NeatherdAnnual 2013-2014

A year in the life of our school…

Welcome

ContentsPage 1 Front coverPage 2 Contents page and contact detailsPage 3 Head Teacher’s introductionPage 4-5 Business StudiesPage 6-9 Creative ArtsPage 10-13 Design TechnologyPage 14-15 EnglishPage 16 Media StudiesPage 17 Gifted and TalentedPage 18-19 FLD and CEWPage 20-21 GeographyPage 22-23 HistoryPage 24-25 ICTPage 26-27 MathsPage 28-29 MFLPage 30-31 PEPage 32-33 Society and EthicsPage 34 Food for Life Page 35 ResultsPage 36-37 SciencePage 38-39 SEN- the Link and ASDPage 40 Student Council.Page 41 Work ExperiencePage 42 PromPage 43 Friends of NeatherdPage 44 Back cover

Headteacher: Mr P Devonish

Contact Details: Dereham Neatherd High School, Norwich Road, Dereham,Norfolk, NR20 3AX

neatherd.org

Fax: 01362 698463

Tel: 01362 697981

Welcome to our third Neatherd Annual which celebrates the huge achievements of our talented students and staff during 2013-14, and shows you some of the fun we’ve had along the way!

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Welcome to our third edition of the Neatherd Annual. It makes me very proud to look through these pages to remember, reflect and marvel at the fantastic things that our students have achieved in the last year. Young people have so much energy and potential which can be focused to produce great things with the support of parents and carers, together with the real skill and dedication from staff working relentlessly with them. This has been a very positive year in the life of our school. Visitors continue to comment on the happy, special atmosphere that we have, and it is good to step back to remember that whilst schools remain a political topic, that we must guard jealously what we believe in and what we have here at Neatherd. We have looked again at our vision for Neatherd and whilst we will continue to be ‘a community of opportunity’ we now want to focus in further on the learning that children undertake. ‘Learning without limits’ is what we want to foster in students; that sense of being greedy to learn and wanting to gain more and more expertise. It is a fast-changing world and our children need to be ready and adaptable. As JFK said, ‘Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.’ We need our children to be aspirational and development confidence and resilience, to take full advantage of all that is available for them as they mature.I hope that you enjoy reading this edition and taking time to reflect, as I have done, on what is important and what really matters in a school. It is hard to get the sense you feel around Neatherd on these pages but I hope some of it comes across. I am sure your children will fill in the gaps with their

recollections!

Yours,Peter Devonish,Headteacher

neatherd.orgHeadteacher’s Introduction

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It has been another exciting and fulfilling year in Business Studies. The department has taken part in a number of different activities which have enriched the experiences of our students. The subject is still a popular Key Stage 4 choice and is thriving at the Sixth Form.

Open Evening The Neatherd Open Evening showed everything that is fantastic about our business students. They organised a blind food tasting which had visitors guessing the brand of the product they had eaten! There certainly were a few surprises with the cheaper brands proving excellent value. The students were excellent and made the whole evening hugely interactive. They were praised by the visitors - well done to all involved!

Rewards ShopThe school has launched a new Rewards Shop which has been staffed by students. Students created the name, designed the logo, ordered the stock, carried out market research, presented to governors, led an assembly and took orders for

the stock. With one week of trading still to come, a total of 311 products have been exchanged for merit points, and a staggering 26,238 merit points exchanged. The products which are available include Neatherd pens, pencils, calculators, rugby balls, rulers, football, Love to Shop vouchers, pencil cases, queue jump passes, vouchers at Birds, various canteen vouchers, compasses and protractors. The Year 11 business students did an excellent job and they have now passed control to the current Year 10 students. For a group of students to establish a shop and design the systems is a remarkable achievement!

Shares Competition Both of the Year 10 Business Studies groups entered the NWES Schools Fantasy Share Competition and both had respectable finishes. The Times researched potential companies to invest in and then students had to decide how best to spilt their investment capital. Each team started with £50,000 (sadly this was imaginary money!); Year 10 ‘Investments’ increased their initial stake and ended up with £52,580.57, finishing in 14th place. Platinum finished

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23rd and increased their initial stake to £51, 612.81. Well done to all the students who took part and thanks to NWES for continuing to run this excellent event.

Year 9 Option DayA new addition to Curriculum Enhancement Week was letting Year 9 students who have opted for GCSE Business Studies have a taster of the subject. The students were split into groups and had to create an idea, research the idea and then present their findings. This included a trip into Dereham where the unsuspecting Dereham public were asked a series of questions. The students were a real credit and they showed great imagination. Ideas included a mobile wifi device for cars, a specially designed mobile phone charger, self-inflating bikers’ gear, a wireless mobile phone charger, an app for haircuts, a trolley with a satellite navigation system and a folding vase. Just think, you know where you heard the idea first!

Apprentice Day The whole of Year 9 took part in an ‘Apprentice’-style day. Sadly, Lord Sugar was unavailable! The students were in their forms and took part in a number of different challenges. These included making a business pitch after having researched a product, producing a promotional video, researching effective suppliers for a product, making products and then students took part in a team-building activity. Each challenge was assessed by the teacher, with points being awarded for the

strongest performers. The whole day was rounded off with a rewards ceremony, with 9JCR and 9SFO coming out as joint winners, and 9CMO coming third. One student said, “The day was excellent because we worked well as a team and took part in a number of activities.” The year group were a real credit with all students contributing well to the tasks.

Website and TwitterThe department have a website which is regularly updated and contains helpful resources. It can be found at: business.neatherd.org. The Business Studies department has a Twitter feed so you can follow @neatherdbized. We want to crack the 100 followers mark!

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Drama

Neatherd’s Got Talent This much-loved annual event launched the Drama department’s year and gave us the opportunity to show-case a range of talents from dancers, singers and musicians. There were two winners crowned at the end of the event – Charlotte Bunting who wrote and sang her own original song and Katie Da Silva. Katie has taken part in all of the previous Talent Shows at Neatherd and was a deserving winner in her final year at school.

School ProductionIn February we produced a double-bill production directed by both Mrs Sanderson and Miss Harris. The Seven Dwarfs and The Snow Queen both went down a storm as the audience experienced comedy and improvisation in the first half and were taken on a magical, strange

and eerie journey in the second half. The productions gave around 120 students the chance to take part as actors with a host of students helping Mrs Sanderson with make-up and costumes.

Staff PantoThe now legendary staff pantomime took the school by storm again at Christmas! Peter Pan was this year’s choice. The show was directed by Miss Harris and the lead role was performed by Mr Everett in green tights! Amongst many willing and unashamed members of staff were the Science Department who made an unruly bunch of pirates, and Mr Dunn as the infamous Captain Hook. The show was a roaring success and sent the school off for a well-deserved Christmas break.

Educational VisitsIn September, the department took students to see Hairspray at the Theatre Royal in Norwich. The show left students singing and dancing on the coach ride home! This year has also brought back the amazing residential trip to London; two days in the big city, seeing three West End productions and taking part in two workshops with stars from the shows at Pineapple Dance Studios in July.

Creative Arts Evening Finishing the year off was the final celebration of Neatherd’s performers and artists, as the Creative Arts performance evening doubled as a show-case for the Art Department’s GCSE exhibition. Breath-taking work was on display, setting the standard for next year.

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www.neatherd.orgDance

Hairspray and In My Shoes

In September 2013 we took a trip to see the musical show ‘Hairspray’. Starring some of the world’s best singers and dancers, the students could not help but be inspired by the performers. In October 2013 we went to see In My Shoes, which introduced the students to the idea of storytelling through hip hop dance. At the end of the show, three of our students were invited onto the stage to ‘jam’ with the other dancers and show them what they can do; our male students cracked out ‘the worm’ and even a somersault!

Dance Show

In March we held our annual Dance Show. The event was extremely popular with over 200 audience members in attendance! The evening was made up from a variety of dancers from many different year groups, and included GCSE choreography from the Year 11 GCSE Dance cohort. One student in the audience said, “I can’t believe I have never been to the dance show before – it was amazing!” As the Y11 cohort then went on to gain

100% A*-A in their practical examinations in May, the Dance Show truly was a big success!

Hofesh Dance groups

In 2012 a group of boys at Neatherd began learning and performing contemporary dance in the style of choreographer Hofesh Shechter. However, after watching the male students perform multiple times, the female students decided they wanted to give it a go as well! A lunchtime club has been started to introduce them to a very masculine and animalistic style of contemporary dance – hopefully we will see them dance in future performances and give the boys a run for their money.

