DearparentsI wouldlike totake this

opportunity to welcomeall our new parents tothe de Ferrers commu-nity. Our new Year 7students have settled invery quickly to life at deFerrers and have joinedin to make this firsthalf-term highly suc-cessful.

Our examination resultsat all Key Stages havebeen very pleasing, set-ting down a challenge forfuture year groups tomatch. I am particularlyimpressed with the GCSEresults this year.Students of all abilitieshave performed extreme-ly well, in most cases,exceeding their targets.

The Ofsted Inspection, asyou will read, was excel-lent, confirming that weare genuinely one of thebest performing schoolsin the country.

Enjoy the break.

principal@deferrers

M A YorkPrincipal

www.deferrers.com

deFerrers.COMmuniquédeFerrers.COMmuniquéNumber 042 Autumn Half Term 2008

COMMUNICATING THROUGHOUT DE FERRERS SPECIALIST TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE

TOP FASHION DESIGNER RETURNS TO COLLEGE - SEE PAGE 2

Gifted and TalentedMany new extra-curricular activi-ties have emerged this term, alongwith the continuation of the morefamiliar ones. The DebatingSociety for the Trent Campus hasstarted well and we look forwardto hearing about its progress inthe many competitions thestudents look set to enter. Pleaseremember that these activities arenot put on especially for those onthe Gifted and Talented Registerand staff would welcome atten-dance from any student – whoknows, they might discover giftsand talents they didn’t know theyhad.Can we take this opportunity to tellyou about the Publishing House Me!website which can be found atwww.publishinghouse.me.uk. Thisis a website that allows any studentto submit work for all to see, hiddenby a veil of anonymity. Students canput on coursework essays, or simplywrite a story, poem or review for funand submit it. Music and artworkcan also be submitted. What a greatway for students to improve theirwriting skills. At the moment thereis a competition running wherestudents can win a place on a resi-dential writing course and all theyhave to do is submit work to thesite. Four of our students attendedthe launch of this website wherethey met with authors and had theunnerving experience of speaking infront of one hundred and twentyteachers.

Other competitions can be found onhttp://ygt.dcsf.gov.uk/ as caninformation concerning othersummer schools and courses. If yourchild is on the register and hasn’tregistered on this page then pleaseencourage them to do so. There isalso information for parents in orderto help support your child and iswell worth a look.

Now is the time of year when wereview the Gifted and TalentedRegister. That means adding newstudents and in some cases remov-ing a small number. Either wayparents will be contacted soon andany issues that arise can bediscussed. If you think your childshould be on the register for activi-ties either in or outside of collegeplease contact us and we will behappy to follow it up.

TOP MARKSFOR DE FERRERSThe college cannot release, officially, thefindings of the Ofsted Inspection carried outearlier this half-term. The Principal will bewriting to all parents and students after thebreak, attaching the official report.In our last inspectionde Ferrers was ratedas Grade 2 – Good.This time the assess-ment will be even high-er awarding the col-lege ʻTop Marksʼ.The report, which hasbeen received in draftform, is extremelycomplimentary aboutthe college, its visionfor the future and,above all, about itsstudents. Ofsted weretremendouslyimpressed by thecourtesy,

exemplary behaviourand positive attitude ofthe students. The par-entsʼ survey was alsovery supportive of thecollegeʼs work.The report focuses onthe many areas ofimprovement since2005 and commentsfavourably on thestrong relationships inthe college. DeFerrers receivedparticular praise forits innovative anddynamic approachesto Personalising theLearning of its stu-dents. This has con-tributed to a trend ofcontinuous improve-ment at all KeyStages.We are sure that youwill enjoy reading thefull report. Everyoneis proud of what wehave achieved.

Communiqué

NEW DEFERRERSWEBSITEDe Ferrers now hasa new website.Most of the exist-ing material hasbeen transferred from the oldsite and new content will be added each week.

We will be meeting soon with staff, students and par-ents to see what other features and information peo-ple would like to see appearing.

If you have any suggestions or comments, pleasesend them to: web@deferrers.mg4l.net

CREATIVITY

ACTION

SERVICEThe students studyingthe InternationalBaccalaureate (IBDiploma Programme), intheir first term of collegehave carried out variousactivities which havecounted towards theirCAS hours.They all participated in thearrangements for the HarvestFestival, arranging parcels forassemblies and then finallypersonally handing over all thebags of food to the YMCA.They also arranged a staffcoffee morning on both Trentand Dove Campuses, fromwhich all funds were donated tobreast cancer charities.

