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Transcript of Reader spring 1 v2
RIDGEWAY STUDENTS REACH FOR THE TOP!
Ridgeway Reader January—February 2016
All the latest news from Ridgeway High School
2
In this issue...
Ridgeway Reader Noctorum Avenue Prenton Wirral CH43 9EB
www.ridgewayhighschool.co.uk
email: [email protected]
Tel: 0151 678 3322 Fax: 0151 678 6571
3 Headteacher’s Welcome
4 Year 7 English
5 Science Club
6 Mathematics Mastery
8 Where are they now?
9 The journey into higher education
11 MFL trip to Manchester Metropolitan University
12 Modelling challenge
13 Jaguar Land Rover
14 Christmas round-up
16 Independent learning
17 Trip to London
18 Remembering the Holocaust
19 Sue Taylor
20 Creativity and Enterprise update
22 Out and about with Travel and Tourism
23 Tomorrow’s engineers
24 PE news and updates
28 Upcoming events
Attendance Form %
7BL 96.1
7BA 92.8
7RE 92.5
7YL 95.8
7GR 94.5
7BA1 95.5
8BL 95.4
8BA 93.8
8RE 95.1
8YL 92.7
8GR 95.5
8BL1 93.1
9YL 94
9RE 92.1
9GR 91.7
9BL 95.2
9BA 95.4
10BL 94.6
10BA 91
10GR 92.1
10RE 89.3
10YL 96.2
10GR1 92.6
10RE1 88.1
11BL 96.5
11YL 97.3
11BA 89.5
11GR 90.8
11RE 83.5
Total 93.5
3
Reading through this edition of the
Ridgeway Reader, my first thoughts were
‘If I could turn back time’ and take part in
all the amazing opportunities our
students are offered here at Ridgeway.
This term I have delivered an assembly,
asking the students how much they value
their education and making comparisons
with a school in Africa where the
classroom was outside and another
school in China with a class size of 250.
Sometimes in life, it is only when
something is taken away from us that we
realise how lucky we are. I am
exceptionally proud of the all-round
educational experiences that Ridgeway
offers to its students to develop skills,
knowledge and understanding and
ultimately to enable the fulfilment of
aspirations. I firmly believe that a school
is, of course, a place to study but also a
place that prepares students for adult life
and the world of work.
In January, performance tables for school
results were published. As I have
explained in previous editions, Ridgeway
always puts the needs of the students
first, offering a personalised curriculum
and also the opportunity of early entry.
This has proved successful in the past,
with students achieving good GCSE
grades and continuing onto a further
Headteacher’s Update
qualification, for example GCSE Statistics or A Level Maths.
Equally, other students have been able to learn from their
early-entry results and receive targeted intervention to
address areas for development. Sadly, this option has been
taken away because performance tables now only show the
results of first entry and some colleges and universities are
now only accepting first-entry results. If we compare like with
like, Ridgeway’s results in 2015 were 76% five or more GCSEs
at grade A* to C.
On a positive note, as a school, we took the decision to
further support 14 ex-students, who just missed their GCSE
English grade C in June as a result of a change to the grade
boundary by the examination board. In November, 11 of the
students achieved a grade C or higher and have now been
able to pursue their chosen courses post-16.
Moving forward, how students approach school – their
attitude to learning and their commitment to get involved in
the many exciting activities we offer – will make a significant
impact on their future. So will the development of resilience,
the ability to work in a team, to complete tasks
independently and to meet deadlines. All of these apply to
lessons in school, homework and the place of work. I
encourage parents to use our VLE to monitor your child’s
progress in each of these areas and to contact the school
should you have any concerns.
4
This is a piece of extended writing in English, written by Naomi Bista. In Years 7 and 8, the English curriculum
develops students’ writing skills and their use of language so that they are able to write for different purposes
and audiences. This is a piece of descriptive writing on the theme of circuses.
M iserably, the rain dripped down like maple syrup on pancakes. It was another one of those
off-putting days where the clouds were angry elephants blowing their trunks off at you.
However, I was still in the happiest of moods – no matter what the weather
threw at me.
I stood outside the 12-metre-tall faded tent, impatiently waiting for the curtains to open. The wind was wrestling
my small umbrella, disabling me from hearing the ticket seller painfully trying to speak to us before we went in.
Freakishly, the door of the ticket man’s stall creaked whilst we all shoved to get the best seats. As we sat down,
the big bright lights were switched off and the smell of the cheaply made popcorn danced in the sweaty, humid
air. I fussed and fidgeted in my seat trying to act comfortable (when really I wasn’t). I heard motor bikes roaring
from backstage as a crowd of clowns ran like gorillas, attacking each other with cream-filled pies.
Uncontrollably, the music crashed into my eardrums whilst the 4-foot-tall ringmaster stomped into the ring. He
was wearing a black and white suit (a bit too small for his size). Plump as a tomato, he held the microphone. His
voice croaked through our ears and contrasted with the excitement in the air.
