Thought for the Week

Dates for your diary

30th October INSET day school closed to pupils

19th October TAHS SEN parents evening

1st November Year 9 Tutor Evening

7th November Year 11 Tutor Evening

Year 9 – Tutor Evening.

World Challenge Christmas Craft Fair

Luke Hardwick and Tom Barraclough invite you to their

World Challenge Christmas craft fair

3rd December Alton Village hall. 11 till 3.

Selected local craft stalls providing a great chance to do Christmas shopping for those unique gifts. We have a fully booked fair with a fantastic selection of seasonal and unique items.

Refreshments will be available serving cake and drinks but also soup and crusty bread for lunch. Put the date in your diary- See you there.

Online Safety

It is always surprising how quickly the end of term creeps up on us, this week we have been talking about celebrating the successes that we achieve. It could be handing in a piece of work that has been particularly difficult, and the sense of achievement that it can bring. It can also be achieving their highest score yet in a test or end of unit exam. Whatever it is, each student should reflect on how they feel when they have achieved and accomplished this, regardless of how other students have done.  All our students in the Sixth Form are unique, and it is clear to us that as long as they work to achieve their goals then they are succeeding.

This week we were given the news that one of our Year 12 Students, Natasha Young. Tash Young and Ella Harrod have just been awarded a Distinction in their Grade 5 ballet exam.  They both have lessons with Spotlight Academy. Tash has shown a great commitment to her dance as she has attended since the age of 3 and does all 4 types of dance with them: Ballet, Tap, Modern and Street.  They both also dance with UtoD, which is also a very successful dance group.  Well do ne to both of them.

As you are aware out Year 13 students are in the process of applying for University, looking at Higher Level Apprenticeships and looking at other pathways. We have had 13 students apply for competitive courses, which means they have to apply earlier than most other students do as they have interviews and exams in order to gain access on to these courses. 

Josh Ball – Medicine

Ellie Emery – Dentistry

Oliver Roberts – Veterinary Medicine (Ex-Student left last year)

Laura Allen – Natural Sciences at Cambridge University  (St Catherine’s College)

Trudy Yates – History at Cambridge University (Peterhouse College)

Laura Wilson – Mathematics at Cambridge University  (St Johns College)

Michael Meakin – Philosophy and Theology at Oxford University (Jesus College)

Sarah Page – English Language and Literature at Oxford University (Worcester College)

Lucy Vickers – PPE at Oxford University (Balliol College)

Lowri Spear – English Language and Literature at Oxford University (Wadham College)

Anna Sykes – English Language and Literature at Oxford University (Mansfield College)

Harry Taylor – Physics at Oxford University (Queens College)

As well as this we have had a further 8 students complete their UCAS application early, well done to these students as they can now concentrate all their time towards their studies. We do recommend that all students complete their Personal Statements as soon as possible, so that they can arrange an appointment with their personal tutor to have it checked and sent.  If you, as a parent, would like to know anything then please contact us at the following email address sixthform@tahs.org.uk.

All Year 12 and 13 students have been given a data collection sheet that needs to be completed and returned to school as soon as possible.  This ensures that we have the correct contact details on our system, which does make home-school contact much more efficient.

We would like to share the Sixth Form application process with all parents of students in Year 11.  If students or parents have any questions about the application process then we would like them to contact us and we will talk them through it. 

Application Guidance

Sixth Form Application Guidance

Thomas Alleyne’s Sixth Form application can be downloaded from the school website – www.thomasalleynes.uk.

Subject Guidance

 For example if a student wanted to study : Psychology as your 1st choice indicate this as choice 1, History 2nd choice as choice 2 etc.

Notes:

-They should choose a minimum of 3 subjects to study

-Some courses are full time and so cannot be combined with others.

Please refer to the 6th Form prospectus for further information.

We will endeavour to accommodate preferred subject choices whenever we can. We will update applicants on any change to their subject choices if and where necessary.

