THA Newsletter Dec 11

The Hastings Academy

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NEWSLETTERTERM 2 : DECEMBER 2011

EDITION 002

The hasTings academy is builT on firm foundaTions!Several events this term have reminded us of the strong legacy from our predecessor school. Many of the final Year 11 Hillcrest students attended an awards evening to receive their GCSE and BTEC certificates from the Deputy Mayor. We were celebrating the remarkable 2011 results, which showed a 7% increase in the number of students achieving 5A*-C grades at GCSE including English and maths which established a three year trend of significant improvement. Details of the prize winners can be found on page 6 of this newsletter. Students and their families acknowledged the commitment and skill of the school’s staff and the inspired leadership of Pip Gasson, who was Headteacher for most of their final year at Hillcrest and is now Vice Principal at The Hastings Academy.

Hillcrest’s record-breaking results provide a motivational challenge for the Academy. Many Year 11 students have already achieved good grades in GCSE and BTEC qualifications and we were delighted to welcome Amber Rudd, our local MP and a member of The Academies’ Board of Directors, to present certificates and address the Year 11 students. Since it was ‘Children in Need’ day, Amber also joined in the lunchtime fundraising activities organised by younger students.

Whilst staff have been focussed on delivering a high quality education and students are working hard to make good progress, the demolition of the old school and construction of the new building have been taking place around us! Rubble from Kenway Hall was crushed into small pieces and used to form the foundations of the academy, which is appropriate as many past and present members of our community have fond memories of the hall.

Membership of The Hastings Federation was crucial to the success of Hillcrest school and this partnership has been strengthened by the formation of a single governing body for the two new academies. The Hastings Academies Trust has recently appointed a new Chief Executive, Frank Green who is also Chief Executive of Leigh Academies Trust, Kent. We welcome Frank to our federation and look forward to benefitting from his experience and expertise.

On behalf of staff and students at The Hastings Academy we wish our families and friends best wishes for Christmas and the New Year.Theresa Phillips, Principal

Head Boy, John Piper and Head Girl, Natasha Dockerill turning on the

Christmas tree lights in Ore Village.

2The Hastings Academy

sTaff celebraTe icT successFollowing a successful pilot in 2009-10, ICT trainingfor support staff was extended last year. Fourteen members of staff attended voluntary weekly training sessions with Ms Adie from September2010 through to June 2011. Three staff members carried on their training into a second year, while others embarked on ICT training for the first time. Staff studied the OCR National syllabus, also offered to students, towards achieving OCR National First Award (equivalent to 1 GCSE) or OCR National Award (equivalent to 2 GCSEs).

Following a great deal of hard work, some of which was done as homework - all have completed their units successfully and were congratulated by Mrs Phillips. Who commented “these achievements demonstrate the commitment of the academy to the continuing professional development of all staff. Congratulations to colleagues who took part in classes after the school day, in order to improve their skills and offer even better support to our students.”

The following staff, who started training last year, have achieved OCR Nationals Unit 1 (ICT Skills for Business): Mr B Butler, Mrs E Button, Mrs J De Garston, Mrs L Dwarte, Mrs A Goring, Mrs P Greig,Mrs J Hennessey, Mrs S Howell, Mrs S Lakin, Mrs D Plummer, Mrs T Speer.

After two years of training and considerable perseverance , Mrs D Benton, Mrs R Foster and Mrs T Wildman have achieved their full OCR Nationals Award (equivalent to 2 GCSEs). Mrs Foster, having achieved Distinction, also made a valuable contribution to supporting the first year group. J adie

conTenTs

02 Local Advisory Body Staff ICT Success 03 Senior Students04 Fundraising Activities05 Movember, Everyoung06 Y11 Celebration Evening07 Dover Castle, Black History, Year 11 Assembly08 Villiers Park, G&T09 The Duke of Edinburgh10 Art Trips11 Sports Update12 Young Enterprise13 Joint Academy Projects14 Ore in Bloom, Rambert15 Club Timetable16 Entertainment Workshops17 Choir & Homework Club18 Attendance19 Building Update20 Cameron School21 Bance School22 Starkey School23 Chartwells24 Frank Green Diary Dates

The hasTings academylocal adVisory body (lab)

On 16th November the Hastings and St Leonards Local Advisory Bodies met for the first time for a joint induction meeting.

The purpose of the LAB is to advise the Board of Directors on the functioning of the academy in order to ensure that local issues are addressed properly in terms of the academy’s policy and practice.

It is envisaged that this LAB will meet 3 times a year. Each LAB is made up of 12 members. The Hastings Academy LAB is as follows:• Chair (Board Director)• The Hastings Academy Principal• Community and voluntary sector (2 reps)• Business• Post 16 provider• Co-opted• Local Authority• Parents (2 reps)• Staff (2 reps)

To the left from top to bottom are the 2 staff representatives - Ms P Gasson, Vice Principal and Mrs A Crisford, Welfare Admissions and Community Manager, and the 2 parent representatives Mrs C Carter and Mrs J Worley.


