Astley Community High School

Sunday School In the Snow

Students and staff at Astley Community High School, braved the snowy conditions to come into school for extra lessons on Sunday 9th January 2010.

All of the students were due to sit external examinations this week and with school closures earlier in the week it was important for them to receive final preparation from their subject teachers.

Sixth Form Mathematics and Psychology students attended, receiving four hours of tuition from subject teachers.

Head Teacher Ian Knight was full of praise for his staff and students. “I am delighted at the professionalism of all concerned that staff and students were prepared to give up their time on a Sunday. Travel conditions were still poor but we had a 95% turnout from the students.”

Rugby Match

The year 9 rugby team played their first round match in the County Cup against Prudhoe High School December 2009. This was their first game of the season, but as a result of attending training sessions after school and because most of the boys play for local rugby clubs, they beat Prudhe 28 points to nil.

Despite the very wet and windy conditions they scored four well worked tries and converted them all.

The next round against either Dame Allans or Coquet will be a real test.

Food Collection for the Elderly 2009

Once again, Year 9 students have been donating items of food for our annual collection for the elderly in the Seaton Delaval area. Hampers will go out this week to many pensioners. Thanks to all those who contributed!

OAP Christmas Afternoon Tea 2009

The students of Health and Social Care Year 12 organised an afternoon tea for the residents of Concord House . A selection of entertainment was supplied by Alex Svalova playing a Blues and Classical number on the piano and Robbie Love and Jamie Eastlake provided entertainment with both music and comedy.

Food was prepared and served by all Health and Social Care students.

A good time was had by all!

OAP Christmas Party Entertainment

Attendance Cup 2009 - 2010

After a successful competition last year, Astley’s attendance cup began again with the first round taking place between Monday 30 November and Friday 11 December. This is a head to head competition between tutor groups to improve our attendance figures. The prize for the winning tutor group will be a week in non-uniform later this year.

Mr Scott made all the draws in assemblies and the 16 best groups over this two week period will go into the hat for round 2 in January.

Spot prizes will be available to all groups along the way even if you are knocked out in round 1.

Good Luck to all!

Children in Need

On Friday 20th November 2009 a variety of events took place here at Astley including: cake stalls, a raffle, a performance and “wear your tracksuit bottoms”. Thank you and well done to the cake makers and sellers, to the donators, to the staff and to Jamie Eastlake and the gang (you know who you are!), for helping to raise £104.36 by doing something different! Year 12 & 13

French Theatre Group Visit

On Thursday 19 November, all of Y9, plus Y10 & Y11 GCSE French classes enjoyed a performance of La Chambre de Jean-Paul by the Onatti theatre group.

The comedy about a teenage boy and his difficulties in finding a girlfriend was understood and enjoyed by all. We even had some brave volunteers who joined the actors on stage, much to the amusement of the audience.

As always, Y9 were surprised by how much they were able to understand, and we were delighted to be joined by some Y8 pupils from our Middle Schools.

Year 9 RE trip to Multi cultural Newcastle.

On Tuesday 17th November 43 students from year 9 were taken by Miss Gannon (head of RE) and Mr Scott (year head) to Newcastle to experience other cultures and religions. The trip took place during Inter-Faith week, and was a positive example of community cohesion at work. The day started with our first visit to the Hindu Temple in the West end of Newcastle. For many students this was the first time that they had been inside a Hindu temple, and as students took their shoes off and entered the worship hall, there were many gasps of “Wow!!” Students were given a talk by a Hindu about what Hinduism means and told some stories about the Hindu gods. They then explored the temple and were given the opportunity to ask questions about that religion.

Students all gathered around a fire which is lit during puja and also when weddings take place.

At lunchtime we all went into China Town for our lunch, where everyone enjoyed a Chinese lunch buffet of all you can eat.

The second part to the day involved us all going to the Sikh Gurdwara (place of worship) which was also in the West end of Newcastle. We were greeted outside the Gurdwara by our host Cloud Singh. He gave us a talk outside the Gurdwara first to explain what the different aspects of the Gurdwara were, and also what Sikh’s believe about God.

When we went into the Gurdwara we had to remove our shoes, wash our hands and cover our heads. Our host Cloud told us that by taking shoes off and covering heads it meant that we were not bringing dirt into a holy place. Covering our heads was a sign of respect. Our host, cloud then spoke to us about what we were seeing inside the Gurdwara, we waited in the reception area while he pointed out different things.

We then all moved into the worship hall where we all sat down on the floor and listened to two Sikh’s recite through singing, verses from the Guru Granth Sahib.

