Acklam Grange School
Parents’ Mailing
April 2014
April 2014
Dear Students and Parents/Guardians
Again, this has been a busy half term with even greater focus on the final GCSE examinations
for Year 11 students. In addition, there has been much activity relating to our connections with
the local community, a school in the USA and interviews with ‘Celebrities’.
 As a result of the Community Cohesion Group and our International School Status, on
Friday 14 March 2014, we played host to an International Women’s Day event inspired
by the Soroptimists International, Middlesbrough. This is the 2nd year that we have been
host to this successful event and we hope to continue with this on an annual basis.
At the event, 14 groups and individuals performed their presentations to an audience of
specially invited guests and their Year 9 peers.
Mr J Taylor, Chairman of Governors and Mr Mallard, Deputy Headteacher were joined
by two special judges; Actor, Felicity Finch, who plays the character of Ruth Archer in
the radio drama ‘The Archers’ and Gerda Roper, Dean of the School of Arts and Media
at the University of Teesside. The panel had the difficult task of selecting a winner from
the talented students who took part.
The standard of each presentation was amazing. There was a variety of presentations;
poems, monologues, digital presentations, music, dance, drama and song. Lucy
Pottinger was the winning act on the day - there was not a dry eye in the Performance
Hall.
Well done to all our participants and to the Year 9 audience – you ‘did us proud!’
 International School Meals Day - Acklam Grange School was invited to take part in
this very special celebration event. A group of 12 Year 8 Food Technology students took
part in an international Skype Classroom event. The students spent 45 minutes
speaking to students from Watkins Mill high School in Maryland, USA.
They shared their experiences of school meals, talked about nutritional standards for
school meals in both countries, discussed how they learn about food and nutrition in
school and swapped recipes for healthy dishes.
The session ended with a debate about whether or not governments have the right to
impose nutritional standards on students and whether fizzy drinks should be banned in
all schools. During the discussion, students shared their views on topics such as healthy
eating and childhood obesity.
 BBC School Report – A group of students took part in this project on Thursday 27
March 2014. Students worked tirelessly to get new articles produced and uploaded to
the school website for a 16:00GMT deadline on the day. Organised by Mrs Cooke and
Mr Richards, students interviewed celebrities via Skype and in person for articles which
were produced and uploaded to the school website. The celebrities included Hollywood
Actress Charlotte Riley, Magician and former student Pete Firman and Football
Journalist Mark Clemmit. Visit the school website to read articles and watch video
footage of these interviews and many others www.acklamgrange.org.uk
Picking up and dropping off students - your help please…..
There is a 20mph speed limit on Lodore Grove, Heythrop Drive and
surrounding streets. Ensure that you adhere to this as the speed of all
traffic is being monitored – we do not want you to incur a speeding fine or
for a child to be hit and injured by any car.
Please ensure that when picking up or dropping off your child at the Lodore
Grove entrance that you:

Follow the 10mph speed limit

Park in the drop off bays near the bike sheds or in the car park NOT on
pavements, pedestrian crossings or in the disabled bays (unless you hold
a disabled badge)

Follow the exit directions
Student Drop Off/Pick Up Area – Heythrop Drive
The parking system at the Heythrop side of school was
designed to alleviate congestion in the school car park
and outside of the school gates. To reflect the
arrangements at the Lodore side of school, there is a
designated student drop off and pick up area. The car
park, to the left as you drive in is for staff and visitor
parking.
If you are dropping your child off at school or picking them up at the end of the school day,
please drive into the school car park and turn right into the pick up and drop off area. Park your
car in a marked parking bay. There is a student waiting area in the top right corner of the Acorn
Centre car park where your child can wait safely for you to arrive. When you have collected
your child please leave the car park as normal, joining the car park flow as you turn left to exit.
Consultation on a Change to our School Day
Proposed Timings of the school day from Monday 9 June 2014
AM Registration
Period 1
Period 2
Break
Period 3
Lunch
Period 4
Period 5
Enhancement Learning+
Proposal 1
8.40am
9.00am
10.00am
11.00am
11.15am
12.15pm
1.00pm
2.00pm
3.00pm
Proposal 2
9.00am
10.00am
11.00am
11.15am
12.15pm
1.00pm
2.00pm
3.00pm
4.00pm+
The rationale for the changes are as follows:
Educational Benefits:


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Faster pace to the day - more time spent on learning and less on moving around the
school (through the removal of the afternoon registration)
Greater opportunity for Enrichment/Learning Support after school (through an earlier
finish to the day)
No wasted time at lunch, but still an opportunity for clubs to run (through removal of the
final 10 minutes).
