Junior School www.westbourneschool.co.uk 1

THE WESTBOURNIAN 2016–2017EDUCATING GIRLS AND BOYS FOR LIFE

A word from our Headmaster

Welcome to the 2016–2017 Westbournian yearbook, celebrating the events and successes of the last academic year at Westbourne School.

For prospective parents and pupils, we hope you are informed and inspired in equal measure by this snapshot of the Westbourne family and life at our school. We also trust that current parents, pupils and alumni will enjoy reading this and looking back at some of the many things you have accomplished.

Our Governors and Senior Management Team have a strategic goal of being the school of choice in Sheffield and South Yorkshire. In order to achieve this we endeavour to give our children the best possible education, and our aim is to continually improve the learning experience for all our children. Over the years there have been many developments to facilitate this.

This summer we will embark on a building project to create two science laboratories in Ashdell House and to create a much bigger space for music in our Junior School.

We have developed an enrichment programme which reinforces our vision of “Educating girls and boys for life”.

Recently, Junior School pupils have been learning Mandarin, various survival techniques, how to set up a bank account, how to administer first aid and CPR. We have introduced expert-led classes in ‘well-being and mindfulness’ to help our youngsters develop resilience and enable them to cope with whatever life presents to them as they grow up.

We may be a small family type of school, with a nurturing and intimate atmosphere, but Westbourne also delivers a powerful punch when it comes to learning.

The high points of the academic year for me are always the times I spend with our children, whether it be on the rugby field, in assemblies, on our ski trips, helping out in the maths department, helping the music department with guitar and ukulele activities, or watching the many plays and musical performances. Our pupils are enthusiastic, cheerful and they want to do their best. For me personally, they make coming to work a joy and privilege.

Academic excellence We are a mixed school with a full range of abilities. While we don’t have an entrance exam, and children are not selected purely on their academic ability, we do look for other important qualities. What are they like as people? What will they contribute to our school? Will they fit into this unique package of opportunity that we offer?

Even with the more challenging new grading system in maths and English, Year 11 pupils celebrated some of the best results in the area with 97% gaining at least 5 A*–C passes, and 90% gaining 5 A*–C passes including maths and English.

74% of the whole cohort achieved grades of A**, A* , A or B. 74% of our scholarship class gained A**, A* or A. This is a fantastic achievement and proves that our approach to teaching and learning really works.

(See page 4: Westbourne pupils celebrate a great year for GCSE success – summer 2017.)

Westbourne Journey Our extracurricular activities and trips add flavour to the Westbourne Journey: Years 8 and 9 spent a survival week at Ridgway Adventure on the north-west coast of Scotland, skiers will be returning to the slopes of Colorado in March 2018, Senior School pupils will be embarking on an expedition to Kenya and our linguists will benefit from a language and arts trip to Cantabria in Spain.

Junior School children take part in annual residential trips which start in Year 3 and we have seen new venues being introduced in Year 4 and Year 5 this year.

These opportunities facilitate part of the Westbourne Journey, which involves five foundations, all of which support the school’s aim of ‘educating children for life’. Endeavour, activities, citizenship, community service and a contribution or involvement in special events are all part of that unique journey through school life.

We say farewell to several members of staff this year; some will be having babies and returning after a year or so and others will be pursuing new adventures and challenges. A special mention goes to a few who have been at Westbourne for a number of years, a total of 100 to be exact! Mr Colin Roberts and Mr Paul Hinchliffe have been with us their entire working lives – Colin for 43 years and Paul for 30 years in November. Mrs Lynda Bolderson has been with us for 18 years and Mrs Abi Aylott has been with us for 12 years. Miss Fran Lilley, our Head of Pastoral Care, is moving to Lancashire. She has been a pillar of strength to many families in Senior School and will be greatly missed.

Thank you not only to the departing staff, but to all our staff, for their commitment and dedication to

School News

Senior School Music

The Arts

Sport

Our People

Prize GivingJunior School

Pre-School

GOVERNORSMr S Hinchliffe Chairman. Local residentMr A Eaton Former parent, former pupilMr J Kenworthy Parent of current pupilsDr G Radley Parent of current pupilsDr T Strike Parent of current pupilMr I Wileman Former headmaster – Dore PrimaryMr D Merifield Parent of current pupilMs C Lawton Partner at Jolliffe CorkMrs S Kay Former parentMr S Goodhart Former headmaster – Swanbourne House

HEADMASTERMr JB Hicks BEd (Hons) MEd

SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAMHead of Senior School Mr P Birbeck MA (Cantab) PGCEHead of Junior School Mrs L Cannell BA in Primary

Education, NPQHBursar/Registrar Mr C A Heald BA (Hons)Head of Pastoral Care in Senior School

Miss F Lilley BSc (Hons) PGCE

Deputy Head of Junior School Mr A Tedcastle BSc (Hons) Marketing Manager Mrs A Bywater PGC in Management

Studies

PRE-SCHOOLHead of Early Years Mrs E Rees-Oxley BSc PGCE Advanced Early

YearsLeader Mrs A Mulcahy BA (Hons), Early Years Level 6Deputy Leader Miss L Davison NVQ Level 4Practitioner Miss A Wilson NVQ Level 3Practitioner Miss R Hall, working towards NVQ Level 3Practitioner Miss B Burgin working towards NVQ Level 3

JUNIOR SCHOOLReception Mrs E Rees-Oxley BSc PGCE Advanced

Early YearsReception Miss H Sampson Level 5 Foundation Degree Year 1 Miss A Aylott BA (Hons) PGCEYear 1 Mrs J Stockton BEd (Hons)Year 1 Miss E Pierpoint BA (Hons) PGCEYear 1 Mrs L Bolderson NNEBYear 2 Miss E Myhill BSc (Hons) PGCEYear 3 Miss L Surtees BA (Hons) PGCEYear 2/3 Miss C Cadman (NVQ Level 4)Year 4 Mrs B Ryan BA (Hons) PGCE

Mrs C Whitmore BEd (Hons)Year 5 Mrs J Paul BA (Hons)

Mrs L Cannell BA in Primary Education NPQHYear 6 Mr A Tedcastle BSc (Hons)Year 6 Mrs D Harris BA (Hons) PGCE

Miss N Hinchliffe BSc (Hons)Drama Mrs S Foster-Major B Ed (Hons)Music Mr M Woodward BA (Hons) MSc PGCEFrench Mme V Hinchliffe Maîtrise (Rennes)Design Tech Mrs D Loasby BA (Hons) PGCEGames & PE Mr N Elvidge BEd (Hons)SEND/MAPS Ms A Reid BSc (Hons) PGCEASC/Lunchtime Support Mrs L Korgul NVQ Level 3

SENIOR SCHOOLArt & Design Mr M Farn BA (Hons) PGCEDT Mr C Bell BA (Hons) PGCEDrama/Religion Mrs N Rigby BA (Hons) PGCEEnglish Mrs L Wells BA (Hons) PGCE

Miss C Smith BA (Hons) PGCEEnglish/Media Mrs D Loane BA (Hons) PGCEFood Technology Mrs D Loasby BA (Hons) PGCE

French Mme V Hinchliffe Maîtrise (Rennes)Dr S Shirtcliffe BA MA PhD PGCE

Geography Mr I Davey BA (Hons) PGCEGeography/Games/History Mr S Glover BSc (Hons)History Mrs N Day BA (Hons) PGCE CPT3A BPSICT Mr P T HinchliffeLearning Support Mrs N Day BA (Hons) PGCE CPT3A BPS

Mr B Adebola BSc (Hons) PGCEMathematics Mr P Bunton BA (Hons) PGCE

Mr P Birbeck MA (Cantab) PGCEMr G Beckett Cert EdMr C Allison MA BA

Music Mrs M Pritchett BA (Hons) PGCEMr A Collis BMus (Hons)

PE/Games Mr N Elvidge BEd (Hons)Mrs L Mirfin BSc (Hons)Miss V Pursehouse BSc (Hons) PGCE

PSHEE/Bus Comm Miss F Lilley BSc (Hons) PGCEScience Dr A Twitty PhD BSc (Hons) PGCE

Mr A Brown BSc (Hons) PGCEMiss N Ashworth BSc (Hons) Dip Ed PGCEMrs S Fairbank BSc (Hons) PGCE

Spanish Mrs R Higginson BA (Hons) PGCESpanish/French Mrs R Wilcox BA (Hons) PGC

SUPPORT STAFFMrs C Longmire HLTA, Dyslexia & Literacy Level 4Mrs K Hales PG Dip Literacy & DyslexiaMr T Hancock BSc SESMrs S Greenwood CACHE Level 2Miss H Rigby

MUSIC STAFFDrums Mr D JohnstonGuitar Mr K Walker / Mr C WalkerSinging Miss A Robertson BCA in Performance

Violin Ms C Burchell BA (Hons) CT ABRSMPiano Mr B Petty BA (Hons)Woodwind/Brass Mr B Winter

TECHNICIANS / ADMINISTRATION / MAINTENANCEICT Mr S NeedhamScience Mr C Roberts BSc PGCEAccounts Assistant Mrs C JowJunior School Secretaries Ms A Elkington BA (Hons)

Mrs J KersleySenior School Secretary Mrs S Woodhead Dip Sch Bus ManCaretaker Mr G DoddsGroundsman Mr D Coulling

Staff List 2016/17

Westbourne SchoolEducating girls and boys for life

School News www.westbourneschool.co.uk 4 School News www.westbourneschool.co.uk 5

More Able PupilsAt Westbourne we have unrivalled small class sizes, which means that we’re equipped to fulfil the Westbourne aim to inspire children to reach their full individual potential.

Each child receives personal attention, allowing their learning strengths and weaknesses to be more easily identified. For some, this results in getting the support they need. For many others, our more able pupils (MAPS), this individual support allows them access to a huge variety of extended learning.

In the classroom, the most able are constantly challenged and enthused by more demanding work, presented in innovative and interesting ways.

This year some pupils were selected to start the GCSE syllabus early in several subjects, including ICT and music, as they proved to be already performing at a high enough level. Many of these pupils sat their GCSE exam early, freeing up time for further exploration of advanced concepts and individual projects.

All lessons catering to the most able feature a rolling programme of higher level discussion topics and activities. In maths pupils have discussed harmful accelerations in roller coasters and rockets, whereas top English students have discussed the ideas and presentation of future dystopian societies, a topic not generally covered until A level.

Our scholarship class in Senior School produces some of Sheffield’s best exam results. A high percentage of children in this class go on to win scholarships to top sixth forms before heading to the country’s leading universities.

This higher level of provision can also take the form of educational visits and trips tailored to the most able in their subjects. Examples from this year alone include the Royal Society of Chemistry’s ‘Top of the Bench’ competition for the most able chemists, and the opportunity for our musicians to perform to a packed house at Sheffield’s famous Leadmill.

As well as trips, there are many clubs and groups available to challenge and enthuse the most able. The most able pupils in English run a book group, complete with a discussion over hot chocolate and biscuits. There are many other activities available to those looking to extend their learning outside of lesson time.

Success, achievement and effort at every level of school life are rewarded on a daily basis.

Congratulations to our new Head Girls and Boys

Head Girl Ailsa Gillespie

Deputy Head Girl Marisa Ali

Head Boy Oliver Marshall

Deputy Head Boy Benedict Pereira

From the headmaster continued

Westbourne and its children. I would also like to thank our governors, who work tirelessly to ensure that Westbourne is achieving all of its aims, and the Friends of Westbourne, for maintaining a busy social calendar of events for us all to enjoy. Finally, thank you to our pupils for their enthusiastic contribution to school life, and to our parents for supporting the school to achieve its aim of bringing out the very best in each and every one of our Westbourne children.

Excelling in the Arts In drama and performing arts we have much to celebrate this year. The highlight for me being ‘Lights, Camel, Action!’, the Strictly Come Dancing version of the nativity story, which our youngest pupils performed. This was highly creative and hugely entertaining. Bugsy Malone – performed at the Montgomery Theatre in Sheffield back in March – was exceptional and I love the fact that Year 5 to Year 11 pupils rehearse together every night of the week in our new drama studio and then perform together on stage.

In the summer term Key Stage 1 pupils performed Mermaids versus Pirates which was, again, exceptional and from those so young. Our outdoor performance of Swallows and Amazons in our natural amphitheatre, the Dell, was superb. The quality of drama goes from strength to strength and we are seeing some outstanding personal performances from all our children.

Sport Our attitude to sport is fully inclusive; all pupils participate in house events and can represent their school in matches.

Next year our boys will be returning to Abbeydale Sports Club to play rugby, where they will join the girls who already play hockey there. We will be having match teas on occasion which will help encourage parents to spectate. Many pupils have played sport at regional and county level and at this point I would like to extend a huge thank you to James Billingham in Year 7 who has worked incredibly hard throughout this academic year in producing a termly ‘Sporting Successes’ newsletter. This newsletter highlights our pupils’ successes outside of school and is a great read! James will no doubt make an excellent sports journalist.

Abi Heywood (right) hands over to new Head Girl, Ailsa Gillespie

New Head Boys and Girls (left to right) Benedict Pereira, Marisa Ali, Ailsa Gillespie and Oliver Marshall

Departing Head Boys and Girls Joel Priest, Abi Heywood, Hazel Joel and Will Shahane

Joel Priest (right) hands over to new Head Boy, Oliver Marshall

Westbourne pupils celebrate a great year for GCSE success – summer 2017 Pupils celebrated some of the best GCSE results in the area, with 97% of Year 11 gaining at least 5 A*–C passes, and 90% gaining 5 A*–C passes including maths and English. 74% of the whole year group’s grades were at grade A**–B.

“The new, more challenging specifications in maths and English have not stood in the way of our pupils’ success, with 14 out of 30 pupils gaining an 8 (A*) or 9 (A**) grade in at least one of these core subjects,” said Headmaster John Hicks.

“Two thirds of all maths grades were 7–9 (A, A*, A**), and 74% of all grades achieved by our top scholars were at these levels.

“We are a non-selective school and are immensely proud of all our pupils’ achievements at all grades.

“They will now move on to their first choice of sixth form and further education courses across Sheffield and beyond.”

First choice of sixth form for all We know that a key factor for parents when choosing a school for their child is where they would go on to after taking their GCSEs. This last academic year was proof once again that, here at Westbourne, we’re able to make sure our pupils are on the right path to their preferred next step. All of those who applied to a state school sixth form were given their first choice, on the condition that they achieve their predicted GCSE grades or better. Other pupils, who applied to colleges or other schools, have also been successful so far. Our pupils have secured places at the following destinations: Notre Dame High School

King Edward VII School

Silverdale School

Askham Bryan College

Tapton School

High Storrs School

Wakefield College

Meadowhead School

Chesterfield College

Sheffield College

Sedbergh School

Birkdale School

97% A*–C

Over 20 Year 6 pupils rose to the challenge of our annual scholarship examination day in January. We were particularly delighted to see so many external applicants eager to secure a place in Westbourne Senior School. The children integrated well with our own Year 6 children and it was clear that everyone had made some new friends by the end of the day.

