The
andprint
Issue 26 7 April 2017
Headlines
Last weekend a number of our Year 12 students took part
in their Gold DoE training expedition to the Peak District.
This went really well and I would like to congratulate all
the students involved and thank Ms Borman and Ms
Mouncey for taking part in this trip. Well done everyone!
On Friday we say a very sad farewell to Mr. Found, who
has been at the school since 2010 originally as assistant
headteacher and, from 2014, deputy headteacher. Richard
has been an exceptional colleague who has provided
significant strategic leadership of the school throughout
this time. He has led on teaching and learning, pastoral
issues and safeguarding. For the past two terms he has
been working for two days a week at one of our partner
schools, Sir Frederic Osborn School in Welwyn Garden
City, helping them to make improvements. He recently
completed his National Professional Qualification for
Leadership and has now been appointed as principal of
Stockwood Park Academy in Luton. Richard has been
juggling many things this term in preparation for headship
and has done an amazing job in continuing to add value at
Sandringham whilst working at Sir Frederic Osborn
School and overseeing transition to Stockwood Park. We
would like to wish him all the very best in his new school
and hope that he keeps in touch with us. On behalf of
everyone at Sandringham, thank you for all your work to
improve the life chances of young people at the school.
I would like to wish all our families a very enjoyable Eater
holiday and hope that our senior students are able to get
some time to relax during their busy revision schedules.
We look forward to seeing everyone back safe and sound
on Tuesday 25th April.
Multi-Academy Trust developments
As you will know, Sandringham converted to become a
Single Academy Trust in April 2011, and the students
have benefitted significantly from this move. The
government are continuing their programme of
encouraging all schools to convert to academies, and the
recommendation now is that schools cluster together as
Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs) to share expertise and
resources in order to further enhance the quality of
educational provision.
Our governors have considered forming a local MAT and
have agreed to proceed with the conversion and to discuss
with schools also considering forming a MAT. Whilst
there would be changes to governance structures, the aim
would be to strongly encourage schools to retain their
individual heritage and identity, and build on existing
good and outstanding practice rather than seek to unravel
the excellent work of the past.
The key aim of the new MAT would be to ensure that all
members of the trust are able to deliver the highest quality
education and be truly World Class. It may also be the
case that the MAT would be cross-phase, with members
from both the primary and secondary age-range.
Sandringham School Academy Trust
The weekly newsletter of
Sandringham
If you are interested in knowing more about this development,
please contact Lesley Dunkley, Clerk to the Governors and we
will respond as appropriate.
This is an exciting time for the school as we seek to work even
more closely with other like-minded institutions in a formal
way through this new trust.
Alan Gray
Headteacher
DIARY DATES
24 April
26 April
4 May
15 May
16 May
29 May - 2 June
INSET
Yr8 PTC
Yr7 PTC
GCSE Exams Begin
Junior Recital Evening
Half Term
Please visit our school website for the most up to
date diary dates
Headteacher’s Commendations for
week ending 7th April
Franziska McLaren 7B
Sophia Hakim
7K
Kira Hardyal
7K
Rosie Hart
7K
Benjamin Kaufman 7K
Maya Laming
7K
Zachary Lines
7K
Jessica Parr
7K
Samuel Boca-Mapp 7VG
Michael Cassidy 7VG
Finn Crumpton
7VG
Laurence Dunkley 7VG
Jake Hodgman
7VG
Samuel Posner
7VG
Jessica Hartley
8K
Astrid Koppe
8K
Hope Lennard
8K
Paige Miller
8K
Tilly Risby
8K
Charlotte Sevindi 8K
Nicole Tindall
8K
Thomas Wilson
8K
Henry Brothwood 8S
Thomas Clark
8S
Isabella Graham 8S
Patrick Illingworth 8S
Nahyan Khan
8S
Leila Kitchingman 8S
Alex Sweeney
8S
Leona Tindall
8S
Caitlin Watkins
8S
Geography
Music
Music
Music
Music
Music
Music
Music
Music
Music
PE
Music
Music
PE
Design & Technology
Design & Technology
Design & Technology
Design & Technology
