WIGSTON COLLEGE
NEWSLETTER
March 2017
Heads up...
Dear Parents and Carers
It is that time of year when the examinations - which at one stage seemed a long way off - are now
approaching fast. Staff at the college are working tirelessly to ensure that their students are as ready
and prepared as they can be. With this in mind we have produced an Easter revision programme to
further support the students (details can be found in this newsletter). As always the students’ success
is based on the support that you give them at home with revision and study, so please continue to
check that they are doing all that they should be.
We continue to improve the physical environment of the college. Phase one of the window replacement is now complete and we are currently planning the refurbishment of the main building, outside
areas and, as requested by students, the toilets. Thank you to those of you who completed the
planning suggestion sheets; we continue to listen to your views and opinions. Many of you also filled
in the questionnaires and recorded that you were made welcome at the college and found us easy to
approach if you had a problem or a query. Staff and students also completed questionnaires and we
are currently using these to identify further areas for improvement to ensure that we continue to
strive to make the education of the young people as good as it can be.
Extra-curricular activities, clubs and competitions continue to make a great contribution to the lives
of the students and our annual production ‘Annie’ was a resounding success due to the huge amount
of effort put into it by all involved. This was the first Trust production and was testament to what can
be achieved when everyone pulls together.
On March 7th and 8th we received our final monitoring inspection
from HMI and Ofsted. I would like to thank everyone, staff, parents
and students for their support during the process and we look
forward to sharing the report with you within the next few weeks.
Kind regards
Mike Wilson
Head of College
‘Brave the Shave’ - Carla-Leigh Joyce Year 11
In memory of an inspirational friend.
It was such an honour to do the Brave the Shave challenge as a
tribute to my friend Rosie. She was a huge inspiration to me as
well as many others including staff and students. I should like to
thank all the people around me, that have supported and
continue to support me. It has been amazing. I have raised £180
so far and monies continue to come in. If you would like to make a
donation, the link is: https://bravetheshave.org.uk/?
post_type=ignition_product&s=carla-leigh+joyce
Dates for Your Diary:
17thMarch :
29th March:
31st March:
10th-13th April:
26th April:
15th May:
15th May:
5th June:
5th June:
26th–30th June:
Deadline for confirmation of Year 12 Work Experience placement - all paperwork to
Miss Martin in the Hub
DMU trip for Year 11 students holding a conditional offer to Wigston College Sixth Form
Year 13 leaver hoodie orders to be in
Easter Revision sessions
Year 12 Higher Education Fair, Loughborough University
Year 12 Study Release begins
AS examinations begin
Year 13 Study Release commences
A2 courses commence for Year 12 students
Year 12 Work Experience week
DofE News - Mr McBride
On the 25th January 2017 Wigston Academies Trust was granted its licence to continue to
provide The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme to the students of both the Academy and
the College. The licence was presented to Mr P McBride DofE Leader by Colonel Richard
Hurwood DL – Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire and Phil Brown - former Olympic
athlete and DofE Ambassador for Central England. DofE has a long established reputation
within the Trust for success at all levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold. Former participants who
have completed Gold recently and are now awaiting confirmation and dates for their
presentation are Jake Green, Haley Clowes, Anja Kinsberger and Bethany Chamberlain. The Award will
be opened to students at the Academy after Easter for Bronze level. Silver level will follow in the near
future. I should like to thank all staff involved in delivery of the award, parents for encouraging their
children to participate and the Trust for its continued support. Students have gained a lot from the
award and have used it in applications for college and university places and applications for apprenticeships and jobs. Long may it continue.
Paul McBride – DofE Manager [Wigston Academies Trust]
Year 11 Football - Mr Chalk
After successfully navigating the group stages the
Wigston College Year 11 football team were drawn in the
semi-final of the Leicester Cup against Brockington – a team
that we have never played before. The first twenty minutes
of the match was an incredibly close affair with neither team
being able to take control of the game. Wigston found their
rhythm first and were able to snatch two goals in quick
succession before adding a third on the stroke of half time,
giving Wigston College a commanding 3-0 lead at half time.