Our host Cloud then explained to the students what being a Sikh meant to him, the students could ask any questions they wanted to know about Sikhism. The day was a most enjoyable one, and once again the students behaved impeccably. I hope to run the trip again in the summer term for those year 9 students who did not manage to get a place on the trip.

Click on the thumb nails to view.

Miss Gannon

After Schools Chess Club

We plan to restart our after-school Chess Club on Friday afternoons starting from the 13th November 2009. It will be run by Charlie Storey, a professional coach, who would like to kick-start things by playing a maths against as many students as possible. Any student who beats Charlie is guaranteed to win £100 in cash.

Chess has been postponed in till 2010.
If you’re interested, see Mr Richardson a.s.a.p.

Newcastle Visit Year 12 Travel and Tourism

At the end of October a group of year 12 Travel and Tourism students went to search out why tourists who go to Newcastle and find it to be one of the best cities to visit in the country. ( YES Newcastle!)

The Bigg Market was where Newcastle medieval citizens once sold and bought barley known as ‘bigg.’
Newcastle gets its name from the Castle Keep which was once a ‘new castle’ when it was first built in early Norman times.
Grey Street in Newcastle voted the most beautiful street in the country.

One student was heard saying, ‘wey a didn’t kna that like, did yee!’

The group then investigated how travel agents in Newcastle do window display. A fun and interesting day of discovery was had by all involved.

Newcastle Visit Year 12 Travel and Tourism

Newcastle Visit Year 12 Travel and Tourism

Click on the thumb nails to view.

Language Workshops

On Thursday 8 October students from Astley Community High School took part in a series of Language Workshops organised by Routes into Languages. 40 pupils from our year 9 were accompanied by Year 8 pupils from Seaton Sluice and Whytrig Middle Schools.

Activities included learning numbers and greetings in Italian and Catalan, and competing in a quiz about European culture. Pupils found how important it is to be able to speak other languages by speaking to language students from a wide range of countries and cultures. They also found that their existing knowledge of French helped them to learn and understand new languages.

It was an enjoyable and informative afternoon and we look forward to our next event on 19th November, which will be a visit from a French theatre group performing La Chambre do Jean-Paul.

A Great Honour and an Enjoyable Day

On Saturday 19th September sixth former Jenny Fish met His Royal Highness, Prince Charles at Seaton Delaval Hall.

Prince Charles, the National Trust president, accompanied by Camilla Duchess of Cornwall showed his appreciation to members of the local community who have raised money for the Hall. Thanks to the hard work of local groups the National Trust are almost at their target of £3.6 million! The day involved a speech from His Royal Highness and entertainment from a local dance group.

Jenny, who assisted local school children create a weave of the Hall to present to The National Trust described the experience as “a great honour and an enjoyable day.”

The Times Photography Prize

This September saw our first Photography AS level students commence their course in Year 12. As an opportunity to further expand the role of the course students across all year groups have been given the chance to demonstrate their skills by entering a photograph for The Times Photography prize.

The theme of the photograph is everyday life and there will be awards for Year 9, Years 10 & 11 and for the Sixth Form. The competition will be run and judged by Mr Stent and Mrs Rayner with the support of Jack Hill a national award winning Photographer for the Times newspaper.

The deadline for the competition is February 22nd 2010 and it represents a great opportunity for students to show their independent learning skills as well as their photographic talents.

Mr Thomas

Congratulations to Robbie Love

Astley has once again been involved in the Sixth Form Partners scheme which fosters links between schools and universities.

Congratulations to Robbie Love who has been chosen as one of 13 students from 8,000 applicants. Robbie a student from our 6th form won £100 from Teesside University in recognition of his outstanding work for the community. Robbie’s exploits include a recent trip to Ghana, Astley’s Talent contest, and the creation of a Sixth Form Newsletter.

Robbie Love and Martin Pout

Preparing for an adventure of a lifetime

A group of Year 11 students at Astley Community High School are embarking on a process which will result in some of them travelling to Sri Lanka in a year’s time to visit and work in village schools which linked to Astley and its partner schools in Seaton valley.

The group of 16 students will co-ordinate and manage a range of activities to raise money for the Sri Lankan schools, plus raising the money needed for a smaller group to visit Sri Lanka.

The whole enterprise is being overseen by Head teacher Mr Ian Knight who has been responsible for setting up the links in Sri Lanka.