37THE HASTINGS ACADEMY

Curtis Arnold HarmerDeputy Head Boy

Dominic BarkerHead Boy

Bance School

Nico BowenSenior Student

Rosie BrockSenior StudentThe Lighthouse

Liam CannSenior Student

Richard CarterSenior Student

Communications

Joseph ShearerSenior Student

Science

Billie-Jayde Stacey-CallowSenior Student

Y7 Nurture Group

Megan-Jane Tullett-LookerHead Girl

Starkey School

Cameron WhiteSenior Student

Jacob WhiteSenior Student

Thomas WisdenHead Boy

Starkey School

Fiona MandefieldSenior StudentLearning Zone

Daniel MatthewsSenior Student

Transition

Lewis PaineSenior Student

John PiperHead Boy

Joshua SalmonSenior Student

Nico SeetaramSenior Student

Natasha DockerillHead Girl

May EdmundsDeputy Head Girl

Conner LutmanSenior Student

Ryan JinksAcademy Sports

Captain

Charlotte GibbsHead Girl

Cameron School

Chloe FosterSenior StudentLearning Zone

Gregg JonesSenior StudentLearning Zone

Joseph LongSenior Student

Sam FosterSenior Student

Chelsea DunnDeputy AcademySports Captain

Jack DohertySenior Student

Oliver De La HarpeHead Boy

Cameron School

Rhianne CoxSenior Student

English

Rhys ClimpsonSenior Student

ICT

Amy CharmanHead Girl

Bance School

Abigail CayleySenior Student

Art

THE HASTINGS ACADEMY

SENIOR STUDENTS2011-2012

Music

Music


children in needThis year we had a fantastically successful and fun day on Friday, 18th November and have raised to date over £1,000 for Children in Need, with sponsorship money still being received.

Mrs Plummer, Ms Dwarte and Ms McCallum ran a tuck shop at break and lunch time selling homemade sweets and cakes and sweets.

Fun events in A6 included:• homemade lemonade stand;• lucky dip;• raffle;• face painting;• Pudsey treasure map;• guess how many sweets in a jar;• human fruit machine.

In addition, two year 10 students auctioned themselves off to be slaves - Lewis Todd and Kier Tyson. The boys were sold for £17 to Mrs Phillips. The winner of the Pudsey cake was Lauren Witcomb in year 7. The winners of the staff “guess where Pudsey will travel”, was Mr Deeprose and “what cake he will eat” was Mrs Beasley.

A big thank you to the following students who were instrumental in the organisation and running of these fundraising activities - Alex Neville, Lewis Baker, Connor Hyland-Whiting, Lauren Hutton, Sheila Francis, Jasmin Daniels, Eleanor Hobbs, Ruby Webb, Francesca Coleman, Charlotte Gibbs, Ellie Martell, Sophie Brown, Millie Wright, Gina Boyle, Izzy Willcocks, Kayleigh Willson, Lucy Page, Sophie Vaughan, Leah Hamblin, Dionne Mitchell, Lauren Glazier, Lauren Hood, Dempsey Everest, Ryan Couzens, Jonathan Hopper, Bradley Vandepeer and Travis Charrington. a rattray

fundraising for surViVing chrisTmasWhile preparing for Christmas this year, pupils and staff are thinking about those in our community who may find the festive season challenging. We are working together to support the local Surviving Christmas charity.

Established in 1985, Surviving Christmas provide help to local families in need and also run an Open Christmas event at the YMCA in St. Leonards. The charity relies entirely on voluntary donations.Throughout December, all tutor groups are doing a Friday Challenge for which they will decorate a hamper and fill it with non-perishable food, toiletries, gifts and small clothing items e.g. men’s socks. We hope to have at least 40 hampers to donate to Surviving Christmas. In addition, on the last day of term (Friday December 16th), we will have a mufti day, at which pupils can dress in their own clothes in exchange for bringing in an item for the hamper. Thank you for all your support of this worthy local charity. J adie


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moVember comes To The hasTings academyThe men of the Hastings Academy grew moustaches for the month of November, or Movember as it is now known. Movember started in a suburb of Melbourne, Australia in 2003 and has grown to become an annual global event.

The purpose of the facial hair growing is to raise awareness of men’s health issues and to raise money to support prostate and testicular cancer charities.

Well done to the mustachios of The hastings academy who have raised over £600

Mr Cameron would like to thank all of those who endured a month of itching upper lips, their partners who put up with the bristles, and everyone who supported the cause and helped to put Movember firmly on the Academy calendar. J cameron

eVeryoung VisiT The academiesEverYoung are an up-and-coming group set to take the world by storm with their infectious blend of Steps-come-Liberty X feelgood songs. The group is made up of four members, Hollie, Jack, Cherelle & Eyal. They visited both academies and gave a talk about following your dreams with perseverance and hard work, as well as offering practical advice about pursuing a career in the music industry.

After the talk several brave students also took to the stage to show off their own singing and dancing skills. This was followed by a well appreciated performance by the group. They are the first band signed to the newly formed Record Label, Seymour Place Music in conjunction with EMI Records.

g dearman


year 11 celebraTion eVeningThe achievements of the last ever year 11 students from Hillcrest School were celebrated at The Azur Marina Pavilion on Thursday, 24th November. They achieved record breaking results, with 9 out of 10 achieving at least 5 A* to C grades. Councillor Alan Roberts, Deputy Mayor was there alongside Ms Pip Gasson, Acting Headteacher at Hillcrest last year, Mrs Theresa Phillips, Principal of The Hastings Academy and Mr Ken Hales, a Governor at Hillcrest for 12 years and Chair of Governors for the last 4 years. Certificates were presented to students by the Deputy Mayor and the following students were presented with cups:

• Hillcrest shield – Ben Urban • English – Alice Hilldreth• Maths – David Edmett• Technology – Joseph Griggs• CAPS – Sandra Wozny• Humanities – James Grand• Science – Sian Elder• Modern Foreign Language – Daisy Caruana• ICT – Liam Geering• Outstanding Achievement 2011 – Liam Geering,

Charlotte Reynolds, Gemima Ellis, Lauren Jearum-Bush

Also a big thank you to Alfa Electric, who for many years have provided a prize for students who have “Achieved in Adversity”. This year they were awarded to Sam Alexander and Nathan Hollands. Nathan was quick to thank staff and said, “without the support and understanding of staff during my time at Hillcrest, I wouldn’t have been able to successfully take on the roll of Education and Welfare Representative on the Student Council at Sussex Coast College”.


