NEWSLETTER

PRINCIPAL’S UPDATE

I cannot believe that Easter is nearly upon us. This is a crucial time in the academic year for all students, but particularly for Year 11 as their examinations draw ever closer. As usual, the term has been crammed full of activities including:

- students participation in World Book Day with some great outfits, especially Jude’s fetching [and brave] choice

- the Geography trip to Iceland – a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the Northern Lights and a

total eclipse

- Key Stage 3 gifted and talented students getting up close and personal to the runway and planes with the Aviation Academy at Leeds Bradford International Airport

- Y11’s lucky to receive input from local and national business leaders on achieving their full potential

The Summer term promises to be equally busy with the Outward Bound activity week at Ullswater, numerous sports fixtures, the Year 11 Prom, Year 10

work experience and Year 6 transition.

After Easter, we are pleased to welcome ex-student Ryan Beck as our new IT Technician Apprentice. This appointment allows our current IT Technician, Bevis Cox, to move across to a Teaching Assistant role within the school, something he has wanted to do for some time. I am also delighted to confirm that following a successful secondment and interview process Mr Shayne Toy will be joining us as our substantive Deputy Principal.

ISSUE 3

MARCH 2015

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Articulation Discovery Day - page 2

World Book Day - page 5

Student Lift off at Aviation Academy - page 3

Sports News - page 7

B U S I N E S S LEADERS INSPIRE AT THE SKIPTON ACADEMY February and March saw business leaders going the extra mile to inspire students from The Skipton Academy.

Silver Cross owner Alan Halsall, Chairman of the Craven Educational Trust – the body set up to sponsor the academy - hand-picked four successful Yorkshire-based businesspeople and invited them to share their stories with Year 11 students in a series of inspirational assemblies.

Alan, whose iconic pram manufacturing company is based at Broughton Hall, aimed to motivate youngsters about to embark on careers or post-16 education to consider all options for their future.

Alan said: “My guest speakers talked about what can be achieved by hard work and I hoped made the students think about their future career paths and how worthwhile apprenticeships might be.”

The first speaker was Trevor Wilson, Director of Authors Abroad, an agency which arranges visits to schools by children’s authors, poets and illustrators.

Author and personal branding specialist Jennifer Holloway spoke on March 5. Silver Cross chief executive, Nick Paxton, shared his story on March 12 and photographer Mark Ingram talked to the students on March 19.

Skipton Building Society’s senior leaders will speak to students later in the year to give them an insight into a business environment.

The society’s chief executive, David Cutter, is a director of the Craven Educational Trust. He said: “I was delighted to be asked to be one of the inaugural trustees to help establish

the trust and to be involved with the formation of The Skipton Academy.

“It is vital for the future prosperity of our business, as well as the town of Skipton itself, that it has excellent local schools which cater for all students and prepare them for life ahead.”

Another Craven Educational Trust director, Robert Bellfield, Principal of Craven College, is getting involved with The Skipton Academy on a practical level too. Robert said: “By working closely together The Skipton Academy, Craven Educational Trust and Craven College aim to make the learning experience for students more exciting and to improve their prospects and enjoyment in life now and in the future.”

Wendy Hamilton, principal of The Skipton Academy, said: “The Craven Educational Trust sponsors the school but it is far from just being a figurehead.

“We are delighted that the directors take such an active interest in our academy; it is valuable and inspirational for both students and staff to have the opportunity to work with prominent local businesspeople and educational leaders.”

ARTICULATION DISCOVERY DAY - FRIDAY 6TH MARCH 2105 - BOLTON ABBEY ESTATEStaff and Students from The Skipton Academy spent an exciting day with the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, as they were given a rare glimpse behind the scenes at The Duke’s Yorkshire home, the Hall at Bolton Abbey.

The Skipton Academy had been invited to take part in the Articulation Discovery Day, an event designed to stimulate and inspire young people

in their thinking and language skills, by exposing them to works of art in a creatively charged environment.