If you have any queries regarding subject choices or completion of your application, please speak to your Form Tutor or a member of the Sixth Form team. Alternatively you can email any questions to sixthform@tahs.org.uk

Once completed, your form needs to be returned to either your Form Tutor or to the School Office.

Personal Statement – Guidance

On the school website students can find a hyperlink to help with the application process. It is recommended that students keep a copy of their personal statement as this will form the basis of the discussion at their interview in March.

Students should cover 4 main areas in their statement:

– Describe themselves & their personal qualities

– Explain their work experience and any other courses they have completed and the          skills gained from this

– Involvement in school and community life

– Future plans and ambitions

SEND Evening

On Monday our students were amazed and intrigued by the appearance of the Sun in the morning sky.

The Sun appeared as a red disc and produced an eerie orange glow in the sky around the School.  The cause of this unusual spectacle was ex-hurricane Ophelia which originated in the Azores in the Atlantic Ocean to the west of Portugal.  As the hurricane moved north it dragged with it dust that had been drawn high into the atmosphere from the Sahara Desert in North Africa.  The recent forest fires in Portugal and Spain also resulted in dust and debris rising into the atmosphere, which also contributed to the effect.

Mr Melland explained that the Sun’s visible light is part of the electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun.  The visible light is made up of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet and these colours combine to make white light.

The red sun phenomenon was a result of the particles in the air causing shorter-wavelength blue light to scatter leaving longer-wavelength red light to shine through.   

This week’s Science Students of the week selected by Mr Melland are:

Year 9

Amelia Hadgett for outstanding physics assessment results

Tom Johnson and Jimmy Wilson for excellent class contribution

Year 10

Jazmine Freeman for performing significantly above target in her physics assessment

Year 11

Emily Oliver for excellent contributions on Medical Physics

Georgia Morris for being well above target in her radiation assessment

Well done!

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News from PE

The final coursework deadline is fast approaching. Students should have handed three copies of their completed coursework (with bibliography and footnotes) to Mrs Johnson by next Friday.

Literacy

 Careers

On The Farm

Students harvested the last of the produce from their vegetable plots this week.  Some of the pumpkins were so big that they had to be transported around in a wheelbarrow and collected from school by car!! Congratulations to Haydn Hatton and Laura Simister who grew a staggering 18kg of potatoes. These were all weighed so that students could complete course work comparing the growth of potatoes using organic and inorganic fertilisers.

Our vet skills sessions are now in full swing with vets from Glenthornes practice coming in after school on Wednesday to provide extra support to our BTEC Animal Care students.  They have already covered sessions on companion animals including guinea pigs and rabbits and this week did a very informative session on exotics. They made full use of the animals available on the farm including our corn snakes, bearded dragon, leopard gecko, terrapin and tarantula. All BTEC Animal Care students are welcome to attend, check the timetable attached for the sessions.

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Year 11 Revision Evening

Tuesday 7th November 6pm-8pm

An opportunity to hear talks from the English, maths and science departments providing revision tips and information on how to prepare for these examinations. General revision advice to help parents support their son or daughter with revision will also be presented will also be presented.

Hope to see you there!

Join our team

Links

Thought for the Week

Dates for your diary

17th October Year 5 Open Evening Ryecroft Middle School

18th October Year 5 Open Evening Windsor Park Middle School

19th October Year 5 Open Evening Oldfields Middle School

19th October TAHS SEN parents evening

1st November Year 9 Tutor Evening

7th November Year 11 Tutor Evening

Staff Training

Music Rehearsals 

All music groups will begin rehearsals for the Christmas concert the first week back after the half term holidays. To prepare for this there will be a CHOIR meeting in room 67 (the music classroom) at lunch time. ALL pupils are welcome, new and existing members. Please bring your lunch with you.

Details of all groups and rehearsal times are on the Music Notice Board in room
67.
I look forward to seeing you Monday

Do we have Your Correct Details?

Reminder to parents In case of an emergency with your child
Have you got a new phone number (especially mobile)?

Have you moved?