Behaviour for Learning Benefits:



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All students can be served and eat lunch in 45 mins with time for relaxation
Remaining 10 mins is counterproductive for some students who do not benefit from this
Period 4 has a more settled and purposeful start (due to the last 10 minutes of lunch and
a circulation opportunity being removed)
Supports further the calm atmosphere and improved behaviour around the school.
Other benefits:


Currently some students are reluctant to attend after school sessions because of dark
nights in the winter – an early finish would counter this
Heads of Year would be able to spend 20 minutes at the start of the day supporting their
year group and once a week the student’s day would begin with an assembly.
What next?
Please comment on these proposed changes using the comments box (at the end of this
mailing) and return to your child’s tutor at the start of next term.
We will review all comments, consult with staff and students and make adjustments if needed.
If we do adopt the proposed model, it will begin on Monday 9 June when many of the Year 11
examinations are nearly completed and before we host our Year 6 into Year 7 Induction.
Attendance/Persistent Absenteeism
Attendance currently stands at 94.2%, in comparison to 93.5% last year,
an increase of 0.7% on last year. This year attendance has been affected by
Eid which has again seen religious observation spread over three days
according to interpretations of the Muslim calendar. School attendance up to
the end of Eid stood at 94.3% but would have been 94.8% without Eid.
Attendance was also affected by ‘Ashura in November during which our
Muslim students fasted and some took a day off school for religious
observation.
Accelerated Reader
The Accelerated reader programme was widened in September to include all students in Year 7 and 8.
Students read regularly in form time, and also have a dedicated lesson within English once per fortnight.
Initial uptake with year 7 has been very positive and is progressing faster than at this time last year.
Tutor support continues and this is monitored by the Heads of Year 7 and 8 and the SENCO. Progress
is shared with students via regular rewards assemblies. Notable impact by mid March is as follows:


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78% of students have taken at least one quiz in the last 30 days (80% last term)
9094 books have been read (3379 last term)
60,835,0,33 words have been read (22,271,836 last term)
53% of students have averaged at least 85% on quizzes (47% last term)
Well done to our Top Ten Readers!
1. Erin Williams
2. Anem Ahmed
3. Aisha Qurban
4. Amelia Farrow
5. Polly Dowdle
6. Stanley Johnson
7. Bilaal Ali
8. Ellie Smith
9. Megan Murphy
10. Hiend Darwish
4,347,168 words
3,388,114 words
2,838,775 words
1,756,878 words
1,364,803 words
1,209,999 words
1,124,798 words
1,055,186 words
989,996 words
853,342 words
Parents’ Mailing
Your child should receive an A5 newsletter with information, often letters, surveys and a reply
slip etc, on the THURSDAY before the end of each half term/term. If you do not receive the
Parents’ Mailing on Thursday night, you can ring the school next term and we will send out the
Mailing to you. I believe that this is one way in which we can ensure that letters from school
make their way home.
Have a restful holiday.
Yours sincerely
Ms A Crawshaw
Headteacher
Acklam Grange School
Anti Bullying Newsletter
Number 1 – April 2014
Number 1
Peer Mentors
In October of last year we selected a group of Year 10
students to become Peer Mentors. The successful students
received training form an outside company called Viva
Training. The students discussed the different types of
problems faced by young people, learnt about active listening
skills and body language, the importance of confidentiality and
also the importance of passing on information/asking for
assistance from the right people.
Once the students completed their training they attended Year
7 and Year 8 assemblies with a presentation and to introduce
themselves. They have been assigned to form groups and
currently visit the form group once a week. The Peer Mentors
also run a Helping Hands drop in session on a lunchtime
between 12.15pm – 1.00pm, where Year 7 and Year 8
students can go if they wish to speak more privately.
We are hoping to get the Peer Mentors working with the Year
6 students during their transition to secondary school.
Our expectations

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


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Treat others as we
would like to be treated
Discuss differences of
opinions calmly
Care for the school
environment
Listen without
interrupting
Participate actively
Arrive on time for school
and every lesson
Be equipped for school
Take responsibility for
your own behaviour
Show consideration for
others
Our responsibilities

Bullying is defined as the conscious desire to hurt,
threaten, frighten or make someone feel
uncomfortable repeated over a period of time, where it
is difficult for those being bullied to defend
themselves.


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


Physical
Verbal
Cyber
Emotional
Racial
Homophobic

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To ensure that all
students can learn in a
supportive, caring and
safe environment
without fear of being
bullied
To deal with any
bullying incidents
immediately
To keep parents/carers
informed
To reassure and
support students
E-Safety/Anti-Bullying
In the autumn term we offered drop-in sessions for Facebook for Year 7 and Year 8 parents
which were found to be very useful.