Students were given access to the Dukes of Devonshire’s private art collection, and invited to observe, research and investigate, making use of archive materials, literature, and art experts, before finally interviewing the Duke himself.

Students ended the day by presenting their findings to the Duke and Duchess in the stunning Bolton Priory; a truly memorable experience!

The Year 10 History and Art Students, led by History Teacher Dominic Fitzgerald, and Art Technician Carolyn Hird-Rogers performed superbly. Mr Fitzgerald praised the students, stating ‘They were not only excellent ambassadors for The Skipton Academy, they were also able to think

independently and on their feet, and all used the day to make visible progress in terms of their research and presentation skills’

Year 10 Student Lucy Taylor said, ”It was something very special indeed; it’s not every day that you get to interview a Duke!”. Year 10 Student Oscar Denman added, “The day gave me a real confidence boost. Being able to present to that many people, in a venue like Bolton Priory, was amazing.” Year 10 student Grace Lindsley concluded, “It was really interesting to see some of the Duke’s collection, and the way that the artwork connected to the local area and its history.”

The Students were: (all Year 10)

Elliot-Paul Rudden, Oscar Denman, Lucy Taylor, Erin Haden,

Nadia Mahmood and Grace Lindsley

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UK SCHOOLS CHESS CHALLENGE 2015 Well done to the 22 students who took part in the seven-week Skipton Academy chess tournament.

It was impressive to see so many Year 7 students signing up for a place in the competition. Congratulations to Joe Eastham who won the tournament, Jordan-Lee Seal who came second and Matthew Brooke and James Ridler who came joint third.

All four students have gained enough points to take part in the regional megafinal at York.

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STUDENTS LIFT OFF AT THE AVIATION ACADEMYIn January, in collaboration with Craven College, thirteen students from The Skipton Academy were rewarded for their excellent progress in Maths and Science with a visit to The Aviation Academy at Leeds Bradford Airport. The lucky thirteen dug out their passports and jetted off for a day of behind the scenes airport fun. The students experienced full security checks before being surprised with a private runway bus, which took them out on to the air strip. Watching a plane land, be prepared for the next flight and take off again from less than 30 metres away proved a valuable experience. The students even managed a wave from the pilot, they were that close.

Student Hannah Webb said “Watching the plane land, turn round and take off was really fun because I didn’t know anything about it before. Roger (Styan-Subject Sector Leader for Aviation) helped explain the process really well. I really enjoyed the trip and everyone is looking forward to doing the project.”

Students will now take part in a STEM (Science, technology, engineering and maths) project. They have been tasked with designing the turn round of the future and must consider things like: - environmental issues, number of workforce and aircraft movement. Students will present their ideas to members of The Aviation Academy and Principals of both Craven College and The Skipton Academy in a few weeks’ time.

CLARINET STAR OF THE FUTUREYoung musician Natasha Elsworth [Year 7] is tuning up to play with a prestigious junior orchestra. Natasha has been invited to join the North Yorkshire Junior County Youth Orchestra with the option to graduate to the senior orchestra when she achieves grade five.

Natasha is inspired by Brahms and has been playing the clarinet for three years. She was nominated to join the orchestra by Skipton Music Centre, which she attends on a Saturday morning on the academy site.

Natasha said: “I am very proud and excited to have this opportunity to meet new people, develop my abilities, and have the chance to graduate to the senior orchestra and possibly participate in international tours.”

Principal Wendy Hamilton said: “We are very proud of Natasha, who is a promising young musician and a great ambassador for her school.”

The Junior County Youth Orchestra, for primary and secondary pupils of a standard between grades three and five, will hold a residential course in the summer culminating in a concert on July 8th. Young musicians from various county ensembles are invited to join the residential. The senior orchestra, for secondary students of at least grade five standard, meets at the same time with a concert on July 10th.

MATHS UPDATEChanges to the MyMaths login - students need to log in with username ‘SkiptonA’ and the new password ‘circle’.

DREAM JOB FOR FORMER STUDENT

Former student Bernadette Butterfield hit the local headlines in January when she joined the academy as Head of Languages. For Bernadette the job is a return to her roots - she is an ex-student herself with memories of inspirational teachers and happy schooldays.