Has there been a change regarding any medical information for your son or daughter?
If so, it is vital that you alert school so we can change the details on our system. Please contact us with the updated details as soon as possible.

Absence Policy

Please see the document linked below for the very latest on the school absence policy:

Absence Policy Update

Here at Thomas Alleyne’s we want to champion all our students past and present. We were sent some news this week from one of past students, Zoe Broad. She was a successful applicant on the apprenticeship scheme. This apprenticeship scheme offers a unique opportunity to learn and work in a multi-national company alongside industry experts. Many of their apprentices go on to enjoy full-term positions both in the apprenticeship department and other areas of the business. As well as gaining valuable work experience, they have the opportunity to study towards a professional qualification, depending on their chosen department.

It is important to state that there is no ‘right’ pathway for our students to follow, only the one that suits their needs and gives them the best opportunity to shine. All our students in the Sixth Form are encouraged to embrace all pathways into further education and employment post-18. Over the next few editions, we will be celebrating many more student success stories.

I would like to say an enormous thank you to all our Year 12 and 13 students who gave up their time on Tuesday for our Year 12 Open Evening. Mrs Dodd, along with the rest of the Sixth Form team, and myself are very grateful. These evenings are a great way for students to accumulate community service, which can then be used when writing their personal statements.

Two weeks ago we sent home Code of Conduct letters. These need to be signed by parents and returned to us: we are still a few missing. If you have not seen one yet, please would you remind your sons and daughters that it is an expectation that a form must be completed each year? We have spare copies available from Mrs Walton.

We have a winner!!!

Mrs Faizey’s Year 13 A Level Chemistry students have produced the longest nylon thread ever seen in the Chemistry Department!

The process of making nylon involves a condensation polymerisation reaction; whereby two immiscible chemicals are added to a beaker. At the interface of the chemicals a strand of nylon can be drawn out using forceps and wound onto a glass rod. The nylon can be unravelled to discover which students have produced the longest single thread.
Matthew O’Farrell and Gabe Wild produced an extremely impressive thread of nylon 4.7 metres long.

This week’s Science Students of the Week selected by Mrs Bracebridge are:

Year 9

Brad Cantrill for being a very enthusiastic physicist, especially at Open Evening
Alfie Clowes for fantastic effort and an excellent first assessment

Year 10

Alicia Mountford, Bobby Samuel and Aaron Gwynne for achieving 100% in an assessment and still being willing to complete extension work

Year 11

Katie Keeling and Isabella Parkes for brilliant improvement in their physics assessment

This week’s Environmental Land Based Science Students of the Week selected by Mrs North are:

Chloe Sherlock and Chloe Brown for excellent work in class and recent test results

This week’s BTEC Animal Care Students of the Week also selected by Mrs North are:
Letitia Fry and Grace Gadsby for making an excellent start in Animal Care

Very well done!

 

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News from PE

Year 13 History – the end is nigh!

The final coursework deadline is fast approaching. Students should have handed three copies of their completed coursework (with bibliography and footnotes) to Mrs Johnson by next Friday.

Literacy

 Careers

Year 9 Visit

 

Year 9 English Department Visit to Imperial War Museum North on Thursday 19th October 2017

To support the AQA GCSE English literature work on conflict poetry, Year 9 students have the opportunity to visit the Imperial War Museum North (Manchester) on Thursday 19th October.

The coach will leave school at 8:45am and return at 2:55pm (in time for the end of the school day/buses).

47 places are available and the cost is £7. A packed lunch will be required. Students will need to wear school uniform.

Letters have been handed out to all Year 9 students with additional information on/medical forms for completion and return.

Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis and payment is through ParentPay.

We realise that this will be a popular trip and apologise that on this occasion places are limited. If your child does not get a place, we will consider another trip like this later in the academic year.

Thank you for your support.
Mrs Harris and the English Department

Year 11 Revision Evening

Tuesday 7th November 6pm-8pm

An opportunity to hear talks from the English, maths and science departments providing revision tips and information on how to prepare for these examinations. General revision advice to help parents support their son or daughter with revision will also be presented will also be presented.

