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Visit to China

This year’s China Trip left school on 9 July for two weeks in Beijing and Shenyang. Fifteen students from Years 10

and 11 joined hundreds of students from across the UK in the annual summer camp organised by the Confucius Institute at the Institute of Education and by Hanban, the Chinese Ministry of Education.

We spent four days sightseeing in Beijing, visiting the Great Wall of China, the Imperial Palace, the Summer Palace and the Temple of Heaven. Students had the chance to try their Chinese at the indoor market, where they showed

they can drive a much harder bargain than the teachers. There was a Kung Fu show and a visit to Beijing Zoo to see the pandas – and much more.

We are now in Shenyang, in north-east China, with students from four other UK schools, at the Northeast Yucai

School. Oscar Harrison from Year 10 spoke in Chinese on behalf of the whole group at the welcome ceremony.

Each morning starts with Chinese lessons, and then students are enjoying different cultural activities the rest of the day, before exploring the local area – and trying some local delicacies – in the evening.

Mr Thompson, Mrs King & Mr Pegg

Newsletter 22 July 2016

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Biology Field Trip - July 2016

From 13 to 15 July, 36 Year 12 students attended the annual biology field trip to the Gower Peninsula in South Wales. We were treated to excellent weather on the Wednesday and Thursday giving students the perfect

opportunity to practise their sampling techniques on the plants of the sand dunes and the animals of the rocky shore of Oxwich bay. We managed to squeeze in a visit to Rhossili to compare animals from exposed and sheltered

shore lines, and a bit of rock pooling got us up close to some of the lesser spotted creatures of the sea. On the

Friday, students battled through the somewhat persistent rain to collect data for their own projects, designed the evening before, before returning to school covered in sand.

We stayed in the halls at Swansea University and, while performing their data analysis and statistical tests in the

evenings, students got a real taste for what life is like on a University campus.

Sociology Students are in Court!

Year 12 sociology students, along with Mr Poole and Mrs Pope, were fortunate enough to visit Gloucester Crown

Court on 5 July, where we were able to witness the criminal justice system in action, and also spend an hour talking to Judge Jamie Tabor. This allowed us to gain useful knowledge that we can now apply to the crime and

deviance module of the A-Level course.

We didn’t witness a trial in action due to it being a quieter week at the court. However, we were able to see court business taking place, which was particularly insightful for many of the students who are thinking of pursuing a

career within the criminal justice system. It also allowed us to witness what happens in the courts and legal

professions leading up to the trial itself and the importance of this being an organised process.

During the hour that Judge Jamie Tabor had generously dedicated to allow us to inquire about the court and the legal system, we were able to expand our

knowledge by asking questions such as: “How do you determine a suitable

punishment for a crime?” and ”Do prisons work?”. Judge Tabor gave us his expert view on these issues and used many sociological concepts to explain

why people commit crime.

This trip was extremely beneficial for our studies and has helped us to improve

our understanding of the criminal justice system and its effect on society, and overall was a very interesting visit.

Megan Short and Emily Pepler, Year 12, Sociology students.

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English Digest of News

Key Stage 3

We have had a busy year in the English department with curriculum change for all three key stages. For Years 7, 8 and 9 we have been developing our schemes of work and introducing new ones that we hope will inspire children

to read and write, as well as support the development of their technical skills. Year 7 students have been studying

‘Other worlds and cultures’. Year 8 students have been exploring ‘War and Conflict’. In Year 9, we have introduced a 19th century novel unit into the ‘Identity and representation of the other’ schemes to help prepare them for the

demands of the new 9-1 GCSEs that will first be examined next summer.

We continue to work closely with our well-stocked library and Accelerated Reader is thriving as an integrated element in both the work of the library and English lessons, helping to build up regular reading practice, reading

resilience and enthusiasm. Winners are awarded three times a year in the categories: most quizzes passed, most

points scored and nominations by teachers. In addition, special prizes are awarded for ‘word millionaires’ – those students who have managed to read a million words. This term’s winners are Rowen Moss in Year 7 and Carwyn

Coates and James Tofts in Year 8.

Other winners this year include Lydia Poole in Year 7 for the Rotary Young Writer junior competition and Erin

Butcher in Year 11 for the seniors. Students taking English 2 rather than an additional language in Years 7 and 8 have been on a carousel, enjoying a wide variety of teachers and projects, including work on The Hobbit, on poetic

form and reading film. Both the children and teachers have enjoyed this new way of working.

