was given a month of the year and came up with a suitable dish to make. For example, Claudia Ellis in Year 13 decided to make a valentine chocolate cheesecake for the month of February. Other dishes included in the calendar are a spring risotto, hot cross buns and a Christmas chocolate log. The students learnt how to style food using simple props such as vintage cutlery and a textured background.

The day gave the students the opportunity to observe how such high profile names from the food industry work, as well as to experience possible careers in this sector.

We would like to say thank you to Angela and Craig for all their hard work in helping us produce our 2016 calendar. It will be available to buy from summer at a cost of around £8.

Charlotte GooseYear 13

Watch this space for the food tech calendar 2016!

An easier transition for the hearing impaired

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Much has been written in the media recently about the national concern that the increased use of social media and mobile phones is leading to a skills gap amongst our younger generation to talk and network effectively.

During National Careers Week (2nd - 6th March) students were challenged to think about how they communicate and whether they are actively developing a professional network.

Assemblies, led by Mr P Jones and Mr Munro, featured a video message from Duncan McCombe, a young entrepreneur who founded his own business, Networking Young, supporting the development of young people’s ability to network. So, the challenge was set: ‘Seek to develop your professional network whilst at school and consider how well you communicate when speaking to different people’.

To link with Key Stage 4 Course Choices and the school objectives for National Careers Week, four groups of Year 9 students participated in networking workshops. These inspirational sessions were co-led by Naomi Timperley and Duncan McCombe.

Naomi is a National Careers Week ambassador, inspirational speaker and director of several careers and social media related enterprises. As a recent college leaver and young entrepeneur, Duncan is an engaging speaker, who passionately believes that establishing good professional networks whilst at school will ensure that students find success in their future careers.

The Year 9 students participated in activities designed to improve knowledge of how to network as well as communication skills. These ranged from Skype calls to Australia, to speed-networking, as well as using social media to network.

They were given the current statitistic that approximately 80% of jobs are never advertised, instead being filled by word of mouth - a staggering figure, which is highly significant in today’s competitive market place - and they were challeged to create a plan of how they will establish their own networks in prepration for the future.

The presenters plan to revisit Wilmslow High School in the next month in order to offer further coaching and guidance to those students who participated, checking that they have begun to establish their own professional networks.

During the recent PHSCE day Year 11 students were given the opportunity to meet a wide range of over 70 external visitors, who were invited into school in order talk about their own careers and sectors.

This was largely due to the generosity of our network of business volunteers. Following the event, our visitors were so impressed that they passed on their business cards, offering mentoring and work experience to some students.

Careers Week at Wilmslow High

PHSCE Careers Carousel

If you would like to volunteer to participate in a careers event, please contact Mr P Jones, Careers Co-ordinator: pjjones@wilmslowhigh.cheshire.sch.uk

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On the first day in Washington DC, we braved temperatures of minus ten degrees to meet our guide for a tour of the Capitol Building. This is the seat of the US Congress and the legislative branch of the US Federal Government. It was built after the original thirteen states came together to form one independent country, and its location and construction was central to the creation of the democratic system devised to replace the British monarchy.

The Capitol is linked by an underground tunnel to the beautiful building of the Library of Congress, which contains a copy of every published book to-date, including some of Thomas Jefferson’s very own manuscripts. We also stood outside the Supreme Court, the highest judiciary in the US and the site of many landmark legal battles in US history. We were very lucky to meet with a

professional lobbyist who helped us gain an understanding of how lobby firms and pressure groups influence the US government.

Whilst in Washington, we visited the Museum of American History and the fascinating ‘Newseum,’ where we took an interactive journey through

the media’s coverage of key events in US history before joining the queues waiting in line to see the original US Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution and the Bill

of Rights - documents central to the US political system. One of the memorable parts of the visit was the walking tour that included the Washington Monument and memorials to commemorate the dead of the Second World War, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Most impressive of all was the imposing Lincoln Memorial, built to honour the 16th President of the USA who was

assassinated shortly after his second inauguration.