Gifted and Talented Dance Group

The upper school and lower school Gifted and Talented dance groups both performed in the Dance Show – KS3 taking on The Circle of Life from The Lion King while the upper school chose to perform a fast paced and dynamic dance to popular tracks from the charts. A selection from both groups then performed a salsa piece at the Tapas Evening in May.

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Music

Dereham WindmillThe Dereham Heritage Windmill was officially opened to the public in September and even though we were only one week into the new term, our students were willing and able to help by performing at the opening ceremony. Katie Da Silva, from Year 11, sang and was accompanied on guitar by Robbie King, also Year 11. Charlie Bunting, Year 10, played guitar and sang. They were fantastic!

Neatherd’s Got Talent This year the Music department was proud to see many entries from talented musicians. Indeed, both the

audience and judges’ prizes went to musicians Katie Da Silva and Charlie Bunting. Other

notable musical performances came from Emily Hill and Rebecca Donnelly (Year 10) on guitar, and Nathan Codling and Harrison Matwij from Year 8.

Winter ConcertThe Winter Concert this year was a big success with performances from many of the school’s

ensembles made up of students who take extra music lessons. What a brilliant way to end the Autumn Term.

TNTBack in March, Mrs Brunton, one of our hard-working administrative staff members, decided that Neatherd needed to show-case

more of our excellent singers. She enlisted the help of Mrs

Sanderson and Miss Harris, and together they set about

recruiting singers from Year 7 to 10 for a vocal performance workshop. Over 100 students showed interest and potential but only 30 places were available on the workshop. The vocal performance workshop took place in March and was hosted by professional singer, Nia Howe from JDT Music Academy. Students thoroughly enjoyed the day and went on to form TNT, the school’s brand new, explosive vocal performance group. Already this year, the TNT singers have performed at the MFL department’s Tapas Evening, Neatherd’s Summer Party in the Park, The Dereham Windfest and St Nicholas Primary School Fete. TNT meet on Tuesdays after school between 3.30 and 4.45 in Music Room 1. They are always looking for talented new singers! No audition is necessary, just turn up and join in!

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Year 7 Impressionist Landscapes Year 7 had the challenge of creating collages inspired by the master of Impressionism, Monet. After looking closely at some examples of Claude Monet’s paintings, our students worked together to analyse the effects of light across landscapes. They painted the key colours and tones on to scrap paper which was then torn into small pieces to make the collages. The day was rounded off with a group critique of the finished work where the students picked out lots of examples

of successful Impressionism. Year 9 Art Option Group During Curriculum Enhancement Week Year 9 students had the opportunity to have a taster of GCSE Art with a whole day of intensive workshops aimed at developing drawing and painting skills. Students were asked to

explore unusual viewpoints to create more interesting compositions. They took digital photos to record a range of ideas. The afternoon involved some ambitious, large-scale painting on coloured grounds; it was great to see such hard work and progress from all the students on both days. It’s looking very promising for Year 10 next September!

Year 9 Photography GCSE taster sessionsYear 9 students got to show off their design flair when they spent a day learning Photoshop editing skills during Curriculum Enhancement Week this year. Students learned a variety of selecting and masking techniques in Adobe Photoshop and they used these to create some highly effective designs for Neatherd’s new house names. The work contained images relating to the inspirational individuals who have been chosen for the school’s new houses, all cleverly layered to make up the lettering of the name.

Year 10 GCSE Art and PhotographyThe current Year 10 GCSE Art group have recently completed their superb final pieces based on the title of ‘Viewpoints’. Students have chosen their own direction within this overall theme and have produced an exciting array of paintings, drawings and prints. They have been making excellent use of the Apple Mac Editing Suite; our Photographers have been busily distorting, layering and enhancing photographs. Not to be outdone, our Art students have been making use of the Macs to edit images and create digitally painted artworks from scratch! These students have also visited both of the Tate Galleries: Tate Modern and Tate Britain in order to enhance and develop their learning of Art and Photography.

neatherd.orgArt and Photography

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neatherd.orgDesign Technology

This year we have been busy as always in Resistant Materials, and Systems and Controls:

Year 7Year 7’s have been learning about workshop health and safety, use of tools/machines and designing and making with a variety of materials. Projects include a wooden picture frame and an acrylic mobile phone holder. Findlay said that, ‘I really like RM because it has introduced me to new ideas and materials. It also allows me to be creative!’ In Systems and Controls we have made a Steady Hand game - the buzzing does continue to drive Mr. Chapman a little mad but the completed projects look outstanding!

Year 8Budding engineers from Year 8 have been designing and making mechanical toys. ‘I really enjoyed the mechanical toys project because it helped to improve my design skills,’ said Harry. In Systems and Controls students designed and built a mechanical toy that made use of cams and pulleys. The students created some great toys – frequently with a real target market – often a younger sibling. ‘I enjoyed making the toys - I

had great fun although it was challenging at times!’ said one student.

Year 9This year Year 9’s have been testing their woodwork skills to the limit; their project was to design a complicated wooden box. The Year 9 students have been using some clever kit called Fischertechnik and FlowGo boxes to enable them to program model electronic devices. ‘It was interesting to use the Fischertechni. I enjoyed being able to work things out for myself and solve problems. I’ve enjoyed Systems and Control and am taking it at GCSE next year!’ said James Allen.

Year 10 Resistant Material GCSEThe current Year 10 Resistant Materials cohort has been outstanding too; they have really challenged our knowledge and skills in Resistant Materials, which is ace! Never have we experienced so many enthusiastic and talented students who are willing to think outside the box and take risks with their designing. Brilliant! ‘I find RM really fun and challenging. It’s easily my favourite subject!’ said Lorren.

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neatherd.orgGraphics

Graphics is part of the Design and Technology curriculum at Key Stage three. It will soon be offered at GCSE as well!

Year 7This year students have been developing their card mechanic skills. They have been applying this to pop-up books, allowing them to look at composition and give their books a professional finish. Some groups have even managed to apply some basic Photoshop skills to develop their understanding of Graphic Design further. The students have all really excelled at this, often bringing

their own ideas and developments to lessons. Googly eyes, fur and

different fabrics have all brought a sensory element to this ever-evolving project. A couple of stars from this year have been Dom Pataki with “The Fun Zone” and Mea Green’s adaptation of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”. Great work

everyone!!

Year 8The Year 8 students had a change of project, moving forward from the “classic” desk tidy! All students had the

opportunity to develop their Resistant Material skills further with Mr Wright’s ‘Bookends’ project. This saw students creating an individual and unique product that used a variety of processes as well as materials. We had a huge number of high fliers producing some outstanding work: Jamie Allsop and Ellie Jackman were particularly impressive, pushing themselves further than any other students. Thank you for embracing this project and making it as awesome as it is!

Year 9The Year 9 Graphics students saw a change in approach to their Pewter Jewellery Project this year. All have been learning about a different design style and using this as the inspiration for their work. Students have also had to design as a group, making a collection of jewellery as well as designing as an individual; all groups and students producing very mature and thoughtful designs. The groups have also really enjoyed “The Wheel of Evaluation”, a new, exciting way to evaluate their final projects. Fun times!

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Textiles

TextilesYear 7Year 7 have had a fantastic year. They have learnt how to set up and use the sewing machines and have increased their hand-sewing skills by adding patches and buttons to their creative monsters. Some students have taken this idea further and produced whole families of monsters during Textiles Club on Thursday lunchtime!

Year 8Year 8 have developed their skills further, using a range of surface pattern techniques to produce a ‘Dragon’s Den’ product that they marketed and ‘sold’. Each team of students were encouraged to complete an independent study and use lots of team work - a skill which is vital for designers!

Year 9Year 9 have completed an exciting project where they designed and made their own products. They developed skills by learning about different fabric qualities and the effects on the environment, choosing the best ways to recycle fabric into new products, and using buzz words such as ‘upcycling’, ’on trend’ and ‘new to you’ products!

Year 10Year 10 have worked with enthusiasm this year and produced some outstanding pieces of work. Some of the ‘stand out pieces’ (not an easy decision!) have been by Maddie Palmer, Katie Richardson, Ashton Tokley,

Gabby Newland and Emily Fox. The products required new skills and accurate execution; these students have shown this in their work.

Year 11Year 11 finished on a high, excellent work and outstanding portfolios were produced by almost the whole group. Congratulations to Bethany Loft, Ben Cordle, Molly Greenwood, Tina Bush and Abby Miller, who consistently showed an outstanding effort.