Design & Technology
Design & Technology
Design & Technology
Design & Technology
Design & Technology
History
Design & Technology
Design & Technology
Design & Technology
Design & Technology
Design & Technology
Design & Technology
Design & Technology
Jessica Butler
8V
Brenden Hill
8V
Timothy Imiere
8V
Ewan Muschamp 8V
Isabella Spanswick 8V
Jasmine Dalziel
9B
Brendan Donegan 9B
Toby Hawkins
9B
Samuel Lawrie
9B
Nathan Morris
9D
Anya Viljoen
9D
Anya Viljoen
9D
Zoe Wilkinson
9D
Emily Pollard
9E
Olivia Rushton
9E
Samuel Vosper
9E
Jessica Beadle
9K
Ayomide Bolarin 9K
Myles Donkin
9K
Sam Ralph
9K
Jonathan Snelling 9K
Amy Traviss
9K
Zachary Addison 9S
Daisy Charnock
9S
Jack Foster
9S
Stanley Hunter
9S
John Kenner
9S
Amalie Newman-Booth 9S
Andre Raath
9S
Evan Williams
9S
Aaliya Alam
9V
Emma Beardon
9V
Emily Haines
9V
Akos Molnar
9V
Ted Park
9V
Design & Technology
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Design & Technology
EPQ
EPQ
EPQ
EPQ
Maths
Maths
EPQ
Maths
Maths
Maths
EPQ
Maths
Maths
Music
Music
Music
Maths
EPQ
Drama
Drama
Drama
Drama
Drama
EPQ
Drama
PRE
PRE
PRE
PRE
Maths
Art News
Last week Bernards Heath school ran their
annual Arts Week. This year, as in previous years,
our year 12 students helped out with this. Our
students really enjoyed helping the younger children
with their arts activities and talking to them about
their A Level Art work. The children loved looking
at the work and having the opportunity to ask
questions about it. They were obviously inspired
because at the end nearly all of the children said
they want to study Art at A Level!
Happy ending for House 500
Words
The winners of House 500 words, the short story
writing competition modelled on the Radio Two
competition, have been announced as follows:
KS3 House 500 Words
1st Mona Alden of 7S
2nd Haydn Poley of 7E
3rd Rosie Hart of 7K
The Key Stage Four winner was named as Claire
Bottoms from 10V
The joint staff winners were Graeme Swann from
D House and Maria Staples from K House.
This is the first year we have run this competition
and we were delighted by the number of entries
received, particularly from Year 7 students. The entries
were judged by Alison Cuneen of the English Faculty
who was most impressed with the standard of the
entries and the wide variety of themes on which the
students wrote.
Well done to everyone who took part. We clearly
have lots of budding authors amongst our students.
Keep up the good work!
The winning entries appear at the end of this
edition of the Sandprint.
Gold DofE Training to the Peak
District
Last Thursday to Saturday, 17 year 12 students
went to the Peak District for their Gold DofE training.
They developed their navigation skills when following
routes off paths and improved their navigation using a
compass and pacing. Their Practice expedition is in
June to the Brecon Beacons.
Marian Bright
Teacher of Art
Victoria Borman
Director of Learning: MFL
Gambia fundraising
A group of year 11 students who will be travelling
to The Gambia in February 2018 to visit our partner
school in Farafenni are raising money to enable us to
invite some Gambian students to visit Sandringham, as
we no longer have a grant to facilitate this as we have
had in the past.
One group put on a very successful disco for year
7 last week, with DJ Morgan on the decks. The
students had a great time (year 7s and year 11s!) and
we raised £339.54
This week, another group have been organising a
big FIFA competition which saw students in teams of
two taking on the opposition. This was a hard fought
competition and the students battling it out on the
consoles raised £138.93
The year 11s will now be concentrating on their
GCSEs so a huge well done to all of them for their
enthusiasm and time at this stage of the year and they
will be thinking of more events next year.
Meanwhile, watch out for other fundraising events,
including Krispy Kreme doughnuts the first
Wednesday back.
Anne Lyons
Director of Learning: MFL
Drama News
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Rehearsals have been going really well and the
students involved have been working really hard! We
have an amazing cast of Oompa Loompas who have
been busy choreographing brilliant routines. Willy
Wonka and the children who have won the golden
tickets are in the process of perfecting their characters.
