North Leamington School Parent Portal - Parent Bulletin -Autumn 1 2023

This College Bulletin has been written by the Year 13 and Year 9 Marketing Leaders.

Welcome Back College Assemblies:

We began the school year with College assemblies. These assemblies congratulated on the previous successes of the past year. The College Leaders welcomed the Year 7s and introduced them to their new College families. We feel it’s important for these assemblies to take place as it makes us aware of the key events taking place within the school year, including opportunities to partake in events within the College such as our ‘College Fortnight’ and also to compete in Inter-College competitions such as the Maths Bee and Sports Day later in the year.

Senior Student Leadership Training Day:

Being a school that prides itself on leadership opportunities, selecting the senior positions and training them for their roles was a vital event to begin the year. There was an impressive number and quality of applicants for each leadership role this year, and the best of these were hand-selected by the Sixth Form team. As candidates, we underwent an application process, including a presentation of our initiatives for the coming year. We all met together with Mr Foxon and Mr Schofield, who oversee our fantastic team. We explored leadership theory and planned out the year. This included completing a questionnaire to determine our own leadership styles. We have been meeting with our younger leaders who have been getting to grips with their own various roles and we are excited to see what they can bring to the table. It’s going to be a fantastic year, stay tuned!

Race for Life

Race for Life is an incredible charity event that brings people together to help fight against cancer. It’s a powerful movement where participants come together and run to raise funds for cancer research and by joining race for life you do not only contribute to ground breaking research but also show solidarity with those affected by this disease. It’s a meaningful way to make a difference and inspire hope for a cancer-free future. The event is organised by Cancer Research UK, a leading charity dedicated to finding new treatments and cures for cancer. They have been making significant strides in the fight against cancer thanks to the support and donations of people like the students and staff of NLS. Race for Life events take place all across the United Kingdom; NLS’s Race for Life has raised £2038 this year and brought us closer as a school community. Whether students chose to run, jog or walk every lap completed may help towards abolishing this horrible illness. Our school has been participating in this event for over ten years.

All students were encouraged to bring in a minimum donation of £1 each. They were also encouraged to wear pink accessories and/or pink face paint. Students were running a pre-measured lap of approximately 1 mile and tried to see how many laps they could manage in the given time. Teachers were really fun and motivational in supporting and guiding us around the fields and they kept a water stand up for us to stay hydrated.

Macmillan Coffee Morning

Autumn 1 has had other fantastic charity events and we concluded with a Macmillan Coffee Morning cake sale. The school bakers did not disappoint! Brownies, cupcakes, cracknels, and rocky roads lined the tables, each sold for 50p. Each College hosted their own table manned by our fantastic Charity Leaders. We had an incredibly successful turnout, with goods selling out in a matter of minutes! As a Sixth Form, we wore green to show our support for the excellent charity and the combination of all our donations will no doubt make a considerable difference to a great cause!

The Marketing Leaders

Year 7 – Using a Computer
This half term students have completed their learning on familiarising themselves with the school network and understanding how to use computers and the computer room safely and effectively. Students have learnt how to use OneNote for lessons and how to access work from home. Students have developed an awareness of how to be safe and responsible on the internet: fake websites, safe searching, copyright, staying safe online, cyber bullying, etc. including how to report these dangers.

Year 8 – Computational Thinking
This half term students have gained an understanding of the main theoretical concepts of Computational Thinking including the four cornerstones of Abstraction, Decomposition, Pattern Recognition and Algorithms. They have been able to apply these skills not only to computing concepts but also other subjects and every day activities. Students have also been re-introduced to the iDEA Award as their extra-curricular activity and possible stretch and challenge independent learning.

Year 9 – Cyber Explorers .. Did somebody say ‘Gogglebox’?!
This half term students have gained an understanding of the main concepts of cyber security through an online platform called ‘Cyber Explorers’ developed by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). We have been lucky to have had some ‘live’ lessons delivered by Gogglebox star Baasit Siddiqui!

Our GCSE students have continued to develop their programming skills using a high level language (Python).

Year 10 – GCSE Computer Science
Students have studied system software including operating systems and utility software. They are currently developing an understanding of the Cultural, Moral, Environmental and Legal issues surrounding computer science.

Year 11 – GCSE Computer Science
Students have moved onto answering exam style programming questions to demonstrate their understanding of python programming. On the theory side of things students are revisiting topics taught in Year 9 and 10 (Memory and Storage plus Networks) and being tested on more in depth exam style questions.

Year 12 – A Level Computer Science
Students have been learning about the structure and function of the CPU, different types of processors and input/output/storage systems for different purposes. They are developing their understanding of software (including translators, compilers and interpreters) plus looking at different software development methodologies and assembly language.