Community Sewing Bee We held our first ever Community Sewing Bee this year! Once a month for two hours, we welcomed members of the local community to come and sew with staff and students. Some came with projects ready to complete while others came to learn new skills - all were welcome. There were about twenty-five of us who enjoyed sharing our skills and learning new things. One parent came with her daughter and made her prom dress - which was a fantastic achievement!

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neatherd.orgFood Technology

Food Technology

Year 7We’ve been busy making all sorts of products this year to encourage students to eat their 5 a day. The products we make not only teach students how to use basic equipment, like knives, with confidence and accuracy but also how easy it is to make tasty and nutritious snacks. Check out our fruit fusions, dippy divers, salad pots and speedy pizzas. Who said healthy eating cannot be fun? Munch your way through this lot!

Year 8 Year 8s baked batches of biscuits, which was not as easy as it looked. Students were challenged to make a simple recipe that they had to modify or adapt in some way. They also had to make a specific number of biscuits of a consistent size and shape. Portion control and ratio as well as weighing and measuring accurately were all key factors in a successful bake. The most successful included Jordan Bowie’s biscuits which were deemed to be better than anything you can buy from a supermarket!As part of a Flexible Learning Day we focused on Portugal and its food and

culture. We had lots of interest from Portuguese speaking adults in the community and some brilliant hands on help from Portuguese parents. We made litres and litres of Caldo Verde soup, and despite it containing a spicy sausage and loads of cabbage, it went down an absolute storm! Alfie Bennet , Alex Johnson and Ben Whitehair said of the soup they made, “It tastes awesome! Much better than Heinz tomato soup and that’s saying something!’’

Yr 10 Hospitality and catering- Top Tastic Afternoon tea: As part of the controlled assessment task students had to write and plan a step by step plan of how to make four food products. Alex Gibbs-Mannall said that, ‘I could never really see the importance of planning before the exam but I think that I would not have been able to achieve what I did without it!’ Tatiana Grauwiler’s plan was so long it looked more like a roll of wallpaper! But again, her plan helped her achieve an excellent final grade.

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English

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From reading festivals and famous visitors to stage fighting and puppetry, there hasn’t been a dull moment in the English department this year.

Neatherd Festival of LiteratureThe English department started the year with the first Neatherd Festival of Literature. The week commenced with a reading marathon, in which students were challenged to read and review as many stories as possible over 7 days. Their reviews created an enormous reading tree, displayed at the entrance to school. Next, acclaimed children’s writer Alexander Gordon Smith joined year 8 for an assembly and a horror themed creative writing workshop. Nathan Elliott said, “Gordon Smith was funny and inspirational. The workshop was great fun!” With the book buzz taking over the whole school, teachers and students led lunch time swap shops where students could bring in old favourites and swap them for a new book. The week ended with a visit from award-winning poet and playwright, John Agard. Students from the upper school and sixth form

were treated to a funny, engaging poetry reading and a fascinating Q&A session.

Out and aboutFor the second year, students at Neatherd had the opportunity to visit the UEA to take part in FLY (Festival of Literature for Young People). This year, lower school students were treated to readings from famous writers such as Sally Gardner and attended some unique creative writing workshops. Kaitlin Webster said, “Sally Gardner was my favourite speaker of the day because she has dyslexia but she persevered and got her books published, which is truly inspiring.” Year 10 students were given the chance to prepare for their upcoming Shakespeare study by attending an explosive and emotive retelling of King Lear by performance storyteller, Debs Newbold. Keen readers from years 7-9 were selected to visit the Book Festival which was held at the Norwich School in June. They had the opportunity to listen to four prominent authors of teen fiction as they discussed their

novels, writing and characters; the authors included Simon Mayo, Catherine MacPhail, Paul Dowswell and Marcus Sedgwick. Emma said that, ‘It was great to listen to the authors discuss their books - I really enjoyed the day.’

EnrichmentYear 7 joined the English department for Curriculum Enhancement Week this year. They mixed the ancient craft of Japanese puppetry with some imaginative storytelling to create plays starring ‘Bunraku’ puppets. Also, Flexible Learning Day saw year 11s get to grips

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with Shakespearean performance as they planned and performed Mercutio’s death scene from Romeo and Juliet.

Carnegie Critics

A group of year 7 and year 9 students have been shadowing this year’s CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway group. Often described by authors and illustrators as ‘the one they want to win’ - they are the gold standard in children’s literature. The students endeavoured to read all the texts and pick their favourite alongside the critics. They even created their own shadowing webpage where they uploaded their reviews of each entry. You can visit the webpage by selecting Neatherd High at: http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/grouphomepages.

Reading MentoringConfident readers from year 10 have been working with less confident readers from year 7, 8 and 9 to help

the younger students develop their reading skills. The programme has taken place during registration and students have really enjoyed being involved in the initiative. Holly said that, ‘It’s helped my confidence grow.’ While Luke felt that, ‘Reading mentoring has really improved my reading.’ Francesca was also happy to report that, ‘My reading age has gone up from 9 to 11!’

World Book DayWorld Book Day is all about reminding students about the importance of reading. Our celebrations included: running a book swap shop; getting departments to recommend an influential book; asking students in KS3 to create Facebook profiles for their favourite fictional characters and inviting students to participate in a form time quiz. We also had a visit from a book distributor and students were asked to select new books for the library to purchase.

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Media Studies

Media Studies

BBCAs part of the course this year, Year 10 GCSE students had the opportunity to visit the BBC studios in Norwich. Here they made their own documentary film where students presented, wrote the script, edited, did the sound engineering, video mixing and operated the cameras! They were able to film in Norwich and were remotely supervised doing so, ‘The students were a credit to the school with their effort, attitude and respect towards others. They produced a fantastic documentary that really reflected their understanding of media and audiences,’ said Mr Rootham.

Harry PotterStudents were invited to attend a trip to the Warner Bros Studios in Leavesden to visit the Harry Potter tour. ‘It was amazing! We really want to go back - I learnt so much about props, art, filming, production, special effects and Quidditch!’ said Ryan. ‘This trip was a fantastic opportunity for students to see behind the scenes how a film is created from the book to the screen,’ said Mrs Hunt. The students also had the opportunity to attend one of two workshops.

Year 9 Year 9 students who chose Media Studies as their GCSE option in year 10 had the opportunity to visit the BBC Studios in Norwich at BBC Voices. They created short films to be

used on a BBC website about local places of interest. The students filmed, created a voiceover, edited their film and presented it to the BBC team who said that the students had, ‘Worked immensely hard and done brilliantly!’ James said that, ‘It was the best day ever! I enjoyed every minute of it and can’t wait to start GCSE Media Studies properly in September!’ Their day culminated in a tour of the BBC studios including visiting the Look East news desk and Radio Norfolk studio.

ITNChris Shaw, Editorial Director of ITN productions, visited the school as part of the ‘Speakers for Schools’ scheme, a charity which focuses on getting inspiring, industry leading speakers into schools. He worked with students exploring how documentary programmes are produced. Mr Devonish said, ‘Chris Shaw’s visit was a fantastic experience for students. It gave them an insight into the workings of the media and helped to broaden their horizons.’

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neatherd.orgGifted and Talented

Gifted and Talented

PhotographyYear 8 Gifted and Talented students had a day of Photography in November where they were introduced to some of the basics of Photoshop. During the day 6th Form students helped the Year 8 students to take photos and there were some stunning portraits taken. Students then spent time in the dark room developing inverted photos using traditional methods to create a Photogram! Kyle said, “I never knew how much fun changing images could be, especially using Photo Booth,” and Lucie said, “I really enjoyed developing photos in the dark room, as I never thought it was something I would get to do!”

G&T Conference 2014In March six of our top performing Year 10 students attended a Student Gifted and Talented Conference, which was held at Hellesdon High School. There were five lecture-style sessions which included, ‘Lady GaGa and Picasso at Starbucks’ which looked at how cultures had changed over time, ‘Interview Question’ which was a science-based session and a thought-provoking debate about Abortion, where Kristina spoke brilliantly on behalf of our school! It was an absorbing day in which the students were required to extend their thinking beyond the normal curriculum within school.

UEA Move On Up In April nine Year 10 students attended the ‘Move On Up’ Event at the University of East Anglia. Our

students were on campus to learn about different courses, and to dispel any myths about university costs and life! The aim of the trip was to raise aspirations and give the students time in different subject areas, allowing them to make informed choices in the future. Throughout the event students could choose from 27 workshops which included looking into crime and investigative studies by solving a crime scene, investigating river debris to make initial assessments on the cause of fish death, and fitness tests to measure speed and agility! The students also took a tour around the campus and heard about university life from current UEA students.

