Ringwood in the News, December 2014

In this edition...WW1 Remembrance, Recycling, Commonwealth Games, Anti-bullying star, Sports Results, Belgium Trip, Cookery Competition & much more!

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Christmas 2014

All the latest news from Ringwood School

~A National Teaching Academy~Ringwood

A special week of commemoration for the lives lost in WW1 took

place at Ringwood School from Monday 20th October, in recognition of the 100th Anniversary of the outbreak of hostilities.

Throughout the week, there were special assemblies for all students, alongside a commemorative concert performed on the Monday evening, comprising of poetry, readings, dance, drama and music as well as photography and film. The concert was a moving and thought provoking evening, during which students showed maturity and respect in their performances. At the end of the concert, a collection shared between Help for Heroes and The Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal was taken. All in all across the week, a total of £1629.12 was raised for the charity, a significant contribution that was very gratefully received.

The school also created a display of photographs brought in by students and staff, of relatives they lost during the war, which is on view in the Learning Resource Centre. Many staff members have also rediscovered medals and memorabilia from relatives involved in the Great War, which are on display in reception and the History Department. A beautiful rendering of the Tower of London Cascade can be seen in the

end stairwell of the main building, and poppies hung in the corridor to the Hall

are another reminder.

As part of the school's remembrance, the Art Department created a tower encompassing one of the trees onsite, around which every student and member of staff ‘planted’ poppies , in tribute to the display at the Tower of London. Every single poppy was carefully hand crafted by our students. As they planted their poppies, students contemplated the lives lost during the war, and the meaning of the sacrifice all those who signed up to the Allied Forces made in the name of duty. Among the fallen were more than a hundred soldiers from Ringwood, a small village at that time.

On Armistice Day, a delegation of students and staff visited the Cenotaph Memorial – students read aloud the names of the Ringwood residents who fell during the war, whilst personalised poppy crosses were laid on the memorial. Many of those present know of someone in their own families who was lost during World War 1. On this 100th Anniversary,

We will Remember Them - Ringwood Marks the 100th Anniversary of the

Outbreak of World War 1

We Remembered Them.

Ringwood in the News Christmas 2014 2

Headteacher’s News

So here we are again, a very special time of

year, Christmas... that magical time to spend with family and friends, to reflect on the true

meaning of Christmas and enjoy a charmed time with toys, children, trees, tinsel, carols and turkey. It is a time for children, waiting for Santa, with magic truly in the air. Whether you celebrate Christmas or something else, I still believe that this message applies to everyone - this lesson is about the spirit of giving and receiving.

We know that Christmas is a time for giving and receiving, a time to remember others less fortunate than ourselves, peace in the world, a time for families to end their quarrels and come together, a time to celebrate the birth of Christ.

Over the years we have begun the Christmas season with a strong focus on ‘helping others’ – one

of our school aims. It begins with our shoe boxes project working with the Rotary Club of Ringwood to provide Christmas gifts for children in Eastern Europe. This is an opportunity to provide a ray of sunshine at Christmas for those who have very little in life. A small act of kindness, showing that someone cares, can mean so much to those in challenging circumstances.

In the week just before half term through to Remembrance Day on the 11th November we joined with millions of

people around the world to remember the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War. The art installation at the Tower of London - Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red - created by artists Paul Cummins and Tom Piper, provided us with the inspiration to produce our own ‘Sea of Poppies’ at Ringwood. The

888,246 ceramic poppies that progressively filled the Tower’s famous moat have certainly helped us all to remember the members of the armed forces who have died in the line of duty. Students raised money by selling poppies and holding a special musical event with proceeds going to the Royal British Legion and Help for Heroes.

During an open-air service at the War Memorial in Ringwood, 111 wooden crosses were

laid in tribute to the men from the area who gave their lives in the First World War. Students from different year groups placed crosses around the War Memorial on which the names of the fallen from both World Wars are recorded. The children, parents and teachers, service veterans and local residents joined in the service of remembrance during which the Last Post was sounded, followed by Reveille.

Last week our Sixth Form students continued the theme of giving to others by hosting a Christmas Party for over 100 local senior citizens. It was a wonderful event, enjoyed by all with food and drink, music, dance and lots of seasonal entertainment, a fitting way to bring the wider community together at this special

time of the year. In the true spirt of Christmas we followed

this up by collecting food items donated by the school community to support the homeless in the area. We asked people to provide something, whatever they could afford – this small act of kindness means so much to those in need.

Christmas is the time of year when most children are looking for gifts from Santa. I believe it is the time of year when we should teach them that giving is more important that receiving –this is the real theme of Christmas. Another way we can help is to consider giving up a small amount of time to visit someone who is on their own. There are so many people who now live alone and can go several days without seeing anyone. If it is easy to give a small amount for a good cause, how much more difficult can it be to give a minute of our time?

