From the Headteacher

June Diary Dates

life

Beaumontmajor Welcome to another packed edition of Beaumont Life. As always our students are involved in so many trips, visits

and school based activities – I hope you enjoy reading about them. I’d also like to direct parents to the 1000 words language challenge (page 8) and see if you are up for the challenge! At this time of year, we wish all our older students the very best for their external examinations (GCSE, AS and A2); they have worked so hard and we know they will do themselves proud. We have our Year 7 to 10 internal examinations immediately after half term and have provided lots of support for them (page 2) which we hope you find useful. We have given our thanks and said farewell to Mrs Beaton (music maternity) and welcome Miss Doan back in a part time role. We are delighted that Mr Guinane has been appointed Head of Music and look forward to continued success for the department. At the last BSA meeting it was announced that the monies raised in the last financial year totalled to an amazing £24,551; my thanks to all of you who have contributed to this tremendous achievement. The BSA AGM has been postponed until Thursday 10 July at 7.30pm to give us the opportunity to meet in the new Sixth Form Centre and to take a look around. Please do make a note of the date. As this will be the final Beaumont Life for our Year 13 students and for some of our Year 11 students, I would like to wish you all the very best as you leave school and ask that you keep in touch and let us know how you get on in the future. Thank you, as always, for your continued support.

Elizabeth Hitch

For sports fixtures please check the PE Blog www.beaumontpe.blogspot.com Beaumont welcomes comments from parents/carers and families about any aspect of school life.

Please contact us via our email admin@beaumont.herts.sch.uk

Mon Wed

2 4

Internal exams Years 7-10 this week Governors’ CTL Committee Meeting 6.30pm Library

Tue 24 Year 11 and 13 Clearance Vocal Ensemble to Jersey Farm midday – 3.25pm Year 9 Drama Club Performance - school grounds and 60/61 - 6pm

Parent Information Evening Spanish CED Week trip - 6pm Hall Parent Information Evening French CED Week trip – 7pm Hall MFL TeachMeet 4-5.30pm Hall

Wed Thurs

25 26

Full Governing Body meeting 7pm Library Sixth Form Induction - Hall and Sixth Form Centre Sports Awards evening Hatfield House 7-9pm Sixth Form Induction - Hall and Sixth Form

Mon Tue

9 10

New Year 9 into Year 10 timetable starts Governors Community Committee meeting - 6.30pm Library

Centre Year 10 Meningitis C vaccinations room 40 New Year 7 Information Evening - 6pm

Wed Thurs Mon

11 12 16

Year 12 return from exam leave Year 8 Drama Club production – school grounds - 6pm Governors Resources Committee meeting - 4.30pm Library Vocal Ensemble (and guests) performance at

Fri Sat Sun Mon

27 28 29 30

Silver DofE Expedition (Year 11) Practice Student Voice conference University of Herts Rob’s Festival Silver DofE Expedition (Year 11) Practice Silver DofE Expedition (Year 11) Practice CED Week – all week to Friday 4 July

Tue

17

Cunningham Hill 1pm-3.25pm Beaumont Life deadline

Thurs 19 Year 7 Drama Club Production – school grounds - 6pm BSA Committee meeting 7.30pm Library

May 2014 www.beaumontschool.com

Please see ParentMail request on Page 2

Beaumont Life Page 2

ParentMail Free School Meals – help with the cost of education

Revision Support During tutor time on Thursday 15 and 22 May, all students in Key Stage 3 completed activities to help with their lower school exams. The focus has been how to revise effectively and plan when and what you are going to do. One of the resources is an on-line 'Pearltree' where links to numerous revision sites can be found. This Pearltree will continue to grow and develop over time to support all our students. Year 10 students also received extra support for their revision with the science department leading work on extended answers. The skills used here are transferable to many other subjects as well as the obvious support for the external science exams. We wish all of our students the best of luck with their examinations in the coming weeks. Ms Shepherd Quality Question Time : Year 10

School Meals Children who receive one of the benefits listed can get free school meals. If you are a parent or carer, and you get one of the benefits listed, your child may receive free school meals, but you need to apply for them.