Hopefully the nine Neatherd students who attended: Brynmor, Charlotte, Eben, Oliver, Megan, Cerys, Ellie, Grace and Natalie all had an enjoyable and informative day that will help guide decisions for a pathway to University!

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Flexible Learning Days

Flexible Learning DaysWe have completed two Flexible Learning Days during the year with a wide range of activities.

Year 7 ExplorationYear 7 attended Geography field trips to the coast. ‘It was lovely to go on a trip. It was a little cold but I enjoyed learning about coastal erosion,’ said one student. They also spent a day with the MFL department exploring Spanish culture where they learnt Spanish dance, language and sampled tapas!

Year 8 Got creative!Year 8 spent time exploring their national, regional and personal identity whilst exploring their school and local community. They designed coats of arms and used teamwork effectively to

complete tasks. They also attended a Geography field trip to Wroxham where they had a boat ride on the Broads and interviewed members of the public about the impact of tourism on the local community.

Year 9 Explored consequencesYear 9 explored global dimensions with the Creative Arts department where they used music, dance and drama to express themselves and their ideas. They also spent a day with a variety of external agencies exploring crime and consequences through a series of scenarios. ‘It was really interesting to listen to the police and Justice of the Peace - I really enjoyed the day!’ said Kaitlin.

Year 10 Developed Leadership skillsYear 10 completed a wide variety of activities from Stockmarket Challenge to Leadership Day! They developed their team work and decision making skills. ‘It was fun working with my tutor group during Leadership Day, and thinking about leadership skills,’ said Connor.

Year 11 Revision SkillsYear 11 developed their revision and self-management skills, completed Maths, Science, ICT and English exam revision and controlled assessments. Ryan said, ‘It really helped my English ‘Of Mice and Men’ controlled assessment to be more informed and analytical.’

Gifted and TalentedThere was also a range of activities for gifted and talented students -

activities included designing webpages and games on the computers, developing writing skills by writing short stories, and other exciting activities.

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neatherd.orgCurriculum Enhancement Week

CEW Curriculum Enhancement Week was full of many exciting and cross-curricular activities.

Year 7 Got international!Year 7 focused upon internationalism for the week and visited China, France, India and Africa in their tour of the world! They learnt Indian dancing with creative arts, visited Africa Alive, made Japanese puppets, and were taught Chinese in a week! “I have really enjoyed all of the activities this week. I really liked learning the dancing and going to Africa Alive!’ said one student. A large number of students were also in France on the residential trip. ‘I had a fantastic time!’ said another student. ‘It was lovely being with my friends for the week.’

Year 8 Developed Teamwork SkillsYear 8 spent the week exploring teamwork by going bowling, completing initiative tests, and visitingBramley Lakes. Those who didn’t go to Bramley Lakes also spent time completing ICT activities, organising and completing a treasure hunt, playing softball and developing drama skills, among other things! Year 8 also spent the day with Science where they were dissecting fish and making rockets! ‘I didn’t like dissecting the fish much,’ said Charlotte, ‘but it was good fun firing the rockets off in Science!’

Year 9 Application of learning Year 9 spent time with DT making cupcakes, music boxes and t-shirts while planning a music festival! They

explored and applied ‘maths in motion’ with the Maths department by designing Formula One race cars and tracks. As well as this they participated in a business-style Apprentice day with Business Studies! The Year 9 students also had the opportunity to experience a day or two of their GCSE option days where trips to Gressenhall, college, the BBC and Dereham were organised!

Year 10 Work ExperienceYear 10 completed a full week of work experience. They experienced being a member of a team, taking responsibility for a huge variety of tasks, and being creative! ‘I’ve really enjoyed my work experience working for Event in London - I got to work for the National Gallery setting up staging, and had a great time!’ said Jamie.

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Geography

It has been another exhilarating and enjoyable year for everyone involved in the Geography department. As well as lots of exciting activities in the classroom, there have been trips in every year group to keep us all busy!

Year 7 – North Norfolk Coast:In November the whole of Year 7 visited the North Norfolk coastline at Wells-Next-The-Sea and Overstrand. We were blessed with some glorious weather and the trip gave students the opportunity to witness the power of the sea, and examine the different ways in which we are trying to protect our coastline. Tom said, “It was a really fun day. We each got given a work booklet that we used at both Wells and Overstrand. I couldn’t believe how much erosion there had been at Overstrand!”

Year 8 – Wroxham and the Norfolk Broads:During the second Flexible Learning Day in March all of Year 8 visited Wroxham and the Broads to assess the impact of tourism on the area, and to examine ways

in which this was being managed. The weather was excellent and students were able to see the Broads at their best! In addition to a cruise down the River Bure students also had an opportunity to work independently in small groups around Wroxham. This activity involved students interviewing members of the public and completing an environmental quality survey in the town centre. Sarah commented, “I had never been to the Broads before, so it was really exciting to go on a boat! The weather and company were great too. Overall, it was a really fun day!”

Year 9 – Norwich:The students who have chosen to do Geography at GCSE visited Norwich during Curriculum Enhancement Week. In the morning students did some work near the football ground to assess the impact of the various regeneration projects in the Riverside area. In the afternoon we went back to the centre of Norwich to examine how the structure of the city changes as you move away from the Central Business District.

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Year 10 – Lake District:Year 10 Geography students visited the Lake District in July as part of their GCSE course. In total 63 students and 9 staff went and we all stayed in a recently renovated YHA, which overlooks Lake Windermere for 3 nights. Students completed three different field investigations at a local river, Kendal and Ambleside, giving them an opportunity to collect data to be used for their GCSE Controlled Assessment. On the last full day of the trip students took part in an activity of their choice - paintballing, horse riding or archery!

Year 10 – Iceland:During October half-term we visited Iceland with our Northgate counterparts. In total 59 students from the two schools went to Iceland. While we were there students climbed an active volcano, walked on a glacier, viewed some of Europe’s largest waterfalls, shopped in Reykjavik and, of course, walked down the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Each day ended with a swim in a geothermal pool, including one in the famous Blue Lagoon!

Key Stage 3 Extended Homework Assignments:All of Key Stage 3 again completed a range of Homework Assignments throughout the year. At the beginning of the year, Year 7 had the opportunity as part of their first homework to enter a competition to take the best photograph of a place that has been used and changed by people in Norfolk. There were some fabulous entries, with James Partridge’s photograph being shortlisted for the Corbin Prize in Norfolk. In Year 8 students were able to extend their knowledge of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, and examine the impact of tourism in Antarctica during their first two assignments. At the end of the year, students completed online storyboards about a geography topic of their choice as part of their joint homework assignment with ICT. Students who completed the best projects visited a primary school in the local area to read their stories to a class of Year 5s. In Year 9 students made amazing model volcanoes at the beginning of the year, then explored global superpowers around the world and, finally, investigated the crime in their local area.

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History

It has been a busy year in the History department at Neatherd High School! For the first time GCSE students have been given the option to study GCSE Classical Civilisation, which has been extremely popular. We have also started to collect information about local involvement in the First World War, which did, of course, start 100 years ago in 1914. Watch this space for future developments…

GCSE Classical Civilisation – Roman Empire: Power and People ExhibitionClassical Civilisation students were fortunate to visit the British Museum touring exhibition called ‘Roman Empire: Power and People’ when it came to Norwich. The exhibition examined the Roman Empire and the impact it had on different areas, with a real focus on the people who lived within the borders of the vast empire. Students were lucky to see a selection of rare and priceless objects. Highlights included sculptures from the villas of the Emperors Tiberius and Hadrian, coins from the famous Hoxne treasure, beautiful jewellery and even near-perfectly preserved children’s clothing from Roman Egypt! Museum staff commented how impressed they were with the positive attitude shown by Neatherd students and one student said that, ‘It was really interesting. I liked seeing how the Roman people lived.’

History – Year 9 Battlefields TripOur annual Battlefields trip took place slightly earlier than

usual this year, departing on the last day of the Easter holidays. This year we were based at the Munchenhof Hotel in the small village of Langemark, which was almost completely destroyed during the First World War. Students visited a wide range of sites which helped them to gain a better understanding of the suffering that combatants faced on a daily basis. The Flanders Fields Museum in Leper helped illustrate the different experiences that a range of individuals faced during the conflict. At Wellington Quarry and Vimy Ridge students went underground to explore some of the preserved tunnels from the conflict. Students represented the school brilliantly throughout, where wreaths were laid at Langemark cemetery and as part of the last post ceremony, at the Menin Gate. Several students had researched their family background and were able to pay their respects where their relatives were commemorated. “It was interesting to look around at the cemeteries and sad to see people with the same name as you,” said Adam Smith. Dan felt that, “It was shocking how young many of the soldiers were.”