Said Bernadette: “It is a very exciting time for The Skipton Academy. The students now believe that they are important and that they are able to be the best they can be. They want to take care in their work. They feel proud to be a part of the school, to wear the uniform and know improvements have been noticed by the wider community as a result of the changes.

“I have always wanted to come back and work here; ultimately this school made me into the person and teacher that I am today,” said Bernadette, who previously worked at The Holy Family School in Keighley and Bingley Grammar School.

“I was inspired by my English teacher. She was brilliant and I always wanted to be that kind of teacher. I like to see what the students are into and turn English round to hook them in, to make it engaging.”

Principal Wendy Hamilton said: “We are delighted to welcome Bernadette to The Skipton Academy. English is one of our key areas for focus and I am confident she will drive up standards and see positive results in the coming weeks.”

Bernadette’s English passion is language and she is particularly enthusiastic about grammar, spelling and stylistics. A voracious reader,

she admires the poetry of Carol Ann Duffy and Simon Armitage and has found that both appeal to English students at The Skipton Academy.

She is now leading her faculty team in revisiting the Key Stage Three curriculum to ensure it is exciting, interesting and captivating for teenage learners as well as building on government requirements to ensure strong basic literacy skills.

Bernadette paid tribute to her colleagues, some of whom taught her when she was a student 16 years ago.

“All the staff have been very welcoming. We have a dedicated, strong and talented team and a powerful work ethic. Our principal leads from the top, everyone is encouraged and supported and it is a privilege to be a part of it,” said Bernadette.

E G Y P T I A N STUDENTS PAY A VISIT TO THE ACADEMY10 March saw 5 Egyptian students and their trainer visit the academy for the morning. The students, all aged 19-20 won the opportunity to come to the UK as the winning team of an Enterprise Challenge from over 300 schools in Egypt, organised and funded by the British Council. The winning idea is related to using sustainable energy to provide air conditioning in regions of Egypt where electrically powered air conditioning is too expensive.

The students attended a Y10 Performing Arts lesson, had refreshments with representatives from the Student Council, and participated in a Year 7 lesson where our students had prepared various presentations explaining about aspects about school life and their interests and activities.

Year 7 student Philip Sabin said “This very exciting visit definitely improved my teamwork skills. In preparation for the visit we did a variety of practise activities boosting our confidence”. Ikhlas Ali said “During the visit I learned about the Egyptian education system and their sources

of entertainment and food. We got to teach them about our school life, food and music.”

Maha Sharaf, Programme Manager from The British Council Egypt said “On behalf of the Egyptian team, could you please pass our thanks and appreciation to The Skipton Academy for their efforts and well preparation for hosting our visit. The team enjoyed the visit so much, they were impressed by the good preparation and welcoming of the students to us. In a few hours they knew a lot about the British education system and we were happy to talk with them about our culture and our country. Our team liked how the students are attached to their school and their confidence while representing their school.”

Kate Malloy, Enterprise and Employability Adviser at Craven College said “I wanted to let you know what a fantastic visit we had. Your staff and students were extremely welcoming and accommodating and our visitors have been left with a very positive impression of the school. The music session with Mr.Moreman went down very well, with our visitors having a go on the drums and keyboards themselves afterwards. The Year 7 session with Miss Davey was so well prepared and entertaining and the students asked some excellent questions, which hopefully means they now know more about Egypt. Miss

Elson and the School Council enjoyed asking questions too and seemed very pleased with the token gifts from Egypt. I must also mention the Head Girl and Boy, Sophie and Fred, who were our hosts/guides. They did such a great job and were both a credit to themselves and to the school. All in all, we had a great morning!”

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W O R L D BOOK DAYA vibrant World Book Day was celebrated at The Skipton Academy on 5 March. A large number of KS3 students and staff rose to the challenge of coming to school dressed as book characters. £10 Amazon vouchers were awarded to two winners for their efforts:

Best Dressed Character (Female) – Aseelah Shafiq 8JD – Malificent

Best Dressed Character (Male) – Jude Kershaw 9JT – Ms Camilla Fritton - Headmistress of St Trinians.