They were all commended for their efforts and everyone proved worthy with some fine performances in various categories.

School News www.westbourneschool.co.uk 7School News www.westbourneschool.co.uk 6

Our chosen Charity of the Year 2016/2017 was Sheffield-based Support Dogs. The charity helps make a difference to the lives of people with autism, epilepsy and disabilities. Support Dogs create partnerships with local schools that not only raise vital funds, but spread awareness and understanding of the three conditions.

Throughout the year we organised fundraising events both inside and outside of school, for example coffee and cake afternoons, a book swap day, monthly cake sales, a toy sale, bring-a-bear-to-school day, a fashion show, a Derbyshire walk and a strawberry tea afternoon. Pupils and their families really enjoyed being involved in supporting these events and meeting the wonderful dogs and their clients.

We are pleased to say we raised a grand total of £2,205.

Recent local charities that have benefitted from our Charity of the Year initiative are St Wilfrid’s Centre and Sheffield Young Carers.

We are delighted to announce that next academic year, 2017–2018, we shall be raising money for St Luke’s Hospice in Sheffield.

Our Charity of the Year

Westbourne scholarship winners

Westbourne timeline

Prize GivingOn the evening of Thursday 6 July pupils, staff, families and governors came together at the University of Sheffield’s Octagon Centre for our Prize Giving Celebration Evening.

This was a grand affair which involved all pupils from Year 3 to Year 11 celebrating the many successes of the year. Prizes were presented to those children who had displayed impressive levels of commitment in their particular field. Every pupil had contributed much to school life over the year and praise was rightly given to all our children.

Headmaster, Mr Hicks, opened the proceedings and introduced the guest speaker, our very own Mr Roberts, who presented the first set of prizes. Mr Roberts, who retired in 2007 as a full-time science teacher, continued for the next 10 years as a most valued lab technician and spoke of his memories of Westbourne and how his intended five years at Westbourne ended up as 43! Here’s how he summed up his time at the school:

“The past 43 years have been varied; at times fun, at times scary, at times worrying. Thank you to the succession of Westbourne governors for employing me for more than five years,

and thank you pupils, some of whom are in their mid-fifties, for being, in general, entertaining… I wonder what the next 40 years will bring?”

During the presentations we heard from our choir and from Ellie Billingham, on cello, playing Tarantella by Squire. Ellie, Year 11, was invited to play as she is an accomplished musician, working towards Grade 7 on cello and Grade 6 piano.

Intelligent and witty speeches ensued from our departing Head Boy, Joel Priest, and Head Girl, Abi Heywood, with special thanks to their deputies, Will Shahane and Hazel Joel.

Joel spoke candidly about his dyslexia and how his teachers had given him the confidence to overcome hurdles, enabling him to develop and flourish with confidence. Abi’s speech centred around girls at Westbourne from the first girl, Laura Bramall in 1997, to today's thriving and successful female population.

The evening was rounded off with a farewell reception for our departing Year 11 pupils. Well done to everyone!

1885 – Founded by the Whitfield sisters.

1997 – Westbourne School opens its doors to girls in all year groups.

2001 – A new Senior School opens in the adjacent Ashdell House and Westbourne becomes co-educational to GCSE.

2004 – Mr John Hicks arrives as new Headmaster.

2007 – Lower and Upper School combine to form Junior School.

2007 – A Senior School extension opens in the former Radio Sheffield

headquarters, Ashdell Grove. A new Junior School library and Early Years play areas are also opened.

2008 – An outstanding Ofsted Early Years report.

2010 – 125 year anniversary at Sheffield Cathedral. Our Early Years, once again, gets outstanding from Ofsted.

2013 – Pre-School is opened by Hollywood actor and Old Westbournian Dominic West, for children aged 3 to 4 years.

2014 – Major expansion to meet growing pupil numbers with the purchase of Westbourne Place. This creates a new food technology facility and new drama studio.

2015 – A new Pre-School extension is created just two years after the provision opened.

2015 – Launch of the new Senior School uniform incorporating the Old Westbournian tie.

The Westbourne winners are as follows:

Academic scholarship – Alan Charles

Music scholarship – Sam Jokhi

Headmaster’s scholarship for exceptional abilities in Sport and Music – Harry Peckett

Performing Arts scholarship for exceptional abilities in Music and Drama – Archie Renshaw

“The standard of competition in each category was very high and I was impressed with the levels of focus and aspiration amongst the pupils. Well done to everyone who participated – you are a credit to yourselves, family and Junior School.” Mr Hicks, Headmaster

Charity monies raised

Support Dogs – £2,205

Children in Need – £392

Red Nose Day – £556

Children’s Hospital – £500

School News www.westbourneschool.co.uk 8 Senior School

Welcome to our Senior Schoolwww.westbourneschool.co.uk 9

A wild, natural environment where mountains rise majestically from the coves and bays of sheltered sea lochs – this is Ridgway Adventure in Ardmore, north-west Scotland. It was also where 23 Year 8 and 9 pupils enjoyed a week of learning survival skills, self-reliance and respect for themselves, others and the environment. They were able to climb in the mountains, sea kayak amongst seals, visit uninhabited islands, lift creels from the depths and far more. After a night out surviving in the wilds they were able to reflect and build on the skills they had learned as they look ahead to the new school year.

Ridgeway

Head Girl, Abi Heywood, has been awarded a scholarship to the sixth form of one of the country’s top boarding schools.

15-year-old Abi has been awarded the All-Rounder Scholarship to Sedbergh School in Cumbria, an accolade given to the most exceptional candidates. These are only awarded to applicants who show potential as leaders and whose all-round attributes will ensure that they make a significant contribution to school life.

Abi had to sit a general examination paper before spending the night at the boarding school where she was assessed for suitability. She also underwent a series of interviews and an assessment in her two specialist chosen subjects, drama and sport. She performed her own choice of theatre piece and faced a practical assessment of her three major team sports – tennis, hockey and netball.

And just when she thought it was all over, Abi was asked to give an impromptu and unaccompanied performance of ‘Over the Rainbow’!

Mr Hicks, Headmaster, said: “Abi came to us from the all-girls’ school Ashdell Preparatory and she has thrived in our supportive, co-educational environment. She has been an outstanding Head Girl.

He added: “To have been awarded a scholarship to Sedbergh is an incredible accolade for both Abi and for Westbourne and we are extremely proud of everything she has achieved during her years with us. Congratulations Abi!”

Our own scholarship examination day is held in January each year. Scholarships are available at Westbourne in the following categories: Academic, Music, Drama/Performing Arts, Sport and All-Round (Academic plus Music, Drama or Sport).

The Westbourne Journey captured on film

Will Shahane scholarship success Congratulations to Deputy Head Boy, William Shahane, who was awarded an academic scholarship to Birkdale School’s sixth form. This was a just reward for his exceptional hard work and conscientious approach to school life, as well as recognition of his talents and ability.

We were delighted to learn that Will passed 5 of his GCSE’s at grade A* and the new more challenging specifications in maths and English have not stood in his way as he also received a grade 8 (equivalent to A*) in both English and maths.

Well done Will!

October 2016 saw the filming of our new school video, which you can now view on our website.

This short film shows a girl's experience of the Westbourne Journey and how the school helps children to make the most of their unique skills, strengths and talent – from academic achievement to creativity and much more.

We would like to say a big thank you to all the children, parents and staff who were involved in the production. Particular thanks to our lead character, played by Isla Mirfin, Eleanor and Evie Reynolds and Abi Heywood.

Head Girl awarded scholarship to top boarding school

Individualised learning and academic excellence

In Senior School our role is to help children to identify their talents, to achieve excellence inside and outside of the classroom and to provide them with every opportunity to find out what they want to do in life - all while encouraging them to become considerate, interesting and successful individuals.

We offer small class sizes allowing teachers to really get to know their pupils. The supportive environment promotes confidence and a positive self-image, which enables our children to realise their potential.

It is our individualised learning that sets us apart from the rest. All our children are stretched and an abundance of extra support is available to those needing it.

Our teaching is lively and challenging and we have passionate and committed teachers who are skilled at stimulating and stretching minds.

A broad and balanced curriculum provides pupils with the perfect foundation ahead of their GCSE options. Core subjects are compulsory at GCSE for all pupils at all levels of attainment, including English (Language and Literature – double award), Science (Physics, Chemistry and Biology – triple award) and Mathematics. Of the 13 possible subjects remaining, most pupils will study four subjects.

Our More Able Pupils and highly motivated individuals can pursue further interests, which results in many taking 11 or more GCSEs. We also have additional GCSEs being taken in Year 10 by the most able pupils.

In March, a formidable team of Year 8 and 9 mathematicians, including Lily Lidster, Kiril Vinogradov, Jessica Leatherland and Sohail Manavi, headed to Bradford for the UKMT Team Maths Challenge Regional Finals.

Supported by Mr Bunton, Director of Studies, the team gained a highly respectable sixth place on the leader board out of more than 30 schools from across the region. Kiril also qualified for the Junior Kangaroo maths challenge.

Record qualifiers for Intermediate Maths Challenge Certificates were presented to a record number of Year 9–11 pupils who participated in the annual Intermediate Maths Challenge. This is a national initiative which puts pupils’ skills to the test with a one-hour exam. Anjali Ashok, Sohail Manavi, Jessica Leatherland and Joseph Strike all qualified to take part in the next ’Kangaroo’ round of the competition, and Anjali gained a well-deserved ’Best in School’ certificate for her outstanding performance. This is the highest number of qualifiers we have ever had in a single year at Westbourne!

Anjali won the Hart-Shaw prize for excellence in mathematics at this year’s Prize Giving Celebration Evening.

Senior School www.westbourneschool.co.uk 10

Maths whizzes make regional final

Both Junior and Senior School pupils were treated to an exciting programme of scientific events. Senior School had a morning lecture by Dr Nathan Patmore from the University of Huddersfield. This fascinating talk discussed our current energy needs and the technologies we need to exploit to keep the lights on in the future. This provoked some interesting debate, including a well-informed question on nuclear fusion from Emma Hardie in Year 9.

Year 10s explored some of the most exciting jobs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics at The Big Bang UK Young Scientists and Engineers Fair at the NEC in Birmingham. There were many hands-on activities for pupils to try, such as building an Eiffel Tower out of octagons in under five minutes.

Enthralled young scientists also spent the day at GCSE Science Live at Sheffield City Hall. They listened to lectures from some of the UK’s most high-profile scientists, such as physicist and TV presenter Professor Jim Al-Khalili and medical scientist and broadcaster Professor Lord Robert Winston. Each expert showed that science can offer solutions to many of the world’s problems. GCSE Chief Examiner, Stewart Chenery, also gave vital tips on examination success.

Senior School www.westbourneschool.co.uk 11

Science Week goes off with a bang

Physics on the paintball field

Wearing full head goggles, body armour and padded combat suits while shooting the opposition with a paintball gun – this was an efficient way to give Year 10 students a memorable lesson in physics. This year’s trip was to Delta Force in Sheffield, based on the eastern fringes of the Peak District National Park, and the perfect place for this woodland adventure. In spite of the incessant drizzle, a great time was had by all.

The equations of motion, force and gas pressure seemed far less abstract to those in attendance, and lessons from the trip will be referenced regularly over the next year of education, enabling students to answer GCSE Physics questions such as:

‘The gun fires the paintball forwards at a velocity of 90 m/s. The paintball has a mass of 0.0030 kg. Calculate the momentum of the paintball just after the gun is fired. Use the correct equation from the Physics Equations Sheet.’

Arthur Conan Doyle captures Lily's imagination

Pupils in Year 8 set 1 studied a range of Sherlock Holmes stories as part of the provision for more able pupils. The unit of work culminated in the pupils emulating Arthur Conan Doyle's style to produce a short story in the genre. Lily Lidster’s story, The Murder at Highcroft Grange was particulary good and appears on Westbourne School’s website!

"I was thoroughly impressed with how well the pupils engaged with the Sherlock Holmes stories. They demonstrated that they were able to write stories in the crime fiction genre and to use vocabulary of the Victorian era to make their stories authentic."

Mrs Wells, Head of English.

GCSE 2016 certificatesDecember 2016 saw the return of our 2016 GCSE year group and school-leavers for the presentation of their GCSE certificates. It was a wonderful turnout, with Mr Birbeck’s anecdotes bringing back memories for all the pupils, some of whom had been with us since Reception. There was a 100% pass rate in our scholarship form, with 86% of all grades at grade B or above and 56% at grade A or A*. Most impressive is that

40% of the cohort took 11 or 12 subjects. Why? Because they were accelerated, stretched and supported along the way and they relished the challenge.

Particular congratulations went to Amy Martindale, who achieved a full house of A and A* grades in all subjects, and to Hannah McMurray who achieved five A* grades. Please see page 4 for our GCSE 2017 results.

Out and about speaking French Senior School pupils enjoyed various outings to put their French language skills to the test. GCSE French students in Years 9 and 10 took a trip down to Café Ceres in the summer term to practise ordering food and striking up a conversation while also sampling some of Jean-Paul and Caroline Strappazzon’s delicious crêpes. They also had the opportunity to quiz Jean-Paul and Caroline about how they came to run one of Sheffield’s landmark French cafés.

In June, the group also visited the Showroom cinema to see a wonderful French film, ‘Belle et Sébastien’, directed by Nicolas Vanier and based on the book of the same name written by Cécile Aubry. The film tells the story of a seven-year-old orphan boy and a wild dog who help resistance fighters to flee across the border into Switzerland and foil a Nazi plan to capture them. Tense, but beautifully shot, it was clear that students enjoyed the story and were able to follow much of the French.

Our GCSE French students were also lucky enough to work with a local French student from Paris, Tiphanie Grandjean. They enjoyed practising their conversation skills, finding out lots of information about her life in the UK and in France, and sharing their own interests and hobbies with her. A huge thank you to Tiphanie for volunteering her free time and coming to work with us here at Westbourne.

Pupils put on their dancing shoes! On 8 June, Year 7 and 8 pupils let their hair down to the sound of DJ Collis – aka music teacher, Mr Collis.

This disco at Abbeydale Sports Club was an excellent night, organised and hosted by Friends of Westbourne. Children and staff danced the night away and entered into the spirit of things in our dancing competition, which saw Declan Saxton crowned champion of the boys and 'Dancing Queen' Erin Davies for the girls.

Jack Kelk received a special award for his unique and incredibly talented style of movement. Pupils also participated in a quiz which involved guessing the teacher from a number of obscure clues!

