SJB0713
Hollies Herald
Summer 2013
The Hollies, The Stables Newport Road, Stafford. ST16 1BY
Message from the headteacher
As I reflect upon another successful school year I think
about the many and varied routes that you/our pupils take.
The vast majority lead to successful outcomes. Some of
you have many ups and downs, some take a circuitous
route, others a straight forward path. What matters is
where you get to in the end.
Exams success and places in education, employment or
training are vital. You all have these but what gives me the
greatest pleasure is to see you making personal progress,
being able to reflect consider and rationalise so that you
can lead a happier and more fulfilled life.
Many thanks to all the pupils who have been with us during
2012-2013 for your hard work and dedication. I am sure
you will join us in thanking your teachers and all the staff,
who have helped you so much this year.
Jane Spensley
Headteacher
What's Inside…….
Theme of the term: Reflections
Achievements this year
Pupil Work
Trips
Parent Info
Cookery Corner
Diary Dates
Mon 2nd Sept 2013Staff training day (closed to pupils)
Tues 3 Sept 2013—
School re-opens to pupils
Mon 28 Oct—Fri 1 Nov 2013
Half Term—school closed
Mon 4 Nov—
School re-opens to pupils
Mon 23 Dec 2013—Fri 3 Jan 2014
School Closed
Reflection
Reflection, or thinking about our experiences, is the key to learning. Reflection allows us
to analyse our experiences, make changes based on our mistakes, keep doing what is
successful, and build upon or modify past knowledge based on new knowledge. Reflection
also allows us to make connections between courses or between school, work and home.
By doing this, we begin to see how all parts of our lives are connected and to understand
that we are a part of the web of life
Reflections are everywhere ... in mirrors, glass, and here in a lake.
... what do you notice ?
Every point is the same distance from the central line !
www.holliesschool.staffs.sch.uk
Miss Lockett
Examinations update
As always, this has been a very busy term with the majority of our Key Stage 4 students
taking external examinations. Many students have taken GCSE examinations in English,
maths, science and geography. We have also had a record number of students completing
level 1 and 2 qualifications in literacy and numeracy. It was great to see a large uptake on
our RAW project and I am delighted to announce that 10 students successfully completed
the full Work Skills Diploma (equivalent of four GCSEs). We would like to commend all our
students for their hard work and application and wish them all the best for their future
success.
H.Patterson (Examinations secretary)
Problem solving
During the last term pupils from Key Stage 3 have accessed problem
solving once a week as part of their provision. Pupils are presented
with a variety of problems and are challenged to work both
independently or as part of a team to reach a solution.
Pupils have explored problem solving based
activities through a variety of themes including:
Disability in sport, for example how the visually impaired access football
and the wheel chair bound access hockey and volleyball.
Puzzle:, jigsaws, tower challenge, helium sticks and Eco-friendly board
games.
Aviation, Can eggs fly? What materials make the perfect paper aeroplane?
What conditions allow for the perfect flight.
Pupils have developed self-awareness, confidence and
communication skills but most importantly resilience. As
pupils face different challenges each week they are tested
mentally, physically and emotionally.
We aim to keep discovering the
A big well done goes to Sean, past, so we can build our own
Samantha and Jaydon for futures.
The pupils took part in a trip to receiving their first certificate.
the Black Country Living Museum
as part of their ASDAN History A huge well done to Charlie and
Award.
Tom for receiving their second
certificate and a massive
They went to discover what life congratulations goes to Lucie
Mr Nation
was really like being a Victorian. and Nyall for receiving their third
certificate.
From underground coal mining,
“The past is over, you
enjoying a Victorian fun fair and This is a great achievement from
have no control over it
and you’ll rectify the
street games, and eating real the history group, putting in over
future only when you
Victorian fish and chips, the 40 hours of learning and hard
set things straight in
students had a great day out.
work!
Visit to Black Country
Museum
the present.”
www.holliesschool.staffs.sch.uk
Pupils Work
The KS3 students have been working on a cross
Hi mum,
curricular task which has combined historical
knowledge with informal letter writing skills. Pupils
have had to imagine they were young children
They have written letters home to family and
friends explaining their feelings, thoughts, and
All the boys have to sleep in the same room and share the same bucket if you
wanted to go toilet in the night….I wake up to a horrible smell of wee.
fears of life as a child in the 19th century.
This example of work by Adam has incorporated
sense of empathy through reflection and the
adoption of a convincing persona.
Mr Nation
It is very unpleasant in this workhouse. I have to work from 5.30 in the
morning till 7.30 at night!!
The money what I make is just to pay for my bed and food. 2 days ago I just
seen my friend get seriously hurt from one of the machines, all his blood went
everywhere, even in my eye! I had to wash it out quickly. It made me feel
scared and alone.
living and working in a Victorian Workhouse.
a range of historical facts, as well as creating a
Stretton Workhouse for Boys
Manchester
England
ML5 2QZ
The food is dutty. It’s like porridge, but it taste like mud. One of my friends got
put on bread and water for 48 hours just for being 1 minute late for work. The
factory people whip us if we do anything wrong…we get the stick! Like
opening a window, whistling, being 5mins late and showing up for work being
dirty.
