TAHS Weekly Newsletter.
SIXTH FORM TUTOR TIME ACTIVITIES
This is the second week for students to be working on the following PowerPoints based on Matthew Syed’s new book, Dare To Be You, helping students build confidence, build identity, navigate change, understand difference, be kind and choose their own path.
You can find these on Teams/Sixth Form 2021 (Year 12 or 13)/Y12 or Y13 Pastoral activities/TAP 2021/Change Makers and then find the sessions (Session 1: Why Change Makers and Session 2: The Doubts).
Y9 Choices – Designing your Y10 Curriculum
The information for completing your choices of subject for Y10 is now underway. You can find videos on how to complete the process in the Future Intentions section on Teams.
Over the next few weeks, you will receive;
- a copy of the prospectus to read through
- an interview with a member of the Leadership / Pastoral / Careers Team about your choices
- a link to fill in your choices (this will be available on Monday 8th February, via Insight).
If you have any questions the please drop a message to myself (mitchell@tahs.net) or any of the careers team and we will get back to with a reply within 48 hours.
Thank you
Year 9 Parents Evening
Year 9 Parenst evening will take place on Thursday 4th February via MS Teams. Full instructions on how to do this will be sent out in due course.
Books are open, via your parental insight account and year 9 parents will receive a sperate email with full details on the bookings system.
Drama Stars
Year 9
Well done to Jordan B and William F for their excellent performance of the narrator prologue in Blood Brothers during their live lesson.
Year 10
Year 10 GCSE have been producing 5 minute monologues based on photographs.. Well done to Alex B who impressed the class with this piece:
The rock from the seaside, in an old tin collection of shells and rocks. Flashbacks us to the moments in the sun shining, the sea clashing against the shore. The sounds of laughter and happiness. Children making sand castles, and swimming in the sea. The sun shining upon us. The ice cream dripping over our towels. Sun radiating our skin. The smell of salt and sun cream oil. The sounds of the boys skimming rocks. The elderly collecting the shells and the pretty rocks. Ahh, The good old times at the seaside. The evening of walking along the beach. The kids running to the fun fair, filling their faces with candy floss. Then we come back to today, at home, trapped in our homes. Daunting. The next piece of news. Wondering when we’ll leave the 4 corners of our home to see our friends and families. We all miss the times where we could leave the house and hang with friends. Yes, we took those things for granted. We shall miss these times. As we’ll be able to leave one day. Collecting our rocks.
Year 11
Well done to Katie L and Leanne P for demonstrating an excellent attitude to learning this week
PE Update
PE – Update
We hope you are keeping active- Please share your exercise plans on Teams. We are mindful that everyone enjoys different forms of exercise, but it is important you are keeping active and if possible getting fresh air each day. You can run, walk, bike or skate but try and get in a routine of being active each day.
Joe Wicks is running “PE with Joe” on Mon, Wed and Friday at 9am on YouTube – “The Body Coach TV” This is a simple way of getting your day off to a good routine. The sessions are available on demand if you have live lessons at 9am.
We also have a range of Fitness Challenges you can try on our Core PE Teams pages. We also have a number of healthy eating videos on Teams which you can try.
It is important you are trying to get 60 minutes of physical activity and eating healthily each day. Why not have a go at making your own fitness or healthy cooking video and send it in on Teams? For Ideas and inspiration have a look at files on the Core PE Team.
This week students have been sent rugby specific activities to do at home on Insight. Each week will have a different sporting focus.
BTEC Sport
** We have purchased on line learning resources for BTEC Students in Yr10, 11, 12, 13. Please see Teams for Log In details and how to access the resources **
Year 10 – All students should have submitted Body Systems coursework before Christmas- If this hasn’t been uploaded to assignments on Teams or needs improving, homework time should be used for this. Year 10 students have been taking part in Live practical lessons as they start to design training plans.
Year 11- We have been really impressed with attendance at Live Lessons this week. As you know February exams have been cancelled. Students need to be working on Leadership Coursework (Component 3) All resources required are on Teams. Due to the nature of BTEC students need to complete all 3 Components to get a grade at the end of the course. We are waiting for information from the government about how students can improve their exam grade.