Thank you to everyone for contributing to the various appeals we have run over the past few months – it is heartening to see how much people really do care and think of others.

I wish you all a very Happy Christmas.

Thinking of Others This Christmas Time...

Christmas GreetinGs From the head Boy and head Girl

In the run up to Christmas, the school is packed full of festivities and events! In the last few weeks we've had the WW1 evening and the

Ringwood School Arts Foundation fundraiser, which were packed full of talented students. The auditions for the Student Christmas Concert have taken place, and the line up is ready for us all to marvel at the

wide variety of fantastic talents on offer. As we get closer to the end of term, it's important to stay focused as we look forward to this exciting time of year. We hope you all have a brilliant Christmas break and we

will see you in the New Year.

Matt Higham and Suzanne Cox

Chris Edwards


Chris Edwards

Crossing Borders - Year 10 and 11 Students Embark on a Spanish Adventure!

Written by Ben Walker, 11I

ELBS Students Celebrate their Success

The Environmental and Land Based Science (ELBS) students have worked so hard this term that Mrs

Kinnison and Miss Ayres wanted to congratulate them all for their commitment to the course.

Year 10 ELBSMrs Kinnison’s students have been learning about the characteristics of our Ancient Woodland, and how the deforestation of this woodland created Lowland Heath such as our own New Forest. Within this work ALL student have make very good progress. Particularly impressive have been the achievements of the following students:

Outstanding Achievement (Woodlands Assessment)

Amy Messingham

Excellent Achievement (Woodlands Assessment)

Amy BeersCaitlin Braithwaite

Adam Dufresne

Olivia RolphJoshua Simmonds

Commitment to the subjectBen McCluskey-Gott

Year 11 ELBSStudents have finally completed their Work Based Report, the first part of their coursework portfolio. Miss Ayres and Miss Kinnison are both very impressed with the standard of work that the students have produced, and to name a few in particular….

George DayRachael Dodd

Jiramin ShepherdEd Sibley

Kieran BaggsLily Curtiss

We are very impressed with you all…..WELL DONE!

This year, from Wednesday the 29th of November to Tuesday the 4th of October, eighteen Year 10 and 11 students

travelled to Almuñécar in southern Spain to spend five days living with a Spanish family.

They would spend time being given a slice of Spanish culture, as well as going to school with the students for two of the days. After arriving in Almuñécar and meeting their families, the students returned (some more apprehensive than others) to their homes for the following five days.

Throughout the next few days the Spanish and English students spent a lot of time together doing a range of activities. Thursday and Monday were the two days spent in school and throughout the two days the English students were immersed into a range of Spanish lessons, as well as meeting lots of new people. On the Friday all the students, along with teachers from both schools had an amazing day at ‘La Alhambra’ and also spent some time in the city of Granada. Every night all the students met up and spent time socialising and getting to know one another. In this time, we all became very close and got on with each other really well.

Lots of friendships were made and those friendships will continue for a very long time to come.

The students that took part in the Exchange would definitely encourage others to take part in it next year, because it was a fantastic experience with many fun and memorable moments.


Where are they Now? Ringwood Alumni Share their Stories

We are very lucky to receive news from former students about what they've done since they left the school, and the paths they have pursued. Here we share some of their stories; memories of school years and the adventures since. If you would like to share your story with us, please contact [email protected]. We would love to hear from you.

Louise Wilkinson - left in 1999

My name is Louise Wilkinson (Louise Skillings when I was at Ringwood School). I attended between 1992 and 1997 and went to the Sixth Form between 1997 and 1999. I was Head Girl during my final year at Sixth Form. I loved my time at school and remember my lessons and teachers very fondly - so much so, that I am now an English teacher myself at a secondary school in Loughborough, Leicestershire. I went to Plymouth University to study English and then completed my PGCE at Southampton University. I taught at a secondary school in Bournemouth for a year before re-locating to the Midlands. I am married with three daughters and love knowing that I am creating (hopefully wonderful) school memories for the students I teach now. My main inspirations from Ringwood School were my English teachers: Mrs Walder and Mr Heywood and I try to put as much passion into my teaching as they did when I was at school.

A piece of advice that I would give my teenage self would be to 'be brave' and

make the most of every opportunity presented to you. Even better, make

your own opportunities and see them through.

Louise Wilkinson and Head Boy Duncan Atkinson 15 years on

Louise at her students' leaving Prom with her two daughters

Ringwood School is working with Future First, a charity that is helping us keep in touch with our school leavers and helping us to reconnect with former students. If you’re a parent, aunt/uncle or older sibling and used to attend the school we’d really appreciate your support. What advice would you give to your 15 year old self?! Now’s your chance to think back to what you’d wish you’d known when you were at school and share that wisdom with those sitting in those seats now.


