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Volume. 5 Issue. 13

Friday 31st March

Dear Parents / Carers and Friends of Bolingbroke,

Time has flown by this year and we have reached the end of another term, soon to be entering our

final term of the academic year and a very important time for our Class of 2019 (Year 11) who will

commence their GCSE’s on Monday 15th May 2017. On behalf of all the teaching body I wish you every

success in your forthcoming exams.

In the last fortnight we have been a hive of activity, particularly the Music department who have hosted

and attended number of musical performances, including pupils singing beautifully at Festival Hall. The

MFL department waved off our Exchange students who left for their German exchange – to be greeted

warmly in Meine by the host families and local journalists!

I am thrilled to see that we have a very large number of pupils taking part

in the Duke of Edinburgh programme, the first expedition of which took

place last weekend; details of which can be seen in this edition and on

our website.

The Parent Association have undertaken a number of fundraising activi-

ties and most recently raised an impressive £250 with the Easter Cake

sale. Fundraising is also underway for the Music department and PE de-

partment, more details of which can be viewed on our website.

Lastly, as you know we have been undertaking a review of the current

school bag provision. Thank you to all teachers, parents and pupils who

provided feedback. The review has now been completed and we will be

coming back to you with the conclusions and next steps after the Easter break.

We have had an extremely busy term with an enormous amount of events and achievements which is

all testament to the hard work and 100% effort shown by our talented teaching body and pupils. I am

incredibly proud all everything that we have achieved and hope that you all enjoy a well-deserved rest

over Easter. We look forward to welcoming you back for the Summer term on Wednesday 19th April.

Ms Edis

Principal

Pupils back for Summer Term on Wednesday 19th April

ENJOY THE BREAK!

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SILVER DUKE OF EDINBURGH COMES TO

BOLINGBROKE ACADEMY

Ms Davidson

Congratulations to all the pupils who successfully completed the first ever Bolingbroke Academy Silver

Duke of Edinburgh practice expedition!

In total, forty-six Year 10 and Year 11 pupils

spent three days camping on the North

Downs. Equipped with their oversized ruck-

sacks, camping equipment and food supplies,

these pupils were challenged to set up camp,

undertake lengthy and rigorous walks, pre-

pare their own food and complete all the set

challenges whilst maintaining a positive sense

of humour and a collaborative, supportive and

encouraging team spirit.

All the pupils were required to plan and com-

plete a series of demanding walks, successfully

applying their map reading skills, ensuring they

arrived at destinations at agreed times. They

had to collaborate and co-operate to ensure all

tents were pitched successfully and all equip-

ment was successfully carried to and from the

site.

Whilst the challenge expedition section is re-

garded as one of the hardest parts of the D of E

Award, the mixed conditions encountered on

the Downs over the three day period made this

a particularly gruelling and arduous trek.

The weather conditions presented a great

challenge. Whilst, during the days, pupils

enjoyed delightful woodland walks bathed in

warm sunshine, night-time conditions were

particularly demanding. Unseasonably low

temperature resulted in cold, chilly evenings

and nights. Great ingenuity was shown by

many pupils who resorted to wearing all

their clothes to keep the icy cold at bay. My

personal highlight was seeing Destiny cook-

ing her group’s evening meal, whilst wrapped

in her warm dressing gown and coat over

her clothes!!!

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SILVER DUKE OF EDINBURGH cont’d

Expeditions are both physically and mentally

demanding. Pupils need to find the physical

strength to carry their large rucksacks, packed

with everything they need for the duration:

food, bedding, shelter and clothes. They also

need to display high levels of self-sufficiency as

they undertake tasks without adult intervention

or supervision. Additionally, they need consid-

erable mental reserves as they encounter new

challenges, cope with the unexpected and main-

tain high levels of resilience and determination

to ensure all tasks are successfully completed.

This was a challenging expedition. All the groups coped well with these, displayed great determination

and finished in good spirits. Well done to them all.

