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www.thomas-hardye.dorset.sch.uk
N E W S L I N E S
A Long Goodbye
My interview in March 1988 at the old Hardyes School was preceded by a walk around Dorchester. I had never
been to the town, or indeed to Dorset; it is a long, long way from the north east. I had a cup of coffee in The
Gorge, looked at the astronomical prices in the estate agents (nothing has changed) and finally found my way to
the school. Two weeks later, after a second interview, I became headteacher of the school. It proved easier to
get the job than it has been to leave it. I was 35 and only possessed the arrogance of youth. I was staying for
three years.
Many remember the old Hardyes with affection, but by that time it was living on past glories and was not a school
worthy of its name or its town. Along with many others, including some colleagues who are still working with me,
a process of transformation began. The amalgamation with Castlefield Girls School took place in September
1992 after some complex and interminable negotiations with the government and we moved onto one site in
September 1995. Prince Andrew opened the new school. Many people worked hard to make it happen, not
least James Read, the first chair of governors and trustees.
The rest as they say is ‗history‘. New buildings nearly every year, awards and accolades and most importantly of
all thousands of enthusiastic, committed, energetic students. Now described by the dreaded OFSTED as
‗amongst the best schools in the country‘, not just common or garden ‗outstanding‘ for Thomas Hardye, the
school I have been fortunate to work in bears no resemblance to that rather sad school of 1988.
So many people have played a part in that transformation, Mr Moore in the Sixth Form has been a key figure and
of course Mrs Taylor. She is also leaving at this time and the school owes her an incalculable debt. In the last
twenty years she has organised everyone around her, including me, and provided a level of commitment that
cannot be matched. ‗Legend‘ has become an over-used pointless word – in this case it is true. She is a wonder-
ful teacher and colleague.
People ask what I will miss? So much – people, no matter their age; results days, the absurdities that come so
thick and fast in the job, the office staff in particular can give you a list of these (and they have been wonderful
too) and the return of students, some now in their 40‘s, who are doing wonderful things in the world and remem-
ber their school with real affection. One of the indicators of quality in a school is the number of ex-students who
become teachers, Thomas Hardye has produced them in spades. They are lucky to be engaged in an activity
that touches lives and can really make a difference.
I hope I have made a difference myself and I thank those who may read this who have helped to do that.
I wish the school and all those who are part of it today, yesterday and tomorrow all good fortune and leave you
with what all schools should be about : Scientia et Veritas and a relentless optimism never to stop getting better.
Dr I E Melvin
Headteacher, The Thomas Hardye School
(1988 – 2010)
www.thomas-hardye.dorset.sch.uk
Year 9
Year 9 have made an extremely good start
to life at The Thomas Hardye School and
are now enjoying the variety of sporting,
musical and academic activities that the
school offers. In October ninety-six Year 9
students visited Cineworld Weymouth to
celebrate National Films in School Day. As
part of this occasion they watched ―The
Boy in the Striped Pyjamas‖ a harrowing
story of one boy‘s experience of the holo-
caust.
More recently the students were treated to
a performance from the poet Patience
Agbabi who appears on BBC Radio 4 and
has toured the world with her rap/reggae
rhythms. Patience captivated the audi-
ence with her poems which were an imagi-
native exploration of what it means to be
an outsider or feel displaced in the world.
This provoked some really good questions
from the students who were enamoured
both by her ability to recall her poems
without a script and her cute mascot the
bear Byron.
On a more academic note, the recent
Tutor Consultation Evening on 23rd
November was well attended and offered
parents an opportunity to discuss their
child‘s progress. It was encouraging to see
such a positive and enthusiastic turn-out
for this important evening.
Students continue to attend Year Council
each week and it has been good to see so
many Year 9s contributing to Student
Voice, the school‘s official forum for dis-
cussion. The latest area of focus for the
Council has been research into the
school‘s water fountains and discussion
and debate as to how these could be im-
proved, increased and redesigned. The
Student Council have also been active in
discussing the school‘s Olympic Legacy
and we have discussed how the school
will mark this fantastic event that is now
not so far away.
We look forward to the continued success
of the Year Group in the new year and
would like to wish everyone a very happy
and peaceful Christmas.
Best wishes,
Mr Johnson, Mr Bewley
and Miss Bowley
This term Year 10 have been working hard
and settling in to their new GCSE courses.
In September we welcomed several new
tutors to the year team; Mrs Bruce, Miss
Slade and Mr Kay. We also welcomed
back Mrs Maxwell. November‘s Tutor Con-
sultation Evening was a great success and
thank you to all those parents who
attended. In keeping with the theme of
attendance, so far the year group have
achieved 95% attendance. This is greatly
encouraging and we would like to see it
continue to improve during 2011.
Various members of the year group have
been working hard to raise money for
charity this term. Daniel Spracklen in 10JK
organised a showing of the film ‗How to
Train Your Dragon‘ in aid of Julia‘s House
and the Year Council have been raising
funds for Help for Heroes by holding a
name the Teddy Bear Competition. This is
a charity which was chosen by the stu-
dents as many have friends and family
currently serving with the armed forces
worldwide. We were pleased to see that
members of the year group have been
interviewed and accepted on the Dorset
Fire Brigade Cadet Course. On the sporting
front, Francis Anyanjo of 10JB had been
chosen to represent South West England
at Basketball, Charlie Davies of 10CD is
goal keeper for the County hockey team
and Jamie Northover of 10BC has partici-
pated at World Championship level in a
martial art.
