BEST EVER GCSE EXAM RESULTS - Seaham School of Technology

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TECHNOLOGY
COLLEGES
Autumn
2012
BEST EVER GCSE EXAM RESULTS
Seaham School of Technology

Welcome
I am delighted to share with you our
latest edition of Horizon, the newsletter
of Seaham School of Technology. There
are many interesting articles about the life
of our school and it shows some of the
varied activities that are available to our
students.
Congratulations to Year 11 students who
achieved the best ever set of examination
results in the history of the school. I am so
proud of their success and look forward to
hearing of their future achievements. They
were well supported by the school, their
families but most of all it was down to
the hard work of individual students.
Well done to you all.
It now looks that Seaham School of
Technology will finally be getting its
new build. Plans are moving
forward rapidly with the
government choosing their
preferred contractor for the work
during next year. The aim is to
move into the new build in 2015.
This is good news for the young
people of Seaham and I will keep
you updated as soon as there is
more news.
Head Boy & Girl
When It got announced that I was head girl I was
overwhelmed and speechless. With the votes being
so close I couldn't actually believe it. After weeks of
waiting and campaigning it was finally revealed that
I was the winner, I was just like oh my god whilst
smiling my face off! I'm very honoured to be
representing our school in future opportunities and
to show how great it really is. I’m also excited to
start organising events like prom and fun days for
the whole school. I know that with the head boy
and the amazing prefect team behind us it will be a
year to remember!
Thanks everyone who voted for
me!
Chloe
‘I have a dream’…
The famous words of
Martin Luther King, when I,
Adam Dodds, came into
year 10 I also had a dream, not quite as big a dream as Luther King but still a
dream. My dream was to do my best for the school. Our school is a brilliant school,
smashing academic records year after year, achievement after achievement,
improving Ofsted reports. But, what our school needed was a new Head Boy and Girl.
With such an outstanding school, this was going to be a big job to undertake! I realised
it was going to be hard at times but more enjoyable than anything. So my dream was
to take this role, obviously not Head Girl but as Head Boy. I don’t want to change the
school, I want to be what the school needs, someone who will represent the school at
parents evenings, someone that the new year 7’s can look up to and think “Yeah he
looks like the person I would like to be”, to become a good representative for not only
Seaham School Of Technology but for everyone in it.
However, there was some tough competition! Five candidates were whittled down to
two… Then, after a week of handing out posters, campaigning and battling for votes I
finally burst into the cheesiest smile ever seen on the live web feed. I have done it; I
have been given the chance to fulfil my dream, just like Martin Luther King.
With the best team of prefects yet, we will do our duties and battle new challenges.
BRING ON YEAR 11.
Adam

Foreword
We have delayed publication of our fnal newsletter for 2011-
12 until the exam results came in. We continue to have
positive comments about the format. We hope that you
enjoy reading it, fnd it informative, interesting and learn a lot
more about what goes on at our school. However, if you do
have any comments or suggestions as to how we could
improve it further we would be delighted to receive them.
2011-12 has proved to be a fantastic year for the school as we
have continued to go from strength to strength. Exam results on
August 23rd proved once again to be the best ever in the school’s
history bucking the National trend. Some of the fgures are
highlighted in the stars throughout the brochure. 57% of all Year
11 students achieved 5A*-C including English and Maths, an
increase of 1% on last year and 29% above the fgure for 2009.
It is a mark of the determination of staff at the school that we were
disappointed with that fgure. We had anticipated breaking the
60% barrier and the national issues with the regarding of English
papers has affected us badly. Without the nationally imposed
change to boundaries in the English exam we have calculated our
5A*-C fgure including English and Maths would have been 69%.
To say we are disappointed is a gross understatement. You will be
pleased to know that we worked closely with our partner 6th Form
Headways to ensure none of our students affected were
disadvantaged in terms of access to their post 16 courses.
The highlight of the year to date has been the fantastic news that
the school is included in the Governments Priority Building
Programme and funding for a new development has been agreed.
As you are aware County Durham Council had already confrmed
that they intended to fund a new build from Capital funding but
then applied to the Government directly once the new programme
had been announced.
Funding is allocated to the 200+ schools that are judged to be in
the most dire need of a rebuild or refurbishment. The school has
received a number of visits from Government offcials examining
the state of the current building. We are currently awaiting further
updates as to timescales and amount of funding allocated and will
update you as we fnd out more. We are sure you will agree that
this news is fantastic for our students, the wider community and
Seaham as a whole.
Other highlights have been winning the Jubilee Competition and
attending the subsequent Commonwealth Observance Ceremony.
In addition to this the visit to the school by a NASA astronaut,
Mathematics genius Johnny Ball and the national recognition for
our work on Educational Visits have been real high points.
Another huge success was our Jubilee street party on June 1st.
Staff worked extremely hard to organise this in a relatively short
space of time following our decision to host it.
We would like to thank you for your support with the uniform once
again. Students have returned to
school looking fantastic. As you
know we introduced a slight
change to uniform as of
TECHNOLOGY
COLLEGES
September. Students are expected to wear plain black SHOES.
Trainers of any sort are now not allowed.
We were beginning to be a little concerned about the length of
some girl’s skirts and highlighted this issue in assemblies and via a
letter to parents. The response has been superb. The vast
majority of girls have returned to school either in trousers or
wearing skirts that are much more appropriate. We would like to
thank you for your support on this issue and ask for it to continue.
As always there is a small percentage that have not responded and
we shall continue to challenge this in school. Can we ask you to
be aware of this and speak to your own child if you think it is
needed and remind them that they are attending school and the
length of skirts must be appropriate.
Can we ask that you please remind your child that hooded tops/
caps etc should not be worn inside school? Also can you remind
them that ear rings should be no bigger than a 5 pence coin?
A reminder please that students are welcome to drink water in
lessons if they wish but we do not allow students to drink fzzy
drinks whilst in lessons and would prefer it if they do not bring them
to school.
Finally we have decided to redesign and launch the School
website. This should hopefully be ready by January. We would
love to hear anyone who has any views on what they would like to
see included or any suggestions. Please contact G Lumsdon at
the school or via e mail g.lumsdon200@durhamlearning.net
We trust you had a Happy and Restful Summer and look forward
to working in partnership with you over the coming year.
Important dates for the Calendar
• Monday 3rd September - Teacher
Training Day
• Tuesday 4th September - School
reopens to students
• Thursday 6th September- Year 7 Photographs
• Thursday 27th September Year 6 Open Evening
• Thursday 11th October Year 11 Parent Evening
• Friday 26th October- School closes at 3.05pm for half term
holiday
• Monday 5th November - School reopens following half term
• Friday 30th November - School closed for Staff Training Day
• Monday 10th Wednesday 19th December - Year 10 and 11
Mock Exams
• Friday 21st December- School closes at 3.05pm for
Christmas Holidays
• Monday 7th January - School reopens following Christmas
holidays
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Un Bon Voyage
As the bus arrived at the school the excitement built up, everyone
raced for the back seats. Everyone was finally onboard. We set
off for Dover. After 4 hours of travelling we had our first service
station stop. It was 2am on 29th June 2012 and we were sitting
eating McDonalds. We arrived at Dover ahead of schedule and
just our luck we got a bus search, 3 or 4 bags were taken off and
searched. Everything was clear. We then checked in and after a
short wait we boarded the ferry. We waved goodbye to the white
cliffs of Dover and it was time for breakfast. We had some
freedom while onboard, some people went on deck while others
ate or went shopping. France then appeared on the horizon and
we all gathered together to wait to go back on the bus.
Everybody got even more excited that we were on foreign soil.
We then left the ferry and we were finally in France on our
way to the city of love, PARIS! Most people were expecting to
come into a thunderstorm like it was forecasted but that was
incorrect. It was clear blue skies and about 26 degrees.
Unexpectedly the French road rules are a lot different to ours. We
had a shuffle about the bus because an adult had to be next to
the emergency exits. Before we departed we were also warned
that we needed to know where every fire exit was, where the first
aid box was and the fire extinguisher was. This was because the
police could do a random spot check and ask anyone onboard
where they are and if they didn’t know they would be given a
€1000 fine on the spot. As we were travelling through the
outskirts of Paris it wasn’t the picture perfect place we thought it
was but finally about 16 hours after departing we finally arrived at
our accommodation the Centre Etoile Parisienne.
Our accommodation was one basic bungalow per group of
friends but it did the job for us. We unloaded the coach and went
and met the people in charge. Juju and Guillaume then went
through the boring fire safety rules. After that we were shown to
our rooms. We then unpacked and had a half an hour to explore
the site. We had tea at 6’o’clock. Our tea was a simple meal. For
starters a platter of sweet corn, Main course was 2 pieces of
sliced chicken with overcooked rice and desert was a lemon tart
and when we say lemon tart we mean lemony. We hoped the
meals got better.
The next day came with an early start 7am we had to be up and
ready for breakfast. We woke up to the smashing of the front
door with the bellowing voices of Mrs. Armes and Mr Remmer in
the boys block and Mrs McGinnerty singing or Miss
Selvanayagam knocking in the girls block. Breakfast was a big
improvement – croissant, cereal, bread, juice what more did we
need! Today was the day we would visit the famous landmarks of
Paris. We got on our coach for a half hour bus journey to the
centre of Paris. When we arrived we visited the Eiffel Tower and
walked up the towering stairs to get to the first level. The view
was spectacular, so everyone gazed at the city as they took a
few minutes to catch their breath from the climb. We had an hour
and a half to get some pictures and look at the surroundings.
Walking down the stairs was a lot easier than walking up!! We got
to the bottom in five minutes then got on our coach and headed
for a boat ride along the river Seine. This was an opportunity to
catch a tan in the beautiful weather we had. Unfortunately some
people weren’t smart enough to wear sun cream and ended up a
little bit burnt. One of the members of staff (Mr. Remmer) had the
best tan/burn line of the entire holiday.
The next destination was the Champs Elysees. This is an
expensive but popular shopping destination. In the Champs
Elysees we saw the Arc de Triomphe which was packed with
cars. The Arc de Triomphe is the only place in the world where
you can’t get insurance on your vehicle. While walking down the
Champs Elysees the pupils were given freedom to get food and
go shopping at their own expense. We then met up and walked
past the setup for the tour de France. We arrived early at our pick
up point so this was time for pupils and staff to have a rest from
walking and get a few more pictures. We went to board the bus
and Mr Remmer found the perfect opportunity to look down the
road and capture a once in a life time shot of cars all lining up
heading his way, unfortunately this was from the middle of the
road and some students stopped behind him – Mrs Armes nearly
had heart failure! The bus then arrived and it was all guns blazing
and pupils and staff had to board the bus in record time to
prevent the drivers getting a fine. Next stop Montmartre and
Sacre Coeur. Once again pupils were given freedom to roam the
shops and grab a snack to eat. This is the artists area of Paris
and the streets were full of artists drawing caricatures of tourists.
We then headed back to our accommodation for our evening
meal. However this was easier said than done – there was a big
parade and lots of the streets were blocked meaning all the traffic
was on the other roads and basically stationary thanks to the
French drivers’ interesting interpretation of the highway code! The
journey which had taken 30 minutes on the way there took over 2
and a half hours on the way back – not to worry though we were
kept entertained by the crazy displays of driving around us. We
eventually ate our meal at 9.30pm! Then we had a bit of a relax
until we were told to go to our own rooms – as we were all
exhausted from the miles we had walked around Paris (and up
the Eiffel Tower) not many of us complained.
Sunday again dawned bright and sunny. We got a bit of lie in
(8pm wake-up call this morning!) and breakfast was delicious
again. Today we were heading for the enormous Palace of
Versailles built by Louis XIV as he deemed the Louvre Palace in
Paris too small – we were all amazed by the sheer scale of the
building – not to mention the never ending queue outside. Mrs
Armes decided the queue was beyond ridiculous and we would
instead head for the beautiful gardens to enjoy the sunshine and
take in the enormity of what had been built – the gardens covered
800 hectares so obviously we didn’t get round them all in a day
but we saw some interesting sites – some of us went for a row
on the lake others wandered in the sunshine with an ice-cream or
freshly squeezed orange juice.
When we arrived back at the centre we were told to meet on the
sports field in 20 minutes – for a sports event. Little did we know
what was in store – egg and spoon races, hula hoops, skipping,
space hoppers and even Mrs Armes’ unique big pants game –
we had a great time and there was a tie for first place and a 3
way tie for 3rd place but nobody really cared as we’d all had a
good laugh and enjoyed the early evening sunshine. After our

