Welcome

Welcome to the fourth edition of The Wilnecote Warbler and the first of a brand new term. I am Vicki Mann, the Assistant Headteacher for Curriculum.

As part of my role, I have the great privilege in supporting our students’ through the process of selecting their GCSE options. This is one of the most important stages in our student’s education so far and therefore we understand as a school that making the right decision is extremely important to both our students and their parents.

On Thursday 12th January Mrs Hartle and I, along with our dedicated Heads of Subject, had the great pleasure of welcoming Year 9 students and their parents into school for our first face to face options evening since the start of the pandemic. It was a truly positive evening with parents and students having the opportunity to understand the options process and discuss the potential subjects they may wish to study in Year 10.

At The Wilnecote School we encourage students to study a broad and balanced set of subjects which build upon the skills learnt at key stage 3. Our options process allows students a certain amount of flexibility to study subjects based on their own strengths and interests. We encourage students to choose subjects which motivate them and allow them to enjoy their key stage 4 experience as well as giving them an effective route into post-16 or training opportunities.

Mrs Mann

Assistant Headteacher

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Value Points - Rewarding Students

During the final week of Term, we were able to celebrate the achievement of students at Wilnecote. On Thursday 17th December, students who met the criteria were able to enjoy either an inflatables session in the Sports Hall or a movie experience. This was just a small way to recognise some positive and consistent attitudes to learning. We know there was some disappointment for those students who didn't get to enjoy this so we are committed to reviewing the criteria to be as fair as possible for next Term. The inflatable were great fun and some staff (me included) tried our luck on them. I went home with a cricked neck so my body clearly is too old for such fun!

The other events during the final week were our House Celebration Assemblies. In these assemblies, we awarded the first Value Badges of the year. It was fantastic to see just how many had achieved the thresholds for them, with four students even achieving Badge two as well, so early in the year! Students should be encouraged to wear their badges with pride on their lapels.

Mr Thorogood

Assistant Headteacher

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we're off to see the wizard

This is a very exciting time at The Wilnecote School as next month will see our first live school production in three years. Staff and students are working hard to prepare our performances of The Wizard of Oz which will take place from 14th – 16th February.

The cast, which includes students from Year 7 right through to Year 11, are busy rehearsing and learning their lines so that they are ready for opening night. As well as the three evening performances the cast will perform to some local primary school students, entertaining and inspiring them.

Being part of a production is hard work, especially for our main cast; Emily Rose and Isabel Williamson (Year 8) – Dorothy, Darcy Corbett (Year 10) – Lion, Rosie Wilkins (Year 8) – Tinman, Isabelle Lennon (Year 9) – Scarecrow, Chloe Dore (Year 11) – Glinda and Megan Smith (Year 9) – Wicked Witch of the West who have been rehearsing every week since October.

Tickets are about to go on sale and we are all very excited to share our hard work with you so watch this space for more news and please come along and support the performance if you can.

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Last Day of Half Term

Friday 17th February 14:40pm

Term Starts

Monday 27th February 8:30am

Parents' Evening

Year 9 - Thursday 26th January,

Year 11 - Thursday 9th February,

Year 10 - Thursday 2nd March,

Year 8 - Thursday 16th March,

Year 7 - Thursday 30th March

Headteacher's Update

Click here to read our Headteacher's update

Punctuality to school

Our school day starts promptly with our first lesson of the day at 8.30am. We therefore expect students to be on site by 8.25am to ensure they are in their lesson promptly. The vast majority of students arrive to school in good time and ready to learn and we thank our parents and carers for ensuring this. However, some are not here on time and their lateness can disturb the learning of others as they enter the classroom when the lesson has started. To support students and teachers in ensuring a prompt start and making every minute of the lesson count, from Tuesday 17th January we will be ringing a warning bell at 8.25am to prompt students to move to their classroom and a further bell at 8.30am when the lesson will start. If a student arrives at the lesson after this second bell they may be given a sanction for lateness in the form of a detention. Students will be informed of this change on Monday in their tutor time or assembly. We are most grateful for your support and would welcome you having a conversation with your child about the importance of punctuality to school and, indeed, in life.

