Headteacher
Dear Parents/Carers,
As the summer term draws to a close, it is very encouraging to be able to review a year that has
contained so many positive experiences for our students. We have made significant progress
over the last 12 months. Students’ attitudes to learning are generally at a very high level, which
means they are more engaged in lessons and we are able to get more out of them. We have
worked hard to improve the quality and effectiveness of the feedback we give to students, so
they know what they need to do to make improvements in their own work. An appreciation of
the importance of developing their own literacy skills is also growing amongst the students. Help
from parents, by encouraging reading, checking over homework and questioning their child’s
understanding, can play a vital role in this.
We were hugely grateful to all those parents (579) and students (1042) who took part in our
biannual Kirkland-Rowell survey last term. We have finally received the analysis on this valuable
feedback and are thrilled with the very positive message that came from it. 98.3% of all parents
surveyed said they would recommend TBSHS to another parent and you gave us an overall performance score of Outstanding.
In addition, parents highlighted a number of Outstanding features of the school including school discipline; control of bullying;
development of moral values; community spirit; careers advice and levels of homework. Students also highlighted those same
areas as being Outstanding plus many others including Teaching quality; Developing confidence; Choice of subjects and Exam
results. You also identified some subject areas which you feel are doing a good job and some areas where you wish to see
improvement. This information is really useful and will form part of our development planning for the year ahead.
The one major area that all stakeholders felt is most in need of improvement is the school facilities. This puts even greater
emphasis on the impending large scale refurbishment project, to be carried out as part of the DfE’s Priority Schools Building
Programme, or the alternative, which is the possible relocation of the school to the land adjacent to Whittington Way. We
now expect to have a clearer picture in the autumn term, of which of these exciting projects will provide us with the new
facilities we need and deserve.
Our ethos at TBSHS, focuses on putting a lot of time and effort in to developing many important qualities and skills in our
students, beyond those normally sharpened in the classroom. Enrichment activities play a vital role in this development and
this term we have seen our usual high standard of opportunities, in which students can get involved. This year, cricket week
opened with the legendary West Indies fast bowler and Sky Sports pundit, Michael Holding, delivering a stimulating talk and
Q&A session with students from Yr7, 9 and the sixth form and closed with an emphatic victory for the 1�� XI over Bishop’s
Stortford College. Enrichment week saw many students placed outside of their comfort zone at the end of June, as they faced
new challenges and experiences that ranged from building campfires and shelters in Year 7 through to a first taste of the
world of work in Year 10.
It was lovely to join so many Year 7 and 8 students and their parents for their Sports Awards evening this term. We clearly
have some very talented individuals, though as results have shown, it is their combined effort and ability to work together
that has brought about so much success.
In the last few days we have waved goodbye to 45 students on the 3 week rugby tour of Australia and another 48 heading to
Barcelona for the Music & Art tour. We wish them the best of luck with their respective performances and I’m sure they’ll
each enjoy the enriching experience.
The three days of sixth form induction proved incredibly popular with students from our own Year 11 and also lots from other
schools in the area. They had a good taste of life in Year 12 at TBSHS, which included a sample of all of the subjects on offer,
a trip to Cambridge and culminated in mini-Showcase, which saw some stunning performances from some of our star acts.
Many of those performers were back on stage again that same day when they took part in the community event Grove Cottage
Live raising much needed funds for the local Mencap charity.
Last week we welcomed e-safety expert, Karl Hopwood, who spent the day delivering a clear, insightful message to all students
about how best to keep themselves safe in this technological era. He also gave talks to staff and parents, in the evening, which
provided really useful guidance on the role we each have to play in safeguarding our children, by exploring the issues and
risks involved with the internet and social networking platforms. Karl gave a very clear message about focussing on children’s
behaviours whilst using different technologies, rather than trying to keep pace with which platforms they use.
Our summer concert, last week, concluded another year of high quality musical performance by our students and it was lovely
to see so many Year 7 boys performing with confidence. We must also commend the TBSHS performers who threw themselves
into the very special, one off production of the opera Danny, which was an imaginative and adventurous project created in
collaboration with other schools in the Catalyst Teaching Schools Alliance. The whole opera was written and performed by
the students themselves and involved the cast and audience processing to different parts of our school site to perform.
This week, sadly, we bid farewell to those colleagues moving on to either develop their careers or begin a well-earned
retirement. The following members of staff will be leaving us:
Mr Maillard (MFL); Ms Wilson (Science); Dr Horgan (MFL); Mr Simpson (PE); Mrs Panayiotou (English); Mr Lennon (MFL); Mrs
Harris (History); Mrs Stephens (Media); Mrs Bolwerk (Maths); Mr Mirza (DT); Miss Seeley (Student support); Mr Crimes (Student
support) and Mr Law (Reprographics)
Each of these colleagues has made a valuable contribution to the school, in some cases over many years, and I wish each of
them the very best of luck for the future. As these staff move on, we look forward to welcoming the new staff next term.
You may have read in the press recently that TBSHS is due to be one of the founding members of the Bishop’s Stortford
Educational Trust (BSET), which will see us work in collaboration with Birchwood High School, Bishop’s Stortford College,
Hockerill Anglo-European College, Leventhorpe School and Primary School representatives, to bid to sponsor the new
multi-academy trust due to open in the town as part of the Bishop’s Stortford North housing development. Our aim is to help
set up the three new schools, one secondary and two primaries, in harmony with the local community. This is an exciting
venture which all of the schools feel will help to maintain the high standard of education in the town. We believe, by working
together, we are in the strongest position to provide capacity and leadership support to the new schools as the town grows
to a population in excess of 40,000. It is also hoped that our active involvement in the BSET will bring further benefits to our
school in the future, through such collaborative working.
Like many of our students, we will await the exam results days with much anticipation. We know they have worked incredibly
hard and I very much hope this effort is reflected in their outcomes. A huge vote of thanks must go to the staff, who have also
worked incredibly hard this year to ensure that all students were given the very best chance to succeed.
Despite a busy end of term, we have already begun our preparations for the new academic year, and hope that all our students
and staff will come back after their break, feeling refreshed and reinvigorated, ready for the challenges that lie ahead. The
start of next term is as follows:
Tuesday 1�� September 2015 – INSET day, staff only
Wednesday 2ⁿ� September 2015 – Year 7 & 12 students only in school
Thursday 3�� September 2015 – All students in school
We will again be setting out our high expectations for students in a series of Standards Evenings in September, to ensure we
can continue to develop focused, responsible learners, ready to engage in lessons every day. I hope you enjoy the rest of this
edition of The Mitre newsletter and may I wish you all a pleasant, enjoyable summer.
Yours sincerely
Dale Reeve
Headteacher
ART
P WITHYMAN and J PEARSON-PHILLIPS
Summer term
Here we are at the close of another year! We’ve had more trips, more activities, more assessments, more
exhibitions, more taster sessions, more trainees and more successes!
First of all I would like to congratulate and say goodbye to the Year 13 Art students. They have really flourished
this year. We have encouraged them to be ambitious and take risks with the work they do, and they have done
just that. The differing scales of outcomes have been impressive, as has the diversity, which ranges from realist
to abstract painting, mixed media, hangings, 2D and 3D, and installation.
The private view of the exhibition was held on the 29th June and we kept it up for the week, so that our teaching
groups could also get the opportunity to view the work and feedback their thoughts and opinions. It is always
interesting and insightful to see the younger student’s reactions to the work; what they admire and are impressed
by. It always throws up a few surprises!
We also say goodbye to the Year 11 students, but what is encouraging is the amount of boys who have expressed
an interest in staying on and pursuing Art in Year 12. Again, under the guidance and expertise of Mr
Pearson-Phillips the boys had the opportunity to create a range of exciting outcomes, both 2D and 3D. The skill
and hard work was really evident in their exhibition. Well done boys, and I look forward to seeing some of you
in September.
Some photos from the exhibition.
Koru Gym Project
Much progress has been made with our extra curricular project at the new Koru gym in Bishop’s Stortford. Mr
Mullings has continued to allow us in there to let the boys loose on the walls! As mentioned in the previous
edition of the Mitre, the theme of the designs is based around the work of the American artist Keith Haring. The
boys have really got stuck in with the project and the gym is now a much brighter and more vibrant place. Work
is coming to a close now and it has been great for the boys to apply their creativity and artistic voice in to the
wider community. Our ‘Gym lads’ have been, Ollie Nancarrow, Ben Ashworth, Louis Mendel, Harry Burrows, Jake
Twitchett, Jake Hepworth, Taran Panesar, Will Ray, Joseph Eringa, Jordan Perry, George Hobart, Will Skingley,
Ollie Newman and Tom Davey.
Taster Sessions Prospective Y 12’s
On the 3rd of July we had the first of our taster sessions for the prospective Year 12s. Obviously this is a really
valuable opportunity to show external students what we do and the sorts of things they can expect when studying
here. We packed as much as we could into the session, and the timing was great because the exhibition was up.
This allowed students to see all the current A Level work up on display and for them to be able to browse through
the all important sketchbooks.
Mr Pearson-Phillips and I were keen to see how the students would interact, and work as part of a group; who
would take the lead, who would be more passive, who would come up with the more conceptual ideas, and how
would they all perform under a little pressure!
So with that in mind we set up a little ‘Masterchef Style Invention Challenge!’ For this, students were put into
groups of four and given the word ‘Journey’. I know, a little cheesy but it seemed apt! They were then given a
board and a selection of materials to work with. The task, which was only 20 minutes long, was to come up with
a visual interpretation of the word. It was great to see the students, from a range of schools, working together
and visually problem solve. Each group came up with different ideas and outcomes. The point was really not to
see if they could draw or paint, rather than to see how they would think, discuss, make marks and think more
conceptually, as opposed to literally. Outcomes included looking at how journeys can be a struggle, how they
are not always straightforward, how they can take different paths and there was even the life cycle of a frog!
It was a really enjoyable session and one I think the students enjoyed. They seemed very impressed with the
work on display and a lot seemed quite certain that it was TBSHS they would be coming to in September. Success!
The next taster is fast approaching with the new Year 7s and I hope it will be an equally enjoyable experience for
them, albeit slightly less challenging!