As we move into the Christmas period we
are once more asking tutor groups to think
of others and help create Christmas ham-
pers for the Women‘s Refuge. This is
something we have done for many years
and it is a reminder to all that not every-
one can have the perfect Christmas.
We have to say farewell to two of our tu-
tors, Mrs Haliburton who is retiring from
teaching and Mr Thelwell. We wish them
well.
Finally, we would like to take this oppor-
tunity to wish all our students and their
families a restful Christmas and a Happy
New Year.
Ms Brook,
Mr Goulding and
Mrs Matthews
Year 10
Page 2 Newslines
www.thomas-hardye.dorset.sch.uk
Year 11
Year 11 returned in September more
focused and ready to work hard in this final
year of their GCSE‘s. They are beginning to
grow in confidence and self-belief. The
Tutor Consultation Evening was very suc-
cessful and the evening had a very positive
atmosphere. This has been reflected in the
latest set of predicted and potential grades.
We would like to thank parents and guardi-
ans for the support they are giving the stu-
dents and the school during this vital final
year.
After the successful results of the summer
many students went on to sit their Module 3
exam in mathematics. As in previous ex-
ams the students‘ behaviour going into and
during the exam was exemplary. The stu-
dents will have exams in January for sepa-
rate Sciences, ICT and Health and Social
care.
Following on from the 6th Form Convention,
applications have now been filled out by all
students. For those coming back to The
Thomas Hardye School there was a Taster
Day on 13th December. This is an oppor-
tunity to try life as a Sixth Former for a day.
For those not returning, an alternative tast-
er day was organised with visits to local col-
leges and apprenticeship providers. The
Connexions Service can play a crucial role in
helping students make some of these
important decisions about their future. If a
student would like an appointment they just
need to speak to their tutor or fill in a form
in the Connexions room. This is particularly
useful for those students who are unsure of
what to do next.
Coursework and controlled assessments
continue to dominate many subjects and it
is as important as ever that students com-
plete their homework and prepare for the
assessments. There is a large number of
help sessions students can attend after
school and they are encouraged to take full
advantage of these.
As in previous years we will be taking the
whole Year Group to Tower Park on the last
day of term. They will be able to see a film
and then spend a relaxed lunch with their
friends. It is an excellent way to end a hard
terms work.
The Prom Committee continues to work
hard with guidance from Mrs Howes and
Mrs Sibley. The date has been set and the
venue and entertainments have been provi-
sionally booked. Tickets will be available
later next term.
This has been a hard working term for Year
11 and, as they get nearer to those final
exams, they need to manage their time well
to avoid undue pressure. Use the Christ-
mas holidays to have a well- earned rest
and come back refreshed and ready to
achieve in January but don‘t forget to revise
for those January exams!
The Year 11 Team
Page 3 Newslines
www.thomas-hardye.dorset.sch.uk
“…a sell-out
audience that
included the
Mayor, Head
Teachers, and
Governors of the
various DASP
Schools...”
DASP ‗ Rights Respecting Concert
Saturday 13th November 2010
Students of all ages join together in a concert
to highlight the plight of the oppressed.
Students from across the DASP (Dorchester Area Schools Partnership) pyramid joined
together with the Orchestra of Imperial College, London, to perform a programme that
included works about oppression, by composers who themselves faced prejudice and
bigotry. The concert took place in the Theatre at The Thomas Hardye School to a sell-out
audience that included the Mayor, Head Teachers, and Governors of the various DASP
Schools.
(Peter Oakes conducts the Spirituals from Tippett‟s „A Child of Our Time‟)
The Choir was made up of around 130 singers from The Thomas Hardye School, Dor-
chester Middle School, St Osmund‘s Middle School, St Mary‘s Middle School, and other
members of the local community. Together, they sang spirituals (songs originally sung
by African-American slaves) taken from Michael Tippett‘s A Child of Our Time. This is a
piece that deals with the consequences of oppression—namely, the murder of a Nazi
diplomat (Ernst vom Rath) by a Jewish refugee teenager (Herschel Grynszpan) in Paris.
This event was a catalyst for the Nazis‘ attacks against Jews on Kristallnacht, November
9-10 1938. It is also interesting that the composer, Tippett, was imprisoned during WWII
for his pacifism.
(The Choir, made up of students from across the DASP Pyramid,
was accompanied by the orchestra of Imperial College, London)
Page 4 Newslines
Music News
www.thomas-hardye.dorset.sch.uk
“...The Orchestra
was conducted
with great
panache by the
Director of Music
at Imperial
College, Richard
Dickins.”