A big thank you to Mrs Goodfellow and the staff who organised the event for giving up their evening to ensure that the children had a relaxed and fun evening.

Similarly, a fantastic evening was had by all who attended the Year 11 prom, a glamorous event at the Royal Victoria Holiday Inn on Wednesday 21 June. Well organised by Deputy Head Girl, Hazel Joel, all the Year 11s looked extremely smart and sophisticated. Well done and thank you Hazel.

Junior School www.westbourneschool.co.uk 13

Anyone who knows Westbourne School will be aware of the healthy rivalry between our houses – Whitfield, Holmes, Johnson and Mercer. Steeped in tradition, each house is named after a previous headmaster or headmistress. Children from Year 3 upwards are placed into houses and siblings are placed in the same house. Our houses compete against each other in sport, music and for house points. It’s a great way to promote teamwork and group loyalty as well as a sense of competition.

Former heads of Westbourne:

1885–1887 Miss Julia Holmes

1885–1887 Miss Sarah Whitfield

1919–1933 Mr C Mercer

1933–1944 Mr GBB Johnson

Westbourne houses

Our first House DayIn 2016, the children were given the opportunity to work together with other house members to identify a mascot to represent their team.

Following on from this, new sports T-shirts were designed in house colours with their mascots proudly featured on the back. These were ready in time for the Junior School’s first House Day in October 2016. House Day provided an opportunity for the children in Key Stage 2 to work together on a number of tasks.

These ranged from benchball to a general knowledge quiz and boomwhackers, all led by house captains and vice captains.

In the afternoon the children competed in the annual house event, the Westbourne Wheeze, which rounded off a very successful half term.

A second very successful House Day took place in July. The whole of Junior School burst into colour as children donned their house T-shirts to represent their own particular house in a variety of games and activities. Events included a treasure hunt, orienteering, problem solving, and arts and crafts.

To aid transition, Year 2 and Year 7 were invited to join in the entertainment in what was a fun-filled day and a great way to round off a fantastic summer term.

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Westbourne’s Senior School English department were delighted to welcome back guest author Daniel Blythe. Daniel, who has written a range of fiction and non-fiction books, including ‘Shadow Runners’ and ‘Dr Who: Autonomy’, ran a series of exciting creative writing workshops as part of the Key Stage 3 enrichment programme. He also delivered an illustrated presentation detailing his life as a writer and his fascination with Dr Who!

Year 7 and 8 students were inspired by Daniel’s helpful hints on story writing. Alex Reed said: “The creative writing workshop was really useful as it has helped me get better at writing effective story openings.” Christopher Wang added: “The best part of the day was hearing all about Daniel Blythe’s life as a writer.”

Day of the Dead Top of the chemistry bench

Young detectives examine the evidence

Guest poet helps creativity to flow

Welcome to Junior School

Congratulations to Morley Goulding (Year 11), John Buckner (Year 10), and Elliot Renshaw and Greg Shahane (Year 9) for coming fifth in the Royal Society of Chemistry’s annual Top of the Bench regional competition at King Edward VII School in Sheffield. They enjoyed various rounds testing their knowledge of chemistry, including balancing some difficult symbol equations and recognising element names in song clips. They also demonstrated their practical skills in the laboratory. A superb achievement!

With fingerprints, blood spatters and some suspicious handwriting to analyse, you’d be forgiven for thinking this was from a scene a TV drama! However, October’s aggravated burglary, as staged by Sci-High science events company, was a chance to put Year 8’s forensics and detective skills well and truly to the test for Forensics Day.

Pupils were divided into two groups of Scenes of Crime Officers (SOCOs) and forensic scientists to carry out an investigation and decide between three

potential perpetrators. Donning white suits, masks and gloves, the SOCOs examined the crime scene in the biology lab while the forensic scientists carried out the laboratory work. Pupils used blood pattern, fingerprint and handwriting analysis, as well as paper chromatography and physical fit evidence, to identify the suspect. The session ended with a re-enactment of a trial in order to sentence the guilty party.

Our children thrive here in this academic yet supportive and nurturing environment. All children learn differently and we treat all our pupils as individuals. As a result, each one of them is given the opportunity to shine.

We offer small class sizes and have excellent facilities including a large art studio, IT suite, science lab and several playgrounds. Children also have access to Senior School facilities including our new drama studio, the outdoor ‘Dell’ amphitheatre and our purpose-built food technology area.

Our teachers are specialists in teaching junior children and this is their passion. We have specialist teachers in maths, English, science, art, music, IT and modern languages - including a native French speaker in Mme Hinchliffe. We develop your child to the very best of their abilities and ensure that they move on ready and excited to take up the challenge of Senior School education.

In November, Year 9 had a break from their GCSE Spanish lesson to take part in El Día de los Muertos – Day of the Dead. This annual Mexican holiday is not a gloomy, scary or morbid occasion but a colourful, happy celebration of the lives of those who have died. The day is celebrated throughout Mexico, especially in the southern and central regions, and around the world by people with Mexican ancestry. Mrs Wilcox led a fiesta-style lesson, complete with music and film, and Year 9 decorated biscuits in the style of candied skulls and thoroughly enjoyed learning about these colourful celebrations.

Junior School www.westbourneschool.co.uk 14 Junior School www.westbourneschool.co.uk 15

At Westbourne we recognise that parents play an important role in supporting their children’s education and they are regularly invited to take part in various academic activities. As such we were delighted to see so many Junior School parents attend our spring maths workshops with mathematics consultant, Liz Gibbs.

Feedback from these sessions was very positive as parents learnt about how they could support their children’s learning. Staff worked on creating a calculations policy which Miss Surtees put together and shared with parents in the summer term. This was then incorporated into the Open Parent sessions where parents were given the opportunity to work on a calculations task with their child.

In February we welcomed BBC Radio Sheffield back to Westbourne to record the very popular Kids Talk programme. Led by BBC presenter Paulette Edwards, Year 2 joined in a lively debate on topics ranging from the purpose of pigeons and the habits of family and friends, to current affairs, including Brexit and Theresa May. Year 5 also had an encounter with BBC Radio Sheffield when they visited their studios in March. This was to support their work on writing their own radio plays in Mrs Foster-Major’s drama class. Working in groups, they had already written and adapted their scripts before recording them and adding sound effects and background music.

At BBC Radio Sheffield they were able to see a professional studio in action. As well as a tour, the morning group saw one of the presenters doing the morning show, and six students were selected to be featured live on air to answer questions on World Women’s Day which was being celebrated that day – 8 March. Our afternoon group had to be very quiet while they watched presenter Howard Pressman’s show go out live.

On the airwaves with BBC Radio Sheffield

Westbourne’s Ashdell Grove building was once the home of BBC Radio Sheffield. Later this year BBC Radio Sheffield will make a welcome return to its roots to celebrate its 50th anniversary!

Did you know?

In May, Year 4 set off on a Roman-themed mini-break near the historic city of York. They arrived at Brigantium, a large Roman fort from the 1st century AD, which was actually a large outdoor classroom. Here they were greeted by a duty centurion scouting for new recruits who was more than happy to enrol our Westbournians.

Pupils and teachers had an appropriately rigorous introduction to life in the Roman army. Each equipped with a helmet, spear and shield, they learnt how a fort is built and laid out. This was followed by weapons training, guard duty, craft work and parade ground drill.

Thankfully the recruits were successful, proudly earning a day’s pay and a diploma.

The evening was spent at Helmsley Youth Hostel where the children enjoyed a Roman-themed quiz, mosaic making and stories about rampaging Romans.

The next day saw the group travelling to the market town of Malton for a museum workshop. The children were fascinated to learn that an auxiliary garrison, Derventio, had existed underneath the town.

The group were also invited to take part in a study arranged by York University. This involved testing a computer game depicting life in Roman times. Their feedback helped shape future approaches to game design for archaeology and heritage. It’s no wonder that Year 4 returned to school brimming with knowledge and elated from their experiences.

This is just one of the new residential destinations added to our itinerary this year.

What better way to bring Year 5’s topic on water to life than with real life river studies in the beautiful Derbyshire countryside? Throughout this topic children learnt about the water cycle, water conservation, rivers and the Sheffield Flood. They returned from the three-day residential trip exhausted yet exhilarated!

The group spent a fascinating first day at the Moorlands Centre on the Longshaw Estate, learning how rivers are formed.

They then travelled to Buxton for our first ever trip to White Hall Outdoor Education Centre. The focus for this part of the visit was Westbourne values – excellence, friendship, teamwork, respect, determination, courage and equality. Some excellent day and night-time activities, such as shelter building, canoeing and rock scrambling, made for the ideal way to bring them to life.

Mrs Cannell, Year 5 form tutor and Head of Junior School, said:

“Pupils benefit enormously, both educationally and socially, from this type of experience. It was a privilege to watch their confidence grow over time, see them challenge themselves and support their peers. I was incredibly proud!”

Water, water, everywhere on Derbyshire residentialWestbourne parents support maths workshop

Transported back to Roman times

Junior School

Miss Myhill made sure that the Junior Science Week programme was packed with events and workshops to engage pupils in the fascinating world of science. During the ‘It’s Electrifying’ workshop children looked at different types of electricity, made a human circuit, made hair stand on end with our amazing Van de Graaff generator and even made electricity themselves.

The sweet, sticky subject of chocolate certainly drew attention for the ‘Science of Chocolate’ session. Meanwhile, during the ‘Sublime Science’ show, pupils learnt how different sounds are made and had a go at making their own slime. Workshops about ‘Our Amazing Brain’ and a ‘Healthy Heart’ also gave children valuable insights into the human body.

A hair-raising Science Weekwww.westbourneschool.co.uk 16

For Year 6 pupils we have a programme of activities designed to help children settle in, and make learning as easy as possible, when they move up to Senior School the following September.

In November, pupils began their transition by enjoying lessons ‘across the road’. They enjoyed maths lessons, learning about Pascal’s Triangle with Mr Birbeck and Mr Bunton. Mr Glover taught a sports science lesson on human bones and Mr Davey introduced pupils to our restless earth in his geography lesson.

Throughout the year they shared assembly with the current Year 7, had several ‘meet the form teacher’ sessions, explored Senior School during enrichment afternoons and worked collaboratively with Years 7 and 8 on a pupil handbook.

Current Year 7 pupils were invited to join the Junior School House Day in July to encourage teamwork and camaraderie across Junior and Senior School. Year 6 enjoyed various activities with their Year 7 buddies, including a treasure trail and orienteering.

Once in Year 7, our youngest Senior School children benefit from a dedicated pastoral team, namely Mrs Loasby, who is pastoral care leader for transition and Year 7. They also share playtimes with Year 8 in the dedicated Ashdell Grove playground. This allows them time to ‘play’ as they would have in Junior School and develop at their own pace.

Similarly, the whole school experiences a ‘Move up Day’ in June. This gives them and any new children joining the school a chance to meet their new form tutor and teammates, helping everyone to settle in more easily the following September.

A taste of Senior SchoolJunior School www.westbourneschool.co.uk 17

As part of Westbourne’s partnership with the world-leading University of Sheffield, throughout the year we were joined by members of the Confucius Institute. The Confucius Institute is an international collaboration between the university, the Office of Chinese Language Council International and two Chinese universities. Chinese representatives spent time with our Year 5 and 6 pupils during their enrichment afternoons and delivered some exciting workshops offering an insight into various features of Chinese culture, such as Chinese classical music, Mandarin language skills, paper cutting, fan dancing and tai chi and martial arts.

For example, on one particular visit Xi Liu, from the Confucius Institute, shared his expert kung fu skills. Following a brief history of kung fu and its origins in China, the children participated in a series of warm-ups and basic moves.

“I loved it when we practised kicks to defend ourselves against Xi Liu.” Sophie Dickinson, Year 6.

Crucial life lessons in safety At Westbourne, making sure that our pupils stay safe in and outside school is an absolute must. The annual January trip to visit the Crucial Crew at the Lifewise Centre in Rotherham provides a great way to promote safety and awareness in everyday life.

A wide range of activities and workshops look at some of the typical challenges any child might face and how to tackle them with confidence through role play – these include first aid, internet safety, peer pressure, arson, road safety, home safety and bus travel safety. All our children’s learning is then followed up in PSHE (personal, social, health and economic education) classes at school to reinforce these important life lessons.

The Lifewise Centre is a life-size film set of a small town created by real TV set designers.

It is part of a unique partnership between South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue, South Yorkshire Police and South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership. The most memorable part of the experience came from Thomas Melson, who had staff and students in hysterics during the fire scene and even got a special mention from the centre staff as we said our goodbyes.

Bringing the Iron Man to life There was nowhere better than the industrial museum of Kelham Island to learn about the steel city of Sheffield’s industrial heritage and bring to life the book ‘The Iron Man’, by former Poet Laureate Ted Hughes, for Year 3.

The children learnt about how steel was created and the famous crucible pots of Benjamin Huntsman. They watched as the River Don Engine was powered up, and they even got to act out the process of steel production in the play-based area, the Melting Pot. They were enthralled by the enormous Bessemer converter and went on a hunt around the buildings to find out about the properties of different metals from the story of ‘Ironie’.

The children had a great day and learned lots of new things. Here are just a few of their comments: George Blank said, “I learned that the River Don Engine was the biggest in the world,” and Sam Kasher added, “I had so much fun in the Melting Pot I didn’t want to leave.”

Chinese enrichment afternoons

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At Westbourne French is taught from Pre-School because we believe that learning a foreign language is much easier for fluency at an early age rather than later in life. What’s more, they are able to learn the language and an authentic French accent as we’re lucky to have Mme Hinchliffe, who is a native speaker, as our French teacher in Junior School.

In Early Years and Key Stage1 they sing traditional songs and rhymes, while in Key Stage 2 every lesson provides opportunities for pupils to communicate for practical purposes like tasting French food.

Bonjour les enfants!

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Pre-School Sports Day fun

Where’s Westie?Our Pre-School mascot ‘Westie’ gets out and about and even goes home and on holiday with our Pre-School children!

Lucky Westie went on a round the world trip during the summer with the Goodfellow family. Here are just some of the places he visited…

Rockies, Canada Death Valley Grand Canyon Skywalk

Grand Canyon Kyoto, Japan Nara temple, Japan

Sequoia, USA Yosemite, USA

Parents and carers were treated to a magical performance of ‘Christmas Around the World’ when our Pre-School children explored Christmas traditions from the different countries they had been learning about. We were entertained with songs from the UK, China, Australia, USA, France and Brazil, including a Chinese New Year song, an Australian ‘Walking Around the Beach’ song and ‘Santa Samba’!