Although the exams, exhibition, moderating, taster sessions and various trips have taken place, the pace has not
slowed down in the art department! Right now we are in the final preparation stages for the Barcelona Music
and Art Tour. We set off on the long coach journey on Thursday 16th July and the artists will have a busy few
days taking in the sights and some of the many contemporary art galleries the city has on offer, as well as the
must see attractions such as the Picasso Museum and Parc Guell.
I look forward to writing up our experiences from the trip in the next edition, which, after a short break will soon
come round! And so it starts again!
Art trip to the National Portrait Gallery - Friday May 8th
Mr Withyman and I escorted a rather ‘strange group’ of Year 7’s to one of the most exciting exhibitions of the
year; the John Singer Sargent at the National Portrait Gallery. This ‘Zombie-like’ group of grey faced characters
provided a strong contrast to the reds and blues of the swagger portraits littering the galleries within. Dozens of
images, lovingly rendered in thick impasto brush-work, swash-buckling strokes of colour delineating a foreshortened hand, or reflected light through a paper lantern or a wisp of hair. The boys loved it. Each found
numerous drawings and paintings to study and we made it clear that what they each needed to do was to study
part of an image for perhaps 10 minutes: to really look, to grasp, to render on the page and to scribe the name
and year next to their effort. It is good to see such resilience and application and a real eagerness to learn. These
visits provide us with private moments when we can talk on a one to one and help the boys to deconstruct,
decipher and better understand the nature of the image and the context from which it emerged. It is also gratifying
because you know that they are working from a Master: one at the top of his game and who sits historically at
the same table as Velasquez and Rembrandt. Each boy also contributed to buying the exhibition catalogue so for
those parents whose sons accompanied us and who are still not too familiar with Sargents’ work, please drop us
an e-mail and you can have the catalogue for a week. Mr Withyman and I are planning more trips next year. In
the meantime, have a great summer (hopefully you’ll take your sons and daughters to a gallery or two too).
Mr P-P
Business Trip to New York
On Monday 22ⁿ� June, 18 students headed to Heathrow airport for an eagerly anticipated trip to New York.
Driving through Times Square at 12 am, even though it was lit up as bright as day, most people were so tired they
missed the spectacle. After a good night’s sleep we visited the scenic Seaport Area and then after trying out the
Whispering Arches in Grand Central Station we visited the United Nations where students learnt about the history
of the UN and the different committees that meet there.
On Wednesday a full day was planned. We started off on a walking tour where we visited Wall Street and the
famous bull statute. After completing this we boarded the ferry to visit Liberty and Ellis Island to gain a better
understanding of the immigrant’s journey to the “promised land”. A visit to the Hard Rock Café for an evening
meal and a birthday sing-a-long to Jamie Fitzgerald finished the day off.
Thursday meant a visit to the New York Supreme Court where students got an insight in to the different strands
if the US legal system. This was one of the most interesting parts of the trip as we got to listen to a real trial and
then later to listen to the arraignments of newly arrested suspects. On our way to the next visit we passed some
highly energetic street dancers and then proceeded to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. This gave us all time to
reflect on the atrocities that were carried out, gaining a greater understanding of the impact on the United States
as a whole. Despite the tragedy, the memorial looked amazing and I think we all felt lucky to have been able to
visit it. Some of us went to walk the Highline, a disused raised rail track, giving unprecedented views of New York.
Our last full day in New York started with a visit to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, which is one of twelve
regional Reserve banks in the Federal Reserve System. Located in the heart of the Financial District the guided
tour explains the central banking functions that the Federal Reserve System performs and an escorted visit to
the gold vault. An eagerly anticipated trip to the New York Mets baseball game was the highlight of Friday night.
Jack Connolly and, to a lesser extent, Sam Wilkinson were over excited and enjoyed the event the most. To the
students amusement Ms DeWald was chatted up on the train journey home.
Our final day started squeezing everything into our suitcases and then we left for with a visit to the Top of the
Rock, Rockefeller Centre. This was brilliant as we had a stunning view of New York, and could see all the sights
of Manhattan from Central Park to the Statue of Liberty.
Even with hardly any rest this trip was one of the best experiences the students have ever had and they would
not hesitate to recommend it.
Drama
It was another busy term in the Drama Department rich with extra-curricular clubs, rehearsals, theatre trips, the
GCSE and the A level performance evening. Please read about what the students in our department have been
getting up to with many in upcoming television and local theatre productions. I would like to thank my colleagues
Natalie Maher, Janine Stephens, Tanaya Panayiotou, Andy Hayes and Claire Jonas for all their hard work and
dedication to the students, the department and the extra-curricular activities that we run. A big thank you to
those students who have helped us with clubs, events and productions and to those who will be taking on the
role of Drama Leaders next year.
Congratulations to the following students for receiving University Offers to read Drama, Theatre Studies:
Josie Lupprian - Loughborough, Oxford Brooks, Exeter, Royal Holloway
Jodie Belcher - University of Essex, Lincoln, Canterbury Christchurch and Anglia Ruskin
Eloise Baker - Royal Holloway and Roehampton:
Have a great Summer
Hayley Bart-Williams
Head of Drama.
Extra-Curricular Clubs Report
Drama Scholars
(Year 7-8) Friday lunchtimes. Studio 26
Shem Jacobs, Ester Roberts and Tommy Tancock have been appointed as drama leader and will be in charge of
running the drama scholars next year which will be on a Friday Lunch time. We will be exploring sections of plays
working on characterisation skills and practitioners theory. Along with some improvisation games to improve on
this skill. Well done to all those who have taken part in drama scholars this year.
Technical Theatre Crew
(Year 7-13) Meets Monday after school Studio 70 with Mr Andy Hayes
Lower and Middle School School Drama Club
(Year 7/8/9)
Lower and Middle School Drama Clubs have continued working together during the summer term. Students from
Years 7-9 have been working on scripted monologues and duologues, practising and improving their performances
over several weeks. This work culminated in Lower School students performing in Lower School Celebration
Assembly and Year 9 students performing to their Drama class. The students have all shown a high level of
commitment and skill and we hope they will continue to play an active part in TBSHS Drama next year.
Tanya Panayiotou
Production Report
The AS plays this year were a fantastic success, all of the performers reaching their greatest potential in putting
on three very enjoyable plays.
Performance 1: Agamemnon
The first was ‘Agamemnon’ by Steven Berkoff, an adaptation of the original by Aeschylus. Georgia Bell, Joe Grimes,
Amy Mckeown, Mathew Port, Oscar Copper, Emily Barker and Rosa Peck told the tale of the Greek king
Agamemnon as he returned victorious from Troy. Performed as a chorus with multiple dynamic, avant garde
moments, the seven left the audience stunned.
Performance 2: Road
The second performance was ‘Road’ by Jim Cartwright, which revealed snapshots into the complicated lives of
the residents of a road in north-England in the 1980s, though for the performance it was moved to east-London.
Leila Sabatti, Tommy Tancock, Katya Parrish, Issobel Peck and Shem Jacobs gave moving performances which
highlighted the harsh problems the working class faced at the time. At times it was stylistic, whilst at others
incredibly naturalistic – every scene performed to an exemplary standard.
Performance 3:Two
Finally, Robert Learmonth, Ester Roberts, Arriana Rossi and Ronnie Healey performed ‘Two’, also by Jim Cartwright.
Similarly to ‘Road’, this play peeks into the lives of a multitude of characters, the common theme being the set
of a pub. This play had heart-warming moments of jovial comedy, but also heart-wrenching scenes of anguish
and sorrow, which in itself is a testament to the skill of the performers.
We eagerly wait results day, where we know all of the AS drama students will get the grades they so deserve
after all their hard work.
An Evening of Monologues and Duologues
UNIT 2, SECTION A
Whilst this took part in the Easter term they had yet to perform when the last Mitre went out. I would like to take
the opportunity to congratulate the Year 12s on an outstanding performance evening. The standard was extremely
high and they showcased some outstanding talent.
Well done year 12!
Please find a list of what was performed below.
EAST
Matthew Port assumes the role of Mum from Steven Berkoff's 'East', a
mother from the East End growing ever-more tired with her passionless
relationship with her husband. Mum laments about her fading love life and
physical detachment, going on to relay the story of her attempted casual affair
with an anonymous young man in the cinema.
THAT FACE
Isabelle Peck and Esther Roberts play the roles of Izzy and Mia in ‘That Face’
by Polly Stenham. The play, set in a boarding school in the present day, features
two girls trying to find a solution to the drugging of a thirteen year old girl when
an initiation ceremony turns sour. The two part play tells the story of drugs,
alcohol, distant parents and an unconventional family.
DECANDENCE
Shem Jacobs playing the role of Steve in Stephen Berkoff’s Decadence.
Decadence is set in 1980s, and pokes fun at the stereotypical upper class
“subjects,” namely Steve and Helen, inebriated off the power their wealth gives
them. Steve is dining, whilst verbally abusing his waiter, Giovanni, and shoving
whatever food that comes his way down his throat.
LOVE SONG
Ronnie Healy and Arianna Rossi playing the roles of William and Margret in
Bryony Lavery’s Lovesong. This play intertwines a couple in their 20s with the
same man and woman a lifetime later. Their past and present selves collide in
this beautiful tale of togetherness. All relationships have their ups and downs;
the optimism of youth becomes the wisdom of experience. Love is a leap of faith.
EAST
Georgia Bell in role as Sylv from East. My character, 'Sylv' comes from the
play 'East' written by Steven Berkoff. The monologue is of 'Sylv' describing how
she would much prefer to behave like a man by demonstrating male actions.
She has a boyfriend, 'Mike' however it may appear that 'Mike' may only want
to be with 'Sylv' for sex. Therefore she explains how he treats her with little
respect and how she would love to be treated equally.
AND ALL THE CHILDREN CRIED
Two women are in prison. Their crimes? Killing children. One of the women
is Myra Hindley, the main accomplice in the horrendous Moors Murders which
shook Britain in the 1960's. Her inmate is Gail Blackburn, a young mother who
killed both of her children to escape a life of sexual and domestic abuse. The play
recalls their conversations as they await the verdict of their appeals.
DECADENCE
Rosa Peck playing the role of Helen in Stephen Berkoff’s Decadence. Helen
describes her sensual adventures whilst on a fox hunt, going into detail over the
feelings and emotions the chase conjures within her.