Year 12- We have been really impressed with their dedication to revision lessons in what is a very difficult time. Students are now working on Unit 3 developing understanding of the sports industry.
Year 13- Students have received an individual mark breakdown via email. It is important that they use this to access lessons and resources they require. With uncertainty around summer exams it is vital students are fully prepared for the units they are taking to give them the best chance of their highest grade.
PE Students of the week
Lydia Martin and Will Gregory for excellent progress with coursework
Science News
The Science Department has a passion for all aspects of science, including astronomy – the scientific study of stars, planets and other objects in outer space.
February will be an excellent month for star gazing from your back garden, and you don’t need a telescope! Can you identify the constellations in the night sky? Click on the article below to discover more.
This week’s Science Students of the Week:
Year 9
Amelia R and Kain S for excellent contributions in their live Physics lessons, selected by Mr Melland.
Ruby BW and Scarlett BW for excellent engagement in Biology this week, selected by Mrs North.
Year 10
Connor B – 10H4 is working really hard keeping on top of all the work in Chemistry when he is unable to attend live lessons, selected by Mrs Simson.
Harvey JG and Spencer D for excellent contributions in their live Physics lessons, selected by Mr Melland.
Lennon G, Tommy S and Thomas Y – 10U4 for their work submitted and contributions during live lessons, selected by Mrs Simpson.
Year 11
Tiff B and Liam Y for excellent work in live lessons, selected by Mr Milward.
Year 12
Forensic science: Callum S, Evie D and Harry MW for excellent engagement in their Criminology lesson, selected by Mrs North.
Year 13
A Level Physics: Andrew P for excellent research into his EPQ on applications of Chaos Theory, selected by Mr Melland.
This week’s Animal Care Students of the Week selected by Mrs North are:
Year 10
Hannah C, Will S, Erin P and Fletcher K for excellent engagement in Animal Care lessons.
Year 11
Beth H, Isla McF, Emily T, Fallon C, Rebecca W for completing all their Animal Care course work to a standard that is above target – well done.
Very well done to all students!
Back Garden Astronomy – What Can You See During February?
We would like to share with you our favourite constellation Orion which is clearly visible during the early evenings this month. It is one of the most prominent and easily recognisable constellations in the night sky, named after Orion the hunter in Greek mythology, it is thought to form the outline of a hunter holding a shield.
A constellation is where many stars ‘appear’ to form a shape in the sky. The stars are not really grouped together but just look like they are from where we are standing on Earth.
We love watching for Orion because he’s only visible during the winter months and we watch him rising in the evening sky from October, to high in the sky in December, then slowly go below the horizon in March.
Orion is easy to spot once your eyes have got used to the night sky – something that can take a few minutes. The first thing to look out for is his ‘Belt’. This is three stars that appear close together in a line. From there you can go on to see his ‘shoulder’ on the top right – this star is called Betelguese and is orange in colour and is a Super Giant Star nearing the end of its life. Next is his ‘foot’ in the bottom left corner. This star is called Rigel and is blue in colour, is also a Super Giant and is the 6th brightest star in the night sky.
There is a ‘New Moon’ on 11th February which means the night sky will be very dark – perfect for seeing what’s happening in the night sky. As an extra challenge, see if you can locate another constellation called Cassiopeia at this time.
Remember to wrap up warm when you go out to view the amazing night sky – you can get chilly very quickly!
GCSE Trial Exams
Combined Science
Each assessment will be made up of a combination of multi choice exams and extended response.
The multi choice test will comprise 8 single marks from each topic (see table above) for each subject (total of 24 marks).
The extended response will be a 6-mark question where pupils will need to type an extended response.
Both parts of the assessment will be sent out as a Forms quiz link
Triple Science
| Subject | Topics | Day / Date / Period | Time |
| Biology | Cell BiologyOrganisationBioenergetics (Respiration and Photosynthesis) | Week 4 Fri 3 (05-02-21) | 14:15 – 14:55 |
| Chemistry | Atomic StructureBonding and StructureQuantitative Chemistry (Maths in Chemistry) | Week 4 Mon 2 (01-02-21) | 12:00 – 12:40 |
| Physics | EnergyElectricityParticle Model of Matter | Week 1 11U1 – Mon 1 (08-02-21) 11U2 – Wed 1 11H1&2 – Wed 2 (10-02-21) | 09:00 – 09:40 12:00 – 12:40 |
Each assessment will be made up of a combination of multi choice exams and extended response.
