English
The importance of readingEvidence suggests that children who read for enjoyment regularly not only perform better in reading
tests than those who don’t, but also develop a broader vocabulary, increased general knowledge and
a better understanding of other cultures.
In fact, there’s evidence to suggest that reading for pleasure is likely to determine whether a child
does well at school. The question is how often do you read? Is it enough?
Key Stage Three Reading List:
• The Hunger Games- Suzanne Collins
• Gone - Michael Grant
• The Maze Runner- James Dashner
• Random acts of senseless violence - Jack Womack
• Delirium - Lauren Oliver
• Divergent -Veronica Roth
• The truth about forever- Sarah Dessen
• The Angel Experiment- James Patterson
• The Agency: A Spy in the House- Y.S. Lee
• Noughts and Crosses- Malorie Blackman
• His Dark Materials trilogy (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass) Philip Pullman
• The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy - J.R.R. Tolkien
• The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd
Year 10:
Year 10 are well into their exam preparation for their early entry English Literature exam in the
summer. In order for students to fulfil their potential, the English department advises that students
read Animal Farm and Of Mice and Men four times before the exam; this is also a recommendation
from the Edexcel exam board. In light of recent grade boundary changes within English, it is vitally
important that students dedicate time to revise the novels and also the fifteen poems from the
Anthology.
Additional support can be found on the English department’s successful Facebook page: Woodham
Academy English. On this site students have access to constant revision updates as well as vital
resources and constant access to an English teacher if needed. Similarly, the English department
Twitter page @WoodhamEnglish provides the same support.
Follow us on Facebook: Woodham Academy English.
Follow us on Twitter: @WoodhamEnglish
Poetry revision can be found on YouTube. There is a revision video for every poem the students need
to study. They need to go on to YouTube and type in Stacey Reay to view the materials.
Music
Dates for your diary
th
16 December, 2pm-3.30pm: if you were unable to come and see the annual Woodham
Christmas Concert, then don’t worry, you have another chance! Woodham music students will
be taking part in the Newton Aycliffe Community Christmas Concert, which will take place at
the Leisure Centre. Students from Woodham Sound will be leading the community carol
singing, accompanied by students from Instrumental Group. Woodham Vocal Group will also
be performing in their own solo slot. What better way to celebrate the festive period?
Woodham’s Got Talent
This March will see the return of the ever-popular ‘Woodham’s Got Talent’, where anyone and everyone has
the opportunity to show off their skills in music, drama, dance, magic and anything else! The contest is open to
students in all Year groups, and any act at all is considered. Audition forms will be available from Mr Boyd and
Mr Entiknap after the Christmas holidays, and all acts will be required to complete an audition in order to find
out whether they can progress to the main event on March 17th. As usual there are some fabulous prizes to be
won, so start planning and rehearsing your act now!
th
17 March: Woodham’s Got Talent, 7pm, Main Hall. Tickets available nearer the time.
Late February (dates to be finalised): Y11 GCSE Music performance exams. Individual time slots to be allocated
in due course.
June: Y10 GCSE Music performance exams.
9th July: Summer Concert, 7pm, Main Hall.
Kind Donation: A local resident has kindly donated four guitars to our Music department. The guitars are of
extremely high quality and it was a delight to see some of our Year 11 faces light up when we brought them
out! The guitars were on show at our Christmas Concert and will be put through their paces in forthcoming
events and exams.
Geography
th
Year 11- Controlled Assessment: to be submitted for marking on Friday January 16 2015
Mock Exams: All geographers will sit two, one hour papers.
Paper One Physical Geography students will answer one question on the “Restless Earth”, earthquakes,
volcanoes, fold mountains and tsunamis, and one question on the “Coastal Zone”, processes and features of
erosion and deposition, coastal management and coastal retreat. On Paper Two Human Geography students
will answer one question on “Changing Urban Environments”, urban growth and the problems of rapid
urbanisation, urban issues, such as ethnicity and redevelopment and the growth of shanty towns. One question
on “Tourism” will be completed; this includes reasons for increased urban growth, tourist attractions, the
Butler model, and extreme and tropical holiday destinations.