ChristmasAround the World

Pre-School at WestbourneSince opening in 2013, our Pre-School has been highly successful thanks to the outstanding quality of teaching and learning and the offer of specialist subjects. Catering for children aged three to four, we tailor phonics and numeracy lessons to meet each child’s abilities and we personalise each child’s learning journey.

This is a valuable service for busy mums and dads, especially those who already have older children at Westbourne – though places are not restricted to children who go on to attend Westbourne and childcare vouchers are accepted.

Sundown adventure Pre-School and Reception had a fantastic time at Sundown Adventureland theme park. This was the perfect end-of-term treat after such a fantastic year at school.

They enjoyed exploring the different houses and climbing aboard the pirate ships, and went on a boat journey through a real pirate world! They rode the trains and saw cowboys and Indians! The children even got to explore the biggest adventure playground they had ever seen and to play on the giant slides with all their friends.

Thank you to all the parents who accompanied us and helped to make this trip so successful.

More parents than ever joined us in February for a look round Pre-School, which has gone from strength to strength. Parents were keen to secure a place for their child and some even registered their babies!

The morning involved a tour round our fabulous new facilities, adventure playground and spacious classroom. It was also the perfect opportunity to celebrate the birthday of Westie, our school mascot, with our children’s entertainer, fun activities and face-painting in the Junior School hall. Thank you to Friends of Westbourne for the lovely refreshments and to Mrs Loasby, Food Technology teacher, for the delicious Westie cake. The note below sums up the great impression parents have of Pre-School:

“It was lovely to see the setting again and to meet the staff... It’s made a really positive impression on all of us and we look forward to him joining Westbourne in September.”

Family and friends were brimming with pride at the Pre-School graduation ceremony. Each child received a certificate and handshake from Headmaster Mr Hicks. The children sang a special Pre-School graduation song to mark the occasion as well as ‘Frère Jacques’ which they had learned in their specialist French lessons.

They also performed a number of old favourites such as ‘Incy Wincy Spider’, ‘When I Hear the Music’ and ‘When Goldilocks Went to the House of the Bears’. This important event for our youngest Westbournians culminated in a delicious afternoon tea. We are delighted that no fewer than 10 children will be continuing on their Westbourne journey in September when they join our Reception class.

Pre-School graduationThe sun shone and parents cheered proudly as our Pre-School children enjoyed Sports Day with their PE teachers, who they know well from the specialist PE lessons on offer in Pre-School. The children had a brilliant morning competing in the sprint race, racquet and ball, ball and bucket, sack race and obstacle race. They also took part in the skills circuit, which included throwing a ball into a bucket, jumping over hurdles, and balancing a beanbag on their head whilst manoeuvring through poles. They had to see how many times they could hit the cricket wickets, they joined in relay shuttles with their friends, had a go at balancing the ball on their racquet and tried to throw the javelin as far as they could to get it in the hoops.

Children, parents and staff thoroughly enjoyed a fun-filled and energetic morning!

Record visitors for Pre-School open morning

Once again the music department had a busy year. It feels like every year the standard of the pupils’ performances is higher than ever and they always manage to match this with their level of enthusiasm.

Work in the classroom continued to inspire with all sorts of different outcomes. As part of the Year 7 samba project, the children were asked to create their own instrument using recycled materials. Meanwhile, Year 3 worked hard on their recorder playing during music lessons and spent the summer term preparing for their ABRSM Music Medals. Each of the pupils had to perform two pieces and take a musical skills test. In Pre-School our youngest musicians expanded their repertoire of songs and performed in front of their families during two concerts this year.

We saw a vast array of musical influences from around the world. Years 5 and 6 gave us all a carnival feeling with their samba playing, Year 8 played the sitar and tabla drums, and others played African djembes. We also expanded our extracurricular ensembles by adding a string group and a senior wind band to our weekly rehearsal schedule.

Some star players have been making their mark. 11-year-old George Wood was interviewed by the BBC for BBC Music Day in June, while Harrison Cundy in Year 8, who got a distinction in his Grade 5 jazz clarinet exam, secured a place on the National Youth Music Camp during the summer. Camps provide opportunities for young people from across the UK to broaden their musical experience, develop their skills and share their enjoyment with others.

We were lucky with the weather as the rain held off for our Music for a Summer’s Evening event. The pupils rose to the occasion and we were treated to a huge variety of ‘busking’ all around the grounds. The warmer weather gave the evening a real garden party feeling and all those who attended thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

One of the most exciting aspects of our year in music was the opportunity to work with professional musicians. Below are just a few examples:

- Our string players were greatly motivated by the cellist Lucy Revis at a number of workshops this year and all resulted in fantastic performances.

- Old Westbournian Tom Chan returned to help the string group prepare for the summer concert, even creating his own arrangement of Coldplay’s ‘Viva La Vida’ for them to play.

- Brian Winter, our woodwind and brass specialist, worked with Year 3 to give them the opportunity to learn a new instrument.

- Year 7 were given a fantastic introduction to singing technique by Catherine Chapman, the Choral Director at St John’s Church in Ranmoor.

Mrs Pritchett, Head of Senior School Music

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Music education and performance is outstanding at Westbourne, with many of our talented musicians often passing their grade exams far earlier than expected for their age. Many of our Year 6 pupils are taught Grade 5 theory and are fast-tracked through Senior School to complete GCSE Music early – many pupils reaching Grade 8 by the time they leave.

All children from Year 1 are given the opportunity to learn any musical instrument they like and to perform in the many informal and formal concerts that take place.

Our Pre-School children enjoy specialist lessons with a fully qualified member of our teaching staff.

There are music tours that enrich our performers’ love and appreciation of music, the most recent being to Prague. Children are given every opportunity to increase their confidence by experiencing as many different performance situations as possible; the more formal Firth Hall and Upper Chapel in Sheffield plus some of the most popular local music venues, such as Yellow Arch Studios, The Greystones and the iconic Leadmill.

We have several choirs to accommodate the different age ranges, who perform both in school and outside to the wider community. Children benefit from expert coaching from some of the UK’s top symphonic ensembles, such as the Hallé in Manchester, and from Ensemble 360 – the acclaimed professional musicians of Music in the Round at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield.

Our annual carol service in St Marie’s Cathedral is a prestigious affair, bringing our whole community together in celebration and song.

A musical year

Music at Westbourne

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We were delighted to take part in a vibrant and festive Samba Day at Sheffield City Hall in June. Twenty Year 5 and 6 pupils joined the 250 children and 50 school staff from across Sheffield in a joint project between Sheffield Music Hub and Samba in a Box, led by the Sheffield Children’s University.

The children performed in front of the 121st Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Councillor Anne Murphy, before enjoying their picnic lunch in the sunshine.

Resplendent in their brightly coloured costumes and banners, the final performance took place in the afternoon in the form of a mass rhythmical display in Barker’s Pool, creating a happy carnival atmosphere for shoppers and passers-by.

A huge thank you to Mr Johnston, drum teacher, and Mr Woodward, Head of Junior School Music, for facilitating our involvement in the amazing day.

A samba extravaganza

Young composers of the future join forces with Music in the RoundThere’s nothing more awe-inspiring for a young composer than to see and hear their work being performed by world-renowned, professional musicians. This is exactly what happened when a selection of talented Senior School musicians were given the chance to take part in a special workshop with the Sheffield Music Hub and Music in the Round, who feature in Sheffield’s own world-famous chamber music festival.

The Senior School pupils had been working on their own compositions for several months. The culmination of the project saw the students’ compositions performed and recorded by world-class musicians from Ensemble 360, the acclaimed professional musicians of Music in the Round.

Mrs Pritchett, Head of Senior School Music, said: “The professionals were all very impressed at the standard of the compositions and it was fantastic to hear the world premier performances of 16 future composers.”

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The Hallé Orchestra ranks among the UK’s top symphonic ensembles and our Junior School choir were lucky enough to take part in two masterclass performances at their Hallé St Peter’s venue in Manchester.

On both occasions they joined forces with other participating schools to form a mass choir to sing a range of songs. They also stepped up to the plate performing ‘RMS Titanic’ and ‘Hushabye Mountain’ on their own, and were given useful feedback and advice from Shirley Court who runs the Hallé Children’s Choir.

“I am incredibly proud of everyone who worked so hard in committing to all the rehearsals leading up to this performance,” said Mr Woodward, Head of Junior School Music.

Singing with the Hallé

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Strictly not BallroomThe summer term shimmied to a close at our end-of-term musical extravaganza, ‘Strictly not Ballroom’. This was held at the University of Sheffield’s Firth Hall and the evening featured a vibrant medley of songs and music linked to dance.

The samba band opened the show, instantly creating a carnival atmosphere. Theo Drainville-Saul then played ‘Tamacun’ on acoustic guitar, and the Senior School choir sang ‘Colours of the Wind’ from Pocahontas. The Junior School choir gave accomplished renditions of ‘Hushabye Mountain’ and ‘RMS Titanic’, accompanied by a modern dance routine that had been choreographed with the help of a professional contemporary dance group. Our combined choirs sang with gusto for their performance of ‘Defying Gravity’ from the musical Wicked, and we tapped along as the Hoedown Hillbillies swung to country dance accompanied by Drowsy Maggie.

Also performing were The Oaks wind band, The Guitar Group, Acorns wind band and the piano trio, Tempest – singing their own song ‘911’.

James Verney, Grade 5 guitar, soothed our souls with a beautiful rendition of Parisian Waltz. We witnessed a welcome return from Yunki Lee who returned to school from Korea during his two week vacation. Yunki, Grade 8 piano, played an arrangement of Etude op. 10 no.5 (Black key to white key) and Waltz no.7 by Chopin.

The finale, from the Beauchief Blues Band, comprised the whole cast coming together in song to round off this uptempo evening. Mr Woodward, Head of Junior School Music, said:

“This was a great night with music bringing the whole school together. Congratulations to all the children for having the confidence to perform in front of such a large audience in this landmark building.”

The magic of St Marie’s CathedralChristmas is a special time at Westbourne with special services and music to mark the occasion.

On 15 December, our annual service at St Marie’s Cathedral was every bit as wonderful and atmospheric as in previous years.

Pupils aged from 5 to 16 took part in an evening of carols and seasonal readings that reverberated round the congregation thanks to the superb acoustics of St Marie’s.

Congregational hymns, solos and festive songs by our school choirs made for a wonderful order of service. Our orchestra entertained everyone with the ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ and ‘Sleigh Bells’ and we also heard a beautiful rendition of ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas‘ from our chamber choir. Our recessional collection was in aid of our Charity of the Year – Support Dogs.

Thank you to our Deputy Head Boy and Girl, William Shahane and Hazel Joel, for opening the evening. Well done to all our children, staff and parents for their contribution.

“There was a very warm welcome for everybody and we were delighted with the number of people who joined us at this special celebration,” said Mrs Pritchett, Head of Senior School Music.

Similarly, we were joined by family and friends at St Mark’s Church in Broomhill for our annual Year 3–6 Christmas Carol performance.

This joyous occasion was complete with a mix of traditional and modern hymns and eloquent readings. Children treated us to performances on handbells, boomwhackers and guitars. There were ensembles of woodwind, ukuleles and strings, in addition to some fabulous festive choir singing.

Top musiciansIn June we took our outstanding musicians to the Upper Chapel to perform in the Invitation Concert – this is where our outstanding musicians are invited to perform. It was the third year that we had used the venue and once again the atmosphere and acoustics gave all the performers a real boost.

There was a huge variety of styles and instruments, showcasing just how diverse the musicianship is at Westbourne. Our older students demonstrated how brilliant they are and how they love taking on a challenge, involving lots of practice and hard work as well as talent.

Mr Hicks, Headmaster, said: “This was a fabulous evening and I was so impressed with the talent on show. Many thanks to our music department for showcasing our top musical talent.”

A big well done to all our featured musicians:

Jessica Simmons – Chasing Cars (Piano)

Harrison Cundy – Valse Lente (Piano)

Rosie Molyneux – How Far I’ll Go (Piano & Voice)

Theo Drainville-Saul – Tamacum (Guitar)

Edwin Paul – Cantina Music (Piano)

Ellie Billingham – Sonata V (Cello)

Nell Lidster – Hedwig’s Theme (Cello)

Sam Radley – Morning (Saxophone)

Archie Renshaw – Wonderwall (Guitar)

Sam Jokhi – Mamba (Guitar)

David Hughes – Flip Flop (Piano)

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In November Westbourne took to the stage at the iconic Leadmill – a mainstay of the Sheffield live music scene. Pulp and The Arctic Monkeys are just some of the Sheffield bands who have played at the venue and, for one night only, Westbourne music makers took centre stage.

From Year 5 to Year 11, the skill and confidence on display was incredible. Our samba band raised the roof and set the standard for the awesome acts to follow. We heard from groups such as Cold Blood and Station Lane, and enjoyed the welcome return of our staff band, Chalk Face, who rocked the night away along with a whole gamut of talented acts.

“What a great experience for the children to be able to perform in a real band venue and at such an iconic location. I hope this will inspire the children and make them hungry for more.” Mr Woodward, Head of Junior School Music.