Our aim is to repeat such sessions in the summer term. We would like to be able to tailor
these sessions to the needs of our parents/carers. Therefore, if there is any particular issue
that you would like to know about then please email those details to us at
bennison.b1@acklamgrange.org.uk
Details of the sessions along with dates and times will be published once we have a
programme.
Anti-Bullying Ambassadors – a part of The Diana Award
In the summer term we are hosting a training event for The Diana Award Anti-Bullying
Ambassadors Team. This event will take place at Acklam Grange on 8 July 2014. The
event is open to other schools in the area and is an ideal opportunity for students from
primary and secondary schools of all ages and abilities to be trained as Anti-Bullying
ambassadors.
The students will creatively explore and understand the issue of bullying through interactive
sessions. They will be able to exchange ideas and share good practice, they will gain
practical ideas and receive help on how to stop bullying; enabling them to help to prevent
bullying and ensure everyone feels safe and happy in their school.
We have 15 places available to us and are currently in the process of advertising and
interviewing students for these roles.
Who to go to/Who to speak to if there are any concerns/worries
Head of Year/Assistant Head of Year
Form Tutor
Miss Bennison (Mentor/Anti Bullying Co-ordinator based in the Acorn Centre)
Mrs Dixon (Pastoral SENCO)
E-Safety Team
Mr Burnett – Head of Inclusion and Progression
Mr Johnson – IT Resource Manager
Mrs Wilson – Head of ICT and Business Studies
Year 7 students continue to make progress as they near the end of their second full term
here. No longer nervous and shy, they are confident and assured in their new school.
Students are working hard on Accelerated Reader with 7DB
having the record at present for reading the most books.
Attendance and punctuality remains high with some forms
regularly hitting the 100% mark for these on a weekly basis.
The form with the best record for attendance and punctuality
receive awards in assembly and every form has won the award
at least once. Students are keen to do well and they appreciate
the importance of regular attendance and being on time, ready
to learn.
Students are making progress in their lessons. The majority of students have made progress
in each of their subjects since staring here. Those that have not made progress are being
mentored by their subject teachers and form tutors to overcome any difficulties that they
might be having.
Each student in Year 7 is graded as either red, amber or green, depending on their level of
progress in school. The ‘Green’ Students are easily the biggest group, demonstrating how
well they are doing in their lessons.
Year 7 are doing well in the sporting arena, on an individual and
team basis. Boys and girls football are performing well at the end
of the season and thanks must go to all staff involved in the
running of teams.
There has been several charity events organised already with
many more in the pipeline. Many thanks to all of our parents for
supporting us in our fund raising events for Cancer Research, our
nominated charity for this year.
Easter sees three Year 7 tutors move on to pastures new and thanks go to Mrs Morrison,
Mr Cook and Mr Harrington for the work they have done with Year 7 in the brief time they
have been here.
I would like to congratulate Year 7 for their hard work, commitment and enthusiasm and I
hope they have a good break, they certainly deserve it.
Mr M Cass
Head of Year 7
Achievement
Year 8 students have gone from strength to strength in terms of academic achievement this
year. Form tutors are currently meeting with students to discuss their progress this year and
to examine any areas that need improvement.
In addition to this, countless Gold, Silver and Bronze awards are
coming through the office for achievement in all areas of the
curriculum. Staff continue to give out positive points for various
achievements. Congratulations to the following students for achieving
the most points so far this year:
Aminah Ahmed, Gary Lynas, Hussein Al Fouda, Noora Hassan,
Rebecca Jones, Brittany Massingham, Aqsa Shahzad, Hafsa Din,
Taylor McNally and Ebony Cleasby.
Accelerated Reader
Year 8 continue to read in afternoon registration every
Monday and Wednesday. In addition to this an hour per
fortnight is spent on Accelerated Reader within English
lessons. Since Year 7 we have seen some outstanding
achievement through the reader program. Congratulations
go to our top 10 readers who currently are:
Erin Williams, Anem Ahmed, Aisha Qurban, Amelia Farrow,
Polly Dowdle, Stanley Johnson, Megan Murphy, Jacob
Wharam, Samreena Hussain and Stephanie Julier.
Student Leaders
Mr Flint, Miss Whitfield and Mrs Hyde had the pleasure of interviewing for our Year 8 Student
Leaders this term. Candidates submitted letters of application and were invited to a short
interview. The quality of the answers given in interviews was of a tremendously high
standard. Well done to all who applied for the six positions. Congratulations go to the
successful candidates. Our Student Leaders for Year 8 are:
Jacon Wharan, Nathan Ramsden, Sam Matthewman, Amy Farrow, Taaliah Miah and
Shauna Kennedy.