In addition to the expedition, these pupils will also be undertaking volunteering commitments, develop-

ing new skills and taking part in a physical activity for one hour each week for six months. It is the de-

manding nature of the Duke of Edinburgh Award which makes it so highly regarded around the world,

by universities, businesses and the public at large.

To have completed this expedition is a great achievement. These pupils deserve our congratulations

and we wish them every success as they work toward completing their Duke of Edinburgh Silver

Award.

Many thanks to Mr Brooks, Ms Luetchford, Mr Rowe and Ms Iles who helped out on this trip. Without

their help and support this expedition would not have been possible.

I am now looking forward to our assessed expedition on the South Downs in July.

And on a final note the quote of the expedition must go to the pupil who said “I thought that’s too

steep to be a path”!!

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Hound ARK SENIOR GREAT DEBATE COMPETITION

Ms Sturgess

On Tuesday 28th March, five students from Year 8, 9 and 10 represented Bolingbroke Academy in the

Ark Senior Great Debate. This was an inter-school debate held at the English Speaking Union, consist-

ing of 9 schools competing in total to be crowned the ‘Great Debate Champions.’ The pupils were

made up of Glen Trevis, Atticus Jackson, Jess Ward, Claudia Sai and Ella Holman, who are all part of

the ‘Debating Society’ enrichment group. The day consisted of three separate debates and our pupils

were told in advance two of the motions with the final one being given to them on the day.

The first motion Bolingbroke debated was ‘Celebrities are bad role models’ against Evelyn Grace

Academy. We were told on the day that we had to debate for the opposition and Claudia, Ella and

Atticus rose to the challenge. The judge commented that ‘the pupils’ arguments were backed up by

research and evidence and that they sounded very convincing.’

In round two our opposition were St Albans Academy from Birmingham, who were arguing for the

motion that ‘Police should be armed with guns.’ Our team, who were against the motion, consisted of

Glen, Jess and Atticus. The pupils felt our performance in this debate was much better and that each

pupil was becoming more confident with their tone of voice and responding to other debaters’ com-

ments. The opposing team were strong, with confident speakers and well thought out arguments but

the solidarity and quick thinking shown by our team ensured their arguments were tighter – as well as

some very clear ‘Points of Information.’ Atticus commented that he “really enjoyed this debate as it

was a great opportunity to meet other students from different schools who were also interested in

debating.”

Round three’s motion was unseen, where pupils were given 20 minutes to prepare for their debate.

The motion was ‘This house believes that funding for space exploration should cease’ and Boling-

broke had to prepare for the proposition. Pupils were not given any information and had to work as

a team to write their argument. The team consisted of Glen, Ella and Jess and argued for this motion

against Kings Academy in Birmingham. The pupils showed just how well they can think on their feet

and put arguments together in a short space of time. With very spirited speeches and excellent re-

buttals, the opposition even commented on what formidable opponents we were.

At the close of the day, we found out we had come

third out of nine schools and received high praise

from the judges, commenting on our strength of

delivery and expression. We were also awarded

the prize for the school that had ‘Most Improved’

throughout the day, with Glen receiving an extra

award for his strong questioning in the floor de-

bate. A thoroughly enjoyable day for all involved

and the pupils reflected that they are keen to build

on this to be even more successful next time

round!

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MFL UPDATE

Ms Konneradt

This term, some of our Y7 French and Y8 Spanish pu-

pils have been working on “School life” to develop

their understanding, knowledge and skills about France

and Spain. They have been asked to come up with a

creative homework. Pupils have chosen their groups

and the format of the homework. Here are some ex-

traordinary examples that they came up with :

Booklets, creative videos, 3D models, comics/drawings and even

a Bolingbroke CAKE!!

A big thank you to all pupils who have put so much effort into

this special homework. If your child was a part of this share a

massive well done to him/her!

I really look forward our next round of creative homework!