The National Videogame Museum trip is scheduled for 30 November, which successfully ran last year and gave students an invaluable insight into how games have developed over the years and provided ideas for their own Year 13 projects. Last year students looked at pixel art, this year the focus will be building a controller.

Year 13 – A Level Computer Science
Students have continued to develop their programming skills using a variety of high level languages (E.g. Python, SQL, HTML, CSS and JavaScript) and applying these skills to their individual programming projects combining this with their understanding of development methodologies to create the ‘story’ from beginning to end of their solution.

Extra Support – GCSE and A Level
For all our GCSE & A Level students there is a continued promotion of using the Smart Revise platform to develop and enhance student’s ability to recall information and facts plus improve their use of literacy and keywords around the subject. Your support by encouraging your child to engage with this at home on a regular basis is much appreciated. Each student has their own personal login and can access the platform on any device through a web browser. At GCSE we also run an after school support club once a week on Wednesdays with Mr Challice.

Computing Club
The club now has a regular steady group of students numbers from Years 7 to 10. Students have the opportunity to get involved in a range of activities from Coding to Lego to Games.

CISCO Certificates & iDEA Award
We are still continuing to offer CISCO certification and our next certificate (Linux Unhatched) has been released.

We also encourage all KS3 students to complete, at least, the Bronze award for iDEA. This is something students can access at home as well as in class; students have their own individual logins for these. This half term we have seen Aarav complete his Bronze certificate but also Shiuli is the first in the school to achieve the Silver certificate - well done Shiuli!

CyberCamps for Young Women and Non-Binary Students (13 – 19)

These courses are an invaluable addition to CV’s, references, College and University applications plus apprenticeships.

CyberCamps, is run by Cisco, in collaboration with the Open University and a collective of Female Cybersecurity experts from the NetAcad community. You do not need to be on any digital course – you could be exploring, it could be an extension activity or enable you to supplement your primary studies. It will consist of a 100% remote journey, through the new Cisco Cybersecurity Technician accreditation. The course already has over 100 signed up and growing. You can join anytime with sprints starting in October, January, April, July etc. We do not expect you to spend more than three hours a week, in fact, you could effectively spend only 30mins per week at the beginning. All courses are badged and contribute to your professional and career profiles. If you are interested please follow this link to learn more. Alternatively talk to Mr Sycamore in S218 – Computing Club for Girls running on Fridays (Week 1 only) would be a perfect place to engage in this opportunity.

Let’s Talk Games
The department have secured free tickets for our Computer Science Sixth Form students to the “Let’s Talk Games” event running at the Royal Spa Centre coming up on 28th November. Let's Talk Games is a games conference that features expert talks on the art and design of video games, how to get your foot in the door or what to study. It will be a day of insightful talks and networking opportunities with industry leaders and professionals. The speakers are experts in their respective fields and are ready to share their knowledge and experience with students. Let’s Talk Games link

This will be an invaluable vocational experience providing an insight into the various career opportunities this field can offer.

Computer Science – Celebrating Women in Computer Science and Black History Month

To celebrate Black History Month, and to also raise awareness of the role of women in computing, there was a screening of Hidden Figures after school on Friday 19^th October (part 1) and Friday 26^th October (part 2).

Computing Literacy
The Computer Science department now has a selection of fiction, non-fiction and coding books plus a range of revision guides available to loan from either the department itself or the school library to supplement homework and our literacy focus as a whole. We also have a large selection of computing magazines. We will be adding to this over the next year so, if you have any recommendations that you would like to see included, please email Mr Sycamore to add to the reading list.

KS3 Update

Year 7 students have been investigating representations of literary villains and analysing how writers use language to represent their various villainous idiosyncrasies. Students have also participated in the International Schools Project where they designed their own spy character which will be sent to our partnership school in India.

Students recently completed their first piece of homework and teachers’ desks have been overflowing with wonderful homework pieces since the start of October. Please see below for a sample of the fantastic work we have seen.

Year 8 have been analysing how writers represent prejudice/discrimination within society. They have been enjoying the engagement with the text and are keen to see how the plot develops.

8X3 ‘Shoebox of Memories’ homework - Students were tasked with creating a shoebox of all the things the main character from our current study, Refugee Boy, would want to keep with him as he immigrates to England from Eritrea/Ethiopia due to war and persecution.

Year 9 students have looked this term at morality through the analysis of the Gothic text ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’. Students have been thoroughly engaging with it, the complexities of the novel and winning the battle with the 19^th century language.

