Issue No.146, September 2006
Issue No.146, September 2006
| FROM THE HEADTEACHER
Once again, Therfield students performed outstandingly in all exams. 99% of grades at A Level were A-E with 81% being at A-C. These are the best results in the history of Therfield. Particular mention must go to: Stevie Bickford, Fadwa Izagaren, Hannah Lynch, Sarah Morris, Kate O'Reilly, Jo Yearly, Tom Down and Ben Thomas who all achieved at least 3As. At GCSE, 99% of students passed with 67% attaining 5A*-C, again significantly above county and national averages. It is also important to note that boys and girls did equally well. Many students achieved more than ten As and A*s but as a school we are equally proud of all those students who achieved grades that reflected their personal best. Special mention goes to 5 students who achieved all A or A*, these are: Hannah Piggott, Sarah Chambers, Rosie Howarth, Kathryn Scott and Huw Smith-Jones and to Nick Commandeur for achieving 13A* to C and Gemma Barker, Alice Brooks, Ian Gaughran, Bethany Page, Emma Vertigen, Matthew Waters and Matthew Worsfold who all gained 12A* to C. At Therfield we welcome students of all abilities and teach all our students for examination courses. Students are entered for public examinations if they have demonstrated effort and commitment and completed the necessary coursework, irrespective of likely results. We are particularly proud, therefore , that our GCSE and A level results are consistently above the national and county average. The School Profile, the report that has replaced the Governors' Report to Parents is now available on line at http://schoolsfinder.direct.gov.uk/9364073/school-profile/english/2004/ If you would like a hard copy of the profile then please contact the Main Office on 01372 818123. As mentioned in the July edition of the Therfield News, some sections are very short due to the restriction on the number of characters we can use under each heading. I will be holding my surgery on Wednesday 8th November from 5.30pm to 7.30pm. This is an opportunity to discuss any concerns you may have. To make an appointment please contact my PA, Mrs Jo Devonshire on 01372 814432. Maths Competition The Mathematics Cipher Challenge, run by Southampton University, will take place between 5th October and 7th January. Any students interested in entering this should log onto www.cipher.maths.soton.ac.uk . There are prizes! Further details can be found at www.maths.soton.ac.uk/drupal or see Mrs Foley. German Exchange to Munich Letters and application forms are now available from Ms Buckell for the trip which departs for Munich at the end of June 2007. The trip is open to any student in Years 9, 10 or 12 who take German. You will spend a week in Munich and host your German partner for a week in May. Photos of last year's trip are on the school website. Therfield Heads for an Enterprising Time Every student at Therfield will come across a working environment outside of school, at some time in their lives. One of our focuses this year is to bring business enterprise to our students to help ensure that every student has exposure to a variety of skills and knowledge in the working environment. A number of programmes will be run for Years 10,11 and 12 students to encourage entrepreneurship, innovation, leadership, teamwork and business acumen amongst other areas. We will be forging links with local and national business in a variety of industry areas, as well as utilising the significant depth of knowledge in industry already available amongst Therfield staff and friends. It is hoped that these business links will be able to provide work experience placements or visit Therfield to speak of their experiences or provide information and guidance of working in their particular industry. We even have a business contact now who can talk to students interested in becoming Astronauts! We are actively seeking links with businesses and if you think you could provide a business link, please contact: Susie Sykes (Enterprise Learning Co-ordinator) on 01372 818123 or email ssykes@lhead.therfield.surrey.sch.uk. Upper School Ski Trip There are still places available on the Upper School Ski trip to France which departs in February half term 2007. The trip is open to Years 10 - 13. If you are interested you can get an application form from Ms Buckell or Mr Batchelor. Pasta Challenge Winners The Pasta Challenge was judged at the end of last term. Students have been designing and refining their pasta dishes with the finalists dishes being served in the school canteen. Congratulations go to first prize winners; James Edwards, Charlie Morris, Gemma Skilton and Michaela Walton, second prize winners were Maddy Reeve and Jenny Nunn. The 2007 challenge is now under way! Year 7 Visit Boppard At the end of July the school ran another Year 7 German trip to Boppard in the Rheinland. We took forty four students on a five day coach trip to help them practise the German they had learnt during the year. The trip has run to the same place for several years now and we stay in a hotel right on the bank of the Rhine. The trip has a full programme of events, we are busy every minute. We visit one of the many castles on the Rhine, the Marksburg, whose colourful history is related by our guide. It is an intact medieval castle, never captured or destroyed, and gives a good insight into the life and times of its inhabitants. Koblenz, the large town next to Boppard, has a wonderful municipal outdoor