The multi choice test will comprise 8 single marks from each topic (see table above) for each subject (total of 24 marks).
The extended response will be two to three 4 or 6-mark questions, totalling 12 marks, where pupils will need to type an extended response.
Both parts of the assessment will be sent out as a Forms quiz link.
ALL – Assessments will be completed in the lesson allocated. Staff will implement short breaks between each subject assessment.
Geography News
The last year 11 revision session before the trial assessments is on Tuesday 2nd February (running from 3:15-4pm). If you are unable to join this revision session, there are a number of revision resources available on the Y11 Geography Teams, as well as the screen cast lessons on the Living World topic which you are able to rewatch to help with your revision.A reminder of the topics that will be on the trial assessment:
- Urbanisation
- Coasts
- Living world
A-Level news:A reminder of the topics on the A-Level trial assessment:
Physical geography trial assessment:
- Water
- Carbon
- Coasts
Human geography trial assessment:
- Globalisation
- Superpowers
- Human health and intervention
Mental Health Support during Covid
- BOLOH
Welcome to Boloh, Barnardo’s COVID-19 helpline and webchat for those 11+
This is a helpline dedicated to Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic children, young people, parents or carers, affected by Covid-19? You can speak to them about your worries, problems and stresses during this time, and they can provide emotional support, practical advice and signposting to other organisations who can provide further help.
They are available to talk Mon-Fri, from 10am-8pm, and Sat-Sun 10am-3pm. Call us on 0800 1512605 or chat to us online
- YESS
In addition, there is more support available on Staffordshire Connects where you can find an interactive map of Children & Young People’s Mental Health Support. It shows the local support available with regards to children and young people’s emotional and mental health.
Lockdown New Life
Our piglets went out in the snow for the first time on Monday. They were very inquisitive but not for too long as they were soon back under their heat lamp.
Pastoral Resources
Students can continue to access pastoral resources through the Teams ‘Pastoral Sessions’ folder. Students can access these at anytime but during core PE lessons would be ideal. This week you will find:
Assembly – This week’s assembly is being delivered by the Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust Mental Health Team that work closely with Thomas Alleyne’s and our students to support with a range of Mental Health concerns.
- Year 9 – The Options presentation remains available for student to help guide them through this important stage of their education. There is a range of advice and guidance on their option choices along with information on how and when to submit their choices.
- Year 10 – The careers resources are sill available for students to access. In addition, and for those that are looking to fill their time wanting to gain new skills a session on basic First Aid training is available in the Year 10 Folder.
- Year 11 – The careers resources are still available for students to access. In addition, and for those that are looking to fill their time wanting to gain new skills a session on basic First Aid training is available in the Year 10 Folder.
English Students of the Week
Congratulations to everyone who is engaging so positively with their English work. We would particularly like to commend our students of the week, who are:
Year 9 Joel M, Aimee S, Billy T, Kian S, Josh B, Layla M, Victoria H, Willow M, Logan C, Oliver H-P, Cameron B
Year 10 Salwa C, Charles F, Charlotte J, Gemma B, Liam A, Natasha M, Livvy E, Daisy C, Ben L, Anthony Y, Tim W, Charles F, Jake L, Tom Y, Chloe F
Year 11 Joe W, Jacob B, Lily W, Jacob H, Lily-May D, Rebecca W, Grace K, Millie Y
Year 12 Katie G, Lottie C
Year 13 Lucy J, Torin N
MFL Musings
Year 11 Remote AssessmentDon’t forget that over the next 2 weeks there will be remote assessments for all of your subjects, including French. This assessment will focus solely on Theme 1 (Identity and Culture). Make sure you check Insight, there is a homework task on there with all the details of what to revise. Good luck!