Instrumentalists from The Thomas Hardye School, St Osmund‘s Middle School, and Man-
or Park First School joined members of the Imperial College Symphony Orchestra in a
performance of Tchaikovsky‘s Polonaise from his opera Eugene Onegin. The Orchestra
was conducted with great panache by the Director of Music at Imperial College, Richard
Dickins. The Thomas Hardye Singers also performed Vaughan Williams‘ Serenade to
Music, accompanied superbly once again by the Imperial College Symphony Orchestra.
The text is taken from Shakespeare‘s The Merchant of Venice, and deals with the beauty
of sweet music.
(Singers from the three Middle Schools joined singers from The Thomas Hardye School)
The concert concluded with Shostakovich‘s Symphony No. 5, performed by the Imperial
College Symphony Orchestra. This is a piece that is often subtitled „A Soviet Artist‟s Re-
ply to Just Criticism‘. It was written after Shostakovich had been seriously criticised by
the magazine Pravda—the mouthpiece of Stalin‘s regime. Shostakovich had been ac-
cused of writing music that was far too complicated and not patriotic enough for the peo-
ple of Russia. Symphony No. 5 was his powerful and perhaps ironic response.
(Peter Oakes rehearses the performers)
The concert was introduced by two members of The Thomas Haryde
School‘s Rights Respecting Workgroup, who explained how the mu-
sic linked in with UNICEF‘s Rights Respecting Schools initiative, and
UNESCO‘s Convention on the Rights of the Child. The concert also
featured art-work based on the theme of oppression by student
Catherine Lindsley, from The Thomas Hardye School. A slide show
was shown during the performance of the Spirituals, highlighting the
issues being tackled.
(Artwork by Catherine Lindsley)
Page 5 Newslines
www.thomas-hardye.dorset.sch.uk
“… an eclectic
mix of groups
from the
students that
came forward.”
Page 6 Newslines
James Baker, DASP Music Co-ordinator, and Director of Music at The Thomas Hardye
School, said ―I was delighted that students from the age of 8, right up to the age of 28,
were able to join together in a musical performance of such high quality and scope. All
the students performed brilliantly, and we were truly privileged to host the Orchestra of
Imperial College London. I know that performers and audience alike, thoroughly enjoyed
themselves, and benefitted from performing and hearing such powerful music.”
(Thomas Hardye Students sing beneath artwork by Catherine Lindsley)
Jane Buckley, Head of PSHCE, and leader of the School‘s bid for Rights Respecting Sta-
tus, said “This was a superb concert which involved a large number of children from
across the Dorchester Area. The concert was extremely effective in promoting the
School‟s bid for Rights Respecting status—in particular highlighting issues surrounding
freedom of thought, belief, religion, and expression.”
Lake Garda Tour
In the final week of last term we ran a Music and Dance tour to Lake Garda in Italy. The
tour involved 74 students, and 7 members of staff. My vision for the tour was of a school
trip which enabled any student who was musical, or a dancer, to take part. Consequent-
ly, we were able to put together an eclec-
tic mix of groups from the students that
came forward. These included a madri-
gal group, a tour choir, a wind quintet, a
flute group, a clarinet group, a rock‘n‘roll
group, a concert band, a big band, an
orchestra, and a brass group. Repertoire
was similarly varied, and I was pleased
that we were able to provide something
for everyone. We performed in three out-
door venues over the course of the week,
and other highlights included a trip to see
Bizet‘s Carmen in Verona‘s Amphitheatre
Romana, and our own ‗Lake Garda‘s got
Talent‘ competition, which completed the tour. Thanks must go to all the members of
www.thomas-hardye.dorset.sch.uk
“This was an
extraordinary
achievement for
the choir …”
Page 7 Newslines
staff and students who took part, for making it such a great success.
Other Musical Events:
Other concerts which have already been and gone this academic year include A-Level
chamber music at Stratton Church, The Antarctic Concert (supporting Miss Hilton on her
expedition), the Year 9 Chamber Concert (new this year), the Autumn Gala Concert
(involving all our groups), and Choral Evensong at Bath Abbey (see report from Mr Oakes
below).
Coming up before the next Newslines edition are Anything Goes (a concert organised by
our student representatives), visits from the University of the 3rd Age, performances at
the Dorchester Christmas Cracker, the Carol Service, a Choir trip to Hilfield Friary, Battle
of the Bands, the school production of Bugsy Malone, a performance of Mahler, Sympho-
ny No.2 (with Imperial College, London), Weymouth Festival, the Concerto Concert, the
Spring Fundraiser, and recital evenings for all of our examination classes. Please feel
free to come along to any of our events and see what we have to offer!
Thomas Hardye Singers
The end of the summer term saw the performance of Monteverdi‘s Vespers of 1610.
This was an extraordinary achievement for the choir, as the work lived up to its reputa-
tion of being one of the most complex of choral
works, requiring huge concentration from the
choir. As one seasoned observer queried, ―What
other school-based choir could manage such a
performance?‖
Our performance, in St Mary‘s Church, began as
the sun went down at 9 pm, and finished (after no
interval), in candlelight, 100 minutes later. Many
in the audience and choir wrote to me to say how
moved they had been by the experience. Louise
Wayman, a former member of the choir, was one
of the soloists, all of whom were from Birmingham
Conservatoire. The audience was excellent—many
of them pleased to have an alternative to the
World Cup final!