Anne Frank ExhibitionWe were very fortunate to be able to host the Anne Frank Trust’s travelling exhibition, which examined her life and legacy. A group of Year 9 students were trained by the Anne Frank Trust to act as ambassadors, guiding students, staff and members of the local community around the exhibition. Students from all years at the school were guided around the exhibition to help them

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learn the amazing, tragic story of Anne Frank. Visitors were amazed how professional and knowledgeable all our guides were. “I knew about Anne Frank before the exhibition, but this taught me even more. I didn’t know how many people were hidden in the tiny attic,” said Alex. Nicole felt that, “I knew a lot about Anne before, but I learnt a lot more and doing the guiding really boosted my confidence.” Finally Peyton said that, “I didn’t know much about her before, but I feel I know a lot more now. I found working in a team really positive.” The next stage of the project will see our ambassador students meet with ambassador students from other schools, discuss their experiences and suggest how the project can move forwards.

Key Stage 3 Homework ProjectsWe have yet again been flabbergasted with the high quality of homework projects produced by

almost all students this year. We want the homework that our students carry out to be rigorous, but also enjoyable! We want students to be able to push themselves and have the option of playing to their strengths. Year 7 were very creative with their castles and produced some amazing (and, no doubt, time-consuming) Minecraft examples. Year 8 showed great imagination when examining ‘Explorers’, with a range of t-shirts and websites being made! Finally our Year 9 students amazed all with their carefully researched and planned trench models. Keep up the good work in the future and remember; if you would like to try something slightly different, speak to your teacher and see what they say!

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ICT

It had been a busy year for ICT at Neatherd!

Results2013-14 saw Key Stage Four students have a great year in terms of their achievements. They gained 91.5% A* to C overall in ICT which was amazing. The A*-C in each qualification was 85% in GCSE ICT, 95% in OCR and 93% in GCSE computing, which were well above the national average. Congratulations to everyone!

ProgrammingIn Key Stage 3 we are constantly adapting and changing all of our units of work in light of the new curriculum which is being introduced. There is a huge emphasis on Computer Programming which we have been delivering for the past three years!

Year 7Year 7 students have been enthusiastically using Minecraft to create their own world! The educational values of this program are endless, ranging from programming logic gates to solving mathematical problems. Other topics which year 7 have studied include creating products and researching E-Safety, developing their desktop publishing skills to create some very professional leaflets on protecting our environment, and ‘running’ their own triathlon where they will be using RFID tracking to record their own data which they will analyse to judge their performance!

Year 8Year eight students have been using many different pieces of software over the course of the year, including using Scratch to create games, puzzles and stories! This is an amazing piece of software which allows students to program and create sequences of code. We have also had a number of students represent our school recently by taking part in a National ‘Scratch off’ competition - well done to them all! Year 9 ProgrammeThe programming theme has continued into Year 9 as students have been completing an introduction to programming unit where they have been learning Small Basic Coding to write simple programs. We have some amazing programmers in our school, who are

already looking forward to GCSE computing!

KS3 Code ClubStudents in Years 7, 8 and 9 have been able to learn to code, or in many cases, build on their existing skills, at Code Club which takes place in ICT-2 on Monday lunchtimes. This will run again next year and is open to students regardless of their existing coding knowledge. Various tasks and challenges have been set and students have worked on their own or in groups to solve them. Most students have been working in Small Basic but some have used C#, Python or VB.NET. Code club will extend next year to include some formal competitions and accredited challenges so that students can gain the recognition they deserve for their achievements.

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Year 10 Oxford Robotics OlympiadAn enthusiastic group of five Year 10 Computer Science students had an early start to attend the Annual Oxford University Robotics Competition. This is the first year that students from our school have attended. The first part of the day was an introduction to the world of robotics and Computer Science. Students saw exciting demonstrations from world leading specialists and witnessed first-hand the latest developments in the field. The main part of the day involved constructing and programming a robot to traverse a course in the fastest time possible. This was trickier than it sounds! Algorithms had to be written, sensors calibrated and of course robots constructed. There were 12 teams in total from all over the country, including one team of Oxford

University’s own post-graduates, all with lots of the right experience.The students’ rose to the challenge and a robot took shape! The event reached an exciting conclusion when all teams gathered in the hall for the race. After several races and mishaps, we came a fantastic second place! In the prize giving at the end of the race the team were highly commended for their efforts. The day ended with a (very wet!) tour of the college and students had an opportunity to see what life was like for undergraduates at Oxford. Team Neatherd consisted of Kristina Fox, Doug Brown, Gideon Ward, Tatiana Grauwiler and Alex Turner. Despite a very long journey and late arrival home students had thoroughly enjoyed the event.

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MathsThe Maths department has had another really successful year, mainly due to all of the hard work put in by both the teachers and the students.

ProjectDuring this year Mr Daniels and Miss Cordle have been taking part in an exciting pilot project run by Nottingham University and the NCETM (National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics). The project, titled ‘Multiplicative Reasoning’, allowed students to explore the relationships between numbers in a variety of situations. The activities highlighted the students’ ability to work well as a team and approach situations logically.

EnrichmentDuring Curriculum Enhancement Week the Mathematics department ran an activity for year 9 students where they applied maths to become a hypothetical formula one race engineer for the day! Each team had to analyse the Monaco race track, determine maximum safe speeds and decide upon their pit stops in the morning, before the big race in the afternoon. In the afternoon teams made rubber-band powered cars from polystyrene trays before racing to see whose car would travel the furthest! Students also designed their own car liveries, thinking about colours, logos and sponsors, which were then displayed on a ‘Top Gear’-style cool wall. A great day was had by all. Roll on next year!

ClubsAs always, the Chess Club has been running well with

new and old members coming for casual games and many competing in the Neatherd Chess

Cup, which is now part of a national competition. Congratulations to the current crowned champion: William Kenny, who was closely followed by Ben Cordle and Rebecca Denton - well done to all three!New to Neatherd this year has been the Radical Reasoning Club, where students have been coming and trying various puzzles and challenges, as well as playing some games too. In conjunction with the club there have been weekly puzzles popping up around the maths classrooms, with prizes for correct answers. Keep an eye out around the school for these posters and give it a go!

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UKMT maths challengeIn February we entered students from the 9.1 maths classes into a national mathematics challenge which was published by UKMT (United Kingdom Mathematics Trust). It was a great opportunity for our students to use the techniques that they have learnt in class and apply them to a range of problems. The top performers in the country receive a gold, silver or bronze award and the possibility to be entered into further competitions. Congratulations go to Tommy Kong who achieved a silver award; Josh Bryant, Daniel Cwieczek, Caitlin

Bedingfield, James McCaghrey, Rosamund Needham, Jasmine Albert, Ryan Williams, Christian Faria, Kyle Kerr, Megan Lait and Jacob Morrell who all picked up a bronze award.

Independence Day!The Maths department excitedly joined in with the rest of the school in running our first ‘Independence Day’ in April. All of our Key Stage 3 classes were given the task of carrying out an Easter egg hunt. Armed with a map of Norfolk showing distances between towns and a list

of Easter eggs available at each town, students had to use a maximum of 250 miles to collect the most Easter eggs they could. Working in pairs they had to use logic, trial and improvement, planning and key numeracy skills to produce a poster showing their routes travelled and the best route they could find. The winning groups were rewarded for their findings and it was a very successful and enjoyable day!

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Year 7 Normandy Trip Over 90 Year 7 students and 10 teachers set off in June for a journey that would take us to the small village of Angerville-L’Orcher, near Le Havre in Normandy where we were staying at Domaine des Hellandes château. During the week, students visited Monet’s world-famous gardens in Giverny, the beautiful, historic port of Honfleur, and the hamlet of La Haye-Routot, where they learnt how to make bread under the guidance of Yves, the somewhat “eccentric” resident baker. We also visited the wonderful market in the town of Lillebonne once again; here, students were able to explore the amazing range of stalls which, every Wednesday, fills the entire town centre, selling every imaginable type of meat, cheese, fruit, and confectionary! Once students had completed their set task of using their French to buy a shared picnic lunch for their group, they took great delight in shopping around and haggling for the best prices as they looked for some gifts for family and friends back home. For students and staff alike, however, the highlight of the trip was, as always, the day spent visiting Paris. Here

we were able to take a tour of the city from the river, eat a picnic next to the Eiffel Tower and visit the historic Montmartre quarter, where several students took the opportunity to have their portraits drawn by the street artists. This was without doubt one of the most enjoyable visits we’ve had and our Year 7s were a real credit to the school with their impeccable behaviour and willingness to take part in all the activities throughout the week!