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blacK hisTory monThTo continue our theme of Black History Month, pupils spent some time creating pieces based on famous black figures. We had some lovely work, including songs, posters, videos and collages. A particularly impressive piece was created by CNL who created a billboard with lots of fascinating information and eye catching pictures. Many pupils made a fantastic effort with this project, and it was great to see so many children engaging with such a difficult and relevant issue.

r gough

year 11 celebraTion assemblyIn the midst of the Children in Need festivities, year 11 students were joined by local MP Amber Rudd and Principal, Theresa Phillips to receive their certificates for GCSE and BTEC qualifications already undertaken. Pictured below are some of our senior students, who also received their senior student badges - the first ever issued for The Hastings Academy.

doVer casTle TriPAlmost two thousand years of British history in three hours – quite an undertaking for any historian. Forty students visited Dover Castle as part of their course in October and marched around the ancient and medieval buildings of England’s most important fortress, examining inquisitively every dark corner. Unfortunately the tunnels were closed as ‘ the key to England’ began to wind down for winter.

During the many years I have visited this important site I do not recall such fantastic weather. Normally the students must battle through raging winds and torrential rain but we had warm sunshine and clear skies. The charismatic Ryan Jinks on standing on the great tower calmly assessed the view and was most impressed that he could see the French coastline. It has never been so clear. His friend Scribo while admiring the gothic arches in the chapel was moved by the skilled craftsmanship of the masons who cut the Caen stone.

Familiarity with the site is important if the students are to achieve their potential in GCSE history. They now have to complete three demanding and difficult questions as a controlled assessment – and the marks they receive for their endeavours will provide 25% of their final grade in this subject

I sincerely thank the students for their model behaviour and their efforts to understand the complicated site. I would also like to thank Ms. Gough, Mrs. Howells and Mrs. Foster for their help on this day. a evans


Villiers ParK scholars’ Programme

For the last 2 years we have been involved with the Villiers Park Educational Trust who work with some of our most able students in year 10 and 11. They are an educational trust which is helping students with academic potential access further and higher education including top universities. They follow our scholars from year 10 right through to when they leave 6th form college and on to university.

Congratulations to year 10 students Fern Pattinson, Eilidh Delves, Ryan Boakes, Lewis Todd, Jason Wren and Jake Brett who have joined the Villiers Park Scholars’ Programme as new recruits.

In November our year 10 scholars, who have just begun the scholarship, went up to Villiers Park Headquarters in Cambridge for a two-day residential where they met Villiers Park scholars from other schools in Hastings: The St Leonards Academy, William Parker and Helenswood. They visited Cambridge University, Corpus Christi College and spoke with students currently reading History, English Literature and Natural Sciences. You can see them below seated in Corpus Christi dining hall. As well as this they enjoyed working in teams, experiencing a more independent learning environment and of course playing pool in the common room!

Year 11 scholars who started on the programme last year (Jack Doherty, John Piper, Curtis Crandall, Reece Tew, Robbie Forbes and Rhys Climpson) continue their activities, and in October they attended a ‘Disaster Relief’ day at the St. Leonards Academy with year 11 students from the other Hastings schools. They took part in various activities considering the different aspects of the subject, and had the opportunity to create their own website for a disaster relief appeal. They attended a residential at Villiers Park in early December. In school they are working with learning mentor Jo Counsell. Jo, Alex Grant and another learning mentor Musetta Ripamonti will be based in the Hastings Academy from the beginning of December. c macmillan

gifTed and TalenTedA new programme of support will be launched in the new year aiming to stretch some of our most accomplished and able students here at The Hastings Academy. The programme will run across all year groups with a view to offering exciting aspirational learning opportunities. During the next few weeks some students will receive letters informing them and their parents/carers that they have been selected for this programme. At this stage we will be working with a small number in each year group and then later in the year we hope to invite further students to join the programme. If you have any questions, or you are keen to get involved, please contact Miss Macmillan at The Hastings Academy.

c macmillan


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The duKe of edinburgh aWardscomes To The hasTing academy

There’s been some strange happenings around the school on Thursday evenings, pupils have been seen struggling to putting up tents in the wind, burning pasta on a cooking stove and putting each other in recovery position. It can mean only one thing, the Duke of Edinburgh awards have come to The Hastings Academy!

The Duke of Edinburgh set up his eponymous award in the 1950’s to encourage boys (boys only back then) to get involved in the local community and get out into the countryside. The participants learnt skills to help them in their lives and become more independent. More than 50 years later the aims of the award are the same. The award is split into three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold. We have 11 participants, from years 10 and 11 in the bronze section. They are Rhys Climpson, Jack Doherty, Richard Carter, Daniel Matthews, Eildh Delves, Aurumn Dellaway, Ryan Boakes, Jacob Wells, Robin Brereton, Jason Wren and Jack Ottaway. We hope to expand next year with more pupils achieving bronze awards and some moving on to silver.

The award is split into 4 sections which the pupils must complete in 6 months.

In the volunteering section participants go and volunteer their time to help the local community. We have volunteers in homework club and science club in the school and also outside of school at Beavers and local charity shops.

For the physical section the participants have to improve their capability and fitness in a physical endeavour. We have pupils playing table tennis and cricket to complete this section. The participants have the opportunity to learn a skill for the third section which can be anything from sewing and cooking to computing and chess.