There was performance after performance, act after act and amazement, lots of
amazement. The acrobats flew through the air like monkeys and the tightrope
walkers ran across ropes and ropes, as if it were solid ground. The best had to be the
Death Globe, a massive sphere in which motorbikes ride riskily around the inside.
Naomi Bista, 7BL
A focus on writing...
LITERACY
5
Investigating the fascinating world of science
Science Club Opportunities for enrichment in the subjects you love
Science Club is all about allowing students to dig deeper in their understanding of science, to follow their
enthusiasms and to explore aspects of science they find particularly interesting. The emphasis is very much on
practical experimentation, which lies at the heart of good science work. Last term, the group finished by
investigating the world of fire. This term, the focus is on forensic science and its practical uses.
A love of learning...
INVESTIGATION
6
The application of mathematics in the real world
Thirty Year 7 and Year 8 students
recently took part in a Maths Activity
Day – and great fun was had by all!
The focus was on the use of
mathematical skills to solve real-life
problems. The day itself was arranged
in two halves. During the morning,
students rotated around three
activities.
The first activity was ‘Lego Memory’.
The students split into sub-teams to
develop their organisational and
communication skills as well as using
mathematics skills, including nets,
elevations and finance.
The second activity was ‘Let’s Go
Shopping’, in which students had to
work together to find the missing items
from a mystery shopping list. This
activity
emphasised trial
and error and
calculating costs.
The third activity
was ‘New York,
New York’, in
which
students had
to organise a
journey from
Wirral to New
York, using
information
provided,
including journey prices and timetables. This developed
knowledge and understanding of planning a schedule and
costing a journey, as well as speed, distance and time.
The afternoon was ‘Breakout Ridgeway’. In this activity the students, again in
teams, had to prevent a missile from going off by solving puzzles to unlock
codes and reveal new puzzles. The competitive side of the students really
shone during this activity and it was a close race to the finish line.
Kelsie Eccles, who took part in the day, said: “It was a really fun day and it has
helped me improve my maths. It will help me in the future and I can’t wait for
the next Maths Activity Day.”
Theory into practice...
PROBLEM SOLVING
7
Mastering subjects...
ACADEMIC RIGOUR
What is ‘Mathematics Mastery’?
‘Mastery’ is deep understanding of a particular subject. ‘Mathematics
Mastery’ is an innovative approach to teaching mathematics, spending
more time on fewer topics but studied in greater depth. Problem
solving is an important part of this approach to learning. It promises to
make mathematics fun and relevant, allowing every young person the
opportunity to excel in this crucial subject area.
Meanwhile, mastery in Year 11 separate
sciences involves students in their chemistry
lessons [above] carrying out acid base
titrations using phenolphthalein.
These are common A-Level experiments so
we teach students how to use the apparatus
accurately in preparation for future studies.
8
Jess Owen: ambitions for a career in medicine
Jess was a Ridgeway High School
student from 2007 to 2012. At the
time she joined Ridgeway aged 11, she
dreamt of becoming a doctor or a vet—
an ambition that many young children
have.
Her favourite subjects in school were
Maths and Art. She also enjoyed
Spanish and Textiles and remembers
fondly trips to Spain in Year 8 and Year
10.
After successfully completing her
GCSEs, Jess moved on to Calday Grange
Grammar School to study Biology,
Chemistry, Art and Maths at A Level.
Seven years on, now aged 18, Jess was
still determined to go down the route of
a career in some form of medicine and
so opted to study Biomedical Sciences
at Leeds Beckett University.
After a year of study, Jess was
unfortunately forced to postpone her
medical dreams, due to illness. Having
missed a great deal of work, she was
unable to continue with her course.
Happily, Jess is now back at university in
Where are they now…?
ASPIRATION
Where are they now?
This is a new feature for the Ridgeway Reader, an update on ex-students
of Ridgeway High School—where they are now and what career choice
they have made.
If you would like to be featured in our “Where are they now” updates, or if
you know someone who has a particularly interesting story to tell, please
email: [email protected]
Leeds, studying Sports
and Exercise Therapy
but her dreams of
becoming a doctor are
still at the forefront of
her mind and she says
that it is probably
something she will
pursue when she has
completed her current
course.
During university
holidays, Jess regularly
comes back to Ridgeway
to work in ‘Admin’, a role she thoroughly enjoys. When she is next back at
Ridgeway, she will also be working with the Science department to gain
invaluable experience for her future career.
9
The road to ‘Oxbridge’ starts here...
Year 10 and Year 11 students and their
families were invited to a talk in school
on university applications. The speaker
was Lucy Dixon of St Peter’s College,
Oxford University.