Tickets to see what promises to be a truly hilarious and
fantastic production are already on sale. They are
available to buy in person from the SandPit Theatre
box office or online. Performances are on Wednesday
7th and Thursday 8th June at 7pm.
GCSE and A-level Practical Exams
Our Drama students will be extremely busy after
the Easter break as they work on completing their final
preparations and rehearsals for their practical exams.
Our Year 11 GCSE students are performing in a
series of scripted performances. They have worked
really hard on these pieces and their performances are
worth a whopping 40% of their final GCSE grade. You
can come and support the students by watching them
in their examined performances on Tuesday 25th
April. The first piece will start at 5pm in the SandPit
Theatre.
Our A-level students have been busy creating and
writing their final examined performances. They have
devised pieces that are inspired by ‘Frankenstein’ by
Nick Dear. They have also been using the works of
‘Frantic Assembly’ to help stylise their work. These
pieces will be highly physical and will most definitely
inspire anyone who is thinking of taking Drama and
Theatre Studies at A-Level. You can come and watch
these performances on Wednesday 10th May at 6pm in
the SandPit Theatre.
Our Year 10 GCSE Drama students have also been
preparing
for
their
‘Devised
Performance
Examination’. They have taken inspiration from the
song ‘Fast Car’ by Tracy Chapman and have led
workshops on the various themes and issues that
surround this stimulus. You are welcome to watch
these pieces on Tuesday 23rd May at 6pm in the
Sandpit Theatre. This would be a great opportunity for
students who have chosen Drama GCSE to see the
kind of work that they will be involved in next year.
I am sure you will join us in wishing our Drama
students the best of luck for their practical exams.
Alex Birkett
Director of Learning: Drama
Be ahead of the game! Check out Sam
Learning:
g
£2£1 and promoting the welfare of
children and young people and all applicants must be
willing to undergo child protection screening.
www.samlearning.com
The UK’s number 1 exam practice and revision
NOR: 1300 with 300 in the sixth form
Extended Project Qualification
Presentations
During the last week over 55 students have
presented their findings from eight months of research
for their Extended Project Qualifications at both Level
2 (GCSE) and Level 3 (A Level). As part of the
course students are expected to identify, design, plan
and complete an individual project; obtain and select
information from a range of sources; to take decisions
critically, creatively and flexibly, to achieve planned
outcomes; and finally evaluate outcomes including
own learning and performance.
Projects have been incredibly varied this
year. Here are a few examples of projects completed
by our students.
Level 2 – Year 9
How has biomimicry in textile design influenced
the innovation of fashion and science?
A study of the lives and experiences of young
people in the Calais Jungle.
Why did red kites come close to national
extinction and how did the conservationists
counter the decline in the number of breeding
birds in the United Kingdom?
Level 3 – Year 12 and 13
The potentials and ethics of the CRISPR-Cas9
Gene-Editing Technique
Was the United States constitution a revolutionary
or reactionary document?
In asserting that epilepsy was solely a medical
condition, did Hippocrates conclusively dispel
the notion that epilepsy is a 'Sacred Disease'?
Huge congratulations to all students for submitting
high quality projects and delivering such high quality,
informative projects. I would also like to thank staff
who have supervised students for Level 3 projects. We
look forward to hearing about their results in August.
Year 10 Exams:
Final Arrangements
Dance News
Practical Exams
A huge well done to the Year 11 students who
completed their GCSE practical exams worth 60%
of the course on Wednesday and Thursday. Also,
thank you to the Year 9 and 10 students who also
took part in the group and solo choreographies, you
were all fantastic!
Inspire – Summer Show
The summer show takes place on Tuesday 27th
June in Arts Week. Tickets will go on sale after
Easter!
Please follow the Dance faculty on Twitter
@SandringhamDanc to keep up to date with events,
articles and information.
Clare Meeking
Director of Learning: Dance
Music News
Upcoming events
Junior Recital Evening - Tuesday 16th May
Our Junior Recital Evening is an opportunity for
students in Years 7-9 to perform solo or small
ensemble item. If you would like to sign up speak to
your music teacher or write your name and the piece
you would like to play on the sign up sheet.