It was here that we stood on the very spot from which Martin Luther King delivered his “I have a dream speech” and contemplated the importance of both Lincoln’s and King’s roles in the shaping of modern America. To complete our cultural experience of the US capital we followed in the footsteps of Barak Obama having lunch at the iconic Ben’s Chili Bowl on Q Street.

Washington & Philadelphia

Early in the morning on Friday the 13th of February, sixteen politics students and two teachers departed from Manchester Airport, heading to the USA to learn more about the US political system and to gain some historical context to help with their A2 studies.

“it was a highly enjoyable and

informative visit”

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Next stop was Philadelphia. This was the original capital of the USA, founded by William Penn in 1682. The reason for our visit to ‘Philly’ was to stand in Independence Hall, where the founding fathers drafted both the Declaration of Independence of 1776 and the constitution that would be ratified by all states and form the basis of federal government. Our walking tour also took in the homes of Benjamin Franklin and George Washington and the famous Liberty Bell. Any trip to Philadelphia would not have been complete without a run up the seventy-two steps outside the Museum of Art, known more famously as the “Rocky Steps.” It was then back to a comparatively warm and sunny Manchester!

Callum WatsonYear 12

The United States Capitol Dome is 88m high and 29m in diameter, designed by Thomas Walter and constructed between 1855 and 1866. The dome is actually constructed of cast iron, not stone, and painted to look like the same stones as the main capitol building.

The Liberty Bell is housed in the Liberty Bell Centre in the Independent National Historical Park. It was cast in England in 1752 and has become a symbol of political freedom.

The bell acquired its crack sometime in the early 19th century, possibly while ringing after the death of Chief Justice Marshall in 1835. The bell was used as a symbol of freedom in the 1960s and was a popular site for protests. Its image has been featured on coins and stamps and has been widely used by various corporations.

The Lincoln Memorial has inscriptions of two well-known speeches by Lincoln, The Gettysburg Address and his Second Inaugural Address. The memorial has been the site of many famous speeches, including Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

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Following on from this award, and a performance from students at Bolton Wanderers Football Club, demonstrating CPR and defibrillator use, Mrs Burgess and five Wilmslow High School students were invited by North West Ambulance to attend a ‘Cross Party’ event at the Houses of Parliament.

The event, held in the Terrace Pavilion, was to promote the need for:

• screening to be available for all children at risk of undiagnosed heart conditions• AEDs to be made compulsory in public places, including schools across the UK• Children to leave school with the

knowledge of simple life saving skills, such as how to perform CPR and use a defibrillator.

Mr Andy Burnham MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Health, spoke to students at length about their involvement and interest in the Cardiac Smart awareness campaign, whilst they all enjoyed afternoon tea with guest speakers, sponsors, invited guests and other members of Parliament.

One of the guest speakers was Sam Mangoro, a boy who had collapsed playing rugby at school due to a cardiac arrest.

Fellow students and teachers saved his life using CPR and a defibrillator, which had only been given to the school a week before. He now fundraises for more defibrillators to be put into schools.

Students also had the opportunity to visit the public gallery of the House of Commons to listen to a debate on Irish Corporation Tax before squeezing in a visit to Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, The Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square and Boudicca’s statue.

Mrs N BurgessFirst aider

Our ‘smart’ students visit House of Commons

In May last year Wilmslow High School and their first aider, Mrs Burgess, were awarded a Gold Cardiac Smart Award in recognition of all our work to promote heart awareness, the placing of two school defibrillators, training staff and students in their use and also Mrs Burgess’ external work as a volunteer for the ambulance service as a Community First Responder; the gold plaque is displayed in reception.

Mrs N Burgess, Charlotte Holmes, Alex Wheeler, Matt and James Wheeler, Ellie Harris and Ms S Harris (NWAS)

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At Wilmslow High we are always looking for ways of giving our students a learning experience they will not ever forget, so when I had the experience of going on a Family Forest School session with my daughters, it was clear that this was something we needed to try.

This type of learning removes some of the constraints and pressures which can be placed on students and allows them to experience learning in a natural way. Learning outside the classroom, especially with nature, gives students the opportunity to initiate their own learning, become risk takers and collaborative learners as well as injecting a sense of freedom.

Forest school has become an instant success with all students involved and they have loved every second of it (including torrential downpours and severe hail!).