The audience was given information
from Lucy on how university
applications work, with advice on how
different A level choices can either
‘open up’ university courses or ‘close
them down’. Lucy’s message is that
our students need to begin now to
consider what subject area(s) they
might be interested in studying at
degree level in order to ensure that
they choose appropriate A level
courses.
The myths of student finance were also
discussed. Parents were relieved to
hear of the support that is available
from Oxford University and also from
other universities, as well as the
government loans that are on offer.
Lucy explained how this money is
shared out and what it can be used for.
She explained how loans are repaid,
Amazing opportunities...
AMBITION
Dispelling myths about university ‘elitism’
There are no barriers of class or educational background stopping people
from winning a place at one of our top universities. It may have been the
case in the past but it certainly is no longer so. Universities—including
Oxford and Cambridge—are not interested in where you come from, what
you look and sound like or how wealthy your family is. They are interested
in four things: merit, promise, enthusiasm and motivation.
which certainly
assuaged fears
that only wealthy
people can afford
to go to university.
There are loans,
grants and
bursaries open to
all, based on
parental income.
Overall, the talk
was very
informative, with students and parents having their questions answered by
Lucy. She helped to dispel myths, offered sound advice and gave important
information, which will help students as they begin the process of making
critical decisions that will shape their future.
Opening—not closing—doors
10
Punting on the Cam in January
The final university fact-finding visit
for Year 11 took us to Cambridge
University, reports Mr Heayns.
Liverpool and Lancaster gave us
experiences of a city and then a
campus setting; Cambridge offers
both – at one of the world’s top
universities.
We were treated to a chauffeured
punt down the River Cam and a
historical tour of the colleges that
make up Cambridge University. On
a crisp January day, we were
relieved that Scudamore Punts
were giving us blankets and hot
water bottles.
We also took in a tour of the city,
seeing some of the centuries-old
architecture of the colleges with the
modern city built neatly in the gaps.
By the time we arrived back at the
A world of opportunities...
AMBITION
hostel after tea, students and
teachers alike were ready for a sit-
down and a rest after walking seven
miles around the city.
Our second day involved a visit to
Magdalene College. The morning
consisted of a tour around the college buildings provided by two student
helpers, both from the North West. They described what university life at
Cambridge is like, the facilities on offer and the accommodation. After
visiting the quirky pet cemetery, the former Archbishop of Canterbury’s
house, the Fellows’ Garden and the main hall, we had exhausted our guides
with question after question. It was time for lunch!
The afternoon was filled with touring Christ College and St John’s College.
The magnificent architecture and facilities certainly turned a few heads, not
least the ‘random section’ of St John’s College library with gifts such as a
fossilised snake and a papier-mâché mask of William Wilberforce. The day
concluded with an informative talk on university funding, which helped to
dispel any lingering myths around Cambridge University.
Our adventure ended with me reading an extremely rare first-edition French
Revolution book in the last library of our tour…whilst everyone else was
waiting on the minibus so that the long journey
home could begin.
Our aim is that the combination of trips to Liverpool,
Lancaster and Cambridge have helped open the
eyes of our students to the opportunities and
possibilities that await them after Ridgeway.
11
Enrichment at Manchester Metropolitan University A group of 27 Year 8 students were chosen to attend
a language enrichment event held at Manchester
Metropolitan University in January, reports Mrs
Cooper. The event was organised by The Routes into
Languages North West Consortium, who work with
young people across the region to encourage them to
study languages, with the aim of increasing the take-
up of languages from school to university.
Students
began the day
by listening to
a talk by guest
speaker
Carmen Herrero in which she explained how
important and useful studying a foreign language can
be. Some of the facts and figures shocked our
students. For example, only 33% of British people can
speak a second language. At Ridgeway High School,
all of our students study either French or Spanish.
Another eye-opening statistic is that 75% of the
world’s population speaks no English whatsoever.
This definitely puts an end to the common
misconception that everyone around the world
speaks English! In fact, there are over 5,000 different
languages in the world. Business leaders say that, in
the future, the three world languages which will be
most in demand are French, Spanish and Mandarin.
A love of languages...
ENRICHMENT
Our Year 8s
loved
experiencing
a taste of
university
life for the
day, and
were especially fascinated by the lecture theatre. Did you know
that celebrities including JK Rowling, Jonathan Ross, Lucy Liu,
Rory Bremner, Fiona Bruce, Chris Martin and Nigella Lawson all
studied languages at university?
We began with traditional Arabic dancing, which we know better
as ‘belly dancing’. As you can see from the above photo, our
students found it hilarious. Next up, they tried their hand at
Chinese calligraphy – much more difficult than it looks!
After lunch, we
attended both an
Arabic and a Farsi
taster lesson.
Students quickly
mastered the
basics and before
long they were
having a short conversation!
Mrs Cooper, who organised the trip, said: “Students had a hugely
enjoyable and successful day. In fact, the only difficulty they had
was how to use a revolving door…”
12
House challenges promote a spirit of competition
ENTERPRISE
A competitive ethos...