“The project includes all the schools in Seaton valley and involves nine schools in Sri Lanka. Since 2005 we have been able to transfer an enormous range of resources to these poor village schools, transported to London by Ferguson Transport. We have developed a large range of community projects allowing our students to learn about life in Sri Lanka. However, until now the political situation in Sri Lanka has not allowed us to take students to visit; that has now changed and this is a fantastic opportunity for our students to experience life in a totally different environment. I am sure the experience will be as life changing for my students as it has been for me.”

Over the coming months the group will be involved in giving presentations and public talks to promote the project to raise money and to demonstrate their skills. A maximum of 6 students, best suited to the challenges to be fared, will be selected to travel to Sri Lanka.

If you feel you would like to support this project in any way or contribute to the students fund raising please contact the school on 0191 2371505.

Examination results 2009-10-11

Please find attached the summary of our 2009 summer examination results. As ever we were delighted with the efforts of our students, and extremely grateful for the ongoing commitment demonstrated by all our staff in supporting our young people. What was particularly leasing this year was the fact that

Performance overall at KS4 was exactly in line with our tracking and target setting procedures.
Performance in our specialist status lead departments of Mathematics and ICT was excellent.
Modular performances of students taking examinations early in Years 9 and 10 were outstanding.
Our value added points score at KS4 was one of the highest in the county.

Playground Design for Sri Lankan School

A local student has designed a new and exciting children’s playground for a village school in Sri Lanka.

Charlotte Falconer a student at Astley Community High School in Seaton Delaval, won a competition to design a playground which was to use sustainable materials and to be built by local people.

This is part of an ongoing project to support and develop village schools in Sri Lanka which involves all the schools in Seaton Valley.

Ian Knight, Headteacher at Astley Community High School was in Nannapurawa village school in eastern Sri Lanka during the summer. “The children there are very excited about a new playground not the least because it has been designed by one of our students.”

Currently the play area in the school has broken equipment, with glass and barbed wire lying around.

Charlotte says “It’s great to think that my design is going to bring a lot of pleasure to so many children.”

The equipment is being paid for by the Seaton Valley Sri Lanka School Project.
- September 2009

Community Centre Classes

Seaton Valley Community Education Centre
Astley Community High School
Leisure Classes

WE NEED YOUR HELP!!

At Astley we aim to offer a range of quality leisure classes for both adults and children.
Currently for the adults we have everything from Pilates and Yoga to Swimming, Aerobics, Trampoline and Guitar classes. Then, for the younger ones there is Football, Swimming, Gymnastics and Trampoline. The children’s classes are usually for aged 5yrs and over but we do have a parent and toddler swimming session on Sunday mornings, so we try to accommodate all ages. Whatever your age if you need to learn to swim, there will be lessons suitable for you. The Seaton Valley Football Development Scheme for children aged 5 -16yrs is well known throughout the area for providing ‘first class’ quality football coaching.

We are always looking for ideas for different classes at Astley so your help would be greatly appreciated with any suggestions for courses of interest to you. Please give us a ring on the Centre number below and let us know.

Tel: (0191) 2371784
Ally Carr
- August 2009

RNLI Safety Talks

Astley Community High School welcomed guest speakers from the RNLI (Royal National lifeboat Institution) in to special Year 9, 10 & Sixth Form assemblies in July to highlight the importance of safety around our coastlines this summer.

The speakers raised pupil awareness surrounding the dangers of 'Tombstoning' and tidal flows. They also explained the meaning of the variety of flags that are used to indicate safety or danger around our coast.

The assemblies were supported by a short video presentation which showed the variety of work that the RNLI is involved in. The speakers were well received by the pupils and will enable them to reflect on potential dangers in order to have a happy & safe time during the holidays.

Mr Thomas
- August 2009

Year 13 Leavers' Prom

June saw the final farewell to our Year 13 students in a formal prom' held at St James' Park. There was a fantastic atmosphere throughout as staff and students shared in the celebrations.

The dance floor was packed from the start of the disco, with everybody up for the last track, including the staff!!

It was a fitting way to say good luck to the students as they make their way to higher education or employment. It now falls to next years Year 13 to better the event and they will be hard pressed to do so!

Mr Thomas
- August 2009

Project Ghana 2009

To read our update on Project Ghana click here.

Annual Year 11 Prom

What a night! 206 pupils and Astley staff danced the night away at the annual Year 11 prom at the Gosforth Park racecourse.

Guests were treated to a lovely 4 course meal, followed by live music from our very own Molly Mackay and a superb disco.

This year’s prom king and queen were Connor Curran and Annaliese Lips, and the disco king and diva awards went to the energetic Sam Tuff and Lauren Parris.