In the months since we started, we have cleared an area, cut back overhanging branches and bushes, built a fire square, hung hammocks, built a bridge, learnt tree names and knot tying amongst other activities. We have managed to create a childhood from 30 years ago before iPads and computers, where climbing trees and getting muddy was strongly encouraged.!

Mrs K GoodwinHead of the ASC Resource

“We loved the green room in the House of Commons, although the debate on corporation tax wasn’t that interesting, we did enjoy the whole experience”Alex Wheeler

Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP

will host a cross party Reception

on behalf of North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust

in the Terrace Pavilion on Tuesday 27th January 2015, 4 – 6pm

and requests the pleasure of your company

Entrance via Cromwell Green Smoking not permitted

Please allow 30-45 minutes to clear security No parking facilities available

Admittance by invitation only. This invite is non-transferable

GUESTS SHOULD BRING PERSONAL PHOTO IDENTIFICATION

“We crammed a lot into our day and saw many fabulous landmarks!”James Wheeler

“I think Sam Mangoro was inspirational. He now fundraises for more defibs for schools so he’s used his own experience to help others”Matt Wheeler

Learning naturally

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Each year, during the week of World Book Day (WBD), Wilmslow High celebrates all things literary, to raise awareness of the importance of literacy skills both across the curriculum and in life outside school. The focus this year was reading; its importance and how enjoyable it can be. To reinforce this, each curriculum team included reading-related activities in their lessons.

In addition, the Learning Resource Centre and English team ran a variety of events. A group of KS3 students visited Manchester Museum to take part in ‘inspiring reading’ workshops, where they were read extracts from novels that related to the exhibits they were viewing and used different skills to produce their own pieces of creative writing.

A group of Year 10 students visited the newly refurbished Manchester Central Library where they were given a tour of the resources available to them and were able to explore the archives and music library.

On WBD the whole of Wilmslow High, plus some of our partner primaries took time to ‘drop everything and read’. We hope to let this event grow next year and involve local businesses too!

Form tutors conducted spelling bee heats throughout the week which ended with an intense final session in the main hall. 7TMH were crowned spelling bee

champions.

Finally, the week culminated with a visit from author and illustrator Curtis Jobling, who gave an exciting presentation to all Year 7 students, plus a

number of Year 6 children from partner primary schools. After the presentation, students could meet Curtis and buy signed copies of his books; 60 lucky students were then able to take part in creative writing workshops with Curtis.

The fun is not over yet and students have been producing pieces of writing to be entered into a competition. Teachers are currently selecting finalists, who will be invited to take part in an event at Wilmslow Library on 26th March.

The week has been enjoyable and beneficial for all involved; however, we do not want thoughts of literacy to end there. The skills we have focused on are vital for success. We urge you to find time every day to pick up a book and be transported to a new world.

Mrs N MasonLRC

Literacy week at Wilmslow High

On Comic Relief Day, some students visited Macclesfield Leisure Centre to experience inclusive cycling.

These specially adapted bicycles allow people with physical difficulties to access the enjoyment of cycling no matter what the level of need. Whether the chains are set up for easier peddling or hand-driven, everyone can have a go ..... and we did!

We spent a fantastic hour, getting out of breath, riding around the main hall of the Leisure Centre. The students (and staff) thoroughly enjoyed themselves in this alternative sporting activity.

Meanwhile, back at school students raised over £2000 for the Comic Relief cause.

Mrs K Goodwin and Mrs G Lumley

On yer bike!

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Twelve AS business studies students participated in the recent regional national Business, Accounting and Skills (BASE) competition that was organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants England and Wales. The BASE competition is a really good example of the real life challenges faced by businesses. The event was held on 26th February at Edgeley Park, Stockport.

The students were divided into two teams of six and competed against fourteen other teams in a complex business challenge. The students, supported by a professional mentor, had to work through a tough case study (one that is actually used by trainee chartered accountants) and had to come up with a strategic plan for the business in question. The proposed strategy then had to be delivered to a panel of professional accounting judges. The students used

their subject knowledge, their skills of communication and team work and a huge amount of ‘common sense’!