CHAPEL STREET
He’s been let down belittled and ignored- but tonight none of that matters. It’s
Friday and Joe is getting smashed. Kirsty is bored and doesn’t care who she ends
up in a taxi with as long as she ends the night with someone. She has bought a
bottle of vodka and is going out with the girls. Bottles are drained, conversations
are exchanged. As the sun sets the two hit the town, neither aware that soon their
lives will irreconcilably collide. Chapel Street is a rowdy, ruthless two-hander about
modern life and love on the dole. It is a cutting yet compassionate portrait of good
times gone bad for a deceived generation.
THE PILLOWMAN
Joseph Grimes playing the role of Tupolski. The Pillowman is based around the
interrogation of Katurian concerning his short stories and their similarity to a
collection of murders that occurred in the same town. Detective Tupolski is the
policeman in charge of the interrogation and he goes to extreme lengths in
attempt to receive a confession from the suspect.
EAST
Tommy Tancock playing the role of Lez in Stephen Berkoff’s East. East is a 1975
verse play by Steven Berkoff, dealing with growing up and rites of passage in
London's rough East End. It’s two central characters (Mike & Les) are a couple of
razor happy randy tearaways of almost total moral repellence and absolute
physical charm, their journey is chronicled as they navigate the urban jungle and
thrive in the bliss of their cut- throat environment.
STOCKHOLM
Ekaterina Parrish playing the role of Kali and Oscar Copper playing the role of
Todd in Bryony Lavery’s Stockholm; a misfit couple trapped within their repetitive
relationship. Both Todd and Kali disassociate themselves from their identity (Todd
from his upper-class heritage and Kali from her past insecurity) and use each other
and their future plans to travel to Stockholm as a form of escapism. However Kali's
emotional imbalance is reignited when she finds a suspicious answer-message
from another woman on Todd's phone. The couple lock into a violent, mental and
physical battle of power resulting in their overwhelming attempts for reassurance
of their love, questioning who the real antagonist in this relationship is.
GCSE P�����������
The year 11s also did themselves proud this term performing some amazing pieces which were directed by the
students themselves. This unit has required the students to use everything they have learnt over the past three
years and incorporate into a performance. They have had to adapt the plays to ensure they meet the timeframe
and of course are suitable for an all-male cast. The boys performed on the 29th of April and I am sure those who
came to watch will agree with me in saying they did an outstanding job.
A synopsis of the challenging texts the students worked with can be found below.
Burnout
The build up to a major fight and all the boxers want in, however, the main event here is not the story, in which
Ajay overreaches himself, Neil's future is snatched away and Cameron makes it into the ring, because to be honest
it's a pretty familiar one. It's the way this story is told – some astonishingly choreographed training sequences
and their use of physical theatre is what makes it so compelling. They should be able to turn something aggressive
and male into something beautiful and painfully tender as they trace the exquisite thrill and exquisite pain that
occurs when you push your body and reach out for the stars. An exploration of what makes boxers box and what
happens when a shooting star shimmers, shines brightly and falls to earth.
Mojo
Set entirely within the seedy Atlantic club, Silver Johnny - a young and talented performer on the road to fame
and fortune - is held back by his jealous and protective manager Ezra, owner of the nightclub and father to a
psychotic unloved son, Baby. As Silver Johnny progresses up the ladder to stardom, local gangster/entrepreneur
Sam Ross begins to take an interest, and the only way to remove opposition (Ezra) appears to be sawing him in
half, kidnapping Silver Johnny and leaving the club's fate in a state of limbo. Ezra is discovered the next morning
by his second-in-command, the highly ambitious Mickey, who announces that Ross intends to take over the
Atlantic Club, setting the stage for a major power struggle. Terrified by the potential threat of extermination by
Ross and his gang, associates of the now deceased Ezra, begin to lose their nerve, and try to convince themselves
it's Mickey's idea of a joke! When this turns out to be false, the Atlantic Club gang prepare for what could be their
final night. With just an ancient cutlass and an old Derringer as defence, the group starts to argue amongst
themselves and even considers joining Ross, or simply leaving.
In the climax to the fast-paced story, Sweets checks downstairs to see if the coast is clear for the gang to have a
little space, rather than being cooped up in a single room, and finds Silver Johnny hanging from the ceiling. In
sheer panic, Sweets calls for help, and is joined by the others. Baby reveals that by saving Silver Johnny he killed
Mr Ross and discovered that Micky had betrayed them all for a share in the business. Skinny arrives and insults
Baby, who responds by shooting him in the head with the Derringer. Mickey, Potts and Sweets attempt to cover
the wound and to calm Skinny down, while Baby wanders around aimlessly. Silver Johnny is lowered to the floor
and Skinny dies. Unable to save Skinny's life, Mickey's authority and status break down, and he kneels beside his
friend's body.
The Pillowman
The Pillowman is a 2003 play by Irish playwright Martin McDonagh. It received its first public reading in an early
version at the Finborough Theatre, London, in 1995. It tells the tale of Katurian, a fiction writer living in a police
state who is interrogated about the gruesome content of his short stories, and their similarities to a number of
bizarre child murders occurring in his town. Katurian, a writer of short stories which often depict violence against
children, has been arrested by two detectives, Ariel and Tupolski, because some of his stories resemble recent
child murders. When he hears that his brother Michal has confessed to the murders and implicated Katurian, he
resigns himself to his execution but attempts to save his stories from destruction. The play includes both narrations
and reenactments of several of Katurian's stories, most notably the autobiographical "The Writer and the Writer's
Brother", which tells how Katurian developed his disturbed imagination by hearing the sounds of Michal being
tortured by their parents.
Lord of the Files
A group of boys are marooned on an island after their plane crashes. With no adult survivors, they create their
own "Micro-society". Ralph is elected "Chief", and he organises shelter and fire. Jack, the head of the choir takes
his boys hunting for food (wild pigs). A bitter rivalry develops between Jack and Ralph as both want to be in charge.
The "hunters" become savage and primal, under Jack's rule, while Ralph tries to keep his group civilised. The
growing hostility between them leads to a bloody and frightening climax.
It has been a rewarding and successful year in the drama department. Thriving with talent and always buzzing
with energy making it a pleasure to work in the department. I would like to thank all of the pupils for their hard
work in the subject and for being a joy to direct and teach. I will be going part-time next year and would like to
take this opportunity to welcome Mrs Maher back as Head of Department.
Have a fantastic break and a lovely summer.
Mrs Bart-Williams.
Technical Theatre Club
Technical Theatre Club has been back up and running for 5 months. Two students in particular (Julius Field &
Jordan Perry) have shown a keen interest in both Lighting and sound and were a great help in the recent Mini
showcase and Grove cottage live events. TTC is a great way of learning all about the technical aspects of theatre
and stage production. You get to go behind the scenes at all the big school events, work with lights and sound
and obtain a general knowledge of all things to do with stage production. If you like the sound of exploring what
a backstage technician gets up to then come along to Technical Theatre Club,
Mondays after School.
Mr Hayes
Citizenship and Religious Studies
Thank you for your great support of School Charity this term. The new Interact Team, brilliantly lead by President
Amie Bruce, has raised over £4100 for charity in this term alone (obviously their main focus was on Study Leave and
exams). Highlights were a remarkable Non Uniform Day for Nepal (raising over £2100) and Grove Cottage Live
(astutely lead by Shem Jacobs and Sophie Thorp) which raised over £1000. This now makes the giving from the
School at £32,000 in 28 months at TBSHS. In Scarlett Stock, Bradley Gilbey, Callum Perry and now Amie Interact
have been blessed with superb leaders in this area. Teams need leaders but leaders need teams. An amazing
group of Interact students (Daisy Aylott, Shem Jacobs, Matthew Port, Sophie Thorp, Jasmine Paramasivan, Holly
Baker, Daniel Bolton, Sean Doornekamp, Julius Field, Ronnie Healy, Sarah Hill, Shabaz Khan, Lewis Knight, Ben
Meaden, Angus Learmonth, Jeremy Molton, Daisy Pope, Callum Ross and Isobel Sanderson), the wider School
and the real unsung heroes, the parents, have of course made this happen. Thanks must go to Rotarians (of which
Brian Edwards and Richard Hartley have led the way this year) Mr. Reeve, Mr. Noble and Mr, Hayes for their
great support. Keep up to date with Interact and Citizenship generally @TBSHS_Interact. Events next term will
feature The Macmillan Coffee Morning, World Mental Health Day with significant reference to Dementia, The
Poppy Appeal, Anti-Bullying Week and A Fashion Show for Cazfest.
Giving time and raising awareness is as important as giving money if not more so. TBSHS
Interact was delighted to support Cazfest with Think Pink Day (raising over £1000) and Cazfest
Volunteering (see above picture). Cazfest is a wonderful charity which symbolises the meaning
of life. Out of devastating loss, the inspirational Alastair and Lesley Johnstone, supported by
great citizens like Graham McAndrew, Phil Godfrey and the Organising Committee, have
created an event, a charity and a spirit which positively looks forward and helps others in life.
The following words I would choose to describe Cazfest: Superb. Sensational. Soulful. Social.
Service. Selfless. Stortford. We will continue our fundraising for Cazfest in 2015/2016 and will
be looking to continue to work with interested partners in the community to live out The
Cazfest Spirit. We would like to say a heartfelt thanks to the Johnstone Family, and the fantastic
Cazfest Team, for their support and inspiration. They truly are great citizens of our Town who
give so much to others. #CheersForVolunteers ! A huge thanks to the following students who
volunteered at Cazfest 2015. Many of these students were on duty for an 8 hour shift on the
Saturday picking up litter and stewarding. I am particularly grateful to the Sunday Team (the
difficult clear up day on what would have been Caroline's birthday).
Cazfest Extra Time The Sunday Team: Daisy Aylott, Amie Bruce, Matthew Houston Oakley,
Shem Jacobs, Beth Jopling, Alicia McArdell, George Meynell, Beth Pannifer, Esther Roberts, Alice
Linford, Zoe Mallett, Molly Snow and Jake Twitchett.