Ringwood School takes part in the First World War Centenary Battlefield Tour in Conjunction with the Department for Education and the

Department for Communities and Local Government

In September Megan Real - 9G, Natalie Ashman - 9T and Mrs Hack were lucky to have the

opportunity to combine a CPD training course with a thought-provoking tour of the battlefields, cemeteries and museums of the Ypres Salient and the Somme.

Students and teachers from across the South West had an interesting and thought-provoking experience of the

Battlefields of Belgium and Northern France in the company of some serving army personnel. The aim of the project, in association with the Institute of Education and the Department for Education, was to give schools and students a chance to study the events of the First World War in detail using artefacts, museums, trench experiences and cemetery visits.

The students started their journey in Kent at the Kingswood Centre at Grosvenor Hall where they were able to handle artefacts from the war. Touching and examining guns, shell casing and uniform of the First World War soldiers made the subject come alive; this was followed by some research into soldiers from our locality on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website. We had been fortunate to be given very local information by Sara Blincoe before we left, this made our visits to the cemeteries even more personal with all of the sites having links to Ringwood families.

Then it was onto Belgium, Tyne Cot cemetery made a poignant first stop. The girls were amazed at the size of the cemetery which brought home the scale

of the slaughter at the First Battle of Passchendaele.

“I was surprised about how hard it was living through the war and how many people died, you don't understand the amount of people

died until you look at it.”

Langemark provided a stark contrast in how the German side were allowed to bury and remember their dead. A

firm reminder of the bitter r e s e n t m e n t that existed after the war.

The ceremony at the Menin Gate, which is very busy currently due to the 100th a n n i ve r s a r y

commemoration events that are taking place over the next four years, was a highlight of the visit. The large number of Australian students who were in attendance served as a reminder of the scale of countries affected by this war.

The Ulster Tower Memorial was a new

visit for Ringwood School and was an excellent opportunity to see trenches as they were at the time, carefully preserved and currently being excavated by archaeologists. The students learnt much from the people who devote their lives to the study of the events at Thiepval

Wood. The Thiepval Memorial along with the Sheffield Memorial Park dedicated to the bravery of the Accrington Pals who suffered catastrophic losses at the attack on Serre again reminded us of the sheer scale of the loss of life, the futility of some of the attacks and the personal accounts of those who experienced this war. This was a wonderful opportunity to be an active part of the remembrance project and talk with serving army personnel about what the act of remembrance means to them.

The students were able to take part in a remembrance event where they created a pottery statue to represent one of the fallen soldiers in a project that will be run over the next four years. This was a creative and active way to take part in the remembrance and all involved were able to make their statue individual in some way.

Written by Mrs Hack


Ringwood Twins Dance at the Prestigious Commonwealth

Opening Ceremony

Sixth Form Media Students Celebrate Sweeping Success at Film Festival!

Each year students from many colleges across Hampshire take part in the Hampshire Colleges Two Week Film

Challenge as part of Southampton Film Week. Last year media students from Ringwood Sixth Form took part for the first time and were successful in winning awards for ‘Best Acting’ and ‘Best Film’.

This year, eleven films competed for six awards with the challenge of producing a two minute film within just two weeks. Films had to be of the genre ‘Science Fiction’ titled Leftovers and contain the line of dialogue "Of course it was locked". We are so proud that our Year 13 Media students were successful in winning 5 of the 6 awards!

This year’s winners were:

The One with The Portal by Alexander Frey, Harry Gadsby and Scott Howard:

won Best Overall Film, The Audience Award and Best Editing

The One with The Recruitment Video by Max Hofgartner, George Drayton, Chris Clayton and Robin Holroyd

won Best Script

The One with The Locket by Matt Higham, Charlotte Heaps and Ash Hall

won Best Cinematography

Congratulations, what an achievement!

Both Leah and I would like to say a huge thank you to Ringwood School and the Ringwood School Arts Foundation for

supporting us over this past summer. We were both very lucky to have been accepted into the National Youth Theatre in 2013. NYT is an incredible organisation to be part of, and each year they hold casting auditions for all members. After a rigorous audition and recall process we were both thrilled to have been selected as two of only a twenty-five member cast in the Opening of the Village Ceremony, the Team Welcome ceremonies, and the Farewell Ceremony as part of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2014. Performing with NYT up in Glasgow has to be one of the highlights of our lives and something we will treasure forever. This seven-week project involved two sets of rehearsals in London and two trips up to Glasgow. Much of our time was spent in the Athletes' Village, where we were among the athletes daily and really felt part of the games. It was a very rewarding and gratifying process from the start of rehearsals down in London to the final farewell ceremony performance. We will always remember the humbling and poignant moment as we watched the Malaysian flag raised to half-mast and witnessed two minutes of silence in light of the recent tragic events. The thrilling feeling and pride of performing to the Scottish team in their home country. Dancing with the Ugandan team who showed us such joy and generosity. Each nation brought with them a glimpse into their lifestyle and culture that made it equally as fascinating for the cast as for the athletes. It has lit a flame of interest and desire to travel and experience more of the delights of the world and its people. The athletes' excitement and pride for their country was contagious. Their discipline and determination make us realise that dreams can become realities if you have the

right mindset. This, together with the NYT’s incredible outlook sparked in us the belief that we can pursue what we love.