Catch up revision sessions. These happen after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays and run from
3.15pm to 4.00 pm. Year 11 target students are expected to attend; other students are free to attend to assist
in good preparation for their mock exams.
Science
It has been a very busy time in Science over the past few months with lots of fantastic activities
taking place in Science club and Woodham Sparkies. Students have been involved in the Royal
Society of Chemistry’s Top of the Bench competition where the students competed against the top 6
schools from across the Northeast of England; although the students did not win overall they put in a
sterling performance with only 4 points separating the students from the top spot. Well done
Tamsin Hudson-Jarmain, Lucy Ratcliffe, James Dick and Corrin Lathan.
Science Club are at present working on an entry for the forthcoming Vane Road Luminaire and are
excited about using Science and Art to produce a fantastic installation that will be on show at Vane
Road School.
Following a successful bid to the Society of Microbiology the department was awarded £1000 worth
of equipment to help in teaching microbiology skills and safety to Science students. The Sparkies
session in January will focus on developing skills with Primary students in preparation for them
joining the school in September.
In late December students will also have the opportunity to meet a real life astronaut who will be
taking part in the first manned mission to Mars in 2020, Students will have the chance to ask
questions about the mission and its selection process as well as gain first-hand knowledge of what
the mission will involve and its training process for the astronauts involved.
Year 10 and 11 students are soon to be sitting their first Pre Public examination. The department has
organised revision sessions after school for all students involved and we urge you to attend as many
sessions as possible in order to prepare for the exam. The deadline for all year 10 coursework is
3.15pm on Friday 19th December. Details of all revision sessions can be found in the support section
of this mailing.
We wish all of our students well in their exams and look forward to some excellent results in 2015
Andrew Jenkins
Head of Science
Health & Social Care Exam
Y11 External Examination (re-sit) will take place on 8th January 2015
Coursework supervision sessions for Y10 and Y11 students are available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays
and Thursdays from 30.30pm- 5.00pm
French Study Visit July 2015
Following a very sunny and fabulous trip last year a group of Woodham students
once again have the opportunity to spend a week on the Opal Coast of France. The
students will enjoy a packed itinerary of fun activities; extreme rides at the Bagatelle
theme park, a morning at the Boulogne “Nautica” sea life centre and an afternoon at
the “Aqualud” water park, where they can experience the thrill of water slides. They
will also have the opportunity to have a behind the scenes visit to a traditional
boulangerie, where they will learn how to bake their own croissants, as well as a visit
to a chocolate factory.
Thank you to all parents for their prompt payments of the £50 deposit and first £100
instalment. The final balance is due by the end of March 2015. Prompt payment
would again be very much appreciated.
There are only a very small number of places still available. Please contact Mr Coley, Head of Modern Foreign
Languages, if interested.
Student Support
Borrowed Ties – Student Support has a number of ties that are loaned out to students on a daily basis. Our
expectation is that the tie is returned the same day, after school, in the same condition it was given to the
students. If the tie is lost or damaged we would expect it to be replaced at a cost of £5.50 (KS3) or £6.95 (KS4).
Lost Property – Lost property around the school is handed in at Student Support. This could be anything from
a pencil case to keys, coats, trainers etc.Please ensure names are put in your child's items where possible as
this will help us get the item back to your child as quickly as possible.
Please encourage your child to visit Student Support if they have lost anything as items not collected by the
end of each term will either be donated to charity or used in school where appropriate.
Facebook Concerns- Recently a vigilant parent brought to our attention a 'friend' that her daughter had on
Facebook. This turned out to be someone that she did not know and was also 'friends' with many other girls of
secondary school age. As a result we reported our concerns to the police and they have reported this onto
their safeguarding team. We also asked out IT teachers to use lesson time to remind students of how to stay
safe on the internet. Please can I ask you to find some time to go through these safety issues with your
nd
child/children. Woodham Academy is running a support session for parents on E-Safety on 22 January at
6pm. All are welcome.
Exam Invigilators
We are fast approaching internal and external GCSE exams. If you would be interested in becoming an exam
invigilator we would love to hear from you. Experience is not needed as full training will be provided. If you are
interested, please call the school on 300328 and ask to speak to Mrs Davison.