The Saturday Team: William. Annang, Daisy Aylott, Raekwon Boateng, Amie Bruce, Chris
Campbell Frank Carvalho, Toby Charity, Michael Clark, George Cook, Owen Edwards, Bradley
Gilbey, Fraser Harold, David Harris, Shem Jacobs, Ollie Jones, Beth Jopling, Naimah Khan, Shabaz
Khan, Sikhander Khan, Harry Lawrence, Madeleine Lee, Alice Linford, Zoe Mallett, Alicia
McArdell, Georgia McDermott, Ben Meaden Beth Pannifer, Jasmine Paramasivan, Matthew
Port, Sajjad Razvi, Ollie Rhoda, Esther Roberts, Callum Ross, James Osbourne, Ben Sear, Cassie
Seymour, Jake Shepherd, Matt Smith, Molly Snow and Jacob Waldock.
A student trailer made for the day. https://youtu.be/noc0RKM7kME. A student poem for
Cazfest by Matty Yeoman and Joseph Woods (Year 8):
It started in 2009,
A totes emotional time,
There was one colour that was the link,
Pink, pink and only pink,
This made people really think.
This is all because of just one girl,
Whose family and friends treated her as a pearl,
She was funny, caring and always with a smile,
But she only lived for a little while,
However…
With that time, she made it all worthwhile.
It was the 12�� of June,
When she passed away,
And this is why it’s a special day.
So please give all you can to this charity,
So her life and time has more clarity.
Because Caroline Johnston was one of the best,
Now come along and have fun at Cazfest!
Cazfest is so inspirational because it is about making the world a better place and giving to
help others. This is a key theme of Citizenship and Religious Studies in the School. This was
seen in the partnership with Interact and Citizenship and the Politics Department for The School
Election. The candidates (Bella Cooper, Sam Grant, Callum Perry, Edward Ray, Charlie Richards
and Jake Shepherd) were truly wonderful and turn out at the Election was over 90%. More
about this can be found at http://www.tbshs.org/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsID=375
We have represented the Interact Term in Emoji below
An exploration of democracy is important for the teaching of Fundamental British (and Global) Values Schools
are now charged with. Year 10 will visit Parliament once again on November 9�� whilst Year 7 will visit Wimbledon
(Mosque, Buddhist Temple and Tennis) in September. These values are and have always been basic to our ethos
and involve such matters as knowing right from wrong, community service, respect for beliefs, cultures and the
rule of law as well as self esteem and self knowledge. Recently we rightly remembered the victims of the Tunisian
and 7/7 atrocities. A recent drama on BBC entitled “A Song for Jenny” narrated how Julie Nicholson, a priest,
wrestled with her faith following the loss of her daughter on 7/7.
As regards self-esteem, the School experienced a wonderful presentation from Natasha Devon MBE and The Self
Esteem Team this week. They launched this UK campaign regarding the mental health of boys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c79fvvItKQU
A Twitter comment from one of our speakers who stood up and talked about her friend's suicide for the first
time: "Thanks for having us, amazing & brave students @TBSHS_Interact @_SelfEsteemTeam @JRMabbett
#SwitchOnTheLight" . Thank you to the following students gave up their Break at no notice to voluntarily stay
and influence the national campaign: George Hobart, Maxwell Hunt, James Nash, Joe Eringa, Josh Davis, Michael
Woodward, Max Pritchard, Omari Donaldson, Ethan Barton, Lewis Whenman, Devin Andrew, David Yeadon, Sam
Watson, Lewis Oakey, Ryan Randall, Sam Couzens, Ishan Patel, Hector Pearson, Josh Vince, Thomas Wharton,
Austin Moulton, Angus May, James Hang, Jake Procter, Felix Osgood, Max Bedford, Luke Godleman ,Mason Davies,
Callum Leitch, Shy'enne Alphous, Dylan O'Leary, Josh Keith, George Friend, Alfie Jennings, Mitch Farquharson,
Daniel Kanabahita and Alex Farrow-Tomson. 7Y 7S RS were also excellent Period 4. “Is there a future Prime Minister
amongst them?” tweeted the Team alongside the Year 7 picture. A further inspirational speaker was Michael
Holding who shared his experiences of Test Cricket and was inspirational in encouraging values of self -evaluation,
hard work, perspective, family, studies and, ultimately, joy and selfless teamwork.
A particular highlight of the term was being asked, with the TBSHS icon that is Mr. D.J. Hows, to appear on former
student Greg James’ Radio 1 Show about Influences. Mr. Hows, of course, spotted the dramatic potential in Mr.
James. Greg presented Showcase and was influenced by a Citizenship speaker from BBC Six Music called Chris
Hawkins. It was a nervous bit exciting experience but Greg put us at our ease. The strangest aspect was seeing
the Twitter messages come through on the journey home as twenty years or more merged into one moment. A
virtual classroom of students from Year 7 to Year…well….29….and more. Greg deserves every success. His attitude
at TBSHS and since has been wonderful and so giving. He gives back to TBSHS so much. This ethos started in 1997
with his century for the Year 7 Cricket Team.
Thank you for your great support of Citizenship and Religious Studies this term. We learn so much from the
teachers. "Carrick and Rooney are coaches too" (Van Gaal). A "Teaching teacheth the teacher." particular thanks
to those students who sat GCSE, AS and A2 examinations. Thank you to Mr. Reeve, Mr. Noble and SLT for their
support (as well as to the Community Team of Mr. Cook and Mrs Haines) and to Ms Epton, Mr. Solomons, Ms.
Ranjan and Ms Tomkins for their leadership. Any questions or ideas for further improvement should be e-mailed
to [email protected]. The Van Gaal pre-season process has begun! His methods of preparation,
participation and evaluation (that have been so useful for lessons)
are here:
http://www.footballtube.com/videos/louis-van-gaal--my-life-my-philosophy
Students should keep abreast of the news this summer and come back ready to share their ideas on how to make
the world an even better place. Ideas for speakers and charity events are always welcome. Team RS Twitter
coming soon too! Thank you for your continued and constant support both in the School and Wider Community.
Simon Etheridge
Thank you for your continued and constant support
Simon Etheridge
PE
Congratulations to …
.. Rudy Knight (Year 7) who was successful in qualifying for the National Final of the GHS 10 mile Time Trial on
13th June at the District Championships. He won his age category with a time of 31.48 on his first occasion of
competing on the open road. Rudy is practicing hard for the final later in the year and hoping to shave off a few
minutes of his time.
.. Lewis Trow (Year 9) who at the tender age of 14, has achieved his 2nd dan black belt in Shotokan Karate Ryu
(SKR). Lewis began his training at only 4 years old and his years of commitment and hard work have resulted in
his wonderful achievement.
..Henry Loveday (Year 10) who has just completed an intense two-day target shotgun training course with the
United Kingdom Practical Shooting Association. Although the youngest participant, his achievement was good
enough to merit also receiving a competition license which will enable to enter matches in the UK and in the 97
Regions (Countries) of the International Practical Shooting Confederation. Well done Henry!
Henry Loveday plus fellow course members.
… Georgie Pryor (Year 12) who competed during May at the East Region Swimming Championships. Georgie won
both the 100m and 50m Butterfly events and set a new East Region Record in the 50. She is now ranked as the
fastest 17/18 year old in Great Britain – amazing! Her next major event is the British National Championship this
month – a news update next term!
Food Tech Enrichment
On the 25�� and 26�� of June, two groups were
involved in an all-day food tech activity. The
task was to make a vegetable and beef burger,
bun and fruit smoothie from scratch. Both
groups did well in their own way and the
majority were happy with their outcomes. The
school provided us with the ingredients we
needed and showed us all what we could use
in the near future. It was great fun working with each other and I know for a fact it was enjoyed
by all. At the end we were given a task to compare our foods to McDonald’s and make a box
conveying our results.
Sonny Saund
Year 7
MUSIC DEPARTMENT
What an amazing, busy and exciting year it's been in the Music Department. It's always sad
to say goodbye to some of the stalwarts of the department at this time of year, however the
blow is softened by the incredible contribution being made by our Year 12...soon to be Year
13 students.
We've just had our Summer Concert which was a fantastic success with several truly
outstanding performances, including: 1st Concert Band's performance of Holst's Suite in Eb;
the Year 12 A-level class, accompanied by Mitchell Farquharson on piano with Stevie
Wonder's For Once In My Life; not to mention the immense contribution made by the Year 7
students in Samba group; Year 7 Choir and the huge performance of Happy. A fantastic
evening was had by all.
This weekend also saw the performance of Danny, an original opera written by students
from TBSHS; Herts and Essex and Leventhorpe. The devising and realisation of this project
was a huge undertaking and one in which the students acquitted themselves superbly.
Finally, we're making final preparations for our tour to Barcelona, where we'll be performing
four concerts, as well as soaking up some of the fantastic cultural experiences that this
amazing city has to offer.
A great year, which sets quite a precedent for the next one.
Glen Johnson
Head of Music
ABRSM Grade 8 Music Passes
Many congratulations to Kat Toner (Yr 13) and Eli Haines (Yr
11) who have both passed Grade 8 examinations recently. Kat
passed Grade 8 in not one, but two instruments which will
stand in her good stead as she expects to study music at
university. Eli is keen to stay at TBSHS for sixth form and
expects A level music to be one of his subject choices.
The commitment, hard work & practise that goes into
achieving a Grade 8 examination is huge – our very best
wishes to Kat & Eli.
London College of Music Examination
Distinction Pass for Year 9
Many congratulations to Kaiya Hales, who despite being only
in Year 9, has passed his Grade 8 Classical Guitar exam from
the London College of Music with Distinction. Well done
Kaiya !
Congratulations - ABRSM Exam passes
Many congratulations to the following students who passed music
examinations at the end of the Easter term. They are to be
congratulated for their hard work and commitment!
Grade 1
Cormac Bell (Year 8)
Taran Panesar (Year 9)
Nathanial Lee (Year 7)
Classical Guitar
Saxophone
Piano - Distinction
Grade 3
Matthew Smith (Year 8)
Saxophone
Grade 4
Charlie Davey (Year 7)
James (Year 8)
Jonas (year 9)
White (Year 10)
Christopher Davis (Year 12)
Clarinet Alexander
Trumpet Freddie
Trumpet Thomas
Classical Guitar
Trombone
Grade 5
Harry Collier-Smith (Year 7)
Ethan Milne (Year 7)
Mendel (Year 9)
Timothy Leeman (Year 10)
Isaac Wheeler (Year 11)
Ethan Stacey (Year 13)
Saxophone
Saxophone Isaac
Classical Guitar
Clarinet
Classical Guitar
Classical Guitar
Grade 7
Christopher Davis (Year 12)
Clarinet
Grade 8
Eli Haines (Year 11)
Kat Toner (Year 13)
Kat Toner (Year 13)
Trombone
Clarinet
Alto Saxophone
`
The following students have just taken ABRSM examinations this term – the news is hot off
the press. Many congratulations to them all.