The event seems to get bigger and better each year. Pupils behaved absolutely superbly and looked “a million dollars”. Well done to all concerned on what was a night to remember!
- July 2009

Farewell

At the end of term we say farewell to a number of staff who are leaving Astley.
Mrs White (Mathematics Department)

Mrs Birtley (English Department)

Miss Gill (Humanities Department)

Mr McFarlane (PE Department)

Mrs Whittaker (Law Department)

Mrs Hardman (Learning Support Asst)

Mr Whitehead (Learning Support Asst)

Mrs Atkinson (Learning Support Asst)

Many thanks to all of them for what they have done for their pupils over the years. We wish them well in the future…

Mrs Carter (Office Supervisor… smiley one in Reception.)

Thank you for all you do to run reception so efficiently and for helping pupils in such a cheerful manner…

… and CONGRATULATIONS to the following staff – who are not leaving! Miss Camsell (Examinations Office)

Miss McCreadie (Science Department)

Mr Lamb (Head of PE)

…. But are getting married in the holidays.

…. And to Miss Phillipson (Headteachers PA)

……who graduated from University with a distinction.
Mr Knight

- July 2009

Specialist Schools Bid

Following a great amount of effort in terms of writing the bid and in terms of fund raising, we are delighted to say that the bid has now been sent off to be assessed. We hope to hear the outcome in about two months.

If successful, it will mean that from Sept 2009, Astley, Whytrig and Seaton Sluice Middle Schools will be Specialist Schools, with a focus upon Mathematics and ICT/Computing. The status will provide with considerable extra funding to further improve the quality of provision within both departments. All other departments will benefit from the additional expenditure upon ICT equipment around the school.

A big thank you to all staff and pupils who have contributed to the fundraising effort, particularly over the past 6 months. Without those efforts the bid would not have been allowed to go forward for consideration.

Mr Knight

Seaton Sluice Middle School Sports Day

On the 2nd of July 2009, ten Year 10 GCSE PE and Sport Leader students went to Seaton Sluice Middle School to help with a very successful sports day. The students worked in pairs and were thrown straight into action. They where given various activity stations, of which they had no prior knowledge, and had to organise their area, equipment and the running of their activity.

The Astley students worked with a very mature attitude helping and encouraging the Middle School pupils to take part and perform to the best of their ability. The staff at Seaton Sluice Middle were very impressed with the students’ behaviour and attitude and stated ‘that they were a credit to themselves and Astley Community High School’.

Well done to the following students: Aneira Ball, Stephanie Hawthorne, Bethany Long, Chelsey Fulthorpe, Kelsey Adams, Alysia Todd, Ross Hall, Scott Fenwick, Andrew Burn, Lauren Slater.

Mr McFarlane

Blyths Big Bang

On Friday 19th July, Helen Wilson (Y10) and Miss Chapman (LSA) took part in ‘Blyths Big Bang’ Music Festival. They performed as part of the Newcastle Northern Lights Cheerleading Squad and wowed the crowds with displays of strength and acrobatics. The day was a great success for cheerleaders and spectators alike.

Mr Scott

Plea to Parents / Carers

We are currently looking to further develop Milkhope and have done a great deal in recent years. We would like to do some internal work and roofing.

Do you know anyone or could you give up some time, skills or expertise to help us with the next phase of our plans?

Plumbers, electricians, plasterers, joiners etc we need your help! Please contact Mr Scott or Miss Robinson in school if you can, any help would be greatly appreciated.

Mr Scott

Milkhope 2009

It all began about 20 years ago, and ever since Astley pupils have been visiting our farmhouse in the Cheviot Hills, near Alwinton for a residential experience involving walking and team building.

This year, Milkhope ran from 1 June until 1 July. Largely organised by Miss Robinson (Massive thanks from all!), over 200 students and 20 staff spent 3 days at a time in tutor groups learning more about the environment, Milkhope, each other and themselves.

The weather was generally very kind to us all and pupils will have many memories (including the midges) to look back on.

Mr Scott

Project Ghana

In July, two Year 12 students, Robbie Love and Cameron Doyle and I will set off to travel to the village of Ekumfi Atakwa in Ghana. We will stay there for 3 weeks, teaching English, basic skills and ICT to the children of the village. We will also take the opportunity to learn about the culture, the history and the music of the area. The master plan is that we will be able to talk to you live from Ghana, technology permitting.

This project is a long term goal of mine since I made a promise to the late Professor Kwesi Andam, who came from Ekumfi Atakwa to study for a PhD at Newcastle University and succeeded in persuading his professor (John Knapton) to go out to Ghana to see the conditions of life in his village. As many of you have heard, John was able to help by raising funds to dig a bore-hole, so that the village has fresh, clean, safe water. He then set about setting up a library, driving a double-decker bus part-way across the Sahara, raising funds for wind-up radios and improving education in the village.