Mrs Butterfield, Head of English said “It was amazing to feel the buzz in the assembly hall with all Year 7,8 and 9 excited to see who was wearing what! A large number of students really bought in to the day and were keen to hear the tales from teachers about what their favourite books were and why. The day was a definite success and the bar was set high by the staff who were also participating!’”

One of the winners Aseelah Shafiq decided to come as ‘Malificent’ because ‘“she really caught my eye, she is a character who starts by being good but then turns evil and I love characters that have lots of different sides to them! I felt like a star when I had won I was so shocked! Next year I think I will come as the Snow Queen from Narnia!”

In addition to this we also held a book swap event in the

LRC where all students could go and swap their favourite titles with someone else’s favourite read!

The whole day was also linked with our big announcement of our 50 word horror story writing competition. With 100 entries, competition was fierce. Congratulations went to Casey Tipling [Year 8] who was the winner. Runners up were Year & students Jessica Bird and Philip Sabin, Shameer Mahmood [Y8], and Jade Hunter and Joe Hudson from Year 9.

Casey’s winning entry: Normally the rain didn’t bother me. But today it did. Why? No idea. Probably the castle in front of me. Entering, I realised it was a bad idea. A freezing hand. A drop of spit. But my prayers said, dreams fulfilled, I was gone. Left as a bloody meal.

Casey said “I was surprised and excited to win the competition. I like reading horror stories so they gave me ideas of what to include in my own mini horror story. I would definitely enter a writing competition like this again!.”

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ICELAND TRIP MARCH 2015On the 17th March 31 students and 4 members of staff left school at 3:30am bound for Iceland. This once in a lifetime trip would allow GCSE Geography students to experience a number of Geographical features that they will study over their 2 year GCSE course. Our first stop in Iceland was the Blue Lagoon, one of the 25 wonders of the world; the students had a great time relaxing in the hot geothermal waters with silica mud masks on their faces. Following this was a short tour of Reykjavik after which we headed out for our Northern Lights tour, they certainly did put on a show for us.

Our second day was the Golden Circle Tour and started with a walk between two tectonic plates (North American Plate and the Eurasian Plate) which are moving apart at a rate of 2cm per year. The second stop was the Strokkur Geyser, erupting every 4-7 minutes. We then continued on to the amazing views of Gullfoss Waterfalls. After a short stop to meet some Icelandic horses we were given a tour of a tomato green house, using Iceland’s geothermal energy to grow crops for the 350,000 population. Our final stop was to the Kerið volcanic crater, with striking red rocks. To finish off the day we took to the local outdoor swimming pool where we had the great opportunity to swim in -2OC whilst it was snowing, an experience none of us will forget.

The South Shore was our destination for day three. We made our way up to Mýrdalsjökull glacier, which is retreating at a rate of one football pitch per year. Next we travelled to Reynisdrangar an impressive black volcanic beach with amazing coastal stacks and caves, with cliffs that can only be compared to the Giant’s Causeway. After a brief stop in the town of Vik we completed our tour with the Skógafoss waterfall, with its impressive 60 m drop and Seljalandsfoss waterfall, which you can walk behind. To finish the night we had a very entertaining session at the local ice rink, with many people spending the majority of the evening falling over.

To complete the trip we headed to the airport early to ensure we had time to watch the solar eclipse, being in Iceland meant we got to see a 98% eclipse. With the help of some local tour guides our students got to view the eclipse through some tinted glass providing a wonderful experience for all.

We all had an amazing time and the pupils were a credit to the school, being described as “lovely and polite” by a guide.