It was an honour to be among

such a gifted, unique and inspiring cast and work with such dedicated directors. We were not only performing with the most gifted young actors in Britain, but able to meet athletes such as Chris Hoy, Tom Daley and Gavin Hastings as well as perform to the likes of his Royal Highness Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex. Already, at 19 we have started making memories truly worth ‘telling the grandchildren’ and we will be forever grateful for Ringwood School’s support.

Written by Mhairi & Leah Gayer

Written by Mrs Jones


NHS Careers Event @ Bournemouth Hospital

Five Year 12 students went to Bournemouth Hospital in November for the NHS Careers Event.

The aim of the event was to provide students with a more detailed insight into a few of the careers that the NHS has to offer, and to understand how the health service works, which will also help when they

are completing their university applications. Talks were given from the hospital’s Chief Executive, Tony S p o t s w o o d , Dr Matthew Roberts who spoke about life

as a junior doctor, Nurse Kelly Spaven who is a Matron in Acute Medicine, a Speech and Language Specialist and a Psychologist.

Students were able to then go round stands talking to other professionals. They even got the chance to see the simulation suite where staff are trained for any emergency using a mannequin called SIM guy!

This event will take place again next year so let the Careers team know if you are interested in attending.

The Great Geo Bake Off!

This year, as part of Earth Science Week, which took place between

the 13th and 19th October, Year 12 and 13 Geologists and Geographers took part in the Great Geo Bake Off organised by the Geological Society.

Students threw themselves into baking a cake with an Earth Science theme and produced some very impressive entries. Cakes ranged from a trilobite to a subduction zone and the Gianys Causeway made out of chocolate Brownies, and all tasted fantastic.

Photographs were sent to the Geological Society and the winners were announced on the 7th November. Although none of the Ringwood entries won the competition Ringwood School was recognised for their fantastic efforts, and photographs of the cakes displayed on the Geological Society’s web site.

The cakes were soon polished off by very appreciative students and staff. The photographs below are a selection of their delectable creations...yum!


Student Success Stories

Ringwood Student Thomas Bailey is a Diver to Watch!

One of the most popular sports to watch during

the Olympics is the diving - a combination of gymnastic skill and strength, resulting in pure beauty in motion. Well here at Ringwood we have our own skilled diver, Thomas Bailey of 9W.

As of January 2015, Thomas will be training for the Junior Elite Divers in Southampton with his Diving Club. Thomas has competed in a number of competitions including The Luton Challenge and is primed to take the next steps in his journey.

We wish him the very best of luck and perhaps we will see him as part of the England team in the near future....watch this space!

Megan Hill's Artwork on its Way to Lions International Final

Students in Year 8 took part in the Lions Club

International Peace Poster competition in the Art Department this term. We are pleased to say that Megan Hill, 8N, was considered best in the district level! Her winning design goes through to the National Finals. There were over 200 entries including students from Moyles Court School and Burgate School. Young people from across the globe take part in the

competition to design a poster on the theme of ‘Peace, Love and Understanding’. No written words are allowed on the design, so the theme must be represented through images only. There was an excellent standard of entries and it was a difficult task to choose an overall winner. Well done Megan! The finalists' work can be viewed in a special exhibition in Lunns Stationers and Art shop in Ringwood.

Written by Mr Pigott

Ringwood student Hollie Eaton, 7G, has become the anti-bullying campaign's new rising star, after writing a moving story highlighting the damage bullying can cause and how important it is to stop bullying as soon as it starts. This is the winning story:

Oh no, time for 6 hours of hatred - or "school", as other people might call it. Walking into the playground, it felt as if the tightest belt in the world was clenching around my stomach. "Ha Ha!" the sniggering

started. You see, I have been bullied for as long as I can remember. It is because of the way I look. It's not my weight. It's my face. When I was little, I got too close to a candle. My eye was damaged and it had to be removed. "One eye, one eye!" chanted Katie, the moment I stepped in to the playground. She was the god of my problem. Everyone always copied her because she was so pretty. So stunning. So amazing. I

tried to think of something to say back, but I had nothing. Katie was perfect. I hated my visit to this prison every day. The sharp comments, the jeers, the looks, gestures, slaps and punches. I was on the very edge

of tearing my hair out. But suddenly...

''You ok?" a soft, kind voice asked. I looked up. The voice belonged to a girl - Sammie. She was quiet and barely recognised.