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Focus on English

Mr O'Malley

Head of English

Click here to log in to Educake

The English department has recently bought Educake, joining Science in the use of this platform. Educake is an online homework and revision platform that offers pupils a way to engage with their homework with only the use of any electronic device that can access a web browser. Teachers will set specific quizzes tied to the topics that are being studied in their lessons, allowing pupils to practise and develop their skills, with immediate feedback provided to them. However, pupils in Year 10 and 11 can use Educake as a revision tool by selecting quizzes on topics that they wish to improve upon; a perfect tool on the approach towards their exam season.

Pupils should be familiar with this platform through Science homework, but they can speak to their teachers if they need their login information again.

As we are now in the final six months for our Year 11 students, I would like to highlight an extra opportunity being made available to assist with revision. Every Thursday after school is our regular English revision session. Pupils are invited to come along to their usual classes for an extra session of English tailored to areas that they are struggling with. Teachers will walk through exam questions, planning and revision strategies, as well as covering key characters, themes and methods for our literature texts. We would always like to see more of our students taking advantage of this valuable opportunity and the benefits of an extra English session per week are substantial.

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Box Clever

During the Autumn Term Year 8 have been looking at the topic of climate change. They began by exploring the performance Urban Astronaut by theatre company Highly Sprung. Urban Astronaut is set in an imaginary future and explores what might happen to our planet if we don’t do something about climate change. Students then created their own performances based on the theme of climate change. They worked in groups and devised their own performances which they then presented to the rest of their class.

Over the last few weeks of the term students worked in pairs or small groups to create a set design for their performance. They began by creating a mind map of their ideas, then they drew, coloured and annotated their set design thinking about what they wanted to include and why. Finally, students created a model of their set design using a shoe box and some crafts. The results were really creative and imaginative and students should be very proud of their work.

Miss Julius

Head of Performing Arts

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The Wilnecote School is hosting a careers fair for the first time on Wednesday 22nd March 2023.

We are looking for any higher or further education providers, apprenticeship or training providers, businesses, companies and individuals to host a table at the fair.

This is a great opportunity for students to find out about career & job opportunities, facts about the industry you work in or to tell them about your experiences in the world of work.

It is also an opportunity to promote your company or business & any services that you offer. We hope that students will learn about what is available locally and outside the Tamworth area.

If you would like to participate or able to help, please Email: careers@wilnecotehighschool.org

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Are you interested in recycling?

Do you care for the environment?

We need you.

The Wilnecote School is proud to launch “The Eco Team”. The club is student led and will focus on improving recycling within school and the local community, with a little bit of wholesome house competition thrown in too.

Speak to Mrs Glover in the school library if you wish to join the team and take part in your first recycling challenge.

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Go4Schools

The vast majority of parents/carers have now downloaded and are using the Go4Schools App to view VPs and behavioural events.

In school we have also encouraged students to download the app, it will be the students and the parents/carers responsibility to ensure that students attend their detentions preventing any further consequences. Students must check the app before leaving at the end of the school day, keeping in line with our Mobile Phone Policy.

If you are having trouble downloading/logging into Go4Schools then please contact the school via office@wilnecotehighschool.org.

School links

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This Week in History

On 19th January 1915, 4 people were killed in Norfolk by the first German air raid of World War One. Two zeppelins had flown from Hamburg in Germany. Their intended target was British shipping and the docks in the River Humber but bad weather forced them to change course. Zeppelin L3 dropped its bombs on Great Yarmouth at 8.30pm and L4 hit King’s Lynn just over 2 hours later. Samuel Smith, a 53 year old shoemaker who was standing in the streets of Great Yarmouth, was the first British civilian to be killed in an aerial bombardment. Percy Goate, a 14 year boy, was the youngest to be killed that night. Percy’s mother later recalled: “I saw a bomb drop through the skylight and strike the pillow where Percy was lying… I tried to wake him but he was dead. Then the house fell in. I don't remember anymore.” By the time the war was over 557 civilians had been killed in air raids and a further 1 358 injured.

World War One is a topic studied in Year 9 History.

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Christmas Food Bank Collection 2022

Before Christmas, we took eight students to make our annual donation to a local food bank. As always, the generosity of everybody that made a donation was gratefully received. The current difficulties that we are all currently facing made this year’s food drive our most important yet and the 25 bags of donated food and toiletries that were donated by you will have made a massive difference to those people in our town that need it the most.

With this in mind, we would like to say thank you, thank you for your generosity and thank you for stepping up at a time when it is more important than ever that we look after each as best we can.

Happy New Year!

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