Hope to see you there!

Join our team

Links

Headteacher blog:

On Tuesday 10th October we will be holding out post 16 open evening. We hope you can join us to find out more about the courses on offer and the extra curricular provision.

Thought for the Week

Dates for your diary

10th October Year 12 Open Evening TAHS

17th October Year 5 Open Evening Ryecroft Middle School

18th October Year 5 Open Evening Windsor Park Middle School

19th October Year 5 Open Evening Oldfields Middle School

19th October TAHS SEN parents evening

Very Busy Maths Department!

Year 9 Maths Super Starters

Congratulations to all of the following Year 9 students who have made an excellent start to maths at Thomas Alleyne’s:

Chloe Cartwright, Tommy Mangan, Lucy Sutton, Robert Fuller, Jimmy Wilson, Gabby Johnson, Jack Sidwells, Jed Brunt, Harry Ashton, Callum Stockbridge, Abi Baldwin, Mia Mason, Kayden Holder, Millie Hodges, Leo Hulme, Laura Backhouse, Kane Allsup, Alfie Clowes, Charlotte Cocke, Beth Dunn,
Evie Sidwell, Spencer Reeves, Joseph Walton, Euan Lunn, Mya Dain, Sam Brown, Eve Rigby, Martha Murray, Harry Lunn, Harriet Bebbington, Joe Wilcock, Beatrice Anne Crawford, Connor Cockeram, Dan Beech, Cormac Johnson, Josh Newbon, Lewis Turner, Isabelle Hunt

 

Mathswatch

Mathswatch is an excellent maths website for students to use for extra practice and revision. It covers all topics on the new GCSE maths syllabus. It explains the topic, gives worked examples and then gives practice questions to try.

All students in Years 9-11 have a login, click the logo to access.

username: schoollogin@tahs

password: triangle

Once logged on click on ‘videos’ and then ‘search’ for the topic you want.

Maths Assessments

All students will have an assessment for maths in the last week of this half term. Students are required to bring all their own maths equipment for the assessment – black pen, pencil, ruler, protractor, compass and students in Year 10 and 11 will also need a scientific calculator.

Year 9 – the assessment is non-calculator and is based on the topics they have studied this half term: number calculations, factors, multiples and prime numbers, angles, scale drawings and bearings and algebra.

Year 10 – the assessment requires the use of a calculator and is based on the topics they have studied this half term. Sets 1 and 2: percentages, measures, surds and statistical measures. Sets 3 and 4: standard form, percentages, measures

Year 11 – the assessment requires the use of a calculator and is a practice exam paper. It will contain questions from across the syllabus on number work, algebra, shape and measures, ratio and proportion, statistics and probability

Year 11 practice papers

All Year 11 students have received a letter about the opportunity to purchase a set of maths practice exam papers. The set contains 6 papers with mark schemes and costs £2.50. The deadline for ordering the practice papers has been extended to Monday 9th October and payment is by parentpay or by requesting a bar-coded letter in order to pay via paypoint. The school will pay for any students eligible for Pupil Premium funding.
This is a great way for students to revise for their maths mock exam that will take place after Christmas

 

We, the Sixth Form team, were over whelmed by the amount of Year 12 and Year 13 students who gave up their free time to volunteer at the Year 8 Open Evening on Wednesday. All of them were amazing; students were supporting parents to ensure that they saw all that the school had to offer, assisting the smooth movement of all visitors around the school and answering a whole range of questions that were posed to them from students and parents alike. It is so nice to see that they are willing to give their valuable time to the school. This type of event gives us the opportunity to see who are the potential Senior Prefects of the future. We are also seeking volunteers to assist on Tuesday 10th October for the Year 12 Open Evening where, I’m sure remember, our current Year 11 students will listen to A Level talks from subject teachers and also find out about the criteria for entry to the Sixth Form.