If you missed this rocking night of Westbourne music, head to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/westbourneschooluk

A rocking night at the Leadmill

Music Music

Exam Board Instrument Grade Result

Lola Brereton ABRSM Piano 1 Pass

Charlotte Jolley ABRSM Piano 1 Pass

Jessica Simmons ABRSM Piano 5 Pass

Anjali Ashok ABRSM Piano 6 Pass

Elliot Renshaw ABRSM Piano 5 Pass

Archie Renshaw ABRSM Piano 2 Pass

Ellie Dalton ABRSM Piano 1 Distinction

Jessica Simmons Trinity Drums 4 Pass

Ben Pereira Trinity Drums 3 Pass

Kiril Vinogradov ABRSM Piano 4 Pass

Sam Jokhi ABRSM Piano 3 Merit

Sam Radley ABRSM Piano 3 Pass

Eleanor Dalton ABRSM Theory 2 Merit

Severin Gale ABRSM Piano 8 Pass

Angela Pereira ABRSM Violin 1 Merit

Jessica Simmons ABRSM Violin 5 Pass

Thomas Melson ABRSM Piano 1 Distinction

Lily Lidster ABRSM Piano 3 Pass

Matthew Verity Trinity Bass Guitar 3 Merit

James Verney Trinity Classical Guitar 5 Pass

David Hughes Trinity Guitar 1 Distinction

Elliot Renshaw ABRSM Theory 5 Pass

Eleanor Dalton ABRSM Theory 3 Merit

Jessica Leatherland ABRSM Theory 2 Distinction

Holly Simmons ABRSM Theory 2 Merit

George Blank ABRSM Recorder Copper Pass

Judy Afandi ABRSM Recorder Copper Pass

Poppy Fletcher ABRSM Recorder Copper Pass

Oliver Brown ABRSM Recorder Copper Pass

Hatty Leatherland ABRSM Recorder Copper Pass

Sam Kasher ABRSM Recorder Copper Pass

Richard Lee ABRSM Recorder Copper Pass

Jakob Parramore ABRSM Recorder Copper Pass

Lily Radley ABRSM Recorder Copper Pass

Neema Wright ABRSM Recorder Copper Pass

Alfie Bedford ABRSM Recorder Copper Pass

Kevin Lee ABRSM Recorder Copper Pass

Joshua Gilbert ABRSM Recorder Copper Pass

Nina Meiring ABRSM Recorder Copper Pass

Obi Uchegbu Trinity Guitar Initial Merit

Kyle Mohan Trinity Drums 1 Merit

Emma Sargent ABRSM Recorder Silver Pass

Millie Andrew ABRSM Recorder Silver Pass

Grace Brown ABRSM Recorder Bronze Pass

Cristina Bayona ABRSM Recorder Bronze Pass

Sam Jokhi ABRSM Recorder Bronze Pass

Esme Woodhouse ABRSM Recorder Copper Pass

Matilda Wells ABRSM Recorder Copper Pass

Freyja Rodenburg ABRSM Recorder Copper Pass

Jacob O'Donnell ABRSM Recorder Copper Pass

Charlotte Jolley ABRSM Recorder Copper Pass

Will Hawley ABRSM Recorder Copper Pass

Ben Hartog ABRSM Recorder Copper Pass

Elizabeth Goodfellow ABRSM Recorder Copper Pass

Maddie Cundy ABRSM Recorder Copper Pass

Joe Davies ABRSM Recorder Copper Pass

Luca Cancello ABRSM Recorder Copper Pass

Music exam results Musical treat from GSCE Music performers

In March a group of incredibly talented Year 9, 10 and 11 GCSE Music students came together for a concert of their examined solo and ensemble pieces. A select audience of parents and student peers were given a musical treat, with a diverse range of instruments and styles from beatboxing to singing.

Anjali Ashok – Erster Schmerz (Piano)

Jess Simmons – Allegro (Violin)

Elliot Renshaw – Yodinami (Piano)

Patrick Ryan – Albatross (Guitar)

Nina Sanderson – Eyes Shut (Piano)

Edwin Paul – Bread and Butter (Piano)

Joe Courtnall – Improvisation (Beatboxing)

John Buckner – Boulevard of Broken Dreams (Guitar)

James Verney – El Caminante (Guitar)

Ellie Billingham – Tarantella (Cello)

Jess Leatherland – Caro Mio Ben (Voice)

Joe Courtnall - Beatboxing

The Arts www.westbourneschool.co.uk 26 The Arts www.westbourneschool.co.uk 27

We place a high value on the arts, giving every child the opportunity to express their own unique personality and release the power of imagination.

If your child has an intuitive gift for art, music or drama, we’ll uncover it. Stunning art is produced at all ages and our after school art clubs are in high demand.

Additional music and dance teachers come to school each week to support the existing staff and to offer group tuition. Drama is embedded in the curriculum, offering a creative spark for young minds and further developing confidence. Our investment in a new drama studio in 2015, complete with professional lighting rig, lighting desk, blackout blinds and curtains, reflects the importance we place on the performing arts.

This is in stark contrast to the national trend, as in many schools drama and performing arts no longer have their own programme of study from the national curriculum and are therefore facing a crisis.

There are opportunities to perform in concerts both in and outside of school. Staging a play is an exercise in teamwork and productions regularly take place in both Junior and Senior School, either inside or in our natural outdoor amphitheatre, The Dell.

Our standard of theatre production is such that we perform large productions in local theatres, eg ‘Bugsy Malone’ at the Montgomery Theatre in Sheffield, and invite the wider community. Past recent productions have included:

2012 – Oliver

2013 – Little Shop of Horrors

2014 – The Wizard of Oz

2015 – Annie

2016 – Grease

2017 – Bugsy Malone

The arts at Westbourne

www.westbourneschool.co.uk 26

Sheffield Young Artists Congratulations to all the Junior and Senior School children who had their artwork chosen and displayed at Ponds Forge in the annual Sheffield Young Artists competition organised by Abbeydale Rotary Club.

Special mention to seniors Harrison Cundy and Lulu Morrison-Parry who won the Bronze award in the Key Stage 3 Painting category.

Congratulations also to Heath Davenport, in Year 2, whose work was selected from the SYA exhibition to be displayed at the Art in the Gardens exhibition in the Botanical Gardens in September.

Artists make a splash for Chinese New Year In January, nine talented Westbourne artists had their artwork chosen to be entered into the Chinese New Year Art Competition organised by the Confucius Institute at the University of Sheffield.

Part of a city-wide initiative, our artists were selected to have their work on display at Sheffield’s City Hall to mark the start of the Chinese New Year. Out of all the schools involved Oscar Head, Year 1, went on to win the overall First Prize for Key Stage 1. He was presented

with his prize by the Lord Mayor.

Congratulations to all our artists!

Key Stage 1: Oscar Head, William Rayner and Daniella Arnold.

Key Stage 2: Louis Cannell, Marcus Ainger, Nina Meiring, Sophia Dickinson, John Lee, and Jacob O’Donnell.

A wealth of theatre and cinema trips, planned by our drama and English departments, have given children in both Senior and Junior School the chance to see real applications of literary concepts on stage and screen.

Year 10 and 11 drama students experienced all three performance spaces at Sheffield Theatres. We went to see ‘Operation Crucible’ at the Crucible Studio, ‘Dr Frankenstein’ at the Crucible and ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time’ at the Lyceum. Year 9 also went to see ‘Blood Brothers’ at the Lyceum.

The author Daniel Blythe ran creative writing workshops for Years 7–8. He also gave a talk about his life as a writer and his lifelong love of Doctor Who! He finished the day with a book signing session.

While Years 2, 3 and 4 went to the Crucible Studio to see ‘The Snow Child’, Year 5 were lucky to have a backstage tour of the Crucible, and Pre-School enjoyed a trip to the cinema with Years 1 and 2 to see Santa Claus: The Movie.

Finally, the whole school from Reception through to Year 8 are all going to see The Wizard of Oz at Sheffield Theatres in January 2018.

Cinderella doesn’t always have to wait until Christmas for her fairy godmother to get her to the ball. In fact, she stepped into her glass slippers and headed for adventure in her pumpkin coach at the height of the summer holidays for Westbourne’s Summer School!

Open to all children, from those who have just completed Year 1 up to those in Year 8, and not just Westbourne pupils, this is a highly popular week-long programme of fun activities during the summer holidays. Twelve enthusiastic participants enjoyed a mix of drama, crafts, music and even took part in a special pantomime.

Similarly, Cookery School opened its doors once again for the summer holidays. Over the course of three days, budding young chefs learnt new recipes and honed their culinary skills.

Ahoy there me hearties and shiver me timbers… a crazy and colourful collection of pirates and mermaids took to the stage for a fabulous performance in May.

Children from Reception to Year 2 swashed, buckled and raised the Jolly Roger as they presented the nautically-themed ‘Pirates Versus Mermaids’.

With seven fantastic songs and a hilarious script, we joined Captain Scarypants on a swashbuckling adventure with his band of brave pirates, a hungry crocodile, a crew of feisty mermaids and, of course, one insane parrot!

“It was a high-spirited performance with plenty of opportunity to raise a cutlass and swish a fishtail, showing that even our youngest children have great theatrical talent,” said drama teacher Mrs Foster-Major.

Food for thought at Westbourne At a time when food technology is disappearing from the curriculum in so many schools, cooking at Westbourne is on the up. Since the addition of our new food technology department in 2015 the subject has gone from strength to strength, with events such as ‘The Great Westbourne Bake Off’ and our popular annual Easter Cookery Course inspiring so many to just get cooking!

We have some avid foodies at Westbourne and this year saw the successful introduction of the new AQA GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition syllabus with more practical work, investigation and food science.

Pupils used their location to their advantage, investigating local shops, produce and talking to specialists in their fields.

Many of the children have great culinary skills and already have baking talents. We offer a selection of different recipes to cook, enabling pupils of all abilities to develop their skills.

Our Junior School pupils took part in the Licence to Cook programme as part of their design technology course. This gave them the opportunity to learn how to cook, as well as make informed decisions about diet and nutrition, health and safety and wise food shopping. We extend this in Senior School to give pupils at all ages an understanding of the importance of nutrition, eating well and staying healthy.

The Year 6 MAPs (More Able Pupils) Drama Group presented their own version of Arthur Ransome’s celebrated Lake District adventure, ‘Swallows and Amazons’, to fellow pupils and parents. The Westbourne Dell, with its garden and natural amphitheatre, made the perfect setting for this classic story of sailing, camping, fishing, exploration and piracy.

“This was a delightful summer production and our cast enjoyed bringing it to life,” said Westbourne drama teacher Mrs Foster-Major.

Swallows and Amazons set sail at Westbourne

Arts and drama trips

Summer School antics

Pirates and mermaids make a splash

The Arts www.westbourneschool.co.uk 28www.westbourneschool.co.uk 28

Easter cookery at Westbourne – hygge-style!

Reception to Year 2 took to the stage for a performance of the Christmas story like no other, in the style of Strictly Come Dancing!

Celebrating the birth of Jesus with a dazzling dance show, the production contained some great personalities, including funky camels and a disco star, who came together to recall their roles in the miraculous story. Dance styles ranged from tango to line dancing and from ballet to disco. The judges gathered their scorecards, whilst the dancers waited in the wings. Mr Hicks, Headmaster, said:

“This was a fabulous performance from start to finish with the Nativity right at the heart of everything. The children were oozing confidence and sheer enjoyment throughout. Performing arts just keep going from strength to strength!”

Open to children from other schools as well as our own Juniors and Seniors, our Easter cookery course provides a great way for children to go on their own culinary adventure during the holidays. This year saw intrepid cooks trying their hand at the art of hygge, the Danish art of cooking delicious dishes using ingredients to create warm, relaxing meals to enjoy with friends and family.

Each day, the group worked hard to prepare three-course meals from scratch. As part of the theme, they learnt some challenging Scandinavian recipes and techniques which combined different flavours and textures. For example, they used rhubarb both to roast with chicken and with a chocolate cake, to make some fabulous flavour combinations. The trick of putting mashed potato into focaccia dough was truly inspired.

It’s 1930s New York, where the streets are filled with speakeasies run by tough-talking dames and big shot gangsters with splurge guns. Rival gang leaders Fat Sam and Dandy Dan are fighting for control of the city. Could Bugsy Malone be Fat Sam’s last hope?

This was the setting for Westbourne School’s adaptation of the smash hit gangster musical ‘Bugsy Malone’ at the Montgomery Theatre. With a cast of over 50 Senior and Junior pupils, it was truly a whole school production, attended by both parents and the public.

Oliver Marshall made a superb and suave Bugsy, and Elliot Renshaw a fantastic, full-bellied Fat Sam. Archie Leahy ably played the sophisticated Dandy Dan with his not-so-bright gang, Emma Verity played the beautiful Tallulah, and Ailsa Gillespie was a convincing country girl looking for stardom in Hollywood.

The cast, chorus and crew all worked tremendously hard and this feel-good production, with its catchy tunes and film sequence scenes, had us singing all the way home.

A massive thank you to everyone backstage and front of house, and to Sheffield

Theatres Box Office for promoting and ticketing this fabulous show. The extract from the letter below, from an impressed member of the audience, says it all:

“My 10-year-old daughter and I have no connection with your school but are just genuine theatre enthusiasts who fancied coming along to the show and we are so very glad we did!

It was great and we thoroughly enjoyed it and everyone involved must feel very proud from actors to musicians to behind the scenes, very well done to you all.” Jeanette and Hannah Toner

Years 8 and 9 created a book of hand-picked Bugsy recipes in honour of the whole school show at the Montgomery Theatre. The book features starters, pies, salads, cakes, buns and many more recipes, developed using local ingredients and Fairtrade products where possible. All recipes were tried out several times to perfect them and to make sure they worked. Lily Lidster, Year 8, explained:

“This was our project for a few weeks and all the pupils who did this challenge enjoyed it. The chosen theme for this book was Bugsy Malone, so you could take the show home with you. We hope you enjoy cooking and making these dishes and we hope you enjoyed the show!”

The Arts www.westbourneschool.co.uk 29

Whole school make their mark with Bugsy Malone

Bugsy Malone mouth-watering recipes

Junior Drama lessons – Year 3 to Year 6

Year 3 The Twits All groups passed with Merit

Year 4 Fantastic Mr Fox 2 Passes and 1 Merit

Year 5P The Visit 1 Pass, 1 Merit and 1 Distinction

Year 5C The Visit 3 Passes with Distinction

Year 6H The Text Message 4 Passes with Distinction

Year 6T The Text Message 4 Passes with Distinction

LAMDA Lunchtime Group

Musical Theatre, Annie

Eleanor Reynolds, Charlie Jolley, Francesca Gray Distinction

Acting Joe Davies and Luca Cancello Distinction

Erin Davies Distinction

Willow Clark Distinction

Thalia Merifield Merit

Eliza Heywood Merit

Jess Simmons Grade 6 Bronze Medal

Emma Verity Grade 6 Bronze Medal

Group Acting Piece Kiril Vinogradov, Archie Leahy, Ben Forrester, Charles Broadhurst Distinction

Drama exam success

Lights, Camel, Action!

A growing number of Westbourne’s budding actors took their LAMDA drama exams. Their talents were tested in diverse ways including a two actor script, group acting and musical theatre. Congratulations to all those who took part and passed including:

Triple England hockey selection successWe were delighted that Hannah Richards and Kareem Mahfouf (both Year 9) and Josephine Paul (Year 8) were chosen to join the England Hockey under 15 Yorkshire Performance squad – which is a training squad for the England team.

Kareem was one of two boys shortlisted from Sheffield for the under 15 boys and the only one to finally be selected. This is an excellent result for the trio and their club, Sheffield Hockey Club at Abbeydale. Mrs Mirfin, Head of Girls Games at Westbourne, said: “This is a real achievement and we are thrilled for these talented young sports people.”

Sport www.westbourneschool.co.uk 31

At Westbourne we believe that a healthy attitude to life involves the body as well as the mind. That’s why we offer an abundance of sport for all and encourage every girl and boy to strive to improve on their personal best through healthy competition. We pride ourselves on inclusion and will offer a standard of coaching and a level of competition that will match their level of ability and interest.As you would expect from a school of this calibre, outstanding facilities are on offer at international and specialist venues across Sheffield. These include Ponds Forge, the English Institute of Sport (EIS), Goodwin Sports Centre,

Abbeydale Sports Club, Rother Valley Country Park, Sheffield Hallam University Sports Park and iceSheffield. Specialist sports teachers develop each child’s individual sporting potential and, irrespective of each child’s perceived sporting ability, from Year 3 they will be given the opportunity to represent their school at their chosen sport.