All students have taken partand started new challenges,including playing badminton,

netball, cricket, goingto the gym, join-ing the collegebands andchoir, joiningSignLanguageClub, mentor-

ing and tutor-ing younger

students in the collegeand community; however, forthe majority of the students themost exciting and challengingtask is getting involved inYoung Enterprise, where theyrun their own business for partof the year and make real-lifedecisions.

Getting involved in all ofthese activities have given theIBDP students an opportunityto learn outside a classroomenvironment which will devel-op their personal skills andgain extra knowledge; this willhopefully give them an advan-tage when they leave the SixthForm.

IB Students donating Harvest Parcels to the local YMCA

DE FERRERSIN PARISAs we go to press aparty of over onehundred Key Stage 4/5students and staff areabout to set off on a fiveday tour to the Frenchcapital.We intend to take in the mainsights, ascend to the top of theEiffel Tower, cruise down theSeine, take in an art gallery ortwo, spend a full day atDisneyland, Paris and returnexhausted but enriched by thiscultural and linguistic experience!Next October we are intending tovisit Madrid and Barcelona withKey Stage 4/5.We encourage students to listenout for details on Daily Notices orspeak to their language teacherwho will be able to point them inthe right direction.

All BTEc Year 11 studentsentered the NationalSightsavers Competition i:Click, called The Senses.The students were to investi-gate the idea of how we relyon our senses, especially ifwe lose or have failing sight.Hannah Tivey won regionalrunner-up for Midlands andWales and her work is exhibit-ed in the Oxo Gallery, London.

NATIONALPHOTOGRAPHICCOMPETITION

TOP FASHIONDESIGNER RETURNSTO COLLEGELindsay Fidler made a welcome return tocollege to work with GCSE Textile studentsand A Level Textile students on a sophisti-cated piece of CAD software calledSpeedstep. Lindsay is not only a top fashiondesigner but she is also a national trainer forthe software. Students enjoyed the sessionsand will be able to use their new talents toenhance their future work.

Communiqué

PSFADe Ferrers ispleased to bethe firstschool inStaffordshireto offer the Channel 4/ EspressoClipbank software. Clipbank gives staff andstudents access to thousands of movie clips,covering most curriculum subjects and topics,along with the scripts, keywords and relatednews stories. New clips are added every week.It is an ideal way to revise for tests or help con-solidate the students’ learning of key conceptsand ideas.

They can access Clipbank at any time of day, anywherein the world, by going to the school webpage and log-ging into the VLE. They can find the link on their MyDesktop page under My Resources.

De Ferrers delivered a workshop on using Clipbank withEspresso/Channel 4 at the SSAT ICT Conference on21st October 2008 and are at the SSAT NationalConference (ICC, Birmingham) on 27th November2008.

PRESENTATIONEVENINGIn October, more thana hundred de Ferrersstudents were presented with their Bronzeor Silver Award at the Town Hall.It was a tremendous evening, not just for the candidatesand their families, but also for the Award leaders whotrained and accompanied them on expeditions.

Sam Gough receives his Silver Award from Phil Brown, Director ofthe Midlands D of E Region.

At the beginning of the Autumnterm we held the Annual GeneralMeeting for the Parents, Staffand Friends Association on 15thSeptember on Dove Campus. Thismeeting saw the departure of PatThorpe, our Chairperson for thelast six years. Pat has beeninvolved in some capacity orother with the PSFA for morethan eight years and in that timehas overseen some spectacularfundraising events, not least ofwhich were the Hollyoaks charityfootball matches held during thelast two summers.

In the six years Pat has beenChairperson the PSFA has raised nearly£30,000 which has been spent on anumber of projects for the college.In particular this fundraising effortenabled the PSFA to present a chequefor £10,000 to Mr York in July and thishas been used to help furnish the fit-ness suite in the newly opened SportsHall on Trent Campus. Pat’s commit-ment and significant contribution tothe work of the PSFA will be sorelymissed and once again we express ourthanks for all her hard work over theyears.

There were new officers appointed atthe meeting; Anita McLean taking onthe role of Chairperson, Liz Chadwickremaining in place as Vice-Chair, JoUnderwood continuing as Treasurerand Sharon Upchurch taking up themantle of Secretary. Two other mem-bers also resigned, Yvonne Campbelland Kev Billings. Their contributionhas been greatly appreciated over thelast few years as they were both regu-lar and enthusiastic helpers at mostevents and in particular Kev’s involve-ment in the Hollyoaks charity footballmatches ensured we experienced twoexceptionally successful days. We werepleased to welcome one new memberto the committee, Sandra Rimmer. Andonly yesterday another parent joinedthe group, Debbie Mitchell. We arealways on the lookout for more mem-bers, particularly from the new Year 7parents. If you are interested in find-ing out more please contact the schoolor Anita McLean on 01283 568201.