Midway through the second half Brockington scored from a
free kick which was completely against the run of play. As
Wigston tired, Brockington added a second creating the
score to be 3-2 with still two minutes to play. Despite
Brockington pushing hard for an equaliser Wigston defended
superbly - eventually winning the fixture 3-2.
Wigston will now play Robert Smyth in the final. Details will
follow when a date and venue have been set.
Science Trip - Miss Naish
Year 13 Physics students visited the Medical Physics Department at the Leicester Royal Infirmary.
Dr Kumar Ramnarine kindly took us round to show us how the ultrasound scan works and we had several
interesting presentations on how radiation can be used to treat cancer and talks from trainee clinical
scientists about career pathways. Many more applications of physics within the hospital were also seen.
This was related to what students are currently studying in A level Physics and BTEC level 3 Applied
Science. Hopefully the students found it interesting!
Careers Forum - Miss Martin
On Wednesday 8th March Wigston College and Wigston Academy
held a Careers Forum.
We were expecting a few hundred students; in fact 591 students
came through our doors. The presentations were well received by
our visitors. Dr Gareth Thomas, who delivered the presentations, is
the Wigston Academies Trust Enterprise advisor so his knowledge
and skills are vital for our organisation.
Colleges, apprenticeship brokers and universities from around the
county and UK came to the event. The feedback from students,
parents and delegates was excellent. We look forward to meeting
all delegates and parents next year.
Wednesday 8th March also saw 16 college students attend The
National Apprenticeship event at the Birmingham ICC. There were
numerous apprenticeship brokers and colleges at this event, where
students could ask questions about what type of apprenticeships
they offer; how long they last; how much they get paid; and the
overview of the apprenticeship. There were some stalls where
students could “have a go” at the types of apprenticeship available
in that company, which was fantastic. Our students found the
event useful and have contacts to help them move forward in their
chosen area.
A new and exciting website is being developed for the CEIAG
(Careers Enterprise Information Advice and Guidance) team for
Wigston Academies Trust. We are working on information for all
our young people and parents/carers from Year 7 to Year 13, to inform them about what is on offer.
This will enable us all to support and assist our young people in their chosen career pathways. We will
let you know about the launch of the website – watch this space!
A company called How2become Ltd has given the Wigston Academies Trust CEIAG team £300 worth of
careers books and DVDs. These will be advertised around the sites for all our young people to have
access to.
It has been a busy half term and as we approach the close of the Spring Term, sixth form students
have been working hard in their A level subjects, completing coursework requirements and steadily
getting through the syllabuses. Once we reach the Easter break the exam season is in sight and
thoughts are turning to revision and final preparations.
Students have been building on the outcomes of their January Pre-Public Exams, focusing on
challenging topics and gaining confidence from successes. We were also pleased to welcome the
Elevate Team into the College. They ran workshop sessions for all Year 12 and 13 students to support
their revision skills and development of the attributes of high achieving students.
Part of the sixth form experience is the opportunity for students to prepare for life beyond A levels
and to consider aspects of contemporary society which they will face as young adults. Over this term
Year 12 students have focused on young driver skills, student finance and budgeting and work place
dilemmas, whilst Year 13 students have been considering first time voting, British values, housing
issues and strategies for dealing with stress.
In addition, students have continued to be involved with a wide range of additional enrichment
activities – Duke of Edinburgh Award, sporting competitions and the college musical to name a few.
These activities are not only fun but develop a wealth of transferable skills valued by employers and
universities. To this end Year 12 students are currently organising work experience placements
following their AS examinations which will provide them with further opportunities to gain experience
which will support their university, apprenticeship or job applications in the future. Year 12 students
should look out for information about a visit to a Higher Education Fair on April 26 th where they will be
able to gather information and advice about courses and universities as they continue the process of
deciding on their educational path after A levels.
Finally, well done to all the Year 11 students who applied to Wigston College Sixth Form and who
have now been interviewed and have received their conditional offer of a place from September 2017.
It was a pleasure to meet you all and we wish you well in your GCSE examinations. We look forward
to seeing you again at the Sixth Form induction on 4th and 5th July; further details will be circulated
after Easter. We have received unprecedented levels of applications from students currently in Year
11 at other schools and colleges and so we anticipate a healthy and vibrant sixth form for 2017-18.