Grade 1
Henry Aldington (Year 7)
Jack Attwool (Year 7)
Archie Cowley (Year 7)
Aaron Guy (Year 7)
Harry Lines (Year 7)
Archie Summerfield (Year 7)
Guitar
Guitar
Guitar
Guitar
Guitar
Guitar
Grade 3
Daniel Barnett (Year 7)
Matthew Stevens (Year 8)
Sameed Shariq (Year 10)
Clarinet
Clarinet
Piano
Grade 4
Thomas Basten (Year 7)
Acer Burke (Year 7)
Matthew Neil (Year 9)
Clarinet
Flute
Alto Saxophone
Grade 5
Kameron Shah (Year 11)
Guitar
Grade 6
Lewis Oakey (Year 10)
Samuel Harding (Year 13)
Clarinet
Guitar
`
Congratulations to …
… Max Bennett (Year 7) who appeared in a drama written, directed and starring Idris Elba.
Titled King For A Term, Max was on Sky Arts on Thursday 9th July at 9pm.
See link for more information http://www.sky.com/tv/show/king-for-a-term/article/idris-elba
Matthew Seeley (Year 7) received a Jack Petchey Award on 11 June at Harlow Play House.
Matthew received his certificate live on air at Hawk Radio whilst with fellow members of
Harlow Rock School who were invited on the radio to promote themselves as well as their
upcoming gigs. Matthew was presented with his medal by his local MP in recognition of his
hard work, dedication and commitment at Harlow Rock School and becomes an Outstanding
Achiever. Well done Matthew.
... Jay Williams (Year 8) who won the best vocal performance at the recent Rhodes Talen
Search competition. Jay wins a 2 hour recording session at Tomkinsbury Recording Studios
worth £200. He also won a set on the main stage ot Caz Fest in July. Well done Jay – a
talent of the future!
… Harry Bennett (Year 8) who has completed a nationwide tour of To Kill a Mockingbird.
Harry has played the role of Jem and uniquely, his sister Jemima (Year 7 at Herts & Essex
High School) is in the same production playing the part of Scout. William Price (Year 10)
also stars.They have received outstanding reviews, here are some of them http://www.thejournal.co.uk/culture/arts-culture-news/review-kill-mocking-bird-newcastle9088603
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/whats-on/arts-culture-news/review-kill-mockingbird-theatreroyal-9086950
http://www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/what-s-on/theatre-film-tv/review-to-kill-amockingbird-theatre-royal-newcastle-1-7220244
Finally, here’s a super trailer from the production
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bLKmGsdM9s
The show has now arrived at the Barbican and Harry can be seen on July 20th and 21st.July.
For more information, please see http://www.barbican.org.uk/theatre/eventdetail.asp?ID=16999 Break a leg Harry!
… Max Hadley (Year 9) also received a Jack Petchey Award on 11 June. Having previously
received his citation and certificate, Max received a medal that was presented by his local
MP in recognition of all the community work completed with Phoenix Theatre Arts and
becomes an Outstanding Achiever. Huge congratulations to Max.
… Eli Haines, Year 11, who played at the Love Supreme Jazz Festivaland live on Jazz Fm
radio on 4th July as part of the Jazz FM Replayers. Eli was referred to the Festival by Herts
Music Services then selected to play by Jazz FM. Well done Eli!
… Robin Franklin (Year 13) has won the role of Oscar in the National Youth Music
Theatre’s summer production of Sweet Charity. Following intensive rehearsals in July,
Robin will be appearing at the Curve Theatre in Leicester 19-22 August 2015. For ticket
information, please telephone 0116 242 3595 or see website www.curvetickets.co.uk.
Break a leg Robin!
… Miles Bruce-Jones (Year 12) who has just heard from Junior Guildhall that he is to be
awarded the Howarth Oboe Scholarship for 2015/16! This is super news for Miles as
traditionally, the scholarships go to students who attend independent or specialist schools.
Miles obviously has a very exciting and promising future. Well done Miles.
Stop Press !
27 Strings are re-forming to perform a couple of
gigs this summer. Catch them at The Countess of
Warwick’s Country Show in Little Easton, Great
Dunmow on Sunday 30 August
http://countessofwarwickshow.org/
Once again, the band are headlining at Wood Fest in Hatfield Forest on Sunday 6
September, see http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hatfield-forest/things-to-see-anddo/events/WoodFest/ It’s a great day out for the family, take a rug and a picnic and enjoy the
laid back atmosphere & fun.
Swing Band play at Aerozone – Stansted Airport
On the 10th of June 2015, the Swing Band were asked to play at Stansted Airport by the
Manchester Airport Group, at the grand opening of the £500,000 Aerozone, the new
community educational facility at Manchester Airport Group's Stansted Airport.
Aerozone has been set up by MAG in to encourage children to consider choosing a career in
the aviation industry when they leave full time education. A particular focus of the centre will
be to boost talent and increase interest in “STEM” subjects - science, technology,
engineering and maths. It was attended by fifty year nine pupils from Stansted
Mountfitchet’s Forest Hall School, along with several other members of the Manchester
Airport Group.
By the time we had arrived, approximately 1pm, Eli Haines had kindly set up the band's
chairs, stands & drum kit. It was straight to our positions and we jumped right in playing
some of our old favourites such as ‘Sweet Georgia Brown’, ‘Summertime’ and ‘Fever’, to
name but a few. We were set up in the food tent, meaning that as people came in to collect
their lunch, they could listen to us playing.
After playing for around 30-45 minutes, there were then several speeches about the opening
of the new centre. Tottenham player Ledley King was also there. We then continued to play
for another 30 minutes and then went up to get our lunch, which consisted of a barbecue,
kindly supplied by the Manchester Airport Group. There were burgers, hotdogs, chicken and
much more on offer, including some cakes, which many people were struggling to eat
without getting everywhere. We then played for another 45-60 minutes and then we packed
up to leave.
We hope MAG’s guests enjoyed our music.
Mitchell Farquharson
Year 10 Swing Band with TBSHS Governor Graham McAndrew
Rotary Music Competiton
Congratulations to Miles Bruce-Bruce-Jones (Yr 12)
for winning the final of this year’s Bishop’s
Stortford Rotary Young Musician
competition. Miles played three pieces on the oboe;
1st Movement of Georg Telemann Sonata in E Major,
1st Movement of Paul Hindemith Sonata and 1st of
Three Romances by Robert Schumann. Miles won
£125 in Amazon vouchers and now goes forward to
the District competition in February 2016. Also, well
done to Eli Haines (Year 11) for winning the Senior
Brass category and to Elliot Sanfillipo (Year 8) for
competing in the Junior Piano.
Miles receiving his trophy
Miles with fellow winners
and Eli (second right)
Reflections of the Music Department – From our Year 13 Leavers
Kat Toner:
For the past three years I have been involved in the Music Department beginning with
playing clarinet in the 1st Concert Band. Last year, I began studying music as a subject and
became one of the Student Music Leaders, organising and running the concerts as well as
joining more groups such as the Choir, Swing Band and Modern Jazz Band. I continued all
this into this year and have taken up the opportunity presented to all Year 13 music students
to conduct an ensemble or two which was a little daunting at first!
The Department is great at creating opportunities, for example the Swing Band have played
two gigs; one in a hangar at Duxford Museum last year and recently, at Stansted Airport. It
encourages students to create their own music groups or even try new instruments - I learnt
the alto saxophone to join the Swing Band and have since gained Grade 8 and have tried
the bassoon.
I am very appreciative of the amount of extra-curricular groups available and the amount of
effort put in by Ms Tomkins and Mr Johnson and the support provided by Mrs Jonas. I wish
them all well for the coming years.
Kat Toner
Music Leadership Leader
William Barnardo:
I'd always admired the school ensembles, especially the Swing Band and First Concert Band
but I only became a part of the TBSHS music scene when I began my GCSEs; four years
later I feel inspired and ready to move on.
It was the encouragement of Deputy Headteacher Mr. Litchfield who, despite never hearing
me play told me I must attend Concert Band rehearsals which got me instantly involved in
extra-curricular music, and Ms. Bray who taught in such a way that she ensured everyone
was catered for, no matter what instrument, or musical background we had.
In Year 11 me and some friends got together a small band and I asked if it were possible for
us to use the rooms to rehearse and was told I could use the music rooms 'at will' and I had
the support of the staff whenever I needed it. The band slowly grew and new musicians
joined, and after a few initial line-up changes (Paddy the banjo) "27 Strings" was a band (still
always 'Folk band' to us). We were given so many opportunities to play at the multitude of
concerts including Summer Concerts and Christmas. The Music Department gave so much
support, but in addition to that, teachers in the science department such as Mr. Hows and
Mr. Smith also gave up time to help us, their contribution was invaluable too; and of course
thank you to Ms. Jonas who was forever supporting and organising these amazing
opportunities, Mr P.I. for making many school performances possible. In fact, it seemed the
entire school was backing us; we were personally thanked by Mr Noble on multiple
occasions on our success as a band. It was amazing to be part of such a supportive and
enthusiastic community [TBSHS] that would give up so much time to further the student's
education and extra-curricular involvement.
On the education front, I feel lucky to have been a part of this school, and am so grateful to
the hours Ms. Bray and Mr. Litchfield gave outside timetabled lessons to further my
education, either enriching the syllabus or providing advice on private projects such as
compositions and further reading.
I was so inspired by all that happened in the two years of my GCSEs that I only applied to
the TBSHS Sixth Form, this is when I got to know a few more members of staff. Mr. Ingrey,
known as the 'Ingleberry', who, despite me only getting to know in Sixth Form, had also been
instrumental in my previous TBSHS musical escapades. Unfortunately I did not manage to
get a whole year of education out of him as he moved schools before my Year 12 was over,
but what he contributed to the school is still evident two years on and I hope, will never be
forgotten. Mr. Johnson and Ms. Tomkinss are currently the force behind the music
department and I'd like to thank them for keeping the department a friendly place.