The students really gained from the challenge of competing against the other teams. Both professional mentors assigned to the two Wilmslow High School teams mentioned how impressed they were with the students’ commitment, determination, knowledge and ability to present a coherent strategy in a short period of time.

The Wilmslow teams were judged second and third in the competition, a fantastic outcome for the students, beaten narrowly by Bury Grammar School for Boys.

As well as participating in the competition, the students had the opportunity to attend a careers fair organised by the ICAEW.

This highlighted the opportunities that are available in the field of professional financial services and accounting. The students were able to discuss the possible pathways, both post A level and at graduate level, with representatives from KPMG, Deloitte, Price Waterhouse Coopers and a number of other accountancy firms.

To sum up, the students really benefited from this opportunity as it allowed them to hone their key skills of communication, team work and problem solving that they need on a day to day basis.

Well done Team Wilmslow (Alina Alam, Lucy Anderson, Chenxi Bao, Peter Charlesworth, Poppy Dalton, Sam Gleave, Matt Kingston, Beccy Lawlor, Tom McMillan, Lauren Mooney, Miguel Vilches-Narro and Alex Wooton).

AS business studies students make a good impression

Maths challengeMrs Barlow and a team of ‘mathletes’ competed at the regional finals of the UKMT Team Maths Challenge at Poynton High School this month and came a respectable third.

Joseph Singh-Best, Dennis Acreman, Luke Peart and Alina Ohangjanian, undertook four rounds of mathematics against 16 other schools from the Greater Manchester, Derbyshire and Cheshire areas. The activities included a variety of individual and paired activities and concluded with the team challenge relay.

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A group of Year 10 and 12 fashion and textiles students chose to embark on an amazing visit to one of the most renowned fashion capitals of the world, Paris

Our first excursion was to the Yves Saint Laurent Foundation; this was a unique experience and we felt very privileged to be standing in the workshop where Yves Saint Laurent created his trade mark master pieces.

The room itself was left exactly as it was when he passed away, with pictures of his dogs on the wall, ideas and sketches

scattered on his desk and books based on architecture, history, film and artists all on hand.

There were toiles and developed prototypes hanging from rails, all waiting for evaluation. Fabric samples were draped across chairs and propped

up against furniture, all of which helped inspire Yves Saint Laurent in his quest for future fashion.

We were able to view items from the extensive archives that are held there. Over 40,000 original fashion illustrations are stored at the foundation and we had the opportunity to see some of his beautiful hand-drawn illustrations alongside the finished garments.

We also visited the famous fashion markets where we saw a mixture of antiques, interior products, vintage fashion and contemporary clothing.

There were some very creative products, for example, old fashioned cutlery made into coat pegs and wooden printer blocks turned into decorative pictures

clever concepts using recycled materials.We also visited the Museum of Decorative Arts, climbed the Eiffel Tower, took pictures of the Louvre Pyramid and saw what’s left of the Pont des Arts (Padlock Bridge). We also saw the iconic and very old glass dome of the Galeries Lafayette.

All in all it was a fantastic trip to Paris and will help to support our understanding of the design process and inspire us for future GCSE and A level projects.

Farron ClarkYear 10

The French connection

“It was a truly inspirational experience.”

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On Saturday 31st January, around 70 secondary school children attended Wilmslow High School for the Cheshire and Warrington Young Ambassador conference. The aim of the conference is to boost students skills and confidence, as well as understanding sport from different angles and, of course, having fun!

At the beginning of the day, we had an opening ceremony by Platinum Young Ambassador, Emily Short. Along with Emily, Jenna Downing, who is a world champion inline skater, introduced herself and we were then split into groups.

There were four workshops throughout the day; wheelchair basketball with British champion Anna Jackson who taught us to understand sport from different perspectives. We were each strapped into sports-style wheelchairs and then Anna taught us all how to control them. It was an interesting experience which gave us an insight into paralympic sport and how it is organised.

The next workshop was with inline skater Jenna, who was awarded the title of World Champion in 2008 and has been named British Champion ten times. This activity was about your skills as a Young Ambassador and what you considered to be your strengths and weaknesses. The workshop also explored how you could improve on these.