income support

income-based jobseekers allowance

income-related employment and support allowance

support under immigration and asylum law

the guarantee part of state pension credit

child tax credit and you have an annual income of £16,190 before tax or less

working tax credit during the 4 week run on period Apply online now or call 0300 123 4048 URL for online application form www.hertsdirect.org/ufs/ufsmain?formid=HCWH

Could all parents kindly ensure that their ParentMail address is accurate and active. Any changes please send to the school on admin@beaumont.herts.sch.uk

Students, Parents and Staff Do you have any spare buttons, sequins, lace or ribbon, or any other haberdashery that is sitting around unwanted? The Textile Department would be grateful for any donations as it all gets used for our GCSE groups and makes each piece look unique! Thank you. Ms Michaels

On Thursday 8 May we welcomed the Mayor of St Albans to Year 10 assembly. As part of the Skills For Success programme, Year 10 students had to devise a Quality Question they would ask the Mayor. The winning question from each form was then put to the Mayor during Quality Question Time. Year 10 students found the Mayor approachable and inspirational. Some even spoke to her about the St Albans football match they had seen her at the weekend before. This assembly reinforced the importance of asking the right questions at the right time; a skill of vital importance in the work place and higher education. James Hennesey 10L How are you trying to help the local wildlife and rivers? Lorenzo Federici 10E Explain what motivated you to become the Mayor and when did you first know you wanted a job in politics? Tahida Begum 10A How do you think we can help St Albans be more eco-friendly Joe Byers 10R There is a growing demand for affordable housing in St Albans. What is your solution to this issue? Katie Donaldson 10N Is your role mainly ceremonial or do you influence decisions? Eve Storey 10S Does your sporting background help with your responsibilities of being the Mayor?

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From the Governors

Focus on Religious Studies This year the RE department has welcomed Step into lessons across key stage three. Step is a voluntary Christian organisation and seeks to present a relevant example of Christianity to young people in schools across St Albans and Harpenden.

Lake Garda

Here are some examples of the parables:

Year 7 In preparation for their Year 7 assessment, Step provided students with an opportunity to explore the parable of ‘The Good Samaritan’ through the use of interactive resources. Here are some examples of the work produced by Year 7 for their final home learning assessment answering the question: ‘What does the parable of The Good Samaritan teach Christians?’. One of the tasks was to create a modern day version of the parable.

‘The Cop and the Robber’ Elsa Ruuskanen 7R Minions, Lucie Lechartier-Rutter 7N

Edie Owens

Francesca Lobue

Tammy Sapir

I have great pleasure in being the first Committee Chair to write for an edition of Beaumont Life since we achieved the outstanding grade from Ofsted. Having been a governor of Beaumont for almost 8 years, I am absolutely delighted that we have achieved this recognition, having been part of the team that has worked on this objective since 2008, when we had our last Ofsted Inspection. Within the CTL Committee we have done this through focussing on the progress and attainment of our students and the quality of teaching and learning. These two areas are absolutely critical in achieving the outstanding grade and without being awarded an outstanding in both of these categories, a school cannot achieve an outstanding grade overall. Ofsted gave an interesting description of governors and school leaders being relentless, robust and rigorous in their focus on raising standards - providing us with a new interpretation of the three R’s! Other highlights for the CTL Committee were the 57 lessons observed by Ofsted, all of which were graded at least good and many were outstanding. In our forthcoming June meeting we will be looking at the curriculum to see if it will need any changes to fulfil the needs of our students going forward. We will also complete our annual review process of each subject department as well as looking at the Year 9 Options outcomes. May I take this opportunity to thank all of the students, parents, staff and governors of Beaumont School for their contribution to our community. I am tremendously proud to be a governor at Beaumont. Finally, we wish all of our students well in the summer exam season and look forward to hearing of their success in September.