meal the Euro 2012 final was shown in the cinema room which
some people watched others played badminton, rounders or
chatted as the sun went down. There was also the small matter
of packing. This was our last night in the centre and the teachers
were relaxed and let us stay up a bit later – mainly as we were
talking them to death!
Monday was another early start as we had to be packed, have
the coach loaded and breakfast but be ready to leave by 8.30am.
We just about made it though and headed for Disney – more
excitement on the way though as we were stopped as the police
put up a road block to catch a criminal. We eventually arrived at
Disney and after a long walk saw the castle and the entrances to
the parks. Now unbeknownst to us staff had been wrongly
directed as to where to pick the tickets up from and poor Mrs
Armes was so concerned we were missing our Disney time ran
about 2 miles back to the coach entrance to pick the tickets up.
Eventually we got our tickets and entered the wonderful world of
Disney – it was magical and another glorious day. We tried out
the scary Tower of Terror and Rock ‘n’ Rollacoaster in the Studios
park followed by Big Thunder Mountain and Pirates of the
Caribbean in the Disney Park. The queues were long and hot but
we spent our remaining money on drinks and souvenirs (Mrs
Armes and Mrs McGinnerty went a bit mad on the Disney toys
and clothes front!)
Finally it was time to head home, an uneventful journey home as
we mainly slept we were so worn out but we managed to get
back to Seaham extra early thanks to our wonderful coach
drivers Graham and Ian. A fantastic time had been had by all and
we cannot recommend a trip like this highly enough. Roll on next
years’ trip whether it is to Paris, Barcelona, Berlin or Krakow –
you’ll be sure of a fabulous time but don’t expect too much of the
food!
Adam and Charlotte Dean, Kyle Butterfield, Eleanor Hudson and
Morgan Rooney
57% of all students
achieved 5A*-C
including English
and Maths.
TECHNOLOGY
COLLEGES
Sport Relief
Sport Relief in March 2012 saw
students raise a staggering
£1332.64! Well done to all
involved.
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Jubilee Celebrations
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On Friday 1st June students at the school joined in the
national celebrations in honour of Queen Elizabeth II’s
Diamond Jubilee. Each year group attended a street
party in the main yard, sang songs, played party
games and completed a quiz. Student Bands played
throughout the day. There was a chance to play on a
Bouncy Castle and enjoy Candy Floss. Lickety Spliz
were also present to sell Ice Creams. The school was
decorated with Bunting and students dressed in Red,
White and Blue. Special thanks must go to the Family
Leaders, Miss Nunn and Mrs Kennedy for organising
the day in conjunction with Mrs Whitehead. Also to
Walkers Crisps and Julie in the Kitchen.
Many thanks to Seaham Town Council for
ensuring that every child was presented with
a Jubilee Coin to commemorate the Jubilee.

56% of all
students achieved
3A*-A grades.
TECHNOLOGY
COLLEGES
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Saudi Visit
On Wednesday 23rd May 12 Directors of Education
from Saudi Arabia visited the school for the day to
look at all aspects of the school’s work. The visit
was organised by Newcastle University as a fact finding
mission about education in England. Seaham School
was selected as it is one of the most improved schools
in the country.
The Director’s listened to Presentations by our
Headteacher on school improvement, Curriculum
changes, teaching and learning strategies and the use
of data. They also had an opportunity to tour the
school, watch some lessons, have lunch with staff and
ask students questions. The visitors were also treated
to English High Tea prepared by students and presented
with a Commemorative gift containing English tea and a
Seaham School Mug manufactured by the Technology
Faculty.
The visitors were delighted with what they saw and
seeing as one of them is in charge of 5000 schools in
Riyadh strategies being used in Seaham may spread far
and wide.
The Big Diamond
Jubilee Read
Year 7 pupils Sophie Allard & Abbie Banks
collect their certificates.
Pupils have been participating in The Big Diamond
Jubilee Reading Competition held in the Learning
Resource Centre. Pupils collected reading miles by
spending time reading at home and at school, following
their progress on a classroom map on which a route
travelled around the Commonwealth.
Motivational “checkpoints” along the way were some of
the countries visited by the Royal Family on their
Diamond Jubilee tour.
Pupils collected their reading miles in a special reading
passport - 33,000 miles (or 11 hours reading) in total
and those who have completed the competition will be
entered into a national prize draw.
100% of all students
achieved 5A*-G
demonstrating how
inclusive Seaham
School is.