We have ended this year with all Key Stage 3 classes taking part in a ‘Poetry by Heart’ project inspired by the national competition that students will have a chance to enter in

Years 10 and 11. Students have been learning poems and developing their memory

techniques using some of the strategies that can be found on the school’s website at http://klbschool.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Step-2-Memorise.pdf. Students have also made collages, pictures and

creative written responses as part of the project. Links to the poems can be found on the English pages of the school website.

Key Stage 4

For our outgoing Year 11 students, we once again ran revision classes on the morning of the English Language

exams, which as well as helpful tips for the exam included a mid-morning energy-boosting croissant, and juice

provided by the canteen. After-school revision sessions on all four exam papers were regularly attended too. Year 11 students have enjoyed live performances of some of their texts including trips to An Inspector Calls in Cardiff as

well as National Theatre performances streamed into Wotton Electric Picture House of View from the Bridge and Of Mice and Men.

Mark Strong as Eddie Carbone in View from the Bridge

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This year’s Year 10 students are the first who will sit

the new 9-1 GCSEs which has seen us reinvigorate our

text selections to include Shakespeare plays such as The Merchant of Venice, Much Ado About Nothing, Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth. Novels include Frankenstein, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, A Christmas Carol and Jane Eyre and we have been getting to grips with

new anthologies of poetry that span the Romantics to the present day. Supporting class room activities, Year

10 classes have enjoyed the live streaming of The Merchant of Venice from the National Theatre and a

trip is planned for next year to see the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Much Ado about Nothing.

Key Stage 5

In Film Studies, as well as our annual screening and awards evening at Wotton Electric Picture House for A level

practical coursework, we took a group of Year 12s there to enjoy National Schools’ Film Week for an Independent Cinema Masterclass.

Our senior public speaking teams from Year 12 experienced considerable success this year in the Rotary Youth

Speaks competition with Ronan James awarded the best speaker, Lexi Wilkinson for the winning team vote of thanks, best chairperson went to Kizzie Smith, best vote of thanks to Kayla Charles and best speaker not in the

winning team to Jessica Shaw.

In English Literature as with GCSE, we have

seen the departure of outgoing courses with our Year 13 classes and the arrival of the new-style

A levels with our Year 12 groups. We have been

lucky enough to take two trips to Stratford upon Avon in the run up to exams this year. Twenty-

five Year 12 and 13 students saw the ground-breaking production of Hamlet with Paapa

Essiedu. Students commented on the pace and

dynamism of Essiedu’s performance.

Paapa Essiedu as Hamlet

Other Year 13 students saw the very inventive RSC production of Doctor Faustus. As with the rave reviews in the

press, those on the trip have commented on the intensity of the atmosphere and unrelenting building of tension.

More theatre is planned for next year, including

another Stratford trip to see The Tempest. Along with the Renaissance staples of the A level

curriculum, we have been enjoying getting to grips with the modernised demands of new coursework

which includes the study of post 2000 texts. Year 12 students and their teachers have been enjoying

putting together their summer reading lists.

Doctor Faustus at The Swann, Stratford-upon-Avon

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Junior Maths Challenge

We had record numbers of students getting through to the second round of this competition this year.

Ethan Cox, Carwyn Coates, Rufus Wells, James Tofts, Toby

Moss, Philip Gunton and Ellis Brewer all had a go at the very

challenging second round of puzzles.

James Tofts, Ellis Brewer and Toby Moss all did exceptionally well, achieving a Merit on the second round. Well Done!

RE Department’s Visit to St Mary’s Church, Kingswood.

The RE Department would like to thank David Hatton (Church warden),

Tom Houston and Rosemary Casken for their enjoyable and informative ‘whistle stop tour’ of St Mary’s Church, Kingswood during our recent Year

7 trip.

Students were invited to investigate the key features of the Anglican Church and ask deep questions about the nature of sacred places and

spaces.

Students learned about the history of the church, the role it plays within

the community and the religious significance of many of its features including the altar, the baptismal font and the pulpit.

Many thanks to all involved.

Mr Alun Jones

Stained Glass window at St Mary’s depicting Jesus as the ‘Light of the World’ on the left, and Jesus with children on the right

The Berkeley family crest, preserved from the original church prior to the founding of the current church in 1723

The baptismal font at St Mary’s church

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Thrupp (Stroud) and Leighterton Primary School Pupils Learn Chinese with Year 8 Students

In late June, seven pupils from Thrupp (Stroud) and Leighterton Primary Schools visited KLB for workshops in Mandarin language

and Chinese studies. The workshop was offered as part of KLB’s Confucius Classroom outreach work, to prepare these pupils for a

week-long British Council Chinese Immersion Course being held in

August.