The final section is often the highlight for most as participants have the opportunity to spend the weekend on expedition - walking, camping and fending entirely for themselves. They must be entirely self-sufficient for the entire weekend, which is a test of their skills in cooking, camp craft, first aid and navigation.

The award is an excellent opportunity for pupils to prove their independence, give something back to the local community and improve themselves physically and in a potentially useful skill. It is a great advantage for the CV, which is especially important in today’s competitive job and education market but most importantly, it’s fun!

We will be recruiting year 9’s in the summer term.P hunt


4THE HASTINGS ACADEMY

Year 10 and 11 GCSE Photography

students had the opportunity to visit

the Taylor Wessing Photographic

portrait prize exhibition at the National

Portrait Gallery in London.

Students are currently working on a

project based on “Identity” and found

it useful and inspiring to look at the

work of a wide range of contemporary

photographers who had approached

the subject in a huge variety of ways.

The Art department has had a busy term with two trips for students. A large group of Year 9 GCSE students went to look at the fantastic Warhol exhibition at the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill. The exhibition includes a wide variety of Warhol’s work form his cow wallpaper to the famous “Marilyn Diptych”.


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sPorTs Zone Term TWo - eXTra curricular clubsSince the October half term, all the sports clubs after school have continued to have excellent attendance. The PE department ran netball, football, fitness and dance clubs each night of the week. In the winter months of December, January and February the clubs will be basketball, dance and street surfing.

fixtures - The busy schedule of fixture continued through this term for all the football and netball teams. The girl’s netball teams improved in all areas of play and gave all the teams they faced a tough match. Chloe Fielder captained the year 8 and Georgina Cooper the year 7. Our aim next year is to win at our local derby against The St Leonards Academy!!

The boy’s football teams continued to show commitment and tenacity against all opposition. Improvements have been shown in all areas of the pitch and there have been some excellent performances. The year 9 boys pushed Robertsbridge to a close 1-1 draw, which included an outstanding goal from Alex Neville. Daniel Lawrence won “man of the match” for his tremendous performance in goal. All the other year teams played well and here are names of this term’s outstanding individuals - year 7 Ross Lapish and Jericho Doria, year 8 Eli Wells and Jack Larkin, year 9 Louie Sellens and Nathan Bossom, Year 10 Scott Firth and Billy Vidler, and finally in year 11 Ryan Hardcastle and Martin Jones. We now move into the winter break and the basketball season.

football Team Trips to fulham, brighton and arsenalThe year 10 team finished off their autumn season with a trip to watch Fulham FC at Craven Cottage in the Europa League. It was a fantastic night with the home team winning 4-1 against the Polish team Wisla Krakow.

The Year 8 team were given the chance to go to the Amex Stadium in Brighton to watch the England under 19 International against Denmark. It was a great night, with some excellent football on show and a very impressive Mexican wave going around the stadium. England won the game with a late winner, so the lads went home happy.

The final trip of the term was probably the biggest, with 48 students getting a once in a lifetime opportunity to see Arsenal versus Manchester City. Both teams sent out some of the best players in the Premier League, with a chance of winning a place in the Carling Cup semi-final. It was a great game, with lots of chances, but Manchester City capitalised on one of them, with Sergio Aguaro scoring a breakaway goal. It was a great night and all the group enjoyed the experience.

hastings school cross country championships On Thursday 24th November at Bexhill Downs, the Academy sent a small group of runners to the local area championships. All the best school runners were at the event and all four students produced superb performances. In the girls year 7 race, Ellen Brooker lined up against some tough opposition from Helenswood and all the schools from the partnership. In total there were 30 runners and she took control of the race from the gun. With 300m to go, it was clear Ellen had produced one of the best performances of the day and stormed home, to be crowned Hastings Schools Champion. She will now represent the town in the next round of the competition in Brighton at Stanmer Park.

In the boys races, Nathan Wren, Jason Wren and Toby Lindsay-Smith all ran superbly well and stayed near the front of their age groups. The top ten runners qualified for the next round and unfortunately the lads just missed out. We are all very proud of all the runner’s performances and we wish Ellen well in the next round.

Kick boxing day On Thursday 17th November the Hastings Kickboxing Academy took over the PE lessons for a day and taught the students the different ways to train and fight. The all had to follow the instructor in a tough warm up, followed by a thirty minute session of punching and kicking. The students will now get a chance to practice at the club on Wednesday after school in Kenway Hall. See Mr Coombs for more details.

m collett


The young enTerPrise Team maKes an imPression

Attentive staff means happy customers

A brilliant team ready for action

Happy customers winning prizes

Getting faces and nails painted

The first Hastings and St Leonards Academies Young Enterprise team made a fantastic impression as they set up their stall and sold their goods in Priory Meadow recently. Very wisely they had set up smaller groups within the main group so they could offer a wide range of products to the customers. They also had a very successful tombola, raffle and guess the sweets in the jar competition. One team was kept busy all day with their face painting and nail stall. Mark Week-Pearson from Ashdown Hurrey Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers was representing the Young Enterprise Board,

and formed part of the judging panel. The team also received a report from ‘Shoppers Anonymous’ a company who specialise in

providing feedback to companies on the service they receive. The report was really positive, reinforcing the good work the team had done. This is all particularly impressive as much of their communication was via email, yet they very successfully pulled all of this together on the day.

