Friday 12th May 2017
Headteacher Update
I can imagine that many of you, especially those of you who have children in Years 11 and 13, are feeling the
pressure of your sons’ and daughters’ pending exams. I know quite a few of you have GCSEs and A levels
happening simultaneously in your house. We have seen a surge in after-school controlled assessment finishing
and revision sessions, and the panic as the deadline for controlled assessment submission looms.
As a parent, there is never an easy path through this (well there is but the cost of the amount of wine you would
need is prohibitive!) Some of you have children who are and always have been organised and diligent and
generally self-sufficient – sailing through SATS and any other exams thrown at them. You take pride in them and
may even pat yourself on the back for being the perfect parent. If I’m honest, I was quite smug with child
number one but two and three challenged that!
It is a fine line to tread between nagging and encouraging. If my experience is relevant at all and, in my
opinion, with girls especially, what works one day won’t the next.
It is equally distressing to have a child who is so stressed by exams that they make themselves ill and a child who
appears to care not one bit. Both extremes and many variations in between cause parents to wake at 3 in the
morning in a cold sweat.
My advice is to try to remain calm and support as you do at all other times. Don’t let the exams throw you off
your stride. Please encourage your children to access googleclassroom for revision information. So many of you
do such an amazing job, day in and day out, and we are very grateful to you for how well and positively we are
able to work with you and the extent to which you will go to support your children.
We are offering all Year 11 parents the opportunity to send their good wishes to their sons and daughters for their
exams. Just follow the link and we'll do the rest - goo.gl/0Yh1Z4
I wish every success to all our exam students as the exams begin on Monday.
Debbie Smith
12.5.17
Salter’s Festival of Chemistry
Wednesday 10th May marked the start of Salter’s Festival of Chemistry at
Reading University. The four students, Dan, Imogen, Jess and Annabella
completed a variety of challenges, used the university laboratories and
saw an explosive lecture.
The day started as usual, go to school, register at tutor; however it wasn’t
long until this all changed as we walked down to Mr Bamford’s office and
got in his car to head to Reading University and this journey was anything
but boring.
We soon arrived and dropped our bags off ready for the introduction.
After that, we went down to the laboratory where we were met with a
tray of materials. The challenge was simple: work out who was the prime
suspect in a murder investigation. We did this with chromatography and
a number of other analytical techniques. Once we had identified the
suspect we went for lunch.
With lunch over we went back to the laboratory. This time we were presented
with different chemicals—sodium hydroxide, hydrochloric acid and universal
indicator. We were tasked with creating a spectrum of colours ranging from red
to violet by mixing the acids and alkalis.
Before prize giving, we went to a demonstration lecture about making fire works.
This included fire, more colours than you could name and lots of different ways
to make things explode. With the day almost over it was time for the prizes to be
awarded and we won 3rd prize, despite most of our competitors being from
private or grammar schools. As we got in the car to go home, we opened the
prize we had received and, to the dismay of Annabella, it was a molecule
modelling set. Once again we were on the road and joking around again and
we were soon back at Sandhurst.
Mr S Bamford
Assistant Headteacher
Year 10 R.E.
This week Year 10 have been looking at Christian worship during RE. We were lucky enough to have some priest’s
vestments that Ms Hunt had brought back from Russia and James Menday volunteered to show us what an
Orthodox priest or bishop might wear when taking a service. James wore a black cassock (a long black robe)
over his uniform with a white chasuble (outer garment) over the top which had a red cross on it. He then wore a
white stole (scarf) which matched the chasuble and finally a mitre on top of his head. We watched film clips of
Orthodox, Catholic, Church of England, Evangelical and Quaker worship and were able to compare and
evaluate the different styles. It was interesting to find out how and why different religions worship and look at the
different artefacts they use. Thank you James and Ms Hunt for adding kinaesthetic learning to our lesson as this
helps students recall information when it comes to exams.
Mrs Griffiths
R.E.