COUNTY HONOURS FOR JOE HUDSONIt has been an exciting cross country season for Year 9 student, Joe Hudson. His road to success began in the Harrogate and Craven Cross Country Trials, held at King James’ School in Knaresborough. Here Joe finished a fantastic 3rd, earning himself a place on the Harrogate and Craven team. His next outing took place in January. On a very snowy and cold day, Joe ran in the North Yorkshire Schools Trials in Whitby. A top 8 finish was required in order to make the county team. All the hard work and training clearly paid off as Joe finished in 6th place. He went on to represent North Yorkshire Schools in an Inter Counties event held in the North East. Here he finished in 12th place. The pinnacle of the season came when Joe competed in the English Schools Cross Country

Championships in Blackburn. Here he was up against 340 of the country’s best junior boys. The course was gruelling and tested all the athletes. Joe finished a creditable 204th. North Yorkshire came 22nd out of 44 county teams.

Joe is now busy competing in the Keighley and Craven Schools Cross Country League. He is currently in 2nd place overall with one race left to do.

Runners from The Skipton Academy competed in an invitation event hosted by Ermysted’s Grammar School and held in Aireville Park. Students from Years 7, 8 and 9 competed on a very muddy course. Joe Hudson finished 3rd in this race behind rivals from Ermysted’s and Settle College. A big well done goes to all the athletes who competed - Joe Eastham, Ethan Camsey, Francesca Speak, Millie Suter, Chloe Suter, Naomi Large, Amy Lodge, Amy Taylor, Casey Tipling, Zoe Lynan, Cole Cooke and Joseph Brayshaw.

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SPORT NEWSWith the rugby season on hold between November and February, the Year 9 team tried their hand at basketball. They were looking good in training, but the real test always comes in a game. Ermysted’s were happy to oblige as we made the short journey to their sports hall at the end of January. It was an encouragingly competitive game, in which both teams had periods of dominance. Our better period came towards the end of the game and there just wasn’t enough time to overhaul the lead which had been built up by EGS. The final score of 20-16 give plenty of encouragement looking forward. Our scorers during the game were; Lucas Turvill (2), Jack Bailey, Jack Greatrex, James Ridler, Justin Pantaleon and Josiah Holness.

Outdoor sports recommenced in March. At the time of going to press both the Year 10 and 11 football teams have entertained South Craven. The Y11’s were on the wrong end of a slightly unreflective 8-1 scoreline, with Jake Crowther scoring our goal. The Y10’s

fared better, just losing out 3-2, with Rob Harker scoring both goals. Rob does have cause for celebration, however, after being awarded a Scholarship with Bury FC. He said he has been “working hard for it”, which shows good reward for determination and resilience.

The outstanding sports team of this term so far is the Year 7 rugby team, who won the White Rose Rugby Festival held on 9th March. They beat both South Craven and Settle College by one try to nil, to set up a decider with Illkey Grammar, which they won by two tries to nil. Scorers were Cole Cooke and Ben Brandt with two each. Our player of the tournament was Lewis Reynoldson, whose quick thinking and reactions around the ruck secured the

ball in both attack and defence.

Due to unforeseen weather circumstances the rugby season for the girls was put on hold, however, we did enter the Year 7&8 teams in the Netball League at UAK. They showed some very positive play, good leadership skills and team spirits which should lead to success next season. Massive thanks to Y10’s Eva Garrett and Lucy Taylor (BTEC Sport) for their outstanding leadership skills, officiating games with other members of staff from different schools.

Other news surrounds the development of the grounds, with the installation of new football goalposts almost complete. Thanks once again go to The Football Foundation and Embsay Juniors FC for their continued support.

We are also embarking on a link with Yorkshire Cricket Club as part of the ‘Chance to Shine’ initiative, which will see expert coaching delivered in a selection of lessons as well as extra-curricular clubs.

POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM STUDENTS

Six months after becoming The Skipton Academy, stricter discipline and a smarter look are the students’ main impressions of life in their new school. A survey in February revealed positive feedback for the changes, which took place at the start of the current academic year.

Students think their school is top of the class since the changes. More than 70 per cent liked school when asked to rate it on a scale of one to 10. Nearly all those taking part (95 per cent) felt that teachers were enforcing the new dress code either very or quite strictly. And significant numbers felt that students were trying harder in class; nine out of 10 students also believed they were on target to do well in their exams.