Volunteers from the Year 8 Chinese class, Oliver Draisey, Elodie Sparrow, Ellen Porter, Giles Dakin, Jessica Reeves and Ella Lee

confidently led sessions quizzing the pupils on their knowledge of China, demonstrating a conversation in fluent Mandarin, and

teaching basic emotions and introductions. They also facilitated

the calligraphy session, chopstick challenge and singing in Mandarin. The Year 8 students impressed the visiting teacher and

Mrs Tate with their confidence and enthusiasm for Chinese studies.

Chinese Classes Try Making Their Own ‘Jiaozi’ (Dumplings)

Year 8 and Year 10 students of Chinese had the opportunity to make their own Chinese dumplings with the assistance of Year 12

Pre-U Mandarin students for their last Chinese lesson of the year.

They finely chopped Chinese cabbage, celery, carrot, leek, ginger and garlic, and then added this to minced pork or egg. Using the

little pastry circles known as ‘pi’ (skin) in Mandarin, they placed a spoonful of filling in the centre, then pinched the sides together

like a mini pasty. We then boiled the dumplings and ate them

dipped in soy sauce, garlic, ginger and chilli sauce.

There were various exclamations of ‘tastes better than it looks!’, ‘a bit watery!’ and ‘can I have another one, please?’

Mr Ma, our native Chinese Hanban assistant teacher, and Mrs Tate really agreed that the students had worked well together in their first Chinese cooking lesson.

A Different Way to Practise Chinese Characters!

Year 12 Pre-U Mandarin students finished the term ‘writing’ characters using thin crisps, chocolate raisins and midget

gems. As revision, students were asked to ‘write’ a Chinese character from the core vocabulary list from memory using

the three different shapes and textures of food. If they

reproduced these correctly, they were allowed to eat the ‘strokes’ that made up their characters. They successfully

created words such as education (教育), media (媒体) and

one child policy

(独生子女政策)!

What other materials could be used for such a task? We are always open to creative ideas for teaching characters.

Mrs Tate

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Year 11 CoPE group

Congratulations to the Year 11 CoPE group which undertook as a part of their final portfolio task the challenge of raising money for charity in a given time period. The group set about designing and producing a range of Easter

goods and foods.

As a result of their hard work and efforts, the students were able to raise £90 from their lunchtime sale for their

two chosen charities Cancer Research UK and the Meningitis Now.

Sports Leaders

The KLB Sports Leaders from Years 10 and 12 have, over the year, experienced a range of leadership opportunities in the community. It

is through the hard work and support of Mrs Bates that they have

been able to lead and support a range of activities, festivals, tournaments and events for our local schools. It has given them an

opportunity to develop their skills in a variety of contexts and situations from being an activity leader to being an organiser,

administrator, referee, or umpire at the larger events.

For their outstanding contribution throughout the course

congratulations should go to Elliot Joseph, Lauren Jones and Tarragon Newcombe who received the Leadership Award for 2016.

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Work Experience

During the week 11 – 15 July our Year 10 students carried out work experience placements with businesses and other organisations either locally or further afield.

The aim of the week is to give the students a taste of the world of work and to enable them to identify and

develop employability skills. As always the students fully embraced the opportunity as is evident from their

comments to visiting teachers:

I have become much more confident when dealing with adults There’s so much more happening behind the scenes that people don’t see I have really enjoyed the teamwork – it’s good to see people work together so well Eye opening: it was interesting to find out more about businesses and how they run I’m really enjoying it and I’ve asked about an apprenticeship for next year It’s made me realise what I’ve got to do at school to be able to do what I want to do I the future Don’t think it’s just going to be boring; enjoy it. Get talking to the people – don’t just sit at your desk Thank you to all the organisations that provided opportunities for our students this year. We have a growing number of employers who are offering really well structured placements and others who adapt the work for

students who show interest and initiative to enable them to get more involved. We appreciate the effort made in

putting together a programme of work and providing support to the students throughout the week.

Here is just a taste of the lovely feedback we have had from employers about our students: A credit to KLB – well-mannered and polite and we are impressed by the initiative shown Your student has been brilliant…really great with the clients – customer service skills are fantastic The student has KLB confidence – positive and polite, not arrogant Your student was engaged and asked challenging questions Showed real initiative, confidence and politeness when taking to other staff members and carrying out instructions. I’ve been impressed with the student’s attitude and approach when working in different situations. Lovely, willing, helpful, has good ideas and would make a good employee

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Year 10 Work Experience Week

At KLB, Year 10 students have the opportunity to take a week from their daily routine to carry out work experience and get a taste of the world of work. I was lucky enough to do two weeks of work experience.

SGS Filton College

My first week was at SGS Filton College with a sports journalism teacher, Dan Cranney. It was the last week of their year. During the week I put together and edited a piece for the final presentations for the students on the

Sports journalism and Media studies course. I also got a taste for what goes on in a sports journalism course at college.