The team looked particularly smart, in their matching t-shirts with their MOD logo. The logo represents the work modem, as they felt they were a young and modern team who would provide great products at competitive prices. They are now busy planning Valentines and Easter products, so keep your eyes open for their next event. g dearman


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learning To The beaTThe sound of drumming could be heard pounding through the corridors of The Hastings Academy as a group of enthusiastic year 7s demonstrated their cooperation and teamwork to produce amazing rhythmic sounds.

Last month The Hastings and St Leonards Academies sponsored 11 artists to work with our local primary school on a wide range of creative projects that celebrated cultural diversity as part of Black History month. 28 students from St Leonards Academy were so inspired by the Capoeira workshop that the widening participation team from the University of Brighton in Hastings agreed to fund a drumming workshop for year 7’s from both academies. Emmanuel McDonald from the Dendê Drummers worked hard with the group, bringing out their skills to produce an infectious rhythm based on a combination of samba and reggae.g dearman

olymPic Torch To lighT & uniTe academies

Both St Leonards Academy and The Hastings Academy will be making the most of an historic event when the Olympic torch passes through the area later in the school year. Plans are at an early stage but both Academies aim to get all students involved in what will hopefully prove

to be an exciting and enjoyable day for all. Students, staff and parents alike are welcome to make suggestions as to how to make the most of this wonderful opportunity. Please pass your thoughts to Mrs Glynn.

naTional consumer WeeK

Officers from East Sussex County Council Trading Standards Service spent a day teaching students at The Hastings and St Leonards Academies for National Consumer week.

On the 22nd November Louise Baxter and Sophie Mohns taught pupils about consumer rights and counterfeit goods. The 2011 Trading Standards Institute’s National Consumer Week was themed “Good sports don’t fake it”. Counterfeit goods are increasingly becoming more notorious; particularly in the run up to the 2012 London Olympics, therefore it is very important to raise awareness of the issues regarding counterfeit goods.

Students were motivated in a “spot the fake” quiz which tested their knowledge in a fun and interactive way. Students also worked in teams to identify what types of fake goods may be bought, why fake goods may be dangerous and the consequences of buying fake goods. Overall the day was a success with all students being able to correctly identify fake and dangerous products by the end of the session. g dearman

Louise Baxter

Sophie Mohns


ore in bloomOn Saturday, 3rd December the Ore in Bloom committee arranged to have the Christmas tree lights turned on by our own Head Boy and Head Girl - John Piper, and Natasha Dockerill.

The Christmas tree is sited on the historic site of the first theatre in Hastings, and below is a picture of the commemorative plaque.

The sun was shining, the band was playing and plenty of well wishers from the local community were there to see John and Natasha turning on the lights.

Mrs Sarah Kowitz of Fairlight Hall thanked John and Natasha on behalf of Ore in Bloom, and presented them with a token of thanks for supporting the occasion.

ramberT eXPerience

On 9th, 10th and 11th November Ruby Webb, Maisie Beech, Shania Smith & Jack Kennedy had the opportunity to attend a Rambert Workshop at Eastbourne College. Rambert is a National Dance Company for contemporary dance that was founded in 1926 and over 85 years has grown to develop dancers as artists.

This was an enlightening experience where the students worked with a Rambert dancer across three days building up to a sensational group performance. The students were taught two pieces from Rambert’s current piece ‘seven for a secret’ in which they then developed into a whole group performance.

The students thoroughly enjoyed the experience getting to work with students from other East Sussex schools and a professional dancer. The performance was a joy to watch and to see the students grow from day one to the end product was sensational.

K glynn

Jack Kennedy


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Extra Curricular Club Day Location Time Year Group Basketball Mon Sports Centre Lunchtime Year 7

Key Stage 4 English Mon & Wed B23 3:15 – 4:30pm Year 10 & 11

Bronze Art Award Mon B24 3 – 4pm Year 7

Spanish Club Mon A7 3 – 4pm Year 9, 10 & 11

Btec Music Mon B8 3 – 4pm Year 11

Girls Basketball Mon Sports Centre 3- 4pm Year 7 & 8

Street Surfing Mon Sports Centre 3 – 4pm All Welcome

Fitness Club Mon & Wed Fitness Suite 3 – 4pm Year 10 & 11

Basketball Tues Sports Centre Lunchtime Year 8

Basketball Wed Sports Centre Lunchtime Year 9

Science Club Wed A20 3 – 4pm All Welcome

Key Stage 4 Art Wed & Thurs B24 3 – 5pm Year 9, 10 & 11

Key stage 3 DT Wed B1 3 – 4pm Year 7 & 8

Music Club Wed B8 3 – 4pm Year 7

Dance Club Wed & Thurs Sports Centre 3 – 4pm All Welcome

Boys Basketball Wed Sports Centre 3 – 4pm Year 7 & 8

Singing Club (Vocalworx) Weds Kenway Hall 3 – 4pm All Welcome

Basketball Thurs Sports Centre Lunchtime Year 10

Literature Club Thurs B26 3 – 4pm Year 9 & 10

Art Club Thurs B25 3 – 4pm Year 7 & 8

Music Club Thurs B8 3 – 4pm Year 8

Basketball Thurs Sports Centre 3 – 4pm Year 9, 10 & 11

Duke of Edinburgh Award Thurs A20 3 – 4pm Years 10 & 11

DT Club Thurs B1 3 – 4:30pm Year 9, 10 & 11

Basketball Fri Sports Centre 3 – 4pm Year 11

French Club Fri A3 3 – 4 pm All Welcome Drama Club Fri A6 3 – 4pm Year 7 & 8

Scalextric Club Fri B1 3 – 4:30pm All Welcome

Maths Help & Revision

Fri Hut 2 3 – 4pm All welcome

DT Club Mon – Fri B1 Lunchtime All Welcome

Homework Club Mon – Thurs Library 3 – 4:30pm All Welcome


are you worried about the cost of university?Did you know that ......