Anti-bullying ambassadors
Mr Burnett and Miss Bennison recently gave an assembly on antibullying in school. During this assembly, Year 8 students were
invited to apply to become anti-bullying ambassadors to work
throughout the school to promote anti-bullying. Students were asked
to write a short letter expressing their interest in the role and to
submit this by Friday 28 March. These letters will be read and
students will be invited to interview very soon. The role of antibullying ambassador involves in-house training for the job and is a
wonderful opportunity to make a difference and get involved in
school life.
Sport
Congratulations got to Joshua Cowperthwaite who
has achieved outstanding success in many areas of
sport since starting at Acklam Grange in Year 7.
Recently Joshua competed in the under 13s Cross
Country National Trials and came first. This makes
Joshua the fastest under 13 year old in the country.
Our congratulations go to him for this outstanding
achievement.
United Kingdom Youth Parliament
Year 8 student Anem Ahmed stood as a candidate for the internal election within school this
term. This was to decide who should represent the school in the Middlesbrough wide
elections.
Anem
won
the
admiration of everyone involved
as she made powerful speeches in
front of each year group in
assembly. Anem is looking
forward to standing again in the
elections when she is in Year 10.
Attendance and Punctuality
Our ten forms continue to compete for the attendance trophy each week in assembly. As
well as this, the form with the best punctuality is also acknowledged. Mr Clark and Mrs Burns,
who are part of our attendance team, are putting together rewards for best attendance and
punctuality, as well as rewards for improved attendance and punctuality over the year.
Finally Miss Whitfield and Mrs Hyde would like to wish our students a happy and restful
Easter. Our thanks also go to our form tutors for their daily support and encouragement of
our students.
Miss S Whitfield
Head of Year 8
This has been an extremely busy term for Year 9 students. I have highlighted just a few of
the things that students have been involved in. One of the exciting new ways of
communicating to our parents, promoting education and encouraging engagement within
school, is the launch of our Year 9 Twitter page. Why not follow us! @AGS_Year9
International Womens’ Day
As Ms Crawshaw has mentioned at the start of this mailing, Year 9 students took part in
celebrating International Womens’ Day on Friday 14 March 2014. Miss Neary spent time
organising the event and mentoring our young performers who displayed a variety of talents
on the day. After much deliberation, a decision was made by our panel of judges, Lucy
Pottinger was announced as this year’s winner!
Enrichment Activities and Visitors to School
Students enjoyed a performance by boy band ‘In
Hindsight’ this term. The band tour the country
raising the awareness of drug abuse to teenagers.
Our media group managed to grab an interview
with the boys after their performance, the article
of which was produced and published on the
school website as part of the BBC School Report.
Why not visit the website to find out more, listen
to their performance and read other news stories
www.acklamgrange.org.uk
‘Nicky’s Choice’ a drama performed by a group of actors, is an innovative and powerful
production highlighting the very serious and emotional issue of child sexual exploitation.
This is a very useful and innovative way of raising awareness of the issues relating to sexual
exploitation and reaching young people, giving them some skills and knowledge to be able
to protect themselves from this form of abuse.
‘iCann Inspire’ – Richard McCann, a motivational and inspirational
speaker, visited school to demonstrate to students that it is possible
to overcome barriers to life and learning. He shared his moving
story, being one of several children left behind following the murder
of his mum by serial killer Peter Sutcliffe. He gave students the reallife example of someone who has been successful despite many
negative experiences.
Twenty students have recently enjoyed a STEM event held at Northumbria University. The
day was an opportunity for students to look at the range of careers in engineering and try
some hands-on activities. During the day, the students took part in designing, building and
testing their own product, which is intended to inspire them at a time when they are making
decisions about their option choices. Option choices and interviews for the transition into
KS4 have also been a key process this term.
Student Leaders
Following many letters of application submitted by students, 10 student leaders have been
appointed and given official roles and responsibilities which range from “Friendship Mentor”
to “Events Organiser”
Year Charity
9JLT has organised an Easter Raffle to fundraise for the chosen Year Charity “Cancer
Research”
Diana Award
5 students in Year 9 have been nominated for the Diana
Award. This is an award for inspiring young people who work
hard to make a difference in their school or local community
and challenge the negative stereotype that society often has
of young people. The Diana Award shines the spotlight on
socially active young people who inspire the lives of others
and is open to young people aged 9-18.
Positive Futures course
A cohort of students regularly attend this ongoing programme at Acklam Youth Centre.
Students are engaged in thought provoking sessions looking at contemporary issues in
society and the local community.
Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter to keep up to date with what’s going on with Year 9
students - @AGS_Year9. Miss Neary and I hope you all have an enjoyable Easter break.
Miss A Wass
Head of Year 10
Be here, be on time and be the best!