Early in December, teams of students from
each House spent a day off timetable to
compete in an exciting Design Technology
competition. The challenge was to build a
model bridge that would hold as much
weight as possible, span a distance of a
scaled river without disturbing any of the
natural river life, and look aesthetically
pleasing to its users!
Each team prepared for the event during
Academic Review time earlier that week
and many students came with ideas and
possible designs to discuss.
They worked extremely hard throughout
the day and each team created a
presentation board of research and design
work and a completed bridge. The teams
all participated in the presentation and
then tested their bridges
against each other in a nail
-biting competition in
which many of the bridges
were destroyed. Large
weights were placed on
the bridges to see what they could sustain.
All of the bridges collapsed except for the final two – Wellington and
Madrid – who built exceptionally strong structures. The teams
demonstrated excellent team work and enthusiasm, creating
dynamic and convincing sales pitches for their bridges. Their
research was well-developed and evident in their designs.
Mr Golding, our judge, said: “I have been involved in this kind
of competition before but these designs are fantastic, some
of the best I have ever seen!” Huge congratulations to the
winning team, ‘Wellington’, who managed to nudge in front
of Madrid with an excellent presentation, and to all the
participants for an excellent event.
13
An amazing day at Jaguar Land Rover
Year 10 Product Design students recently
enjoyed an amazing day at the Jaguar Land
Rover factory in Halewood. Here they learnt
first-hand about a range of topics such as
mass production, flexible manufacturing,
‘just in time’ production and lean
manufacturing. They gained a valuable
insight into different quality control and
quality assurance procedures, which they
can now use in their Product Design work.
Students were taken to the factory and
given a tour around different manufacturing
stations. They saw cars at different stages of
manufacture and witnessed the amazingly
well-organised procedure that allows high-
quality cars to be produced quickly and with
little wasted time and money.
We saw the press
forming of car doors
and spot welding of
body parts, as well as
assembly and finishing
techniques. They
were also able to see the new James Bond car during its visit to
the factory.
Part of the day was also dedicated to challenging the students.
They were asked to create a vehicle of their own design and race
it along a track to see which car travelled furthest. Teams worked
hard to develop strong, aerodynamic cars and tracks that would
allow the vehicles to travel along them smoothly and without
collision.
This was an excellent day out of school, seeing theory put into
practice and the application of Product Design learning in the
workplace.
Learning from the experts...
INDUSTRY
14
Christmas round-up...
TRADITION
As the last edition of the Ridgeway Reader went to print early in December, Ridgeway was busy entering into
the spirit of Christmas. Here is a snapshot of activities from the season of goodwill.
This year’s Christmas Showcase featured the musical and
theatrical talents of students from across the year groups,
including performances from GCSE Year 11 students, Year
7 dancers, Grade 2 and Grade 5 music students and
members of Singing Club.
Miss Bonsall says: “A particular highlight for me as
producer was the Year 9 boys doing ‘Bouncers’. Their
comic timing was genius. A special mention should also go
to Connor Styring, who stepped in to cover an absent
colleague as well as delivering his own GCSE monologue
immaculately!”
Another proud Ridgeway tradition is the senior citizens’
Christmas meal, which is planned, prepared and hosted by
staff and students. Once again, Miss Grady and her team
did an amazing job and it was evident from the response
of our guests how much they enjoyed the occasion.
Steve Morris, from Age UK Wirral, who supported at the
event, sent Miss Grady the following email:
“I attended this afternoon’s lunch at your school and would
like to thank you for a lovely time. I was the escort on our
Age UK Wirral Transport Bus and everyone we brought to
the venue all commented how much they loved and
enjoyed the day out. They all had smiles on their
faces and commented how lovely the staff and
children were towards them.”
15
Another Christmas highlight for Miss Bonsall was singing in
the community [see above]. “We sang at Arrowe Park
twice where we raised money for Ronald McDonald
House. We also sang at Dundoran Nursing Home. The
children also raised money for RNIB in Tesco Bidston.”
The students were a delight to take into the community,
says Miss Bonsall. One member of the public, passing
through the hospital, commented: “You have put a smile
on my face this Christmas, even though it’s a very difficult
time for our family.”
The patients really appreciated and enjoyed the singing,
which was recorded and played over the hospital radio on
Christmas Day.
COMMUNITY
On the Wednesday before school closed for Christmas, a
group of Year 11 students took twelve rucksacks [see
below] down to the YMCA in Birkenhead, along with five
more holdalls of warm clothing to donate towards helping
the homeless.
In addition to preparing for their mock examinations,
students in Miss Lawrie’s form were busy fundraising. Staff
and students donated clothes, blankets and other
essentials – as well as money – to the appeal. Leftover
money was used to buy food for Charles Thompson’s
Mission in Birkenhead, which is providing Christmas dinner
for the homeless and elderly.