KS4 Update

In Year 10 this half-term, students have studied both unseen poetry and the Power and Conflict anthology poetry and continued to make a really pleasing effort to continue to develop their knowledge of the set GCSE texts. Students have developed their understanding of the assessment objectives. After half-term students will begin to study Dickens’ A Christmas Carol which will, not only prepare them for their GCSE English Literature Paper2, but ignite the festive fire as we move towards Christmas.

Year 11 have been revising poetry this half-term and have just completed their English Literature mock. This will give students a grade for English Literature Paper 2 and allow them to have a clear overview of what they are doing successfully and also further target areas of revision. In December Year 11 pupils will have mock exams for English Language Paper 1 and English Literature Paper 1. Pupils will therefore need to revise Macbeth and A Christmas Carol. They should also be working on developing creative writing skills. There will be a series of revision sessions running after half-term to supplement lessons and independent home learning. These sessions will offer students the opportunities to work with different English teachers and utilise the expertise they offer in the various elements of the English GCSEs.

KS5 Update

The department’s reputation for success at A Level and the experience that our students had at KS4 has meant we had excellent numbers of students for places on our A Level courses this year. All students have begun their respective courses wonderfully well this term are already adapting to the demands and rigour of Level 3 study.

In the interest of ensuring our KS5 students are engaged in reading for pleasure Mr Hoskin launched his Book Club with our A Level students. They have just started reading Milkman by Anna Burns and will continue to read and discuss seminal pieces of literature. This half term has also seen the launch of the Sixth Form Lending Library. Students are encouraged to take books from the shelves, read and return or swap for another recommendation. These are available to all students, regardless of area of study and all part of the school and department’s drive to encourage reading for pleasure across all ages.

Rewards in English
We LOVE recognising how amazing our students are in English and our young people may have noticed our board on the English corridor. Every half-term, the class with the most reward points will be awarded a prize (get your child to ask their teacher for more details). Our current scores are:

Year 7
Top 3 students: Flavi, Ankush & Maraj with Top Class: 7T

Year 8
Top 3 students: Lilly P, Joshua BB, Leo P with Top Class: 8Y1a

Year 9
Top 3 students: Sam T, Olly B, Alice E with Top Class: 9Y1a

Year 10
Top 3 students: Archie L, Olly P, Dylan S with Top Class: 10Y2

Year 11
Top 3 students: Yolanda B, Phoebe D, Freya D with Top Class 11X1

Congratulations and to all students for their hard work.

Open Evening
Once again, it was a phenomenal year for English on Open Evening for our prospective Year 7 students. A number of exciting activities were offered by the department, who enthusiastically delivered an interactive and informative experience that was highly commended by students, parents and staff alike.

Our first room presented an interactive dinner party, where students got involved in investigating quotations from a range of core texts from KS3 and KS4. We watched students work exceptionally hard using their comprehension and detective skills to determine which extracts matched each guest sitting at the dinner table. Secondly, Miss O’Shaughnessy’s ‘gibberish’ word game that involved pairs working collaboratively to form as many words as possible from key words across the curriculum. Our longest word of the evening consisted of 8 letters and actually came from a younger sibling of a prospective student – we were very impressed by the expertise of the young people that got involved!

Lastly, we created a dedicated room that displayed work from our students from KS3-KS5, the key texts that bring our curriculum to life as well as a showcase of wider curriculum opportunities, such as the Young Writers Competition and Creative Writing Club run by Miss Fitzgerald. This room provided parents with an opportunity to delve deeper into the broad and balanced learning journey and ask our subject specialists a range of questions that explored our mission as a department.

On a final note, the English department would like to thank all the student ambassadors that represented the department so outstandingly; the evening could not have run so smoothly and positively without you!

Celebrating Diversity and Equality in the English Department
Students engaged with important events and discussions about Black History Month in October and last week, celebrated Human Rights Day in the English department. Students in Years 7 and 8 have been studying an excerpt from the author Claudia Jones in their library lessons. They have read and interpreted the text and then produced some of their own creative writing in response.

In Year 9 and KS4 students have studied and a poem/song about Windrush which they used as unseen poetry practice, tying in nicely to their foci for this half-term.

Our Year 13 cohort of Health and Social Care students are busy studying for their Unit 2 exam in ‘Working in Health and Social Care.’ As well as specific settings and roles that offer health care, students examine the specific responsibilities these professions have, to include, policies they follow to keep themselves and vulnerable service users safe, through infection control, safeguarding, completing risk assessments and ensuring cultural preferences are met and anti-discriminatory practises are followed. This examination unit is worth 33% of their overall grade. Students will have in-class assessments until Christmas and will sit a mock examination in February. They have been busy preparing revision resources and practising exam skills through past paper questions and in class practices. Students are also producing coursework on ‘Meeting Individual Care and Needs’ where they apply a range of strategies and approaches to three case studies. This coursework is worth 25% of the final mark. These two units can be synoptic in places and both require students to apply working practises to specific individuals. This coursework is detailed and requires the students to plan their time well and ensure they write up the coursework as they go.