Design and Technology
Year 11 Controlled assessment in Design and Technology contributes 60% of the final GCSE grade. As
a department, we are focussed on helping your son / daughter achieve their highest possible grade.
Most students are at a stage where they have designed and developed their product and are in the
initial stages of manufacture. If this is not the case, then the department have the following catch-up
sessions available:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Product Design, Mr Nelson
Engineering, Mr Nelson
Graphics, Mr Walker
Resistant Materials, Mr Walker
Resistant Materials, Mr Groves
Textiles, Miss Gregory
Wednesday 3:15-4:00
Tuesday 3:15-4:15
Tuesday 3:15-4:15
Thursday 3:15-415
Tuesday-Thursday 3:15-5:00
Every lunchtime.
Students have access to a generic set of materials for D&T Controlled Assessment. If students would
like to use more specialist materials, then a contribution may be asked for in order to support this
request. Should this need to occur, a conversation will have taken place with students and their
teacher, followed by a letter home. The final deadline for all D&T subjects is Friday 20th March 2015.
The breadth and quality of this year’s designs are very pleasing for the department. It reflects the
hard work of the students, but also the potential within our classes to produce our best set of results
ever. Additional activities this year have added to the student’s enthusiasm for the subject, including
the Textiles trip to London and the continued work with primary schools in the field of STEM. For the
second year running, Woodham Academy will be hosting the County Durham VEX Robotics
Challenge, with the winners progressing to the National Competition Final at the Big Bang STEM
Event in Birmingham.
Can I take this opportunity to thank you for your support, as we look forward to working closely with
your sons / daughters, in order to help them achieve their potential. If you have any further queries
regarding Design and Technology, then please do not hesitate to contact me.
Mr Nelson
Head of Design and Technology
Year 9
A reminder that Year 9 Parents’ Evening will take place on Wednesday 14th January from 4pm7pm.This will be your opportunity to talk to your child's subject teachers at this important time of
their education. If you're able to attend please discuss with your child the times that they should
make appointments on your behalf. They will be issued with the appointment sheets on the first day
of next term and should then see subject teachers in order to make appointments for the
appropriate times.
We look forward to seeing you.
Information Technology
As a result of investment in our IT provision and an internal software update, we now have the
facility for all students on roll to install, free of charge, the most recent version of Microsoft Office
They will have access to this for the time they are on roll at Woodham Academy. Should you wish to
take advantage of this opportunity please follow the instructions below.
Microsoft 365 Access
Students now have access to Microsoft Office 365 which provides them with email access, calendar,
contacts, cloud file storage and the ability to install the latest version of Microsoft Office for free!
To access Office 365 in school or at home
1. Load up your web browser and go to the school website
2. Click on the e-mail link
3. Log in with your school email address. For example p.blogg@woodham.org.uk
4. Type in your school password
Installing Microsoft Office
Log in to your office 365 account as above. If you are not presented with an installation screen go to
Office 365 settings, click on Review System Requirements to ensure your computer is compatible
and then, if it is, click on install. The software is valid only for the time you are registered as a
student at Woodham Academy.
To access on a mobile device
You can download the OWA app from the Android and Apple app stores and use it access school
email, calendar and contacts. If you wish to integrate school email, calendar and contacts with your
existing phone set up then you can add an exchange email account on your device. The way to do
that will vary depending upon the device. Either way you will need the following settings:
Username – This is your school email address
Password – Your usual school password
Server – outlook.office365.com
Using Onedrive
Onedrive provides storage space on the internet so you can upload and download files from
anywhere in the world. It could be used as a replacement for a USB memory stick to swap files back
and forward between school and home. You can also use it as a backup area for you school work.
Please note any file stored in Microsoft’s Onedrive is not backed up by us. If you delete something
from Onedrive it is gone forever.