I remember all the support I was given throughout the years at this wonderful school, I can't
possibly mention everyone because there would be a list far too long to publish in The Mitre,
but know that it was invaluable. One last thank you - to the kitchen staff, who put up with my
loud and ongoing piano practice.
TBSHS has made my years of education life changing and has inspired me to do what I
want to do. All this support got me an offer at Cambridge University but York seemed to suit
me better, so with any luck, I'll be studying music at the University of York this autumn, thank
you to everyone - staff, students, friends and family who have made that possible.
Music & Art Tour – Barcelona
16-22 July 2015
By the time you read this, we will have made it to our destination and the Tour will be well
under way. T-shirts, itineraries, rooming, medication, Euros, packed lunches, packed teas
…. hope everything is covered and we haven’t forgotten anything. I must admit, four days
on a coach (two days there and two days back) with 50 students does make me slightly
nervous and I’m hoping we avoid DVD-Rage, too many toilet stops and delayed ferry
crossings.
But so long as we arrive safely there and home again and the sun shines – I’m sure it will be
a wonderful trip and the music and art will be amazing. More to come in the next edition.
Claire Jonas
Tour Organiser/Faculty
Arts Assistant
TBSHS Spend a Night at the Opera - ‘Danny’
Four months ago, I spotted a small article in the Daily Notices inviting pupils to take part in a
school Opera Project sponsored by the Royal Opera House. It would involve developing
producing a new opera – undertaking all tasks from writing the storyline and music, and
designing props and scenery, through to finally staging the production.
The project was open to pupils of all ages from three secondary schools— TBSHS,
Hertfordshire and Essex High School, Leventhorpe Business School, plus one of the local
primary schools.
At first I dismissed the idea – after all, what do I know about opera….other than large
powerful voices singing in a language I don’t understand.
But then I thought ‘why not?’ I like music and art, and I have a little knowledge of school
productions through helping out at Technical Theatre Club (TTC). And it would give me a
chance to meet people from other schools.
I wrote the required application letter and, on a Monday evening just after Easter, found
myself sitting in the hall with a few pupils I knew, but many more I didn’t. We began with
group exercises to get us all involved, but which, if I’m honest, most of us did not get
involved in! However, over the next few Monday evening sessions we began creating
characters and plots and eventually decided upon a plot and assigned characters into this
storyline.
The story is set in the 1980s and is about Danny (played excellently by Jack Mullings)
finding his way at a new school and overcoming discrimination. It is also about the impact on
those with whom he interacts – and the tensions between those who decide to be his friends
and those who choose to discriminate.
At the time of writing, we are in the final stages of rehearsal for the big day. I have mixed
feelings now that we have come to the end of our project. I feel proud to have taken on a
new challenge, but sad that the experience is almost over.
The performance of ‘Danny.’ takes place at TBSHS on Saturday 11th July and we hope it will
have been as much fun for everyone watching as it was for us making it.
George Hobart
Year 9
My Love Supreme Festival Experience
Love Supreme is a music festival held in Sussex by Jazz FM Radio station. It is a brilliant
opportunity to soak in some great music and take sun-drenched festival selfies. I have been
planning to go to Love Supreme Jazz festival for a number of months now, as some of my
favourite artists were performing and it promised to be an excellent weekend. However, a
month ago things changed very suddenly… Jazz FM had commissioned Pete Long (Musical
Director of Ronnie Scotts) to form a band. This became known as The Yamaha Jazz FM
Replayers Project. As I was already acquainted with through my Ronnie’s experience earlier
in year, I was asked to fill a trombone vacancy in the band.
Soon rehearsals started, and I found myself traveling to smoky recording studios in central
London, where I met Pro musicians who had travelled all round the world performing Jazz.
Some of the music we played was: The Chicken, Sing Sing Sing, Count Bubba, Can’t Buy
Me Love, Hey Jude and Splanky to name a few. The standard of playing and Musical Direction
was of a higher level than anything I have ever experienced before, and being in a
trombone section of five I had big competition to prove that I was the right man for the Job.
After just four rehearsals, the big weekend had arrived. On the 3rd of July I left 6th form
induction and travelled straight to Glynde Place near Brighton for the Big weekend. The
atmosphere at the festival was electric and everyone was very excited. After collecting my
backstage artist pass, I began to explore the festival and the other superb bands and soloists
performing. Some of these artists were the great Van Morrison, Chaka Khan, Hugh
Masekela, Gogo penguin, Snarky Puppy and many more.
After camping overnight, the big gig was finally here. Once fuelled up with a Bacon Butty I
was ready to go and thus made my way to the arena. Once backstage I met up with the rest
of the band, who had travelled far and wide for this prestigious event to discuss some final
tactics. Also, while I was setting up my equipment an
official came to me and asked for an interview for the
station so I told him a about the band and its
members.
At 11:00 on Saturday the 4th of July we started. The
arena was packed and thus we played like it was our
last ever performance. I even did a trombone duo with
another band member in Count Bubba, to which the
audience roared with pleasure. We finished our set with a jazzed up version of Paul
McCartney’s legendary Hey Jude, to which several thousand members of the audience sung
along to in… interesting harmony. The greatest moment of my life so far was when we stood
up to raptures applause at the end, it was awesome to have so many members loving our
Supreme music.
After getting everyone’s contact details to keep connected, creating a group Facebook page,
talking to the other prose and having a commemorative group photo, we departed from the
stage. However the pro’s weekend was far from over, as I had a festival pass and stayed to
see the headline acts. On top of this I met the Great James Tormé who was broadcasting for
the radio, direct from love supreme.
Eli Haines – Year 11
We even made the radio with our
performance. After meeting great
musicians, experiencing superb jazz
and performing in front of several
thousand audience members, I
could really feel the love.
Eli Haines – Year 11
Summer Concert - 8th July
Following another busy and successful year in the Music Department, there was no better
way to showcase our students and ensembles than as part of the Summer Concert. Term
upon term there are new ensembles forming within the department, with new and
enthusiastic ensembles from all year groups taking part. The Summer Concert featured a
wide range of our ensembles, performing a varied programme, alongside our all music
department staff.
During this Concert, it was wonderful to see the
Samba Band double in numbers since their last
performance at the Christmas Concert, alongside
the newly formed Year 7 choir, not to forget of
course, the large number of Year 7s that joined us
to sing ‘Happy’. Adding to this, the Lower School
Woodwind group had their debut performance, led
by Kat Toner, one of our leavers this year.
First and Second
Concert band played to their usual high standard, followed
by the Classical Guitar Ensemble and Rock Group. The
Brass Ensemble gave a rousing rendition of
the “Dambusters March” contrasted by two beautifully
played piano solos but Jack Briggs and Oliver Medhurst.
We also have a very enthusiastic A level music group, who
have formed their own choir and band, making their debut
performance during this concert.
The first half of the concert was closed by
Modern Jazz, and the second half of the
concert in true traditional style, by Swing
Band.
Mr Johnson and myself are looking forward to September and meeting the new Year 7s and
welcoming them in to the department. Who knows what the Autumn concert will hold!
Mrs. Tomkins, Music Teacher
Have a wonderful Summer from Glen
Johnson, Mrs. Tomkins & Claire Jonas
Science
Year 8 Superskin Challenge:
During Personal Challenge Week many year 8 students were able to take part in the
GSK Superskin Challenge. This involved testing a range of different fabrics from the
more traditional Wool and Cotton to some more modern fabrics like Neoprene and
Transpire. The morning session involved many tests including seeing how waterproof
or stretchy the material was, how well it allowed you to sweat or retain heat, how
long it took to make a hole with a nail file, as well as how fireproof it was (strangely
many groups found the ‘fire retardant’ fabric to be very flammable!).
Following the testing the students were given a challenge… Design a piece (or pieces)
of clothing for someone to wear when competing in a Triathlon. Making a single suit
suitable for swimming, cycling and running was a tough ask, so most groups designed
several outfits and came up with some interesting and novel ideas for changing quickly
in transition. Many of these involved Velcro, which somehow became the most
innovative (and waterproof?) material available, other ideas I cannot discuss here until
we hear back from the patent office!
The teams competed each day from three forms, with a prize being awarded to the three groups in each form
who collectively scored highest in working as a team, working safely, presenting results and creativity in their
design. Most importantly was the question – did they use their results from the morning to influence their choice
of materials?
The winning forms were LR2 and LC2. Congratulations to you all.
Photos are courtesy of Joseph Eringa
House Reports
CHANTRY
It has been another exceptional year from Chantry with a number of successes and achievements to report as
we head into the last days of the summer term. Our Autumn Term started superbly when sixty-six students
turned up to watch and participate (the second highest turnout from all the houses) in a win in Inter-House Rugby,
finishing 7 points clear of second place Meads. Individually the 7As, 8Bs and 10s won their respective year groups
and the 7Bs and 9s coming in a close second place. It was a fantastic day to be a Chantry supporter, one that I
hope we will be replicating next year.
The busiest term of the year is always the Spring Term, this year we had the Music Festival, House Drama and
House football to contest. Starting in February we had the music festival – again the turnout was exceptional,
any student who performs, no matter what ability or age – receives 1 point for the house, and though we didn’t
win we did come third place, only three points behind second. I was pleased to see we had 34 students
participating this year and I encourage any budding musicians to take up the opportunity to perform for your
house next year.
The spring term also saw the House Football event take place – this time we were less successful. We managed
an impressive 32 points, only 12 behind 5�� place Waytemore, to come a lowly 6�� place. This can be put down
to the timing of the day, we have a number of very talented sportsmen in Chantry and unfortunately, the day of
House Football coincided with a Rugby 7s tournament and a school football match. However, we did have the
highest turnout that I am very proud of, and at least next year we can only improve!
The final event of the spring term was House Drama. This year’s theme was focused on works of Art of which
Chantry had the Two Cherubs from the lower part of the Sistine Madonna painting by Raphael. Our director this
year was Shem Jacobs, who along with students in the lower school put on a fantastically well-produced and
thoughtful production about two naughty schoolchildren contemplating life as teenagers. For his effort, Shem
was awarded best director – an award that he should be very proud.