LatinFor the first time at Dereham Neatherd, top set Year 7 students have had the opportunity to learn Latin as part of their languages curriculum. Following the lives and tribulations of an historical family living in Pompeii before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, students not only learn the Latin language but also more about daily life as a Roman citizen and the vibrant world they lived in. As Latin is the base of all Romance languages and has had an enormous impact on the English language, students are quick to identify patterns and use their knowledge of Latin to improve their vocabulary and understanding of grammar across all languages.

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Taste of Spain DayIn March Year 7 students participated in the Taste of Spain Day where they experienced Spanish culture and language through a series of workshops. During the language session, students learnt how to greet and introduce themselves in Spanish, they also learnt about the Spanish tradition of bullfighting and debated about whether or not it should be banned. A hands-on approach was taken in D&T as half the year group learned how to make gazpacho and the other half made their own castanets. In the Drama and Dance department, students put their rhythm to the test by dancing the Paso Doble, and later had to use their knowledge of Spain, Spanish celebrities, and Spanish culture in a trivia game. Last but not least, students enjoyed sampling the different tastes of the traditional Spanish tapas and were able to give their opinion about each in Spanish. The day proved to be an exciting mix of learning and fun with a Spanish twist for students and staff alike!

China Day!During Curriculum Enhancement week, Year 7 participated in a China Day. The day involved

students taking part in a variety of sessions, ranging from learning phrases in Mandarin and facts about China, through to designing a Beijing Opera mask, producing some Chinese calligraphy and taking part in a Kung Fu session. We were lucky to have the expertise of three Chinese teachers on the day, including Neatherd’s Mandarin teacher Mrs Song and two visiting Chinese teachers from a school in King’s Lynn. Our students clearly enjoyed the day and found it fun and varied and most importantly, they have come away from the day with more awareness and understanding about China and its culture.

French Café and Theatre for Year 9!Year 9 enjoyed taking part in a Spanish language performance by Onatti Theatre company, ‘It was great fun and I learnt a lot!’ said Owen. Year 9 Language students also helped to run and organise the French Café at Open Evening, they were welcoming and wonderful at their jobs! Year 6 enjoyed tasting many different French foods and trying new words!

Physical Education

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What a busy year it has been for Neatherd Sport! The students have grabbed all opportunities they have been given by the horns...

RowingEight Neatherd students were involved in the County Partnership Indoor Rowing Finals. Year 10s Tommy Hoven and Emma Jones, Year 9s Richard Joisce and Georgia Reeve, Year 8s Charlie Smith and Abi Foster, and Year 7s Dario Stott and Ellie Foster all rowed their socks off! It was great to see their enthusiasm and the encouragement they gave each other. It was loud, but it was fabulous! They all seemed to leave with longer arms!

Playground to PodiumIn March 30 of our students took part in the Playground to Podium Event at UEA. The students had the opportunity to have a go at table tennis, Goalball, tennis, cricket and sitting volleyball. To complete their fantastic day they played sitting volleyball with paralympian GB Men’s Sitting Volleyball Captain Rob Richardson! July saw many of the same students attend the second of these two annual events. This time the students sampled Boccia, and wheelchair basketball as well as Goalball and sitting volleyball.

Sports LeadersThroughout the year, Year 10 Sport Leaders helped with the Year 5 and 6 Primary Schools Sports Hall Athletics which was held at a KS1 Multiskills Festival for our local primary schools. Our Year 9s Sports Leaders also assisted in the smooth running of our annual Primary School

High 5 Netball Tournament, held here at Neatherd, and as always the girls were efficient and organised making it a fabulous event. In June over one hundred Year 3, 4, 5 and 6

students from our Cluster primary schools were entertained by

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30 of our Year 9 and 10 students at our Multisports Festival. The Year 9s were selected from a group of potential Sports Leaders and BTEC students while the Year 10s were some of our current Sports Leaders

who were ‘showing them the ropes’. As the Year 3-6 youngsters sack raced, tri-golfed, long-jumped and obstacle coursed (to name but a

few) their way around a carousel of activities, our students proved yet again that they have initiative, organisation

skills, and a wonderful ability to interact with young people.

Bramley LakesDuring Curriculum Enhancement Week it was once again the turn of Year 8 to attend Bramley Lakes for a residential trip lasting two nights and three days. This trip sees Year 8 students challenged to test themselves and their friends with a series of teamwork and individual activities that test even the pluckiest of students! The vast majority of students within Year 8 took part in all of the challenges that were placed in front of them and achieved success with great control and humility, which is often difficult when you’re looking down at a 30 foot drop or into the murky waters below a slowly separating raft that’s been built by 12-13 year olds! The team-building activities, even in rain and mud, were completed with a smile on their faces

and great fun was had by all! George said that, ‘It was excellent and I enjoyed meeting new people.’ While Dillon, Jaden and Ryan felt that, ‘It was really fun, we’d go back again if we could!

We loved the Zip Wire and Assault Course, but we really enjoyed staying in tents with our friends and meeting new people.’

RoundersThe Year 7s have been great, showing lots of promise for the future. Leanie, Lucy, Alice, Carrie-

Ann, Gabby, Mea, Alice, Chloe, Amy, Ellie, and Maddy make up the squad. The Year 8s have had a lot of success, winning 4 out of 5 games so far! They continue to play with enthusiasm and there

have been some strong performances from Amelia Hodges, Amelia Dorrington, Jasmine Vincent and Emily Jessop. The Year 9s have been winning games; Emily Whitaker has been brilliant and is one

of our strongest players! Georgia Reeves has also been outstanding while Megan Lait continues to hit them for six! Year 10s have been amazing! They have excellent teamwork, skilful individual performances,

and a brilliant attitude which have led to them winning all their games. All the girls have done themselves proud this season, again!

Society and Ethics

Society and EthicsYear 7 – “I love it, having debates about God’s existence has been my favourite thing to do in Society and Ethics this year!”Year 7 have had an excellent introduction into philosophical enquiry. They have learnt a whole range of arguments for the existence of God, with students encouraged to challenge each theory and demonstrate why there may be problems with such theses. They have also had a fascinating i n t r o d u c t i o n into the life of S i d d h a r t h a G a u t a m a ; the Buddha. Students were e n c o u r a g e d to investigate the notion that one can be happy without any material possessions, something which is growing with importance in an age where technology seems to have taken over. Finally, they have furthered their primary knowledge on ethical dilemmas relating to both world poverty and the environment. Ellena Meachen is a student who is well beyond her years with regard to philosophical investigation and has duly received the Star of the Year!

Year 8 – “I really enjoyed learning about different people’s views on life after death…and the existence of ghosts!”Year 8 have grown in their level of philosophical enquiry this year, with particular focus on ultimate questions from both secular and religious viewpoints. We have made changes to the curriculum to make lessons more independent, with much less reliance on the teacher. Students have studied some difficult questions, considering whether marriage may have lost its true meaning, how the media influences religion, how rites of passage are marked, and whether there is life after death. All of these units have sparked wonderful debates and further levels of questioning that have come from the students. As the year has passed, confidence has grown and students

are flourishing in preparation for year 9. Alice Older really impressed the Society and Ethics team this year, with excellent work throughout, and a fantastic attitude to learning.

Year 9 – “I loved pretending to be Jack Bauer from 24 and trying to stop a terrorist threat to

the Prime Minister!”This year, we have begun to prepare year 9 students for their GCSE examination to ensure the greatest chance of success in two years. We have done this by changing schemes of work to include examination technique, knowledge of Islam and further understanding of the moral dilemmas that are encountered at Key Stage 4. In particular, a new unit that has got all of the students talking is ‘how far will people go for their beliefs?’, and a mini topic where some students have taken on the role of 24 star Jack Bauer to prevent a potential terrorist attack on the UK. Both have been very well received

and it is demonstrative of a fresh approach from the Society and Ethics department to engage all students. Mitchell Rump was the star of Year 9, with consistent outstanding effort and contributions throughout the year, well done!

Year 10 – “My favourite topic this year has been our investigation into whether the death penalty should be brought back, we had so many interesting discussions about it”We have made some alterations to Year 10 this year, most notably the name of the subject and how the

topics are taught. Each programme of study has been altered, re-planned accordingly after having expert training from Mr Critten – a trained Edexcel examiner. This

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department to clearly recognise what the examination body are looking for at the end of Year 11 and progress amongst all students has been clear for us to see. Our Star of the Year has been Yasmin Miah, who has been outstanding in her effort and commitment to the subject, well done!