Last night we held our Year 12 Pastoral Open Evening. Mrs Dodd presented information to those in attendance about the structure of the Sixth Form and our expectations from the learners. I have attached the presentation so that you can access if you were unable to attend. I have been asked to provide the extracurricular activities for Year 12 and Year 13 and this will commence form next week.

Year 12 Parents Talk 2017

There is a non-uniform day on Tuesday and it is to raise awareness about mental health, we would like to encourage our students to wear an item of yellow, however if they are volunteering at the Open Evening then we would ask that they attend that in full school uniform please.

I would to ask you to encourage your son or daughter in Year 13 to complete their personal statement for UCAS as soon as possible, we will be sending our first applications next week and the deadline for completion is that last week of the Christmas term.

The Science Department welcomed Year 8 students during this week’s Open Evening.  A variety of exciting experiments and demonstrations were on display in the laboratories.

In the Chemistry Department Mr Crum encouraged visitors to ‘set fire’ to his hand with his methane bubble demonstration.  Our students put their slime-making skills into action and flame tests produced an array of colours in the Bunsen burners. 

The Physics Department displayed the Jelly Baby Wave Machine, which proved to be very popular demonstrating transverse wave motion. Our standing wave demonstration produced a series of fascination wave forms.  The Van de Graaff generator proved quite hair-raising for many students! 

The Biology Department displayed an array of biological specimens and looked at life ranging from the very small under the microscopic to the real-life respiratory system of a sheep.

This week’s Science Students of the Week selected by Mrs Hughes are:

Year 9

Saffron Whittingham and Levi Gill for performing well in their first biology test

Year 10

Mason White and Ellie Turner for excellent results in their first chemistry test

Year 11

Lewis Loaring and Hannah Willmott for excellent results in their first chemistry test

Well done!

For a wide range of images from the night including a teacher on fire and marshmallows have a look at this document:

Open Evening Photos 2017

News from PE

 

U15 Rugby  v John Taylor (home)

Year 11 history: can ‘moo’ help the history department?

Do you have any toy farmyard cows in a box somewhere around the house, forgotten for years? If so, why not get them out this weekend and, as part of your history revision for your upcoming American West exam, graze them on the open range before bringing them on a trail to the history department next week. Will your cows survive the ‘Great Die Up’ of 1886-7? Let’s hope yours are not part of the unlucky 15%, but go on to live a happy life on our departmental ranch.

Buffalo need not apply.

EXAM REMINDER – students should be revising for their end of unit examination on The American West, c1835 – c1895. Parents can help by talking to students about this unit and using exercise books and revision materials to test subject knowledge.

Literacy

News From Art

 

Year 11- Dates for Diary

Art Exam Parents Evening and on 9th January 2018 6pm Ede Studio

In preparation for the GCSE Art Externally Set Task (exam) we will be first releasing the exam papers at the Art Exam Parents Evening and on 9th January 2018 6:00-6:30pm in the Ede Studio. We will have exams from previous years on display and talking about the assessment objectives that students will be expected to cover as this is the first year of the New Specification. Students and their parents should attend if possible, letters will be sent closer to the date.

Art Dept Instagram

We regularly update the school Facebook and twitter feeds with images of students work- but also if you wish to see just the art dept images, feel free to follow
tahs.art

Old Art/Photo Work Collection Date

Old year 13 Fine Art/Photography/Applied Art and year 11 GCSE work can be collected on Wednesday 11th October 2017 between 3:30-5:30pm as previously noted. Mr Robinson and Mrs Derby will be around to help

However, Old Y11 Art GCSE work can now ALSO be collected on TUEDAY 17th October 2017 3:30-5:30pm Mrs Cornell will be available.

If you cannot come in person to collect your work, please send a note with a family member or friend to collect on your behalf.

Please note that some work will be retained by the Art Department for the impressive displays in the art rooms and around school. Also the AQA exam board may have requested examples too.

Any work NOT collected or on display will be disposed of- Don’t miss out!

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