Many of our girls and boys are selected for regional sports teams and many have gone on to represent England or Great Britain in their chosen field.

Our Year 10 students take part in Sports Leaders UK which provides nationally recognised leadership awards and

qualifications that help them develop essential life skills such as organisation, motivation, communication and working with others.

For those who are not sports enthusiasts, there are friendly games and inter-house competitions, where the emphasis is on developing the individual and the enjoyment of taking part. Annual international sports tours are on offer to all, including Barcelona, Malta and Lanzarote, with skiing in Austria, the French Alps and the USA.

At Westbourne your child will learn resilience in defeat and courtesy in victory.

Sport at WestbourneThe Arts www.westbourneschool.co.uk 30www.westbourneschool.co.uk 30

Angel Morrison-Parry, Year 11

(A* GCSE Art Summer 2017)

Art Group

Harrison Cundy, Year 8

Ellie Dalton, Year 9

Poppy Clark, Year 9 Theo Drainville-Saul, Year 7

Thalia Merifield, Year 8

Josephine Paul, Year 8

Odysseas Theoharakis, Year 9

Art gallery

Chloe Bennett, Year 9Nina Sanderson, Year 9

Angel Morrison-Parry, Year 11

(A* GCSE Art Summer 2017)

Lucy Cleobury-Jones, Year 9

Hannah Richards and Josephine Paul Kareem Mahfouf

Sport www.westbourneschool.co.uk 32

Athletics continues to be a sport in which our pupils find a lot of enjoyment and success. With Westbourne entering 12 different competitions across South Yorkshire, and an athletics club running after school at the English Institute of Sport (EIS), our pupils have had plenty of opportunities to display their talents.

The Secondary Schools Athletics in June saw a fantastic 20 Senior School pupils qualify for the finals in July, with six Westbournians making the podium on the day. These included Niamh Fitzgerald, Nina Sanderson, Luca Milner, Harrison Cundy, Chloe Jones and Hannah Richards who was our standout performer of the day winning the shot-put competition for the second year running!

The English Schools’ Athletic Association (ESAA) Track and Field Cup in May again saw us build upon our success from last year

with five pupils earning their Bronze award and six earning their Silver. Westbournians Harrison Cundy (high jump and triple jump) and Chloe Jones (shot-put and discus) were selected to compete for the South Yorkshire County Athletics Association (SYCAA), meaning that Westbourne has been represented at South Yorkshire level for the last four years consecutively.

June also saw our Year 5 and 6 Junior School pupils take part in the Primary City finals. Our star performer of the day was Junior School Athletics Captain Cristina Bayona, who just missed out on a medal in fourth place for the Year 6 long jump. Years 3 and 4 also had their chance to shine at the S. Anselm’s athletics event in July. Ten second place and four third place finishes show the determination and ability the pupils showed in their first external athletics event of the season!

As always a big thank you to the Westbourne families who supported their children throughout the season. To be able to represent Westbourne School is something that I feel our pupils should always be proud of and I wish them all the best and look forward to hearing of their successes in the future.

Mr Adebola

Athletics – an excellent year in review

A big congratulations to Finley Blackwell, Danny Pudil, Advait Shastry and Lucas Parramore who played to victory at the Mini Red Tennis schools tournament at Fulwood Lawn Tennis Club. Six teams competed from Ashdell, Birkdale, Sheffield High School and Westbourne. The teams were split into two groups with Westbourne winning their group and Birkdale winning the other. When they faced each other in the final, Westbourne won overall!

Similarly, in the Prep tournament, again Ashdell, Birkdale, Sheffield High School and Westbourne all took part. The teams were split into two groups of three with Mitchell Guest, George Blank, Richard Lee and Jacob Parramore from Westbourne winning their group. Once again they were pitted against Birkdale in the final, however this time Birkdale won the day.

Many thanks to Mr Wragg for organising this.

Victory for mini tennis

Sport www.westbourneschool.co.uk 33

Cricket – teams bat to victory In Senior School there have been some notable performances this season. The very first game for the under 15 team provided a highly entertaining game against some county opposition, but the boys won with a huge 191 scored on a very fast outfield. The under 14 team did really well to qualify for the Sheffield Federation for School Sports (SFSS) semi-final, and on a number of occasions strong batting from Wroth and Coleman helped them to several victories. At under 13 level it’s been great to see Andrew Mckinna emerge as a really talented fast bowler, while Ellis Green and Jake Peat showed talent with both bat and ball on a number of occasions.

In Junior School the under 11 B team have enjoyed a successful campaign, winning two of their three fixtures this summer. The highlight was an impressive victory away at Hill House, in which the boys came out winners by 42 runs. Despite losing narrowly in their only hard ball match of the term, the under 10 team bounced back magnificently to win their group at our annual Westbourne School Kwik Cricket and Rounders Tournament. They won both of their games against schools in the local area and represented the school fantastically well both on and off the pitch.

Boys’ football – a fantastic season The Senior School boys had an excellent season. The under 14 and under 15 teams and the first team all showed great commitment and maturity on the pitch. What’s more, our home and away support has been great with many parents turning up week in and week out to support the boys. Here are some of the highlights of a fantastic football season.

In January the under 14 team played really well against Beech Hall securing a 5-1 win. Similarly, the under 13 team displayed a fantastic performance at St Crispin’s in Leicester. Morley Goulding captained a well-organised side which came out 2-1 winners. The team had the best game of their season at Lincoln Minster with fantastic performances from Matthew Verity and Alvaro Bayona, winning 6-1. The first team travelled to Macclesfield to play Beech Hall and ran out comfortable 2-0 winners.

The under 11 team had a brilliant season. After a 0-0 draw at S. Anselm’s came a wonderful series of victories against Mylnhurst, Beech Hall and, finally, a triangular tournament against Orchard and St Peter & St Paul where Westbourne won both of these games 3-0 and 5-1 respectively. Sam Jokhi has grown considerably in his role as captain and has helped the team develop together. After such a great season they can be proud of their efforts and hopefully take their successes into Senior School football.

The Year 10s, with Oliver Marshall and Patrick Ryan, played in the under 15 match against Lincoln Minster in March and edged a 4-2 win. All the Year 7 and Year 8s played Hill House, winning one game and losing two.

The under 9 team simply had an amazing season while being captained by Joshua Booth. A highlight was the first tournament of the season when the team won five out of six matches at Barlborough Hall. The following week the A and B teams took on Wellow House and produced two convincing wins. Sharif Khan had a fabulous game on the right wing and Joshua Booth hit the net many times, winning 10-2.

Beech Hall were next to visit us at Goodwin Sports Centre and Mitchell Guest found his form in front of the goal again. Our A team then played Mylnhurst, winning 5-3 with an outstanding performance from Adam Wroth in goal. New ‘Sporting Successes’ newsletter by James

Billingham James Billingham, Year 7, launched a ‘Sporting Successes’ newsletter featuring stories of our pupils’ sporting achievements outside of school. James has worked incredibly hard in his own time to source and write news items as well as create the magazine himself.

Industrious and highly creative, James is well qualified for his editorial and publishing role. In 2013 he wrote a book, The Big Experiment, which was printed and raised £100 for Cancer Research. He has also written and recorded six songs. James has also created several websites, one of which featured a health blog with a link to it from a national patient health website, resulting in hundreds of hits a day during its peak.

Under 9 team – Played: 13, Won: 10, Drew: 2, Lost: 1

Under 10 team – Played: 3, Won: 2, Drew: 0, Lost: 1

Under 11 A team – Played: 11, Won: 7, Drew: 0, Lost: 4

Under 11 B team – Played: 3, Won: 2, Drew: 0, Lost: 1

The Westbourne boys’ football scoreboard Under 9 team – Played: 21, Won: 12, Drew: 3, Lost: 6

Under 11 team – Played: 14, Won: 7, Drew: 4, Lost: 3

Under 13 team – Played: 9, Won: 3, Drew: 0, Lost: 6

Under 14 team – Played: 4, Won: 2, Drew: 2, Lost: 0

Under 15 team – Played: 4, Won: 4, Drew: 0, Lost: 0

Under 16 team – Played: 4, Won: 3, Drew: 0, Lost: 1

The Westbourne cricket scoreboard

Under 13 team – Played: 3, Won: 1, Drew: 0, Lost: 2

Under 14 team – Played: 6, Won: 3, Drew: 0, Lost: 3

Under 15 team – Played: 4, Won: 1, Drew: 1, Lost: 2

In netball all pupils had the opportunity to train and partake in fixtures during the season, and they should feel proud of their commitment to developing their individual skills, tactics and team strategies. Consequently, the under 9, under 13 and under 14 teams had a very successful netball season, winning most of their matches.

One of the highlights of the season was the under 11 netball tournament which was held at S. Anselm’s in March. The girls played eight other schools, winning two, drawing two and only just being defeated by four other schools.

The other highlight of the season was when the under 16 team played Hill House: after a nail-biting game the end result was 21-9 to Westbourne.

In January, three of our Year 7 pupils took part in the Year 7 Netball Play Day at the English Institute of Sport (EIS). This was a great opportunity for them to come together with other girls from across our county and enjoy a morning of coaching from the South Yorkshire talent coaches. Congratulations to Trixie Morrison-Parry for being selected for South Yorkshire.

The under 16 team had an impressive year. They took part in the SFSS tournament, reaching the North West round. The team displayed excellent teamwork and communication throughout all games. The team consisted of outstanding players who play for clubs outside of school, including some under 15 players. They are focussing on getting into the South Yorkshire tournament next year.

The under 15 team also had a successful hockey season, winning most of their matches and coming second in the SFSS competition. This is a considerable achievement as many of the U15 team’s outstanding players are from under 13 and under 14 teams. The team displayed excellent movement and communication throughout all games and it was fantastic to see some pupils apply more advanced skills and tactics, practised in training and in matches to give them the advantage.

The under 13 team started the hockey season with wins against Beech Hall and Wellow House. Other games were

very close with the girls communicating well but without victory. The under 11 girls played superbly throughout. After a couple of losses against St Peter & St Paul and Barlborough Hall, the team made a fantastic turnaround through hard work and practice. They then went on to win all remaining games against some tough opposition. This was a great team performance, but a special mention to Cristina Bayona who, as an outstanding player, was awarded with hockey colours this year.

Similarly, the under 9 girls had a successful season, winning most of their matches. The highlight for the team was the Barlborough Hall Hockey Festival, with a fabulous four wins out of four matches against St Hugh’s, Barlborough Hall A team, Barlborough Hall B team and St Peter & St Paul. The players of the day were Kat Melson and Nora Gregory.

This season provided more rugby fixtures than ever before in Senior School.

The under 16 team showed that they have some good players, with impressive wins at Hill House and Orchard largely down to Sam Hall and Morley Goulding. The under 15 team had an unbeaten season, with strong forwards like Joe Courtnall as well as Patrick Ryan who came good in the scrum-half position.

The under 14 team had success against larger schools, winning at Chaucer, with players Oliver Wroth and Henri Corran being selected for Yorkshire Carnegie trials. The under 13 team made really promising progress, recording a number of victories. Wins at Beech Hall (50-10), Orchard (25-0), Lincoln (20-15) and

Abbotsholme (35-15) showed how well they were competing. Alvaro Bayona and Matthew Verity both tackled for fun!

In Junior School, at under 11 level, captain Harry Peckett led some fabulous performances. The boys won 12 out of 15 matches. The under 10 team, led by captain Wil Hawley, attained significant success in matches played against nearby schools and remained undefeated all season.

The under 9 rugby team also had a magnificent season with Adam Wroth demonstrating power, speed and agility and scoring many tries. The under 8 team also came on leaps and bounds over the season. Special mentions must go to Oliver Brown, George Blank and Harry Johnstone.

Sport www.westbourneschool.co.uk 34

The under 14 girls 5-a-side football team started their campaign in the SFSS league against all Sheffield schools, culminating with Westbourne finishing in fifth place. This enabled them to qualify for the ’Super 8’ knockout round of the best eight teams. The Super 8 competition in March saw Westbourne beat Silverdale but lose to hosts (and eventual winners) Tapton. After a draw with Meadowhead the team came an impressive joint third for the whole of Sheffield.

Our Year 7 girls had an amazing debut losing only one game over the course of an entire season. Trixie and Lulu Morrison-Parry had the added bonus of being invited to join the South Yorkshire under 14 team and becoming the first girls in the history of Westbourne to earn ‘football colours’.

The under 12 girls five-a-side football team were given their first taste of Senior School

football with Westbourne being invited to join the SFSS league. The league consisted of 19 teams and Westbourne went unbeaten in the league, conceding just one match.

The under 11 girls football team have shown great determination, resulting in a fantastic season. As captain, Jorja Hague worked hard to master her defensive skills. Forward players Martha Wood and Cristina Bayona had an exceptional season and between them scored over 10 goals. The highlight of the season was the replay match against Ecclesall Junior School. Ecclesall had a very strong team which included two girls who play for Sheffield United. The first time the team played against this school we lost 5-0, but after a second fixture, in the summer term, they came away with a 3-3 draw. This highlights the passion and improvement from all the under 11 girls team.

Girls’ football – a kicking year all roundThis was an outstanding season in which the girls’ teams showed their talent as well as the benefits of all the hard work they put in. Here are some of their highlights.

Rugby – record fixtures this season

Netball – a season with opportunities for all

Hockey– teams across the board reach their goal

Sport www.westbourneschool.co.uk 35

The Westbourne girls’ football scoreboard

The Westbourne hockey scoreboard

Under 9 team – Played: 15, Won: 11, Drew: 3, Lost: 1

Under 11 team – Played: 6, Won: 4, Drew: 0, Lost: 2

Under 13 team – Played: 6, Won: 2, Drew: 3, Lost: 1

Under 15 team – Played: 9, Won: 8, Drew: 1, Lost: 0

Under 16 team – Played: 4, Won: 3, Drew: 0, Lost: 1

Under 11 team – Played: 7, Won: 5, Drew: 1, Lost: 1

Under 12 team – Played: 11, Won: 9, Drew: 1, Lost: 1 (Cup competition)

Under 14 team – Played: 19, Won: 7, Drew: 6, Lost: 6

The Westbourne netball scoreboard

Under 9 team – Played: 10, Won: 7, Drew: 1, Lost: 2

Under 11 team – Played: 12, Won:3, Drew: 0, Lost: 9

Under 13 team – Played: 5, Won: 2, Drew: 1, Lost: 2

Under 14 team – Played: 7, Won: 4, Drew: 0, Lost: 3

Under 15 team – Played: 7, Won: 2, Drew: 0, Lost: 5

Under 16 team – Played: 2, Won: 1, Drew: 0, Lost: 1

Under 9 team – Played: 20, Won: 13, Drew: 2, Lost: 5

Under 10 team – Played 6, Won: 5, Drew: 1, Lost: 0

Under 11 team – Played: 12, Won: 10, Drew: 0, Lost: 2

Under 13 A team – Played: 9, Won: 6, Drew: 2, Lost: 1 Under 13 B team – Played: 3, Won: 1, Drew: 0, Lost: 0

Under 14 team – Played: 5, Won: 2, Drew: 0, Lost: 3

Under 15 team – Played: 3, Won: 3, Drew: 0, Lost: 0

Under 16 team – Played: 8, Won: 3, Drew: 2, Lost: 3

Sport www.westbourneschool.co.uk 36

In May, Year 3 to Year 11 pupils travelled to the English Institute of Sport (EIS) for an action-packed day.