The choir sang Evensong in Bath Abbey in early
November. Choir numbers are higher than ever and, in recent years, we have found that
new students to the school, in both Years 9 and 12, include many keen singers. We reg-
ularly have over fifty-five students attending choir practices after school on Fridays.
The Carol Service is at 7 pm on Thursday 16th December in St Peter‘s Church.
Visit of Prof. David Nicholls
On November 1st, we welcomed to the Music Department Pro-
fessor David Nicholls, Admissions Tutor in Music from South-
ampton University. His brief was to lecture to all our 6th Form
music students (26 in all) as he would to his undergraduates, in
order to give a foretaste of the style of teaching that a universi-
ty lecture provides. In order to have relevance to our students,
he talked for an hour about AS set works, and then, for a se-
cond hour, about A2 set works. His approach was to discuss
the works in a broader context than A level, while asking many
leading questions, and suggesting further lines of study. The
sessions were of great value to our students, especially those
who are thinking of reading Music. He spent 20 minutes with three students who have
expressed an interest in reading Music at Oxford or Cambridge. All were pleased to be
told at the end that he had been discussing the works in much the same way that he
would do with his 2nd year class at Southampton; our 6th Form musicians clearly felt up
to the task.
www.thomas-hardye.dorset.sch.uk
“…HUGE mice
caught in traps
set with granola!”
Honduras Expedition
In July, Jeremy Rowe and Jackie Bruce took
a group of nine Year 12 students on a Biolo-
gy expedition to Honduras, organised
through Operation Wallacea. After a very
long day of travelling we arrived in San Ped-
ro Sula (the second city of Honduras). The
following day we were bussed and then
transported by jeep up into the mountains
to the research camp of the Cusuco Nation-
al Park where the expedition really began.
The week was spent camping in the cloud
forest, studying the rainforest flora and fau-
na. We were all amazed by the sheer abun-
dance and diversity of wildlife, ranging from
cheese plants to giant pine trees, frogs,
crabs (yes at high altitude in the jungle!)
and some HUGE mice caught in traps set
with granola! We saw some amazing in-
sects at the light trap and some of us even
glimpsed the amazing Resplendent Quetzal,
one of the rarest and most beautiful birds in
the world.
Other highlights included using mist nets to
trap humming birds by day and bats by
night. One group of us came across a
gigantic moth in the forest, it was over one
foot across!–the scientists confirmed that
this is the largest moth ever seen (by any-
one, anywhere!). When staying in the deep
jungle at a much smaller camp site we were
also lucky enough to be woken by the wails
of a large cat at 3am one morning (probably
an ocelot) not to mention the thunder
storms that shook the ground.
A very damp and muddy party then left by
jeep and began the journey across the flat
coastal fringe of Honduras to meet the ferry
that would take us to Utila a remote island
which is part of a marine nature reserve.
We found this to be much hotter than the
cloud forest, and it took a while for us to
adjust to the combination of high tempera-
ture and humidity on the island. The sea
did not offer much of a respite as it was
28oC at depth and up to 33 oC in the shal-
lows! The group spent the week attending
lectures and training sessions combined
with a range of shore and boat dives
amongst the amazing coral reefs of the ar-
ea. We saw some truly amazing sights in-
cluding a bewildering array of species of fish
and corals some were even followed on a
dive by a hawksbill turtle.
Autumn Term—Events
Biology
Page 8 Newslines
www.thomas-hardye.dorset.sch.uk
On 20th September, Dr Jon Copley gave an
inspiring Community Lecture on deep water
life and exploration, which was well
attended by staff and students. We have
worked with Jon during visits to NOC South-
ampton and are now planning further
events with his help for 2011.
On 22nd September 2010 we took a large
group of Year 13 Biology students to attend
a brilliant Genetics Lab Day with the School
of Biosciences at Exeter University, set up
by Dr Nicky King. Our students were able to
complete undergraduate level practical
work on PCR and genetic analysis, using
specialist equipment and expertise from
the research and teaching team at Exeter.
We are continuing to work with Dr King and
others from Exeter to set up and run other
projects including the 2011 Genetics Day.
On 30th September and 1st October all the
Year 13 Biology students were taken on a
day field course at Studland on succession,
ecology, conservation and field study data
collection. This forms part of the Ecology
topic from the Year 13 unit 4, and was used
to give relevant context and first-hand
experience of key issues and techniques.
The session was led by a National Trust
Warden at Studland, and gave students the
excellent opportunity to find out more about
the unique ecosystem and the conservation
issues it faces. The second day was beset
by high winds and torrential rain, which ra-
ther cut short some of our practical tasks
on the shore. Students were partially
cheered up by the coffees and hot choco-
lates available in the café.
Dr Rowe
Biology
“Students were
partially cheered
up by the coffees
and hot
chocolates
available in the
café.‖
Page 9 Newslines
www.thomas-hardye.dorset.sch.uk
SIXTH FORM GERMAN EXCHANGE
Page 10 Newslines
CHALLENGING MATHS
On Wednesday 17th November, four Sixth
Form students attended the Senior Team
Maths Challenge event at Poole Grammar
School. The event was a regional final, with
the winning team set to progress to the
national final in London.