The college’s last day presentations were held on the Friday and the students performed a number of musical and

drama acts. I had the privilege to walk around with a Go Pro camera on my chest and I filmed everyone as they

went past and recorded the audience’s reaction. Jamie MacDonald was one of the speakers there; it was great to hear his inspirational words about his run across Canada.

On Saturday evening, I filmed Bristol City ladies football team play a league match against Oxford United ladies. It

was a great experience to use the expensive sports cameras. The evening was made better by City winning by four

goals to one.

The week gave me the chance to witness the basics of the Sports Journalism college course, and to use specialist equipment and learn important skills that will benefit me in the future. I had the privilege of working with Dan and

Shane (ex-sports journalism student), who both made me feel very welcome and taught me valuable life skills and helped me make the most of my time at the College.

This was beneficial as I learnt some useful editing skills which will be helpful in many ways in the future. This has given me a skill that could definitely advantage me in the future.

KLB

I spent the second week of work experience with the PE department and Sharon Bates. This allowed me to see how events and PE lessons are organised. I helped set up lessons for lower years and also worked with primary

school children in sports leader’s events.

The week offered me a chance to see the background work that goes into making everything run smoothly -

largely helped by the efforts of Mrs Bates who organised a range of experiences during the week. I also enjoyed being in the PE staffroom which allowed me to see the ‘behind the scenes’ activity before and after lessons.

Thanks to all the PE staff - particularly Mr Akhurst who kept me on my toes all week!

I gained a lot of valuable experience in both my placement weeks. I am sure it will help in many ways to pursue a career in the sporting industry. Thanks to everyone who has supported me.

Will Bridges, Year 10 student

Year 7 Charity Fun Run

This month, 8A5, as part of a team-working project, helped organise the fun

run for Year 7. The chosen charity was Cancer Research and the whole of

Year 7 were out in force to take part around the school field.

There were prizes for the best fancy dress which was won by Holly Smith and Hollie Chandler dressed as a rider and horse respectively; for the most

laps completed in the time , won by Henry Sady and Jamie Stacey who managed nine laps and for the most money raised by an individual, won by

Kiera Gibbons who collected £171.

Congratulations to all participants and a big thank you to all who sponsored

them. The final total has yet to be reached but they have to date raised over £1100!

Holly and Hollie

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Library News

It’s a goal!!

The review goal in the library started the month looking very empty but Year 7 and 8 students have been reading some

fantastic fiction and have filled the net with their reviews.

Only books deemed worthy of 5 stars made it into the back of the net. There were some near misses

with one or two reviews hitting the woodwork but with only one book not on target it’s great to see so

many students really enjoying their reading.

Library refurbishment

As reported in last month’s newsletter, the library is being refurbished over the summer holidays. When students

return in September we will have a new carpet on the floor and a fresh coat of paint on the walls. It will take us the first week of term to unpack everything and put books back on the shelves so we won’t be open until the week

commencing 12 September 2016. However, there will be a box outside the library where library books can be

returned if students are anxious about having overdue library books.

Girls’ Sport News

Netball

Well done to Louise O’Brien, Emma Gribben and Ari Stamatopoulos who have all been selected for the Satellite

Netball academy. They will begin training in September 2016.

Year 9 Rounders Success

The Year 9 Girls Rounders team, captained by Naomi Culpepper, have had a great season this year. The team has worked hard in every game played, which resulted in the girls completing the season undefeated. For a second

year in a row, they also won the District Rounders Tournament, meaning they have regained their title as District Rounders Champions.

A special mention and a massive congratulations to the squad for their commitment and success this season. Izzy Roberts, Laura Dickson, Denisa

Golkiewiczova, Anna McLaughlin, Evie England, Sorrell Gilbert, Esme Gurmin, Elissa Duffner, Jodie Dale, Naomi Culpepper (Captain), Susie Holt,

Olivia Green, Ismay Lloyd-Fowlin (not pictured), Ruby Ogborne (not pictured)

A full goal

Not many book reviews finding the goal at the start of the month

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Year 7 Tennis Success

The Year 7 tennis A pair, Eleanor Finch and Bailey Jones, competed at the District Tennis Tournament last month. They made it through to the final

and won convincingly against Thomas Keble School, meaning they gained a medal and are now District Tennis Champions for Year 7. Well done!

Girls’ Summer Clubs and Fixtures

Thank you to all the girls who have committed to the various summer clubs and fixtures that we have offered this term. It has been fantastic to see so

many students enjoying their summer sports. We hope you have a lovely summer break.