Alison Wallis Chair, Curriculum, Teaching and Learning Committee

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YOUNG FASHION DESIGNER 2014 COMPETITION

Six of our GCSE textiles students are entering the Kent college YFD completion. Pictured are the completion entries. Finalists will be selected on Monday 16 June 2014. Good luck and well done for taking part, the quality of the entries is outstanding. Mrs ten Dam

Chemistry Fair

Design Technology Textiles Update

On 24 April four Year 8 students; Lucy Ripley, Eleanor Foster, Nathan Glasscoe and James Pollard, went to UCL to take part in a Chemistry Competition, the Salters' Chemistry Festival. They were asked to complete two practical tasks, one which involved completing chemical tests to identify a criminal using evidence collected from a crime scene. The second required them to use a selection of chemicals to make a timer which would time exactly 60 seconds. The students all worked together really well and achieved excellent results in both challenges. After completing the practical challenges the students were treated to a demonstration lecture by the famous Andre Sella, which culminated in ice cream being made from liquid nitrogen which we were all able to sample!! Dr Skelton

Edie Owens Megan Robinson

Felicity Lumley

Lucy Dury

Rasha Khoya

L-R Eleanor Foster, Lucy Ripley, James Pollard and Nathan Glasscoe

Francesca Lobue

Tammy Sapir

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Drama

This year, our Year 9 Drama club have been given a fantastic opportunity to work with Trestle Theatre as part of a pilot run for a new qualification in Masks and Physical Theatre, to be offered by Trinity College. Trestle's Artistic Director, Emily Gray, and Company Co-ordinator Annie Robertson have run weekly workshops with our students, imparting many of the skills for which the company is world renowned. The students' participation will result in Beaumont pupils shaping the form of the qualification, and being the first ever group to participate in the exam. This opportunity has now been extended to involve members of Year 8 Drama Club! Mr Messios Our first taste of using masks came in CED week last year. We really enjoyed this, so when we were given the opportunity to use masks again in drama club we were happy to take it. The company we were working with (Trestle) are working with Trinity to create a drama examination in masks. They taught us the rudimentary skills in mask work before giving us the chance to work towards the exam in weekly after-school sessions. In drama club we focused on full masks but when we moved to after-school we developed our skills into using half masks as well. We were able to draw on our skills from drama lessons, in addition to the new techniques we had learnt, to devise a piece. We are currently still working on our pieces, as we will need two for the exam. We are both enjoying the experience and cannot wait to continue it. Martha Stagg and Bethan Hughes 9L

Gifted Programme As part of the Drama department’s Gifted Programme we try to tailor our support to individual students in the department. Here is Tom’s write up from his course at Arts Educational. All teachers in the drama have worked in the industry and are able occasionally to use our contacts to support and challenge our students.

Easter Course at Arts Educational School, London

In the first week of the Easter holidays, I was lucky enough to go to ArtsEd in Chiswick, London for a week on a scholarship for their Musical Theatre course. I was apprehensive leading up to the first day, however when I got there all those nerves went straight away! We started at 10am and had three classes in dancing, singing and acting which lasted an hour, then a two hour song and dance class. We got to work with the tutors who are currently working on the BA course. They are industry professionals who have worked on West End shows such as Top Hat. The classes were a mixture of warm ups, technique exercises and repertoire studies. During the week we worked on a medley from the musical 'Sweet Charity' which allowed us to bring everything we learnt in the classes together. We then performed at a short performance at the end of the week. I absolutely loved the week, I got to meet some lovely people and I found it really beneficial and inspirational. Thank you to Miss Shepherd who helped get me this opportunity. Tom Holmes 11N

Drama Captain My role as an assistant drama captain is to help out with a lower school drama club. Along with several other Year 10s and the Year 12 drama captain, Beth, we run Year 8 drama club every Thursday lunchtime. Although Beth is mainly in charge and organises the whole thing, we all get a chance to take the lead in running various drama games and activities that, I hope, help the Year 8s with their drama and also are a lot of fun. Currently, we are working towards our production, which is based on Horrible Histories sketches, and all of us have several sketches to direct independently. It feels quite strange but, at the same time, so awesome being on the other side of the table and directing as opposed to performing; being the leader that I always used to look up to and be instructed by when I was in drama club. The whole experience is teaching me so much and, honestly, is just so much fun - the Year 8s are all so lovely and keen and brilliant! However, it’s definitely made me more empathetic towards my previous drama captains and teachers – trying to control about 30 excited, eager, chatty aspiring drama geeks? Not so easy. But as I said, it’s such an amazing opportunity and has not only helped me and given me a great time but is also incredibly valuable and enjoyable for the Year 8s. Overall, it’s just a fabulous thing to be a part of! Emily Webster 10L