Year 11 are currently completing their second component in Health and Social Care: Health and Social Care Services and Values. This unit is comprised of five tasks which gets the students to look at the different primary and secondary services in Health and Social Care. It also looks at the barriers to accessing these services and the skills, values and attributes required to work effectively with service users. Students will be completing their second written assessment which contributes to 30% of their overall grade (30% was completed in the March of this year). Correspondence regarding the details of this was sent before half term so you are aware exactly when the students are completing their written assessment which will consist of five tasks across six hours. Intervention sessions will run w/c 6 November for four weeks for any students who like extra time and support these tasks. Students have made such a positive start to Year 11.

Year 10 students have been working hard by exploring how we develop across the life stages, from infancy to later adulthood. They have completed their first class practice coursework assessment in preparation for their real coursework assessment later on in the year. It is important that students use these to their advantage so that they practice and get feedback on their work before completing the real thing! Finally, a massive well done to Hannah who is this month’s ‘HSC student of the month’ for her class having shown great efforts in her classwork and contributions to class discussions.

Year 7: Baseline Tasks
This unit of work focuses on the key skills (Performing, Composing, Listening and Sequencing) we learn in music lessons. Students collaborate to perform percussion rhythms, compose vocal pieces and sequence sci-fi music. They are encouraged to perform to the class and build confidence through shared music-making experiences. Resources are provided to offer students of all musical ability the opportunity to access the curriculum, make progress and develop their confidence and musical understanding.

Year 8: History of Pop
This unit of work focuses on music appreciation and explores popular music from the 1950s onwards. Students are provided with listening tasks to broaden their appreciation of musical styles and genres from the past and recognise their relevance along with their influence on popular music today. Alongside the listening tasks students are challenged to perform popular pieces of music and continue developing their practical, music-making skills.

Year 8: World Music
This unit of work focuses on music appreciation and explores musical traditions from other cultures. Students are provided with listening and analysis tasks, alongside research projects, composing and performing. Students will listen to music from places such as India, Africa, West Indies, Caribbean and Indonesia, with a view to understanding the contextual, cultural and musical traditions, alongside their influence on western music.

Year 9: Game and Film Music -C omposing/Sequencing
This unit of work focuses on students collaborating in pairs or small groups to compose and produce a soundtrack for film. Students use sequencing software to edit film and reproduce a soundtrack, including special effects and music. Students are encouraged to analyse film music, through listening tasks to gain an understanding of key terms and musical devices used to create a film soundtrack. Students are encouraged to focus on detail and compose original ideas to refine their sequencing and music-making skills.

Year 10: BTEC Music Level 2: Component 1
Students are currently preparing for Component 1 and 2 of their course. During these components, students will learn about a range of musical styles and will be tasked with performing, reproducing and composing pieces to demonstrate their practical/instrumental/music-making skills. Alongside their practical work students will produce written analysis and reviews to demonstrate their historical, contextual and theoretical knowledge.

Year 11: BTEC Music Level 2: Component 2
Students are completing their final unit of work this term. Unit 7 is focused on students developing and demonstrating their music sequencing skills using music software to explore, compose and realise their creative ideas. They have produced music to reflect a chosen film genre and provided written analysis/reviews to record their progress and demonstrate their knowledge.

Year 12: BTEC Music Level 3: Unit 39 and 23Students in Year 12 are developing their knowledge of the music industry and exploring how the different areas are interrelated. Students will be studying job roles, venues, contracts, marketing and business plans with a view to building a comprehensive understanding of how the industry operates and the potential career opportunities. Students also use their time to continually develop their performance skills and broaden their musical repertoire.

Year 13: BTEC Music Level 3: Units 33 and 40 Year 13 are currently in the process of compiling a programme of solo music. They will perform their music in a 30 minute recital in March 2024. They are also collaborating with other musicians to develop a musical ensemble and set of music to be performed at upcoming events.

Extra-Curricular

Wind Band: Tuesdays 3:30pm – 4:30pm

Rock Club: Wednesdays 3:20pm – 4:20pm

Pop Choir: Wednesdays 3:30pm – 4:30pm

Steel Band: Wednesdays 3:30pm – 4:30pm

String Ensemble: Fridays 3:30pm – 4:30pm

There are a variety of extra-curricular music opportunities on offer at NLS - fuller details, of all opportunities are available on the website. Many of the groups are rehearsing for the annual Winter Concert and the Wind Band are also preparing to perform at Warwick Castle in December.