Understanding people with a learning disability
Some of our Year 7 and Year 8 students have had an interactive workshop in their PSHCE lessons this week. The
workshop was delivered by people living in the Bracknell Forest area who have a learning disability and we were
given an insight into their world. This included the challenges they face every day, how we can communicate
better with them and they also shared their dreams for the future with us. Our students had an opportunity to
show empathy through listening and discussing with our guests. We learnt that patience is key when trying to
communicate whether it be listening when someone is explaining something or allowing them time when working
out their money in a supermarket.
Mrs C Richardson
Citizenship
Year 11 Football
Year 11 played their Berkshire Cup semi-final last Thursday away at Windsor Boys. The team have been playing
some great football this season and were determined to finish their school careers on a high. Windsor Boys have
just won the National Cup tournament so we knew it was going to be a tough battle! The boys played superbly
throughout and there was definitely no faulting their attitude or effort. We started positively and took the game
to Windsor, whilst also having to defend well as a team when out of possession. We were rewarded with the
opening goal midway through the half when a corner was only cleared to the edge of the box and Brodie fired
a volley into the back of the net. Unfortunately Windsor scored soon after which could have knocked our
confidence. It most certainly didn’t. We maintained out work rate, working for each other with good movement
up front and down both flanks. We managed to get a second just short of half time when Sonny’s long kick was
pounced on by Brodie who snuck in and lobbed the keeper. A 2-1 half time lead was a good result to a lively
opening 40 minutes where both teams created threatening opportunities and could have scored multiple
goals.
We knew that we needed to start the second half strongly and ensure we maintained the lead for as long as
possible. Windsor, however, had other ideas and bombarded our goal for the opening couple of minutes and
managed to get back on level terms. Again our boys refused to be pushed aside and ensure the goal
remained an even contest. It remained 2-2 until the last ten minutes when their striker was first to a long ball and
headed it ahead. We battled for the last 10 minutes and tried everything to force the ball over the line. Several
times we came close or nearly created golden opportunities but just couldn’t get quite the reward. In the end
the boys ended up on the end of a harsh result, which could easily have gone in our favour.
A fantastic match to end the season and their school careers.
This is a very talented team of footballers who have represented the school superbly throughout their time at
Sandhurst. They definitely did themselves proud and thank you boys for being a great team to manage.
Mr J Martin
PE
The team were Jacob, Ben, Sonny, Nikesh, Ieuan, Callum,
Asim, Bimod, Reiss, Jack, Sonny, Liam, Brodie and Oliver
Year 9 Rounders v Edgbarrow
In the first game of the season the Year 9 team were raring to go.
Edgbarrow started the innings off with some great displays of
batting but Sandhurst made sure they stopped as many rounders
as possible. Sandhurst showed some promising fielding skills going
into the new season. Going into bat Sandhurst started off well but
Edgbarrow’s fielding skills stopped any hits getting through their
barrier. Overall a great first game with lots of pointers to take on
board for our next match.
Best player: Lia
Final score: Sandhurst 4- Edgbarrow 12.
Year 10 Rounders v Edgbarrow
The rounders team were well prepared and eager to
get the season started with a win. The Year 10 team
started fielding and Edgbarrow did not stand a
chance with excellent catching and fielding from a
strong Sandhurst side. Sandhurst consistently hit the
ball in the next innings and capitalised on every ball.
This game was a great start to the season, well done
on the first win of the season!!
Sandhurst 14.5 v Edgbarrow 13
Best player: Saffron
PREMIER INN VISIT FOR CATERING & HOSPITALITY STUDENTS
This week 11B and 11D Catering & Hospitality groups visited Premier Inn, Camberley for a tour. They were
allowed access to all areas of the hotel, both front and back of house. The visit will help them in their GCSE
exams, as they can now describe a hotel’s facilities, and have an insight into quality control and quality
assurance. They also found out about the apprenticeship scheme run by the Whitbread group, which
includes Premier Inn, Beefeater and Costa coffee. Many thanks to Mrs Anderson and Miss Blackman for their
support for these trips, and to the managers and staff at Premier Inn for making us so welcome.