ABRSM exams
Well done to all our students who took their
ABRSM exams last week. As soon as your results
come through your instrumental teachers will let
you know.
Exam Successes
Well done to Katja Taits in 12E for her recent
success in passing her Trinity piano Grade 3 with
Merit.
For more up to date Music News and events,
follow us @SandringhamMus
Amy Stothard
Director of Learning: Music
Summer Uniform
Please note that Year 10 students are on study
leave from Tuesday 25th April until session 3 on
Thursday 4th May. Unless students are in exams,
sessions 3-5 on Thursday 4th May, they will be
expected to be in normal lessons.
As normal the summer uniform will be in place
after Easter.
A supervised study room timetable will be
available for students not in exams during study
leave and will be shared with them in the last
week of term. Thank you.
The socks should be white and should be ankle
not sport socks.
Claire Oakes
Assistant Headteacher
This means that girls may continue to wear black
tights but also have the option of white socks.
Stuart Kemp
Assistant Headteacher
The SandPit Theatre News
Our Sponsor a Seat campaign is off to an excellent
start, but please remember we need your forms in! The
new comfortable, allocated seating will be of great
benefit to all school events and audience members. You
will be able to choose your seats when you book through
Van Gogh: A New Way of Seeing
the online seating plan, and the seating will be much
Sunday 14th May
more comfortable and luxurious. Those who sponsor a
3pm £5
seat (or a pair) will even be able to access advance
Enjoying complete and unprecedented access to the
priority booking, so they can book their own named seats treasures of Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum, this is a
for our shows!
brilliant film about one of the world’s most fascinating
and beloved artists. Made in collaboration with the
experts at the Van Gogh Museum, the film marks both a
major re-showing of the gallery’s collection and a
celebration of the 125th anniversary of Van Gogh’s
death.
More renovations are now underway, with air
conditioning being installed over the Easter Holidays. If
you would like to know more about the wider project and
all our renovations going on, pop by after Easter as our
renovation information board will be up in the foyer. All
donations are welcome for any part of the project, so if
any parents work for a company that might want to get
Junior Recital
involved in sponsorship please let us know!
Tuesday 16th May
7pm £3/£2
WHAT’S ON AT THE SANDPIT THEATRE
An evening showcasing solo and chamber music
including both instrumental and vocal performances from
Sandringham students in Years 7-9.
This is an opportunity for friends and family to
support and celebrate the hard work put in by our
younger musicians throughout the year.
Rachael Peacock
Theatre Manager
Christopher Nibble
Saturday 6th May
11am & 2pm £8/£6 Ages 2+
The guinea pigs of Dandeville love munching
dandelion leaves so much that slowly but surely
dandelions
are
disappearing
from
all
over
town. Christopher Nibble knows that crunch time has
come when there is just one dandelion left – but will this
plucky little guinea pig have the flower power to save the
day?
PE Fixtures
Wednesday 26th April – Senior District Athletics
Championships @ Westminnster Lodge
Thursday 27th April – Y8B Tennis V Aldwickbury
(A)
Wednesday 3rd May – Y8/10 County Athletics
League @ Westminster Lodge
Thursday 4th May – Y7/9 Athletics @ Westminster
Lodge
FranticStein
Wednesday 10th May
6pm £3/£2
The Sandringham Drama Faculty brings you an
evening showcasing the devising talents of their Year 12
students. Students have been working with a stimulus of
Nick Dear’s version of gothic horror Frankenstein, and
the company Frantic Assembly. Through class
workshops, group exploration and research of the
company’s style and the underlying themes of the play,
the students have created three unique and inspiring
pieces of drama for you to enjoy.
PE News
As we approach the Easter Holidays we can reflect
on what has been another fantastic term and Winter/
Spring Season of sport. We have had a total of 345
fixtures across 13 sports with 82 different teams. This
again demonstrates the commitment of students
throughout the last 2 terms and we would like to thank
all students, staff and parents for their continued work
and efforts and wish them all luck for the Summer
sports after Easter.