Wigston College Post 16 Team
Business Studies News - Mrs Turnbull
Coca Cola Visit
On 26th January 28 GCSE Business Studies students from across the Academy and College visited Coca
Cola in Milton Keynes. They were introduced to various aspects of the business such as its ownership
structure and saw how their production lines ran. They also worked in groups to market a potential new
soft drink for Coca Cola, with one idea for a new healthy drink targeted at sports women winning the
competition.
Jaguar Land Rover Trip
On 28th March, 40 students will be visiting JLR to look around their production facility at Solihull.
Deadline for returns is 17th March.
GCSE Business Studies Controlled Assessment
The deadline for any improvements is 7th April. Support is available every Thursday at lunchtime and
after college.
GCSE Business Studies Revision
Weekly sessions run every Wednesday lunchtime for revision of Year 10 course content on Business and
People.
Rewards Update - Miss Hadkiss
Half Term Hero: winning a £20 High Street voucher:
Cailey Smith
Dharti Patel
Mason Bannister
Thomas Bee
21
22
20
27
Bronze: the following students received a drink and cake voucher, a certificate and a letter home:
Brandon Smith
Lita McManus
Lauren Oxley
Olivia Lee-Shield
Jordan Doughty
Tillie Cosgrove
Olivia Buckby
Josh Richardson
Tesfa Matthew
Eve Mattock
Lillie Snow
Ethan Lloyd
Riley Maguire
Aaron Shaw
Charlie Stocking
Isabelle Lewis
Alice Smith
Geri Hawkins-Oldfield
Georgia Shillcock
Joey Firek
Phoebe Brooks
Jessica Rowe-Davison
Thomas Bee
Cailey Smith
Silver: Pizza lunch, certificate and letter home:
Gold: Buffet lunch, certificate and letter home:
Sophie Calverley
Ryan Duffy
Dharti Patel
This half term you could win:










100% attendance for three weeks: cake and drink
100% for whole half term: entered into £25 voucher prize draw and cake and drink voucher
100% for whole year: Easter egg
Zero C1s for the half term: pizza lunch
Star of the Week: £5 Amazon voucher
Half Term Hero: £20 voucher
ATL of 5 or above: pizza and cake rewards lunch
Bronze students: cake & drink, certificate and letter home
Silver Students: rewards lunch, certificate and letter home
Gold Students: buffet lunch, certificate and letter home
Stars of the Week so far this term:
4th January - 10th February
Cailey Smith
Thomas Bee
Izzi Webb
Julian Atwal
Eloise Shawley
Ethan Lloyd
Ben Gandy
Sean Johnson
Dharti Patel
Max Cunningham
Macey Forde
Lita McManus
20th February - 10th March
Simran Minhas
Vanessa Preston
Alexander Love
Lillie Snow
Kaydi Brandon
Sophie Ambler
azon
£5 Am
er
Vouch
Sports Media - Ed Mackey Year 12
On February 22nd Year 12 student, Ed Mackey, had
the opportunity to attend the Sevilla FC v Leicester
City match. The purpose was not only to enjoy
supporting his favourite team, but to take the
opportunity to develop his skills in Sports Media,
which he wishes to pursue at university. Below is an
edited version of the full article which has been
published on vavel.com.
Why the Foxes can take positives from Sevilla
defeat.
Leicester City started their journey in the UEFA
Champions League knockout stages with a
respectable 2-1 loss away at the home of the current
Europa League holders. With poor league form, many
Leicester fans feared the worst as they made the trip
to sunny Spain.
Around 10,000 Foxes fans were in Seville during the day of the game. They were not disappointed as the
temperature hit 23 degrees which prompted plenty of the Foxes faithful to get their shorts out for the first
time this year. While they certainly weren't expecting a win from the game, a narrow loss and an away
goal were what every Leicester fan wanted to take home with them, as much as they didn't expect either
outcome.
As the game approached, the Blue Army made their way through Central Seville to the Ramon Sanchez
Pizguan Stadium, which was only about a 15-minute walk from where the Leicester fans had congregated.