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Drama Tatham tells …. Lake Garda 2014 began, quite rudely, at 2am on Tuesday 8 April when an alarm disturbed me. What followed were five memorable days (compensation for such an early start). So what was memorable? Well, Nick Winter magically transforming into a bird (during a drama workshop) was a personal highlight. Clementine Almond allowing her artistic self to become a malleable object – held, nudged, even ignored. Conor Moore leading a demanding body percussion routine (yes, I now know what body percussion is). The inventive and collaborative work of Beaumont students, which I had the pleasure of witnessing, remains vivid and intriguing. But Lake Garda was even more than avant-garde experimentation. It was a beautiful excursion through Venice and Verona – historic, romantic and artistic locations. Aside from the obvious educational and cultural benefits of such a tour, the trip was fundamentally fun. What better way to reward the demands of mesmerising movement and stylistic stomping than with a Beetle Drive? This, by the way, was another new cultural phenomenon to me (from ‘up North’ apparently). One moment we were appreciating the structural wonders of The Arena in Verona, the next we were celebrating the latest (hashtag) Shep’s Bomb. Lake Garda 2014: a fabulously frog-based, carb-injected selfie of amazing Beaumont students! Mr Tatham

Giving

I wish I'd had a cookbook like 'Giving' with me when I left Beaumont Sixth Form and went to Leeds Uni - I survived off tuna pasta with peas for every meal during my first term! I am now in my Third Year, studying a BA in History, loving every minute and this year have been part of a great society - Leeds Students for Women International. It is with them that I've led our cookbook project, getting Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall from River Cottage, Ruby Tandoh from Great British Bake-Off and James Ramsden from The Supper Club involved!

The cookbook is raising money for Women for Women International, a fantastic charity who work with women and communities in post-conflict countries. The recipes are taken from the eight countries that Women for Women International work in - Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria, South Sudan, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The cookbook has country-themed playlists to cook along to, wholesome, interesting, tasty and cheap recipes and is a bargain at £5 for concession (student/under 18) and £7 for adults! It's a book with a difference, which makes a difference! To order, please visit: http://www.leedsuniversityunion.org.uk/groups/19281/ Create a Guest Login, and click 'Shop'. On behalf of the LSWI committee, a big thanks for your support of our project, we hope you love 'Giving' as much as we do! Tiggy Allen (ex Beaumont student)

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Music news – Taking Music Further …….

Many congratulations to Benjamin Larkworthy, Harry Logan, Joe Charsley-Smith and Ben Roberts (Verulam) who participated in the Battle of the Bands Competition which took place in Harpenden in April. The boys, known collectively as “The Blue Tongued Skinks” helped raise £3,500 for the Eyes Alight appeal which supports men and women with brain injuries.

Supporting BIRT, the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust

What is Music like at GCSE level? A typical Music lesson will usually consist of some work at the beginning of the lesson in which we learn about a certain technique or aspect of music, followed by group work in which we apply the new thing we have learned in a practical task. We are lucky because we have a double lesson which means we can complete a task and then be able to show what we have done to the rest of the class. When I started music I was terrified of performing in front of people but now it just feels like a normal part of music, which is good because it means we are being prepared for when we have to do our performances which count as part of our GCSE. In our music class there is always a comfortable and relaxed vibe which makes performing a lot easier because you know no one is judging you even when mistakes happen. The lessons are always really fun because we get to actually try stuff out whether it is playing our instruments or learning to do different dances like line dancing and waltzing. I have got a lot out of music lessons, from building confidence to my standard of playing and I look forward to music every week. Clem Almond 10A

Battle of the Bands

#beaumontmusicgcse was great because it wasn't just writing and note taking, there was plenty to do in terms of practical work which was fun …. GCSE music shows you a whole side of music that you never knew ….. brilliant course with fabulous teachers! A department that really helps you reach your potential in a super fun way …. great for confidence building & discovering new music styles. We played loads of music together and had a great time music is great because you get to work in groups and share ideas with each other all the time …. there's a great balance between academic and practical sides of music and it prepares you well for A Level …. my favourite subject as you work with different people each week & you can express yourself in a way you can’t with words …. GCSE music allows you to explore such a wide variety of interesting musical areas …. lets you learn more about the music you love, and the music you never knew about ….