For more news, fixtures, team sheets and results
don’t forget to follow us @SandringhamPE on Twitter
and at www.sandringhamsport.co.uk
Andrew Cracknell
Director of Learning: PE
Friends of Sandringham School
FO$S
Pop, pop, pop, muzic (everybodys talkin' about
pop muzic)* Quiz..
..is back on Friday 5 May at 7.00pm. More
information will follow after the Easter break but save
the date for this hugely 'pop'ular event! (*M released
1979...)
FO$S Committee meeting
The next committee meeting will be on Tuesday 2
May at 7.15pm in D11. Please come along and get
involved. FO$S meetings are also an opportunity to
have your say on the funding bids that FO$S is asked
to support. So far this year we have provided over
£8000 additional funding to support school activites
and learning. We need more helpers to volunteer at
events and activities to ensure that we can continue to
provide this support to the school which is always
hugely appreciated by the various Faculties that are
supported through FO$S..
PTCs
Just after the Easter break there are two PTCs Year 7 and Year 8. Fo$$ members will be supporting
them by serving tea, coffee, biscuits & soft drinks to
parents and teachers in the main school canteen. If
you can help we'd love to see you - ideally we like to
have two people per slot and we have a doodle polls
set up so you can add your availability:
Year 8 PTC – Wednesday 26th April 2017 –
4.30pm-7.30pm
https://doodle.com/poll/b29bg4qa37npd2dh
Year 7 PTC – Thursday 4th May 2017 – 4.30pm7.30pm
http://doodle.com/poll/dw2fe9zhfnh75tnx
Fo$S Team
Finance News
We would like to remind parents/carers that
the final balance instalments are due by 7th April
for the following trips:
Year 7 Bushcraft – 21-23 June 2017
Year 7 Disney - 21-23 June 2017
Year 7-9 Eweek - 21-23 June 2017
Year 10 Geography Field Trip – 20-22
September 2017
Year 12 A Level Geography Field Trip – 2-5
July 2017
Library News
Library News:
The Waterstones Children’s Book Prize
The winners have been announced and the overall
winner and winner of the Younger Readers category is
The Girl of Ink & Stars
By Kiran Millwood Hargrave
The winner of the Older
Readers category is Orangeboy
By Patrice Lawrence
The Easter Competition Winners were:
Easter Table Quiz:
1. Zoe Hamp 7S
2. Arran Rafot 9D
3. Frieda Callf 7D
Spring Quiz:
1. Anushka Shinde 9V
2. Daisy Charnock 9S
3. Lilian Kelsey 7V
Treasure Hunt:
1. Annie Furness 7VG
2. Henry Oldroyd 7S
3. Lucy Aldridge 10V
Jean Kirby
Currently Reading
Keep reading!
The Library Team
Please contact the finance office with any
queries.
Julia Shaw
Business Manager
Sandringham School Academy Trust
Registered in England No. 07523557
House 500 Words – short story writing competition
1st place - Mona Alden 7S
Her hair a
Whirlwind
Dark and forbidding
Swirling
Enclosing her
Forever.
She dances,
She flies,
And she is
Free.
Once,
She was a bird, trapped
In a steel cage
No light
No earth.
But she ran and ran until she
Flew away.
Now she is known
As Leaf,
And Leaf
Is what
We call her.
She is a fragile,
whirling
Thunderstorm.
She spends
Her time in the forest heart,
And lives in her tree den.
The animals dance
With her.
When she sings,
The birds join,
And a soaring sound
Bursts through the
Sunlit trees.
But she is not
Only sweetness.
When she rages,
She screams and shouts and swears
Loud enough for
Intruders to hear.
Her eyes dart accusingly,
(All reproduced as submitted)
2nd place – Haydn Poley 7E
Stumbling through the overgrown vines and the thick undergrowth, he
struggled on. Sprinting, he jumped a log like it was a hurdle, trying to
escape the web that imprisoned him. Swatting a vine away, he glimpsed a
large lake, stretching on for miles left and right. He knew of only one
option; to swim? But how… he couldn't. Then hearing trees rustle behind
him, he knew that the lake was his only option. Before he knew what he
was doing, he was in the water, limbs flailing, desperately doggy paddling
towards the other bank. Suddenly, he heard another splash behind him, and
a small ripple propelled him forward. Then more - bigger each time - like
waves, telling him how close the thing behind him was. Closer. Closer.