Girls PE Department

Very Close House Results this Year

The 2nd year of the relaunched house system has been extremely successful and the opportunities for students to represent their house have extended still further. Whilst many students in all years were rewarded for their high

attendance, punctuality and academic success, many more entered into one or more of the many competitions

which included art; computing; mathematics; history; science; music and geography.

The sports events throughout the year were a great success, whether team events or individual sports such as archery, culminating in Sports Day which was won by Berkeley House. Berkeley students were extremely generous

when it came to contributing the most items to the food bank we set up at Christmas.

Durand managed to achieve the highest point score for the tutor groups in both Years 8 and 9 and Logan has

achieved particularly well in team sports.

However, after an extremely close contest, it was Wellicome House who narrowly won by only 176 points with a

total of 28591. All houses were in the running to win up to the final day and well done to all students for their own achievements and their contribution to their house score. The dragon is changing from blue to red this week!

House totals 2015-16 Wellicome 28591

Berkeley 28427

Durand 27656

Logan 26207

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Euro 2016 Festival

As part of our Girls Active Programme we took the opportunity to attend a unique festival designed to engage 12-16 year old

semi-sporty females in physical activity through the medium of football and the Euro 2016 championships.

In early July, 14 girls from Years 7 to 9 attended the festival at the Oxstalls campus at The University of Gloucestershire.

The programme was an initiative between the University, Street

Games and the Football Association to ensure that the festival catered to students of all abilities, and provided an opportunity

to try new and alternative activities in a relaxed, friendly and fun

environment.

The event opened with an inspirational talk from Jack Rutter, GB captain of the Paralympic Football team and then our students were split into four teams, to enable them to mix with other students from schools throughout

Gloucestershire. The activities included Glow Soccercise, Futsal, Volunteering workshop, skills practice and

coaching workshop.

We are looking forward to forging more links with the University of Gloucestershire in the future.

County Year 7 Tennis Success at Oxstalls Tennis Centre, Gloucester

Following on from last year’s success story we entered two teams of girls

and two teams of boys into the County Tennis competition at Oxstalls in early July, aimed at students not currently playing at local tennis clubs.

The matches were played on the outdoor clay courts and indoor tennis

courts.

The day comprised of girls and boys doubles competition against other schools throughout the County. All matches were very close and for

many of the students this was their first experience of playing

competitive tennis.

Our girls pair, Bailey Jones and Mia Dalton and our boys pair, Ollie Bath and Chris Sluman, each gained a bronze medal in their respective competitions. Also I am pleased to report Katie McQuaig and Nia Belcher showed great

determination and improved throughout the competition. Our second Boys’ Pair, Andrew Webb and Finn Lingham were awarded a special award for demonstrating the school values in their game play.

It was a great day for all and the weather added to the day’s enjoyment.

Summer Activities in Wotton-under-Edge

On the back page of this newsletter, please find details of a busy and varied programme of activities for families, children and young people in the Wotton-under-Edge area sponsored by Wotton Youth Liaison Group.

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Year 7 Review

It is a real pleasure to be able to reflect back on my first year as a Head of Year at KLB with immense pride. The Year 7 students have settled very well and have risen to the challenges the first year has presented them with, and

are now fully integrated into our school community. Through the rigours of their academic studies, the variety of sporting and extra-curricular activities and trips they have participated in, they have all shown a determined

attitude to succeed.

The enthusiasm and help was demonstrated so quickly by many Year 7 students during the Open Evening which

was impressive and clearly showed that they had settled quickly into life at KLB. In celebration of Christmas, the Candlelit Carol Service was a festive family event made even more special by the welcoming atmosphere and

participation of Year 7 students in the service. The reading by Louis Guy took real courage and he spoke beautifully and articulately. It was indeed a pleasure to hear.

There have been a number of extra-curricular achievements completed by students. Extracurricular activities include musical performances throughout the year as well as attendance at a variety of clubs. There have also

been many sports achievements throughout the year. The year group are district champions in boys and girls athletics, girls tennis and boys football. There has been superb commitment to training across all sports and I hope

this continues into Year 8.

It was fantastic to see so many students volunteering to help on the Year 6 Summer Induction days. I received lots

of feedback praising our Year 7 students who were polite, helpful and certainly made the Year 6 students feel welcome, for which I am very grateful. Further highlights from this term include seeing the Year 7 students

enjoying Sports Day. I was really pleased to see so many students embracing the house system by participating in sports that they were new to, winning medals and cheering their house on.