Science
This term we say goodbye to Simon Cork a Neuroscience
Ph.D. student from Durham University. Simon has been working with
students in the Science Faculty running afterschool science clubs and
bringing real-world science into the classroom. Simon has worked with
students carrying out rat dissections to dry ice experiments and
hydrogen explosions.
Simon completes his Ph.D. this summer to become a Doctor of
Neuroscience. We wish him every success in his new career looking at
Hypertension and with his move to the USA.
The Science and Technology department worked together to offer our
students, parents and primary school children the opportunity to take
part in National Science and Engineering Week during the March 2012.
As a Specialist Technology College we emphasise STEM (Science,
Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) in all that we do.
To raise awareness of Science and Technology in the community and at
home, we offered parent & child evening sessions covering exciting
practical science!
Tickets quickly sold out and our parents and primary children loved the
different experiments and practical investigations
Will you be here to join us next year?
Mr Judd Testing some Primary
school Rockets
99% of all students
achieved 5A*-C
grades - only 1
student did not!
TECHNOLOGY
COLLEGES
Pet Corner
Gizmo is a baby Albino Leopard Gecko who has
become the newest pet in science. As well as being
fun to look at she is a good example of how reptiles
are very different to mammals like us.
All pupils are encouraged to interact with the pets in
science as this is a good way to experience
adaptations first hand.
Geckos are reptiles that live in Asia in the wild. They
live in rocky deserts and sparse grasslands.
They are nocturnal in the wild, hiding from fierce
daytime heat in burrows and under rocks. In captivity
they will burrow when overheated and shy away
sometimes from bright lights.
They usually grow to about 10 inches long, although
half of this is tail.
They can break their tails off like most other lizards.
This is usually caused by poor handling or by fighting
with other geckos. The tails will grow back, but they
will be shorter, thicker, smoother and less colourful.
The temperature of their eggs determines the gender
of the hatchlings. At 80 degrees, most will be females;
at 91 degrees most will be males. At 86 degrees
Fahrenheit, there will be an even mix.
They will clean their eyes with their tongues!
They are carnivorous and will stalk prey like a cat.
Gizmo the Leopard Gecko
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English
You’re Fired!
As part of the Key Stage 4 English course, students have to complete a range of Speaking and Listening activities. These activities
cover a range of skills including using the correct type of language to meet the purpose and audience of the task.
Within the English Faculty we try to organise a range of interesting and relevant activities that will keep students motivated and
enthused in the tasks, which is one of the reasons we used the BBC programme, The Apprentice, to base an activity upon.
Students were given a brief which was to work in groups to design a new product. They had to assign roles which included the
marketing and design of the product. Each group had to think of a new, exciting and innovative product and design the actual
product and packaging. They also had to design an advertising poster and put together a pitch to “sell” the product to their teacher.
This section was the most important as this was where their persuasive attributes and skills were put to full use.
Products ranged from a new baseball cap designed for BMX bike enthusiasts to a new drink and chocolate bar designed to
compliment each other by being a relaxing treat as opposed to the ever popular energy drinks market.
All students who took part enjoyed the experience and all achieved fantastic results. The products and posters created showed the
amazing imaginations and talent our students at Seaham School possess. The English teachers all found it
very difficult to say those immortal words Lord Sugar seems so eager to use; “You’re fired”.
72% of all students
achieved A*-C in Maths -
the best Maths results in
the school’s History!
This is 7% above the
National average.
Key Stage Four Intervention Success
Over the last couple of years, the English department at our school has
gone from strength to strength and with GCSE results soaring,
students have had great cause for celebration. However, whilst the
pupils’ hard work and dedication is imperative, the staff within the
department have also worked hard to ensure that students’ targets
can be achieved. In the build up to recent exams, the English
department has adopted a wide range of intervention strategies all
designed to encourage, motivate and equip our young people
with the skills they need to succeed. One of our most
successful ventures was to Leeds for a revision residential.
After reaping the rewards the previous year, staff were
confident that their students would see and feel the benefits
in this year’s examinations. They were not wrong! Nearly all
of those who took part in the visit achieved or even
surpassed their target grade, meaning delighted pupils
and a delighted staff! However, this is not all. With
breakfast clubs, afterschool revision sessions and high
quality support, we hope that all of our pupils will
accomplish their goals.

Twentieth Century
Teaching!
A number of students in Year 7 were invited to take part in unique
on-line training to improve their writing skills. The sessions were
organised by Mr Harrison and were aimed at students who hadn’t
fully achieved Level 6 in Writing. Students were coached by a live
‘virtual tutor’ on their writing skills, including use of interesting
punctuation, accurate spelling and varied sentences. The sessions
took part in the evening as part of the students’ homework.
All the students who took part found that it useful and educational;
Leon Cotrell said: “It actually helped, after the tuition I had a test and
got my target!” Ben Southwick commented: “I thought it helped me
use a variety of punctuation that I hadn’t used before.”
It seems that the on-line tutor was great at her job: Caitlyn Goodwin
said:”The teacher was nice and helped me to improve.” Natalie
Bainbridge explained: “She was a good teacher and it helped
me to understand better.” Overall, students have
improved in their writing skills and were glad
of the fantastic opportunity.
Miss Cesarano and I joined the English department at Seaham School of
Technology in January after four years teaching in Stockton on Tees.
I joined Blakeston Community Sports College in 2008 as a Teacher of English
and spent two very happy years there before the school became an Academy
in 2010. Working at the Academy provided many new training opportunities,
particularly in the development of teaching and learning practices and I
became a Level 2 TEEP coach and a Kagan Co-operative Learning
practitioner. In 2011, I became Learning Co-ordinator in English, helping to
develop a new English curriculum in the Academy, before joining Seaham
School of Technology as Teacher of English at the beginning of this year.
After teaching English in Italy for several years, Miss Cesarano was a Teacher
of English at High Tunstall College of Science and then Blakeston Community
Sports College. In 2010 she qualified as an Advanced Skills Teacher in 2010
and spent time working for Stockton Local Authority helping to develop
English in other schools. After Blakeston became an Academy, Miss Cesarano
used her skills and expertise to help develop teaching and learning methods
across the Academy, enhancing student progress and enjoyment in a variety
of subject areas. Miss Cesarano also became a Kagan Co-operative Learning
practitioner and a Level 2 TEEP coach. She also trained in Building Learning
Power which focuses on ‘stretching brains’ and improving thinking skills. Like
me, Miss Cesarano joined Seaham School of Technology - taking on the role
of Second in English with responsibility for Key Stage 3 in January 2012.
Thanks to the supportive and friendly staff and the fantastic students here at
Seaham, we have settled in really well and our first two terms have just flown
by! Miss Cesarano and I are now looking forward to beginning a brand new
and exciting academic year in September.
TECHNOLOGY
COLLEGES
Can you magic up characters like Harry
Potter? Do you have the lyrical skills of
Shakespeare or Eminem? Do you like the
idea of seeing your name in print? If so,
then the English department has just the
opportunity for you.
Since the beginning of the year, KS3 students
have had the chance to enter national poetry
and prose writing competitions held by the
‘Young Writers’ organisation. As a result of this,
37 of our talented Y7 poets have been told that
their work is to be published in the ‘Express
Yourself’ anthology – which will be available for
purchase across the country. Now we have a
nail-biting wait to see if any of these finalists are
chosen as overall champions in the competition
– with the chance of winning up to £1,000 for
the school!
Following this poetry challenge, 50 of our KS3
students also entered the ‘Mini Sagas’
competition where they were set the tricky task
of composing a tense and terrific tale of heroes
and villains - in just 50 words! We have no doubt
that we will hear of their success too over the
next few months.
Alisha Gibbs from 7REn1 is a finalist in the
poetry competition and an entrant in the mini
saga competition. She said: “I thoroughly
enjoyed writing for both competitions.” Ryan
Kennedy from 7REn3 is also a finalist in the
poetry competition. He said: “I am excited about
having my work in print!”
With the latest competition, KS4 students also
have a chance of seeing their name in print. The
prestigious ‘Foyle Young Poets of the Year
Award’ is open to anyone aged 11 to 17 and we
are asking any students with a passion for
poetry to express their interest and enjoy the
chance of winning some life-changing prizes.
Apart from having their work printed in an
anthology, entrants could also win a residential
poetry course delivered by a world-famous poet.
Competitions such as these will continue
throughout the year and anyone interested in
taking part should contact Miss Cesarano in A8
for further details. Go on - express yourself!
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page 12
Prom Night
The annual Leaver’s Prom was held once again on
Thursday July 5th. This year the event was held at
Hallgarth Manor in Pittington. More than 180 students
and staff were present to celebrate the current cohort
of Year 11 students moving on to pastures new.
This Prom was slightly unusual in that television crews
from the BBC were present filming students arrive and
then party. This was part of a programme to be
broadcast in the Autumn term. Once again the
Seaham prom was as inclusive as ever with buses for
students if they wanted them and the cost was free to
most as a reward for meeting targets on attendance,
behaviour and academic performance.
The prom followed on from the Annual Leavers
Assembly earlier in the week when staff hosted a final
assembly, barbecue and provided a bouncy castle and
Sumo Wrestling suits for the students enjoyment.