Miss Lawrie said: “I must say a massive ‘well done’ to
Lauren Barnes, Olivia Gartland, Jasmine Luton and
Shauna Clarke for their efforts. They have been a credit to
the school. When the students went by minibus to drop off
their collection of rucksacks at Birkenhead YMCA, the
welcome they received was overwhelming.”
Mr Taylor added: “Moments like these are truly special
and cannot be taught; they have to be experienced.”
16
Mr Heayns runs an Independent Learning Challenge programme with students in Years 7 and 8 who show a particular
aptitude for academic learning. This Year 7 challenge focused on the infamous King Richard III, whose remains were
recently discovered and re-buried in Leicester. This is an outstanding piece of work from Iftikhar Haque in Year 7.
R ichard III was king between 1483 and 1485. After King Edward IV died in April 1483,
the elder of his two sons was heir to the throne and became Edward V. The boy’s
uncle was Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who was supposed to help Edward until he
was old enough to rule alone, but instead Richard made himself King Richard III in the
month of June 1483 until he was defeated at the Battle of Bosworth by his rival Henry Tudor who
became King Henry VII.
There is evidence that Richard was physically horrible. For example, John Rous said, “…born with
teeth….hair down to his shoulders,” while in William Shakespeare’s play, Richard is described as, “born only half finished…so
ugly that dogs bark at him as he walked by”. Sir Thomas More and John Paynter described him as “hunchback”.
However, there is also evidence that there was nothing physically unusual or horrible about Richard. Nicholas von Poppelau
described Richard as “….three fingers taller than me and much slimmer. He had thin arms and legs and a great heart”. As
well as John Stowe, who said, “Fairly pleasing to look at….small in height”. Polydor Vergil said, “….took on John
Cheney….wrestled him to the ground…killed fighting bravely”.
I have looked at several different sources of evidence about Richard. For example, there is the evidence of Nicholas von
Poppelau, who was friends with Richard, which I think was true. Another piece of evidence, which I think might be true, is
by John Stowe who talked to people who were alive before Richard died. The evidence of Thomas More, who was Henry
VII’s worker, I think was unreliable.
In the beginning my opinion about Richard III was that he was a greedy and ruthless person, who got rid of his nephews so
he could become King, and that he was a deformed hunchback. However, after reading further sources by Nicholas von
Poppelau, John Stowe and Polydore Vergil, my opinion changed. For me the most convincing account was by Polydore
Vergil who actually worked for Henry VII but said lots of good things about Richard. Also, historians now say that this
portrayal of Richard as an evil, deformed hunchback is incorrect. I don’t find other evidence convincing. For example, I
don’t trust accounts by William Shakespeare as he often altered what really happened in his history plays to make them
more exciting for the audience.
Iftikhar Haque, 7YL
Learning to learn...
INDEPENDENCE
17
Respecting democracy, respecting our heritage In early December, 35 students made the long
journey to London to visit the Houses of Parliament
and learn about the history of our democracy,
reports Mr Worthington. On the way, we stopped off
at Oxford Ice Rink and spent an afternoon on the ice,
learning new skills. Star performers included Megan
Edwards, who discovered that she could in fact ice
skate, despite telling all the staff that she could not!
Arriving in London, we enjoyed a Chinese banquet in
the heart of London’s Chinatown. The staff at Wong
Kei’s made us feel very welcome and ensured that we
left with full stomachs after a huge amount of tasty
Chinese food.
After our meal, we were taken for a trip on the
London Eye, the famous London landmark. As it was
night-time, London was ablaze with lights and it was
thrilling to see the capital laid out
before us. We spotted famous
landmarks such as Canary Wharf, the
Palace of Westminster and the
Wembley Stadium arch. Despite
some students (and staff!) being
afraid of heights, everyone loved this
part of the trip.
We spent the night in a youth hostel
near St Paul’s Cathedral. The sound
A capital adventure...
BRITISH VALUES
of chiming bells from the famous cathedral kept many of us
awake deep into the night.
The next day, we were woken early and, after a hearty breakfast,
made our way to the Palace of Westminster for a tour of the
Houses of Parliament. We ventured inside the House of
Commons to stand where famous names from the past, such as
Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair, once stood.
We learned about the history of parliament from its beginnings in
the thirteenth century to modern-day stories of campaigners
such as the Suffragettes. We also visited the Great Hall and stood
on the same spot where statesmen such as Barack Obama and
Nelson Mandela have addressed Britain’s parliamentarians.
Below: The students’ spectacular view of London from the top of
the London Eye.
18
Pledging to make the world a better place On 27 January, which is Holocaust
Memorial Day, two Ridgeway students -
Phoebe Clarke and Kieron McMahon -
delivered a presentation to Wirral
schoolchildren, along with important
local leaders, including the deputy
mayor, about their trip to Auschwitz and
Krakow, which took place in June 2015.