I also had the pleasure of joining the Year 7 students on the Normandy trip. It was a brilliant trip that included bread baking at the ‘Boulangerie Les Co-Pains’, learning about cider making at ‘Manoir d'Apreval’, shopping at

Honfleur, feeding goats at ‘Les Chevres de M. Martin’, swimming in the sea and swimming pools and a visit to the famous ‘Musee de la Tapisserie de Bayeux’. I was very proud of everyone who attended the trip – all students

were incredibly behaved and polite, representing the school superbly throughout. A big thank you to Mr Pickles for

organising the trip.

France Trip 2016

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Rewards trip for the top 25 pace point earners in Year 7

By the end of term six, students watched and participated in our final assembly and those top PACE point winners enjoyed the rewards trip. I hope that all Year 7 students finished this academic year with a sense of pride in terms

of new friendships, achievements and skills. It has been a pleasure to be Head of Year 7 this year and I sincerely

look forward to seeing further progress in Year 8 and beyond. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Miss De Silva, Mr Warren and my fantastic team of tutors who have helped to make this year to be such a success for

Year 7.

Jon Dudbridge, Head of Year 7

Year 8 Review

This year is my first year with the Year 8 group having picked them up from Mrs Landeg at the end of Year 7. Being a Head of Year is one of the best jobs in a school as you get to build some really special relationships

with a range of students, parents and staff. As I walk around school or through the local towns and villages many

students and parents from my previous year group still smile and say hello. I already know that my year group will be no different this time round.

As a year group they have really kind hearts. They are always looking out for their friends by coming to me when

one of them is upset or worried, often after they have found a solution. It shows that they are really maturing and

learning to support their peers. They have also helped raise significant sums of money for charity. Molly Taylor cut off 40cm of her hair raising over £500 and donated her hair to charity at the same time. Isaac Hull, Harris

Ballard, Felix Smart, Harry Wilson, Dylan Mead and Finn Browning-Smailes raised £100 for Sports Relief, and 8A5 and a few other Year 8 students organised a fun run for the entire Year 7.

They are also a year group who excel in their sporting achievements and who participate in a wide range of sports

including individual and team events both in and out of school. Special mention should go to Jessica Reeves who

gained a silver medal in the British Schools games and has also competed in international competitions. There are of course many others who have done really well such as Jacques Woodall in tennis, William Payne in cricket,

Patrick Mason and India Griffiths in horseriding, Olivia Butler in swimming, the girls’ football team, the boys’ handball team. I apologise to all the many others I have missed out, but I hope you keep practising the sports you

love and enjoy.

There are also many students who involve themselves in school in many other ways. Some took part in the

Intermediate Youth Speaks competition in late winter competing in the district finals and many have involved themselves in various music clubs and enjoyed the library. I know their love for music and drama continues

outside of school such as Hazel Garrett who has played her flute in the Gloucestershire Youth Symphony Orchestra

and Tae Ashmead who will be performing in the Bristol Hippodrome this summer.

This school is an amazing place and I hope that students value the wide range of opportunities and support it offers them. Of course the more they put in the more they will get out. I look forward to working with them and

their parents over the coming years and wish everyone a restful summer.

Tim Andrews, Head of Year 8

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Year 9 Review

As this academic year and my second year in the role of a Head of Year draws to an end, I wanted to take this opportunity to summarise the successful year that Year 9 has had and reflect on some of the amazing

achievements of this talented year group. The year group have had a number of fantastic sporting wins and have taken part in a wide range of extra-curricular activities, both in school and outside in the wider community. I am

proud to be Head of Year for such talented individuals and I am pleased to be able to assist a group of maturing

students working towards their GCSEs next year.

Again, this year group, now finishing in Year 9, have achieved a number of sporting achievements. I am excited weekly by the news the PE department brings me about the different matches and tournaments Year 9 students

have competed in and often won! First, massive congratulations to the Year 9 mountain biking team who were awarded a silver medal. Emily Holloway, Charlotte Hall and Louisa Cartwright were three of the girls who were

brave enough to mount their bikes and try to win their races around the course. The Year 9 rugby boys did it

again, maintaining their district title and I hope that they continue their winning run next year, bringing home more wins and more trophies for the cupboard. The girls rounders team was also successful this year, becoming

district champions while the boys cricket team were winners in their semi-final in July by 75 runs. I hope that all those involved in sport this year continue and represent the school in Year 10. Maybe some of those students new

to team sports will get involved and give things a try.

Not only do we have a number of students who are talented in the sporting world, but we have a huge number of

students who have excelled in the arts. I was incredibly proud of all the Year 9 students who auditioned for a role in the school musical of ‘Grease’, despite this being open to all Key Stage 4 students as well as Year 9. They were

confident enough to audition, showcasing their acting, dancing and singing skills, to try and get a role as one of the 40 in the production. Over 100 students auditioned and every auditioning student should have been proud of

what they accomplished. A specific mention has to go to Benjamin Frith and Leo Wells who were two Year 9’s

assigned main protagonist roles as Eugene and Sonny respectively. They were exceptional and many of the audience were shocked that they were from Key Stage 3 as they performed with such confidence.