TECHNOLOGY
COLLEGES
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humanities
New member of the
Humanities Faculty
starting September 2012
I have joined the Humanities
Faculty as Head of History after
seven years working in a
variety of roles at High Tunstall
College of Science in
Hartlepool. Having visited
Seaham a few times in the
past and heard so many good
things about the school and its students from former
colleagues, I am delighted to finally get the opportunity
to work here!
The main thing I love about teaching is getting to know
the students I teach and building good relationships
with them – there is nothing more satisfying than
seeing them achieve fantastic results as a reward for
their hard work. I hope to get people talking about
History and like to get stuck into heated debates with
my classes as often as possible!
Outside of school, I am a keen Middlesbrough fan
(sorry), so do please feel free to drop by my classroom
on a Monday and analyse our latest defeat.
page 14
Hardboiled
Humanities
This year saw the first Hardboiled Humanities
competition. The challenge was set to create
an egg based on a Humanities theme. We
have lots of entries with students proving very
creative and I’m sure the competition will be
even stronger next year. The winner was Jamie
Donaldson (Y7) for her brilliant King Eggry VIII
chosen by Governor Malcolm Wilkinson.
Year 8 Future
Business Magnates
Over the year a group of year 8 pupils have been
developing their business idea for a regional business
enterprise competition ‘Future Business Magnates’.
The business named ‘Blue Rose Creative’ is an online
company focussed on design and production of
rewards based products such as sticker, stamps and
bangles. So far the students have developed their
business products, logo, promotional materials and
financial plan. On Wednesday 2nd May they went up
against a group of ‘Business Dragons’ to pitch their
idea and in July they will present their final business
plan to a panel of judges.

The Olympics 2012
During the spring term Seaham School of Technology
became part of the ‘Get set Network’, an initiative
aimed at education pupils about the Olympic Games.
Throughout the summer term students through t year
7,8 and 9 will undertake an Olympics 2012 project
within Geography and History lessons.
As part of the initiative we won a bid for a set of
Olympic tickets. The tickets allocated are for the
football taking place in July and St James Park,
Newcastle. Details of how to win these tickets will be
given during the summer term.
Good Luck!
Humanities Heroes
Students have been receiving Humanities Hero wrist
bands in recognition of their excellent learning and
progress. These have proved very popular with
students.
Teams
TECHNOLOGY
COLLEGES
Seaham School of Technology could not function without a
vast array of support staff who are vital cogs in the massive
machine that is our school. Over the next few issues we would
like to introduce you to some of the teams of staff who
Seaham School of Technology recognise are essential to the
smooth running of our school.
In particular our site team virtually “perform miracles” every day
ensuring that our school is a safe, clean, warm environment in
what is a rapidly ageing building. Their efforts ensure that this
school is open for the children of Seaham to be educated – no
mean feat on some occasions!
Another team which has proved invaluable to the school in
recent months is our technical team. They have transformed
the look of the school through designing fabulous, vibrant
displays for a variety of classrooms and indeed throughout the
whole building. These improvements have impacted not only
on the overall look of the school but have also helped created
exciting, creative and innovative learning environments which
can only contribute to our students’ overall learning
experience.
Both of these teams perform over and above the call of duty
and the school is very lucky to have people of this calibre
working with them to make Seaham School of Technology an
exciting and wonderful place to work and for students to learn.
Huge thanks and keep up
the good work!!
page 15

page 16
Activities Week
Seaham held its first annual Activities week in the week beginning
July 2nd- 6th. The purpose is to replace the old style Work Experience
week for Year 10 and aim to enrich the Curriculum Experience by offering a
high number of activities, which will engage students, allow them to have fun
or participate in cultural and spiritual experiences, which promote teamwork or
enhance their understanding of careers, local history and the world around them.
12 Students spent a week on a Tall Ship and we shall have more about that in the
next issue. 56 students played Golf, over a 100 made Muffins, Year 7 and 8 Green
Pathways had the opportunity to go to Sunderland College and work on motor
vehicles among other vocational opportunities.
More than 40 students went on a local History walk, others went to study Beach
Ecology, Cycling and to the Aquarium. More went to Newcastle Crown Court and that
neglects to mention the party of students that went off to Paris and Disneyland and a
second Party that went off to London on a joint History DT visit. Some simply played
FIFA 2012 as part of their choices or helped Trinity Primary school put on their
Leavers Show.
The idea was that students would have some element of free choice. Student
and staff feedback has been very positive with many ideas for Activities next
year. Star of the show was BBC Presenter Johnny Ball who flew up from
London to teach Year 9 and 10 Maths. He was warmly received by
students and left with glowing praise for the behaviour, attitude and
ability of our students.
Science
Students had an amazing time in
Science during activity week.
Staff offered various activities involving
scientific studies to fun and curriculum
enrichment.
Our activities involved:
• Beach Ecology
• Aquarium Visit,
• Rock Climbing
• Football and Cricket Tournament
• Making Ice-cream
• Wildlife park
• Chemistry @ Work
• Medical visit
• Mountain Biking
• Ecology Walk
Thank you to all our staff and students
who took part in the activities!