IN THE LIBRARY

Coming Soon: (YA)

“Pursuit of Happyness” – By Chris Gardner

Milwaukee native Chris Gardner, just out of the Navy, arrives in San

Francisco to pursue a promising career in medicine. He soon sets his

sights on the competitive world of high finance. Yet no sooner has he

landed an entry-level position than Gardner finds himself caught in a

web of challenging circumstances that leave him as part of the city's

working homeless and with a toddler son. This book follows his jour-

ney from troubled childhood to a successful businessman with all the

ups and many downs in between.

I would recommend this book to all pupils who like hard hitting books

about real life!

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YEAR 11 NCS INFORMATION We were happy to welcome Luke and Emma from NCS to speak to pupils on Monday. We would like as many

Year 11s as possible to sign up to the challenge. Please contact Ms Robinson or Emma (details below) if you have

any questions.

Offering NCS to Year 11 pupils in Summer 2017

I am delighted to inform you that this term your child will be given the opportunity to sign up to the National

Citizen Service (NCS), a government-funded programme for 16-17 year olds.

NCS is a once-in-a-lifetime experience which empowers young people to build skills and confidence to get ahead.

The programme is part-residential, with twelve different starting dates throughout June, July and August. It has

been specifically designed for Year 11/12 students and is broken into three parts:

1. Get Active: A week of outdoor adventure where young people bond as a team through physical challenges

and take part in activities such as rock climbing, hiking and canoeing.

2. Get Involved: A week living in University accommodation; participants learn a skill (from drama, enterprise,

media, music, photography or sport) with a local professional practitioner, whilst practicing independent living.

3. Make Your Mark: Within their teams, young people will pitch and deliver their own social action project.

Upon completion, young people will receive a signed certification from the Prime Minister and have further op-

portunities and benefits through membership of The Challenge Society. NCS develops young people’s leadership,

teamwork and communication skills, builds confidence, increases independence, and provides experiences which

are invaluable for CVs and UCAS personal statements.

The most that you will pay for your teenager to participate in NCS is just £50, with financial assistance available

for those that need it. However your teenager will be offered to take part in the programme for a discounted

price of £35 until Monday 24th April 2017. This fee covers all activities, staff and specialist kit, as well as accom-

modation, food and transport for the residential parts of the programme.

Please visit ncsthechallenge.org to find out more and book a

place. We highly recommend this opportunity and hope you will

encourage your teenager to take part. If you have any questions

please contact me on 07341 563906 or alternatively email me on

emma.overy@the-challenge.org.

WORK EXPERIENCE

INFORMATION FOR YEAR 10 PUPILS

Please remember that the deadline for this is now Wednesday 19th April. Pupils must see Ms Robinson urgently if

they need help.

Optional week: Tuesday 29th August to Friday 1st September

Compulsory week: Monday 4th September to Friday 8th September

Work experience gives you the opportunity for involvement in a workplace, helping you to understand how the

world of work operates and how it differs to school.

We will expect you to find a placement outside your immediate family network so that you broaden your career

horizons and challenge yourself to meet new people. Employers will need to be contacted beforehand, as soon as

possible, so health and safety checks can be carried out. You will all be expected to visit your work experience

placement in July for a brief meeting and complete a work experience journal throughout your placement.

Well done to the pupils who have already secured a place and completed the paperwork.

The ‘Own placement form’ can be found on the letters page of the school website.

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BBC SCHOOL REPORT

Ms Nobes

On Thursday 16th March, 12 courageous Bolingbroke

pupils, with the help of Ms Nobes and Ms Jones were

taken off timetable in order to participate in the nation-

wide BBC School Report. They spent the day making

two very special video reports, one on Trump’s state

visit to the UK and the other about the impact of tech-

nology on teenagers. The pupils did everything them-

selves from writing scripts and interviewing to filming and

editing. Some of the pupils wrote about their experiences, which you can read about below. You can

watch the full videos on the Bolingbroke website.