Kwesi went on to become an influential figure in Ghana, as well as serving as Vice Chancellor of the University of Kumasi, but still maintaining his interest and influence in his home village. I met him in the summer of 2007, when he persuaded me that I could help him improve the life of his beloved village by taking some young people from Astley Community High School to work with the village children. I promised that I would try, so now we are about to begin fulfilling that promise. Sadly, he died in December 2007, but we intend to continue this part of his work.

We have had to find ways of raising money to finance the visit and you have helped us do this in several ways. We had a non-uniform day last year, which got us off to a good start, then we had the amazing “Astley’s got Talent” evening, which, combined with donations from Ward Hadaway solicitors, Gosforth Round Table and Seaton Delaval Wheelie bin cleaners, raised a grand total of £1580.66.

Year 9 Fastrack Mathematics

In November, over 60 Year 9 pupils sat their first GCSE Mathematics module. The results were fantastic with 39 pupils securing grade A or A*. In June, the pupils sat the second GCSE module and await the results in August. Pupils had been given many opportunities to help with preparation for this examination. There were after school revision sessions available 3 times per week and also an intervention session the day before the examination. Pupils were encouraged to complete past examination papers and to use mymaths, the excellent online mathematics resource.

In September, we will welcome our new Year 9. There will be a fastrack group of over 30 pupils who will sit two module tests in Year 9. The rest of year 9 will all complete on GCSE module in June 2010. We are looking forward to some amazing results.

Mrs Ward

Beamish 2009

On Tuesday 30th June, some Year 10 Historians travelled back in time to 1913, in the town of Beamish.

They discovered the latest fashion by dressing in floor length dresses, flat caps and jackets. Wearing their best, the historians marched for their cause. “No Votes for Women!” was the reply. The town’s people looked on the demonstration with mixed reactions, some with hope and some with disgust. However, some reactions changed once the campaigners started a debate.

The debate consisted of three parties, the Suffragettes, the Suffragists and the Anti-Suffragists. Two spokespeople from each party began the debate with the thoughts and ideas of their constituents. It then opened to the floor, sharing some strong views of the campaigners and the public.

As the debate and the day went on, no conclusion had been reached or looked like it was going to be resolved. However, a greater understanding of the issue had been gained and a great day had been had by all.

Emma Jobes

Sixth Form Careers Day

June saw the third annual Sixth Form Careers Day event take place with professionals from a wide range of industries meeting with Sixth Form students to discuss the realities of the world of work! Representatives from professions such as Research Science, ICT, Finance & Banking, the Police, Teaching, Journalism and local business discussed issues such as progression routes, pay and the day to day aspects of their professions. The feedback from the students was very positive and our visitors praised the students for the manner in which they were received. The day was capped off with a review session in the common room where refreshments were provided by Mrs Dawson and a number of Sixth Form Volunteers. Mr Thomas

Woodhorn Colliery Trip

On Wednesday 24th June, 5 Year 12 History students along with the ever-enthusiastic History teachers ventured to Woodhorn Colliery to show the students what local history is really about.

We were shown where the activities were stored, had a brief source work exercise concerning Cholera and were then able to request our own sources that interested or would help us.

I was doing a presentation on the Miners’ Strike of 1982 and some sources, such as a persuasive leaflet by the National Union of Miners, proved helpful. We know about the batch of sources available to us and experienced “Real History” as said by Mrs Bingham.

Rachel Brown

Enterprise Days

Enterprise Days took place on the 25th and 26th June for Years 9, 10 and 12. Pupils were asked to come to school in “business dress” and once again Astley pupils rose to the occasion, with a variety of very smart clothing.

During the 2 days, Year 9 pupils worked with the Business Studies department on the “Chocolate challenge” and with Sue Jenkins from RBS, tendering for business as a catering company.

Year 10 worked on the “Be real game” with Mrs Walmsley and Connexions staff and on a project called “Giant Minds”, working on marketing a rock band.

Thanks to all who contributed to a very busy two days and well done to our pupils who received many positive comments from outside speakers.

Mr Scott

Alton Towers Trip 2009

Year 10 BTEC Business and Travel & Tourism classes have recently visited Alton Towers theme park for the day. The trip was linked with coursework based on Customer Service at Alton Towers.

We all attended a Customer Service talk carried out by a member of the Alton Towers staff.