Strictly Seaham
Today, Friday July 6th, TV star
Johnny Ball visited our school (much
to Mrs. Wicks’ excitement) to talk with
us about Maths. Afterwards, we went to lunch at the Seaton Lane Inn with
Johnny to ask a few questions about his career.
In the talk in school, we learned how easy maths can be, and how it can be
beneficial to our future. He talked about books he had
read, and how they had simplified maths considerably
instead of it being so confusing. The shocking part was
however, we learned that Johnny had only left school with
2 qualifications. This, he said, was proof that we don’t
have to leave school with lots of qualifications, as at our
ages we’re only just developing our personalities. This isn’t
to say that we shouldn’t try of course, but it just goes to
show that regardless of how badly you think you’re doing,
you can only get better with age so long as you try.
He had got a job after school despite his lack of qualifications
on the basis that he studied to take the exams again. At the
end of this he had good qualifications and had decided he
wanted to be a surveyor. This combined two of his favourite
subjects (maths and geography), whilst also offering him a
chance to get out into the real world. He constantly
reminded us how maths is all about the real world, not just
the ‘number crunching’ that we do inside of school. The
Egyptians, he went on to explain, had applied complex
maths in the building of their best pyramids, and even
fishermen use it to measure rope. Even in the smallest of
ways, maths can be used practically by using the human body, as is
shown in Da Vinci’s the ‘Vitruvian Man’.
It took us longer than expected to reach the Seaton Inn, as Johnny stopped to talk
to anyone, including visitors to the school from Barclays Bank, with whom he
struck up a conversation about his troubles banking with them! When we
eventually did arrive, we began to ask about the jobs Johnny had done before
hosting the game show ‘Think of a number’, for which he is most well known. He
worked for 3 years in the RAF, starting at age 18, which he enjoyed greatly. In this
time, he learned to play the drums, and auditioned for the RAF’s marching band.
His audition wowed the sergeants and he was accepted. He had a job in Butlins
too, before he later became a comedian, travelling the country and performing in
various clubs. After this, he became an actor, featuring in children’s programmes
and comedy shows several times before his big break on ‘Think of a number’. He
won 12 awards in all for his TV shows.
As conversation turned to more general chatter, he began to discuss how he
became famous and whether it’s worth chasing your dreams if you have a
particular talent. He said that, with fame, if ‘you’re talented, it will find you, if you
chase it, it will only break your heart.’ I think this is something we can learn from,
because pushing yourself too far is often worse than doing nothing at all. We
should all try our best, but not to the extent where we can’t cope with the
pressure.
On the whole, it was an inspiring morning and we all enjoyed our time with Johnny.
We all have something to take away from today, whether it is how useful maths is
in the real world, not to give up if things don’t go our way or that all of our teachers
seem to have a slightly unhealthy obsession with a 74 year old!
TECHNOLOGY
COLLEGES
Spinning the Disks
Spinning the disks went extremely well. It
was a great chance for pupils to see what a
DJ actually listens to when they hold their
headphones to their ears. A lot of pupils
were amazed on how much goes on, just
to change a song. I think a lot of pupils
would like to spend more time on the
decks; it is a skill which requires plenty of
practice.
Sweet making
What a hit! The pupils thoroughly enjoyed
making cake pops, marshmallow skewers,
chocolate bark and peppermint and
strawberry creams. Quite enough sugar for
one day! The staff were run off their feet but
would definitely do it all again.
Junk fashion
You wouldn’t believe what you can make with
some bubble wrap, a few bin bags and a sack
of old newspapers! Pupils really threw
themselves into this, producing hats, t shirts
and even evening dresses for Mrs O’Neill and
Miss Ord – who needs designer!
Barclays
We would like to say a big thank you to our
local Barclays staff who joined us on Friday
afternoon to get in involved in the Money Sense
programme. Pupils completed tasks and were
made aware of the important aspects of
managing their money. We are confident they
have been started on the right financial track.
CK21 and Nissan
On Wednesday afternoon we were joined by
two successful north east companies to advise
our year 9 red pathway pupils on career
options. John Nielson and Phillippa Webb gave
information on the construction industry and the
educational routes that could be followed, and
Ian Cooper talked of the maths that could be
involved in a job at Nissan. Pupils then spent
time constructing cranes made from potatoes,
straws, string and various other bits of material.
We were left with some very interesting
structures. I would like to thank both
companies for taking time out of their busy
schedules to support our careers programme.
page 17

page 18
TECHNOLOGY
FACULTY
Young Engineers
Caterpillar car plant picture
Commemorative Boxes
for Saudi visit
Young
Engineers
Our Young Engineers are all geared up to take the karts they
made to the Greenpower Electric Car race at Croft Circuit on
July 4th. They have made 2 kit cars, ably assisted by Mr. Dave
Miller, the engineer from NSK who has supported the club for a
few years now (recently NSK also provided some very smart pit
overalls). We wish them good luck!
Year 10 students visited the Caterpillar plant in Peterlee to take
part in a Simulated Work Environment, working and solving
problems on an assembly line. The same students are now
starting a project to help build a memory garden at Seaham Day
Centre along with Goundwork Trust.
All teachers in the Tech. Fac. Took part in the Summer Fair in
May, some running a crèche in the childcare room, some selling
Christmas decorations and some helping students to staff a
traditional high-class café in room x. Miss Nunn had organised
students to made a range of delicious scones and cakes to sell
whilst some younger girls sold jewellery they made in the
Wednesday Tech. after school club. A great time was had by all!
Also in May the school had some very prestigious visitors from
Saudi Arabia who came to visit the head and see how a good
school works in the UK. The DT department’s equipment was
used to make gifts for all 17 delegates who were delighted with
their tea chests. Miss Nunn and her catering students built on
the success of the fair by putting on cream teas for the visitors
who thoroughly enjoyed the traditional English treat, declaring
that this was the best school they had visited on their trip and
noting that our students smile a lot!
Year 11 have again surpassed themselves with the quality of
practical projects in Electronics, Graphics, Catering and Product
design. We look forward to them being rewarded with some
excellent results in August.
English Tea Café

Family
FUN DAY
On May 12th, we held our first ever Family Fun Day. The event was
organised by Friends of Seaham School (our Parent Teacher
Organisation) and all of our Faculties took part by running their own
stalls and activities. The aim of the day was to give the local
community an event that would appeal to all ages and luckily the sun
came out for the first time in a fortnight.
Toddlers and younger children were given the opportunity to decorate
cup cakes, work with clay, play on bouncy castles and drive mini gokarts.
Older children enjoyed activities organised by Mrs Haswell and the
Army Cadets, who arrived at school with a climbing wall and assault
course and also had fun on inflatable slides, a rodeo bull, gladiator ring
and fun house. For the adults there were stalls, cake decorating
demonstrations, courtesy of Mrs Turner-Wray, an art auction, plant
sale and nail-painting. It was certainly not a day for dieting with
candy-floss, Lickety Splits ice-creams and hot-dogs and burgers
sold by the school kitchens. Miss Nunn turned Room X into a
traditional cafe, selling homemade cakes, speciality coffees and
paninis. With bunting and decorations made by the Design
Technology Faculty it was lovely place to sit and take a break
from all the activities going on outside.
The day was a huge success and everyone enjoyed
themselves. Over £2000 was raised and funds will be
used to buy resources for students. We would like to
thank all local businesses who helped support the event
and a special thank-you to the members of Friends of
Seaham School who spent many hours planning and
organising the day. We hope that this will now be
annual event and look forward to seeing you next year.
Zip
Wear
TECHNOLOGY
COLLEGES
Saturday 21st April 8.30 I drove into my worst nightmare.
Driving past the coaches taking the supporters to Aston Villa
adorned in my Newcastle United strip I entered the Stadium
of Light Car park. The sight of a huge zip wire crossing the
Wear into the tall scaffold tower in the building yard awaited
me.
Dressed in a black and white Newcastle strip, black and
white cape yellow Newcastle shorts and green leggings, I
entered the stadium of which I was about to be thrown off
the roof !!!
Greeted by abuse from the stewards and stadium staff I
made my way to collect my harness… a piece of rope…
”that’s for you pet” was the comment, and the rope was
frayed.
I, along with Mrs Haswell was taking part in the first ever Zip
wire across the Wear in aid of St Benedict’s Hospice and SAFC
foundation. I was to be the second guinea pig and Mrs Haswell
the third in this new venture. All harnessed up, we finally climbed to
the top of the Stadium, the view across the city was breathtaking.
On arriving at the top, with my dodgy harness and frayed rope, (I’m
convinced Mrs Haswell’s harness was different to mine!!) I was
hoisted onto the wire.
Unable to touch the floor I dangled with legs in a running action and was
then pushed, with what seemed an excessive amount of force….and the
words “take that you Maggie” ringing in my ears down the zip wire.
Fantastic what an adrenaline rush, I dodged the object thrown from below
me as this proud Magpie flew over the Wear.
The experience was exhilarating and the support I received from pupils
from Seaham School and parents was amazing. Many of which came to
watch and record the event, (I believe secretly they were hoping the rope
would snap!!) The kindness from friends, staff and pupils from Seaham was
overwhelming and money is still being collect but so far a total of £400 has
been raised.
This experience has encouraged me to partake in another Zip line event;
this one is higher, faster and further and is at the beginning of July. This
charity zip will be in memory of a former Seaham pupil and parent James
Cook. The charity is Mesothelioma Cancer (asbestos related cancer)
Before this venture, along with 30 staff, dinner ladies from Seaham
School, we are taking part in the Race for Life in aid of Breast cancer.
Online donations to Seaham Strollers at
http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/seahamstrollers will be gratefully
received and cash donations accepted.
page 19