Beaumont Music concerts… The Music Department, among countless other things, holds three large concerts a year in the school hall. Every ensemble in the department is involved, and though the concert doesn’t start until 7pm, there is a whole lot more to it that that… Although the concert starts at 7pm work starts much earlier and the signs of musical life appear just after 8am when the instrument cupboard starts to fill up with clarinets, violins and many more. The staging requires building, and is taken up by a group of us eager to help and to hear the other groups practise before the real thing. Some of these rehearsals are stressful, some less so, but they are all helpful and you know the performance will go well in the concert. The peak of the stress and humour is watching one hundred singers trying to fit onto the stage for Choir. Every choir rehearsal is the same, more “faff” than is needed. We all rock up at half past six and are given the final pep talk by Mr Guinane to inspire us, before Concert Band kick the show off with an amazing tune. The concert usually finishes with flair and excitement with the Orchestra, most recenty playing Rimsky-Korsakov’s’ Capriccio Espagnol. The performances are all very enjoyable and showcase the hard work and enjoyment had by all during the term. Tom Pate 11L

L-R Laura de Havilland-Llewelyn, Sidney Brass, Eleanor Foster, Lauren Walker, Kaja Bruce

A few tweets from Beaumont’s GCSE

Music students, both past and present… Photos from rehearsals

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Reading Challenge Year 7 and 8 students taking part in the Library Reading Challenge are challenged to expand their reading choices by reading different genres and authors.

Book Club and Carnegie Shadowing Year 7 and 8 book club members meet every Wednesday lunch time to read and discuss books and eat biscuits. Currently Year 8 students are reading “The Recruit” by Robert Muchamore and “The Enemy” by Charlie Higson and Year 7 students have chosen “Tom Gates - Genius Ideas” by Liz Pichon. There is also a lively discussion group of Year 8 and 9 students shadowing the Carnegie Award every Wednesday break time.

Author Visit Well known author Sita Brahmachari visited Year 9 students on CED day. It was very inspiring hearing about her family and how all the events in her books are connected to stories from her life. She makes it sound fun to create characters and explore stories. The writing exercise she got us to do inspired us to write our own stories. We really enjoyed the workshop with Sita. Poppy Oliver 9A and Josie Harrison 9A

Off to France!

From the Library

Sixth Form French Study Trip to Paris During the second week of the Easter holidays, A-level French students from across BeauSandVer spent a week learning French and enjoying the culture of Paris. Our language lessons at the Accord Language School were really useful and gave us some excellent revision for our exams. Miss McCrorie and Mrs Lyons were very pleased to hear that we had been taught French “correctement” in the opinion of the French teachers who were impressed by our grammar and vocab.

After our mornings of study, we were ready for our afternoons and evenings in Paris where we visited lots of the major sights including the Eiffel Tower, the Latin Quarter and the Musée d’Orsay as well as having a boat trip on the Seine.

We also visited some lesser known sights such as the Shoah Memorial to gain an insight into life in occupied France – one of the A2 topics. This was a really moving experience for all of us and helped us to understand this period in French history. This was a really great trip which was of great benefit to us all as well as being lots of fun. Lara Ford Y12 (Sandringham) and Courtney Ward Y12

If a picture is worth 1000 words, what are 1000 words worth? What would our society look like if every had at least 1000 words in another language? The Speak to the Future campaign aims to get as many Britons as possible learning 1000 words of another language. At Beaumont, we are encouraging all staff and students to take the challenge. Taking part is very easy. Register at www.vocabexpress.com/speaktothefuture and choose your language. The languages available online are French, Spanish, German, Italian, Mandarin, Japanese, Russian, Arabic, Urdu, Hebrew, Latin, Polish and Portugese. You will be able to do free online exercises taking you through the 1000 words in your chosen language. You could do 1000 words in a language you are already learning or have a go at a new language.