Closer.
Then, when it seemed like the last possible moment, he reached the
other side. Scrambling up, he ran into the giant wood that loomed in front
of him. Pausing for breath while leaning heavily against a tree, he was
tempted to risk glancing behind him, but he daren’t. The fear of what he
might see suffocated any curiosity. The sound of the thing heaving itself
out of the water shook him back to reality, and made him force his legs to
continue the arduous run to freedom.
Once inside, little light penetrated the gloomy blanket that the canopy
weaved, so he found it hard to navigate through the trees. The monster
pursuing him, however, had no such trouble. Its eyes were searchlights,
cutting through the darkness. Its body was agile and nimble, dodging trees
easily. Its legs were like those of a cross country runner who never stopped
training; quick, effortless and enduring.
Heart pounding, lungs burning and legs on fire, he felt like he had
been running for centuries on end. He slowed a little. “No!” his brain
protested. Forcing pictures of the possible scenes of what would happen if
he let himself get caught into his mind, he called on whatever energy he
had left. He sped up. Close to collapse, he prayed for the stamina to get to
the edge of the forest, and the safety of a town, or a village. Then, as if on
cue, a little more light then usual was viewable up ahead. Spurred on by
the sudden appearance of hope of surviving, he upped his speed even
more, possibly enough to match the speed of the creature behind him. As
he neared the light, he saw a house. His house. He reached the end of the
woodland, and then… he tripped, and the monster was upon him in a
heartbeat.
He screwed up his eyes tight. He felt the hot breath on his face and the
drool of saliva on his cheek as the creature put his face up against his.
A lick. A slobber. A wet nose in his ear. Then, he turned over, and his
dog licked his face joyfully. He laughed and his mum called him home for
tea.
Looking for someone to blame.
Long ago,
She ran from
A bad man.
But knows now
She should have
screamed and shouted and swore
at him.
Her eyes
Remind you of
The sea
The sky
The grass
A sapphire
The river
A diamond
The high meadows
The forest
All at once
and
They flash
Blue
Green
Turquoise
Purple
Like a precious
Opal.
Every
First Sunday
Of the month
She
Puts on her emerald coat
Ties her hair
Straps on her buckled shoes
And
Grabs her basket.
It is
Market day.
In the
Town,
People
Hustle and Bustle
Looking for the best buys.
The villagers
Do not welcome
Leaf here,
So they back off and
Pretend to look
3rd place - Rosie Hart 7K
Night Night
It was a cold winter's night and there was a crisp, bitter breeze.
The eerie moon hung up in the sky and the stars gleamed brightly.
Katie was alone. Alone and scared. No one was out this late at night
and most of the local citizens were asleep. All that she could hear was
the whispering of the wind and the leaves rustling on the trees. She
had had a fight with her parents that night, they wouldn't listen to her,
they were drunk and acting stupid. Katie ran away, she didn't want to
live with them anymore; they were a terrible influence and everyone
knew that, as did she. Katie stood there. Freezing. Terrified. Alone. At
that very moment she heard something. Something that could possibly
change her life forever. It was saying; ‘Come, come to me, I'm not
going to hurt you.’ She turned, but no one was there. She heard it
again, but still nothing. A huge gust of wind blew her hair into her
face. The swings in the local park began to creak as they swung back
and forward. Back and forward. Creak. Creak. Creak. A voice in her
head told her to run back home but her heart knew she couldn't. Her
life decision. What to do, what to do? The voice came back; telling
her to come over to the lamp post. It flickered, Katie turned back
around and told herself it was all a dream. She turned back round to
face the post. She gasped trying to keep herself on her feet, there, next
to the lamp post, stood a man, dressed in all back with his hood
covering his pale skin. He stood there, just staring and not moving a
single part of his body. He moved as Katie flinched backwards, his
arm raised signaling that she must come forth to face him. But Katie
did not move a single part of her body. She told herself this was all a
dream and pinched her arm to wake her up, she said to herself that she
is at home, in her warm bed sleeping peacefully. But she did not wake
up. The man came closer. Katie stood there, to scared to move. A
shiver ran down her spine. The man took another step. ‘Come to me, I
shall not hurt you.’ The man rested his hand on Katie's shoulder, she
tried to scream but not a sound came out. The man took her hand and
walked down the street, Katie, to scared to speak, let him take her.