Year 7 students have started the year with an insight into the variety of activities and opportunities available in Games. Students have enjoyed baseline activity lessons including Football, Dance, Gymnastics, Basketball, Badminton, and Netball and we formalise groups that best suit their ability.

Year 8 and 9 have participated in a variety of sports this half term as part of our Sports Education programme. Students learn the important life skills of team work, leadership, responsibility, communication and co-operation through the medium of sport.

Year 10 and 11 students are guided down one of two personalised pathways – performance or participation. Within the performance pathway there is a GCSE PE moderation focus where students are assessed in each of the sports that they complete. The participation pathway is a more holistic approach to physical activity where students are encouraged to participate in different activities for recreation and understand the importance of keeping themselves fit and healthy.

With a variety of examination courses running: GCSE PE, Btec Sport and Btec Dance Level 2 in Year 10 and 11 and A Level PE and BTEC Sport Level 3 in Year 12 & 13 students have settled well into their studies this half term. Please come speak to us at the upcoming Sixth Form Open Evening on Thursday 9^h November if you are interested in study PE A-level, Btec Sport or Btec Dance Level 3.

All students are provided with wider opportunities to participate in sport both recreationally and competitively and are encouraged to attend extra-curricular sports clubs which are summarised below.

This year we have expanded the extra-curricular programme with a new Gymnastics club and Basketball teams. Gymnastics club have been working with Miss Rhodes on their floor skills and creating team and pair balances and she has been very impressed with the girls' commitment and enthusiasm. She is looking forward to teaching them trampette and vault work as they progress.

Fixtures and Results
This year’s fixtures are well underway with a number of football and netball matches having taken place against local schools with many more planned.

The Year 7 boys football team have begun their campaign with a back to back wins and 2 clean sheets, with a 2-0 win against Campion in the Cup and a 4-0 victory in the league against Myton.

Not to be outdone, the U13 girls football team have also gone unbeaten at 2 friendly tournaments. They were unbeaten against Myton, Campion and Oakley and did not concede a goal in the process. They followed this at the next tournament by playing against U15 teams from Myton and Campion with 2 draws and a win, again without conceding a goal. Mr Bamber is incredibly proud of their skill, team work and sportsmanship.

Our Year 8 boys football team have won 3 out of 4 matches with wins against Myton, Southam and an impressive 2 -0 victory against Light Hall School from Birmingham in the English School’s National Competition.

The Year 9 boys Football team have won 3 out of 4 matches with excellent victories against Stratford, Southam and Campion.

The Year 10 team have started well with a convincing 4-0 win against Southam and a gut wrenching draw against the defending league champions, Kenilworth. Having led twice, Kenilworth managed to score with the last kick of the match, to deny North Leamington in a hard fought match.

The Year 11 boys Football team have played 4 fixtures with 2 wins and 2 losses so far.

The Sixth Form Football team started their season with an exciting 4 -3 win against Alcester Grammar School, with the game requiring extra time in which the boys triumphed.

The Girls Netball season is also underway, with the Year 7s winning their first match playing together as a team, with an impressive 18-1 victory over Southam. The Year 9 team also started with a win (12-8). Our Year 8 and 10 teams just missed out on victories losing 16-14 and 14-11 respectively against Southam but played well together.

Our newly formed Year 8 Basketball team and the Year 8/9 Rugby team enjoyed their first fixtures just before half term. Year 7 and 9 Basketball teams will start their fixtures after half term, along with pupils representing the school at Cross Country and in the English School’s Squash competition. We look forward to sharing their success with you.

Dance
We have had a fantastic start to the year in Dance with numbers increasing in our KS3 Dance club and performance work already being created in our KS4 Dance club. Well done to our KS3 Dance club this term for your enthusiasm and commitment every week – we will be starting Dance recital performance work soon! Also, a big thank you to our helpers for Dance at Open Evening in September, Year 11s Sophie B, Heidi R and Rosie R and Year 10s Hannah B, Kaci K, Imogen H and Becky MW. Thank you also to all our Student Leaders in our Dance clubs; you have been excellent role models and the younger students have really enjoyed your choreography!

What have Year 12 been studying?

Year 12 have made an excellent start to their Psychology studies with many budding psychologists that show great enthusiasm for the subject. One of our first topics has been Social Influence and questions we have explored have included ‘are Nazis murderous violent perpetrators or victims of Social influence?' A key skill in Psychology is to develop extended writing skills. Throughout this half term students were introduced to this by using PEEEL writing frames, supporting their evaluative language in preparation for extended writing and essay structuring skills.

Year 12 have also been studying Research Methods to understand the scientific method behind psychological research that underpins the methodology to evaluate how valid a study is. This is a key skill to then be able to unpick the ethical implications and credibility of many classic studies such as the Stanford Prison experiment and Milgram’s obedience research.