The summer term has seen the final two house events of the year; the Interhouse quiz and sports day. Our two
teams battled hard in the quiz, the lower school team and upper school teams however neither were able to get
through to the final - a big thank you to those 8 students who took part this year. The final event is always the
highlight of the year – sports day. As ever the turnout was fantastic, every form had at least twenty competitors
and we managed to win a wide variety of events. We came into the afternoons track events leading the points
after the field competition in the morning, unfortunately we couldn’t capitalise on that lead instead we came a
comfortable second place behind Meads.
All this leads us to the final standings of the House Cup; this year has been a very competitive one for Chantry
however we have just slipped to second in the standings behind joint winners Dane and Meads. With only 50
points in it, it highlights how tight it all is at the end of the year.
A massive thank you to every student who has been involved in some way with the house events. Hopefully next
year we can push on for the win.
Have a great summer.
Mr Berry
Dane
Going into the last term of the academic year Dane house were leading the house championship from Chantry
with 240 and 190 points respectively. With year 11 having left and the departure of Jack Duffy and Henry Stuart
Turner as house officers, a new house system was introduced with George Sargisson elected as House President
with a team of Year 12 deputies to support him.
Only two events remained on the house calendar; the Interhouse quiz and Sports day.
In the Interhouse quiz Dane came a creditable 3�� place overall with both junior and senior teams performing well
on their respective days. It was a tense affair enacted in a hot and crowded library in front of a silent and
apprehensive crowd. You could feel the tension in the room. The students did their best in their attempts and
were not distracted by the difficult atmosphere. Well done.
Sports day was held on the 10th July on a hot and sunny day. The Dane boys competed in all events with
commitment and determination regardless of whether they were leading or trailing in an event they gave it their
best effort. The final standings were a tale of 2 halves Dane scoring very well on the track but not so well on the
field events. This meant that overall Dane were placed 5�� on Sports day.
It is to the credit of all the boys in Dane house that over the past year we have won more house events than any
other house. We have ended the year as joint first with Meads in the house Championship on 300 points. I would
like to congratulate every single boy who participated in or supported a house event. It is much appreciated.
I have now assumed the post of Head of Dane on a permanent basis and look forward to next year when I know
that the boys of Dane house will perform with credit to themselves and their house. Have a restful summer break
and I look forward to seeing you refreshed and energised in the new year.
Mr Mullen
Twyford
Twyford House Report – Summer Term
The final term this year has seen two house events take place, the inter-house quiz and sports day.
Inter-house Quiz
In the Senior heats we were drawn against Meads with Jacob Waldock, Jeremy Moulton, Jack Charity and Adam
Sewell representing the house in a 130-220 defeat to the beaten finalists.
For the Junior team, made up of Year 7 and Year 9 students (Charlie Read, Josh Preater, Ethan Cooper and Joe
Eringa) a close contest ended with a 180-170 point victory against Dane. Unfortunately we were just short on
points to qualify for the final. A great effort nonetheless.
Congratulations to all those who competed and thanks also to Harry Rogers and Dylan Simons who gave others
the opportunity to take part but still supported their peers. Overall, we finished in 5�� position, the same as 2014
(consistency!), despite scoring more points.
Sports Day
The final house event of the year was Sports Day on Friday 10�� July. The morning saw the field events take place
with the track events in the afternoon in front of the whole school. It was good to see so many students represent
the house, particularly in events that may not have been their preferred choice. Overall we finished in 3�� position.
House Colours
Finally, congratulations to all of the students who were awarded House Colours in Final Assembly. This award is
recognition for hard work over the course of the year, significant contribution to the extra-curricular life of the
school as well as exemplary behaviour. The number of students who received house colours goes to show the
commitment that has been put in this year and also the vast range of opportunities that are available to students.
At the time of writing it remains to be seen who has won the House Championship, with House Points still to be
counted up.
Overall, a successful year.
Have a great summer.
Mr Osborne.
Waytemore
It has been a tough year for Waytemore only managing at the last moment to come joint last and not sole last.
This was thanks to the great efforts shown this term in the Quiz which saw our senior team win their round but
unfortunately this was not matched by the junior team which despite a strong performance could only manage
4�� place. Overall this led to Waytemore finishing second, our highest placed finish in any competition all year.
Sports day showed some strong Waytemore performances in many year groups but we were unable to match
our brilliance from last year and achieved a close fourth place only just behind Twyford in 3��.
Overall this year has shown Waytemore has many strengths and next year we can develop these to make
Waytemore a more rounded and successful group that can win the house cup for the second time.
Thanks go to all the tutors for their support and of course the students for all the effort they have put in, here is
to a more successful 2015-2016 year.
Mr D Neesam
Inter House Quiz
First of all many thanks to everyone who supported this year's quiz - by publicising the event (we had
at least 40 in the audience for each lunchtime), recommending students, picking teams or dropping in
to watch. Especial thanks to Helen Fletcher for letting us disorganise the Library and to David Hows
for policing the excitable onlookers.
In the Senior Final Darren Neesam's cunning tactic of claiming not to know which Sixth Formers were
in his team, then producing them at the last minute helped Waytemore to beat defending overall
champions Meads by 370 points to 200.
The Junior Final was a much more one-sided affair with Meads crushing Rhodes by 550 points to
120. Their sheer speed of answering (especially from James Nash of Year 9 and Oscar Tanfield of
Year 7) was reminiscent of Joe "Beast of the Buzzer" Kitchen in his TBSHS heyday.
Overall results:
1st Meads 2nd Waytemore 3rd Dane 4th Rhodes 5th Twyford 6th Chantry
Have a great summer.
Tony Fraser
CAREERS
Careers have become an even more important fixture on the academic calendar with both Ofsted and the
Department of Education putting more emphasis on the role of a school’s Careers department. Even Boris Johnson
has just announced that every young person must have 100 hours of careers advise or Work Experience by the
time they are 16 years old.
At a time when most existing infrastructure and funding for Careers Provision has been removed from a lot of
schools, I hope the students here at TBSHS feel that they are looked after, and well supported. Our thanks go to
our Youth Connexions advisor Karen Charles who has worked hard to build good relationships with our students
from Years 10-13. Karen is unfailingly warm and always has a good ear and warm smile for the students.
Please see below for a round –up of this term’s Careers News.
Claire Jonas
Careers Co-ordinator
The Bishop’s Stortford High School
Wider Participation Event – Kings College
13th May 2015 – Year 9
In May, our Inclusion Manager, Tina Cooper, took five Year
9 students on a very exciting trip to Kings University – a
Widening Participation Event. The term is usually applied
to events attended by older students; long-term,
sustained investment by successive governments in
Widening Participation has helped increase the proportion
of young people from disadvantaged groups entering
university.
However, it was our Year 9s who were lucky enough to be
given the opportunity of attending this fully planned and
accessible day at Kings College.
After a warm welcome, the students sat in on sessions on University life and the advantages of having a university
degree - they even attended a trial lecture plus had a tour of the university. A delicious complimentary buffet
lunch overlooking the Thames followed where there was the chance to make a few new friends. Lastly, the
supervising staff attended an administration session – whilst the students had a motivation session - all stirring
stuff! The students all agreed on the train home, it was a positive and inspiring day.
Cascaid Kudos Presentations
21st April 2015 – Year 9
19th May – Year 10
Years 9 & 10 have received their latest careers advice from Karen
Charles & Claire Bilbey of Youth Connexions.
Both Year groups were a captive audience whilst the Kudos
programme was explained and how it be used to support
important careers based decisions.
What is Kudos?
Kudos is an impartial online careers guidance and information program that helps students make informed
decisions regarding their future. By looking at their own careers ideas and exploring suggestions within the
program, students can see how well matched they are to their aspirations & interests. Study and training options
are also considered as are subjects currently studying or planning to study. Over the last 20 years, Kudos has
helped millions of young people with careers decisions and continues to be the most popular careers guidance
tool.
After the session, students were able to access the programme for themselves during their tutor time – the
feedback we received was extremely positive; one Year 9 was given a recommended first option of a sound
engineer – the occupation of his father - and another student’s recommended occupation was to train as a doctor
– like his mother. Perhaps it’s all in the genes after all !
Year 10
Karen Charles & Claire Bilbey once again explained this impartial online careers service that enables students to
select ‘bespoke’ careers and jobs according to hobbies and interests.
It would be an interesting exercise to compare Kudos notes with the student’s chosen career in several years
time and ascertain how accurate the programme is.
Year 10 receive Kudos training
Year 8 Work Shadowing
22 June 2015
Our Year 8s recently had the opportunity to experience a day in the world of work by spending the first day of
Enrichment Week on what is now a popular fixture on the School Calendar; the Work Shadowing Project.
Students were asked to set up their day with either of their parents/guardians, close friends or neighbours and
to treat the day just as though they were in the real world of work. The ‘Day-Job’ varied hugely for the students,
and if the follow-up day was anything to go by, the students really enjoyed their alternative day.
The Army visits The Bishop’s Stortford High School
Tuesday 9th June 2015
On Tuesday 9th June, we were delighted to welcome
Staff Sergeant Paul Marsh from the Luton branch of
The Army Careers Office.
Years 9 & 10 listened very carefully as Sergeant Marsh
gave an interesting presentation outlining all the
different careers available in the army (over 200!) and
explained how army bursaries and scholarships can
ease the financial burden of further education.
Four of our students, Finlay McKellar (Year 10), Dylan
Jones, Jack Sollof & Josh Fletcher (all Year 9) who are
already planning a career in the Armed Services were
able to meet with Sergeant Marsh before the presentation and find out a little more about how they might plan
for their futures.
L-R: Finlay, Dylan, Jack & Josh
L-R: Dylan, Finlay, Josh & Jack
Year 10 Work Experience
22-26th June 2015
.
The week of work-based learning is perhaps now more than ever, an important dimension of the school
curriculum. A stressed jobs market, climbing University tutor fees and shrinking places, has meant that a period
of Work Experience is invaluable in helping our young people and its importance should not be under-estimated;
it gives their CVs a competitive edge and is an investment in their employability.