Mr Smith
Woodham Academy Football Fixtures 2014/2015
Date
Opposition
Venue
10/02/15
Bishop Barrington
H

03/03/15
Teesdale
A
10/03/15
Belmont
17/03/15
Year
7
Year 8
Year 9





H



Whitworth Park
A




24/03/15
St Johns
H




16/04/15
Sunnydale
A

Spring 1
Spring 2

Woodham Sports Academy
Jan-Feb
Mon

Year 10 Year 11
Tue
Basketball 3.30-5.00
Water Polo 5.00-7.00
Gymnastics 3.30-5.00
Boys Gymnastics
3.30-5.00
Swimming 3.30-5.00
(Yr 7)
Softball 5.30-7.00
Basketball 3.30-5.00
Water Polo 5.00-7.00
Gymnastics 3.30-5.00
Boys Gymnastics
3.30-5.00
Swimming 3.30-5.00
Softball 5.30-7.00
Wed
Thu
Swimming 3.30-5.00
Dance 3.30-5.00
(Performing Arts
Studio)
Basketball 3.30-5.00
American Football
3.30-5.00
Flag football 5.00-6.00
Football 3.30-5.00
(Sports hall, Outside)
Primary football 5.006.00 (Sports hall and
outside)
Leadership Academy
(Performing Arts
Studio)
3.30-4.30
American Football
3.30-5.00
Girls football 3.304.30
Football 3.30-5.00
(Sports hall, Outside)
Primary football 5.006.00 (Sports hall and
outside)
Leadership Academy
(Performing Arts
Studio)
3.30-4.30
American Football
3.30-5.00
Girls football 3.304.30
Swimming 3.30-5.00
Dance 3.30-5.00
(Performing Arts
Studio)
Basketball 3.30-5.00
American Football
3.30-5.00
Flag football 5.00-6.00
Fri


Extra Learning and Support
There are a range of options available to students to complete extra work in school. This could be homework, catchup work, extension tasks or further research. The Learning Centre is open at lunch times and after school every day
until 4.30pm. This environment is calm and quiet and staff are always available to support students with their work.
In preparation for the upcoming examinations the following departments are also offering targeted Year 11 support
time. It is expected that students attend appropriate sessions. We would ask parents/carers to encourage
participation.
Maths
Technology – Product Design
•
•
All teachers are available during the week after school
Tuesday 8:00am
All teachers are available by negotiation
Exam revision sessions will be held every Thursday after January
Tuesday to Thursday 3:15pm – 5:00pm Year 10 & 11 coursework catch-up drop in –
Mr Jenkins/Mr Dennis/Mrs Jenkins/Mr Brack/Mr Byrne
Wednesday 3:15pm – 4:30pm Year 10 & 11 revision and exam practice –
Mr Jenkins/Mrs Jenkins/Mr Dennis/Mr Brack
Wednesday 3:15pm – 4:40pm Intervention invited students –
Mr Jenkins/Mr Dennis/Mrs Jenkins
Wednesday 4:30pm – 6:00pm Biology revision and exam preparation units 1-7 for
students resitting Biology or Core Science – Mr Jenkins
Thursday 3:15pm – 4:30pm Year 10 & 11 revision and coursework drop in –
Mr Byrne/Mr Dennis/Mr Jenkins
Friday 3:15pm – 4:30pm Coursework intervention – Mr Dennis/Mr Jenkins
Wednesday 3:15pm – 4:45pm
Technology – Graphic Products
•
Tuesday 3:15pm – 4:00pm
Technology – Resistant Materials
Technology – Textiles (Miss Gregory)
•
•
•
Thursday 3:15pm – 4:00pm - Mr Walker
Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday 3:25pm – 5:00pm - Mr Groves
Every lunchtime
Technology – Engineering
•
Tuesday 3:15pm – 4:15pm
RE – Full course
•
Twilight sessions to be arranged
Geography
History
•
•
•
Tuesday 3:15pm – 4:00pm - Mrs Warburton (Room 148)
Thursday 3:15pm – 4:00pm - Mr Barker (Room 43)
Thursday lunchtime
PE (GCSE)
•
Wednesday lunchtime
IT
•
Tuesday to Friday 3:15pm – 5:00pm – Mrs Lind
Art
•
•
•
•
Every lunchtime + Friday after school by negotiation
Tuesday & Thursday after school - Miss Tait/Mr Gore/Miss Ferguson
Wednesday after school - Miss Tait
Tuesday-Thursday-Friday 3:15pm – 4:00pm for speaking test work
•
•
Tuesday to Friday after school - Mr Boyd/Mrs Taylor (by rotation)
Lunchtimes by negotiation
English
Science
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
MFL
Music
Jonathan Lumb
Deputy Headteacher
Woodham Academy Uniform
www.swi.co.uk
The school uniform continues to look smart and always receives compliments from visitors to the school. Above is the
link where you are able to buy the major items of school uniform. This is on the home page of the school website and
goes into detail about both school uniform and what is an acceptable appearance at school.