Using Skittles, as the participants, helped year 12 to understand how we decide who participates in research.

We are very much looking forward to seeing their skills and abilities flourish over the next two years - keep up the great work year 12!

What have Year 13 been studying?

Year 13 have developed their debating skills this half term in our topic– Issues and Debates- by exploring some of the topical debates in Psychology. For example,’ is our behaviour due to our nature or our nurture?’ ‘Should we have ‘laws of behaviour’ that explain everyone’s behaviour, or focus on the individual?’ Alongside Issues and Debates, Year 13 have been studying the biological basis to behaviour through our neuroscientific topic of Biopsychology. Students can identify many areas of the brain, diagnose disorders and assess what part of the brain has been damaged based on symptoms and understand how our body regulates many biological rhythms like our sleep/wake cycle.

There have been many team work and ‘creative’ learning opportunities this term. For example, Year 13 have been elevating their literacy skills by 'locating the missing links' around the building:

To understand concepts of the brain like what areas are responsible for each bodily function, and how our brain’s experience ‘neuroplasticity’, the fact our brains change and grow in response to experiences, we have been using playdough to add a level of competition to the lessons and had some excellent entries:

What are we learning next?

Next term, we will be looking at ‘Forensic Psychology’ and ‘Schizophrenia’ with our year 13 and moving onto ‘Approaches within Psychology’ (a broad overview of most concepts in Psychology) and a fundamental cognitive psychology topic of ‘Memory’.

Psychologists of the month

A huge congratulations to our psychologists of the month for September. In Year 12 Andrei T and Evelyn S have started their Psychology journey brilliantly through their contributions to class discussions and their fantastic work ethic. They have both shown us a real flair to the subject. In Year 13 we would like to congratulate Josh P for his excellent progress and work ethic and Katie M for her revision folder, contribution to class discussions and overall dedication to the subject.

We have welcomed a cohort of 30 Year 12 students and have been impressed by their work ethic, interest and maturity towards their studies. Sociology is a new subject for them all and they have adjusted well to the demands of the course, completing two practise assessments this term and preparing revision materials they can use to prepare for future assessments.

Students have completed the first topic in Education, examining the social class differences in achievement and analysing the factors that could account for this. With Miss Howard students have been looking at the first topic for the second paper in Families and Households and looking at the division of power and labour in couples to see if there has been a march of progress or the division remains unequal. Alongside the knowledge and key terminology that students have been introduced to, and tested on, they are learning the key skills required to be a successful Sociology student, including evaluating differing opinions, comparing factors and linking ideas together, distilling key information and using studies to support their views. We often finish a lesson asking, ‘which factor has the greatest impact?’ enabling students to review their learning and come to supported conclusions of their own. We are looking forward to seeing how Year 12 continue to develop and respond to many more issues across the term.

Year 13 students have now come to the end of the content on Theory & Methods. This consisted of 10 topics which explored how we research society to identify patterns and trends and how based on these research findings we can look to improve society. Students also explored how society functions and how we develop shared norms and values and social order. Students are now moving onto their second topic in Paper 2, Beliefs in Society. Students will cover a range of knowledge looking at the patterns and trends in religiosity, how religion has created social stability and change and the changing patterns of religious participation. They will also complete Paper 3 looking at Crime and Deviance, exploring the patterns and trends in criminal behaviour across different social characteristics and how crime and deviance trends have changed as a result of globalisation.

We are very excited to be visiting Warwick Crown Court, as part of our wider enrichment offer, and the opportunity to talk with the Magistrates. Communications on this will follow shortly to inform you of the logistics and dates but early notice this will take place in December

Year 7 have started their Art studies with exercises in pencil shading, and application of tones to simple shapes to create form. The shapes they have learnt so far are the sphere, cylinder and cube. Students will build on this next term and use this knowledge to help draw more complex still life objects focusing on the formal elements and will include bottles, tin cans, apples, balls and small boxes.

Year 8 have used the formal elements learnt last year, to create recordings of nature using different materials in their Art lessons. So far they have learnt to record shells with the oil pastel transfer technique, slices of fruit using wet and dry fine liner techniques and skulls in chalk and charcoal. This will conclude next half term with students choosing the natural forms and material they want to use in a final piece.

Year 9 have used the formal elements to create recordings of their facial features in pencil. Learning activities on each facial feature have been taught and students have practised these in class and at home. This will conclude next half term putting this learning to be put into practise with a self-portrait.