• you don’t need to be rich to go to university

University fees are usually paid by taking out a student loan from the government. There are also grants, loans and bursaries available to cover living expenses. If your family income is under £42,600 you will be eligible for a maintenance grant to help with the cost of living whilst studying. This does not have to be repaid.

• graduates only repay their loan when they are earning over £21,000

Repayments are fixed at 9% of everything earned over £21,000. So, if you are earning £25,000 you will repay £30 a month (that is 9% of £4000). If you are not earning, because you are between jobs or are looking after children or dependents, you will not have to make repayments. After 30 years all loans are wiped out so many people will never repay the full cost of their university degree.

• different universities offer different bursaries

For example, the University of Brighton, offers several kinds of bursaries worth up to £3000 a year; a Widening Access Bursary for students from low income families (under £16,190) from areas where fewer than the average number of people go to university; an Aimhigher Bursary for students who have taken part in the Aimhigher programme, a Care Leavers Bursary and bursaries for students wishing to study Teaching, Architecture or Pharmacy.

• There is lots of useful information on student finance on these websites...

• www.studentfinance.direct.gov.ukwww.moneysavingexpert.com

Or you can phone 01424 644634 for advice and information

enTerTainmenT WorKshoPs Since September students from Hastings Academy have been attending Entertainment Workshops at Rye Harbour for one day a week.

Students have been working hard on three projects, which they have designed themselves, working towards a Silver Arts Award.

Jake and Kayleigh are currently working on a Pirate Pop up Concert using stop frame animation made from Lego. The sound track has been recorded by Kayleigh and a vast majority of the filming will have been completed by the Christmas break. They will then learn skills in the field of editing and using green screen technology.

Peter, Ashlee, Trevisse, Johnny and Dan Sutters are currently working on a music DVD around BMX biking. They have filmed on location and have the footage ready for editing including the sound track. All have used their story boarding to great effect.

Jordan, Jack, Dan Ford, Sam and Connor are learning the workings of musical instruments and forming their own band whilst learning sound and lighting technology. The end product of their project will coincide with the newly installed recording studio and television studio in the new year. This group will be confident enough to be able to record their own music DVD and CD using the new facilities. The group are also designing their own advertising material and also learning how to promote using their own website. c barham


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elegiesfor angels, PunKs and raging Queens

On Thursday 1st December, students from The Hastings Academy took to the stage with some of the most successful professional musical theatre performers in the country. With appearances from actors and singers from shows such as The Lion King, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Chess, Starlight Express and Eurobeat, the students were well and truly in good company. Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens was staged at the White Rock Theatre on World AIDS Day to raise important funds for the Children With AIDS Charity. The show was produced and directed by international award winner, Adam Hepkin and musically directed by We Will Rock You associate conductor, Simon Pickering. The production was the largest worldwide to date and has been recognised as an important landmark for the musical.

The Hastings Academy students involved all attend the extra curricular singing group, Vocalworx, led by Mr Hepkin. The students were impeccably behaved from start to finish and gave a superb performance following an intensive four hour rehearsal prior to the show. The audience were amazed by the talent before them and were especially impressed with the discipline of the students. Even the professional performers commented on how good the students’ performance was. “I was incredibly proud of each and every one of them for their patience, discipline and professionalism throughout the day” said Adam Hepkin.

If your child would like to get involved in such productions, please encourage them to come along to Vocalworx from 15:15 - 16:30 every Wednesday in Kenway Hall. All abilities are welcome and encouraged.a hepkin, The hastings academy

homeWorK club• Takes place in The Library • Monday to Thursday during a school week • 3.00 pm to 4.30 pm - flexible end time as needed• Open to all year groups• Encouraging and helpful staff in attendance at all times• Help with all homework needs readily available• Relaxed and non pressurised environment• Time can be used to catch up on classwork• Refreshments provided - squash and biscuits

Please use this club - it’s fun and it’s free!

The hastings academyghost Walk

13th december 2011

The evening will involve dance and drama and also a terrifying walk that is aimed to

scare you

Three planned walks 7.00 pm, 7.30 pm or 8.00 pm

£3 per ticket or £5 for two

Not for the faint hearted!


aTTendance maTTersWe would remind parents to ring the Attendance line on 01424 711950 ext 2269 to report all absences. Please remember to ring in every morning that your child is going to be off school, and to put notes in planners, send letters or give your child a copy of their appointment card if you wish them to sign out during the school day. Where possible we would prefer appointments to be made outside of the school day. If this is not possible please ensure you give the school advance notice of the appointment, so the attendance register can be marked accordingly.

The expectation is, that should a student become ill while at school - they should come to Student Services where a member of staff will assess the situation and make a decision as to whether they should be sent home. We will contact parents to discuss this decision and arrange for them to leave or be picked up. They will not be allowed to leave if we are unable to contact you, making it very important to keep your contact numbers updated. We do not accept a student telling us that they have contacted you on their mobile and have permission to leave. These procedures are put in place to ensure that, where possible, only students who are too unwell to be in school are sent home, and to allow staff to liaise to with parents and carers to ensure their safety and well being.

If your child is feeling unwell before they leave home in the morning we would ask that you only send them in if you believe they can last the school day. If you wish to send your child in with medication, please contact Student Services on 01424 711950 ext 2264 and we will arrange for a permission form to be completed.

If you have any concerns, or wish to discuss anything further please do not hesitate to call us on either of the above numbers. Many thanks for your continued support and understanding.