Year 9 Options
There’s a lot to think about if you’re in year 9, and one of them is if you want to be even more of a winner at life by taking French. This is what some of our year 10 and 11 students have to say about taking GCSE French:
From Year 11:”I chose French because it was an added bonus to put in a C.V. that most people might not have, also it gives me the ability to somewhat talk to people from a country. Another reason I took it is that you can insult people without them knowing”
“In year 9 I wasn’t too keen on French; however, now I really enjoy learning it because I find it to be the most rewarding subject and one of the most interesting. Every lesson in year 10 and year 11 I have left feeling more confident in the subject and with a wider range of vocabulary, which has resulted in me applying for French A-level”
“I really enjoy taking French at GCSE! It’s extremely interesting learning how to speak a completely new language with all the fascinating rules that you have to apply, and how refreshing it is to be able to speak not only English. For these reasons, I have chosen to continue with French at A-level, as I believe that it will be incredibly useful in my future and take me to different places around the world. I cannot wait to carry on with my love for the subject!”
And from year 10:”I opted for French because I enjoyed the lessons and how they were made fun and included everyone. Also they weren’t just standard lessons where you just noted things down, there would be games and ways to get the words into your head so that you wouldn’t forget them.”
“I like French because you can be creative and everything we learn is new, you can also create your own sentences personal to you.”
Meme competitionA picture is worth a thousand words, so memes are usually worth about 1,005 because they have words too! It’s time to update the meme wall in room 10, so please send your favourite, or your original creation, to noon@tahs.net
to be in the running.
What’s French Newsround focusing on?At the moment, the French are wondering about the Big Bang, and handballhttps://www.1jour1actu.com/info-animee/cest-quoi-le-big-bang
https://www.1jour1actu.com/sport/melvyn-richardson-vise-or
Sea shanties
Sing along in French!https://youtu.be/7EG_MotAwvk
TAHS Future Intentions Evening
Thank you so much to everyone who attended our virtual Future Intentions evening last night! It was very different to our usual event but we hope that you found the videos from and conversations with our exhibitors useful on our learn live platform. We were also happy to answer so many of your individual questions in the teams meeting. The videos will be available on demand until the end of term on this link: https://learnliveuk.com/partner/thomas-alleynes-high-school/ and there is a list of FAQ below which we hope will help you as your making your choices.
The year 9 curriculum choice videos from Mr Mitchell are also available in the future intentions library on teams and we will be hosting another Q&A for any year 9s needing futher support at 4pm on Monday 8th February. Further details to follow.
FAQ from the Teams Meeting
Which videos will help me with my choices for year 10?
The four videos which you may find useful are: Year 10 Curriculum Design, Why Study Languages?, Year 9 Open Evening and The Ebacc. These can both be found in the curriculum library and on the live platform (link above).
When do I need to make my choices?
The form will be made available on the 8th February when we will also host another live Q&A to support you if you need it.
How can I find out more about what careers the subject will help me with?
Our Heads of Departments and subject teachers will always be happy to answer questions about their subjects. In addition to that there is also a range of resources on the careers library which tell you about the employability skills each subject will develop as well as different careers you could do with your subjects.
I want to look into a careers in … (policing, army, law, medicine, teaching, computing) where can I find out more information?
There are so many different resources available on line that sometimes it is difficult to find the best places to get reliable and up to date information. You can make use of your school log in to Unifrog and also the websites below make a really good starting point when doing research into the careers which interest you.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/careers
Join The Police (joiningthepolice.co.uk)
Browse Army Roles – Find Your Perfect Fit – British Army Jobs (mod.uk)
RAF Recruitment | Home | Regular & Reserve | Royal Air Force (mod.uk)
Get Into Teaching (education.gov.uk)
How do I find out about Virtual Work Experience and why should I do it?
Virtual work experience is a great way to boost your CV and also to find out a little bit more about careers which interest you. On the careers library I have shared a number of free and paid for work experiences. Spingpod offer a wide range of opportunities and are definitely worth a look, in addition the NHS are offering a range of opportunities for a very small price.
NHS Healthcare Careers Virtual Work Experience – Allied Healthcare Mentor (alliedhealthmentor.org)
https://www.springpod.co.uk/work-experience/
Upcoming opportunities
Goldman Sachs – Investment Banking Webinar
On Thursday 11th February from 9.30am – 12.15 pm Goldman Sachs are hosting a webinar and we have just 6 places left for students who are interested. The event will be held on Zoom and is an opportunity for you to engage with industry professionals, developing skills needed to aid your transition from school into University or the working world.