Year 10 have chosen a starting point from a list provided and found images for ideas and researched one artist to study. This has involved writing about their chosen artist and describing the formal elements of the artwork. There have been many excellent pieces or work and a few examples are below:

Year 11 are fast approaching the December 20 deadline for their first Non-Examined Assessment (NEA). which is worth 60%. This half term they have been practising their last responses to an artist and producing composition plans for their final piece. Below are some of the fantastic work produced so far and we are looking forward to seeing further fantastic artwork from our students.

Year 12 have started their A Level studies producing large scale pieces after workshops in drawing and layering images of the school, black and white mixed media portraits and oil painting self-portraiture. The workshops lead onto independent projects on the topic “structure” next half term. Below you will see a selection of the strong final outcomes the students have produced.

Year 13 students are completing the final stages of producing their own responses to an artist for their NEA, which is worth 60%. Students have to master materials, techniques and tools so understanding their practitioner is imperative. This will conclude next half term with sophisticated outcomes and final pieces. Below are example pages from their sketchbooks.

Our students produce fantastic artwork and we delight in displaying it around school. These are the recent displays of work from the end of the summer term from Year 8 and 9 to share with you.

Year 9 is an illustrative surreal identity outcome inspired by the illustrator and story teller Teesha Moore. These fabulous pieces combine the student’s self-portrait with a personal story. The outcomes are superb.

Year 8 pieces inspired by the techniques of Ruth Piper. These mixed media pieces of the school building incorporate outline, collage and colour in a semi-abstract way that shows mastery of skills learnt over the last two years in Art.

Art Box - Community Project
The Art Department is delighted to have been invited to exhibit in the Art Box - a mini art gallery at the top of the Parade in Leamington Spa in one of the old telephone boxes.

The Art Box mini gallery is managed by the Friends of Christchurch Gardens, (a sub-group of the Leamington Society) as a community resource on behalf of the Town Council. Christchurch Gardens is often referred to as ‘Top Park’ and is opposite the top of the Parade.

We have submitted a range of student’s work which will be used to create an exhibition to share with visitors to the Gardens. The student’s work will be displayed on a board at the back, or hung from canes in the ceiling or images placed in the window.

We look forward to seeing the exhibition once in place and hope you enjoy it if you get the opportunity to take a look if you pass by that area. We will share pictures with you in our next Bulletin.

Year 11 Food Preparation and Nutrition Practical Assessment
Students have been busy working on the first of their 2 GCSE Non-Examined Assessments (NEA) . The first due for the end of this term has been an experiment based project. Students have completed three sections for this –Researching the task
Experiments
Conclusions and linking to cooking

After half term students will be starting their NEA 2 which is worth 35% of their overall GCSE grade. More details of how you can support your child in this important assessment will be added to Go 4 School shortly.

Year 11 Design and Technology GCSE
Classes are well underway with their NEA and are currently moving on to the planning for their modelling; they have completed some excellent design work. The NEA will be due for the end of March and support classes will be offered by Mrs Long and Mr Batchelor so please encourage your child to attend these sessions so they can make the most of the NEA which contributes to 50% of their GCSE.

Year 7, 8 and 9 Technology
Classes are now working on a rotational system with Art Textiles, Food Technology and Product Design the first of these rotations will take place after Christmas. Students will hopefully able to show you some of the lovely items they have made in the dedicated workshops or food rooms. Thank you again to parents for supporting us by providing ingredients for the food lessons.

If any of you have spare containers such as empty sweet containers or ice cream tubs we would greatly appreciate having these to support students who may at times forget to bring the correct container for their food.

KS3 Enrichment Activity Opportunity
We are looking to offer Year 8 and Year 9 some new opportunities after school. A 4 week course offering students an opportunity to cook will be offered after the half term and also a new Robot Wars enrichment will start for a group of students keen to work on a 3D printer. Students will need to sign up and details will follow nearer the time. A small group will be able to come and cook some more complex dishes. Students will need to be prepared to bring ingredients for the session and a container and those not selected from the first round will be rolled over to the next term.

Year 10 Design Technology
Classes have started working with new materials in particular making a product from metal. Throughout the year we will keep you updated with the new and exciting projects that we have planned, some will be:
Bird Box
Storage box
Use of Laser cutter

Year 10 Food Nutrition
Our Year 10 class is producing some exceptional products and looking forward to making sacher torte, an Austrian chocolate cake, and butter chicken with homemade naan bread in the near future. Students have enjoyed showcasing their skills and I am looking forward to the next lessons when they will be making more free choice dishes where students can really work on planning for their own recipe choice.

Year 12 Product Design
We were delighted to meet the first of the Year 12 Product Design groups to start at NLS. Students have started the Non-Examined Assessment (NEA) which they continue working on through to Year 13 – the assessment which is not dissimilar to the GCSE NEA but is a far bigger and more analytical project aimed at students designing a product based upon an everyday problem.