There will be special 1000 words colours badges presented at Awards assemblies at the end of each term to students who complete the challenge. Good luck! Mrs Lutz

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PE News

u15 National Tournament - Runners Up Saturday 3rd May - Player of the Tournament: Olivia Almond For the third consecutive year this team made it to the National Finals and for the second year in a row played in front of thousands at Twickenham stadium. The performance of the girls, all day, exceeded the expectations of their coaches. Part of the excitement of the way these tournaments are arranged is you never know what you are up against until you have driven them into the mud. As with the regional qualifier the hardest game of the group was the first match where a physical opposition and a particular interpretation of the ruck laws meant that Beaumont ended up defending for most of the match. To the team’s credit it was only with the last play of the game that they finally conceded what was to be one of three tries all day, resulting in a 5-5 draw. Having been suitably warned that the standard of competition would push them harder than usual the girls needed no second reminder and proceeded to unleash a series of bone crunching, tear inducing, breath taking defensive performances that left their opponents usually on the side line. The intensity and ferocity at which the team defended left other teams with no answers and though hit of the day undoubtedly goes to Olivia Almond in the last match, most of the squad were not far behind with efforts of their own. From a coaching point of view the most pleasing aspect of the whole day was the improvement beyond all measure in the teams rucking, a skill they have up to now seldom required. Having qualified handsomely from the group, drawing once and winning four times, Beaumont faced Wren School from Northamptonshire in the final. The final was an even contest with the larger Wren team taking the initiative with a series of strong drives though the Beaumont defence held out. It was from one such foiled attack that the solitary try of the final was scored. Having driven a Wren player into touch the ball was knocked over the Beaumont line from the resultant line out, a Wren player pounced to score. The rest of the match consisted of wave after wave of Beaumont pressure that just couldn't be converted. Whether or not Olivia grounded the ball for her umpteenth try of the day was down to the referee who decided not and it was on such small margins that the game was decided. Despite the disappointment of the final the team should be immensely proud of all they have achieved, they are one of the top two teams in the country! They have achieved a standard of performance that all other sides in the school should aspire to emulate. Lastly a thank you to all those who came and supported the team and made the whole day such a special occasion for everyone involved. Mr Panting

Careers Education, Impartial Advice and Guidance

During the recent school inspection by OFSTED, the inspectors judged that ‘Students receive excellent impartial advice, information and careers guidance throughout their time at the school’. In what form does this take? During a Beaumont student’s school career, they will receive a wide range of Work-Related Learning opportunities such as Year 7 Work Shadowing, the Enterprise Challenge CED in Year 8, the Prince’s Trust ‘Million Makers’ project in Year 9 and Work Experience in Year 10. Provision for Sixth Form students includes a ‘Careers Week’ in July of Year 12. Schools have a statutory duty to provide ‘Impartial Advice and Guidance’ to all students between Year 8 and Year 13. This is particularly important at the major transitions in Year 9, when students choose their Key Stage 4 Options and in Year 11 when 16+ choices are made. While many schools have given in to the pressures of directing students into specific courses to improve ratings in league tables, limiting “options” to one or two subjects, we are proud at Beaumont that we have maintained a system whereby our students can supplement their Core Subjects with four Options, combining more than one of the Arts or Humanities subjects if they wish. Similarly, in Year 11, our students benefit from an enviable range of AS level and BTEC subject choices through the BeauSandVer consortium. When making their choices at Key Stages 4 and 5, all students benefit from a 1:1 meeting with a member of school leadership where issues such as subject balance and future pathways can be explored. Year 11 students and parents are also invited to a ‘Moving On’ information evening in November where speakers representing Apprenticeships, further education colleges and the Sixth Form explain the choices at 16+. This is supplemented by the Year 11 ‘Moving On’ Curriculum Enrichment Day which includes guidance on pathways in further and higher education and training and features an on-site Careers Fair, attended by representatives from universities, colleges, local employers and Apprenticeship providers. Impartiality, up-to-date knowledge and expertise are provided throughout these processes by our Youth Connexions Personal Adviser, Jackie Duffy. She has worked with the Beaumont for several years and knows us very well. She meets with students from Year 8 to 13 each week, offering advice and guidance on pathways in education, training and employment. She has a particular focus on students considering entering further education (at college) or Apprenticeships and is available at and beyond the August results days to ensure that no Beaumont student is without a pathway in their education or training. Please contact Mrs Rider, via the school Reception, if you feel that your child would benefit from a Youth Connexions meeting. The world of employment, education and training is fast-changing and a good way of keeping up-to-date is a visit to the Beaumont Careers blog http://careersatbeaumontschool.blogspot.co.uk/ This has posts on local and national employment and training information as well as advice and guidance on universities and the application process. If you have any questions about any aspects of Beaumont’s Work-Related Learning, Careers Education or Impartial Advice and Guidance, please contact me at school. Mr Cross

