Private School News

Independent school toughs it out

In a week when local authorities and thousands of schools have been criticised for closing in the face of slippery playgrounds, students at Kingham hill School in the Cotswolds built igloos and slept in them overnight.

Although some day students were unable to reach the rural boarding school near Stow-in-the-Wold, those that did and all the boarders went about school life as usual. However, when lessons were over, and with the help of one of the house masters, Paul Parmenter, they built an igloo village.

Sixteen 11, 12 and 13-year olds wrapped up warm, slid into their sleeping bags and made the most of an opportunity only possible at an independent school.

Not all stuck with the plan until the morning. However, most got a good few hours sleep and there was much banter and bragging at breakfast. Toby, who had to be coaxed out as morning arrived, claimed: “It was definitely a bit cold but it was brilliant fun!”

Headmaster, Nick Seward, commented: “This is precisely the sort of thing that a school like Kingham Hill can offer – genuine adventure, albeit it carefully supervised. This is the sort of experience that these lads will learn from and talk about for years to come.”

And spare a thought for the plucky housemaster who spent the night sleeping in the open to keep an eye on his charges!

ICED GEM ON AN IDEA!

When snow put halt to outdoor games, Year 3 and 4 pupils at Sibford Junior School came up with an ingenious alternative.

Using sports marker cones as moulds, they created ice bricks and, with the help of teacher Vanessa Cranke, built an igloo on the netball court.

Pictured are 9-year-old Oliver Isles and Julia Beaumont, age 8.

SCHOOL GETS TOP MARKS

Sibford School near Banbury has received an excellent report following an inspection by CReSTeD, the Council for the Registration of Schools Teaching Dyslexic Pupils.

One third of the pupils attending the Quaker school are dyslexic but follow the main school timetable thanks to specialist support. This can include additional tuition in small groups; use of a speech recognition program; and help with study skills and examination techniques.

CReSTed praised the school for ‘developing the whole child’ and offering ‘the best opportunity’. It also congratulated Sibford for providing ‘high quality education’ and for enabling dyslexic pupils to ‘reach their full potential and to integrate seamlessly into the mainstream.’

Sibford head Michael Goodwin said: “We are proud of our reputation as a dyslexia friendly school and are delighted that CReSTed has recognised the effort put in by our staff to ensure that all our pupils have the opportunity to grow in confidence and competence and to make the most of their talents. Being dyslexic does not prevent access to top sets, even in English, as our results testify.”

· It is estimated that at least 1 in 10 people in the UK are dyslexic. Established in 1989, CReSTeD is a registered charity that provides guidance and assurance to parents looking for schools offering provision for dyslexic pupils. Schools on the CReSTeD register are inspected every three years.

Pictured: Formula One legend and dyslexia sufferer, Sir Jackie Stewart, is pictured during an earlier visit to Sibford School’s Dyslexia Department. Sir Jackie left school at the age of 15 slated by teachers for being ‘stupid, dumb and thick’. It was only when he reached the age of 41 that his condition was finally diagnosed. Other high-profile dyslexics include Olympic gold medallist, Sir Steve Redgrave, entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson and chef Jamie Oliver.

SCHOOL SETS SIGHTS ON PRESTIGOUS GREEN FLAG

Pupils at Sibford School are setting their sights on a top eco award by pledging their support for going green.

The school has already achieved Bronze and Silver Eco-School status and is now working towards the prestigious Green Flag Award.

Sixth form students made paper windmills which they signed and used to create a wind farm in the school grounds to pledge their commitment to reducing carbon footprint.

The school also took part in an Energy Detectives workshop organised by SEEP – the Schools’ Energy Efficiency Project.

The workshop enabled pupils to identify areas where energy is being wasted in the school buildings and to set up an action plan to reduce energy wastage.

Angy Bovill, head of environmental science at Sibford, said: “The pupils are all very committed to ensuring that Sibford becomes a sustainable school.

“An energy awareness campaign has been drawn up with the aim of addressing global problems, especially climate change, and environmental representatives are being appointed for each tutor group to oversee this initiative.”

Pictured: Pledging their support to Going Green are sixth form pupils: Heather Kensett, Alex Jardine, Paddy Campbell, Becky Cockcroft, Eve Hazlett, Ellinor Hirst and Imogen Gartside.