ARE YOU READY FOR COLLEGE? WHERE WILL YOU BE IN SEPT 2012?If you are unsure then come along to A15 from 3-4pm

On any Monday or Wednesday in January For advice on college courses and support with filling in your application form

Look forward to seeing you there, Miss Nicholson

There are 175 days a year that are not school days, please use them for family time, visits, holidays, shopping and other appointments rather than taking time during a school day.


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Works have progressed extremely well since we started on the new Academy building in July. We have moved 15,000m3 of material to make way for the foundations. Most of this has been recycled on site to create the new sports field and some has been used to landscape the local household waste site at Pebsham.

The foundations are nearly complete and the ground floor slab is in progress. Since starting on site, we have poured over 1,000m3 of concrete and to complete the project, we will be pouring a further 3,500m3.

The tower crane has been installed and we have started the superstructure, which will take shape over the next few months.

We hope that you have enjoyed watching the progress of your new Academy, and we look forward to some exciting work with the Hastings Academy next year.

Kier would like the opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.


bANCE SCHOOL

As we come to the end of the year, let me take this opportunity to review a very busy term in Bance school.

We started the new term with a number of GCSE exams in English, Maths and Science for both year 10 and 11 – attendance and behaviour throughout the exam period was excellent and bodes well for some great results in January 2012.

Year 11 had visits from local schools and colleges offering post 16 study and were given information which will allow them to make informed choices about their next steps. To support Year 11 further we have employed the services of careers education experts, “My future starts here” who are working with individuals to provide a careers interview and with whole classes providing guidance on college applications.

Friday challenge has gone from strength to strength with the creation of some truly incredible monuments made solely from recycled materials …the winner was a tribute to space travel by Mr Medhurst and Miss McCann’s tutor groups (photo below) with runners up prizes for Mr Collett and Miss Grant’s tutor groups’ amazing French bridge and for the Eiffel Tower by Ms D’Warte’s tutor group.

Bance school surpassed themselves again with their enthusiasm and inspirational money making ideas for Children in Need; students paid £1 for coming into school in non-uniform; were involved in sponsored events and in spending money at break and lunchtime events. Miss Rattray and her tutor group led the rest of the academy in getting involved in Children in Need so well done to all of you.

As we enter the festive season we are working towards providing those who are less fortunate than ourselves with a festive hamper through the Surviving Christmas charity run by the YMCA in Hastings so thank you in advance for your support with this.

I do hope you have a very happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year and will look forward to welcoming you all back in full school uniform with your planner and equipment on Wednesday 4th January 2012.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

ms cate bancehead of school

ViVo Winners Term 2

• Alexander Hobbs 563• Peter Rye 540• Bradley Vandepeer 500• Maya Little 495• Jay Blunden 447• Lauren Witcomb 446• Emily Brazil 436• Sophia Woodcock 424

school Progress aWards

• Year 11 - Bronya Dryden & Nico Bowen• Year 10 - Martine Gibbons & Chris Jones• Year 9 - Sophie Martin & George Tucker• Year 8 - Maya Little & Jack Kennedy• Year 7 - Rebecca Barrie & Devon Playford

aTTendance

Congratulations to the 35 students who have achieved 100% attendance for this year to date. A special mention to tutor group BAR with the largest amount of students with 100% attendance.

Space TravelBJM + BLC

French BridgeBMC + BVG


21

CAMERON SCHOOL

mr Jim cameronhead of school

ViVo Winners Term 2

• Connor Lusted 672• Myles Winch-McQuade 491• Alisha Pattenden 467• Ellen Brooker 435• Max Foster 433• Rosie Brock 423• Joe Nash 421• Cieran Fitzgerald 412


• Year 11 - Charlotte Gibbs & Kamran Miah• Year 10 - Carolann Bossom & Dempsey Everest• Year 9 - Sophie Brown & Harry Brett-Everest• Year 8 - Charlotte Benn & Karl Lindsay• Year 7 - Jaleela Nakazibwe & Nathan Warne

“Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone.” Charlie Brown

The stars of cameron schoolIt is amazing to discover the huge range of skills and talents we have in our school. All of our students have been working hard and making progress. Tutors are having one to one conversations with every student about how they are doing, what is going well and what needs to be done to improve. I know students really value these conversations and they enable our tutors to really get to know their tutees.

There are also those stars that are showing their amazing talents outside of school like Ellen Brooker in year 7 who came first in the Schools Cross Country competition.

Two year 10 girls, Aimee Gibbs and Carolann Bossom (from left to right below) spent a day at the BBC working with Actors and producers on a Shakespearean monologue that they had learnt prior to the event. They really enjoyed the experience and were described as a credit to the school. They didn’t make it through to the finals but had a brilliant day.I love hearing what a talented bunch we have in Cameron school, so please keep me informed of all of your achievements.

aTTendanceOne of the most important features of school life is attendance. We are constantly monitoring the attendance of students in our schools and I am delighted that 42 students in Cameron school are all on 100% attendance – they haven’t missed a thing so far this year. Well done and keep up the good work.

Also a big well done to Connor Lusted for receiving the most VIVO rewards in Cameron School.

and finally:

Christmas Brain Teaser - which story contains the following lines:

“What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a

little bit more?”

first correct answer to Mr Cameron wins a prize.

Have a great Christmas, and let us all look forward to a most successful and exciting 2012.


STARKEY SCHOOL

Well, what a great start we have all made at The Hastings Academy. Starkey school has been at the forefront of a very successful term 1 and 2.

We are currently looking at names for the schools so if you have any suggestions to add to the shortlist it would be much appreciated. Starkey school is part of the Globalitity team which includes subjects such as Geography, History, Science and Languages. So maybe a name that refers to the subject specialism would be the winner.