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Coming Soon… Year 7 Readathon 2014

Year 9 were fortunate, for the fourth year in a row, to witness the marvellous production of Macbeth, performed by the very talented, modern, Young Shakespeare Company. 180-odd students, one school hall, four actors, no special effects as such, no set, minimal costume changes or props – the result? Pure magic. Laughter, intrigue, horror, and surprise filled the morning. Pupils were encouraged to discuss, and share, ideas on performance and character, as well as participating in some of the scenes! An enjoyable and insightful morning was had by all involved. Can’t wait to see them again… but will it be in thunder, lightning, or in rain? To be continued…

Miss Piercey

STAR RESPONSE

“I enjoyed the presentation, and found that the translation and explanation of the language really helped me to gain a deeper understanding of the characters themselves; their motivations, inner thoughts and all of the different ways that these factors can manifest in Shakespeare’s writing.” Bethany Latham 9E

Readathon is a charity that runs the UK's biggest sponsored reading campaign. It provides a stimulating focus for recreational reading and raises money for seriously ill children. It gives a massive boost to pupils' reading skills AND supports the life-changing work of two fantastic children's charities. Every year thousands of schools across the UK take part. The money raised through Readathon by children and young people is incredibly important to the Organisation and to the charities they work with. Thanks to the amazing time and effort put in by all students who take part in Readathon and all the teachers and librarians who run the event, Readathon are able to make a real difference to the lives of children and young people with cancer and other serious illnesses. Readathon works with two wonderful organisations, the Roald Dahl Foundation and CLIC Sargent. Every penny you raise is vital!

CLIC Sargent supports children and young people with cancer. The Roald Dahl Foundation spend their money on offering practical assistance to children and young people in the areas of neurology and haematology Beaumont will be running their Readathon challenge during the week beginning Monday 9 June. It will take place during English lessons and your teachers will provide you with the information that you need as soon as you get back after half term! It’s simple really. The aim is to read as many books as you can…in a week! You will be given a sponsorship form to fill in and then when you wake up on the morning of Monday 9 June, you can begin! The challenge will run for a whole week and finish when you go to sleep on the following Sunday night (Sunday 15 June). Then you just need to collect your sponsorship money and give it in to your English teacher, who will send it straight to the charities. This year it is not just a challenge to raise money for charity, but a great opportunity to achieve more House points! Last year 7L (now 8L) raised the most money out of any other year 7 group in the year - £448! As a whole year group they managed to raise over £1500 for sick children and their families! That is a record amount for Beaumont. Our highest amount ever! Are you up to the challenge of beating this amount? How much help are you willing to give sick children and their families? All you have to do is pick up a book and get involved! @ReadathonUK or visit the website www.readathon.org. Good Luck! Miss Piercey

“In my opinion, the overall performance was brilliant! They portrayed the story in a comic light, and focused on how it should be acted, as well as the language side of things.”

Jonathan Larkworthy 9A

“Not only did I learn more about the Macbeth, I also got some drama tips that I can add into my own acting. The main things I enjoyed were the stage fighting and how the stage was set out.” Justice Marima 9E

Year 9

Theare

Company

Visit

What the Year

9s thought…

“I could clearly see that each actor put their heart and soul into their characters and the performance. I thought it was amazing!”

Chloe Robinson 9R

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Year 7 First Round Participants Josephine Gunton 7L Cosmetic Surgery Charlie Garnham 7L Electric Cars Karim Musaheb 7E The Royal Family Alex Krajnovic 7E Smoking Should Be Abolished Emily Pidcock 7A All Pets Should Be Banned Tom Benson 7A Gay Marriage Should Be Legal Clare Baker 7R Lance Armstrong – Cheat Or Champion? Laura de Havilland Llewelyn 7R Walt Disney Vs Original Fairytales Heather Magee 7N Adoption Albert Quansah 7N Street Dance Huw Richards 7S Technology Is Amazing Gracie Fletcher 7S Technology Addiction Awareness

Public Speaking Competition 2014 The first round of Public Speaking took place on Wednesday 26 February for Years 7-10, and the final followed on Wednesday 19 March. As in previous years, the standard was very high, and speeches pleasingly varied. I was fortunate to have the wisdom and guidance of Mr Tatham, Miss Janoskova, Mrs Stone, Miss Jackson and Miss Wensley to help me in my judging of some of the best Beaumont speeches yet. What a fantastic year. Well done everyone for your hard work. I hope you enjoyed your prizes! Miss Piercey