The Foxes fans piled into the ground in their hundreds as the Sevilla fans took to their seats and an
atmosphere began to build. As kick-off came nearer, every single Sevilla fan took to their feet to sing
'Himno Centenario', the song that is blasted out before every home game. Both sets of fans were ready
for the game and the Leicester fans hoped that their team was also ready.
The game started slowly for the visitors and the travelling Leicester fans expected an away performance
resembling the games they had got used to this season. And without an away win in the league, this
definitely didn’t look very positive and with a penalty awarded less than quarter of an hour into the match,
the Blue Army feared the worst. But a great save from Kasper Schmeichel to keep the score level gave
Leicester much needed hope. However, only 10 minutes later, Sevilla took the lead as Pablo Sarabia leapt
above Christian Fuchs to score a brilliant header. The first half ended 1-0, which was certainly lucky for
the Foxes.
The second half looked much more promising from a Leicester point of view as they began to get into the
Sevilla half and actually look dangerous on the attack. But all their hard work was ruined 15 minutes later
as a Sevilla counter-attack ended with Schmeichel picking the ball out of his net after Angel Correa
doubled his side’s advantage. But, as Leicester did all throughout last season, they didn’t let their heads
drop and they showed passion worthy of Champions to
pull back a vital away goal. Jamie Vardy finished well
after Danny Drinkwater’s great run into the Sevilla
penalty area and inch-perfect cross into his England
team-mate. The game ended 2-1 and left Leicester fans
with something to cheer about as “we scored a goal”
rang out from a packed away end.
After he applauded the travelling support and
acknowledged a rendition of his chant, no one knew
that it would turn out to be Claudio Ranieri’s last day at
the club where he achieved the impossible. And while it
would be amazing to see the Italian finish off the
Champions League journey that he earned, it would
have been just as painful to see his legacy tarnished by
relegation from the Premier League.
Wigston College Mount Snow USA - SKI TRIP 2017 - Emily Bird Year 13
The Wigston College ski trip to Mount Snow,
Vermont was such an amazing experience
that has made unforgettable memories.
Everybody mixed with new people to make
new friends from different year groups which
created a lovely atmosphere on the trip and
after, as these friendships continue at the
college.
Many people were nervous at first due to the
large number of beginners, but they were
encouraged by the more experienced skiers.
As the group made its way to the slopes
there was always a beautiful sing-song on the
bus journey led by Miss Kaur. This created
the motivation for the day after an early get
up and long breakfast queue. As we arrived
at the slopes, everyone got their skis on and
set off for five incredibly enjoyable days of
skiing. The beginner skiers improved rapidly and were making it down blue slopes by the end of the
week. This was a huge improvement from the first day where they were on the beginner slopes. The top
groups were making it all the way down black slopes and tackling icy bumps along the way. Some
groups even found tracks to go through the trees. There were a few tree huggers but nothing serious!
The instructors were also fabulous and
encouraged everyone to try their hardest
and when times got tough they were there
to offer their assistance and were most
helpful to everyone. At the end of the
week, the instructors held a little awards
ceremony for the groups and gave everybody a certificate and some stickers whilst
the students thanked each instructor.
Every group collected some money as a
thank you, which was appreciated by all.
The evening activities were candlepin
bowling, pizza night and snow tubing.
Candlepin bowling involves small balls,
wooden pins and manual scoring. It’s safe
to say the students were very interested. The tubing created endless smiles as the students slid down
the slopes and enjoyed their pizza afterwards.
After a week of skiing it was on to New York City.
In NYC we explored the 9/11 memorial, went to
the top of the observatory and took a ferry ride to
see the Statue of Liberty. There were also a lot of
happy faces in Hard Rock Café and during the
endless hours of shopping. This gave everyone lots
of bonding time but also time to enjoy the city and
streets of New York.
If I were to sum up the trip in one word it would
be ‘grateful’. I feel privileged to have experienced
such an amazing trip with some of the best people
and to have enjoyed something that cannot be
experienced again.
(Reflection having been on four School Ski trips)
Next year’s trip letters are out! Stowe USA
Feb 2018. Don’t Miss Out.
