N EWSLETTER
Bexley
Grammar
School
Friday 24 t h January 2014
www.bexleygs.co.uk
Bexley Grammar Hosts Borough-Wide
MFL Debate Competition!
On Thursday 16th January, Bexley Grammar played host
to 6 schools from across the borough for a debate
competition with a twist – the debates took part in
foreign languages. The event was the first of its kind in
Bexley and saw debates on the use of the death penalty
held in French, German and Spanish.
BGS representatives spent time working closely with our
native
language
assistants
Jordan,
Sabine and Marta in
the weeks leading
up to the debate,
looking
at
key
words and phrases
to allow us to get
our points across effectively. Mock debates were held
against our assistants to really test our skills before the
event.
Beths, Chislehurst and Sidcup, Welling, Erith, Bexleyheath
Academy and Townley all had representatives for at least
one language, with one or two even bringing teams for a
After all the debates in all languages were completed, we
all headed back to our meeting room for an anxious wait
for results. Fantastically, BGS were very highly ranked,
with all three teams coming in first or second!
I would like to say thank you to Miss Price for organising
this competition and all other schools for coming along to
take part. A massive well done to Amy Foy and Ross
Stanford (BGS Spanish team), Joshua Minchin, Ellen
Peirson-Haggar and Jack Barton (BGS German team) and
my teammates Jamie Grain and Shannon Harris (BGS
French Team) for representing Bexley Grammar and
doing so well!
Jack Beazer, Year 12
second! After
ToK Conference 17th January
a short period
On Friday, IB Theory of Knowledge students were invited
of
socialising
to attend a series of lectures, led by Dr Peter Vardy, at
and sizing up
Tonbridge Grammar School, who also run the IB course
the opposition,
in their Sixth Form. The author of fifteen books on
the room took
philosophical thought, ethics and critical thinking, Dr
on a tense feel
Vardy led discussions with BGS students, as well as with
as
students from other IB schools, who all study ToK.
the
rules
were explained
He began by making us question what our education is,
and each group of linguists set off to their respective
and how it is
debating chambers (A.K.A our language rooms).
necessary for it
The rooms were set up in such a way that teams were
to change as the
eye to eye during the debates, adding to the passion and
world around us
pressure of the competition. Not only that, both judges
evolves, in order
from BGS and other schools kept a close eye on the
to prepare us for
proceedings, scoring points based on use of debate
the whole of our
language, pronunciation and factual support, all the while
lives
ahead.
In
being watched by staff and competitors alike.
doing so, we were asked to think about moral dilemmas
Names were drawn out of a hat and dice rolled to see
including unethical companies and whether they should be
who would go first during each debate. In the French
allowed to use slave labour as long as they turn out a
room, the home side went first in a very entertaining
large enough profit, and what we interpret by the idea of
debate against Beths. After a tense 10 minutes, we could
‘fairness’ or ‘truth’ across our subject areas. The lectures
relax a little and watch the rest of the debates unfold.
were very accessible because of the ToK we have
Bexley Grammar School
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covered so far, and Dr Vardy helped us to enrich what we
to build on their Certificate of Achievement profile. All
had already discussed in class, particularly when he
entries welcome.
Miss Skinner
discussed what art is, and whether there should be
guidelines for what artists should, or should not, be
allowed to name as art. He used Duchamp’s ‘Fountain’,
which is essentially a men’s urinal torn off the wall and sat
to be showcased within an art gallery, to illustrate this
idea that there are, no longer, any absolute truths of
beauty or meaning, but that art reflects the choices we
make to find our own purpose within the universe.
Young Enterprise Visit
Last Friday the Year 12 Young Enterprise team were able
to meet their Business Advisor, James Woodman. James
worked at KPMG for 7 years and currently works for
Cerberus Capital, a US private equity firm, so is a fantastic
asset
to
provide
students
with
valuable
business
The lectures connected well with subjects that we all
study as part of the IB, including History, Geography and
English, and through using film clips to exemplify his ideas,
Dr Vardy referred to Schlink’s ‘The Reader’, which many
of us have studied in English, continually proving ToK as a
way of thinking that brings all of our individual subject
areas together.
Dr Vardy gave us information on perhaps two of the
world’s best known philosophers, Plato and Aristotle, and
their contrasting views on how the world should be
assessed or evaluated, led to the final debate on whether
science provides the only reliable basis for knowledge, or
whether intuition is just as worthy a foundation. After
grilling the philosopher with several carefully worded
questions on his position within the spectrum of
education, the day was complete.
It was a highly enjoyable and interesting day, and enabled
everyone there to grasp a wider understanding of the
importance ToK plays within our diploma, and hearing a
professional as highly regarded as Dr Vardy speak was
really worthwhile.
Ellen Peirson-Hagger, Year 12
knowledge and experience.
Students, who have named their company STAMP! took
advantage of James’ know-how in a question and answer
session and in turn impressed him with their enthusiasm
and business ideas. Look out for STAMP!’s range of
wooden tags on sale soon!
Miss Wood
KS4 Musical Showcase:
Tuesday 4th February 7pm
Year 8 News
Students in Years 9 and 10 are invited to audition for the
December marked the end of the Year
KS4 Musical Showcase after school on Monday 27th
8 Readathon. We asked pupils to find
January in Mu2. You may play any style of music as a
sponsorship
soloist or in a group - perhaps even a song you wrote
for
each
book
they
managed to read during the autumn
yourself!
term. We managed to raise an excellent
Please email Mrs Purdom to arrange an audition time at
£246.17 for CLIC Sargent, Roald Dahl’s
purdom_k@bexleygs.co.uk Parents are warmly welcomed
Marvellous
and
to attend the concert. Tickets will be available on the
Readwell charities for seriously ill children. Very well
door and are priced at £3/£2 each. All profits will go
done all!
towards the 2014 Music Tour.
Children’s
Charity
Mrs Purdom
The next competition will be
‘The Poetry Games’. Anyone
interested in taking part will
need to write a poem. They can
choose the theme and style. Final entry date is Friday 14 th
February. This is another brilliant opportunity for pupils
Merits ~ Year 7
Well done to the following students for reaching 50
merits. 7MPL: Naomi Abodunrin, Alice Brayford, Olivia
Brett, Lauren Bruce, Rosie Burrows, Ben Chan, Salman
Dahir and Hannah Fisher. 7HGB: Hannah Adedeji, Alyssa
Bexley Grammar School
Dipchan, George McLachlan Jamie Murati and Caitlin
Murphy.
Congratulations also go to Omar Akhtar Gordon (7MPL)
on reaching 100 merits.
Keep up the good work.
Countdown to World
Book Day: 6 weeks!
Mr Johnson
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Forthcoming Events
Tuesday 4th February ~ KS4 Music Showcase
Wednesday 5th February ~ Year 9 Parents’ Evening
Thursday 6th February ~ INSET Day
Tuesday 11th February ~ Year 10 Parents’ Evening
Monday 17th February – Friday 21st February ~ Half Term
Thursday 27th February ~ Year 9 Options Deadline