Our Partner School Headways
Student Profile Questions
page 20
Name: John Ibinson
Age: 18 Course: A levels
Campus: Bede/Headways
What were you doing before you came to
Sunderland College?
Studying GCSEs at Seaham School of
Technology
What made you choose the College (course
selection/facilities/reputation/staff etc).
Staff made me feel very welcome at interview, and they ran all the
course I wanted to do.
What were your ambitions before you joined Sunderland College?
Way not sure
Did you have any work experience in the area you were pursuing?
No
What have you really enjoyed about your time at the College?
(meeting great friends/getting the opportunity to try new
things/picking up a new hobby etc)?
Meeting new friends, striving to achieve, growing up/maturing
What are your plans after you finish your course (Further
study/dream job/promotion etc)?
Go to university to study Law
For you what is the best thing about Sunderland College?
Staff. Dedicated teams there to help you achieve the best you
possibly can
Name: Kate Ayre
Age: 16 Course: A Levels
Campus: Bede/Headways
What were you doing before you came to
Sunderland College?
Seaham School of Technology studying
GCSEs
What made you choose the College (course
selection/facilities/reputation/staff etc)?
I chose this college fpr the course selection and the reputation of
the college
What were your ambitions before you joined Sunderland College?
To go to college and university, achieving A levels and a degree in
Graphic Design
Did you have any work experience in the area you were pursuing?
No
What have you really enjoyed about your time at the College?
(meeting great friends/getting the opportunity to try new
things/picking up a new hobby etc)?
I have enjoyed the courses I have chosen and learning new skills
What are your plans after you finish your course (Further
study/dream job/promotion etc)?
I plan to go to college to study Graphic Design
For you what is the best thing about Sunderland College?
The facilities and the support from staff
Name: Chloe Rudkin
Age: 16 Course: A Levels
Campus: Bede/Headways
What were you doing before
you came to Sunderland
College?
Seaham School of Technology
studying GCSES
What made you choose the College (course
selection/facilities/reputation/staff etc)?
Short distance from home, good results
What were your ambitions before you joined
Sunderland College?
To attend college, followed by university and to
achieve good grades
Did you have any work experience in the area you
were pursuing?
No
What have you really enjoyed about your time at
the College? (meeting great friends/getting the
opportunity to try new things/picking up a new
hobby etc)?
Learning new information/techniques on my
course
What are your plans after you finish your course
(further study/dream job/promotion etc)?
Hopefully I will attend university to study textiles
For you what is the best thing about Sunderland
College?
Good facilities and helpful staff
studying GCSEs
Name: Alex Thomas
Age: 16 Course: A levels
(Mathematics, Physics,
Chemistry, Geography)
Campus: Bede/Headways
What were you doing before
you came to Sunderland
College?
Seaham School of Technology
What made you choose the College (course
selection/facilities/reputation/staff etc)?
Courses, Free bus
What were your ambitions before you joined
Sunderland College?
To gain A level qualifications to progress to
university
Did you have any work experience in the area you
were pursuing?
None
What have you really enjoyed about your time at
the College? (meeting great friends/getting the
opportunity to try new things/picking up a new
hobby etc)?
New friends
What are your plans after you finish your course
(Further study/dream job/promotion etc)?
University then job
For you what is the best thing about Sunderland
College?
Free bus

Literacy Visit
Readers score
top goals!
Reaching their goals of improving
their reading and developing their
sporting skills was on the minds of a
group of year 7 pupils who visited a
City of Sunderland Sixth Form
College. Situated on Durham Road,
the Headways campus was the
venue for a full morning of activities.
First on the itinerary was an
interesting tour of the busy Learning
Resource Centre. Our pupils were
impressed that you can grab a
snack in the new café whilst finishing
your homework! They also learned
that the LRC staff can assist
students with their reading and
research.
This year 7 group have been taking
part in the Premier Reading Stars
project which aims to encourage
young people to read for pleasure.
Top footballers have presented their
favourite reads as part of the football
lessons. It was no surprise then that
the next stop was a visit to the
nearby GOALS football centre.
Students from Seaham School who
have moved onto the college to
study English became reading
mentors for an enthusiastic reading
session. After a quick change it was
time for a lively coaching session
designed by PE students as part of
their course.
Pupils emailed their thanks for
an active morning to the
students and staff at Headways,
saying,
“We enjoyed the reading. And
we loved the football match!
Passing the ball was the best
part of the coaching.”
TECHNOLOGY
COLLEGES
Year 9 Trip to Russell
Group University
University of Edinburgh
under the Dux Award
Scheme 22nd June 2012
In June two of our Year 9
pupils were selected by the
Dux Awards Scheme to
visit a Russell Group
University of their choice as
recognition and reward for
outstanding performance across all subjects.
This scheme aims to encourage higher
aspirations with Amy Bleasdale and Georgina
Bailey more than able to meet the requirements.
Accompanied by Miss Evans the girls spent a day
at the University of Edinburgh attending talks,
demonstrations and being treated to an open top
bus tour of Edinburgh.On returning Georgina
remarked” The thing I liked about this trip was we
got to see and take part in lots of new exciting
things. We did have a dilemma the way home
with the trains though, but we got there
eventually”. A great day was had by all though
the rain, like with so many events this year, meant
a longer than expected journey home was helped
by a lively bunch of oil rig workers on their way
home keeping sprits upbeat.
Room X, What Next
Friday 11/05/12
A group of Key Stage 3 pupils have been
deciding what they would like to do with Room
X next. Researching and developing ideas to a
Design Brief set by Mr Shield and Christoph
Oschatz, the architect who has helped design
with the previous 3 rooms, the pupils have
made models to bring their ideas to life. This
morning they presented their models to Mr
Shield and Mr Oschatz and received an
excellent response. With a wealth of ideas
coming from all the pupils a mix of these will be
used to create a new
multi purpose room this
summer term, ready for
next year.
page 21

Summer Transition
The summer term in school
brings with it many changes,
as Year 11 leave we begin to
greet and welcome our new
Year 7 students. This can be a
very exciting but also very
worrying time for both parents
and pupils; therefore, at
Seaham School of Technology
we offer a range of Transition
activities throughout the year.
These activities allow students
and parents the opportunity to
learn about the school and
meet a range of staff to help
alleviate as many of the
worries and concerns they
may have.
Seaham School Race for Life
This event took place on 20th May at Herrington Park in
aid of Breast Cancer. Seaham School was represented by
a group of 30 staff, dinner ladies and friends who proudly
pounded the course under the name of Seaham Strollers.
The weather was fantastic; the event was awe inspiring
and the atmosphere electric.
Adorned with our Seaham strollers T-shirts bearing the
names of dearly departed loved ones whom we remember
with love and affection we all completed the course in high
spirits.
Alison Wicks was the first runner back for the strollers as
everyone waited at the finish line until our full group was
reunited.
We have surpassed the £1000 target which we set
ourselves, and are already looking forward to next years
event.Donations are greatly received if you would like to
make a donation visit our just giving Seaham strollers
website at www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/seahamstrollers
page 22
The Summer Transition
activities are the main
transition activities of the year,
over these weeks students are
invited to many different
activities. The first of these is a
cross-over piece of work
which is a day based around
the novel Room 13 written by
Robert Swindells. The day
consists of Drama, Music, D.T
and Beliefs and Values
departments collaborating on
a really interesting and exciting
day of tasks. Students make
finger puppets, perform
Gothic music, create T.V. news
bulletins and explore their
ideas about good and evil in
this stimulating day of lessons.
Master classes are also
offered to students in D.T, Art,
M.F.L, Media Studies and
I.C.T. Teachers offer a day of
lessons in these subjects
which help students take part
in curriculum areas they may
not be that familiar with and
also meet staff and work in a
different environment.
The Taster Day is a very
exciting day where students
have the opportunity to meet
all their future classmates and
participate in sample lessons
in a range of subjects. Again
this is the ideal opportunity for
students to meet their future
teachers and work in different
classrooms and laboratories.
Parents are not forgotten
during this very important
time. We offer various
meetings and information
evenings in formal and
informal settings to cater for
as many parents’ needs as we
can. Our Moving Up
Programme consists of a
range of meetings which are
very informal where parents
and students can meet
various staff members who
offer support and guidance in
school. The Year 6 Induction
Evening is also a very
important meeting which gives
parents lots of important
information which is vital to
their child’s smooth transition
from Primary to Secondary
School.
Overall we believe our
Transition Programme offers
pupils and parents, the
necessary information they
require to help students feel
confident, comfortable and
eager to join Seaham School
of Technology.
If you have any suggestions or
concerns please contact Mrs
Lowerson-Marshall Transition
and Induction Co-ordinator.