swimming complex on the bank of the Rhine and we pay a visit to swim, dive and go on the waterslide, while the huge barges go by on their way up to Switzerland or down to Rotterdam. The pool is a very popular activity. My favourite day is the 'day on the Rhine', where we cross to the eastern bank of the river and drive south, past the Lorelei, and into Rudesheim. This is a picturesque little town, and here we go on a cablecar up the hill for a spectacular view, and then walk back down through the vineyards. We then visit a musical museum, full of self-playing instruments. The highlight is then a two hour cruise back on the river from Rudesheim to Boppard. Our final day is usually a shopping trip to Koblenz, where students can buy a present or two. Koblenz is also the town where the Moselle joins the Rhein, and Deutsches Eck is a good place to see the two rivers meet. On the final evening we have our own disco in the hotel, before going off to pack for the return journey. This year, as ever, was very successful, the students did us proud with their behaviour, and we look forward to taking another Year 7 group next July. Mr Andrews Clubs The school's clubs are now up and running. Full details of all clubs on offer at Therfield can be found on the school website. MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES
TRIPS AND EXCHANGE VISITS Year 7 France and Germany Taster long weekend The Year 7 German trip to Boppard and the Year 7 French trip to Normandy depart late in the Summer term and are open to all Students. The aim of these trips is to give the students a 'taste' of France and Germany and enable them to use some of the language they have learnt throughout the year. The group will stay in a local hotel and visit the sights of the town and area. They will have opportunities to get involved in various sporting activities and complete a treasure hunt in the town to help them understand the language around them. Though both the Year 7 trips are open to all, priority is given to students in sets 3 and 4. Upper School Ski Trip (Years 10, 11, 12, 13) This trip is run jointly with the PE Department and though the main focus of the trip is obviously skiing and snowboarding, there is also a large emphasis placed on Language and Culture. Students are invited to attend a workshop prior to departure which includes a session on essential phrases and vocabulary for the week. There is also an evening in the week dedicated to exploring some Savoyard specialties such as Fondue and Raclette giving them a chance to practice their restaurant role play phrases! Students spend the day in the local French Ski School (ESF) and are taught by French native speakers, so any linguistic skills will go a long way to getting into the good books of your French Ski Instructor! The trip takes place during the February half term and is run by Mr Batchelor and Ms Buckell. Please see above for further details of this year's trip. Year 9, 10 and 12 German Exchange to Munich The Exchange visit to Munich is our German equivalent to the French Exchange also open to all students in Year 9, 10 and 12 who study German. Our German partners generally visit us in May with the Therfield return trip departing in late June. The trip is run by Ms Buckell. Please see above for further details of this years trip. Year 8 European Experience In Year 8 students in sets 1 and 2 who study both French and German are given the opportunity to take part in this trip which goes to the Black Forest in Germany and Strasbourg in France. The aim of this trip is for students to practice and access both Languages during the trip and begin to gain an insight into the value of their linguistic skills within Europe. The 5 day trip leaves shortly before the Summer half term and is led by Ms Marrill. Students in sets 3 and 4 are not invited on this trip as they do not study two Languages. It is for this reason that these students will be given priority on the Year 7 trips. Year 9, 10 and 12 French Exchange to Nantes The Exchange visit to Nantes has been running for many years, it is an increasingly popular trip for those wanting to experience the Language and Culture of the country in more depth. Students are matched with a French partner from the Collège Jean Monnet with similar interests and stay with them for a week. The French students will visit us in March with the return trip going out in June. Throughout the week students take part in various activities as a group, both with the French students and with Therfield students and generally spend the weekend with their host families. It is important that parents are clear that when their guests are not with staff from Therfield, the duty of care for the students rests with families just as is the case for the French families who host our students in June. Anyone in Years 9, 10 and 12 is able to take part in the Exchange regardless of which set they are in. Students in Year 12 are strongly recommended to get involved in the programme, should they not they will be required to find themselves a private exchange or work experience in the country at some point during their course. Year 12s exchange with a local Lycée rather than the college as these students are of a similar age and follow a slightly different itinerary to the younger Year 9s and 10s. The trip is run by Ms Ensum. First XI Sports Exchanges- A chance for parents to get involved! As part of our status as a Sports College with Modern Languages linked to the