The job what I’ve got is to clean under the machines. It is very dangerous;
you can die if you don’t run back quick enough.
Mum I wish I never came here. I want to come home and live with you again.
Hotel Rwanda
(2004) ★★★★
Reviewed By Victor
Lots of love
From Adam
At first I thought this film was going to be boring but it was
really good.
It is a war film, but it has a bit of
comedy in it too.
Rwanda is a small country in the heart of Africa.
In 1994 it became the centre of the world media as the horrific events
unfolded.
In 1994 in Rwanda, a million members of the Tutsi tribe were killed by
members of the Hutu tribe in a massacre that took place while the world
looked away. "Hotel Rwanda" is not the story of that massacre. It is the
story of a hotel manager who saved the lives of 1,200 people by being,
essentially, a very good hotel manager.
One of the most powerful scenes in the film for me was when Paul goes
to buy some food and alcohol for the rest of the people seeking refuge in his hotel. He hits a
bumpy road only to get out and realise that the bumps are dead bodies. This disgusted me. It
is a powerful moment of ‘reality kicking- in’.
I would recommend this film to all ages because it’s a gripping film about a part in world history
which people should know about yet is unfortunately over looked.
I am glad we covered this topic in history.
www.holliesschool.staffs.sch.uk
Sport
A Reflection of a Year in Sport
This year we have continued our Hollies emphasis on Sport: both through the normal curricular
timetable and through delivery from our SAAAB Through Sport partners.
The wide range of sports has included:
Judo This has been coached by Fitz Davies, previously national coach to
Judo World Champion Craig Fallon. Pupils have learnt to successfully throw
and fall in a safe and structured environment and focus on the discipline side
of the sport. All students who have taken part have excelled in this and gained
a lot from the experience.
Boxing
Boxing has a higher focus now after Olympic success and it is recognised for disciplined
techniques, general fitness and cardio-vascular improvement. We wanted to focus on the discipline
and fitness element of the sport and really utilise these to harness pupils personal development in
and around school. Boxing pads are available for pupils to let off steam in a
controlled manner with boxing staff at The Hollies.
Football Always popular at The Hollies, pupils have enjoyed playing but
have also been able to delve more in detail of football and look at areas such
as rules and regulations, tactics, leadership and teamwork which has made
the pupils look at football more holistically.
Racquet Sports These have included our ever-popular table tennis and
badminton. One innovation has been short tennis played indoors using a soft ball, a lower net than
normal and smaller racquets. Pupils Have gained awards for The Butterfly skills programme we have
been conducting as part of the P.E curriculum and pupils have made huge progress and are now
working towards more advanced awards.
Cricket Obviously a summer sport, this has been delivered to mixed groups and has been a good
introduction to the game. A lot of pupils have not accessed this sport before so
we thought we would relish the opportunity to invite Staffordshire Cricket association to help us deliver a programme of study starting in September. We look
forward to welcoming them to The Hollies
Dodgeball This is a sport that may not be familiar to most but can be
summed up by the Four Ds: dodge, duck, dip and dive! We have had a lot of
fun with dodgeball this year especially as it gives pupils a chance to throw balls
at members of staff and get their own back for all the hard work we give them.
Athletics This has included track sports such as the sprint and relay, also field sports such as the
shot put, long jump and high jump. Our SAAAB Through Sport Teacher Calvin Hall used to be in the
English top 10 high jumpers so we are assured of expert tuition as he and other members of staff
have been preparing pupils for our 2nd time of competing in county sports day against other schools.
We wish everyone success but know that, whatever the results, our pupils have developed personally
and succeeded for themselves and The Hollies this year. A good reflection to have.
Sport has progressed well from the start but we have seen a definite building of confidence within
our pupils and a greater willingness to participate even when tasks look daunting. At The Hollies we
believe that these are life skills to encourage.
www.holliesschool.staffs.sch.uk
Alternative Provision
The fleeces are then sold to The
The Sheep
Farming Project Wool Board (like other UK farm-
‘’Teachers who
inspire realise,
there will always be
rocks in the road
ahead of us.
They will be
stumbling blocks or
stepping stones - it
all depends on how
we use them.’’
A number of our pupils
are attending the Farm Project
and have had the opportunity to
watch the
farmer shear
the sheep.
This is done
for two
reasons

sheep are more comfortable
in the spring and summer
months

the fleeces provide income
for the farmer.
The farmer shears
the sheep with
special equipment.
He wears thin
clothing and sheepskin boots so
he does not hurt the sheep or
damage the fleece.
ers) so a fair price is obtained for
all.
The wool is exported to other
countries like China and Russia
where it is made into clothes,
carpets, blankets, slippers,
environmentally ‘green’ insulation
and felt.
Amazingly
enough
the
farmer gets only
£2.00 for the
fleece of a white
face sheep and
£1.50 for blackface fleece!
Just reflect on the wool you
wear or use, how much the
farmer actually gets after all his
hard work!