New Staff
MATHEMATICS NEWS
At the end of a busy year we interviewed the three new members of staff in the Maths
department to find out how their first year at Seaham had gone and to get to know them
a little better.
Mrs Cooper – “There are several things that are good about
this school but one of the obvious ones is fantastic children and
staff. It’s a really friendly and welcoming place to work. My high
points have been when my form won the best decorated
classroom for the Jubilee and seeing my year 9 students getting
excellent results in their mock exam. I’m really looking forward to
the results from the real exam that they sat in June”
Mrs Forster – “The best thing about this school is the fantastic
staff in the Maths department – they are friendly and helpful and all
work together as a team. Seaham is an organised and relaxed
place to work and it’s great that my efforts are appreciated by
other members of staff. My high points have been performing with
the ‘Glee rejects’ and my 9r1 pupils getting an outstanding
feedback for their work on trigonometry – I’m so proud of them!”
Mr Green – “I’ve loved my first year at Seaham – sometimes!
Everyday is different and the pupils always cheer me up. Seaham is
a nice community which caters for everyone. My high point has
been seeing the enthusiasm and passion that my year 7 class bring
to every lesson. I’m looking forward to getting my year 9 exam
results as I can’t wait to see their hard work pay off”
GCSE Results
The Maths staff would like to say a very big
well done to all the pupils who have worked
so hard this year to achieve some
outstanding results. Whilst we are waiting
for the results of the Summer exams for
some year 11 pupils we already have 64%
of Year 11 pupils with a grade C or more
which is our best results yet.
Year 9 and 10 pupils have also sat exams
this summer and we are looking forward to
some fantastic results. Well done and thank
you to all those pupils who displayed a
fantastic, hard working attitude both in class
and in revision sessions. We hope your
efforts bring you the results you deserve!
TECHNOLOGY
COLLEGES
Twitter: MathsPrincess
The Maths staff are beginning to move with the
times! This year Mrs Forster has had her very own
twitter account dedicated to helping and supporting you
in your Maths. ‘MathsPrincess’ currently has 82 followers
that regularly check in for Maths tips, advice and support.
This is also a great place where she can share the
fantastic work that some of her pupils produce. She is
your very own Maths agony aunt!
This has been so successful that the rest of the
department are joining soon so watch out for
Mrs Wicks@MathWonderwoman, Mr
Green@supermathsman, Mrs O’Neill@maths_angel, Mrs
Cooper@Mathsblackcat and many more!
Keep checking the displays in the Maths department and
we’ll keep you posted!
East Durham Maths Challenge
On 28th March Mr Green took eight year 11 pupils to East Durham College to
participate in a Maths challenge. We had two teams.
Team 1: Abbie Dodds, Jessica Kennedy, Aimee Palin, Jade Kennedy
Team 2: Beth Humphrey, Jack Patton, Alex Falconer, Gemma Temple
The day started pretty bad, as we were nearly sent home due to an electric
failure within the school. But problems were resolved and the Maths challenge
took place in one of brightly lit corridors, where we had to deal with a constant
high pitched alarm going off.
But the alarm didn’t put off our students; we competed in four different number
and problem solving competitions, then we had to design and build a crane.
Throughout the day our results were very high and our two teams were neck to
neck, but the last round announced victory to another school. However, our
school still managed to grab great results by finishing 2nd and 3rd in the Maths
Challenge.
Well Done
page 23

Creative Arts Faculty
Primary Transition workshop
The Art Department took part in the year 6 Transition taster days by delivering a workshop to Year 6
students where they were given the opportunity to experiment with a variety of materials and techniques to
help with their transition from KS2 to KS3 art and design. The students produced a large scale piece of
work based upon public art in the local area. This work was then displayed and exhibited at the year 6
moving up parents evening where lots of parents commented on how successful it was. The feedback
form Year 6 student’s was very positive and they were really excited about taking art in year 7 in
September.
CHANGE TO PE KIT
page 24
From September 2012 the PE department
will be amending the kit that students are to
wear for their PE lessons. The kit is to be
worn by all students, for all lessons, whether
they are practically taking part in the lesson or
are medically excused and taking part in the
lessons within other roles for their assessment.
All boys and girls from year 7 to year 11 will be
expected to wear the following kit for PE
lessons:
• A plain red polo neck t-shirt with the school
logo
• Plain black sports shorts
• Training shoes
Optional items:
• Plain black tracksuit bottoms
• A plain red round neck sweatshirt
Additional items required for selected
activities:
• Football boots for lessons taking place on
the school field
• Swimming trunks, shorts, costume and
t-shirt and a towel for swimming lessons
SPORTS TEAMS AND CLUBS
Rugby – after winning the East Durham Rugby Festival the Year 7
team progressed through to the regional competition at Ferryhill and
again came away as champions, meaning they progressed through
to the County Finals in Durham. They finished a very creditable 5th
overall which is a great achievement considering this is the first year
that Rugby has been covered in the curriculum. Well done boys.
94% of students
in Science
achieved 2 grade
C’s or better!
The summer term has seen pupils represent the school in the local
tennis, cricket, athletics and basketball leagues.
COUNTY DURHAM SCHOOL GAMES
Arran Green, Reece Marrin and Dugald Donachie, the 3 Year 10
GCSE PE students who are enrolled on the County Durham Sport
Leadership Academy volunteered their time and leadership
expertise at the Durham County Schools Games, which were held
on Monday 25th June at Maiden Castle. All 3 students were a
fantastic credit to the school and assisted staff with officiating,
coaching and organising duties during the day.
The school were also represented at the County School Games by
4 Year 9 students (Daniel Kelly, James Rochester, Laura Jorgenson
and Sophie Leng) who were taking part in the U15 mixed tennis
competition. They finished joint second overall in the competition
and played some great tennis
ACTIVITIES WEEK
The sports sessions put on by the PE department during activities
week proved to be really popular with the students and a great time
was had by all who took part. Pupils signed up for dodgeball, water
polo, softball, badminton, basketball, tennis and cricket, with some
students choosing to do three full days of sports!!
The Year 10 GCSE PE and BTEC Sport students were also
privileged to have an afternoon talk from Jimmy Montgomerie, who
kindly agreed to come into school to talk about his career. Thanks
again to Mr Pitt for organising this,
INTRA FAMILY SPORTS EVENTS
This year the Inter Family sports days took place for students in
years 7, 8 and 9. The competitions were planned, organised and
ran by the Year 10 BTEC Sport students as part of their course,
with students representing their family in softball, tennis, cricket or
basketball. The younger students had a brilliant time and were
appreciative of all the hard work done to run by event by the BTEC
students.