Many thanks to all the parents who attended the ‘Meet the Tutor Evening’. This was a very worthwhile event and certainly helped to get the new academy off to an excellent start. Thank you for all the positive feedback. I hope to see you at the forthcoming parents evenings and Academic Review Day later in the year.

Well done to all the winners from the term 1 achievement assembly. I hope they enjoyed their rewards. Congratulations to the individual winners (from left to right) who won a £10 Odeon voucher:

• Best attendance – Megan Carter 100%• Most improved behaviour - Mason Shane• Most Vivo Miles – Anastasia Hope

mr lee starkeyhead of school

ViVo Winners Term 2

• Sam Bolden 581• Anastasia Hope 569• Louis Griggs 507• Olivia Ruff 468• Ryan Crouch 436• Josh Huggett 433• Jazmin Daniels 421• Bradley Beckley 407


• Year 11 - Fiona Mandefield & James Robinson• Year 10 - Eilidh Delves & Jake Brett• Year 9 - Hazel Greeno & Adam Oakley• Year 8 - Sophie White & Nathan Wren• Year 7 - Joanne Fulton & Connor Langan

Best attendance in term 1 – SSF – Mrs Ferguson Best behaviour in term 1 – SSC – Mrs CraigMost Vivo Miles in term 1 – SAE - Adrian Evans

Friday challenge has been based around an International theme with tutor groups creating famous landmarks from different countries. As part of our drive to be environmentally friendly within school students have used any materials they could recycle. Three forms from Starkey School won the event. Well done to Mr Evans’ form who created Stonehenge, Mrs Ferguson’s form who made a very lifelike model of The Great Pyramids and Mr Crowther’s form who built the Eiffel Tower. Keep up the good work in forthcoming Friday Challenges.

Lastly I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hope you all have a good holiday and look forward to seeing you all in January.

aTTendance

Congratulations to the 52 students who have achieved 100% attendance for this year to date. A special mention to tutor groups SJB, SRG, SSF, SSH and SSJ who have 5 students each that have achieved 100% attendance - a great start to the academic year.


23

In Partnership with East Sussex County Council

Chartwells we are committed to nurturing a happy, safe and

healthy lifestyle, which contributes to a sustainable world it's a commitment we call Eat, Learn, Live.

Our East Sussex School menus include the best quality and freshest ingredients sourced directly from growers and producers.

This ensures we can maintain a robust supply chain and have complete traceability from the field to the plate.

Our menus exceed the Government Food Based Standards for schools. We hope you enjoy our cycle of menus that you will find displayed in your school. Since Chartwells has started delivering

the contract at Hastings Academy the main meal price has dropped. We now charge £1.47 for a balanced nutritious main

meal, which previously was £1.60. For more information on the service we provide please visit our

website www.dineatschool.co.uk

Our local office telephone number is 01435 865310


rye roadhastingseast sussexTn35 5dn

T: 01424 711950f: 01424 719842

email: [email protected]

Principal: Theresa Phillips bsc ma

franK green, chief eXecuTiVeof The hasTings academies TrusT

Frank has been Chief Executive of Leigh Academies Trust for three years and is Executive Head of The Leigh Technology Academy, Longfield Academy and the Wilmington Academy, all former High Schools in Dartford.

He has served for 15 years as a Headteacher. Firstly, in a new school, The Lincoln School of Science and Technology, which was also the first Specialist School, and secondly The Leigh City Technology College (CTC), which became an Academy in 2007.

Frank has a proven record of innovation and transformation as part of the school improvement process, leading three schools through to Academy status.

In 2009 Ofsted graded The Leigh Technology Academy ‘Outstanding’ overall. The leadership and management in all his inspections have been described as ‘outstanding’ and ‘exceptional and enterprising’ respectively.

Frank has worked closely with the Specialist Schools Trust to promote and develop the specialist schools’ programme and the restructuring of secondary education, establishing the Vision 2020 group (now Futures Vision) as a leading, action think-tank. He has also published many articles on aspects of educational leadership and innovation, including the book, ‘The Head Teacher in the 21st Century’. He is an experienced trainer, specialising in leadership, school improvement and transformation.

Frank is a National Leader of Education and The Leigh Technology Academy, a National Support School.

Frank said, “I am delighted to join The Hastings Academies Trust to work with them to help improve aspirations and outcomes for young learners in the town.”

daTes for diariesJanuary 3 - inset day (closed to students)January 4 - Term 3 commences (week 1)January 11 - Parents forum 6.00-7.30 (library)January 19 - y11 Parents evening 5.30-8.00January 26 - y10 Parents evening 5.30-8.00february 2 - y9 Parents evening 5.30-8.00february 10 - last day of term 3

feb 13-17 - holiday

february 20 - Term 4 commences (week 1)february 29 - Parents forum 6.00-7.30 (library)march 9 - academic review day (all students)march 15 - y8 Parents evening 5.30-8.00march 30 - inset day (closed to students)march 30 - last day of term 4

april 2-13 - easter holidays

april 16 - Term 5 commences (week 1)april 25 - Parents forum 6.00-7.30 (library)may 31 - y7 Parents evening 5.30-8.00June 1 - last day of term 5

June 4-8 - holiday

June 11 - Term 6 commences (week 2)June 20 - Parents forum 6.00-7.30 (library)June 22 - inset day (closed to students)July 19 - last day of term 6

THA Newsletter Dec 11

Documents

new year

hillcrest students

members of staff

staff members

younger students

number of students

final year

hastings federation