In addition, within the arts, I am excited to hear that some of the Year 9 students’ art work will be being displayed

around the school in order to brighten up the buildings. They have been working in small groups to create large

display pieces that showcase their personalities in their art lessons and these will be put up around KLB in the autumn term.

Outside KLB, Year 9 students continue to work as part of the wider society, showcasing skills and talents in clubs

that belong to the community. Massive congratulations to Archie Davis-Grant and Emily John who were successful

in competing at national level athletics in the triple jump and high jump in July. Furthermore, I was delighted to hear that Libby Taylor was given a role in an exceptional performance in The West End with her outside of school

drama club and I hope to see her audition for roles in next year’s school production.

9A4 were a class who represented Year 9 with maturity when they visited Bristol Children’s Hospital in September to deliver the money they successfully raised by organising a charity fun run towards the end of Year 8. Whilst

visiting the hospital, the students were described as a “credit” to the school and I was proud to visit the hospital

with them to hear the difference their money would make to the hospital. In addition, 9A4 received a very welcome visit from one of the runners from the CLIC charity who came to thank the class in an assembly for the

money they raised for this charity. I love that I am able to work with a group of students, so caring and hardworking, dedicated to raising money for the less fortunate.

With the summer break ahead of us, I hope the Year 9 students take the six weeks to rest and prepare for next year: a year that begins to shape the future for the students. In the past few months, Year 9 students have

received a number of assemblies on options and have been offered the opportunity to have careers advice to prepare them for the next few years to come. As Year 10 begins, students will be starting their GCSEs in the

subjects they have chosen and the hard work and dedication they put in will ultimately make all the difference in the grades they achieve at the end of Key Stage 4. There many things that Year 10 students can get involved in

which will provide them with valuable experience, such as applying for a role as a prefect and gaining good

placements for work experience week. The students should come back in September feeling motivated to achieve.

Thank you to everyone in Year 9 for their hard work and dedication and I wish each and every student the most enjoyable summer.

Sarah Hind, Head of Year 9

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Year 10 Review

Year10 is always such a busy year. Students embark on new courses and in addition students are given a variety of opportunities to help them develop both academically and socially. A number of trips, events and activities have

been provided for the students and I am pleased that so many of our learners have grasped the opportunities they are given with both hands.

I have been particularly pleased to see some of our students excel in sports this year. There is a tremendous group of sports’ leaders who

have been to a number of primary schools and assisted in various sports days. The students who deserve a special mention are: Lauren Jones,

Tarragon Newcombe, Will Bridges, Chris Gunton, Eliot Joseph, Ben Rawlins, Harrison Hopes and Parker Houser. The highlight of

the year was Dove Strachan-Wills’ success in the world gymnastics

competition (picture to the right). Dove represented Great Britain in the competition and she gained a silver medal for her talents. Ellie Butler

continues to shine in football. Ellie has secured a place with Bristol City’s women team. I was also thrilled to see Tilly Dowsing and Eve

Mcfarland gain medals in the equestrian school games. Another notable

success story includes Wren Edgar in archery. I am also pleased to see Maisey Fryer continue with her Cheerleading successes. There are so

many other achievements but there is not enough space in this report!

I am also proud to witness students’ achievements in clubs and activities organised in and out of school. I am aware of music, art and drama successes. A number of students are involved in school sports and I know that both

the girls and boys football, hockey, netball and rugby teams were successful this year. The students will be aware

that I encourage all of them to take part in an extra-curricular activity to help them grow into healthy, mature and responsible people.

I was also impressed recently with the commitment shown by our students on their work experience placements.

Staff had the pleasure of visiting students at their placements. It was refreshing to hear workers in the various

companies comment upon the maturity, capability and confidence shown in the week’s experience. Some of our students worked at places such as a Magistrates’ Court, Vets, various engineering companies and plumbing. A big

‘thank you’ should go to all the companies for providing placements for out learners. I would also like to express my thanks to Helen Issacs and Mr Ashford for all their help with organising the week.

The students will be aware that next year is quite possibly the most important year in education so far. It will be a demanding year and learners will be mindful of the importance of commitment, hard work and meeting deadlines.

I am looking forward to helping all of them achieve their full potential in Year 11. On behalf of the students I would like to say thank you to the tutors for all their hard work and we wish Mrs Bretherton well with her retirement

plans. I am pleased to have Mr Grenfell-Williams as my assistant. He has put a tremendous amount of time into the year group and he will continue to work with us next academic year. A big thank you also to all the parents

and guardians of the Year 10 students, your support is invaluable. Have a great summer!