Katie Holmes, Vicky How-
ard, Lewis Kershaw and
Edward Godfrey spent their
lunch times practising for
the event with the hope of
improving on the second
place position achieved by
members of The Thomas
Hardye School at the event
last year. The event in-
volved solving maths prob-
lems as a group, a numeri-
cal crossword, and a maths problem relay.
The team found themselves in the lead by
six points at the end of the first round and
held onto the lead during the second
round. The final round proved to be very
difficult for all teams involved, and saw the
Thomas Hardye team drop to second place
behind Parkstone Gram-
mar School. The third place
position was awarded to
Canford School. The team
were disappointed not to
have secured a position in
the national final, but
should feel pleased with
the impressive show of
mathematical talent and
commitment to achieving
the best possible result at
the event. Well done.
Miss Slade
At the beginning of November the Modern
Languages Department was delighted to
welcome another group of students from
the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Gymnasium in
Germany to stay with our Year 12 students.
They enjoyed trips to Bath, Salisbury,
Stonehenge, Wells and Glastonbury as well
as the many bonfire displays going on in
the area. The weather was kinder this year
and no-one had to buy new trousers to re-
place their sodden ones like last year! We
look forward to the return trip at the begin-
ning of April.
Mrs Lees (German teacher)
“…no-one had to
buy new trousers
to replace their
sodden ones ...”
Last summer 23 students went sailing on
two yachts across to Cherbourg and the
Channel Islands, with a charity called the
Rona Sailing Project. The trip was a week
long, during this time the students coped
with having to cook three meals a day in-
cluding roast lamb and all the trimmings for
the entire crew. There were opportunities
for swimming in the sea and exploring the
places that we visited. The students all
worked hard through the week to learn sail-
ing skills and other skills like teamwork and
leadership that will serve them well for life.
Some of the crews then went with the char-
ity to take part in the small ships race in
September, which was a
yacht race around the Isle
of Wight. A handful of the
students were invited to
attend a watch leader
selection weekend,
which was on a windy week-
end in October. Sam Daw, Grace Kirby and
Todd Neale demonstrated good leadership
skills and will be able to sail in a position of
responsibility next year.
Two summers ago Lorna Moss took part in
the sailing trip and is now a watch leader.
She has since sailed in the Tall Ships Race
from Aalborg to Hartlepool. More students
who sailed last year will be able to attend
the demanding selection weekend for next
year‘s Tall Ships Race, which includes the
ports of Lerwick and Stavanger.
Well done to all those involved in those
trips last year. The same opportunity is
available this year for those in
Year 11 and the Sixth Form.
Mr Fasham
RONA SAILING PROJECT
www.thomas-hardye.dorset.sch.uk
Page 11 Newslines
This term has been a very busy period for
the PE Department and in particular teach-
ers responsible for Boys PE. With many
changes introduced to the curriculum, the
beginning of extra-curricular clubs and the
new GCSE controlled assessment, this term
has passed very quickly! Within curriculum
PE the attitude and commitment shown by
the lower school boys has been very im-
pressive. PE lessons generate a great
amount of competition, fun and sweat – all
of which is very good for our students. In
addition to curricular PE, there is a great
number of extra-curricular clubs for our
students to enjoy. Clubs are very popular
as competition between students for plac-
es in our representative teams is often
fierce, none more so than for Rugby, where
we have had over 90 students taking part
in Monday night training. The Rugby sea-
son was very successful as a result, with
both the U15 and U16 sides winning their
area 10 a-side tournament. The first XV
have recorded a number of very impressive
victories in the Daily Mail Cup, most
noticeably against Richard Huish College
(20-12) and Wellington College (21-10).
The U14 Rugby team recorded a very en-
couraging win against Milton Abbey, win-
ning 53-0. All three lower school football
teams are successfully through to the third
round of the County Cup. The U18 football
team have enjoyed a number of friendly
games and recorded victory over The
Gryphon School 3-0. The Sixth Form bas-
ketball squad are constantly improving as
they build on a solid foundation built last
year with the help of external coach Alex
Fairman. They narrowly missed out on vic-
tory 52-50 against Shaftesbury College.
With many competitive and intra-school
fixtures arranged for basketball, hockey
and football over the next few months, the
pace shows no sign of slowing. As
Christmas nears our daylight fades, and
our Sport Halls flood, but I very much doubt
any of this will dampen the spirit within
Boys PE.
Well done all involved.
Mr T Adams
PE
DofE Gold
We are very pleased with this summer‘s
Gold assessment on Dartmoor in which
every participant passed. The groups were
on the Moor for five days and four nights
and ‗camped
wild‘. Each
group‘s expedi-
tion had an aim
which included
letterboxing and
the geology of
outcrops. The
assessor report-
ed that this
group‘s preparation and execution was the
best that he had ever seen.
Recruitment has gone well again this year
with the new batch of Year 12 having been
selected. Trips are planned for January,
April and July next year.