Students are able to make more informed career choices and see for themselves the realities of the world of work
outside the comfortable and familiar environment of school. There are other important advantages too; for some
students, Work Experience provides the first opportunity to meet and interact with adults outside the family unit
thus raising confidence in their abilities and renews motivation to achieve at school, it may even lead to some
paid part-time work. For any employers offering opportunities, there are benefits too; it enables them to give
something back to the community thereby promoting a stronger sense of social responsibility, employers can
influence the quality of future employees by improving the preparedness of young people entering the job market,
and students can provide employers with fresh perspectives and ideas thereby enhancing their established work
methods and routines.
I try to ensure that Work Experience matches our student’s aspiration and career interests and as always,
placements this year have been varied and interesting with a high proportion of private arrangements ensuring
ultimate job satisfaction. Three students were fortunate enough to have a week of Work Experience at the army
& police base in Wethersfield, Essex. They had a wonderful residential week involving assault courses, boot
marches and overnight hikes. Feedback from all the employers has been tremendous; there is at least one student
who has secured an apprenticeship and many more who have gained a part-time job (an unexpected bonus of
Work Experience). One email amongst very many received, paid the ultimate compliment; ‘He is a credit to his
parents, your school but most importantly, to himself’.
The success of the programme each year is ultimately down to our students and the professional and conscientious
way in which they respond to both the school’s and employer’s expectations, and I am delighted to say that the
Class of 2015 did not disappoint!
Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge
8th July – Year 10
On the 8th July 2015, 18 year 10 students went to Gonville & Caius College in Cambridge to gain an
insight into university life.
After arriving at the university we were told about the university’s long history, and were introduced to
the way that the Cambridge University works. It is the 4th oldest College in the University of Cambridge
and at one point was nearly closed, but was then rescued by a Dr Caius, hence Gonville & Caius. The
university is a large organisation that controls what exams are taken and sort out financial issues. There
are multiple colleges at Cambridge University.
Then we had a tour of the different sections of the College including the library, the three courts (Gonville
Court, Caius Court and Tree Court) and the Mathematical Bridge originally made by Sir Isaac Newton
using only maths and physics, no bolts! After that we had a presentation on how A levels effect our
University prospects, and this helped us all grasp what is needed to get into such a high quality University.
We also learnt of advantages of going to such a University in later life as with a degree from Cambridge
you can get many job opportunities that do not necessarily need to be directly related to your degree.
For example, Claudia Winkleman, BBC presenter, studied History of Art at Cambridge.
Then after a short lunch break we had another presentation on individual time management at university.
This included attempting to plan our own week around lectures and work. One thing that was particularly
stressed on the trip was that life at Cambridge University is based on an individual’s ability to work in
their own time, without being bugged by teachers to do work!
Lloyd Martin & Lewis Oakey
Year 10
A STUDENT'S CONTRIBUTION FOR YEAR 10 WORK EXPERIENCE
My work experience.
On the 22ⁿ� of June, I made my way to St Paul’s, just across the road from the cathedral itself. The journey was
peaceful and actually quite enjoyable. The rush of people when I arrived at Liverpool street station was gasping.
People rushing in all different directions to make it to work on time. As I was so excited, I was there exactly 43
minutes early. When I arrived the building was enormous, I walked in made my way to the 7�� floor. As I
approached reception I sat in a chair waiting for the person I would be working with. It was very daunting. After
a couple of minutes we met he took me to meet everyone else in the office, as I walked in the site was not as I
imagined, it was a bit peaceful, as I got introduced to everyone I settled in at my desk for the week. During the
week I sat with different sectors within the trading industry. Including market traders, sales trader’s different
types of traders within the market. I was also lucky enough to be able to have an inside view of what the analyst
jobs are.
On the second day I was up at 5 am to get the 06:06 train so that I would be into my work place for the week at
the same time as all the other people in the office. This was not a difficult challenge for me but after the third
day of getting up at 5: am I started to struggle. Over the course of the week I got introduced to different people
and taken out on lunches and dinners and was able to have more depth conversations about the job specifications
and requirements of entering this career path if it was to be my chosen career. I also got to ask more questions
about how it works and what would be the best way for me to get into this career. As the week went on I became
more relaxed and began to enjoy the experience even more, even though this career did have its dull moments.
On Friday it was time to leave I had thoroughly enjoyed my week. As the clock struck 16:40 I said my thank you
and good byes and departed. It will certainly be a week to remember.
Max Bannister
Year 10
Year 10 PAH Work Experience Report
On the week beginning 22ⁿ� June, I began my first work experience at the Princess Alexandra Hospital. This week
turned out to be far more interesting and engaging than originally anticipated and allowed me to learn a huge
array of knowledge and skills regarding professional life in medicine.
What really surprised me during my time at PAH was the level of freedom I had. Besides being checked for my
arrival to the ward, I was largely left alone by my supervisor as she had a huge amount of work to get on with.
This allowed me the opportunity to learn about hospital life of my own accord, I was not given any direction of
what I should do and where I should be which I would say was hugely beneficial as well as extremely gratifying
since the quality of my learning depended on my independence and intuition. What made this arrangement
perfect was the fact that everyone who I encountered was extremely helpful and friendly to me and this gave
me the confidence to make the most of my time there. For example, on numerous occasions, I was allowed to
observe doctor's appointments with their patients by simply knocking on the door and asking to do so. On these
instances I was able to learn about the various testing processes during a patient's treatment - how they are
carried out, what they show and how they are used in the diagnosis and treatment process. Everything was
explained in detail from the staff which allowed me to get a better understanding of cardiac conditions and
diseases. This included how they develop, their impacts on health and lifestyle and preventative methods. What
made this exceptionally interesting was the fact that this all was right in front of me. Instead of simply being told
of the information, I could actually see the effect they were having on the heart through an ultrasound image or
the reactions of a patient after being asked to perform physical tasks. This gave me the chance to fully appreciate
the value of the information I was learning. In fact, I think the practical aspect of learning during the week was
probably the main reason I found the experience so enjoyable.
During the mornings, I was able to follow the medical team on their rounds of the ward where they would interact
with the patients, taking their history if they were new, talking to them about their symptoms and discussing
what the best treatment would be. From these observations I was able to learn a great many things, not only
about medicine but also the value of communication skills. By seeing the doctor-patient interactions I realised
how the level of a doctor's communication could be the difference between leaving a patient feeling completely
satisfied and leaving a patient feeling irritable and unsafe. In fact, I found the doctor's mood would often be
transferred to his/her patients which left the impression that to be the most effective in a professional field such
as this, one would have to make sure their social skills were on par with their academics. During these rounds I
was also able to appreciate the efficiency of the NHS - the entire team was extremely hard working and were
truly committed to providing the best care for their patients, regardless of background/status. I was also left with
many memories from these rounds including the sight of massive electric shocks experienced from a patient with
an ICD (which stopped him from falling into cardiac arrest) and the interaction between a doctor and a heroin
addict who was ready to do anything to get morphine in their system. Even the slightly mundane tasks of clearing
beds, taking temperatures/blood pressures and doing tea rounds were enjoyable to me as during the time I was
able to converse with patients and staff, getting a clear sense of the working environment of a hospital. By talking
to the younger doctors I was also able to pick up useful first-hand opinions of those who had pursued the field
which gave me an idea of both the disadvantages and advantages of doing so.
This experience as a whole was extremely useful to me as it allowed me to get an understanding of what working
in the medical field consists of which is vital for someone looking to commit themselves to the subject. While it
is true that at the age of 15 I was unable to partake in a fair amount of activities, I still feel that the placement
was extremely enjoyable due to my current interest in a doctor's profession. I would personally recommend a
hospital/hospice placement to anyone that feels strongly about pursuing a medical career because, while it is
unlikely you will be given any 'fun' or hands-on tasks, you will be able to get a clear sense of what professional
life in medicine and social work would hold for you - the positives and the negatives - allowing you the opportunity
to make an informed decision of whether it is the correct professional path to follow.
Sameed Shariq
Year 10
Year 12 Post-18 Day
22ⁿ� June 2015
While the Year 8s and Year 10s were busy gaining some experience out in the work place, our Year 12s spent
Monday 22ⁿ� June in school immersed in a wide range of talks and activities to help broaden their horizons of
what is on offer after they leave the security of the TBSHS Sixth Form and to actually start their applications for
university courses and jobs.
Eighteen external speakers (including managing and senior directors, apprentices and former and current
students) from a diverse range of industry and university backgrounds (Pharmaceuticals, Engineering, Law, Finance
and Accounting, Consultancy, Distribution, Volunteering) kindly gave up their time to provide a carousel of sessions
throughout the morning. Students chose three from seven talks, mixing and matching tips on CV writing, how
to go about finding an apprenticeship, opportunities and entry routes into diverse careers, a game introducing
them to the world of risk, the whys and hows of going to university, the realities of student life and the potential
benefits of a well-planned gap year. We were particularly delighted to welcome back into school Safwan
Chowdhury and Lewis Millar, who are coming to the end of their first year as apprentices at Ernst Young, and to
Polly Banks who, following a gap year volunteering abroad, has just finished her first year of Geography studies
at Nottingham University.
In the afternoon, the majority of students learnt about the university application process, focusing on how to
write a Personal Statement, and actually starting their on-line UCAS registration. Those who have already decided
they are more suited to entering the workplace directly after Sixth Form, while gaining invaluable transferable
work skills and additional qualifications through work-based training, spent time with Neil Beverley, Senior Director
of PMS (a global importer and distributor) looking at application processes, interviews and career progression.
When asked what the most useful aspect of the day was, quotes from students included:
“The Careers in the Real World session provided insight into the broad spectrum of available routes for careers
which helped as I am not entirely sure what I want to do.”
“Learning useful and applicable skills such as CV writing and what employers want and don't want from a CV.”
“Hearing about the 'Whys and Hows of Uni', and hearing about what student life is really like.”
The students then spent the rest of the week independently continuing their post-18 research, visiting universities,
drafting personal statements or CVs, exploring the jobs market and gaining work experience.
The Post-18 Day is part of a carefully constructed programme of careers and university-related events and
guidance that runs through the whole of Year 12 and Year 13 to ensure that our Sixth Formers leave with their
appropriate next steps into Higher Education or worthwhile employment in place. It comes after students have
finished their AS exams and is designed to really focus their minds and kick start the process - time really does
fly and their university applications will be submitted by October half term!
I look forward to seeing the careers this cohort of students enter into and to welcoming them back into school
to inspire future generations.
Fiona Price
Assistant Head of Sixth Form (Post-18 Guidance)