Model United Nations Conference

Nearly 300 St. Clare’s staff and students participated in the first St. Clare’s Model United Nations conference. Students had prepared for this event during the preceding weeks by researching the positions of the countries they represented on a variety of issues such as nuclear power in Iran, sustainable development, water management, Darfur and the Kyoto protocol.

Student leaders of the event were Felix Richter (German), Skye Thomas (Indian), Margherita Puri-Negri (Italian), Ian De Vries (Dutch) and Peter Wietlicki (Polish), though many more students held positions of responsibility as chairs and secretaries of the five committees which met throughout the day.

The conference was a very valuable educational experience. It was also a good demonstration for students that those who put in the most effort benefited the most.

Tom Walsh, Vice Principal at St. Clare’s, summed up the event. “While I believe we all work to advance international education and understanding on a day to day basis at St. Clare’s, such major events as the MUN conference make a special and considerable contribution to the College mission.”

GOLD AWARD FOR BOBBY

Bobby Tann, a pupil at Sibford School near Banbury, has been presented with a prestigious Gold BA Crest Award, a nationally recognised honor which encourages students aged between 11 and 19 to develop their scientific curiosity.

Bobby, 17, received the award after spending six weeks working with the Rothampstead Research Institute in Harpenden where he studied the effects of isolation on the pollination of a wild plant in cereal fields.

The BA Crest allows students to develop their scientific curiosity and to find solutions to problems or tasks in the same way as professional scientists and engineers do. Bobby was able to carry out his project thanks to a Nuffield Foundation Science Bursary.

Bobby was mentored during his research by PhD student Penny Fletcher, who said: “Bobby conducted a mini research project, which complimented my PhD work. Once briefed, he made the project his own, working mostly unsupervised on collecting data, lab processing and analysis. He mastered specialist techniques and studied in his spare time, showing real initiative, innovation and drive and demonstrating a talent for analytical and scientific thinking.

“Bobby wrote an excellent report, presenting impressively detailed results. The understanding he showed was the level of an undergraduate rather than an A-level student.”

Bobby, who is currently studying biology, chemistry, history and art at AS level, added “Being given the opportunity to spend six weeks at Rothampstead was a fantastic experience. I loved every minute of it and hope to continue in scientific research after I leave Sibford.”

Bobby is pictured with Penny Fletcher at the awards presentation. He has nominated his project for inclusion in the National Crest Final, a Science Fair for young scientists and engineers. Prizes for the best projects include attendance at International Science Fairs.

TEENAGERS DISCUSS PEACE ISSUES

Peace representatives visited Sibford School near Banbury on Thursday as part of Quaker Outreach Week.

Alice Meager from the West Midlands Quaker Peace Education Project, Anna Liddle from CND and Martha Beale from the Fellowship of Reconciliation conducted a number of workshops with Year 10 pupils examining issues such as conflict, blame and reconciliation.

Sibford head Michael Goodwin said: “Quakers translate their faith into action by supporting peacemakers, working for social justice and caring for the environment. The workshops gave pupils the opportunity to discuss significant peace issues and to look at different ways of resolving conflict situations.”

Pictured: Alice Meager from the Quaker Peace Education Project is pictured with Sibford pupil Malek Rahimi.

FISHY GOINGS ON AT SIBFORD SCHOOL

Youngsters at Sibford School near Banbury were given an insight into the healthy eating properties of fish when school caterers, Thomas Franks, hosted a Fish Themed Day.

In addition to enjoying a number fishy treats — including paella, salmon and battered basa — pupils were taught about the nutritional value of fish, given the chance to hold a live crab and lobster and also had the opportunity to come face to face with a number of different fish including plaice, halibut, sword fish and even a shark!

Pictured: Fishy encounter … Year Seven pupils Gabriella Clack (12) and Harry Rickard (11) are pictured with chef Ian Foster of Hook Norton catering company Thomas Franks.

SIBFORD ACHIEVES TOP RESULTS … BUT SAYS ‘NO’ TO MORE SATS

Sibford School near Banbury is to scrap SATs for its junior pupils and instead will be offering children the chance to spend more time outdoors using the local environment to enhance their learning.

Said Sibford Head Michael Goodwin: “Our SATs results for this year have been some of the best we have ever seen, however we have become increasingly concerned that national tests at ages seven and 11 can, and do, cause unnecessary anxiety for children. This is against our whole ethos as a Quaker school and we have therefore decided that in future we will not be putting our junior pupils through this trial.”