Cross Country
We are very pleased with the way that the
teams are performing. The inter boys team
and inter girls team have recently won all
accolades at the recent races at Budmouth
and Colfox Schools winning the team com-
petitions. The inter girls were notable in
their achievements securing all four places
at the front. Next fixtures to look forward to
are in January at Bryanston.
A Level PE
The Year 13 A level PE groups are going to
make their historical studies module more
real when they play the game of the nobility
and visit the ‗Real Tennis‘ courts in Bridport
on 6th December. They will be given a talk
on the game‘s history and etiquette fol-
lowed by time on court.
Mr Bendall
“…competition
between students
for places in our
representative
teams is often
fierce,...”
www.thomas-hardye.dorset.sch.uk
Page 12 Newslines
It has been a busy term in the Dance
department with a number of exciting
extra-curricular activities involving the
students performing, working alongside
professionals and watching professional
work. AS Performance Studies and A2
Performing Arts students attended a circus
skills workshop with Nofitstate Circus who
was in residence in Dorchester for a week,
which gave them the opportunity to learn
new skills.
All AS and A2 Dance students saw The
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre per-
forming Revelations at the Sadler‘s Wells
Theatre, the set work studied by these stu-
dents. This company is renowned world-
wide for its highly skilled and exciting per-
formers, and the students were not disap-
pointed. In November students had the
opportunity to attend a trip to the Octagon
theatre to see Richard Alston and Dancers
performing their most recent works. In
addition we attended an exhibition of
Dance photography by Chris Nash at the
theatre and also an after show discussion
with the choreographer and dancers. AS
Performance Studies students also attend-
ed a production of Matthew Bourne‘s Cin-
derella at the Theatre Royal Plymouth, in
preparation for their written exam in Janu-
ary.
Our main performance this term has been
the Dance Show on 11th November, which
involved students from all year groups
showing their curriculum work and work
generated during clubs. We were also able
to showcase one dance number from
Bugsy Malone, the school musical to be
staged the first week in February. Later
this term the A2 Performing Arts students
will be staging Stepping Out, the musical
comedy, which will be assessed as part of
their Unit 5 coursework.
NEWS FLASH! NEWS FLASH!
NEWS FLASH! NEWS FLASH!
Students from all year groups have been busy rehearsing for the school musical
Bugsy Malone
This will be shown on 3
rd, 4
th and
5th February at 7.30 pm in the
School Theatre. Tickets will be available from the Main School Office from January. (£8 adults, £4 concessions, £20 family ticket – 2 adults and 2 children). A tremendous amount of work goes into such musical produc-tions, from designing and making costumes, to learning lines and dances, to building sets and sourcing props, and we do hope that you will support this event and all the students involved. NEWS FLASH! NEWS FLASH!
NEWS FLASH! NEWS FLASH!
Dance News
“…renowned
worldwide for its
highly skilled and
exciting
performers...”
www.thomas-hardye.dorset.sch.uk
Page 13 Newslines
Students of The Thomas Hardye School present “by arrangement with Warner/Chappell Music Limited
administered by Boosey & Hawkes”
Thursday 3rd, Friday 4th & Saturday 5th at 7.30pm
February 2011 Adult £8.00 Concessions £4.00 Full Family Ticket (2 Adults 2 Children £20.00)
Tickets from the School Office
The Thomas Hardye School, Queens Avenue, Dorchester
Tel 01305 266064
BUGSY
MALONE By Alan Parker
Lyrics by
Paul Williams
www.thomas-hardye.dorset.sch.uk
Miss Hilton’s Antarctic Expedition….so far
Page 14 Newslines
Saturday 20th November I’m writing this whilst sat in my hostel in Punta Arenas in Chile, over 2 weeks after leaving the UK. This is not where we hoped or expected to be right now! We’ve been delayed for over a week, unable to fly into Antarctica as the blue ice runway has been covered in snow. The weather there has been improved for the last few days, so the few staff who are at Un-ion Glacier have been working through the nights to try to clear the runway. We’re waiting for a call tonight to update us on their progress and then hopefully we’ll be on our way to-morrow or Monday. During our first week in Chile, we were really busy buying and packaging all our food for our expedition. We did ship a bit of food from the UK - our freeze dried evening meals and Dor-set Cereals kindly supplied us with some porridge and energy bars – but this is expensive so we had to buy the rest locally in Punta. We need between 4000 and 5000 calories a day on the ice, just to keep warm and provide enough energy to ski and man haul our pulks. Our shopping list included 27kg of salami, cheese, chocolate and haribo and 7kg dried fruit! Lisa is also badly allergic to nuts so we spent one day baking 10kg of nut-free flapjacks! Other jobs included fitting our skis and crampons to our boots, skins to our skis and checking our tents for holes. With the food and kit sorted, it then just became a waiting game, each day just hoping we’d receive the news the weather had improved and the runway was starting to be cleared. It has meant we’ve got to do some sightseeing though. We had a fantastic boat trip to Magda-lena Island where we got really close to hundreds of Magellenic penguins. We also saw a huge sea lion and lots of dolphins on the boat trip over. Another day we went to Torres del Paine, a beautiful national park with stunning mountains, glaciers and waterfalls. We’ve also been lucky enough to meet some fascinating people whilst in Punta. Chris Foot from Bournemouth is going to attempt to be the first to ski solo and unassisted to the South Pole and back. This is a total of 1392miles! Every day we are delayed though the days he has available reduce and so do his chances. He now only has 70 days to achieve this. Hannah McKeand is a British polar guide and currently holds the record for the fastest unassisted solo ski to the South Pole at 39 days, 9 hours and 33 minutes. By the time you’re reading this our expedition will hopefully be well underway. The delay means we’ll probably be back in the UK later than expected and may even experience a Christmas on the ice! You can follow my progress by reading our daily blog at www.fuchsfoundation.org and by following me on Twitter at AntarcticHilton. If you’d like to ask me any questions whilst I’m on the ice, I’d love to answer them so email them to enquir-ies@bullexpeditions.com. See you all soon. Miss Hilton
Magellenic penguins Torres del Paine
… loads of
cheese!