The pupils put on an amazing spectacle of sport in a world-class venue, with events including high jump, long jump, 200m, javelin and 1500m. Many school records were broken but notably by Cristina Bayona in the 60m and high jump (1.12 metres) and by Harrison Cundy who achieved records in high jump (1.55 metres) and long jump (4.58 metres).

The 1500m was led by Thomas Dawn for 1400 metres of the race before Edwin Paul pipped him to the post in a very fast time (4 minutes 52 seconds). They both lapped many of the runners on the seven and a half lap course.

Congratulations to Johnson for winning the the house cup! Thank you to all pupils,

staff and parents for contributing to a hugely successful day. A special mention goes to Miss Pursehouse who organised the event.

Equally atmospheric was the Pre-School, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 Summer Sports Day at Abbeydale Sports Club. Our youngest athletes showed their sporting talents, competing in a wide range of disciplines including running, balancing and obstacle races and the javelin.

A big thank you to Mrs Mirfin and the games staff for organising this great occasion and to parents and grandparents for all their support!

Sport www.westbourneschool.co.uk 37

Cross country – pupils rise to the challenge Cross country is one the most physically and mentally challenging activities that Westbourne pupils undertake. All children who took part in the season’s competitions had reason to feel proud of their commitment to developing their personal fitness and embracing mental challenge.

In Junior School, Archie Renshaw, Jorja Hague and Grace Brown all recorded impressive finishes in city-wide events. However, particular mention has to be given to Madison Hague, who improved her placings throughout the season, and in the Sheffield City Championships crossed the line in a fantastic seventh place.

In the Senior School competition, Elliot Renshaw maintained a consistently good level of performance with a number of top 40 finishes in the Sheffield City Championships. In addition, Isla Fowler maintained the tradition of Westbourne pupils being invited to represent the City of Sheffield at the South Yorkshire Championships following a season where she finished consistently in the top 10, including a third place at Bradfield in November.

Thank you to all children who have competed this season: your effort and determination is inspirational.

Record wins at rugby festival Our under 9 rugby team enjoyed a victorious outing as the rugby term kicked off with a schools’ rugby festival.

The fixture at Barlborough Hall School saw the boys enjoy record wins against teams from Mylnhurst, Barlborough Hall,

Immaculate Conception and St Peter & St Paul.

Two Westbourne players were named ‘Men of the Match’ – Sharif Khan for outstanding agility and scoring tries and Adam Wroth for outstanding tackling and scoring tries.

Mr Elvidge, Director of Sport, said:

“The boys passed the ball very well and worked extremely hard as part of a team, winning all four of their games. This was a fantastic start to the season, especially considering that this was their first ever visit to a rugby festival.”

Rounders – bowled over this season It was a great season in rounders, not only due to the excellent performances on the field, but also the fantastic weather which resulted in very few games being cancelled.

All pupils had the opportunity to train and take part in fixtures. Players should feel proud of their commitment to developing their individual skills, tactics and team strategies.

The under 15 team’s highlight of the rounders season was their debut against Scarborough College. They played at the beautiful Harrogate Cricket Club and won the game by half a rounder. Yasmin Shaw was a legend during the match, catching players out and scoring several rounders. The under 14 girls played consistently well throughout the year and were involved in numerous tournaments and leagues,

winning many games. During the season the girls did brilliantly in the SFSS league, beating Sheffield High School, King Ecgbert and Tapton B team. A big thank you to Miss Hinchliffe who organised the Old Girls game and beat our formidable under 14 girls!

The under 13 team ended their season with a huge victory against a team of Westbourne mums! The result was 15-9 with Hannah Jenkinson and Mrs Radley nominated as ‘players of the game’.

The under 9 and under 10 rounders teams won most of their matches. The highlight of the season was the under 10 rounders festival which was held at Abbeydale in June. The girls won every game bar one and, after a tense moment calculating how many rounders were scored, Westbourne won the day over Hallam Primary by half a rounder. Congratulations went to Francesca Gray who was awarded girl of the tournament for Westbourne.

Sport www.westbourneschool.co.uk 37

A record-breaking whole school Sports Day

Situated on the breathtaking north-west coast of Lanzarote, Club La Santa is billed as the number one sports and active holiday resort. It was also a fantastic location for a school trip during the Easter holidays.

During a sunny, actioned-packed week, the group’s feet barely touched the ground. The girls enjoyed practising some Latin moves with Zumba and even managed to persuade some of the boys to come along too! Squash, tennis, football and basketball also went down well. Pupils loved putting their diving skills to the test in the Olympic pool and cooling off with a spot of lane swimming. They also visited a local market, hit the local water park, and Mr Elvidge and Mr Tedcastle took each other on at go-karting. A great week was had by all with lots of amazing memories.

Across the sea to Club La Santa

The Westbourne rounders scoreboard

Under 9 team – Played: 7, Won: 3, Drew: 2, Lost: 2

Under 10 team – Played: 5, Won: 4, Drew: 0, Lost: 1

Under 11 team – Played: 9, Won: 3 , Drew: 0, Lost: 6

Under 13 team – Played: 5, Won: 2, Drew: 0, Lost: 3

Under 14 team – Played: 7, Won: 5, Drew: 0, Lost: 2

Under 15 team – Played: 4, Won: 3, Drew: 0, Lost: 1

The Westbourne rugby scoreboard

Westbourne School 25-10 Mylnhurst

Westbourne School 20-10 Barlborough Hall

Westbourne School 25-10 St Peter & St Paul

Westbourne School 25-10 Immaculate Conception

A superb Austrian ski trip The January term began early for some, as the first week of 2017 brought with it yet another highly successful Westbourne ski trip.

A total of 52 participants headed to the beautiful resort of Wagrain in the Ski Amadé region of Austria. This included over a dozen parents and Old Westbournians and one Year 11 participant, Sam Hall, who has taken part in no fewer than seven of our ski trips.

Our clearly experienced group had amazing conditions, with snow falling almost every day. As well as superb skiing, we enjoyed sledging on wooden sleds, a wonderful quiz night organised by Mrs Foster-Major’s husband and a special pizza night at the end of the week.

There was a great atmosphere and plenty of stories to swap each evening. At the final prize giving, Oliver Marshall scooped the ‘unwanted wipe-out’ award(!) with our beginner skiers, including our total beginner Mrs Loasby, receiving medals for the fantastic progress they made during the week.

Congratulations to Patrick Ryan (Year 10) and Chloe Jones (Year 9) for winning the ‘best skier’ awards for their skill and finesse on the piste. Well done to Kai Wright (Year 11) for the ‘most improved’ award – Kai went from beginner to advanced in less than a week!

Even in Austria, GCSEs were at the forefront of pupils’ minds as the slopes provided the perfect opportunity to assess Lily and Kai in their GCSE sport practical. A fantastic trip, and we can’t wait for next time!

Sport www.westbourneschool.co.uk 38

Mr Glover, second from left

Sport www.westbourneschool.co.uk 39Sport www.westbourneschool.co.uk 39

In June our under 10 girls and boys took part in our annual Rounders and Kwik Cricket Festival at Abbeydale. It was an amazing afternoon with over a hundred Year 5 pupils taking part from schools across Sheffield.

In the cricket, first-time participants Greenhill Primary won their fixtures against Dore Primary and St Wilfrid’s Primary, while Westbourne won the other group with narrow wins against Totley Primary and Ecclesall Junior.

In the rounders, Westbourne narrowly beat off excellent opposition from Dore Primary, Greenhill Primary, Totley Primary A and B,

and Hallam Primary. Their winning streak was only broken in the final game against St Wilfrid’s Primary. The third game, against Totley Primary A, was by far the most tense and exhilarating and had teachers from both schools in suspense as the girls battled it out on the pitch! The Westbourne rounders team won the whole tournament by half a rounder. Girl of the tournament was Francesca Gray.

Congratulations to all the participants on a super afternoon where the real winner was sportsmanship!

In February, as part of Westbourne’s commitment to offering a varied and high-quality range of sporting activities, lacrosse was offered as an after school club. Westbourne had the perfect person to introduce this exciting sport in Mr Glover, our very own lacrosse European Championship gold medal winner!

Mr Glover proudly returned from Budapest in Hungary last summer with a gold medal in the men’s Lacrosse European Championship. As assistant coach, his England team beat Germany, Latvia, Czech Republic, Italy and Hungary to win their group. They then went on to beat Switzerland in the quarter-final, Finland in the semi-final and Israel in the final, winning 7-6. This was an outstanding result, playing eight matches unbeaten. Wales and Scotland also competed, coming fourth and eighth respectively.

Mr Glover has played lacrosse since he was 11 years old – he is an inspiration to all of us! Thanks to his skill and passion for the sport, this club was very well received by all participants and we look forward to seeing this again on the calendar.

Mr Glover said:

“Those who attended the sessions really enjoyed the speed and dynamic nature of the game while learning some challenging new skills. I’m looking forward to running more sessions in the future and providing another opportunity for Westbourne pupils to pursue success and enjoyment through sport.”

Lacrosse comes to Westbourne

Rounders and cricket teams give it their all

The first girls’ cricket coaching at Westbourne Over the course of five weeks in May, a group of Year 7 girls completed Westbourne School’s ’Sky Sports Living for Sport’ project for 2017. The theme for the year was about introducing girls to cricket, a first for the school. They were fortunate to have Jenny Wallwork as their sports mentor. Jenny has ranked fifth in the world for badminton and won two Commonwealth medals. She spoke about her career before delivering activities based on ‘six keys to success’. The girls had to work and communicate together in order to be successful and their attitude was fantastic as they applied themselves to the sessions. Hopefully, they were inspired to play cricket in the future.

Our People www.westbourneschool.co.uk 41

2016–2017 was another busy year for the school and governors. There have been some changes to the membership. I am delighted to welcome Glenn Day and Julia Wroth to the board. Glenn is a grandparent of a pupil and brings vast business experience to enhance the skills we already have. Julia is an existing parent who has taken on the safeguarding role from Gaynor Radley. At the end of this year we also said goodbye and a very big thank you to Tony Strike, who has provided incisive strategic input to the committee during his three years with us.

The governors have responsibility for continuously raising standards through three core strategic functions:

1. Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction.

2. Holding the Headmaster to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils.

3. Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure the money is well spent.

To this end we have the following key committees: Strategic; Teaching and Learning; Marketing and Finance, which meet once a term and report to the main board.

Much of the work of these committees revolves around the School Development Plan, which identifies the priorities for the school and governors for the current year and areas for improvement.

The governors were briefed on the ways that initiatives were introduced in school and a number of governors visited the school during term time.

Individual pupil progress, tailoring lessons to the needs of each child, is at the heart of our teaching. Scrutinising data about pupils’ progress is a particular focus of the Teaching and Learning committee. In the last two years we have invested significantly in the GL Assessment system, which provides detailed pupil progress reports for our teaching staff. Some of the data we review and question the Headmaster about relates to the pupils’ progress throughout the school and ultimately at GCSE level. Just as important is the data collected by the staff on a continuous basis to ensure that pupils are on track to meet the outcomes for each year group.

Each year the finance committee and full governing board scrutinise and approve the school budget, which is then closely monitored throughout the year. We are currently investing in a new website to assist the continuous marketing requirements of a successful school. The governors have also committed funds to two new science laboratories in Senior School this summer, which has freed up space in Junior School for further educational provision. The cessation of trading of Handsworth Christian and Ashdell Preparatory schools this year is a sign of the competitive environment we live in, but Westbourne continues to be on a strong financial footing, having achieved good financial surpluses for 10 successive years to enable continuous investment back into the school.

I mentioned last year the strategic plans for redevelopment of the Junior School hall. These plans remain on course, although for various reasons they have not progressed significantly this year, but I hope to be able to report more in the next 12 months.

Another important role for governors is ensuring the safety and well-being of the children and we have a nominated Governor for Safeguarding who reports to the governors about any safeguarding matters. Governors also review and agree key school policies. This year governors have approved a number of policies as part of a rolling programme of reviews to ensure that they are kept up to date.

The Governing Body will continue to focus on helping deliver the school improvement plan, keep safeguarding at the forefront of our minds and further develop ways to ensure our financial situation remains healthy. Our vision is to be the school of choice for parents who want strong academic achievement but recognise the importance of developing the whole person and allowing children to flourish in a caring, nurturing environment.

Finally, I would like to thank all the hard-working staff of the school, the parents for your support and investment in your child’s education and the pupils for continuing to flourish in our successful school.

Scott Hinchliffe Chairman of Governors

Update from Scott Hinchliffe, Chairman of the Board of Governors

Our People www.westbourneschool.co.uk 40

I took over as the Friends of Westbourne Chair in December 2016 along with Vice Chair, Viv Goodfellow.

It’s been a busy year, packed with events such as the Christmas fair, summer party and fashion shows, plus a highly successful Mother’s Day sale. We’re now channelling all our creativity and energy into the Masquerade Ball planned for the autumn term.

A massive thank you to our team of helpers for giving up their valuable time to help run these events and provide welcome refreshments.

We’re delighted to have raised funds for several fantastic projects this year, including the indoor cricket machine and the filming of the wonderful school performance of Bugsy Malone.

Old Westbournians

Comings and goings

Sallyanne Greenwood Judy Hawdon Gavin Magenty Noel Lynch

Colin Roberts Frances Lilley Paul Hinchliffe Babajide (Babs) Adebola Abigail Aylott Lynda Bolderson Tom Hancock David Coulling

Liz Wensley Alice Wilson Leanne Davison Harley-Dee Sampson Julia Stockton Angela Mulcahy Laura Crookes

A few words from the Friends of Westbourne Chair

Patter of tiny feet

Wedding bellsWelcome GoodbyeNikki Ashworth (Science) and James Staff

17 December 2016

Lindy Surtees and Daniel Knight

15 July 2017

Natalie and Adam Day

Baby Lucy Hannah 23 August 2017 8lbs 3oz Sister to Eleanor (Nell)

Becca Ryan and Martin Ryan

Baby Edward Peter 25 March 2017 7lbs 10oz

Amy Elkington and Babajide (Babs) Adebola

Baby Morayo 15 September 2016 7lbs 13oz Brother to Jack

We are always looking for new members, the work isn’t onerous and we always have fun along the way! So if you would like to join us; please contact us via the Junior School office.