Principal Wendy Hamilton said: “The student survey proves we are on track at The Skipton Academy. I was particularly pleased to note that students have highlighted improvements in teaching and learning, and in the breadth of the curriculum. There is a positive vibe and can-do attitude around school and I am very proud of all our students and staff.”

Students were asked to list the main changes since becoming an academy with 41 per cent highlighting the smarter look. Stricter discipline was the next most obvious change with improved facilities, students trying harder in class and more subject choices were also noticed.

The teachers came in for significant praise too. Students were asked for comments on the best thing about school, and the dedication, enthusiasm and approachability of staff was a theme which recurred time and again.

“It was very pleasing to see how well appreciated our teachers and support staff are. I know they are fantastic,

and it has been proved that the students think they are too,” said Wendy.

Comments about the staff included: “They are trying to make the school better for us students. They also give us advice when we need it, there is always someone to talk to”, “The teachers are very happy and give you work that challenges you”, and “The school has amazing teachers that really influence our learning”.

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PROM COMMITTEE RAISING FUNDSFebruary saw the Year 11 Prom Committee raising funds for the 3 July Prom. They had to hold their nerve as they sought support from Alan Silver Cross owner and Chairman of the Craven Educational Trust, Alan Halsall. In a Dragon’s Den style activity, the Committee had to convince Alan of their argument. The successful outcome saw the students add £500 to their Prom pot.

ROTARY CLUB TECHNOLOGY TOURNAMENT 2015The Skipton Academy was recently represented by two teams at this year’s Rotary Club Technology Tournament on Tuesday 3rd March. We entered Year 9 and Year 10 teams, each consisting of four students. The challenge is held each Year at Gargrave Village Hall and several schools from as far as Settle and Giggleswick in the west to Otley and Ilkley in the east all compete against one another over the course of the day.

Our students arrived early and set about familiarising themselves with the scene of tables laid out across the hall, all to be filled with their rivals for the day. Once the teams were assembled, the organisers explained the tasks and all the teams began producing their design ideas for their portfolio. After half an hour, the teams were able to begin the build.

The challenge this year was to design and make a bridge; the first part was to be static and to carry a 1KG load across it and not to deflect too much so as to allow a barge to pass underneath. The other part of the bridge had to raise and lower successfully and also support the load as it crossed. The raised bridge had to lift high enough to allow a model ship to pass through without touching. The Year 9 team had only to create a raising bridge over one span; the Year 10s had to span two. The materials the teams were given mostly consisted of card, straws, string, pulleys, drawing pins and some dowel.

At lunchtime the teams had to submit their design portfolios to the judges but could continue to build their bridges until the testing stage. Both

teams got involved helping others and only just managed to complete their own designs. The teams worked well with each other, although the Year 10s did start to get frustrated as they ran short of materials and had to get very inventive in order to add extra strength to their bridge.

Finally, the testing stage began. Teams had to bring their bridges up to the front and the judges tested and scrutinised each one. The Year 9 team had a functioning bridge but were let down by the barge test where a piece of their bridge hung down and got caught. The Year 10 bridge set-up was strong but the thickness made it difficult to attach to the baseboard. During testing, the bridge pieces collapsed as the weight was dragged across and the lifting section then didn’t hinge properly.

Teams from other schools performed better and worse that those from The Skipton Academy and after the judges had met, the outcomes were announced and unfortunately our teams were both out of the places. After the awards were given and photographs taken, we loaded up the minibus (most skilfully driven by Mr Paterson) and headed back. The teams then spent some time fettling their designs and managed to find that a few more minutes and some more materials resulted in fully functioning bridges. This is so often the case.

Overall the teams performed admirably and should be congratulated on their efforts. The team members were:

Year 9 James Heyworth; Alex Parker-Colclough; James Ridler and Shemhaji Villocillo

Year 10 Daniel Anderson; James Robbins; Callum Smith and Laurence Solloway.

They represented the Academy professionally and unfortunate not to be successful this time. Maybe next year…

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