The next day everyone searched for Katie, but she was never to be
seen again.
The other way.
Leaf
Reluctantly
Pays for her
Eggs,
Bread and
Milk,
And treats herself to
a
cream cupcake.
She walks away,
Silent
While the villagers gossip
Saying things like
“they should take that child to a home”
or
“An orphanage is where that child
belongs”
At her tree den
She
Changes into her
Dress.
The leaf dress.
Patched with ribbons and beads and love.
Then she tears off
Her hairband
And lets
Her hair
Free.
Then she flutters
Down the
Ladder
And flies
Ever more.
KS4 winner – Claire Bottoms 10V
Free Bird
The girl is unexplainably lost. An ascending bird, shot and dragged
down by insecurity, lying wounded in the dirt. Without hope, and no
way out of the ditch.
Everything that made sense moments ago - her life, the meaning,
their purpose – has shifted before she’s even noticed into something
else. So unsettlingly quick that it half terrifies her.
I’ve never thought any different until now, she realises. As people,
we all believe one thing, and in the next moment without realising, you
find yourself staring straight at another possibility. Some truths always
seemingly follow in your shadow, slowly creeping up from behind so
that when the time comes, it shadows over and blocks out the
atmosphere like dark smoke. And so she experiences a new dawn, this
time strange and unforgiving,
She finds it impossible to think amongst all the thoughts and voices
and repeated whispers, clanging and echoing around her empty skull.
But filled to the brim with noise and doubts and insecurity, almost
shooting out her ears so that is meets with the faceless floor below.
But. One thing lets her see differently.
Her heart, the words. Her love, the page.
Some nights, quiet at her desk, she becomes the birds. A swan,
gliding across an icy lake, sculpting her words with precision and
elegance. The magpie, searching for the perfect way to arrange her
collection of jewels. One white-speckled hawk flying boundless and
above, its view universal.
Pen gripped tight, eyes searching, toes wriggling and teeth chewing
a lip – her heart booms in time to the clock ticking behind her. Soaring
in flight at the joy, thumping giddily at the chance to express itself. She
shapes the words: phrase after phrase, sentence after sentence. Idea,
image, memory, message - to the point where her heart is consumed by
the pages and the ink.
Write, and anything can be done; anything can be said, past all
borders and confinements. Pouring every emotion from the muscles in
her arm to the flick of the pen to sculpt the perfect words. Her soul goes
charging out, front-line, to embrace every idea conceivable.
Her words fill up the page, and the bird begins to crawl its way out
of the dirt. It gains the energy to lift its head - looks up – and sees the
clear sky inviting it to try again. To fly again. For even when all seems
confusing and the light is blocked out, one must keep going,
undoubtedly, so that the light can be seen. She writes with the depth of
the sinking, crushing lows to the soaring, giddy highs and the bird’s pit
begins to fill. The void slowly closing, her spirit rapidly returning.
Until finally she’s free, the ideas and thoughts that tangle with the
clouds and in her mind are liberated: flapping, fluttering, flying.
Waiting for someone to grab and pin down, fastening with an inky
ribbon onto paper.
Joint staff winners
Graeme Swann
Scared? You should be.
The day itself had started off so well. Who could have foreseen how it would turn out? I didn’t even bother to
press the ‘snooze’ button on my alarm, I just got out of bed, had a shower and dressed myself. Breakfast was the
usual; toast and marmite with a cup of hot chocolate. Mum even gave me a kiss goodbye. The journey itself was
short, an enjoyable morning walk with friends in the cool, fresh air. No rain, no wind, not a care in the world.
Everything was normal, just as it should have been. But then, all too soon, I had arrived – and, rather suddenly,
everything began to change.
As I silently entered the room, there was a general sense of unease and a foreboding sense of dread. There was no
sound. Not a single sound at all. Nobody spoke. Nobody moved. The air itself was still, not even a single dust mote
in motion. No background electrical hum from unseen wires, no animal sounds, no wind, no pitter-patter of rain on
the window panes. Just an eerie silence in an unsettling, frigid, dismal atmosphere that reached deep into my bones
and sent a chill running down my spine.