Results for 2008 show that at Key Stage Two, 64% of Sibford pupils achieved a level 4 in English (compared to the national average of 47%), 91% achieved level 4 in Maths (compared to 45% nationally) and 55% achieved level 4 in Science (compared to 47% nationally).

“We are exceptionally proud of our pupils for achieving such high results,” said Michael Goodwin. “However, we believe that young children should be free to develop a passion for learning, rather than being given an educational diet focused on getting through tests.

“We recognise the value of taking time to enjoy discovering new skills and talents and for introducing freedom into the curriculum, which is why we plan to spend more time out doors, making the most of the excellent location we have here.

“This is a very exciting time for Sibford School and I believe that our new junior curriculum will result in pupils who have a real passion for learning, a healthy self esteem and a greater respect for the world around them.”

International Baccalaureate success at St Clare’s

St. Clare’s is delighted to announce another set of good International Baccalaureate results in May 2008. Our average score was 32.82; we felt that it was a good reflection of the year group.

We achieved:

A 96% overall pass rate and an average points score of 32.82
40 students with 35 points or more (considered equivalent to 4.5 grade As at A level) = 36.36%.
11 students with 40 points or more = 10.0%.
1 student with 45 points, the maximum possible score achieved by only 72 students worldwide last year.
1 student with 44 points.
This is the fifth consecutive year in which we have had 44 and 45 point students, an outstanding achievement in the fiercely competitive IB environment.

Comparison of St. Clare’s 2008 results with previous years

2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003
40 points or more
10.0% 10.8% 13.1% 18.8% 14.1% 14.0%
30 points or more
72.7% 68.7% 73.7% 83.2% 71.8% 79.1%
24 points or more
97.27% 94.0% 96.1% 98.0% 94.1% 100%
Mean score
(excluding retakes)
32.82 32.49 33.49 34.54 32.81 33.79

The maximum score is 45 points and the pass mark is 24 points.

RECORD BREAKING RESULTS FOR SIBFORD PUPILS

Students at Sibford School near Banbury have recorded their best ever GCSE results.

Figures out today show that 87% of pupils achieved a minimum of five GCSEs at A* – C grade with 30.6% of all grades being A* or A.

The school achieved a 100% pass rate with all pupils achieving grades F or above. And more than 50% gained 10 or more grades at A* – C.

Said head Michael Goodwin: “Our students have worked exceptionally hard to achieve such fantastic grades which surpass the already high standards of previous years.

“There have been some outstanding individual successes and I am thrilled to be able to offer my heartiest congratulations and also to pay tribute to the excellent teaching staff we have here at Sibford.”

Special mention goes to:

Imogen Gartside of Deddington who achieved five A*s and six A grades;
Alex Jardine of Clifton who achieved eight A*s and three As;
Harriet Fletcher of Milcombe and Jack Keogan of Kineton who each achieved seven A*s and three As;
Tom Roger* of Great Rollright who achieved seven A*s and two As;
Katie Boyd of Chipping Norton who achieved five A*s and four As;
Harriet Smith of Adderbury who achieved three A*s and six As;
Elinor Hirst* of Bodicote who achieved one A* and eight As; and
Matthew Taylor of Bloxham who achieved one A* and seven As.

Note to editors: It was a second week of celebration for Tom Roger, Alex Jardine and Elinor Hirst … last week all three passed their AS Level in Applied Business Studies and Tom also achieved his AS Maths.

Pictured: A stars … Tom Roger, Imogen Gartside, Elinor Hirst, Harriet Fletcher and Alex Jardine.

Who Stole the Tarts?

The Year One play was a real “who dunnit”. Hector Protector quizzed all the suspects but still could not solve the question: Who Stole The Tarts? Beautifully costumed Jacks told their stories, bees made honey for the Queen of Hearts — even the Spice Girls made a spectacular come-back!. The story, written by Mrs Wylie with music by Mrs Berrett, kept us guessing to the very end when it was discovered that the jackdaws had jam on their noses! They redeemed themselves by presenting the Queen with flapjacks! It was such a fun-filled, joyous performance. Well done Year One!There was a retiring collection for Gigi McCauley’s Aunt’s charity Mercy in Action. Our generous and appreciative parents gave over £130. Thank you so much

PROMISES RAISE OVER £6,000