After this, we had a session on public speaking. This is a vital component of being a young ambassador as you are often asked to lead and participate in assemblies, conferences and speeches. Having the confidence and ability is essential but can be challenging for some.

Our last workshop involved team building skills. This workshop was led by Wilmslow High School’s own students who provided a variety of fun activities,

such as ‘shepherd and his sheep’ - a game where some people (sheep) are blindfolded and have find the sheep pen without talking. Another game was the ‘trust game’, where you and a partner have to fall back on each other without relying on eye contact - it’s a game requiring strong nerves!

People were awarded either gold or silver badges on the day. Being awarded a badge is a great achievement for a Young Ambassador so everyone was proud and happy.

Everyone from Cheshire and Warrington enjoyed themselves, and the school will hopefully host another conference like this soon so that the Young Ambassadors scheme can continue to flourish.

Olivia KingYear 7

Young Ambassadors lead the way at conference

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Three Young Ambassadors: Lydon Watts, Amelie Craven and Charlotte Woods (all Year 7) who attended the Cheshire & Warrington Young Ambassador Conference at Wilmslow High on Saturday 31st January

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Girls hockeyThe U12s have had an excellent season, finishing second in the King’s Chester tournament out of eleven schools.

The U13s girls made it through to the north west semi-finals at AKEQMS and

narrowly missed out on progressing through to the next round due to a goal difference of one.

The U14s had an excellent run of success and qualified for the Cheshire finals at Upton. The U16s have recently been crowned as indoor Cheshire champions, an excellent achievement as it has been a

few years since this title has been won by Wilmslow.

Finally, the senior team will be playing in the prestigious Kirkham tournament this year and competing against the likes of Millfield. They have recently finished second in the Cheshire Indoor League and still have the Cheshire hockey outdoor finals to look forward to.

It is encouraging to see the numbers at training continuing to rise and thank you to all of the older students who volunteer their time to help with the younger teams.

Congratulations to all of the students who have recently been selected for Cheshire and Greater Manchester! Furthermore, good luck to all of the Alderley Edge and Bowdon girls who are competing in the National finals at the Olympic Stadium (Leigh Valley) on Saturday 28th March.

Boys hockeyThe U13 boys hockey team continue to to test themselves against some of the very best in the country and generally come out on top.

Highlights of the season include their 4 – 1 win over Bromsgrove School, a 6 – 0 win over Sandbach, a 1 – 1 draw against prestigious private school, Repton and being crowned north west champions, qualifying for the north of England championships.

It has been another hugely successful season for Wilmslow’s trampolinists. Following some exceptional performances in the north west and northern rounds of the competition, 21 students qualified for the national finals which were held at Cocks Moors Woods Leisure Centre in Birmingham on March 13th.

In the individual catagories, Isobel Southerton and Conor Smith were both

crowned national champions, winning the U14 novice girls and U14 intermediate boys with Elise Potter coming second in the U19 girls novice competition.

In the team competition, the U14 girls novice and the U14 boys intermediate teams came in first position, the U19 boys and girls novice teams were runners up and the U14 boys novice team were fifth.

A fantastic set of results which reflect the hard work put in by the students, their

coach Hilary Pemberton and her team of assistant coaches throughout the year.

Trampolining success for Wilmslow High

U13 boys hockey squad

Trampolining National Finalistst

U16 hockey squad

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Boys footballSaturday morning football has been hit hard by the weather. However, our fixtures against Manchester Grammar School, Altrincham Grammar School, Cheadle Hulme School, the Grange and Sandbach survived.

Our recent fixtures against the Grange saw us win 4 and lose 1, while against Sandbach, honours were shared, with each school claiming 4 wins. Junior and senior teams were unbeaten in our block

fixture againsst Stockport Grammar School.

Our Year 7 teams continue to show great promise and in a recent fixture against Cheadle Hulme School, won the A and B fixtures, while the C team narrowly lost out in a 9 goal thriller.

The chase for Cheshire Cup glory has intensified with the Year 10 and 1st XI still involved. Unfortunately, the Year 11 team narrowly lost to Great Sankey 7-6 on penalties in the semi-final.