Megan Barbour (Year 10)

My experience in being a reporter in my school’s BBC School Re-

port was very eye opening. All the people that my team inter-

viewed had very interesting and varied opinions. We interviewed

people about the news of Donald Trump’s state visit. We chose

this topic because there was a lot of controversy around the sub-

ject and we felt it would spark interesting conversation in our in-

terviews. I really enjoyed the day with my team because we all

worked well together.

Chloe Shepherd (Year 9)

On Thursday 16th March, 12 pupils were given the opportunity to create their own report of BBC

School Report. Throughout the day, the other pupils and I were free to film and edit realistic videos

about a chosen topic. My group chose the topic of technology and how it impacts young people’s lives.

The day consisted of filming introductions and gathering statistics along with interviewing teachers,

friends and even the public! All in all, I really enjoyed the day. I think it was a great learning experience

to improve my social skills and gave me more confidence.

Tom Hayes (Year 7)

On Thursday 16th March, we went on a mission to ask the citi-

zens of Wandsworth what they thought about Donald

Trump’s state visit to the UK. It was a really fun experience,

watching the editing as I was filing. Sadly, one of the cameras

turned off during the film (while I was filming) on Northcote

Road. It was very funny but quite awkward because the people

we were filming did not realise we had stopped. We carried

on interviewing with them thinking they were under a lot of pressure!

Luci Edwards (Year 7)

As part of the Duke of Edinburgh ‘The Bark’, I have had the privilege of taking part in Bolingbroke BBC

School Report. This is when we create a six minute report about headlines around the world. My

group’s main point was about how technology impacts children’s lives. As editor, I found the experience

really fun and resourceful as I was able to play around with different effects. Also, these skills could be

useful in the future. It was interesting to hear the varied views of our interviews. Furthermore, I would

recommend this role or experience to many people as it can build confidence and knowledge of young

people.

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GCSE EXAMS

COUNTDOWN

6 WEEKS

SKI TRIP 2018

Thursday 29th March – Friday 6th April

2018

Destination: Killington, America with a

one day trip to New York.

The Ski trip will 100% be running due to popular

demand. Anyone is able to sign up

for the trip in year 7,8,9 and 11

by paying a £150 deposit via Wi-

sepay. The list of pupils will be

finalised after the summer 1 re-

ports and the success criteria has

been reviewed.

PUPIL ABSENCE

REQUESTS

If you would like to take your child out

of school during term for any reason

other than a medical appointment you

must complete the attached form and

send it to the Principal’s PA at least a

week before the intended leave. You will

be notified within 48 hours if you re-

quest has been authorised. Any absence

that is not authorised will be recorded

as unauthorised. This can also be

found on our website

http://arkbolingbrokeacademy.org/

policies/pupil-absence-requests

SAVE THE

DATE

UNIFORM DAY

2017

Thursday 27th July

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MUSIC AND DRAMA

YEAR 10 MUSIC PUPIL CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERT

PHOTOS FROM THE MUSIC CONCERT IN ASSEMBLY ON FRIDAY 24TH OF MARCH

ILP LESSONS SUMMER TERM

If you are interested in starting ILP lessons in the summer term please register your interest to

music@arkbolingbrokeacademy.org.

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PARENT ASSOCIATION

NOTICEBOARD

JUST GIVING PAGES P.E. AND MUSIC

P.E.

Many pupils enjoy table tennis whether it's in core/GCSE PE lessons, socially

at lunch/break times, or during enrichment. With the growing number of

pupils at the Academy our current equipment needs replacing/upgrading to

sustain this offering.

We had 11 tables, we currently only have 5 working tables and our aim is to

raise funds to provide for 12 tables. Please help us support the pupils and PE

Department with providing much needed table tennis tables."

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Ark-Schools-Appeal-Bolingbroke-PE-

Department-2017

MUSIC

"There are lots of pupils who we would love to give the opportunity to learn new (and rarer) instruments which

would help to widen the variety of instruments in our school band. Please help us support the pupils and Music De-

partment to raise money to buy these amazing instruments."