You do not need any prior knowledge of the industry but should have an interest in finding out more about the career opportunities available.
Please contact me if you are interested. featherstone@tahs.net
The Big Assembly
On Tuesday 9th February from 11:10AM, the National Apprenitceships team will be hosting ‘The Big Assembly’ This is a great opportunity for anyone who is interested in signing up for an apprenticeship. They will be ‘turning on the lights, pointing our cameras, and talking about apprenticeships, traineeships, and other exciting career opportunities with our panel! ‘. There are some great exhibitors and a chance to find out more about some of the apprenticeships which will be on offer.
To register for this event – click on the link below – this will be a great opportunity for anyone considering an apprenticeship at all levels.
The Big Assembly #NAW2021 – Register Now – Big Assembly
Careers advice and guidance
We have now started working through the careers appointments. These will be done over the phone and your child will receive a message on teams notifying them of their appointment. We will also ask the best number to contact them on. It is really important that they answer the call, the interview will discuss their future intentions and support them with decision making. They will either be contact by myself (Mrs Featherstone), Mark Stubbs or Clare Atkinson from Entrust.
We will also be setting up further supportive workshops for our students who are applying for apprenticeships. If you have told us you are interested in an Apprenticeship you will be invited to this workshop.
Career of the week
My inspiration for this week’s career of the week came from a question that was asked by a few of you last night:
| Job title: | Police Officer |
| Entry requirements: | There are many routes into the police force. University You could do the Professional Policing Degree run by some universities before applying to join a force. Alternatively, you could get a degree in any subject and apply to: the Degree Holder programmethe Police Now graduate leadership scheme To apply for this route you’ll usually need: 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree College You could take a Level 2 or 3 Diploma in Public Services before applying to the police, although this is not essential. To apply for this route you’ll usually need: 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course Apprenticeship You could start by doing a Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA). It’s a 3 year work-based programme that leads to a degree in Professional Policing Practice. You can apply through your chosen force. If you want to work in non-emergency response situations you could do a serious and complex crime investigator degree apprenticeship. In this role, as well as police forces you could also be employed by organisations like: The National Crime Agency Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs The Ministry of Defence To apply for this route you’ll usually need: 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship Direct Application You’ll generally need A levels or an equivalent level 3 qualification, or experience in a related area like the military. You’ll usually apply to one police force at a time. If your application is successful, you’ll be invited to an assessment centre where you’ll: have an interview take written tests If you pass the tests at the assessment centre, you’ll then: complete a physical fitness test have a medical, including an eyesight check go though security and background checks You can search for forces that are recruiting at Joining the Police If you’re unsuccessful at the assessment stage, you may have to wait a minimum of 6 months before you can re-apply. |
| What you’ll earn: | £21,500 to £41,500 |
| Day to day duties: | respond to calls for help from the public investigate crimes and offences interview suspects and make arrests give evidence in court control traffic and crowds at large public events and gatherings advise the public on personal safety and crime prevention promote respect for people in relation to their race, diversity and human rights |
| What skills will I need? | legal knowledge including court procedures and government regulations knowledge of public safety and security negotiation skills for keeping people safe patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations sensitivity and understanding for dealing with traumatic situations the ability to understand people’s reactions excellent verbal communication skills leadership skills to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently |
| Career path and progression: | You’ll spend 2 years as a student officer before becoming a police constable. You can then decide whether you want to specialise in a particular type of policing, for example: criminal investigation department (CID), anti-fraud or road traffic drugs or firearms counter-terrorism air support or underwater search dog-handling or mounted policing With experience, you may be able to apply for promotion to sergeant, inspector or chief inspector. In the CID you’ll also have the title of detective added to your rank, for example detective sergeant or detective chief inspector. |
Information sourced directly from www.nationalcareersservice.gov.uk
If you have any suggestions for a career you would like to know more about then please email me at featherstone@tahs.net
Links
Thomas Alleyne's high school 