"Hey Smelly Sammie, leave One Eyed Ina alone. She doesn't deserve company!" She must have seen my tear-stained face and felt sick to her stomach with pity for me because...

''You back off! I can't believe you would treat someone like this, it's despicable. You only do it because you're bored." She shouted so fiercely, everyone could almost see the venom dripping off her tongue. They all

backed away.

"Thanks Sammie", I croaked. From that day, everything changed. I knew Sammie was here for me. This time I felt like crying tears of joy.

Hollie Eaton - Anti Bullying Star!


Year 12 Geography Trip Investigates Inner City and Rural Fringe Differences

On Friday 15th November, Year 12 Geographers took a trip to Southampton to

investigate the differences between the inner city and rural urban fringe; in relation to housing, provision of services and welfare as part of our AS course.

Firstly we visited Bevois in central Southampton by the hospital, to look at housing in this inner city area. To create a lot of homes in this limited space, it was all terraced housing. No front gardens or tree lined pavements and the parking was on the street, not on driveways. This did not appear to be an area of family homes, but for couples and individuals.

Leaving Bevois we carried out a land use survey around St. Mary’s High Street. We found it to be mostly family run shops of a multicultural variety. These shops provided everything needed by local community.

After the High Street we visited St. Mary’s C. of E. Primary School located next door to Southampton Football Club. We found this a primary school so very different from the schools we had attended when we were younger. For example we noticed the multilingual ‘Welcome’ sign with over 15 languages shown at the entrance to the school, plus a great feature was their playground on the roof. From here we could see the skyline of Southampton and

the local area, as well as a brilliant view of St Mary’s football stadium, home of Southampton Football Club. The school has benefited greatly from having the Football club as its neighbour – with the provision of an Astroturf all weather pitch for the children to use, which members of the football team opened for them.

We were invited to meet and speak with Year 6 students, of which there were sixty. We asked then about their homes, backgrounds and religion.

We were surprised to learn 80% of pupils spoke a different language as their first language. The

majority of children were very religious and proud of their

heritage.

There were a variety of religions, of which we learnt the majority of children were Muslim, but there were also other faiths such as Christian and Sikh. One young girl said she went to the mosque for two hours every day. Most of the children

were from large multigenerational families living together.

St Mary’s teachers asked us to encourage the pupils to work hard to reach level 4 by the end of year 6 and continue with their education to achieve GCSEs in the future.

Following on from our lunch at West Quay we went by minibus to Hedge End to compare housing with that previously seen at Bevois, and then the retail park comparing it to St Mary’s High street. The homes in this area were of varied designs with front gardens, off road parking and landscaping. It felt more spacious and green. The shops in the retail park were household names such as Marks & Spencers, PC World and Sainsbury’s. A vast amount of car parking was provided at the retail park to encourage visitors to the large expansive shops.

This trip provided us with a good insight into how different areas provide for their communities. Showing clear differences between that of an inner city environment to that of a leafy

green suburb on the rural – urban fringe.

Written by Emily Morey & Olivia Longley


News From the Careers Department - Our Best Ever Careers Fair and Preparing Students for the World of Work

On the 6th November Ringwood School hosted its 2nd Annual Careers Fair for students from both Ringwood and Moyles Court Schools. The fair was organised by our in house

careers team and consisted of over 60 exhibition stands across the school, ranging from the Academy of Contemporary Music and JP Morgan to River Cottage and Bournemouth University, to name a few.

The careers fair provided students with a selection of different avenues post 16, including college and sixth form, apprenticeships, industry and university as well as gap year options. The spaces looked fantastic and very professional, stands were colourful and informative with leaflets, visual aids and freebies on offer to take away. Several exhibitors commented on the professional nature of the fair and how impressed they were with the setup. Visitors, both parents and students were ably welcomed

and directed by the student leadership team and the staff – one parent commented ‘this is the best careers fair we have been to: informative, fun and easy to navigate – well done to Ringwood School!’

Several stands had live demonstrations throughout the evening, encouraging students to participate and sample what it would be like to work in certain environments. One of the most popular was the flight simulator provided

by Cobham Land Capabilities, a queue of students waited to try their hand at flying, with instruction of course! Voice FM provided music for the evening with a brilliant stand on the Hall stage and Oil Spill Response Ltd. showed fantastic visual representations of their work in the field. Students were able to ask questions of the exhibitors as they walked around the stands, discover new areas of interest and gain valuable information about possible routes into their prospective careers.

Ringwood School maintains close links with our local businesses; work experience opportunities, subject specific demonstrations at the school or careers advice - all are valuable links for our students’ futures and help provide them with the right information and tools. As

part of the school’s careers advice, Ringwood will be hosting an apprenticeships evening in March for all students in years 10 - 13, presenting opportunities within the local area and further afield. If you would like further information about this event, please contact the school on 01425 475000.