During lessons students are developing their knowledge of the world of engineering and manufacturing looking at how materials are made and the economic impact of our consumerism.

We really look forward to meeting our future Product Designers at the Sixth Form open evening on Thursday 9 November where we will be located in the DT block.

We offer our students the opportunity to stretch their own limits and explore the realms outside of their normal comfort zones by taking part in The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme. Participants on the scheme, select and set objectives in each of the following areas (over varying time frames depending on the level of award):

Volunteering: undertaking service to individuals or the community.

Physical: improving in an area of sport, dance or fitness activities.

Skills: developing practical and social skills and personal interests.

Expedition: planning, training for, and completion of an adventurous journey in the UK or abroad.

Residential: (Gold Award only)

Last year 70 students in Year 9 worked towards their Bronze level award and completed their qualifying expedition on 30 June and 1 July.

Our Silver DofEers completed their practice expedition on the 8 – 10 June this year and their qualifying expedition on the 14 – 16 July.

This year we are hoping to break previous records in terms of numbers for both Bronze and Silver awards and for the first time in the school’s history we have launched and are running the Gold Award for our Year 12 students. The Gold Award requires students to undertake one of their sections for 18 months, includes a four day walking expedition and a five day residential. The award culminates with a presentation for those who complete it at Buckingham Palace and we are excited that we will be taking our first ever cohort there in 2025.

We launched the Duke of Edinburgh Award programme for students a couple of weeks ago. Year 9 students can apply for the Bronze Award with the deadline for applications, and the enrolment fee of £50 6 November 2023, so any students in Year 9 interested in enrolling need to ensure they meet this deadline. Further information can be found in the Extra Curricular section on our website here

Year 10 students wishing to complete their Silver award year also need to have completed their application and paid their enrolment fee by Monday 6^th November 2023. Further information can be found in the Extra Curricular section on our website here

For those who completed their Bronze or Silver Award this year there will be an awards’ evening to celebrate the students’ achievements, share photos and stories and for the students to collect their certificates on November 23 2023. Students have been issued with invitations and the reply slip for these also needs to be for Monday 6 November so that we have a good idea of expected numbers. The night should be a wonderful celebration of all that our participants have achieved over the course of their Bronze and Silver awards and an excellent opportunity to recognise their hard work.

If you wish to have any more information about The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, please contact jbarrett@northleamignton.co.uk

Our Extra-Curricular clubs remain popular with a wide range available as detailed above. New additions this year are Warhammer, Gymnastics and Basketball with Psychology Club launching after half term.

Warhammer is available to students across all year groups who already paint or play Warhammer or who are interested in doing so. Students are at the stage of painting their models and we will share with you their creations in the next bulletin.

In Gymnastics Club, students have had the opportunity to work on their floor skills and creating team and pair balances. Miss Rhodes has been very impressed with the commitment and enthusiasm and she is looking forward to progressing to trampette and vault work with the club.

We are running three new basketball teams in the newly formed Local Schools league for our year 7,8 and 9 students. Our Year 8 team have also been entered in the national Junior NBA competition. We look forward to sharing updates of the teams in these competitions

Psychology Club will launch after half term and will be led by two of our Sixth Form students. Open to all year groups, every Tuesday break time, it will look at exciting theories and conduct experiments based on psychological theory for example, can chocolate really improve our mood? It will also give an insight into what Psychology entails so students have greater understanding of the subject.

Our Creative Writing Club is thriving with increasing regular attendees! This half-term, the students have engaged in a variety of workshops where they have experimented in writing poetry, prose and more, working independently and collaboratively to craft some amazing pieces. This included limerick poems to introduce themselves to other club members, writing ambitious descriptions to create a creative and convincing setting and also taking part in a story-writing carousel where students took a multitude of different directions from the original sentence starter: ‘I thought it was the end of the world.’

Towards the end of the half-term, students have begun to work on competition pieces for the Young Writers Competition and The East Riding Festival of Words, both offer students the opportunity to compete nationally for prizes.

Two Year 7 students, Esme and Jasnoor are now awaiting to hear back whether their poems, inspired by the theme ‘This is Me,’ will be published by the Young Writers organisation. We will be keeping our fingers crossed! Here is a sneak peek into one of the entries:

“A person alone in a dark empty space,
Tear tracks lining their youthful face.
For bullies are wasps, they sting for their woes,
Until a broken soul lies beneath their nose,
Slowly the child breathes, a shuddering breath,
Yet from hurt and agony, the heart has left.
A statement plays around them, shouting with glee,
You’re not good enough, and you never will be.”

Voices -Esme B, Year 7

More information on our Extra-Curricular clubs can be found on the website here

Head Teacher's Message