Mrs Leake
Land-Based Project
As a new addition to our curriculum, pupils at The Hollies have been taking part in a
new Land Based Project where they have been learning
practical skills associated with rural land management.
Pupils have been enjoying time in the countryside on a
farm managed by the farmer with whom we have had
links from The Horse Project. They have learnt about
maintenance around the farm including how to replace
post and rail fences to keep animals penned in but also
to protect crops from animals!
Our pupils have also been able to help the farmer to take
down the side of an old rotting barn so it can be replaced.
This is expected to take a few weeks to complete but when it
is renewed the barn will last a lifetime, it will be there for all
to see and will be available for the farmer to use in the
future.
Victor, Nick, Charlie and Sam have been working extremely
hard to complete these projects and have enjoyed seeing the
end result of some of the tasks they have been working on.
Mr Morris
‘’I'm a reflection of the community.’’
www.holliesschool.staffs.sch.uk
Pupil/Parent Information
School Nurse
inoculations, including TB, HPV,
As part of our on-going tetanus and measles.
commitment to the Pupils can make an appointment
welfare of our pupils, we to see the school nurse or just
now have a dedicated drop in to see her when she is in
school nurse who is school.
based in school every
The school nurse can also be
Wednesday afternoon.
contacted via the address and
Clair can provide information on, numbers below.
and offers support with general
health queries such as diet, Stafford Borough Council.
cleanliness, sexual health and 3rd floor,
relationship issues, and mental Riverside,
Stafford.
and physical wellbeing.
ST16 3AQ. Tel: 01785 619814
We work closely with Clair to
ensure that all of our pupils are
u p t o d a t e wi t h t h ei r
’There is no
challenge more
challenging than
the challenge to
improve
yourself.’’
Safeguarding Policy
The Hollies School recognises its legal duty under s175 Education Act 2002 and the 1989
Children Act and takes seriously its responsibilities to protect and safeguard the interests of
all children.
The school recognises that effective child protection work requires sound procedures, good
inter-agency co-operation and a workforce that is competent and confident in responding
to child protection situations.
We have recently reviewed our safeguarding policy with staff and the management
committee. Parents and stakeholders are welcome to request a copy of the full policy which
is summarised below:
All staff are trained in safeguarding procedures.





The head teacher is the designated person for child protection. If she feels a referral
to First Response is necessary she will endeavour to speak to parents/carers first.
We have in-house systems for working with pupils that sometimes necessitate staff
being alone with pupils but if so there will always be other staff within the vicinity.
Staff will transport pupils to meetings, interviews etc. in their car. If this means a
child is 1 to 1 in a car with a pupil this will be cleared with parents first.
Staff are trained in safe use of the internet and pupils learn about the risks of
contacting people through chat rooms etc. in their PSHE sessions.
We use the CAF process to support pupils and families.
The full policy document is available for you to look at in school.
If you would like to discuss any aspect of this Safeguarding Policy please contact the
school. We always welcome the views of parents and carers.
www.holliesschool.staffs.sch.uk
Hollies Cookery Corner
Each week we try to cook interesting healthy food at the Hollies during our Cookery
Lessons. This term we have made a variety of things for you to try such as Herby Scotch
Eggs, Fish and Chips, Tuna and Pasta Bake, Rock Cakes, Muffins, Beef Burgers, Chicken
Crisp and Brownies. All of the things that we cook during our lessons at the Hollies are
made from fresh ingredients, using back to basics cooking skills.
We are always willing to try out any new recipes that you may have which you think the
pupils at the Hollies would enjoy cooking! Any old family favourites? Please contact Mrs
Morgan at the Hollies with your ideas, we are always happy to receive any suggestions.
Why not try these next time you go on a picnic?
Herby Baked Scotch Eggs
INGREDIENTS
Herb sausages x 9
Breadcrumbs
Hard boiled eggs x 6
Plain flour
Mustard powder
Beaten egg
Fresh thyme
Nutmeg
Spray oil
METHOD
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Set up a production line of 5 bowls consisting of: 1. Sausages. 2. Boiled eggs.
3. Flour with 2 teaspoons of mustard powder in. 4. Beaten egg. 5. Breadcrumbs
with thyme, nutmeg, salt and pepper
Using scissors remove the skins from the sausages, discard the skin and place the
meat onto a piece of cling film. Press and spread the sausage meat until it is about
2-3 mm thick.
Take one of the eggs and dip it into the flour mixture coating the entire surface so
that the meat will stick. Place the egg into the centre of the sausage meat and draw
up the sides of the cling film to enclose the egg and twist the top of the cling film to
force the sausage meat around the egg.
Finish shaping the meat by taking off the cling film and rolling in your hands. Dip
the covered egg into the beaten egg then into the bread crumbs and place onto a
baking tray.
Repeat the process with the other eggs. When all have been done spray each of the
eggs with some oil and place in a preheated oven at 200 C for 25 mins.
www.holliesschool.staffs.sch.uk
The Hollies
www.holliesschool.staffs.sch.uk