Lee Poole, Head of Year 10

Sixth Form Review

Another year draws to a close as we say our goodbyes to Year 13 students and look forward to welcoming new students to the sixth form in September. As always, this newsletter provides a lovely opportunity to reflect back on

some of the highlights of the year.

After a busy start to the year, we were delighted to see so many students volunteer to take part in a number of extra-curricular opportunities as well as balance the inevitable increase in workload from their A level courses. This

enthusiasm hasn’t wavered over the course of the year and we have had superb responses from sixth form

students who have volunteered or applied to be involved in a range of activities such as literacy support for Year 8, lesson help, School Council, Access to Bristol, Year 5 open mornings and much more. The end of the year has been

no less busy than the start. In the last few weeks, Year 12 students have returned to start A2 courses and

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complete TEFL courses, attend the Biology Field Trip, attend open days, visit Bristol University Library, observe

Gloucester Crown Court in action, take part in subject masterclasses, attend summer schools and more.

The Year 12 Enrichment programme continues to provide valuable opportunities for students to develop skills

beyond the classroom. Almost 100 students have now completed their basic first aid certificate, something that will be invaluable to them. The intensive sessions are demanding but enjoyable. Alongside this, the Drive IQ

qualification has been completed by almost all Year 12 students who studied online modules to complement the

sessions led by the Gloucestershire Road Safety Partnership Team. Young Enterprise was relaunched after a few years of absence from the programme so we were delighted to see one team attend the awards ceremony in

Gloucester. We continue to work with a range of primary schools and appreciate their support with the enrichment programme. Our students find the experience rewarding and exhausting!

The motion of this year’s first Sixth Form debate considered the decision to bomb ISIL targets in Syria. A heated

discussion was chaired by Mr Penman with passionate speeches being delivered by both sides. Similarly, Year 12

students debated the EU referendum on the eve of the vote in June. The result of the student vote far from reflected the country’s decision.

It has been another successful year for fundraising helped by the formation of a charities committee. Decisions

were made by the student body about who to support and by what means. The calendar, now something of a

tradition, was produced with such professionalism thanks to the Photography students. From Pitch Perfect to The Hunger Games, students and staff brought KLB to the movies, raising over £250 for the National Star Foundation.

Sixth Form Charities Week raised over £1000 for 4 charities (The Stroke Association, Children with Cancer, Rory’s Well and Macmillan Cancer Support). We have just taken delivery of the Year 13 tea towel which will amuse many

parents if they were to compare their children’s artistic talents now with the primary school version. Proceeds from the sale of the tea towels will go to the Teenage Cancer Trust which is currently providing wonderful support to

one of our students and her family.

Younger students gazed in awe and wonder as the Year 13 students spent their last day in school before

examinations. The students certainly left in style, filling the school with Monopoly pieces, a Victoria sandwich cake, characters from films such as The Wizard of Oz, Aladdin and Top Gun, a range of animals, world landmarks and

inflatable babies.

It was hard to believe that these same students brushed up so

well for their leavers’ prom, in the beautiful setting of Grittleton House. It was the perfect send-off for a lovely year group.

As AS and A level results loom (August 18th) we look forward to

seeing students’ hard work rewarded as they take up their

places at universities, colleges, in employment or return to us in Year 13. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the

sixth form team: 14 tutors, Joe Sturt, Rob Penman, Lyn Price and the support tutors for their unfailing support of the

students.

Hannah Khan, Head of Sixth Form

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Dates for your diary

The school calendar for 2016/17 can be accessed from the menu on the front page of the school website or directly at: http://calendar.klb.org.uk

Thu 18 Aug GCE A Level results published

Thu 25 Aug GCSE results published

Thu 1 Sep Staff training day

Fri 2 Sep Staff training day Mon 5 Sep First day of term 1 for students

Thu 8 Sep Year 13 information evening Tue 13 Sep Prize Giving, 7:00pm

Thu 15 Sep Open evening for Year 6

Fri 16 Sep Staff training day

Thu 22 Sep Careers Convention

Tue 27 Sep Year 7 tutor evening

Wed 28 Sep Year 10 information evening Thu 29 Sep Year 12 information evening

Wed 19 Oct Last day of term 1 Mon 31 Oct First day of term 2

Wed 16 Nov Sixth Form Open Evening Tue 22 Nov Year 10 Parents’ Evening

Thu 1 Dec Year 13 Parents’ Evening

Thu 8 Dec Year 12 Parents’ Evening