RSVP - Royal Seaham Variety
Performance, Summer Show
TECHNOLOGY
COLLEGES
The summer show was a fantastic evening, filled with talent from our students of Seaham School. The reports from parents, staff and
students were all extremely positive. The solo performances were breath-taking, the bands electrifying and the dancers energising. The
standard of performance continues to improve as does to range of talent.
The Christmas Show promises to be a real treat, remember to get your tickets early!
Below is the list of performers that helped to make the show a huge success.
Hayley O’Connor, Caitlin-Jade Kennedy, Georgina Bailey, Kimberley Dunn, Samantha Walker, Bethany
Gething, Courtney Knight, Jessica Smith, Rebecca Dobson, Madelaine Dickson, Shauni-Leigh
Greenwood, Sharnie Hogwood, Leah Cook, Katie Meir, Anna Dickinson,
Naomi Baker, Laura Dixon, Courtney Knight, Lisa Robson, Yasmin Brown,
Chantelle Roberts, Katelyn Ramshaw, Beth Richie, Georgina Percival, Shannon
Robson, Kyle Cassidy, Drew Laws, Bailey Hogwood, Ryan Thompson, Atrocity
and Forbidden Juice.
Manufacturing
Project
Year 11 BTEC students have
completed their project with
local company NSK Bearings.
NSK have selected work that
they would like to be
displayed at the plant and
chosen students will be given
an award.
The Yr 11 students that
were chosen to display
their work at NSK were
Lewis Aiken, Lewis
Mcdonald and
Rachel Dodds.
For the frst time
students in Seaham
achieved above the
national average in both
English and Maths.
Year 11 Exhibition
An Exhibition of KS4 work has been displayed in
the hall to celebrate the fantastic success and art
work of this year’s student’s. The Exhibition opened
on the night of the summer production to the public
and will be displayed for a short while. It has been a
huge success and students have really enjoyed the
opportunity to show case their work.
page 24

Newcastle
Baltic Arts visit
As part of activities week the Art department took students to the cultural
capital of the North East - Newcastle Upon Tyne. Here we visited
galleries and exhibition spaces such as the Northumbria University
Degree show. Our aim is to give students a cultural experience yet also an
insight into the standards of university students. This should open their
eyes as to what is expected at this level. Students photographed and
recorded work throughout the day to create a visual montage of the
experience. They also had the opportunity to be independent and
selective of other museums or places of interest to visit. The day is a
stepping stone for those with an interest or passion for visual arts,
allowing them to experience where art can take you in the world of work.
Calvert’s
Project
Year 7 students have been taking part in
a live project to design a sculpture that
will be chosen and made by a local
artist. This will then be situated on a
roundabout in the local area as public
art. A local company Calvert’s has
commissioned this live project and will
be paying an artist to create the chosen
design.
Olympic Torch comes
to Seaham School of
Technology
Pupils also had the
opportunity to get their
picture taken with the
Olympic torch, which was
carried as part of the relay
by Mr Laider’s father in
Stockton on Fathers Day.
page 26
Joint Art / MFL Paris
Visit
Students from year 8, 9
and 10 joined the
language team this
month encountering an
amazing cultural
experience in Paris.
Looking at Paris through
the eyes of an artist they
have soaked up the
structure and beauty of
the Eifel tower, the
stunning landscape of
the city at a smaller
scale. They have taken a visual adventure down the
champs Elysees, from the pattern and decoration of
the Arc de triumph to the colour and chaos of the
street, meeting along the way street artists and
performers.
They have photographed and recorded along route
through still and moving image the sights sound and
smells of a wonderful city. Taking inspiration from the
street artists of MonMartre, where every stall has a
different style of art and people sit as models to be
transformed into art. From this trip students have
brought back with them, not only the experience but
also leaflets, tickets, text and image that they can use
and transform into a personal creative portfolio.
Cycling Club
Students have been very keen to develop their cycling
skills on a Thursday after school. Pupils were provided
with all the necessary equipment including; mountain
bikes and safety equipment. The cycling club have
regularly braved the weather and cycled through some
fantastic puddles! Any student wanting to join the club
should see Mr. Judd or Mr. Blackman in September. A big
thank you to Alison Pattison for all of her support and
enthusiasm to make the club a success.

Tall ships
Monday
Monday what a day the first view of our home for the next week, in
Hartlepool Marina. We were introduced to the James Cook and the
crew including the skipper Grace, First Mate Ben, Boson Mark and
the volunteers, John and David. Our first taste for sailing was quite
rushed; we sailed out of the marina so we could catch the high tide
and then we could stay in the Fish Quay for as long as we wanted.
We really couldn’t believe we were helping to sail - we had NO
safety training at all at this point (that is if you don’t include the
lifejackets which didn’t make anyone feel any safer).
After we sailed, Grace started the proper safety drills, I really didn’t
think our sailing was THAT bad but maybe Grace thought
otherwise? We planned a night route for Scarborough. The night
watch was different and it was mainly filled with almost every one
being sick. I projectile- vomited all over Chelsea’s shoe; she was not
happy. Everyone felt horrible but I think Emma felt the worst, she
managed to sleep 5 ½ hours on a pile of rope on the freezing deck!
I really don’t know how she did it.
Tuesday
We had toast and muffins, at 4 in the morning after arriving in
Scarborough! After that it was sleep. A fishing boat pulled alongside
us while we were docking, it gave us lobsters! We were going to
have a BBQ that night so they were put on the menu but at this
point they were sitting in buckets of saltwater awaiting their doom.
That day we got free time in Scarborough. There was a lot of
arcades and fish shops so Marney, Miss Oxley, Jack D and I went
off in search of chips while everyone else went into the arcades.
When we came back after our free time we found out that Chelsea
had won 6 50p sweets, she spent £24 winning them! We all had to
admit it- Scarborough had beaten Chelsea. We set sail for Filey bay
we were very lucky there was plenty of wind and it was really sunny
it looked like we were going to have the BBQ but we changed our
minds, threw the lobsters back and agreed to have the BBQ the
next day. We anchored at Filey and set about doing anchor watch
which wasn’t as bad as the night sail the night before. Got a bit
rocky in the night so not much sleep!
Wednesday
We woke up early so we could sail to Whitby at half 6. It was a
good sailing day so we had the big sail up once we got to Whitby
we all enjoyed the precious hours of sleep we got and the shower
at the marina was I think well deserved. We learnt more about
sailing and we had a lot of free time so we all
went in search of the mythical beach which
as near where we docked, it was hard to
find the first time.
66% of students
achieved A*-C in
English - above the
National average.
TECHNOLOGY
COLLEGES
Thursday
It was very sunny on Thursday, we got to sunbathe on the beach in
Whitby, it was definitely a tourist magnet- there was donkeys on the
beach which was a dead giveaway. We also learnt rowing in the
small dingy called ‘little Jimmy’, we also learnt marine manners,
weather and fire safety.
We headed for Runswick Bay for our BBQ and the chance to jump
in, everyone was really excited but then the fog came… we couldn’t
see more than 20m in front of us and we also realised that at half 9
we would be starting our night sail in the fog, it really does play with
your head I thought I saw at least three ships.
Friday
Gladly we got back to Seaham, safely at 5:30 am. Seeing the
lighthouse and the harbour wall was a welcome sight through the
fog. After a few hours rest we cleaned the ship from top to bottom
and said our goodbyes. At 12 we were picked up by the teachers
(who did look a bit like the mafia!) and were taken to school to be
picked up by our parents. It was amazing on the boat I don’t think
anything can top those 5 days as part of the crew of the James
Cook!
By Amy Bleasdale
page 27

page 3
Seaham Vet visits pupils
On Thursday 21st June, pupils from year 7 and 8 Competency Curriculum were lucky enough to have a vet visit them.
They are studying the topic of Animals and all prepared questions to ask the vet. The local vet James and Diane came to
school with Milly the dog, Leo the lizard and Trevor the corn snake.
Pupils were shown x-rays taken of poorly animals and had to guess which animal it was and what the injury was. All pupils
joined in with the discussion and asked relevant and interesting questions. Then pupils met Leo and were told all about him
and how he has no bones because he doesn’t get calcium. Kelcy Atkinson was brave enough to volunteer to meet the
next guest and had to close her eyes and put out her hands. Next thing she knew Trevor the snake was on her and
crawling up her arm, the vet showed us some interesting tricks that it can do including wrapping itself round his arm and
dangling down.
Finally all pupils got to meet Milly who lives at Adopt a dog North East dog home with 47 other dogs. She was very friendly
and let all pupils stroke her.
Seaham School of Technology Burnhall Drive Seaham SR7 0EN
TECHNOLOGY
COLLEGES
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