Maths Update - Mr Ashton
All students in all year groups now have either homework or past paper booklets. Some have both. Year
11 students will have enough practice papers to complete one a week from now until their first
exam.
Year 11 students have been taught all the content they need for the Summer exams; we now need to
ensure they complete the past papers so that areas for development can be highlighted and revision of
the topics completed.
After school intervention on Thursday is up and running in addition to lunch time support being available.
Every Thursday we have three students from the University of Leicester as well as staff so that we can
keep the pupil to teacher ratio as small as we can. Please encourage students to attend as frequently as
possible.
Maths Challenge Success!
Almost 120 students competed in the national UKMT Intermediate Challenge. Three of them have now
qualified for the next round and will complete a further challenge on 16 th March.
Term Dates for the Academic Year 2016-17
th
7 April
24th April
1st May
29th May–2nd June
13th July
End of Term
Start of Summer Term
May Day Bank Holiday
Half Term Break
End of Term
@WigstonCollege
Wigston College
Term Dates for the Academic Year 2017-18
29th August 2017
16th-20th October
20th December
9th January 2018
12th-16th February
23rd March
9th April
7th May
28th May–1st June
13th July
Start of Autumn Term
Half Term Break
End of Term
Start of Spring Term
Half Term Break
End of Term
Start of Summer Term
May Day Bank Holiday
Half Term Break
End of Term
WAT Production of Annie - Mr Piper
Wigston Academies Trust's long-awaited production of Annie took place on March 1st-4th. We were
absolutely delighted with the sell-out performances; over 60 students from across the Trust really came
together to produce a show of memorably high quality: cast, crew and band. I am confident that we
provided our students with a sense of achievement and success that will remain with them for life.
We know that this kind of production would be impossible to put on without the continued assistance of
parents and carers who provide costumes, lifts to and from rehearsals and much more. We are very
grateful for their support for this and all our ventures. I am confident that we are the only MAT in this
region that could stage a show with such a high standard of production and performance. Well done to
everyone involved!
ts
uden ce
t
s
d
an
on
Staff excelled
e all.
e
hav Well don
.
again
e.
anc
m
r
rfo
t pe
!
n
e
l
one
el
y
c
r
x
E
eve
ne
o
d
ll
We
Photographs taken at rehearsals by the Leicester Mercury.
Ex
of cell
ch pro ent:
de arac duct All
da liver teri ion aspe
nc y, sa cts
e - m tio
su usi n,
pe c,
rb
!
The
bes crew w
t
e
67 y I have s re amaz
ears
een
i
in m ng,
of lif
y
e.
Easter Revision - Miss Davies
Revision is a difficult skill and there will be advice and support in all subjects including guidance on what
students should be focusing and spending their time on in preparation for the next few months.
To support the extensive revision programme that is already underway in the college we are offering some
additional revision sessions which focus on specific topics. These revision sessions will be run during the
Easter break. There is a small deposit of £2.50 to reserve a place on each session – this will be
refunded after the session has run and your son/daughter has attended. Any student who is entitled to
Pupil Premium Money and wishes to attend the sessions will not be charged the deposit.
As the additional revision sessions are outside the normal working day it is essential that students
arrive promptly and sign in at reception. Good behaviour will be expected throughout. If there is any poor
behaviour the student will be asked to leave. Any student who is attending a morning and afternoon
session will need to bring their own food and drink. They will not be permitted to leave the site during the
lunch break. Please arrange safe travel to and from college on these days.
Focus on Attendance - Mr Ashton and Miss Hadkiss
We are very happy to be able to reward all the students below for having 100% attendance from February half
term to this mid-point. All these students have been given a voucher to claim their reward of a free drink and
cake from The Common Room servery. As we know good attendance is one of the cornerstones to making
progress and achieving, so well done all!