“Brilliant, I had a great time“ - Anthony Vacher

“Best fun I have had in a long time” - Callum Vaughan

Students experienced rides such as ‘Rita Queen of Speeds’, ‘Oblivion’, Nemesis’, ‘Ripsaw’ and ‘Air’. The weather was great and everyone had a great day.

“It was hot, had a great time” - Lorian Cocking

“Trip was long but had a great time” - Terri Mole

Mrs Clennell

End of Term Arrangements

A reminder to all parents/carers and pupils that school closes for the summer holidays at 12pm on Friday 24th July.

We hope that you all have a relaxing break.

School restarts for lower school pupils on Tuesday 8th September.

Mr Scott

Astley Pupils get a Head Start!

Two Year 12 students, Amy Hetherington and Jenny Watt, have been offered places on the “Headstart” summer school programme. The aim is to encourage talented students to consider careers in technology-based industries.

It provides an opportunity for those interested in mathematics and/or science subjects to spend up to a week at university, prior to making their UCAS applications.

Whilst on the summer school Amy and Jenny will be treated just like any other undergraduate student. They will meet senior staff and academics, recent graduates and prospective employers.

Headstart summer schools are run at many top universities in the UK and America and the scheme is supported by many leading industrial organisations. Jenny will be going to University College London and Amy will be attending Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh.

During their time on campus, they will participate in design, build and test projects, practical problem solving activities, lectures and seminars, discussions with recent graduates, meetings with prospective employer and visits to organisations of scientific interest.

After attending Headstart, Amy and Jenny will have a much better idea about degree courses and career options available to them.

There is only a limited number of places on these summer schools and many students throughout the country will have applied for them. So CONGRATULATIONS to Jenny and Amy for being the lucky few to have been offered places.

Mr Stent

Maths and Pizza = Success

On Sunday (yes SUNDAY!) 17th May, 110 year 11 pupils came into school to take part in a GCSE Maths crammer session.

Mrs Rhodes, Mrs White, Mrs Ward and Mr Cartwright had planned a day full of revision exercises to help pupils with the final preparation for their GCSE Mathematics examinations.

After a morning’s solid work, we stopped for light refreshment in the Dining Hall. The pizza was hot, varied and plentiful! Thanks to our clean up team. Have you ever seen 100 take away pizza boxes stacked?

All pupils made the most of the opportunity and expressed how useful the experience had been. We hope to repeat this next summer and we would like to wish Year 11 every success with their results in August.

Mrs Ward

Business Studies Ventures forth with new Industrial Links

Hairnets at the ready (aka as a trip to Proctor and Gamble)

Hairnets, overalls and safety shoes – not the usual attire of our fashion conscious Sixth Form and certainly not an outfit they would chose to be seen wearing. But 13 Year 12 BTEC Level 3 Business students did wear such garb for a recent trip to Proctor and Gamble. The sorry sight of the students (and staff) was the cause of great amusement. Unfortunately (or fortunately) no photographic evidence is available as all personal possessions had to be secured.

The students were shown around the factory floor and saw the production process from the storage of raw materials, through the mixing process to the bottling and packaging and finally the product leaving the premises.

Many of the lines are automated and the students were fascinated by the complexity of the machinery as well as having to evade driverless fork lift trucks which were being trialled.

Some of the perfume products are very expensive and on one production line they saw perfume packages worth £150 passing along every second.

After the tour, the students were given a presentation about Human Resources which directly linked to their assignment.

As they left – some were quite reluctant to leave behind their safety clothing and kept the hairnets as souvenirs! The company generously gave all the students a goodie bag.

New York Visit February 2008

On the 28th February 2008 students from our Travel and Tourism, Business and Geography Sixth Form classes left for a visit of a lifetime to the Big Apple.

The hotel was situated in central Manhattan around the corner from the Empire State Building. Students took photos of the fantastic views across New York from the top of this quarter mile high sky scraper.

New York is a fascinating and truly exciting place. It really is the city that never sleeps, although Astley High students were asking to go to bed after taking so much in each day! With so many films made there its like being on a studio set! However, it is a safe city as New Yorkers kept reminding our students.

As well as the experiencing of the amazing sights, sounds, smells, and character of one of the worlds most fascinating places. The group learnt more about New York from a seminar in the famous Lincoln Center.

All the students had a great time. It is hoped the visit inspires students from Astley High to get out there into the big wide world and see things for themselves.

Central Park

Click on the thumb nails to view.