Ringwood takes great pride in the careers advice and options on offer; providing our students with the best possible options and ideas for their futures. The evening was a wonderful occasion for Ringwood and Moyles Court students to see what paths are available to them, talk to those already employed in those areas and start to formulate plans and ideas for their next steps.

Congratulations to the Careers team on a very suCCessful event!


Just the Job - Year 11 Students Practise their Interview Techniques

Dressed to impress, 260 Year 11 students took part in practice interviews in October.

Students were interviewed by members of the community inside and outside of school. Students were asked to prepare their CV and in tutor they discussed interview techniques.

A big thank you all the local businesses and employers who took time out of their day to help our students, the feedback they got is invaluable.

Ben Walker 11I said: 'The day was very beneficial to me. It gave me a great insight into the interview process and also what I need to do better for interviews in the future.'

Gold DofE Congratulations!

Former student Lisa Devine (leaver 2014) started working towards her

Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award in Year 10, completing her Silver Award in Year 12 and has now completed her Gold Award in her first year of University. Lisa left Ringwood School to study Mathematics at Surrey University and has continued to work towards completing her Gold Award whilst there. For her Award, Lisa has volunteered in Borneo with environmental conservation, helped the local community, learnt first aid and lifeguarding, completed a half marathon and her Expedition saw her embark on a four day kayak challenge down the River Spey!

Lisa will now be invited to one of the London Palaces to be presented with her Gold Award. An amazing achievement for

which we are very proud of her!

Cookery Competition is Heating Up - 'The Pig' Star James Golding Passes on his Expertise

Year 10 Food students at Ringwood School were given an amazing cookery

demonstration by James Golding, Chef Director of The Pig group of restaurants, to help inspire and introduce a cookery competition as part of their GCSE studies.

This is the fourth year the competition has run, and as James said last year, it just gets better and better producing some

fantastic winning menus.

James wowed the students with two dishes from The Pig’s current menu. First up was hake fillet and clams served with cavolo nero; a

type of kale grown in the restaurants garden, served with bacon and lemon dressing. The second dish was roast wood pigeon breast and garden beetroot, both mouth-wateringly good! Students were able to taste the food and enjoy seeing how James presented the dishes (presentation

is key!) as well as hearing about the 25 mile menu and James’ cooking career.

This wonderful project is a continuation of the very fruitful partnership between Ringwood School and Mary Reader, President and Founder of Christchurch Festival of Food and Wine. Mary has supported the school via

the Food Festival Education Trust and provides some wonderful culinary prizes for our winning chefs!

James and Mary will be back to judge the best food made by the students in December for our very own MasterChef cook off so watch this space and get those aprons out!


News from the P.E. DepartmentNew Forest School Partnership Under 16 Badminton Festival

On the 23rd October 2014, Ringwood School took three Badminton teams to compete at the New Forest Schools badminton championship. This event took place at Testwood Sports College in Totton. The day was a great success, with the A Team coming 4th out of 11 teams, the C Team coming 6th and the B Team coming 5th. We all really enjoyed playing at the tournament and would like to thank Miss Long for taking us down to the event.

By Jack Cheshire (11H)

Recent Results

Our sports teams have been in action across the county in recent weeks, with teams competing in a wide variety of sports and competitions. Highlights include:

Rugby

- The U15s recently competed in the National NatWest Vase second round, beating Corfe Hills comfortably 54-0. Unfortunately in the third round they came up against some tougher competition, and were beaten by Bournemouth School for Boys (BSB) 36-5, with Dan Pike awarded man of the match.

- The Year 9 rugby team have had an excellent season. They recently attended the New Forest Central Venue League Finals, where they beat Priestlands 29-12 to be crowned New Forest Champions. Louis Harling was awarded man of the match – congratulations to the whole team!

- The Year 8 rugby team beat BSB in the New Forest League 17-5, with Morgan Swaffield earning the title of man of the match. Unfortunately they then lost in the New Forest Central Venue League Finals to Priestlands 20-40, with Ewan Bratchford recognised as man of the match.

- The Year 7 team are continuing to develop both as individuals and as a team; they recently played BSB in a friendly fixture, where Finley Searle was crowned man of the match, and Priestlands School in the New Forest Central Venue League where Matthew Cotter was awarded man of the match. Despite losing both games, attendance at training remains high and the boys’ enthusiasm and determination to improve shows in every session.

Girls Rugby: Mr. Law recently took a girls rugby team to the Hampshire Schools Tournament held at Ringwood and Ellingham Rugby Club, where the girls came second. Alicia Maude was recognised as player of the tournament.

Hockey

- The girls U14 team continue impressing in the New Forest League, where they recently won against Arnewood School. They are looking forward to the U14s New Forest Tournament and hoping for a good result to end their season.