Year 8 Matt Sims 8L Shakespeare’s Portrayal of Richard III Is Wrong! Beth Hardisty 8L Public Speaking – I Don’t Want To Talk About It Alice Fraser 8E Human Existence Is Pointless Paul Knight 8E Gambling Adverts Should Be Banned Eleanor Foster 8A Why Should So Much Money Be Spent on Rockets? Luke McCorkindale Brown 8A McLaren P1 versus Ferrari Laferrari Eleanor Davies 8R Women’s Rights Jerome Henry Raj 8R Dreams Made Reality Hira Asim 8N Gay Rights Jonny Light 8N Starvation and Its Solutions Sophie Hicks 8S How Shops Trick Their Customers Sam Martin 8S Does England Need A National Anthem?

Year 9 Bethan Hughes 9L Are Disney Films Too Sad For Children? Georgina Rowley 9L Should We Fear Sharks? Mahima Sikandari 9L The Rise of Islamophobia Due To The Media Eddie Greene 9L The Death Penalty And Why It Should Be Abolished Susie Dore 9E Women’s Sport Joe Vance 9A Twerking: Let’s Twerk Out The Issues Jonathan Larkworthy 9A Happiness Maya Das 9R Do You Really Understand Depression? Sam Carrow 9N Is Miley Cyrus A Bad Role Model? Eliza Smith 9N Self Harm Patrick Quinn 9N Homophobia Jennifer Ememandu 9N Self Defence Should Be part Of The Curriculum James Jarman 9N Health and Safety Andrew Oliver 9N Should Scotland Become Independent? Mhairi Pennifer 9S Cancer Research Vs. NASA’s Space Research

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The Winners from Round One of the Competition Year 7 Joint 1

st Laura De Havilland Llewellyn 7R

Tom Benson 7A Year 8 Joint 1

st Beth Hardisty 8L

Jerome Henry Raj 8S Year 9 Joint 1

st Bethan Hughes 9L

Jennifer Ememandu 9N Year 10 Joint 1

st Will Mattin 10L

Lois Fordham 10A

Year 10 Tajmun Sayeda 10L Beauty Is An Individual Concept Will Mattin 10L Nelson Mandela – Hero or Terrorist? Emily Webster 10L Are We Living In The Future? Lois Fordham 10A Intolerance Tolerated Melanie Noad 10A Happiness Is A State Of Mind Naomi Coleman Jones 10A The Women of Saudi Arabia Daniel Angus 10A The National Health Service Molly Rogan 10R Are Forced Marriages Right? Alex Went 10R What Is The Purpose Of Religion? Sam Bottomley 10R Teenage Discrimination Katie Walton 10N Everyday Sexism Christopher Richards 10N Optimism Joseph Lewis 10N Has Health and Safety Gone Mad? Tanveer Choudhhury 10S The Burka Toby Weidmann 10S Racism

The winners were joined by two past winners Oliver Davies, 11A, and Josh Howell, 11R, who, altogether, gave some outstanding speeches. The audience and judges in the hall, as well as the Ofsted inspector, were completely stunned by the calibre and maturity of the students. They had to go head to head on a whole new topic: Year 7 (For) vs Year 8 (Against) – Are generation ‘me’ destroying their own happiness? Year 9 (Against) vs Year 10 (For) – ‘It’s not our job to toughen our children up to face a cruel and heartless world. It’s our job to raise children who will make the world a little less cruel and heartless.’ Year 11 vs Year 11 – ‘Hardship often prepares an ordinary person for an extraordinary destiny.’ The speakers did such a fantastic job with their speeches that, not only were the judges totally flabbergasted as to whom to choose as the overall winners, but members of the audience could be heard repeating, “that was the best speech I have ever heard!” as they made their way homeward.

Winners of Public Speaking

2014

Beth Hardisty

Bethan Hughes

Oliver Davies

Many congratulations and thanks to all those who took part. It’s no easy task to get up and speak in front of a large audience, particularly one dominated by your peers. You should be extremely proud of your achievements. See you

next year! Miss Pearcy

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