The PSFA has two main purposes in life:one, to raise funds to help providefacilities or items which help toenhance the provision of educationwithin the college, and two, to helpraise the profile of the college withinthe community, to get people involvedwith the college. We do this by organ-ising events where people come alongand have a good time, first and fore-most, and if we raise a small amount offunds at the same time, then all thebetter. The money goes to fund a num-ber of things such as: Flow Meters forGeography, Memory sticks for theLearning Centre, Amplifiers for Music,benches and tables for outdoor seatingor prizes for the Celebrating StudentAchievement Evening

So, Up and Coming Events!By the time you read this we will havejust run our first event of the termwhich is CASH BINGO on Monday 20thOctober at Dove. For this type of eventwe offer teas, coffees and soft drinksand snacks and there will, of course, bea raffle, so next time you see it adver-tised come and meet Geoff, our residentbingo caller, and give it a go! The morepeople that come, the bigger theprizes.

After that, you will have an opportunityto meet us at the AUTUMN CONCERTbehind the bar on Friday 14thNovember on Trent.

On Thursday 4th December at 6.30pmthe doors will open for the CHRISTMASFAIR – see Santa in his sleigh and theAmazing 8ft Tall Man as well asChristmas music, food, entertainment.There will be the now famous Auction ofMarvellous Prizes, numerous stalls,Tombola, Karaoke, Panning for Gold,Lucky Dip, Wheel of Fortune, lots ofopportunities to win things, and don’tforget “The Fantastic Hampers”. Watchout for further details to be publishedafter half term on the college websiteunder the Parents/PSFA page.

Then, if that wasn’t enough, there willbe a QUIZ NIGHT on Friday 30thJanuary at Dove to test your wits andknowledge of all things obscure andsome things not so obscure and proba-bly to do with sport! So if your brainhas been frazzled by all that Christmaspud and brandy butter then come alongand give it a workout on the 30th…

We look forward to seeing you at one orall of the above! We guarantee to tryour very best to make sure that youhave a good night out and that, as aresult, the students will always see therewards.

Thank you

Anita McLean, Chair

YOUNGENTERPRISEWith the college year now in fullswing, so too is the YoungEnterprise programme withthirty enthusiastic students nowbitten by the entrepreneurialbug. Emulating real-world busi-ness, Young Enterprise gives

students the opportunity toexperience the trials and tribu-lations involved in running anactual business. To help the stu-dents to prepare for the compe-tition, a masterclass was held atJCB at Rocester where the stu-dents were involved in a rangeof creative marketing activitieswith other schools and collegesfrom the Burton area.

ARE YOU INTERESTEDIN SPONSORING THECHRISTMAS FAIR?

Everyone who attends ourChristmas Fair on Thursday4th December will receive

a Christmas Fair LuckyProgramme as part of

their entrance fee.If you are interested in

placing an advertisementin the Programme

(Business Card size - £5,half A5 page - £10 or

full A5 page at £20) thenplease contact the schoolor Anita McLean on 01283568201 with your details.All advertising copy to be

submitted no later thanMonday 17th November in

order to guaranteeinclusion.

Communiqué

Trent CampusSt Mary’s DriveBurton upon TrentDE13 0LLTelephone: 01283 239936Fax: 01283 239950

e-mail: office@deferrers.staffs.sch.ukwww.deferrers.com

Dove CampusHarehedge LaneBurton upon TrentDE13 0ASTelephone: 01283 239961Fax: 01283 239971

de FerrersSpecialist Technology CollegePrincipal: Mr M A York BA (Hons) BEd MBA

SPORT Music NotesASTHMAIn accordance with the College’sAsthma Policy, students whorequire inhalers to control theirasthma should ensure that theycarry their own with them. A spareinhaler may be handed in to theNurse’s Office on Dove and to theCampus Advisor on Trent for use inan emergency.

MEDICATION IN COLLEGEStudents who require medicationin college should hand it in to theNurse on Dove and to the CampusAdvisor on Trent at the beginningof the day.

No student will be given medica-tion without the written consent ofan adult with parental responsibili-ty.

Parental Consent Forms can now becollected from the medical room.

Please note that all medicationshould be sent in the original con-tainer and labelled. Loose tabletsin envelopes cannot be given.Labels should include:� Name of student� Name of medication� Dose and dose frequency� Special storage instructions� Dispensing label (if applicable)� Expiry date

Aspirin will not be administered tostudents unless prescribed by adoctor.