Whilst almost all students are in perfect uniform, there are a small number of students that do attempt to push the
boundaries of what is acceptable. Below I will clarify some areas that have created some confusion for parents.
Shoes:
Shoes should be black, leather, polishable shoes. No white or coloured markings or high tops are acceptable. Knee
high boots are not acceptable.
Ties, Blazers and Hoodies:
Ties and blazers must be worn at all times. Hoodies are not part of the school uniform and students will be asked to
remove them and keep them in a safe place for the remainder of the school day. Hoodies are not acceptable instead
of a coat. In poor weather a waterproof coat can be worn over the blazer or a jumper purchased from the school
suppliers.
Hair Colour:
This must be a natural colour
Girls:
Make up and Nail varnish
In years 7 and 8 girls will not wear make-up. Any found to be doing so will be asked to remove it. In years 9 and above
make up will be subtle. Excessive make up will again need to be removed. This includes false eyelashes. It is much
better that students ensure that make up is subtle on arrival at school rather than having to remove it on site.
False nails, acrylic nails or bright coloured nail varnish are not appropriate for lessons and can pose a risk. Again all
students will be asked to remove false nails/nail varnish.
Skirts and Trousers
The only skirts that are an acceptable school skirt are available from the school suppliers. The link is above. Trousers
that are skin tight or resemble leggings, jeggings or jeans are not acceptable. If trousers have studs on, they are jeans
and will not be accepted. As a guide as to what is acceptable the slim formal and woven bootcut trousers on the
school uniform area of the Next website are appropriate and from Tesco all of the trousers in the school uniform area
apart from the jersey material or plaited waistband would be acceptable. These are not the only places that such
trousers can be purchased from and are meant only as a guide as to how they should look.
Piercings and jewellery:
The only piercings that are allowed is one stud in each ear. Any other piercings will need to be removed.
No bracelets are allowed in school.
Boys:
Trousers:
These must be not be jeans. Anything that has studs on will be considered to be jeans and will not be acceptable.
To try to ensure that the uniform policy is adhered to Tutors, Heads of Year and the Leadership group carry out
regular school checks. Where there is found to be a student that is not adhering to school policy parents are
contacted to discuss the issue. Some students will be removed from lessons and work will be given to them whilst the
uniform issue is resolved. If you do have any questions or need further clarification please do not hesitate to contact
the school and in the first instance ask to speak to your child’s Tutor.
KS3 Homework
A recent review of Key Stage 3 homework shows some very positive
results. During the Year 7 Parents’ Evening with tutors over 83% of
parents indicated in a survey that they were happy with the
homework their child was receiving and that it was appropriate for
their age. In addition to this survey a number of parents with
children in Years 8 and 9 were contacted by telephone, again
highlighting some very positive results. 80% of parents agreed that
the quality and quantity of homework that their child is receiving, in
comparison to last year, has improved. We value all of your
comments and are extremely grateful for your views, including those
made in the parent comment section of the homework booklets.
There have been some suggestions made to us about how homework could be better. We are looking to take
these comments on board for future projects. Whilst the homework has been commended for challenging
students we are aware that for less able students the projects can be overwhelming and difficult. There will be a
variety of changes that we are looking to implement to make the homework projects more accessible to all
students. These include:
•
•
•
•
Ensuring that tasks are matched to students’ ability. Icons will be shown next to each task informing
students of what tasks to complete, depending on their pathway. Some tasks will be designed for all
students, others for green or red pathway only.
Providing further scaffolding to support students with extended writing.
Where appropriate providing further websites with online resources to support both students and
parents.
Reducing the amount of homework set to 4 hours in Year 7, and 5 hours in Year 8.