- The U16s girls’ hockey team have just completed their 2014 season by competing in the U16 New Forest Tournament in Southampton on 25th November; the team played well, and Iona Sheerin was recognised as player of the tournament.

Netball

- Ringwood hosted the New Forest Year 8 Netball Tournament on 19th November, and both Ringwood A and B teams finished a reputable 4th in their respective leagues. Thank you to the sixth form students who gave up their time to umpire the matches in the freezing cold!

- The Year 10 netball team also attended the New Forest Tournament at Brockenhurst School and played brilliantly – making it all the way to the final and coming second overall.

Table Tennis

– Year 7 and 8 students recently competed in friendly matches against Arnewood and Burgate and won both overall, with Luke Du Preez and Zach Lillis recognised as players of the match respectively.

- The Year 8 table tennis team have also been competing in the Southampton Schools League, where they recently beat Bitterne Park School 9-1 and Upper Shirley 7-3 – Luke Du Preez was once again recognised as man of the match.

As a department we run a wide variety of clubs after school every single day – have a look at the clubs lists on your tutor noticeboards and get yourself along to one – it’s not too late to join in!


Sports Leaders

In October, Year 5 & 6 students from schools within the New Forest Sports Partnership were invited to attend a 5-a-side football festival hosted here at

Ringwood Academy.

The event was officiated by four of our Year 10 elite Sports Leaders: (from left to right in the photo below) Tom Wright, Harry Bartlett, Connor McCormack & Ethan Temple-Edwards. Teams from Burley Primary, Hale Primary, Hyde Primary, Our Lady & St. Joseph Primary & William Gilpin Primary all took part, competing against one another. Although the rain came down in between spells of sunshine, the players, referees and spectating parents did not lose any enthusiasm for the game, showing superb resilience in the adverse conditions. The afternoon

concluded with students from Our Lady & St. Joseph’s Primary taking home the medals.

Thank you to the Sports Leaders who happily gave up their own time to ensure that sportsmanship and fair play was the theme of the day; without them the festival would not have been able to take place. Sports Leaders will have more opportunities to help at Primary school events in the near future, for those

interested, please see Miss Long in PE for more information.

Talented Athlete Profile: Amelia Williams

My name is Amelia Williams and I am in Year 10. I started playing golf at the age of 7 and I am now 14 years old. I am a 13 handicap and I play for Hampshire and Bramshaw junior team.

My team and I played in the south-west Hampshire league and made it to the southern finals, just missing out on the next round. We also played in the Royal British Legion Knockout and the Blackmoor Shield. The Blackmoor shield was a good achievement because I was 4 down with 5 to play and ended up winning.

My lowest score is nett 68 which was a mixed competition that I won, called The Boyle Cup. The Boyle Cup was played at Bramshaw Golf club on the Manor course. I played with a past lady captain.

My most enjoyable day was the Ian Poulter day at Woburn Golf Club. It was a great day because you got to meet Ian Poulter and play a round of golf at one of the country’s best golf courses. At Bramshaw Golf Club I help with the young juniors at the academy on a Saturday with the professional Chris Fawcett.

My golfing goals for next year are to get to a single figure handicap and make it into the England development squad.


Year 7 Students Enjoy Tile Barn Team Building Trip

Written by Martha Copplestone, 7G

On the 17th October, thirty Year 7 students attended Tile Barn on a team building day.

We all really enjoyed the experience and there were a variety of challenges that really made us think. The one I enjoyed the most was crate stacking which was scary as I don’t usually like heights, but soon forgot as my team encouraged me. I felt safe in the harness. The night line was fun, we were all blindfolded and had to make our way across a muddy path. I’m glad we were prepared with extra clothes.

The low ropes course really made us think, luckily our teamwork skills kicked in! Archery was probably my most successful challenge. I surprised myself by getting gold on the target straight away. Who would have thought that Mr. Owen could be so competitive?

It was a really fun day, the weather was kind to us, we laughed and learnt new skills, but most of all we make some new friends! I am very happy I had the opportunity to be able to go and would love to do it all over again.

Thank you to Mr Hogget, Miss Bratton and Mr Owen who ran the trip.

RAF Visit for Health and Social Care Students

The RAF recently paid a visit to Ringwood School to do some work with two groups of Health and Social Care students.

The Year 12 students were amazed by the wide range of career opportunities and training provided by the RAF. They also carried out activities to emphasise the importance of working in a team and effective communication when problem solving, supporting their AS coursework unit on ‘Communication in Care Settings’.