Attendance
Year 10 students have had an extremely productive and exciting half term. Our attendance
has been excellent all term but we were extremely proud last week with the whole year group
standing at a record 98%. 10JLB have topped the tutor group of the week seven times in
the last term with DW, SC and MJC also achieving this prestigious title. As always the
accolade of tutor group of the week is very competitive and JLB are now having to work
extremely hard not to be pipped to the post by the other groups. All our students should be
proud of our attendance record. It is vital to keep attendance above 95% so that students
do not miss lessons which lead to gaps in students’ knowledge, resulting in
underachievement by at least one grade per subject.
Academic Achievement
Following the first data capture in February, all students were invited to assemblies to inform
them of their academic progress. Two thirds of the year group were on target to make at
least four levels of progress in each of their subjects. It was extremely impressive to see
how proud the students were of their achievements in the ‘Green’ assembly but even more
so to see the positive determination of the students who are not yet green to push
themselves to move towards success. Following each assembly, each student is asked to
take home a letter to tell you how they are progressing. Next term there will be a slip attached
to the letter for you to return to your child’s tutor for you to make any comments about your
child’s progress, our intervention strategies or any queries or comments you wish to make.
You will have also received your child’s academic report this term. Again, if you have any
queries or concerns please contact your child’s teacher via email which can be found on the
schools website or via the switchboard.
Enrichment
Our undefeated Netball teams are going to compete
in Disneyland Paris during the Easter break. We
wish them luck with this venture and look forward to
hearing about their adventure upon their return. The
whole year group has also taken part in two
extremely important activities to raise awareness of
Drug and Alcohol abuse and avoiding potential
grooming situations. The first was a performance by
a band called “In Hindsight” who performed some of
their songs, then took part in an honest question and
answer session about the music industry destroying
some of the myths about young people in the industry. Following the Q and A they stayed
behind to meet the year group. In particular, the girls were clearly impressed by their clean
and hardworking lifestyle, as well as their good looks!
The second was a hard hitting and thought provoking performance which highlighted the
dangers of potential grooming situations and the consequences for young people if they
become engaged or coerced into this lifestyle. Many of the students had pertinent questions
for the performers afterwards who also had lunch with the students. In the discussions during
tutor times about the performance, many of our young people expressed that they were
moved by the performance and it had made them aware of dangers which they may not
have previously thought of.
Some of our budding MPs also met with Lord Sawyer where they had the opportunity to ask
a peer about his role and influence in the House of Lords.
Uniform
On a more practical note we would like to take his opportunity to remind students that a
smart school uniform is an essential part of attending our school. They should be proud to
wear our uniform. Although most of our students adhere to this, we are seeing an increase
in tight trousers, trainer style shoes, piercings and acrylic nails. We would like to politely
request that if you are buying new uniform over Easter, that you adhere to our policy on our
website. Piercings and false nails will have to be removed for health and safety reasons and
any child not able to do so will have to be placed on supervised study with their tutor for their
own safety. We would please ask that any piercings be done over the summer break to give
chance for them to heal and that false nails should not be worn at all during term time. We
do appreciate your support with this.
Celebrations
We were particularly proud to see so many of
our Year 10 Students supporting our Year 9
International Woman’s Day Celebrations
performing Dance and Music. The day was a
tremendous success and to see our year
group act as supporters and peer mentors to
the Year 9 performers was a great indication
of their maturity and their dedication to help
others within our community.
YEAR 10 EXTERNAL EXAMINATIONS SUMMER 2014
Date
12-16 May
Mon 19 May
Mon 02 Jun
Thu 05 Jun
Start Finish Length
Board Component Title
TBC
TBC
02:30 EDEXCEL YEAR 10 Cida Exam - Digital Applications
13:15 14:45 01:30 EDEXCEL YEAR 10 BTEC - Principles of Marketing
09:00 10:00 01:00 EDEXCEL YEAR 10 BTEC - Healthy Living
13:15 14:15 01:00 EDEXCEL YEAR 10 BTEC - Principles of Science
On a personal note, Mrs Smith and I have been extremely proud of the continued dedication
our students have shown to both their studies and to the many curriculum enhancement
opportunities which are available for them. This journey of KS4 is a marathon and not a
sprint and all our students continue to demonstrate that they are determined to succeed. We
would also like to thank you for your support and look forward to sharing the details of our
rewards trip, our dance performance and our trip to Durham University which are all due to
take place early next half term.
Mrs J Darbyshire
Head of Year 10
End of Christmas Term Pantomime
During the last week of the autumn term, the school produced a pantomime in the form of
‘Snow White’ it was fantastic to see a cast containing so many Year 11 students. Their
commitment to rehearsals and fantastic performance cannot go unrecognised during such
a busy and crucial time in their education. The students continued to work to a high standard
in classes and attend all extra revision sessions provided. They were indeed a credit to the
Year group and school.