In addition to the above we will be encouraging students to take home their booklets once marked so that as
parents you can also celebrate students’ achievements. We do please ask that these booklets are returned as
evidence of their work and progress.
The number of students who are now completing homework has increased and the standard of work produced
by many is exceptional. Many students are seeking support from the Learning Centre during lunch and after
school. We are confident that these study skills will support students and prepare them well as they move on in
their studies.
KS4 Homework
In Key Stage 4 students are to complete work which is set in class by individual subject teachers. This should be
weekly and will range from set tasks, consolidation activities, reading, researching and revising. It is important
that students develop independent study skills, which will prepare them for their upcoming exams. Students will
shortly be provided with a small booklet with a collection of homework tasks for each subject. This will provide
parents and students with a list of additional work that students can complete.
Children in Need 2014
A very big thank you to all students, parents and adults at home who helped bring the Woodham
Academy fundraising total for Children in Need this year to over £1000 !! The total so far is £1006.61
which is an excellent achievement for all pupils involved and all who donated their hard-earned
money.
The Children in Need day saw some amazing fancy dress costumes worn by pupils in all age groups.
Sponsored silences galore were enjoyed by teaching staff in a number of cases. Money was also
raised by exhibitions of card games and roller skating and there was even a visit from Pudesy Bear
himself. A former pupil Tyrone Wynn who is now a professional DJ, came in at lunchtime to run a
disco for Y7. Tyrone donated his services free of charge and we would like to say a big thank you. All
in all, our 8th year of fundraising for Children in Need was a resounding success and Woodham
students are to be congratulated for a day full of purposeful fun , with no disruptions to learning.
Also thank you to all the adults at home as we are aware that it is your support that makes such
events possible.
Mock Exams
Mock examinations will be held for Year 11 students from Thursday 11th
December to Wednesday 17th December. In addition, Art exams will be
held on Tuesday 9th and Wednesday 10th December, and the Media
Studies mock exam will be on Wednesday 10th December.
Students will be issued with timetables. Seating plans and other
arrangements will be displayed on the Exams noticeboard.
Students are reminded that unless they are in an examination they will be expected to attend their
normal timetabled lesson.
Careers
Queen Elizabeth interviews Tuesday 20th January 3.30pm-5:00pm. QE will send a confirmation letter
to all applicants with their interview time.
New College Durham interviews Tuesday 3rd February 3:30pm-5:00pm.
New College Durham will send a confirmation letter to all applicants with their interview time.
PSHE
Parents’ Information Evening E-Safety
Date: Thursday 22nd January
Time: 6:00pm-7:00pm
Target audience: Parents/Guardians of students in all year groups
Protecting your child from harm is just as important online as it is in the real world. Children may be
exposed to content that is sexually explicit, violent, prohibited or even illegal. They may also
experience cyber-bullying or be at risk from contact with strangers. As a parent/carer, you can play
an important role in helping children have a safe and positive online experience.
Children may – unknowingly or deliberately- share personal information, without realising they may
be subject to identity theft, or that they are leaving behind content that might not reflect well on
them in the future.
This session aims to
•
•
•
Explore ways of protecting your child online by taking an active role
Provide confidence when talking about online risks and answering questions or concerns
about something they find on the internet
Find out about what we as a school are doing to help your child keep themselves safe online
You can reserve your place, by phoning the school on 01325 300328.
The session will take place in the Learning Centre.
Tony Blair’s visit to Woodham Academy
Message from Chair of Governors
Hello, my name is Sean Barnett and I have been a Governor at Woodham for just
over 2 years now. As well as Chair I sit on the Curriculum and Standards, Pay
Review, Policy and Planning and Pupil Discipline Committees.
I have lived in Woodham for almost 15 years with one daughter currently at the
school and another who is now studying a Health Psychology masters degree at
University College London.
I studied Biomedical Sciences in Manchester and was employed as a scientist
and then manager in the NHS for almost 25 years. Ten years ago I set up my own consultancy
business as a project manager, working with the NHS and care homes.
If you would like to talk to me about the school or getting involved please ask at reception and the
school can forward your message, or just come and chat when you see me at events.
I’d like to thank my predecessor as Chair, Jonathan French, for his dedication to the school and wish
him well in his new employment.