Mrs L Tudor
Technology Subject Leader
Trebuchet Day
On Friday 5th May, guest speaker Kevin Legg visited
our Design and Technology department and worked
with a group of Year 8 students, building ….
Trebuchets!
After demonstrating a half size version, Mr. Legg
guided the teams of 5 in designing and constructing
their own working trebuchets. The teams worked
brilliantly together, though captains got the final say in
all decision making.
By lunchtime all groups had their frame ready and
had to attach their counterweight and make a
working sling. We then invaded the school field to test
our trebuchets. After an initial test, each team
member had to load the trebuchet with a coloured
beanbag and project it as far as possible. Orange
Team won the distance test, and were awarded
trebuchet day t-shirts.
I hope the students involved had an enjoyable day,
and will be inspired by the wide range of opportunities
within Design Technology. At the least, the group are
now very knowledgeable on medieval siege
weaponry. Most of all, I would like to thank all the staff
involved in organising and supervising the event;
particularly Mrs Tudor, Mrs Farrance, Mrs Rook and Mr
Dexter.
Miss Locking
New in the library: QR quizzes.
Book Club, Monday, 8th May 2017
As well as student recommended reads, this week Book Club included feedback on the first few chapters of
some of the books shortlisted for the Carnegie Award 2017.
Two of our book clubbers shared their very positive responses to the first few chapters of ‘Rail Head’. Having
anticipated the sci-fi element based on first impressions of the book, they were surprised by the Arabian feel
and the effectiveness of the narrative hooks: a mystery and interesting characters.
The reaction to the first few chapters of ‘Wolf Hollow’ was not quite so positive; one of our group has been
finding it slow-paced and difficult to engage with. It will be interesting to discover how many of us agree and
whether it is gender or age related.
“the stars at oktober bend” was the last of the Carnegie books discussed at this meeting. Unfortunately, the
unusual structure, fluctuating between the narrative voices of two characters and their different styles, was
found to be “frustrating, distracting and disjointed” – the wrong kind of reading challenge. Will this opinion
change as readers delve further into the story and become more used to the switching? Will the rest of the
group agree?
The complete list of shortlisted books is as follows: ‘Wolf Hollow’ by Lauren Wolk; ‘Rail Head’ by Philip Reeve;
‘Salt to the Sea’ by Ruta Sepetys; ‘Beck’ by Mal Peet; ‘Sputnik’s Guide to Life on Earth’ by Frank Cottrell Boyce;
‘The Bone Sparrow’ by Zana Fraillon; ‘The Smell Of Other People’s Houses’ by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock; ‘the stars
at oktober bend’ by Glenda Milard. Reviews and blogs will be posted on the Book Club’s shadowing page
once the books have been finished.
Student Recommendations
‘Gone’ one of a series by Michael Grant was described as “swift paced, fast moving and character diverse”. It is
recommended for young adult and above; all genders.
‘Once Upon A Time – Regina Rising’ by Wendy Toliver, also for the young adult reader, is more of a girls’
book, and is a prequel to the storyline featured in the tv series. It has a romantic subplot; is “better than
Twilight”, with “a fresh take on fairy tales”.
‘The Jewelled Moth’ (The Sinclair’s Mysteries) by Katherine Woodfine is a murder mystery treasure hunt
recommended for teen+ with refreshing friendships that don’t lead to romance. While the front cover gives
the impression that the book is targeted at girls, it was suggested that the publishers had made a mistake
because boys would enjoy the story, but might be unwilling to be seen reading the book.
This led to a general discussion about book covers, target audiences and marketing. The general consensus
was that publishers had a thing or two to learn about encouraging boys to read more, particularly where front
covers are concerned.
‘Lost In A Book’ by Jennifer Donnelly is a spin-off from the new Beauty and the Beast film, and explores
attraction that arises from a love of reading and a meeting of minds.
The final recommendation for 10+ readers was ‘I Know What You Did Last Wednesday’ by the ever-popular
Anthony Horowitz. It was described as “keeping you on the edge, gripping, with an unexpected outcome.”