College as second lead subject, we are keen to set up an exchange to France, Germany and Spain for our first XI teams and give these students the opportunity to meet and play fellow sporting enthusiasts from these countries. We are currently searching for schools abroad who may be interested in taking part in this exciting new venture, if there are any parents who have links to schools abroad or would even like to get involved in the programme, we would be very keen to hear from you. Please contact Ms Marrill Head of Modern Foreign Languages. Applying for places on trips More details including exact dates and the cost of these trips will become available from the relevant staff nearer the time. It should be noted that all students will be expected to sign a contract of behaviour prior to taking part on any trip. Students who feel they will not be able to adhere to the code of conduct should not apply. Should staff view a student as being a potential risk to him/herself or others around him/her due to uncooperative behaviour, they reserve the right to decline them a place on the their trip, as the health and safety of the group must be first priority. There are frequently more applications than places for MFL trips so, when applying for a place on any of these trips you will be asked to state whether you have been declined a place on a trip in the past due to lack of places, every effort will then be made to make a place available. There will be a deadline for the return of application forms and deposits, any applications returned after this date will unfortunately not be considered. Vacancies
Food Technology/Textiles
Technician Therfield School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. For further details on the above positions and an application form please contact the school on 01372 818123 or via email to headteacher@therfield.surrey.sch.uk. Open Evening Our
Open Evening for prospective new parents looking for a secondary
school place in September 2007 will be held on Wednesday 11th
October. Please pass this information to anyone you know whose
son or daughter will be changing schools next year. Change to Admissions Please note that the following change has been made to Admissions criteria: Fourth Priority: Children for
whom the school is the nearest to their home An Invitation to an Evening with Therfield at the Theatre We will be presenting our award winning Grimm Tales and a selection from our current drama productions at the Leatherhead Theatre on 16th October 2006. This event is being presented by MVDC Arts Alive. In 2006 we were winners of the Sir Michael Caine Awards in the junior sections for both Best Play and Best Actor, we received the Richard Houghton Award for Best Director and were winners in the national award, the Buxton Trophy, for most promising Youth Group as well as runners up in the National Drama Festival Finals, under 21 category. The evening will be a celebration to commemorate the 2006 awards showcasing the talents of the many students involved in the Award Winning Grimm Tales. If you would like to join us, tickets are available from the Leatherhead Theatre Box Office on 01372 365141 or online at www.the-theatre.org Mobile Phones While it is understandable that students have mobile phones on them for their journey to and from school it is important that students do not use them inappropriately during the day. Phones should be switched off and put away during lesson times and movement between lessons. You may also be aware that the national press has recently reported cases from schools where students have been using the camera facility on their phone to take photos or film of other students, this has then been uploaded onto the internet. Students at Therfield have been told that they are not to take photos or film of other students during the school day. If students use their phone inappropriately during the school day it is likely to be confiscated. Thank you for your support in this. Tesco Vouchers We are collecting Tesco vouchers again. These are very valuable to us so please send them in to school either via your child or directly to the school office. Thank you BCG Vaccine and School Children The Department of Health now recommend that only children who have been born in an area or country of high risk of TB, or who have one or more parent or grandparent who was born abroad in a country with a high risk of TB, should be tested to see if BCG is needed. Only one BCG is recommended, so children who have already had a BCG vaccination will not need to be tested or offered BCG again. In order to identify those children who meet the criteria for testing a questionnaire has been issued. Please return to school by 20th October. Copies can be obtained from the Main Office. If your child meets the criteria, you will be invited to attend a local clinic for two appointments, 2 days apart. Accommodation Required Do you have a room which you could let to a 21 year old German student who is studying at the London School of Fashion from October to May? If you think you may be able help please contact Ms Buckell at school ASAP. Parents' Prayer Group The group meets twice a term at the school. The dates for this term are Monday 2nd October and Monday 13th November at 8pm. A warm welcome is extended to all, especially to any new parents who might like to join us. For more information, ring J Poole on 01932 865476 Dates for Your Diary
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