The focus for the Year 10 students was the impact of team building activities on their own physical, emotional and social development. Students were put in situations that challenged them and took them out of their comfort zone. Students themselves commented:

“Some people were scared but they faced their fears; this meant that people improved their confidence in the team. This activity brought some characters out that we did not know about before.” Finlay Bowrey

“Overall, what I took away from this experience is that if you are comfortable and trust those around you/in your team, then they are more likely to feel comfortable and trust you. I also learnt that no matter what role in a team /group you have, it is important in some way or another to work together to get the task done to the best of the group’s ability.” Georgia MatthewsSixth Form Students Donate

Time to Foodbank

Christmas Spirit came alive on Saturday 29th November. Five Sixth Formers gave up their time to

help Ringwood & Fordingbridge Lions collect donations for Ringwood Foodbank at Tesco in Ferndown.

On Saturday alone 41 large cardboard boxes of food and provisions were filled by the very kind donations of people

attending Tesco.Stephen Sherring, Ringwood & Fordingbridge Lions Club President said ‘It was very heart-warming to see first-hand the generosity expressed by our local community and hearing a few real life stories about how the Foodbank have helped people in need.’Collections had been taking place all week and it is estimated that 130 boxes were filled.Tesco will estimate the weight of the goods donated by customers at their store and then give Ringwood Foodbank 30% of the cost of that food extra as cash to top the donations.

Students engage in RAF Team Building exercises


We will remember them

On MOnday the 20th OctOber, Over 120 perfOrMers tOOk part in a cOncert tO cOMMeMOrate the beginning Of WOrld War 1 a

hundred years agO. the evening cOMprised Of Music, draMa, dance, readings and pOeMs. Over £1,200

Was raised fOr help fOr herOes and the rOyal british legiOn

pOppy appeal.

shakespeare for sChools - Comedy takes Centre stage

On Wednesday the 5th November, thirty Year 8 – Year 11 students performed at

Poole’s Lighthouse Arts Centre in the national ‘Shakespeare for Schools Festival’.

This year, the play chosen for performance was ‘A Comedy of Errors’. The piece was slick, stylish, funny and thoroughly enjoyable. A repeat

performance took place at the RSAF evening on the 26th November in the school hall to great acclaim.

Well done to all Who took part, a truly shakespearean affair!


Tracing History in Belgium

The Belgium history trip in November was a great experience with so many opportunities.

Walking through the cemeteries and seeing the memorials, made the war and everything we had been taught real. The names, dates of death and birth and age, made each person an individual and you could see that each one of those men had a life, a future and a family before the war. The row upon row of graves put into perspective JUST how many thousands died, what those figures and statistics we heard represented and what this enormous number actually meant.

On the Monday after the coach journey and Eurotunnel crossing, we went into Ypres and visited the Flanders Field Museum. The museum provided information about the battles that took place in Ypres and the land and people affected by them. After the museum we visited one of the largest British cemeteries – Tyne-Cot and then a German cemetery – Langemark.

Tuesday we all wore school uniform and took part in the memorial parade in commemoration of the 100 years since the start of the war. We marched through the Menin gate (this is the gate through which every British soldier marched, and that would then have led them to the front line. It is the British memorial to the missing, it has the names of 54,896 of those who died between 1914-1915 and have no known grave). We went bowling in the evening which was fun.

On the Wednesday, we spent the day around sites at the Somme; we went to Thiepval which is also a memorial to the missing. We spent a short amount of time at a huge crater - Lochanger crater made by a huge mine. We then went to Beaumont Hamel which is the memorial park to the Newfoundland regiment. At this site you can go in the original trenches, which were fought in by the Newfoundland regiment and the German trenches too. We went out for a meal in Ypres that evening and then went to the Last Post Ceremony. (The last post has been and is sounded here every night since the memorial was opened in 1927, apart from the years 1939-1945, and will be until it has sounded for every name on the memorial).

Thursday we went to the trenches at Vimy Ridge which have been preserved in a very different way to those at Beaumont Hamel. We were then allowed to split into small groups and spend some time in the shops in Arras. That evening we had a disco at the place we were staying.

On Friday we stopped at a couple of memorials and then went on to the chocolate shop where lots was bought! At 6:30 p.m. a coach full of tired teenagers and exhausted teachers arrived in Ringwood after an amazing trip. Thank you Miss Humphrey, Mr Himmel, Mr Gregory, Mrs Lewis, Miss Pontet and Mr Southern!

Ms Edwards with the wreath commemorating her relative, Sargeant

Alfred Williams, which was laid in Belgium at the Tyne Cot Memorial

Commemorating the fallen in Belgium

Written by Hebe Garrett, 9D

'When our new armies are ready it seems folly to

send them to Flanders, where they will chew barbed wire, or

be wasted in futile frontal

attacks.'

British Prime Minister Henry Asquith, 30th

December 1914

'There were many words that you

could not stand to hear and finally

only the names of places had dignity.

Abstract words such as glory, honor,

courage, or hallow were obscene.'

American novelist and WW1 veteran Ernest

Hemingway, in 'A Farewell to Arms', 1929

Documents

Ringwood in the News, December 2014