We hope to go one step further in the remaining two year groups.

Girls footballThe U13s girls participated in the northern regional finals of the Football League Trust 6-a-side competition at Barnsley FC, losing in the semi-final to the eventual winners of the competition.The U13 team played against Christleton School in the semi-final of the Cheshire Cup when, despite conceding two goals in the second half, the girls fought hard to score two in the last moments of normal time. They met Bishop Heber School in the final, winning a tense contest 2 - 1 and earning the title of Cheshire Champions.

The U14s reached the semi-final of their Cheshire Cup against Poynton School, but were unlucky to lose 4 – 2. They went one better in the final of the Cheshire and Warrington School Games, going through the tournament unbeaten and without conceding a goal to claim the title.

The U16s played against Lymm in their semi-final of the Cheshire Cup and a committed and hard working performance, some solid defending and fantastic goal keeping from Mia Lewis saw them come out on top. The girls will now play in the final against either Fallibroome or Congleton.

AthleticsFour teams of Year 7 and 8 boys and girls competed in the recent Macclesfield indoor athletics competition.

All the teams performed well and a large number of individuals won certificates in their events. The Year 7 girls won their competition and went on to compete for Cheshire in the next round of the national tournament, finishing in second place.

Wilmslow’s sports teams are extremely grateful for the support

they continue to receive from local individuals and businesses. This term, our senior rugby team

benefited from our link with ‘Brand Interiors’, a living, dining and

bedroom furniture specialist, whose Stockport branch is in Broadstone

Mill. Their sponsorship meant that all squad members received new training tops to wear at the recent Nat West Cup semi-final.

In addition to this link, Wilmslow family law firm, James Maguire

& Co have kindly worked with us to kit out our cheerleading team who will wore them for the first time during their performance at

the Winter School Games opening ceremony.

U13 girls football squad

Eimear Maguire and Miss Hatt with 2 of our cheerleaders

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Seren Bundy-Davies, a former Wilmslow High School student has won her first major championship medal at the European Athletics Indoor Championships. Earlier this month in Prague, after a hard fought 400m final, Seren won a bronze medal, clocking 52.64 seconds. She was only

a hundreth of a second behind silver medalist Indira Terrero. Ukraine’s Nataliya Pyhyda won gold but Seren was not entirely satisfied, “I’m disappointed” she said, “I know that sounds strange and realise its a massive achievement, but I did enter wanting to win it!”.

Just one day later, Kelly Massey, Seren Bundy-Davies, Laura Maddox and Kirsten McAslan won silver in the 4 x 400m womens relay final having been narrowly edged out by France.

This time last year, Seren had never broken 54 seconds for 400m and missed out on qualificiation for the Commonwealth Games. She has now run 51.72 indoors - the third fastest time in the world in 2015 - watch this space! I think there is much more in store from this talented athlete.

Our ‘High Performance’ magazine will feature an in-depth interview with Seren, coming soon.

Miss F RyanPE teacher

The sevens season is in full swing, with the pick of the performances so far this season coming from the Year 8s who performed magnificently in the Ellesmere College 7s, only narrowly losing out 12 – 7 in the semi-final of the main competition, following some impressive victories in the group stage.

The highlight of the rugby season has undoubtedly been the performance of the senior rugby team in the Nat West national schools cup. Some fantastic victories over Ermysted’s Grammar, Stonyhurst and away at St Joesph’s, Ipswich, in the quarter-final saw them reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2011.

The victory against the highly fancied St Joseph’s was a phenomenal achievement. A hat trick of tries

from Broghan Wilson and one from Christian Taylor on the back of fine work at the breakdown and some heroic defence meant that they did just enough to make it through to the semi-final.

Once again Wilmslow were the last state school left in the competition and travelled down to Allianz park the home of Saracens Rugby Club to

meet Dulwich College, winners of the competition for the past 3 years.

Ultimately, a place at Twickenham was a step too far and, despite a brave performance, we were beaten by 50 points to 14. The team and their coaches were obviously disappointed at the end result but can look back with pride on an outstanding season.

First national semi-final for senior rugby team since 2011!

Seren Bundy-Davies - the one to watch .....