Both Phoebe and Kieron were able to explain what
they learnt about their time in Poland and how it had
changed how they see the world now. Also in the
audience was Joanna Millan, herself a Holocaust
survivor, who was taking part in Wirral’s annual
A sense of history...
RESPECT
Holocaust Memorial Day commemoration. At the end of the
event, Phoebe and Kieron were presented with signed copies of
Joanna’s book, Orphaned and Alone: The Story of One Holocaust
Survivor.
Meanwhile, a few days earlier, reports Mr Worthington, 19
students attended a special event in Liverpool, as part of their
preparations for their forthcoming Poland visit in June.
They spent some time in school learning about the work of Sir
Nicholas Winton, who organised the rescue of 669 mainly Jewish
children from Czechoslovakia in 1939. At the FACT media arts
centre in Liverpool, they watched a moving film about this rescue
and were able to hear the testimony of one of those survivors,
Lady Milena Grenfell-Baines. Students listened to Lady Milena’s
story and were moved by seeing the objects she had brought
with her, which helped illustrate her story. The message that she
left us was simply to “be a decent person”.
Left: Kieron and Phoebe with Joanna Millan, a survivor of the
Holocaust
19
Students past and present pay their respects Over the Christmas period, our Facebook page showed a photograph of Sue Taylor, our long-serving midday assistant,
who was retiring after twenty-eight years with us. The response was incredible. The post ‘reached’ thirty thousand
people, there were five hundred ‘likes’ and over one hundred people posted affectionate, heart-warming comments
about Sue, including ex-students from as far back as the 1980s and 1990s.
A Ridgeway community…
RESPECT
Below: Sue Taylor with Jayne Lloyd on the day of Sue’s
retirement after twenty-eight years’ service to the school
My favourite dinner lady. Such a lovely person who
made my day with her smile every lunch. Can't believe
she's leaving—hope she has a good retirement.
Awwww I left Ridgeway in 1998 and I remember
Sue. Good luck Sue xxxx
Wow happy retirement! Sue was there when I was
there from 1988 to 1993 and she was lovely back
then too xx
Enjoy your retirement. You were there when I was
‘92-’97. Didn't realise you still were a dinner lady.
Much love xx
AWWW little miss. She was my Dinner lady xxxxx
20
Application of skills to make worthwhile products
INNOVATION
Creativity and enterprise...
Over the last term, Year 7 students have been designing and
making a "Pod Dock", a cushioned dock to hold their phone.
In making their product, students have practised a number of
skills, such as the use of applique, a sewing technique that
involves stitching a small piece of fabric onto a larger one to
make a pattern or design. The docks are sewn together on a
sewing machine before being stuffed and weighted down.
Meanwhile, Year 8 students have been hard at work making
an LED lamp, using specialist software (in this case, 2D
Design) and equipment such as a laser-cutter. They use a
process called sublimation printing to print pictures or
colours to their fabric lamp before they are laser-cut.
Students have also been using techniques such as soldering
circuits together and sewing to make their lamps. Above: In Food lessons, Year 7 students have designed a
healthy scone-based pizza, using an interesting and
original design. Leo [above] created a ‘face’ design.
21
The exhilaration of live performance
CONFIDENCE
Building self-assurance...
In Year 7, music students have been developing their
understanding of samba through various performance
opportunities. Students thoroughly enjoy performing as a
class on the school samba kit, says Miss Morgan. This
helps them to improve their understanding of musical
fusion and to practise different
performance techniques.
In Year 11, Performing Arts students have been working
hard to perfect their assessment performances for the
GCSE examination. Many of them have worked in
collaboration to
demonstrate their
complementary skills. An
example of this is Adeana
Traynor and Jessica
Preston. Adeana has
worked hard to develop
her dancing, while Jessica
enhanced her performance through her understanding
of costume and make-up. The overall effect of this
collaboration was astounding, says Miss Bonsall.
22
Investigating the world around us
Year 9 Travel and Tourism students have
got off to a flying start with opportunities
to carry out fieldwork for their coursework
units. On two consecutive weeks they
have been lucky enough to visit the
Museum of Liverpool on the Albert Dock
and its many exhibitions, including the
football-focused 'Are You Red or Blue?' and
the History of The Beatles show. Students
are expected to look at all exhibitions with
a critical eye and to consider how they
would be suited to different types of
tourist, such as a school party, a young
family or a group of OAPs.
The students will also be visiting the
Liverpool World Museum. This will
enable them to compare and contrast
the two attractions and to weigh up the
strengths and weaknesses of each.
The group have also found time to look
around the ‘Stavros S Niarchos’, which
has been berthed in the Canning Dock
over the winter, predominantly for
maintenance but also for the benefit of
local young people, who are able to go
on board and see for themselves how
Tall Ships Experiences
Opportunities of a lifetime...