Performers – Joe
Parry, Abigail
Blenkinsop, Hannah
Small, Ellie Simpson
and Callum Hussain.
Christmas Jumpers
On the last day of term, Year 11 students raised money for our charity ‘The Multiple Sclerosis
Charity’ by wearing Christmas jumpers. Our year group has been touched by this charity
and it was great to see so many students supporting such a worthwhile cause.
Academic Mentoring
Year 11 students have continued to receive academic mentoring from staff in order to help
support, focus and help students during an incredibly stressful and busy time. Students
have received mentoring from specific subject specific staff, form tutors, Year office staff as
well as from Miss Lockney and Mrs Davies our Year 11 Academic Mentoring team. Some
students are now attending morning mentoring and peer mentoring session on a morning
before school.
Attendance and Punctuality
Every week a tutor group in Year 11 receives our Year
trophy for attendance or punctuality. The race to be the
best form group of the week and receive a trophy in our
weekly assembly has become more than a competition.
This term many forms have received at least one of the
trophies or indeed both at some point. It is without doubt
that our most improved form group for both attendance
and punctuality this term has to be 11SGO! They have
led the way with a competitive and determined approach.
Last term 11IR won tutor group of the term for attendance
and punctuality and indeed celebrated on the last
day of term with a reward party consisting of
sweet delights! This term 11SGO will celebrate
their efforts in the same way. Well done Year 11!
Boys Mentoring
This term thirty six boys were selected by Mr Wilson, to battle in six teams of six students.
Each team fought for points. Each students points were combined together in order to create
a weekly team total. Students received points for achievement, effort, behaviour, attitude,
homework and bonus points were awarded for attending revision session. Six members of
staff became team managers and the aim was to make their team top of the table! Team
Wilson, Team Johnson, Team Hassack, Team Whatmore, Team Flint and Team Lowes
battled throughout the term to be the best. Achievement and attainment was raised across
all teams and the student’s attitude to learning has been filled with confidence, determination
and a desire to succeed. The winning team were guaranteed a reward unlike any other!
A massive congratulations have to go to Team Johnson and selected individuals from other
teams who had made incredible personal achievements and scooped the final reward of a
karting experience at the South Bank Karting track. Beware Lewis Hamilton Year 11 are
hot on your tracks!
Revision Classes
Students’ commitment to attending revision sessions from the year group has been
amazing. Most students have taken on board the need to work, attend and give themselves
that final ‘push’ in order to achieve their very best. We have no doubt that all students will
continue to work to this high standard. The Year 11 office would like to thank all parents
and guardians for their continued support in allowing students to attend these crucial revision
sessions after school and to staff for providing such a comprehensive revision schedule and
support to all students. The Year 11 team would like to wish every student ultimate success.
Time is short and every second counts!
Year 11 Prom
After a term of hard work and personal satisfaction I know that students are looking forward
to our annual Year 11 Prom. This year our Prom is to be held at Gisborough Hall on 24
June 2014. All exams will have been completed by this date. Excitement is building across
the year group and for those deserving students a night of celebration, glamour and some
of the best dresses, suits and outfits in the north east will be on display. This event is a night
where young adults come together to celebrate not only their last term at school but reflect
with students and staff on past five years at Acklam Grange School. This is a night both
students and staff are looking forward to sharing and will indeed be a night to remember.
Revision Sessions
Please see below for revision sessions scheduled to take place over the Easter holidays.
Students must come into school via the Acorn Centre and sign in on the sheets provided.
Monday
07/04/14
Tuesday
08/04/14
Wednesday
09/04/14
Chemistry (JLB) All
Day
OCR ICT (CK) 9am2pm
Chemistry (JLB)
All Day
Science A CA
(ED,IB) All Day
French & Spanish
(BH,CD,YT)
Physics (IB)
All Day
Dance (JD,LPC) All
Day
Eng Y11 Boys
Group(AG) 9.30am1.30pm
Business Studies
(SH)
Monday
14/04/14
Tuesday
15/04/14
Wednesday
16/04/14
ICT (AH)
English 11ab1/2/4
CA 9.30am - 2pm
(DAC,MJC,DKM)
English (IR) 10am 2pm
English (IR) 10am2pm
Mrs C Wilson
Head of Year 11
Thursday
10/04/14
Friday
11/04/14
French & Spanish
(BH,CD,YT)
Maths
(RK,HS,RB,ZM, AJH)
9am-12pm
Business Studies
(SH)
Thursday
17/04/14
Friday
18/04/14
TOP 10 Exam-Preparation Tips
Do All the Coursework – Ensure that before you start really studying for your exams that
you have all the readings, practice problems, and homework assignments complete!