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Library Reading Group

Reading for this year’s North East Teenage Book Award began at the end of September and ran until late January. Astley’s student judges, seven in total, were from Years 9 and 10. The group were rewarded with book vouchers and invites to the prize-giving ceremony, which was held at the Centre for Life on 30th January. The winner – a popular choice - was Jenny Valentine for her novel, Broken Soup. The evening was a great success and was enjoyed by the 400 people who attended.

The reading hasn’t ended there! A group of seven students from Year 9 continue to meet every Thursday to discuss the great reads that feature on the shortlist for the North East Book Award. This runs until the end of April, after which the students will concentrate on reading through the Carnegie Award shortlist…

As a treat for those students who have taken part in the Library’s reading-related activities this year, a visit to Cramlington Learning Village to meet top children’s author Derek Landy, author of the Skulduggery Pleasant novels, was arranged in March.

The group not only heard Derek Landy give a very entertaining talk about his life and career, but also took the opportunity to get books and other items signed by him. Everyone who attended agreed that it was a great event!

Mr Richardson

Chess News

The first qualifying round of the National Chess Challenge started in January. The outstanding player of the tournament was Brett Wood (9H) who was the only player in school to win all seven matches. He goes through to the regional final, which will be held at Sunderland University early in May, and moves one step nearer to the £20,000 prize fund. Brett is joined by five other Astley students from Year 9: Michael Dimopoulos (9E), Shaun Hobkirk (9G), James Railston (9L), Jackson Sminhoe (9T), and James Wilkinson (9Y). Good luck to them all in the next round.

Since November, with the support of Diane Brown and Extended Services, Charlie Storey has been running a chess club every Tuesday after school. This year, we’ve joined forces with students from Whytrig Middle School and Seaton Sluice Middle School to ensure that chess continues to flourish. New members are always welcome to join in and the coaching doesn’t cost a penny. For further information, see Mr Richardson.

Mr Richardson

Governors Decision about the Federation

Governors met at County Hall on March 12th to discuss issues about the Federation schools…..Astley, Whytrig and Seaton Sluice Middle.

There had been suggestions that one or more of the schools would change in a major way in terms of different year groups, pupils moving sites etc. Governors have decided that this will not be happening in the foreseeable future, not the least because any such move would be very expensive in terms of new building and Northumberland County Council does not have money to pay for such a move.

Governors have agreed with senior staff from County Hall that the Astley building does need a lot of work doing to it in order to improve the conditions for all staff and pupils. In order to do this, there will be survey work undertaken in the near future to identify where the greatest problems are to be found.

Saftey Works

On March 2009 a group of Year 9 pupils, who form part of the nurture group, attended ‘Safety Works’ in Newcastle. There were many different real life scenarios for all the pupils to take part in. There was a simulated arrest which the pupils found really interesting, especially the visit to the cell. They were able to experience what happens inside the cell and were given a detailed explanation of what they would have to endure if they were ever caught in an illegal act. The main focus was on fire risk and assessment of the potential risks in a family living room. The aim was to raise their awareness of dangers in their own home.

The aim of the nuture group is to raise the pupils self-esteem and to build their confidence.

Astley’s Got Talent! February 2008

Thanks to all involved in “Astley’s Got Talent” competition on the 25th February 2008. We raised over £1500 towards Project Ghana, which will be sending Robbie Love, Cameron Doyle and Mrs Walmsley to the Ghanaian village of Ekumfi Atakwa this July.

A special congratulations goes to the top 3 entrants in the competition: Ellie Armstrong in 3rd place, Jake Houlsby in 2nd place and the winner, Molly Mackay.

Watch this space for updates on the next Project Ghana event.

Its official – Astley Community High School is a good school!

December 2008

We received an OfSTED inspection in December 2008. The inspection report is full of praise for our school:

“Astley is a good school… and has significantly improved. This is the result of strong leadership…”

“Students make good progress including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities…”

“Results… are significantly above average and exceed challenging targets”

“Attendance [is] above average and behaviour is good”

“Personal development is good because the school has the safety and wellbeing of students at the centre of its work. Care and guidance, and support are good and students say they feel safe and enjoy learning ”

“A comment by one parent reflected the views of many when saying ‘Astley is a good school which really cares about their children’.”

Information provided by Ofsted for our students:

Astley has significantly improved and is a good school with a good sixth form.
Strong leadership by the headteacher working closely with senior managers and governors is making sure the school continues to improve
You make good progress and standards are above average
The quality of teaching and learning is good
The curriculum has improved and is better matched to your needs
Care, guidance, support and personal development are good.

Click here to read the full OfSTED REPORT.

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Simply the Best…

...set of results in the history of Astley Community High School…so far!!

The summer results 0f 2008 brought delight to staff and pupils alike, and the school is extremely proud of the achievements of all our young people.