Charlie Hawley

Nikki and James Staff

Baby Emmeline (Emmy) Maisie 15 September 2017 7lbs 7oz

In June, Old Westbournian Jess Heald joined Guiseley AFC Vixens women’s football team, which is in the FA Women's Premier League Northern Division One.

Jess had previously won a sports scholarship to Westbourne and represented Westbourne regularly in school tournaments. Jess played at Super League outfit Sheffield FC for over a decade. In that time her team

won the Reserves League Cup final, finishing runner-up in the Youth FA Cup final. She contributed towards the first team winning the FA Women's Premier League (FAWPL) Northern title in 2014/15 and has since made her Super League debut. Upon leaving Sheffield, Jess has been a highly sought-after player, with no shortage of offers on the table. We wish her every success with this next step in her fantastic footballing career.

Jess Heald joins Womens’ Premier League

Our People

Fond farewells

Mr Roberts Mr Colin Roberts started teaching at Westbourne School in 1974, 43 years ago, and retired as Head of Department in 2007 before becoming our part-time science technician. He was on Westbourne’s Senior Management Team (SMT) for many years and, as Director of Studies, used to fix our whole school timetable by operating a card system. This was all very cerebral and logical. He introduced computing in 1982 before handing over to Mr Hinchliffe, and ran scholarship maths for 16 years before handing over to Mr Beckett. Proof that Westbourne really is a family, Mrs Roberts also taught Junior School maths at the school and they have two children.

Colin is an avid fell-walker and regularly goes up to Kinder Scout in the fog just to see if his compass and map reading skills are still sharp. Without his help the trip to Kilimanjaro probably wouldn’t have been so successful because Colin did the Yorkshire Three Peaks, three times over, just to help out.

As a lay preacher he would happily teach GCSE RE as an activity after school. The last pupil to do this was Miss Pursehouse’s brother Alex, who, following Mr Roberts’ tutoring, gained a highly prized Grade A. Alex then went on to become a professional footballer. Colin also stood in to run our carol service during the one year it was held at St John’s in Ranmoor.

Miss Lilley Miss Frances Lilley joined Westbourne Senior School in January 2011, and was appointed to her current role of Head of Pastoral Care in 2012. Since then she has been a tireless champion of the welfare of all our Senior School pupils: teaching Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHEE), co-ordinating transition to post-16 education, and overseeing the social, emotional and psychological well-being of all pupils. Many pupils and parents will want to thank her personally for her commitment and involvement in keeping them safe and happy at school, and as a school we can honestly say she will be sorely missed. She leaves us to move to a new home and a new post on the west coast, and we wish her every success.

Mr Hinchliffe Mr Paul Hinchliffe came to Westbourne School in 1987 as a lab technician but swiftly moved to ICT, or computer studies as it was known at the time.

Westbourne was certainly a very different place back then as an all-boys 4–13 Prep School. Few teachers really knew what they were doing with computers, but Paul grasped the opportunity with both hands and soon made himself irreplaceable. Gradually the IT department grew and flourished with Paul overseeing the introduction of new machines and a network system.

Paul has always been a sportsman, early on taking up a career in professional football. Instead he found another role at Westbourne, helping out with games and PE, alongside his duties with IT.

A few years passed and he was asked to help out with the French exchange visits, which he willingly did, and it was on one of these visits that he was introduced to the future Mrs H. Yes, he does have a lot to thank Westbourne for!

Mrs Bolderson Lynda Bolderson has worked at Westbourne for a fantastic 18 years. During that time her kind, caring and calm manner has meant that she has been well loved by children and staff. She has worked with Year 2 to 4 pupils, Reception and most recently Year 1, where she was a qualified higher level teaching assistant. Her artistic abilities in creating classroom displays and craft activities will also be greatly missed. She was a valued member of the safeguarding team and the charity committee, for which she organised many fundraising events throughout the year.

Miss Aylott Abi Aylott has worked in the Junior School at Westbourne for 12 years. She has been an amazing colleague to work with. All the children in her care love her. Her humour and dedication to work have shone through everything she has done, be it organising geography days for the whole school or ensuring that each member of her class leaves with a smile on their face. After starting a craft club for infants, Miss Aylott then settled on running a Hama Beads club, which has set a new trend amongst Years 1 and 2. We wish her well in her new adventures. She will be missed.

www.westbourneschool.co.uk 42

In each year group in Senior School, a cup is awarded for the highest overall academic achiever, based on examination and test results. Subject prizes are awarded based on nominations from subject teachers for particularly good work and/or effort in their own subject. A pupil nominated for several different subjects may be awarded a Form Prize.

Junior Sports Prize Winners In Junior School, prizes are awarded for overall academic achievement and for performance and effort in the core subjects, as well as for general progress and effort. In Year 6, prizes are awarded in all curriculum areas.

Year 3

- For his attainment in Maths: Kevin Lee

- For his outstanding progress throughout the year in Maths: James Gammons

- For her attainment in English: Hatty Leatherland

- For his outstanding progress throughout the year in English: Anton Singleton

- For his attainment in Science: Sam Kasher

- For his outstanding progress throughout the year in Science: Oliver Brown

- For outstanding effort throughout the year across the curriculum: Poppy Fletcher

Year 4

- For her attainment in Maths: Holly Simmons

- For her outstanding progress throughout the year in Maths: Lola Brereton

- For her attainment in English, and the best under 9 sportswoman: Kat Melson

- For his outstanding progress throughout the year in English: Joshua Booth

- For her attainment in Science: Jasmine Head

- For her outstanding progress throughout the year in Science: Hana Jokhi

- For outstanding effort throughout the year across the curriculum: Madison Hague

- The Bate Cup for the best under 9 Junior School sportsman: Adam Wroth

Year 5

- For her attainment in Maths: Eleanor Lidster

- For outstanding progress throughout the year in Maths: Aaryan Mills-Deb

- For his attainment in English: Ben Hartog

- For outstanding progress throughout the year in English: Ameer Al Tamimi

- For his attainment in Science: Jacob O’Donnell

- For outstanding progress and effort throughout the year in Science: Tooleen Afandi

- For outstanding effort throughout the year across the curriculum: Francesca Gray

Year 6

- For his attainment in Maths: Alan Charles

- For outstanding progress throughout the year in Maths, and also Colts footballer of the season: Hugh Heath

- For his attainment in English, and under 11 boys’ player of the season: Sam Jokhi

- For outstanding progress throughout the year in English, and for under 11 girls’ netball: Kiran Draviaraj

- For his attainment in Science: Louis Broadhurst

- For outstanding progress and effort throughout the year in Science, and under 11 girls’ player of the season: Cristina Bayona

- For progress and effort across the curriculum: Amelia Bowen

- For her continued hard work in French: Jorja Hague

- For his detailed work and keen interest in Geography: Jack Sargent

- For his enthusiasm and deep thinking in History: George Wood

- For his passion and dedication to Music, and the Cam Cup for under 11 rugby: Harry Peckett

- For her diligence and dedication in Art, and for under 11 girls’ rounders: Sophia Dickinson

- For his enthusiasm, creativity and team spirit in Drama: Sam Radley

- For his hard work and perseverance in Design Technology: Sebastian Turner

- For his outstanding attitude to Learning Support: Tom Raw

- The Colts Cricket Trophy: Jack Baker

- For under 11 girls’ hockey: Martha Wood

Year 7

- The Whitby Cup (for academic achievement across the curriculum), with particular mentions for English, Physics, Chemistry, History, Geography, French, Art and Food Technology: Trixie Morrison-Parry

- The Form Prize for excellence in Geography and Drama: Willow Clark

- The Form Prize for outstanding attainment in Maths, Spanish, Art and Learning Support: Lulu Morrison-Parry

- The Form Prize for his enthusiasm in English and Physics: Theo Drainville-Saul

- For his superb work in Biology: Charles Jin

- For his enthusiasm and effort in Drama: Thomas Blades

- For his talent and commitment in Art: Abyan Memon

- For his skill in Design Technology: James Franklin

- For his talent and effort in Music: Christopher Wang

- For her commitment to Music: Erin Davies

- For his dedication to Computer Science, and his wonderful sports newsletter: James Billingham

- For her achievement in French: Chloe Roper

- For his achievement in Spanish: Oliver Hardcastle

- For his superb attitude in English: Alex Reed

- For his commitment to Learning Support: Luke Andrews

Year 8

- The John Mott Cup (for academic achievement across the curriculum), with a special mention for his achievement in Geography, and also boys’ athletics champion: Harrison Cundy

- The Form Prize for her attainment in English, Maths, History, Geography, Drama, Computer Science, Spanish and French, and for under 13 netball: Lily Lidster Lily Lidster

- The Form Prize for his enthusiasm and interest in Maths and Music: Sam Brown

- The Form Prize for her effort in Maths and Learning Support: Thalia Merifield

- For his superb approach to work in Biology: Mathew Baxter

- For excellence in Chemistry: Thomas Bennett

- For her commitment to Food Technology: Niamh Fitzgerald

- For his progress in Drama: Sammy Aziz

- For outstanding work in Spanish: Noor al-Ibrahim

- For his enthusiasm in English, and the Craig Cup for under 13 cricket: Andrew McKinna

- For her superb work in Physics: Hannah Jenkinson

- For her talent and achievement in Art, and for under 13 hockey: Josephine Paul

- For her effort and progress in Maths: Emily Durkin

- For his commitment to Learning Support: Alex Chan-Kingswood

Prize Giving

Prize Giving

Departing staff 2017

(left to right) Abigail Aylott, Laura Crookes, Tom Hancock, Harley Dee-Sampson, Babajide (Babs) Adebola, and Lynda Bolderson

www.westbourneschool.co.uk 43

Reception–Year 2 prize winners

Colin has been a respected member of the Westbourne science department for the past 43 years, and after retiring from his role as a full-time science teacher in 2007 he returned as a most valued lab technician, supporting the whole science department in our delivery of the syllabus...

His expertise, commitment and friendship will be sorely missed by all of us.

Dr Anne Twitty, Head of ScienceLiz Wensley, art teacher

Prize Giving www.westbourneschool.co.uk 44

- For under 13 rounders: Caitlin Sullivan

- For under 13 football: Matthew Verity

- The Parker Bowl for under 13 rugby: Alvaro Bayona

Year 9

- The Ibbotson Cup (for academic achievement across the curriculum), with a special mention for her achievements in Maths, Design Technology and Music: Jessica Leatherland

- The Form Prize for his consistent effort in English, Biology, Computer Science and Learning Support: Fraser Goodfellow

- The Form Prize for Maths, French and Drama: Ethan Patterson

- The Form Prize for her achievements in English, Spanish, Design Technology and Music: Eleanor Dalton

- The Form Prize for his commitment in English and History: Henri Corran

- For his achievement in Chemistry: Matthew Stevenson

- For her success in Food Technology: Isabel Hardcastle

- For her commitment in Spanish: Lucy Cleobury-Jones

- For her success in English: Lambrini Das

- For her commitment and success in English: Emma Hardie

- For her outstanding work in History: Poppy Clark

- For her achievements in Physics: Aafreen Memon

- For his commitment to Geography: Elliot Renshaw

- For her talent and achievement in Art, and girls’ athletics champion: Chloe Jones

- For her progress in Maths: Lucy Pass

Year 10

- The Ibbotson Cup (for academic achievement across the curriculum), and the Fisher Cup for his achievements in Computer Science: John Buckner

- The Form Prize for his determination in Maths and Biology: Yousif Jebour

- The Form Prize for English, Chemistry and History: Alex Adam

- The Form Prize for English, Physics and Drama: Mia Cotton

- The Form Prize for his commitment to Maths and Design Technology: Vincent Lewis

- The Form Prize for Maths and French: James Deslandes

- The Form Prize for English, French and Spanish: Edwin Paul

- The Form Prize for excellence in Spanish and PE: Oliver Marshall

- The Fisher Cup for Art, with an additional mention for her work in Media Studies: Georgina Heywood

- The Drama Cup, with an additional mention for her achievement in Home Economics: Ailsa Gillespie

- For his enthusiasm and success in Maths: William Outram

- For her commitment to Learning Support: Emma Verity

- For Geography: Benedict Pereira

- For first team cricket: Patrick Ryan

Year 11

- The Ibbotson Cup (for academic achievement across the curriculum): Thomas Leatherland

- The Thornhill Cup for Music, with an additional mention for her achievement in Home Economics: Eleanor Billingham

- The Form Prize for his achievements in English, Maths, Biology and Spanish: William Shahane

- The Form Prize for her outstanding work in Chemistry, Biology and Business & Communication Systems: Jesamine Corran

- The form prize for History and ICT: William Stevenson

- The form prize for French and Business & Communication Systems: Morgan Kenny

- The form prize for French and Media Studies: Hazel Joel

- The form prize for Physics and History: Harvey Baxter

- For his commitment to Design Technology: Morley Goulding

- For her excellent project work in ICT: Alice Molyneux

- For his superb work in English: Joel Priest

- For her achievement in Art: Izzie Buxton

- For her achievement in Art, and for first team netball: Lily Wright

- For his commitment to Learning Support: Ethan Goodfellow

- For first team hockey: Lucy Stern

- For first team football: Thomas Dawn

- For first team rugby: Samuel Hall

Special prizes

- Peter Sykes Cup for perseverance across the curriculum – for her determination to complete all her GCSE exams in the face of challenging circumstances: Angel Morrison-Parry

- Headmaster’s Prize – for his commitment to academic excellence across the whole curriculum: Gilby Chatha

- Headmaster’s Prize – an outstanding role model throughout his time at Westbourne, both socially and academically: Max McPhee

- Hart Shaw Cup for excellence in Mathematics, with thanks to the team at Hart Shaw for their sponsorship of this award: Anjali Ashok

- Peter and Rosemary Waterfield Prize for Creative Writing sponsored by Stephen Maitland-Lewis: James Verney

- Stone Award for Leadership – for her dedication to the organisation of the Year 11 prom: Deputy Head Girl, Hazel Joel

- Minerva Prize for Generosity of Spirit – for her strength of character and staunch support of her peers throughout their Westbourne careers: Lily Wright

Hazel Joel, Stone Award

Lily Wright

Anjali Ashok

Max McPhee

Gilby Chatha

James Verney

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