Reminders:
Sandhurst school library subscribes to the following websites: www.books.rm.com (ebooks), www.listeningbooks.org.uk (audio books), www.completeissues.co.uk (articles, statistics, contacts) and
www.soundtraining.co.uk (spelling, punctuation and grammar resources), and has a tablet available for break
and lunch times.
Caught Reading Display
Students, parents, siblings, friends and relatives are invited to submit a photograph ‘caught reading’ or in front
of their bookshelves at home. Photographs can be emailed to competition@sandhurst. bracknell-forest.sch.uk.
Don’t forget to include the name, tutor group and year group of the student you are linked to here at
Sandhurst. Please also clearly state that you give permission for your photograph to be used for display.
Chess Club
Students are invited to engage in battle in the library during lunch break on Thursdays.
Handwriting Club
Tips and practice exercises are available after school on Wednesdays.
Sandhurst Sixth Form
Recently, 29 of our Year 12 students attended the UCAS higher education
exhibition held at Bournemouth University. This was the first chance some of the
students have had to really think about their options after Sixth Form and it proved
to be a most successful day. The students were able to speak to many different
university representatives from around the country to discuss their possible future
course choices. In school on Friday, many of the students began looking at
booking open days at universities so that they can be prepared to start the UCAS
application process at the end of the year.
Sandhurst Sixth Form
Above and Beyond the Call of Duty Award
9th May
The following nominations have been received this week:
Year 12
Suzy-Erin Collins
Laura Holden
Emily Atkinson
This week the award goes to all three students for their fantastic effort and achievement in an
independent sociology project.
The Year 13 students are now beginning their final stage in their Sixth Form careers. The exams have begun and
students are revising hard with many attending extra revision sessions. We will be providing breakfast snacks and
drinks for students who will be sitting morning exams to help them to start their day in a relaxed and prepared
manner.
These exams will go on until the end of June when the students will be able to celebrate with a leavers’ party to
be held at the Frog and Wicket in Eversley.
We would like to take this opportunity to wish all the Sixth Form students the very best of luck in their forthcoming
exams and we look forward to seeing the fruits of their labours on Results Day in August.
Applications are being received now from the Year 12 students for the posts of Head Boy and Girl, Deputy Head
Boy and Girl and House Captains. Voting will take place over the next two weeks with students and staff and the
results will be announced shortly after.
Next FOSS meeting
Thursday 6th July 2017—6.30pm
All welcome!
Friends of Sandhurst School (PTA) Committee
We welcome new members and are always looking for
new fundraising ideas. If you are interested in knowing
more about the PTA or are interested in joining the
committee, please come along to our next meeting on
Thursday 6th July at 6.30pm to meet the team and
hear about future events.
Congratulations to recent winner of ‘Your School Lottery’
Belinda Paul. Well done Belinda and thank you for your
continued support.
Thank you to everyone that chose us in the recent
Co-op community fundraising. We are pleased to
announce that, with your help, Sandhurst School
raised £2,238.42.
Thank you for your ongoing support of Friends of
Sandhurst School.
Everyone that signs up to the school
lottery is in with a chance to win a
weekly prize and at the same time
help raise funds for Friends of
Sandhurst School (PTA). Just visit
www.YourSchoolLottery.co.uk and
search for Sandhurst.
You can also help us raise funds by using
easyfundraising for online purchases from stores
including Marks and Spencer, John Lewis, Amazon as
well as when booking your summer holiday.
www.easyfundraising.co.uk/causes/fosandhurst
Dates for the Diary
GCSE and GCE Exams begin
Monday 15th May
Year 8 Rhineland Visit payment—next instalment
Monday 22nd May
Half Term
Monday 29th May—Friday 2nd June
New Intake Parents Evening
Wednesday 14th June
Hatfield Woods Visit Parents Information Evening
Thursday 15th June
Year 7 October Paris Visit payment—next instalment
Friday 16th June
Inset Day
Friday 30th June