The ‘Stavros S Niarchos’ is a British brig-rigged tall ship owned and
operated by a charity called the Tall Ships Youth Trust. She is primarily
designed to provide young people with the opportunity to undertake
voyages as character-building exercises.
Through the energy and commitment of PC Parry, our embedded police
liaison officer, Ridgeway High School has a proud tradition of offering
students life-changing experiences around the British coastline.
Outside the classroom...
ACTIVE LEARNING
the ship functions. We were welcomed aboard by the captain and
second mate and given an insight into day-to-day life during a voyage
and the workings of the ship.
23
Ridgeway students prepare for lift-off!
In the Computing department, Mr Cross
has been working hard with students to
choose a Ridgeway team to compete in
this year’s Tomorrow’s Engineers EEP
Robotics Challenge. Ridgeway High
School is one of only 100 regional schools
selected for entry this year in a robotics
challenge that will involve them in ‘space
missions’!
Teamwork,
robots, design,
discovery, fun
and loads of
LEGO are all part
of an incredible mix. This school-based
competition encourages students to
solve real-world engineering, technology
and computing challenges.
The team of 20-30 KS3 students will be
expected to build a robot, to present
research ideas to a panel of judges and
to compete in a set of space-based
challenges against other schools.
Twenty of the 100 schools competing in
the regional event will be selected to
take part in a national final in July at the
Ricoh arena in Coventry.
What is ‘STEM Learning’? Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics...
STEM Learning is an approach to education that aims to bring together
teaching and learning in these four closely-related curriculum areas.
Preparing young people for the economic and technological challenges of
the twenty-first century is a key element of a high-quality education.
Engineering the future...
CHALLENGE
As well as team accolades and prizes, there will be individual prizes
awarded to team members for specific contributions.
This is the second year the event has taken place. As part of the support
package, LEGO Education have provided £1800 in the form of educational
robotics kits free to each school. Mr Cross says: “Regardless of the
outcome of the competition, the school keeps all of the kit so there is a
fantastic opportunity to further develop ‘STEM’ learning in the
classroom.”
Above: Attendance and enthusiasm levels are through the roof at Mr
Cross’s Computing Club
24
Boys’ basketball
Mr Beattie reports: “The Year 7 basketball team
were involved in a hard-fought contest against
Calday in the Wirral Cup. Calday eventually came
out on top, winning narrowly by 3 baskets. This
unfortunately spells the end of the road in this
competition for our lads this year but there is
plenty to build on. Several of the players are also
involved in the Year 8 team, who are doing
phenomenally well.”
In fact, the Year 8 basketball team beat Bluecoat
Grammar School in the National League. Mr
Charles adds: “The boys have done amazingly well.
They have won their regional league and are now
playing at the county finals stage. This is, without
doubt, the best result we have ever achieved in
basketball.”
The Year 9 team have made great progress again
this year. This is the first year the boys have played
in the national competition and they have come up
against tough opponents, who regularly reach
national finals. The knock-on effect of this success
is that they have reached the Wirral finals for the
second consecutive year, after comfortably beating
Woodchurch. Mr Murphy says: “The boys have
made excellent progress due to their hard work in
training. They have raised their standards as a
result of competing at a higher level. Oliver Hobson has been a
real leader. Hopefully we can celebrate with some trophies.”
Mr Charles reports on Year 11: “The boys have also been
successful. They beat Woodchurch 32-30 in a highly competitive
game. They are training hard and, if they win their next game,
they have qualified for the Wirral final.”
PARTICIPATION
From strength to strength...
25
More on boys’ PE
“The standard of basketball in the school at the
moment reminds me of the glory years of the
‘80s and ‘90s, when Ridgeway was something of
a basketball powerhouse. We have packed
squads in all year groups, enthusiastically
attending training and up for competition.
In the past, players might leave Ridgeway and
possibly never pick up a ball again. We now have
current and ex-students competing in local
basketball leagues. A local team now trains at
Ridgeway on Wednesday evenings, offering
training for students not just from Ridgeway but
for anyone local with an interest in the game.
This all fired me with the belief that my Year 10
team would perform at a high level. They did not
disappoint. I said from the start that I didn’t care
if they won or lost. What mattered to me was
how they handled the pressure and the attitude
they showed on the court. From an overtime
thriller in Birchwood to a hard-fought encounter
against Ellesmere Port, they showed an
impressive hunger to compete.
Josh Hughes has trained tirelessly to make
himself into a talented ball player and doesn’t
lack the confidence to showcase his skills against
any opponent. David Gravett has grown into a
defensive colossus. Kieran McKay’s movement
shows a court awareness he has worked hard to
attain. I could go on about the whole team at an
individual level (Ryan McCabe, Jack Harris and
Matthew Lidgate were superb in the dismantling
of Woodchurch), but, in truth, they have all made
me immensely proud as coach.”