“… we spent one
day baking 10kg
of nut-free flap-
jacks!”
www.thomas-hardye.dorset.sch.uk
Page 15 Newslines
Jurassic Coast Pathfinders Project Our very best Year 11 Gifted and Talented Geographers received training on the Schools new GIS mapping software. They worked alongside other G&T students from six other schools in the area to develop an awareness of future problems that the UNESCO World Heritage Site ‘The Jurassic Coast’ may face in the light of climate change and sea level rise. The team of ten students have planned and conducted their very own fieldwork investigation from scratch about this important coastline
and are now putting into practice what they have learned. They have held im-portant meetings with stake-holders and interest groups for the purpose of advising them of what the Jurassic Coast should look like, envi-
ronmentally and economically. They meet regularly implementing what they know from their training and research to continually advise and inform local businesses and other stakeholders on the future threats to the Dorset Coast. Thanks to using the schools state of the art GIS software our Geographers are now aiming to help many local businesses to diversify where they will soon no longer exist due to our rapidly eroding coastline. GIS – Geographical Information Systems The sophisticated ESRI (UK) Digital Worlds company have been into Thomas Har-dye’s Geography Department to deliver training in Geographical Information Sys-tems. This is a state of the art mapping software which comprehensively enables users to manage the world around them using specialist maps and data. This is quickly becoming a much sought after tool in the business world in terms of store/office space and industry location. Its uses are vast and with our students in THS learning how to manipulate data of the world around them they are well placed to make informed and valid choices about how our towns, cities and renewable energy usage shall look like in the future! Thank you ESRI UK and the GIS DigitalWorlds soft-ware! Students can come along, use the software and who knows… maybe make a million or two in the not so distant future advising Tesco on the best store locations!
Geography News
“… maybe make a
million or two in the not so distant future …”
www.thomas-hardye.dorset.sch.uk
As the days shorten and the temperature continues to plummet, it is now
the time to reflect upon the last term as Christmas draws ever closer…
In true English Department tradition, students from all year groups have
been offered a number of theatre trips this term, both as part of their
studies and for their enjoyment too. On 2nd November, Year 11 students
saw a modern interpretation of ‗Romeo and Juliet‘ at The Lighthouse,
Poole, which is an invaluable tool for exam revision. For those who
missed this one, a visit to the RSC theatre in Stratford to see ‗Romeo and
Juliet‘ has been organised for Saturday 5th March 2011 – if you‘d like to
attend, speak to your English teacher. Other theatre trips to The Light-
house included ‗An Inspector Calls‘ back in October for Year 10 students
who will be studying the play for the new-style GCSE. A visit to The Point
Theatre in Eastleigh gave Year 12 students a chance to see ‗Not About
Heroes‘, an award-winning play that tells the story of the fascinating
friendship of First World War poets Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen.
A production of Shakespeare‘s ‗Twelfth Night‘ at the Bournemouth Pavil-
ion is available to Sixth Form students in January 2011. A Level Media
Studies students visited the British Film Institute in November. Other edu-
cational trips scheduled for the coming year include an A Level English
Language visit to the British Library, a Year 9 trip to London to see
‗Woman in Black‘ and a Year 12 trip to see Salisbury Playhouse to see
‗Doctor Faustus‘. We would like to thank Mrs Mathieson for her organisa-
tion of these educational visits and trips.
In November, we were fortunate enough to welcome Patience Agbabi, a
performance poet from London, who ran a workshop for Year 12 students
and presented some of her poetry to Year 9; they asked Patience lots of
questions about her life and work and the sessions were beneficial to all
involved. Moreover, Tracy Chevalier, author of best-selling novels suitable
for young people, including ‗The Girl with the Pearl Earring‘ and ‗The Lady
and the Unicorn‘ also came to visit us and she spoke to a number of stu-
dents about her work as an author and the art of creative writing. Tracy
also made time to officially open the THS Resources Centre, now heralded
as ‗The Melvin Library‘.
Year 13 students have been offered the opportunity to work on the A Lev-
el Extended Project, a scheme to prepare students for the rigours of uni-
versity study. A number of students decided to complete this project, writ-
News from the English Department
‘We wish you a Merry Christmas!’