Year 11
Blake Adam
Wojciech Adamczyk
Ragheeb Ahmad
Timothy Alexander
Sophie Ambler
Morgan Andrews
Antony Archer-Dutton
Joshua Atkinson
Mitch Bailey
Mason Bannister
Harjot Basra
Abbie Bates
Thomas Bee
Kate Blower
Tom Bools
Maya Booth
Kaydi Brandon
Niall Brooks
Phoebe Brooks
Harry Brown
Olivia Buckby
Taylor Butterfield
Joe Carey
Chris Clarke
Stephen Clarke
Harry Clifton
Jack Cole
Daniel Colquhoun
Zach Conroy
Andrew Cording
Tillie Cosgrove
Wesley Cox
Max Cunningham
James Deacon
Connor Devlin
Dhiann Dhillon
Jordan Doughty
Ryan Duffy
Lewis Dunmore
Aaron Dymott
Libby Farmer
Sian Farrow
Macey Forde
Oliver Gamble
Ben Gandy
Caoimhe Gavagan
Ethan Gibby
Ellie Greasley
Tom Hall
Shenea Hamilton
Geri Hawkins-Oldfield
Megan Hextall
Emma Hornsby
Michael Howard
Leo Hughes
Avneet Hundal
Ryan Instrell
Isaac Johnson
Jacob Johnson
Elliott Kearney
Megan Kennell
Jake Kirk
Jordan Latham
Tamara Lee
Lucy Lees
Olivia Lee-Shield
Isabelle Lewis
Harley Lightbown
Adam Lilley
Ethan Lloyd
Alexander Love
Riley Maguire
Cameron Marriott
Eve Mattock
Wayne Matusevics
Regan McAdam
Evie McMorran
George Mills
Narisha Mistry
Stephen Morley
Josh Murray
Grace Murtha
Katie Oldfield
Dominic Parry
Zac Peachey
Emily Pearson
Morgan Pettifer
Mason Pick
Hayden Plowright
Trinity Potter
Annie Prendergast
Daniel Pugh
Harry Redfern
Myles Reed
Josh Richardson
Megan Rigby
Jessica Rowe-Davison
Melanie Salmon
Tait Sargent
Hollie Sharman
Luke Sharpe
Georgia Shillcock
Jasmine Siddon
Daisy Simms
Laura Singleton
Alice Smith
Brandon Smith
Cailey Smith
Connor Smith
Lillie Snow
Anais Spencer
Courtney Spencer
Charlie Stocking
Jessica Stone
Jayce Thomas
Kaelin Thompson
Brett Thornley
Sophie Toon
Jari Ullah
Kairo Walbrook
Melissa Walley
Joshua Wallhead
Jacob Watts
Charlotte West
Kate Westbury
Lewis White
Daniel Wignall
Elliot Wilson
Daniel Withers
Year 12
Tom Angseesing
Harry Ballentyne
Eleanor Batting
Ella Beagley
Adam Brace
Charlotte Broughton
Alex Canham
Kaine Chamberlain
Michael Clarke
Sebastian Cook
Amelia Corbett
Louis Dann-Atkin
Eve Davenport
Sam Deacon
Abbie Dunmore
Naima Filali
Cara Green
Elizabeth Holroyd
Billy Hutchings
Rhys Kilby
Katie Lloyd
Fraser Lyon
Edward Mackey
Tommy May
Ryan Meade
Christopher Moreton
Zach Morley
Jack Panter
Samuel Perkins
Jessica Rule
Ben Scotson
Eloise Shawley
Max Sillifant
Kate Stewart
David Taylor
Sam Taylor
Ty Truswell
Jay Veja
Raj Veja
Alex Wells
Holly Whiting
Milo Wileman
Luke Woodford
Roanne Woodward
Year 13
Cody Armstrong
Luke Armstrong
Eden Arthurs
Jude Barker
Emily Bird
Angus Cheney
Kieran Cook
Haran Dhillon
Nicole Dickinson
Hannah Everton
Marissa Farrow
Samuel French
Jack Glover
Calum Hardy
Cameron Hardy
Matthew Harrison
Georgia Hendry
Lara Howitt
Evie Jenkison
Niamh Lloyd– Rawson
Kate Nelson
Jordan Richardson
Andy Smith
Dawn Stuart
Katie Swinfield
Joshua Trigg
Olivia Waite
Maria Walker
Izzi Webb
Luka Zelenovic
Wigston College, Station Road, Wigston, Leicester, LE18 2DS Tel: 0116 2881611
[email protected] www.wigstoncollege.org