He, of course, had obviously entered the room long before my own arrival and he had made it his own. It was his
very particular and very personal domain. There was no question about it. He would brook no argument, no
challenge, no debate. He ruled with total control.
And then there was the preternatural presence of the man himself; tall, sombre, grey, brown-suited, bald,
paunchy, coffee-stained tie slightly askew, badly creased shirt and dirty shoes. Quietly officious, quietly knowing
that to all intents and purposes, he was the person with all the power; he was in charge, omnipresent, he was ‘god’ in
this situation. I could do absolutely nothing about it, I was powerless, ineffectual, feeble, defenceless and impotent.
Yet I still stayed there. I had no choice.
The minutes ticked by, the second hand of the clock took an interminable time to make each single orbit around
the huge dial and the sinking feeling of heaviness, bleakness, gloom and dispiriting meanness went on and on with
infinite slowness. Would I survive? Did I want to? Would the daylight ever arrive? Would I see sunshine again?
Would I somehow be rescued from this hell which I had never realised could exist in my normal world where I was
cocooned from such abnormality?
Finally, he spoke, and the unbearable, interminable silence was abruptly broken. His deep, bass voice was loud,
clear and imperious. He only uttered ten words but they were devastatingly important, they would be etched in my
brain forever as they proclaimed the very beginning of an even longer, terrifying journey into my own uncertain
future: “A Level Geography candidates, you may now start your exam.”
Maria Staples
NEW EDEN
‘The problem is,’ Dad observed as he struggled with the plastic bags and the duct tape ‘I think it might be quite
icy out there this morning. I’m really not sure if these are going to be safe.’
‘Well, at least you’re driving to the office’ sniped Mum, securing the bath towel over her shoulders with an
ancient, rusty nappy pin. ‘We have to walk!‘
Was it really necessary to declare all schools open for the duration of the crisis?’ Dad gingerly slithered round
the kitchen floor, testing his improvised bootees. ‘A light flurry of snow and they declare a state of emergency. Now
we’ve a genuine emergency and it’s business as usual. I blame Brexit.’
‘Nonsense’ retorted Mum (who had secretly voted ‘leave’). ‘You heard the news. They just don’t know how
long it will take to get the factories up and running again. We just need the spirit of the Blitz. Keep calm and carry
on’.
‘It’s a Carry On alright’ Dad grumbled, rifling through the spare drawer in the kitchen. ‘Didn’t I put some
sandpaper in here?’
‘Right!’ commanded Mum, ignoring him. ‘Off we go!’
You know how mums try to turn adversity into an adventure? That’s great when you are five, but when you are
eleven and you awoke yesterday to find that every scrap of clothing in the ENTIRE WORLD HAD
DISAPPEARED…not so great.
Everyone on Twitter was speculating as to why the catastrophe had happened, even though no one really knew.
People couldn’t decide whether it was a prelude to an alien invasion, or a sign from God. So far, God appeared to
have the edge; the Archbishop of Canterbury had announced on breakfast news that morning, his mitre fashioned out
of a copy of The Daily Telegraph, ‘We have returned to Eden’.
Trudging to school – if it’s possible to trudge in shoes made from flannels and rubber bands – was a slippery,
surreal experience. The last time we had a procession of bedsheets, duvet covers and pillowcases was on Ancient
Rome Day. Standing at the classroom door, Mrs Rampling was imperial in a toga with a bath mat cloak, while Mrs
Derby was encased in a rather glamorous large John Lewis carrier bag and boots crafted from bubble-wrap. Later, I
overheard Mr Campbell telling her transparent items and branded plastic bags were ‘unsuitable’. ‘That’s a bit rich,’
she shot back, ‘coming from a man sporting a toilet-paper tie!’
That night we watched the news. The PM was interviewed, resplendent in a leopard skin throw. The American
President, utterly lost for words, sweated heavily under the studio lights in orange-stained sheepskin. At the Oscar
Awards, A-listers slunk gloomily along the red carpet in hastily-assembled couture crepe paper gowns. Outside, a