“...now heralded
as „The Melvin
Library‟.”
Page 16 Newslines
www.thomas-hardye.dorset.sch.uk
“...start watching
MTV and surfing
the net now!”
Page 17 Newslines
ing on topics including the influence of continental philosophy in modern
literature and the role of gender in fairy-tales – diverse and interesting ide-
as! In addition, once a month, the Extended Reading Group, run by Miss
King, meet to discuss a literary text. This group provides students with a
wider diet of literature beyond the restrictions of the A level syllabus and
helps them to prepare for university interviews; naturally, some students
attend simply for the enjoyment of reading a new novel. If any student is
interested in joining, please go to C20 and speak to Miss King.
We would like to commend our Year 10 students for their mature approach
to the new style GCSE English Language and Literature qualifications; stu-
dents are now taught in a way which prepares them to complete a series of
controlled assessment essays instead of coursework. This has required
the student to develop a more autonomous, sustained approach to writing
and we are impressed with their results so far. Preparations for the GCSE
Media Studies exam start in the spring term – the topics are music videos
and music fan websites – start watching MTV and surfing the net now!
The THS Film Club is going from strength to strength. Meeting in the Sixth
Form Centre every Monday after school, Mr Martin presents an eclectic mix
of films from contemporary cinema. Recent showings include ‗Up‘, ‗District
9‘, ‗Persepolis‘ and ‗Avatar‘. Mr Martin‘s contact with filmclub.org means
he has access to some of the latest movies, including ‗Toy Story 3‘ and the
‗Twilight‘ saga – come along in the new term! Also, in November, Year 9
students were given the opportunity to go to Cineworld in Weymouth for an
exclusive screening of ‗The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas‘ – this was a tre-
mendous success and Mr Martin hopes to organise another trip in the next
academic year.
We would like to wish all staff, students and parents a wonderful Christ-
mas and New Year – may you return to school refreshed and ready for the
challenges ahead in 2011!
Miss Lincoln
www.thomas-hardye.dorset.sch.uk
IMPORTANT DATES
16th Carol Service, St Peter’s
Church, 7.00 pm
17th Sixth Form Oxford trip
Y9 & 10 Talent
Competition
TERM ENDS
January 2011
4th STAFF DAY
5th STUDENTS RETURN
6th Form external exams
begin
17th Y11 Reports home this wk
26th Y11 PSHCE
27th Y11 Subject Consult. Eve.
31st Y13 Reports home this wk
Bugsy Malone Dress
Rehearsal, 7.30 pm
February
1st Y11 Subject Consult. Eve.
2nd Y11 PSHCE
3rd 6th Form Philosophy &
Ethics Conference
Youth Parliament
Election
Inter. Maths Challenge
Bugsy Malone, Theatre
7.30 pm
4th Bugsy Malone, Theatre
7.30 pm
5th Bugsy Malone, Theatre
7.30 pm
7th Yr9 Options Evening
8th Yr11 PSHCE/Yr13 Sub-
ject Consultation Evening
10th Yr9 Careers morning/
Sci College Darwin Day
11th Yr9 Careers morning/
Yr11 Dance Study exam
Battle of the Bands,
Theatre 7 pm
17th HALF TERM BEGINS FOR
STUDENTS AT 3.30 pm
18th STAFF DAY
28th STAFF AND STUDENTS
RETURN TO SCHOOL If you would like further information on any article in this issue of Newslines,
please contact the member of staff concerned.
Snow
If the School is closed because of snow, it will be announced on local radio
stations - if there is no announcement, we are OPEN. Please check our web-
site for the most up-to-date information.
If possible (and safe) we would ask you to send your children to School.
If your child‘s school bus is not running in the morning to school (because of
bad weather) then it will not run in the afternoon to bring children home.
When you bring your child to school you will be responsible for collecting
them at the end of the school day.
If the School is to be closed during the day as the weather deteriorates, a
decision will be made and students will be allowed home in a safe and se-
cure manner. All students are asked to contact parents by ‗phone and
should remain in School if they are unable to go home. All students are told
to go straight home. Please do not telephone the School if the weather may
be deteriorating—we will send students home if the situation merits it.
Mobile „Phones
There appears to have been some confusion recently over mobile ‗phones.
The policy is very clear:
any student in Years 9-11 found in possession of a mobile ‗phone will
have it confiscated immediately
the ‗phone will then have to be collected by parent/guardian
IT WILL NOT BE RETURNED TO THE STUDENT.
In relation to Sixth Form students, at no time should a student use a ‗phone
or have it switched on in a lesson. If this occurs, it will be confiscated.
Personal Music Players
No student in Years 9-11 should have a personal music player in School—
again these will be confiscated and the same rules for collection apply.
Sixth Form students should not use personal music players around School
or in lessons—they must be confined to the Sixth Form Centre.
Mobile ‘Phones & Personal Music Players
Queen‘s Avenue
Dorchester
Dorset
DT1 2ET
Phone: 01305 266064
Fax: 01305 250510
E-mail: admin@thomas-
hardye.dorset.sch.uk
THE THOMAS HARDYE SCHOOL
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