Headline figures for Year 11 pupils… 81% gained 5A*-C grades, up from 64% last year 50% gained 5A*-C grades including Mathematics and English, up from 44% last year 67% of pupils gained A*-C in Mathematics.

Right across the school there were outstanding individual and departmental performances. What was particularly pleasing was the fact that right across the ability range the value added figures will be extremely high, reinforcing the fact that Astley is a truly inclusive school catering for all abilities and aptitudes.

The Year 11 results were backed up by some excellent performances at Key Stage 3 and A Level. To top it off, Year 10 pupils on modular Mathematics and Science courses have produced even better results.

Commenting on the examination performances, Mrs A Rhodes, Assistant Head Teacher for Data and Reporting, said "This is a tribute to the pupils and staff who have worked solidly to achieve such outstanding results. Contrary to the usual debate as to whether exams are becoming easier, I believe it is the commitment, hard work and determination of staff and pupils, along with support from parents, that has brought about such outstanding results."

Success in our examinations reflects the extremely close and positive relationships we have with our partner Middle Schools, Whytrig and Seaton Sluice, and our ongoing link with Wensleydale Middle School which continues to contribute large numbers of pupils who have been able to fulfil their potential at Astley.

These examination successes have come at an extremely exciting time in the history of Astley Community High School. From 1st September it has been part of a Hard Federation with Whytrig and Seaton Sluice Middle Schools. Astley Community High School Head Teacher Mr Ian Knight says, " Federation status formalises the existing links between the schools and allows us to further improve the quality of our provision for young people."

The Seaton Valley Partnership of schools which comprises First, Middle and High Schools is acknowledged to be an excellent example of close working, which is benefiting the whole school community of Seaton Valley. An example of this close working came during the summer term, when pupils from across the partnership and across all age ranges joined for a combined fun/sport event at Gateshead International Stadium.
to view this story on the New Post Leader's website

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CHESS NEWS
The second chess competition of the season will take place at St Teresa's School, Heaton, Newcastle on Saturday, 8th November. All students aged under 18 are welcome to compete. For more information and an application form, log-on to www.njca.org.uk

BLACK HISTORY MONTH
This month (October) is Black History Month. The aims of Black History Month are to:

Promote knowledge of Black History, Culture and Heritage;
Disseminate information on positive Black contributions to British Society;
Heighten the confidence and awareness of Black people to their cultural heritage.
The Library is marking Black History Month with a large display of related books, all of which are available for loan for 3 weeks at a time.

You can also find more information by checking out www.black-history-month.co.uk/

Sixth form vision statement
Click here for information on our aims to support Sixth Form students.
Year Head, Sixth Form Vision
Student Voice for the Sixth form Vision
Assistant Head Boy, Vision Statement
Assistant Head Girl, Vision Statement

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Mr Knight’s sponsored bike ride
Mr Knight completed a sponsored John O’Groats to Lands End bike ride to raise money for the Project Sir Lanka.
Click here to view images from his trip.
Sponsored bike ride ->

Sixth Form Prom Photos
A fantastic night of celebration was held on Friday 27th June at St James Park to mark the final farewell to Year 13.

Photos are available from link below:
Focal Point Photography ->
(Contact Mr Thomas for login details)

Early Finish From September
A proposed change has been put forward regarding the timing of the school day from September 2008. Read about the details by clicking on the link below.

Early Finish Letter

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Headteachers Update: Spring Term - First Half Term 2008
The first update of 2008 covers the beginning of the Year 9 Pathways process, updates on Year 13 UCAS applications and news on the cancelled Sri Lanka trip over half term.

Headteachers Update

Headteachers Update: Half Term - Christmas 2007
The final update of 2007 covers Mr Knights half term visit to Sri Lanka, details of important events in the busy run up to Christmas and several farewells to departed staff.

Headteachers Update

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Astley Receives Excellence Award!
Astley has become the first recipient of the Connexions Northumberland Excellence in Information Award.

Launched in April, the award aims to encourage the county's high schools to develop their Connexions resources area and reward those that manage to accomplish the required standard of information provision.

Headteachers Summer Newsletter
Mr Knight summarises the events of the final half term. The update includes news on the Year 9 SATs Results and trip to Milkhope, Year 11 and 13 leavers events and the schools production of GREASE.

Download Newsletter

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Back to School
As the new school year draws near there are a few important dates we need to bring to your attention.

Mon 3rd September is a Teacher Training Day.

Tues 4th September will involve Year 9 only.

Wed 5th September school reopens for new term.