Year 11 – “The game show Controversy is awesome! Having to come up with arguments on both sides of every subject was really tough but so much fun too!” Year 11s have flourished this year, with a 35% attainment increase in the mock examination compared to last year’s cohort. Many attended the Easter revision session, and were enthusiastic and determined throughout the year to ensure that they achieved their potential. The department have worked exceptionally hard to ensure that all students had the best possible chance to succeed, and we are excited for the summer results and hope that the students get the rewards that they deserve.It has been a great year, and we are looking forward to next year,

where further changes to the curriculum will be made, and other programmes of study will continue to be updated and improved, based on feedback from both students and members of staff. Our Year 11 Star of the Year was Laura Mythen, her attitude throughout was outstanding, and she truly is a natural philosopher!

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Food for life

Food for Life

Food For Life PartnershipNeatherd were proud and excited to host our Food For Life Partnership Gold Award inspection in June. Jeanette Orrey MBE (Jamie Oliver’s original hero dinner lady) and Ian Nutt (FFLP top brass) were welcomed by members of our SNAG group, and spent the day being shown all the excellent FFLP work that goes on at our school to promote healthy eating. The inspection was to be used to judge whether Neatherd was ready to become one of England’s very few FFLP Gold Award schools!The day began with SNAG members and Mr Devonish giving a presentation to our guests, outlining how growing, cooking and eating healthily is embedded in our school’s ethos. They showed how important it is for students and staff to know where our food comes from, how we can grow it organically and then how we can cook it healthily. Students talked about Gardening Club, growing competitions and our new polytunnel, Cook Club and Cook-Offs, our amazing Canteen, Farm Links and much more. This was followed by a demonstration by Frances and student in the Food Tech room, and a tour of all the growing areas around school – the edible borders, composting facilities, polytunnel and allotment.

The Gold inspection team were served a delicious healthy lunch in the Canteen and chatted to students and our fabulous Chef Graeme. They were extremely impressed with both the standard of the delicious food and the vibrant atmosphere and décor in the Canteen. After final discussions about our future plans to extend our FFLP links with our feeder schools and extend our Farm Links, our guests were waved off having spent an excellent day with the SNAG team, Mr Devonish and parent SNAG member Suzanne Woods. Our catering services and the Canteen faced their Gold inspection in July and clearly impressed the inspection team a huge amount. Two weeks later, just in time to allow us extra special end of term celebrations, we were informed by the Food For Life Partnership committee that Neatherd had been awarded their hugely prestigious Gold Award. This makes us one of only two secondary schools in the country to hold the Gold Award. You can’t get much better than that!

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neatherd.orgGCSE Results

The third Thursday in August is always (nationally) GCSE Results Day. Approximately 600,000 students come into schools and colleges up and down the country to open envelopes with their futures and their dreams literally in their hands. How will you feel when it is your turn?

The canteen opened just before 9am and the first nervous few entered, and despite knowing them well we ask their surname and postcode for data protection, and they scurry away clutching their brown envelopes in their sweaty palms. Some are keen and open their envelopes straight away, some slope off with their envelope held by their side as though no one else can see it! While others have parents eagerly waiting at a discrete distance, trying to gauge from their expression whether the news is to be greeted with smiles or commiseration.

There were very few screams this year, not many tears, no one was distraught and everyone that we spoke to had a destination, college, sixth form or training already arranged. The results made most happy- they could go serenely on their chosen path. For a few there were anxious phone calls to be made to ensure that they could go where they wanted.

Teachers were keen to know how students had got on but did not want to intrude into personal conversations- fortunately most were pleased, and wanted to discuss, share and thank the very people who had helped to make so many good grades possible.

Gradually the 200 plus envelopes on the table dwindled to less than 50, then less than 30, then less than 20. The animated conversations were fewer in number and the teachers, while pleased with the many successes were now discussing ‘the ones who got away’ – students who had worked well but had just missed that grade they so wanted- every year, among the many who get what they want, there are a

few ‘hard luck’ stories.

Good luck to the class of 2014 as they forge their way in the world- we are sure that they will all do well in their chosen paths. If you are in years 10 and 11 next year- best of luck to you as you head towards your own results

day- it will soon be your turn!

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GCSE Results

Science

Science

Natural History MuseumIt was an early morning start in November when our Year 9 scientific explorers set off for our annual visit to the Natural History Museum. The morning was filled by visiting the various galleries which included the Human Biology, Ecology and Evolution exhibits while the students completed a science fact book which was packed full of interesting and exciting information. As an added bonus, the students were also able to take part in an interactive science show to find out more about the diversity and beauty of life on Earth.

Crime Scene Investigation!This year many of our top science students were involved in our Open Evening, where they helped Year 6 students to solve a crime science investigation. Students and families were encouraged to look at their own fingerprints, to examine a variety of mini

beasts under a microscope and find out whether the deadly poison was an acid or alkali. Students were also intrigued to meet Bob the skeleton who played a key role in directing students to a new activity at open evening, the now infamous ‘Harry Potter Lab’! Some really amazing scientific magic was being created by Neatherd

students. Activities included elevating a tea bag, exploding a filibuster sweet and adding Basilisk venom to Unicorn milk!

Primary School VisitsWe were very happy to have visits from year 5 students from our cluster group of schools this year. The students investigated the wonders of colour but the thing they enjoyed the most was lighting a Bunsen Burner! During our year 6 intake day, students had the opportunity to explore the science labs and consider the safety implications of working with flames and chemicals and then had the opportunity to make their own sparklers. They also found out what makes fireworks green; ‘if you’re not sure, ask a copper!’ ‘I had a great time in Science- I liked looking around the lab and making sparklers! I’m really looking forward to starting here soon,’ said one Year 6 student.

EnrichmentYear 8 students spent a day in science during Curriculum Enhancement Week. One of their tasks was to design a new super speedy swimsuit while another task was to understand why fish are so well adapted to water, which culminated in dissecting some smelly fish! If that wasn’t enough, they then became trainee rocket scientists where they made and launched their own rockets!

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Science FairAs an annual tradition we also run our very popular Science Fair with many students competing to win the Mike Cripps Memorial

Trophy for the most imaginative project. Well done, Rachel Harvey and Chloe Newson, who won with their hypothesis that girls have a better sense of smell of things with their award winning ‘Smellovision’! Gold Medals were also awarded to those with best projects in each year group. Some of the fantastic ideas included: ‘Does chewing gum help your learning?’ by Emily Birt, Victoria Bingham and Rosamond Needham, ‘Generating electricity’ by Sam Russell and Nathan Rice, and ‘How much energy is there in a gram of food?’ by Benjamin Moye, Oliver Engler, Thomas Moye and Daniel Engler. Well done to all involved!

Science ClubsMs Williams has been successfully running the Science Club throughout the year with the help of a host of

Science Ambassadors: Rebecca Swales, Chloe Harris, Daniel Allinson, Amy Keely and Emily Bangay, all of whom helped to organise the Science Fair! An additional Club that Ms Williams has

run has been looking at the science

behind science-fiction movies, and led to some fascinating debates about warp drives, the speed of light and Doctor Who! Finally our Astronomy Club, which is run afterschool by Mr Pinsent and Ms Mullineux, has been very well attended by students from all years. The students have been working on

presentations about the solar system to show to local primary schools, while some of the Year 11 students have achieved a GCSE in Astronomy!

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The Link

The LinkDaily life in The Link, the SEND Resource Base, involves supporting our students across the school in a variety of ways. Our student-centred approach develops students’ skills within a multisensory environment which complements individual learners’ needs. ‘The Link is a great place to be a part of and helps me cope, totally!’ said one student.

Literacy & Numeracy Students are supported in small group timetabled sessions, which uses a range of strategies to boost student confidence with their core numeracy and literacy skills. At form time, additional support is provided in The Link to develop spelling,

reading and numeracy skills, as well as aid completion of homework tasks. ‘I like everything about The Link because it’s amazing!’ said a student in Year 7.

Knitting for Penguins!The Link is open before school, at break and at lunch times. Students are able to eat together, socialise and play board games, as well as take part in craft projects with other students and staff. This year, students were encouraged to join the Monday Knitters Group and knit jumpers for penguins affected by an oil slick off the Australian coast. In the end, we produced a colony of brightly coloured penguin jumpers, which appeared in the local press and on Mustard TV! Our next knitting project will be to knit ponchos for ex-battery hens.