SUPPORT FORSTUDENTS WHO HAVEMEDICAL NEEDS INCOLLEGEParents/Guardians have primeresponsibility for their child’shealth and should ensure that theyare well enough to attend college.The College Nurse is unable tooffer a consultation service at thestart of the day but supports stu-dents who become unwell or havean accident during the day. It isthe Parent/Guardians’ responsibili-ty to ensure that students are col-lected if they are unwell and needto return home.

HEAD LICEWe have recently had some casesof head lice in college. We wouldask that all parents/guardians reg-ularly check their child’s hair andensure that any live lice are treat-ed before they return to college.For any advice on how to check forand treat head lice please contactthe College Nurse on the DoveCampus.

MEDICAL MATTERSFree Books for Year 7For the second year running, theDepartment for Children, Schools &Families is providing all Year 7 stu-dents with a free book. The aim is toencourage a love of reading and thechoice of free books is even better thisyear, including audio and picturebooks. All Year 7 students have hadthe opportunity to browse the titleson website www.bookedup.org.uk.All Year 7 students have also had aLearning Centre Induction lessonwhere they have experienced lookingfor information books on specific sub-jects and choosing fiction books bytheir favourite authors. The winners ofthe Induction Quiz sheets were SamHannibal 7/7 and Danah Gray 7/6 whoreceived a book as a prize for theirhard work.

Reading Week 6th – 10thOctober 2008The aim of Reading Week is to promoteliteracy and a love of books. To startthings off, Years 7/8/9 wereentranced by the fantasy writing ofCliff McNish, who spoke to studentsand answered questions about writingstyles and being an author of booksfor young people. Books were signedand purchased with a long list ofreservations for Cliff’s books made inthe Learning Centre! Bradley Shaw,Year 8, said, “ It was very interestingand I would love to read all of hisbooks.”

A Slam Poetry Workshop took place inthe Learning Centre on Wednesday,featuring the rap-style performerDreadlock Alien. This was organised bythe Public Library Service as part ofThe National Year of Reading 2008.Students took part in writing rappoetry and performing their groupwork. It also coincided with BlackHistory Month and Richard discussedthe multi-cultural contribution in oursociety today.

Successful Book Fairs in both LearningCentres during Reading Week havecontributed to £380 worth of freebooks for the LCs to offer on loan toall students. Many thanks to parentsand students for their support.

Readathon (a sponsored read by Year 7to raise money for children with can-cer) has taken place again. Pleasebring sponsor money to the LCs or anyEnglish teacher. The total raised willbe in the next newsletter. Thanks foryour support!

As the nights draw inand the leaves fall fromthe trees, we know it'stime for the AutumnConcert. The musicgroups have had a bitof a re-organisationthis year, so we'vedecided to leavebehind the 'themes'of previous years -instead we'll be show-casing all that's onoffer.As well as the Wind Band,Senior Choir and DeFJO,we are delighted to wel-come to the stage ouryounger students, in theform of the Junior Choirand the newly created 'MiniDeFJO' (run by our Year 12IBDP students). There willbe performances fromsoloists, as well as Juniorand Senior Dance Groups.

The concert takes place onFriday 14th November at7.30pm in Trent Hall.A licensed bar will be avail-able during the evening.Tickets will be on saleshortly from reception onboth campuses. We lookforward to seeing youthere!

The football season has been infull flow since the beginning ofterm and there have been someoutstanding performances. Thenewly appointed Mr Campbelland Mr Humphry to the Year 7team has proven to be a greatsuccess with both coaches andteam settling in very quickly.The team is currently undefeat-ed in its first three games andare already thinking of theleague and cup double in itsfirst season together. Year 7ʼsare not the only year to beundefeated so far this season.The Year 9 team coached by MrDolby, and the Year 10ʼs,coached by Mr Baxter, are alsoundefeated so far this year. Agreat start, lads, and keep upthe winning ways!RESULTS:Year 7:Oldfields 2 – 2 de FerrersPaget 0 – 5 de FerrersDe Ferrers 5 – 1 John TaylorYear 8:John Taylor 5 – 2 de FerrersPaulet 4 – 6 de FerrersDe Ferrers 2 – 1 Pingle(County Cup 1st Rnd)Oldfields 7 – 1 de FerrersYear 9:De Ferrers 3 – 2 William AllitPingle 0 – 1 de FerrersAbbot Beyne 3 – 5 de FerrersYear 10:John Taylor 1 – 5 de FerrersGranville 0 – 2 de FerrersPaulet 0 – 0 de FerrersDe Ferrers 5 – 1 Abbot BeyneYear 11:Pingle 0 – 2 de FerrersDe Ferrers 4 – 3 Robert SuttonDe Ferrers 0 – 5 John Taylor(County Cup 1st rnd) de Ferrers 5– 4 Holden LaneCongratulations to RickyShilvock on making the under-19 County Football Team!