Double bass

Cello

Viola

Timpani

Bassoon

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Ark-Schools-Appeal-Music-2017

NEXT PARENT ASSOCIATION MEETING:

Thursday 8th June

7.30pm @ Bolingbroke

EASY FUNDRAISING

We have raised £420 pounds since December with

only 73 members! We would like to get to £500 by

the end of the spring term and 100 members by the

end of this academic year! We get £1 for each new

member we invite, so please ask grand-parents and

friends and to join-up – ask anyone you know that

does a lot of on-line shopping! You don’t have to

have a child at the school to earn money for it!

Booking flights and holidays – don’t forget to

use EASYFUNDRAISING!

VINYL NIGHT

A huge THANK-YOU to Andrew Cheeseman,

Nick Ward and James Love who brought the

House down at the Eagle last Friday night!

Nearly 50 old classics were spun and a good time

had by all. We will definitely be doing that

again! The night raised £442 in total.

£250 will go to the Parent Fund, £162 towards

the Anne Frank Trust pupil leadership pro-

gramme and £24.75 towards the musical instru-

ment fund.

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PARENT ASSOCIATION

NOTICEBOARD

SPRING FAIR 2017 Bolingbroke Academy’s Parent Association is delighted to announce the Academy’s Spring Fair to be held on Saturday

6th May 2016 between 12 noon and 3.00 pm at Bolingbroke Academy, which is sponsored by a local independent estate

agent, Rochford Stokes. The aims of the Spring Fair are for the pupils, staff and visitors to have a fun filled afternoon,

foster stronger links with the local Community and to raise funds.

VOLUNTEER! If you can have a board outside your house, please contact Patrizia Gnoato at patrizia_gnoato@yahoo.com.

Can you let Sandra know if you can give 1 hour on Saturday May 6. Need helpers for Photo-booth, Popcorn, Grand

National. Contact: sandrajanssens@ymail.com

COMPETITONS Raffle Competition - £50 Apple Voucher

Prize will go to the pupil who sells the most raffle tickets.

Ticket stubs to be returned to the school office, along with name of buyer, name and year of the pupil and the

money!

Cake Competition - 'Best' cake will win a trophy and £20 Amazon voucher

DONATIONS To be left in reception after Easter holidays. Please clearly label EVERYTHING ‘Parent Association’

- Chocolate (Chocolate Tombola)

- Second hand sports gear in very good condition

- Second hand uniform in very good condition

- Scarves, jewellery, bags, belts, hats, fascinators, hair accessories (Gladrags and Handbags)

- Unused/new items for Adults Tombola

To bring on the day before or on the day of fair:

- Crepes

- Cakes

- Pizzas

EASTER CAKE SALE

A massive thanks to everyone who gave their time bak-

ing and helping for yesterday's cake sale.

We were overwhelmed by the number of homemade

cakes and donations that were

enjoyed by both the children and teachers in the lovely

sunshine yesterday! We raised £250.

We were also able to donate a few of the cakes for the

civitas parties taking place today.

Thank you all so much for your generosity and Happy Easter!

NB. Tins/trays returned to

reception for collection.

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Dates may change but we will give you advanced warning for these and any cancellations.

KEY DATES 2016-2017

Date Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Year 11

Thursday 30th March—

Thursday 6th April Bolingbroke Pupils on Exchange to PMG

Wednesday 19th April Summer Term 1 Begins

Monday 24th April

Geography

Fieldwork Trip

Parent Evening

Monday 1st May Bank Holiday

Tuesday 2nd May INSET Day

School Closed to Pupils

Wednesday 3rd May Year 9/10 Civitas Evening

4.15 - 7pm

Saturday 6th May SPRING FAIR

Monday 8th May—Friday

12th May Mock Exams

Friday 12th May Whole Academy Photo

Monday 22nd May GCSE Exams

Begin

Wednesday 24th May Mock Results

Friday 26th May Summer Term 1 Ends

Monday 5th June Summer Term 2 Begins

Wednesday 7th—Friday

9th June

Blood Brother Performances

7pm