Craft ClubIn the Craft Club, held on Tuesdays, students have made felt Easter eggcup covers, Fathers’ Day football storage pots, as well as lots of individual treats such as decorated desk pots and storage containers.

GamesFor those who wish to play games, we have the Chess Club including a Leader Board, Lego sessions, a large variety of card and board games as well as having a Wii with Wii Sports Resort games and a network of computers to access school approved software such as Nessy Learning & Nessy Fingers, Scratch, Pivot and Google Sketch Up. ‘The Link has been my place to relax, eat my lunch and play games for many months because it is, really, a fun place to

be,’ said K Hewson in Year 8.

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neatherd.orgASD Base

ASD Base

The ASD Base The ASD Base is a specialist resource base for students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. It was purpose-built with a chill-out room, a kitchen, a garden, classroom and lounge. It has now been open for 3 years and supports the integrated learning of 20 students with autism. The students have been making some fabulous progress with their learning, communication and social skills this year. “Because of the ASD, I can go to school and feel confident. Without it, I probably wouldn’t even go to school.” said Max Nicholls, Year 8.

Bramley LakesFour Year 8 students had the opportunity to go on the Bramley Lakes camping trip this year and took part in lots of outdoor adventure activities including raft building, canoeing, and abseiling. They all had a fantastic time and it helped them to build on their team-working skills and confidence. Adam Hatson said, “I would recommend Bramley Lakes to everyone as the activities are really fun!”

IcelandOne of our Year 10 students, Morgan, was lucky enough to go to Iceland with the Geography department in October. This was a fantastic opportunity for him, particularly as he had never been abroad before! He walked on a glacier, saw some of Europe’s largest waterfalls and swam in geothermal pools! He had a great time and managed to climb all the way to the top of a volcano. Well done, Morgan!

CollegeSome of our students will be starting a college placement next year. They will be studying farming, gardening and animal care. The students went on a taster day at college. Matthew Webster said, “The animals all love me.” All the students had a great day and are really looking forward to starting next year.

Year 11 LeaversWe were very sad to have to say goodbye to our three Year 11 leavers, Amy, Nathan and Oscar. They have all made huge amounts of progress since they started here, and all three have college placements at Dereham Sixth Form College, the College of West Anglia and at Norwich City College. We wish them all the very best of luck for the future.

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School Council

School CouncilThis year saw the Student Council really up the ante; they are making day-to-day decisions, but are also increasingly acting as consultants on some of the big changes taking place in school.

GuestsThis year’s first special guest to attend the meetings was Mrs Walker, who discussed the school’s role in local Food Banks and other charitable work. Next up was Mr Spalding, who faced questions about issues relating to the school site. One of the issues raised concerned blinds in some classrooms: students and staff in some English rooms were delighted to find new improved blinds ready to use upon their return after CEW! Our next visitor was Mr Sinclair, who gathered some very useful views from councillors about students’ views on certain aspects of their learning. These views continue to be taken very seriously, and play a genuine role in how we evaluate certain practices. Mrs Broughton completed our role-call of experts with a discussion about school clubs where lots of new ideas were put forward by councillors.

Nelson’s JourneyA representative from Nelson’s Journey, the school’s chosen charity (a decision driven, as usual, by the School Council) came to see us in February, delivering a work-shop for Council members which allowed us exclusive insights into the workings of this fantastically important charity, which exists to provide support for bereaved Norfolk youngsters. The findings gathered from the workshop were then passed on to forms, giving councillors a unique opportunity to

communicate information to their peers about what can be a sensitive and difficult subject.

Vertical TutoringPerhaps the most important input from the council this year was that surrounding our move to vertical tutoring and a rebranded house system. Chaired by Mr O’Brien, councillors were consulted at length, and played a vital part in ensuring that the concerns of them and their tutor groups, as well as their suggestions as to how the new system may operate, were taken into consideration. We really are so proud to have such an erudite, mature and positive School Council.

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neatherd.orgWork Experience

Work ExperienceTwo hundred and eighteen Year 10 students were delighted to be able to spend a week away from their classrooms in June; they were given the opportunity by local businesses and organisations to engage in 5 days of work experience. “We are very grateful to all the employers who took our students on,” says Mrs Walker, “this experience is so valuable for the young people. Amongst many other skills it helps them to develop their self-confidence and communication skills.”

The students chose a variety of occupations to try out – from administrational work in offices and helping out in classrooms in local schools, to becoming health care assistants in hospitals and care homes. A lot of students also did “hands on jobs” in many shops in town while others preferred manual work in mechanic workshops and electronic companies.

A week of hard work and the “jump into the deep end” had clearly not fazed the students; they still had very positive comments about their time at the businesses. “This placement has helped me to grow in confidence and I understand now what it is like to work alongside others. I have also found out what qualifications are needed for this job,” says

Sophia Bell who worked at Kings Park Infant School. “It has been a lovely week. I didn’t want the work experience to end,” was the verdict of Deanna Elliott about her placement at Generations Unisex Hair Shop in Dereham.

The feedback from the employers was also outstanding. “Charlie Wright fitted in really well from day one – capable and confident, he is able to quickly pick up on what is going on. Should we have a place when Charlie leaves school we would take him on,” said Roland LeRoy from Roly’s Performance Centre in Dereham. “It has been a pleasure to have Billy Collier in Sapphire class this week. He has formed good relationships with the children and used his own initiative - a model student,” said Rebecca Sedgwick from Dereham Church Infant School.

Well done to Year 10 whose behaviour and effort was outstanding!

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Prom

PromClass of 2014 Leavers’ PromOn a Friday evening that threatened inclement weather a large cavalcade of modes of transport slowly made its way up the drive to Lenwade House Hotel. This is the first time we have had the arrival at this venue and it was lovely to see so many onlookers there to enjoy the spectacle. There were some hairy moments as the cabs of HGVs manoeuvred through the crowds. As always the variety of vehicles was amazing, one of

the two HGV cabs was personalised with the occupant’s name; there were Jeeps and Ferraris, motor bikes and camper vans, the list goes on!Lenwade House is a stunning building set in clear countryside with magnificent views over the river. Mr O’Brien said ‘the sofa in the lounge area is the most comfortable in Norfolk’, and it certainly seemed to attract groups who enjoyed sitting and chilling there during the evening. Other groups enjoyed chatting on the beautiful sun terrace – when it wasn’t raining - overlooking the curve of the river.Some 165 students and 21 staff were treated to a lovely meal in the vast marquee decked out with black and silver lanterns and “ice” chairs that sparkled in the lights. With three delicious options to choose from for starter and main, and two scrumptious and very sinful desserts, all tastes were catered for.The students all looked amazing; girls

in dresses ranging from full net layered confections to slimline sparkles, and the boys all looking the part in a vast array of suits and jackets; we even had one in full Scottish regalia! They suddenly all looked so grown up.Once the meal was over the revellers took to the dance floor and there was no room to be had. They danced the night away to party favourites until it was time to go home or at least on to the all-important after party. All in all, it was a lovely way to celebrate the end of Year 11 and the start of the Class of 2014 making their way in the world. We wish them best of luck with all they do.

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neatherd.orgFriends of Neatherd

Friends of NeatherdYou may or may not be aware of the work and support provided by the school Parent Teacher Association – the Friends of Neatherd High School. One of our primary aims is to raise funds for equipment and facilities that the school would otherwise simply not be able to afford. As budgets decrease, the support of the Friends becomes ever more important. Last year alone the Friends raised and donated over £4000 to several different departments. This included a digital SLR camera for the Media Studies department; three food processors and a deep fat fryer for the Food Technology department; a control system and strip heater for Design and Technology; mannequins for the Textiles department; lovely new team kits for P.E.; a class set of atlases for Geography; Team Leader ties, and vouchers for the Reward Shop - we can make the funds raised go a long way! The departments and students really appreciate these donations as they can make a real difference to the quality and type of teaching being offered. So far this year we have been involved in the Community Well-being Day, a fantastic afternoon with numerous events and information about the whole range of well-being; this day raised a fantastic £93.68 alone. We have also been involved with the ‘Party in the Picnic Area’, which had live music and dance from the local community and raised £134.59. Our ever popular Quiz and Chips night raised £89.81. All these events are held at the school and are a good way for parents and teachers to socialise and have fun.

All of this could not be achieved without your help. We always need, and welcome, new members and ideas for fundraising. Your support would be much appreciated; if you would like to help please e-mail us at: friends@neatherd.org and we will let you know when the next meeting is. If you cannot attend the meetings but would like to help at our events, then please e-mail and ask to be added to our helpers list. We look forward to hearing from you!

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