Create Mnemonics - Mnemonics are devices that can help you memorize formulas, key
concepts, definitions, etc. A really basic example of a mnemonic is “B.E.D.M.A.S.” which
stands for “Brackets, Exponents, Division, Multiplication, Addition, and Subtraction”.
Make Study Guides for Each Exam - Know what class content will be covered on the exam
and then go through the textbook, your class notes, and any other material and write down
any information that you think may be on the exam (including: important concepts,
definitions, and formulas). Reading and writing all of this information will help you memorize
it faster.
Make Flash Cards - Making flash cards can be time consuming, but they are helpful tools
in remembering vocabulary, formulas, and key concepts. They are also easy to carry around
with you so you can review them anytime.
Quiz Yourself - To ensure that you are prepared for your exam, make a mock exam to
test how well you know the material. Write down a list of keywords or questions and make
sure to leave room underneath each one. Then, pretend that you’re taking the exam and
write down as much as you can.
Get Enough Sleep - College students who get a full night of sleep are more alert, more
focused and learn things easier than those who are sleep deprived. Especially during the
weeks preceding exams keep your sleep schedule as consistent as possible.
Set Exam Preparation Goals - Setting goals for yourself will help make sure that you stay
on track with your exam preparations (especially when you have more than 1 exam to study
for). Be sure to print out your schedule for the weeks preceding your exams and plan out
when you are going to study! You’re more likely to be productive if you have goals to achieve.
Remember to Take Breaks - Studying for exams can be hard. You need to take short
breaks to allow your brain to process and retain the information. Be sure to take short breaks,
otherwise, it may be hard to go back to studying. When you begin studying again, review
the material you have already studied, then, move on to something new.
Don't Just Study Alone - Studying with other people can be a great way to enhance what
you learn while studying on your own.
YEAR 11 KEY EXAM DATES FOR 2014
* Please note this is a provisional timetable (31/3/14) and is subject to change. Final timetables will be issued closer to the time of the exams
* Please note Controlled Assessments for every subject plus French/Spanish speaking examinations will be set internally throughout the year
Session
Date
Time
Title
Qualification
Awarding Board
Number
Summer 2014
Thu 8 May
13:15
IGCSE English Language Unit 1/2
IGCSE
CIE
0522/01/02
Summer 2014
Mon 12 May
09:00
RE Unit 1 - Religion and Life
GCSE
EDEXCEL
5RS0101
Summer 2014
Mon 12 May
13:15
French Unit 1 Listening
GCSE
EDEXCEL
5FR011F/H
Summer 2014
Mon 12 May
13:15
French Unit 3 Reading
GCSE
EDEXCEL
5FR033F/H
Summer 2014
Tue 13 May
09:00
Biology Unit 2 - Additional Science/Triple Science
GCSE
AQA
BL2F/H
Summer 2014
Tue 13 May
09:00
Biology Unit 3 - Triple Science
GCSE
AQA
BL3F/H
Summer 2014
Tue 13 May
13:15
Geography B Unit 1 - Managing Places in the 21st Century
GCSE
AQA
90351F/H
Summer 2014
Wed 14 May
09:00
ICT - Living in A Digital World
GCSE
EDEXCEL
5IT0101
Summer 2014
Wed 14 May
13:15
Spanish Listening
GCSE
EDEXCEL
5SP011F/H
Summer 2014
Wed 14 May
13:15
Spanish Reading
GCSE
EDEXCEL
5SP033F/H
Summer 2014
Wed 14 May
13:15
Sociology Unit 1 - Studying Society
GCSE
AQA
41901
Summer 2014
Thu 15 May
09:00
Additional Applied Science Unit 1
GCSE
AQA
AAS1F/H
Summer 2014
Thu 15 May
09:00
Chemistry Unit 2 - Additional Science/Triple Science
GCSE
AQA
CH2F/H
Summer 2014
Thu 15 May