COMMITMENT
Building on tradition...
Mr Barney—ex-student—on basketball over the years
The Year 9 table tennis team won the area finals against Birkenhead
Park and Woodchurch. As a result, they have now qualified for the
regional finals. Mr Charles says: “Well done to everyone and
particularly William Burkhill, Jonty Hughes and Dylan Roden.”
The Year 10/11 table tennis team finished third overall. William
Burkhill again stepped up and demonstrated why he is seeded
Number 1 on the Wirral, winning every game, even against students
older than him!
Mr Beattie says: “Due to poor weather, the Year 7 boys’ football
fixtures this half-term have been hit hard and we have been unable
to play any competitive fixtures. I am pleased that the boys have
shown a commitment to training each week and we are due to start
our assault on the Merseyside and Wirral cups in the coming weeks.
A tough fixture against St Hilda’s in the first round of the Merseyside
Cup will provide a stern test but we are confident we can cause
them problems, especially with Billy Rainbow leading the way in
goals for the team this season.”
Mr Murphy adds: “The weather has limited the number of fixtures
this term. However the Year 11 team finished second in the Wirral
‘futsal’ competition at Tranmere Rovers, with captain Ellis Byrne the
stand-out player.
26
Miss Campbell’s report
Football
The Year 7/8 girls have been training
really hard to improve their game.
They played a highly competitive
match against Plessington. Paige
Kearney created a number of chances
to put Ridgeway into the lead, scoring
in the second-half before Jade
Williams added a second shortly after.
The game eventually finished 2-1. I
was thrilled with the performance and
the girls too were happy with how they
played. A special mention goes to
Player of the Match Paige Kearney,
who was outstanding.
The Year 9/10 girls also played their
first match of the half-term against
Plessington. Having been beaten last
term, they were determined to win this time around. Jayde Renner got
Ridgeway off to a great start with a super goal. Shortly afterwards, she
scored again – and then again! The final score was 3-1 to Ridgeway. Our hat-
trick hero Jayde Renner was deservedly Player of the Match.
Year 7 Badminton Club
I am delighted that some of the Year 7 girls have taken on a new sporting
challenge this term. They asked if I would set up a badminton club and train
them so that they can play competitively against other schools. So we agreed
that, every Friday night, they come to Badminton Club to learn the rules and
the skills of the game.
I must say that I have been highly impressed with how quickly they have
developed their skills. I feel that the girls are now ready to face some tough
competition against Upton, Wirral
Grammar and St Mary’s in the next few
weeks. A special mention goes to Naomi
Bista and Abby Barron, who have
trained particularly hard and improved
immensely in a short space of time.
Look out for further news in the next
issue!
RESILIENCE
Opportunities to excel...
27
Regional gymnastics championships
I am currently taking my GCSE Year 11 students to ‘Awesome Walls’ to
complete their climbing assessment, part of their GCSE PE course. All
students are enjoying the experience and are on target to achieve high
grades. The coaching staff at Awesome Walls have noted the positive
attitude and the climbing ability of our students, commenting on the
“exceptional” work that the girls have been doing.
last minute, said that she was too nervous to perform and yet achieved the
highest score out of all our entrants—a magnificent 8.2 out of 10.
Also, I should like to thank to Ciara Q’Quigley and Helen Zhen for giving up
their Sunday to come and help out. We’re all looking forward to next
year’s competition and will be busy in Trampoline Club between now and
then.
ENDEAVOUR
Competing against the best...
‘Awesome Walls’: GCSE Climbing
Miss Campbell reports: “Six students were
chosen to represent Ridgeway in the
Regional Schools Trampoline
Championships in December. Schools from
all over the North West were taking part.
Scoring was out of 10 for each
performance of the set routine and the
voluntary routine. Jay Boden,
Jake Stafford and Daniel Skillen
all entered the U-14 boys’ section,
Emily Davin and Ellie Whelan the
U-14 girls’ section and Elisha
Davin the U-19s. All of them
performed exceptionally. They
gave it their all and thoroughly
enjoyed the competition.
Jay Boden was placed second out
of the Wirral schools in his
category, which is an amazing
achievement, considering it is his
first ever competitive trampoline
competition. A special mention
goes to Elisha Davin who, until the
28
Ridgeway Reader January—February 2016
All the latest news from Ridgeway High School
Many thanks to Mrs Warbrick for her help and support in the production of this issue of the Ridgeway Reader.
Special thanks to...
School closes for the spring break. The construction of the New Build will begin over the holiday period.
Please note that Friday 25 March and Monday 28 March are Bank Holidays.
Friday 1 April
The PE sporting tour to Amsterdam leaves Ridgeway. It promises to be a fabulous experience, offering
exciting opportunities for high-level sport, for team building and for experiencing the local Dutch culture.
Wednesday 30 March
School re-opens for all students after the half-term break.
Monday 22 February
Upcoming Events