09:00
Chemistry Unit 3 - Triple Science
GCSE
AQA
CH3F/H
Summer 2014
Thu 15 May
13:15
RE Unit 8 - Religion and Society
GCSE
EDEXCEL
5RS0801
Summer 2014
Fri 16 May
09:00
History A Unit 1 - Medicine Through Time
GCSE
AQA
90401A
Summer 2014
Fri 16 May
13:15
PE Unit 1 - An introduction to physical education
GCSE
OCR
B451/01
Summer 2014
Fri 16 May
13:15
PE Unit 3 - Developing knowledge in physical education
GCSE
OCR
B453/01
Summer 2014
Fri 16 May
13:15
IGCSE English Language Unit 3
IGCSE
CIE
0522/03
Summer 2014
Mon 19 May
09:00
Sociology Unit 2 - Crime and Deviance
GCSE
AQA
41902
Summer 2014
Mon 19 May
13:15
Physics Unit 2 - Additional Science/Triple Science
GCSE
AQA
PH2F/H
Summer 2014
Mon 19 May
13:15
Physics Unit 3 - Triple Science
GCSE
AQA
PH3F/H
Summer 2014
Tue 20 May
09:00
English Literature Paper 1
GCSE
AQA
97101F/H
Summer 2014
Wed 21 May
09:00
Business Studies Unit 1 - Introduction to Small Business
GCSE
EDEXCEL
5BS0101
Summer 2014
Thu 22 May
09:00
Geography B Unit 2 - Hostile world & investigating the shrinking world
GCSE
AQA
90352F/H
Summer 2014
Thu 22 May
13:15
English Literature Paper 2
GCSE
AQA
97102F/H
Summer 2014
Fri 23 May
09:00
History A Unit 2 - Germany, 1919-1945
GCSE
AQA
90402D
Summer 2014
Fri 23 May
13:15
Drama Unit 1
GCSE
AQA
42401
Summer 2014
Fri 23 May
13:15
Textiles Technology Unit 1
GCSE
AQA
45701
Date
Start
Title
Qualification
Awarding Board
Number
Summer 2014
Fri 23 May
13:15
Leisure & Tourism Industry
GCSE
EDEXCEL
5LT0101
Summer 2014
Mon 02 Jun
09:00
Business Studies Unit 3 - Building a Business
GCSE
EDEXCEL
5BS0301
Summer 2014
Mon 02 Jun
09:00
Music Unit 1
GCSE
AQA
42701
Summer 2014
Tue 03 Jun
09:00
English/English Language
GCSE
AQA
ENG1F/H
Summer 2014
Tue 03 Jun
09:00
English Language
GCSE
AQA
8705/1F
Summer 2014
Tue 03 Jun
13:15
Food Technology Unit 1
GCSE
AQA
45451
Summer 2014
Wed 04 Jun
09:00
RE Unit 9 - Islam Ethics
GCSE
AQA
405009
Summer 2014
Wed 04 Jun
13:15
Dance Unit 1
GCSE
AQA
42301
Summer 2014
Tue 06 Jun
09:00
English Language
GCSE
AQA
8705/2F
Summer 2014
Fri 06 Jun
13:15
Biology Unit 1 - Science A/Triple Science
GCSE
AQA
BL1F/H
Summer 2014
Fri 06 Jun
13:15
Science B Unit 1
GCSE
AQA
SCB1F/H
Summer 2014
Mon 09 Jun
09:00
Maths
GCSE
EDEXCEL
1MA0 1F/H
Summer 2014
Mon 09 Jun
09:00
Maths
GCSE
AQA
4365 1F/H
Summer 2014
Tue 10 Jun
09:00
Resistant Materials Unit 1
GCSE
AQA
45601
Summer 2014
Tue 10 Jun
13:15
Chemistry Unit 1 - Science A/Triple Science
GCSE
AQA
CH1F/H
Summer 2014
Tue 10 Jun
13:15
Science B Unit 2
GCSE
AQA
SCB2F/H
Summer 2014
Wed 11 Jun
09:00
Media Studies Unit 1
GCSE
WJEC
43910001
Summer 2014
Wed 11 Jun
13:15
Graphic Products Unit 1
GCSE
AQA
45501
Summer 2014
Thu 12 Jun
09:00
Physics Unit 1 - Science A/Triple Science
GCSE
AQA
PH1F/H
Summer 2014
Thu 12 Jun
09:00
Science B Unit 3
GCSE
AQA
SCB3F/H
Summer 2014
Fri 13 Jun
09:00
Maths
GCSE
EDEXCEL
1MA0 2F/H
Summer 2014
Fri 13 Jun
09:00
Maths
GCSE
AQA
4365 2F/H
Summer 2014
Wed 18 Jun
09:00
Religious Studies Unit 8 - Islam
GCSE
AQA
405008
Sessions
Acklam Grange School
Parents’ Mailing Reply Slip April 2014
Please return this form to College by Tuesday 22 April 2014 to confirm receipt of the
half termly mailing for April 2014. You can send it by post, fax (277701) or in a sealed
envelope via the School Office.
Name……………………………………….Student………………………….Tutor………..
Comments
Comments on the proposed changes to the timings of the school day from
Monday 9 June 2014:
General Comments:
Signature ………………………………….….Date …..……………………………
Acklam Grange School
A Specialist College of Mathematics & Computing
Lodore Grove
Acklam
Middlesbrough
Tel: 01642 277700
Fax: 01642 277701
Email: acklamgrange@middlesbrough.gov.uk
Website: www.acklamgrange.org.uk