Year 11 News - Chew Valley School

Last week’s Enrichment session included an
excellent informative presentation from Cecilia
Warren, from the Bristol Anti-Smoking group
‘GASP’. Thank you also to 7A for an excellent
assembly last week which helped raise awareness
of cancer and in particular of the Harvey Hext
appeal. We look forward to a fund raising event in
the New Year. Lastly, inspired by an assembly for
the School Council Amnesty group, Year 7s have
been collecting Christmas shoe boxes as part of the
Operation Christmas Child appeal. As the boxes
mounted up, the organisation and generosity was
clear – thank you! Merry Christmas Year 7
Maths Challenge News
On Wednesday 19th October Hal Kelly, Peter Miles,
Matthew Uppington and Fergus Bowen went to
Prior Park College in Bath to take part in the
regional intermediate team maths challenge. They
completed five tough rounds of maths questions,
working fantastically as a team to pool their talents.
They were competing against 11 teams from
around Bath, Somerset and Bristol and finished a
very respectable 5th, scoring the highest marks in
one of the rounds. They were a credit to the school.
On November 15 th four intrepid mathematicians
from Chew Valley School took part in the senior
maths team challenge at the University of the West
of England against teams from schools all around
the region. Cat Shaw, Louise Harrison, Ollie Vipond
and Jamie Braidley competed against 18 other
groups of sixth formers in a series of devilishly
complicated tests with a mathematical theme. They
finished a very creditable 7th, with a score of 115
out of 180 – the highest scoring comprehensive in
the region. Congratulations to all of them.
Also, in November, the individual senior maths
challenge saw 66 students from years 11, 12 and
13 sitting a multiple choice maths quiz. There were
16 Bronze prizes, 11 Silvers and once again Ollie
Vipond got a Gold and qualified for the next round,
the British Maths Olympiad, which is a national
event. Well done to all who took part.
Clothes Show
On the 5 th December KS4 and KS5 students went
to the Clothes Show in Birmingham - the UKs
largest fashion event with up to the minute fashion
brands and catwalk shows.
The trip was a great success with students getting
ideas and inspiration and sketching designs to help
with coursework. They visited the University and
College forum with over 35 institutions where they
could pick up a prospectus on courses available,
speak to students presently studying and see the
Graduate Catwalk of students work. There is also
the Snitch section, where students can find out and
see demonstrations of up to the minute textile
techniques. In the ‘hands on’ section you can try
and experiment with techniques and customise your
own clothes.
There was also plenty to see and buy, but the finale
of the trip was the Fashion Theatre Show. It has
the world’s largest catwalk with 40 models, over
350 outfits all based on a west end show. It was a
thrilling and exciting experience enjoyed by
everyone. A long, tiring day but well worth it!
Landscape Architect Angel Needed!
Parents may have noticed that the landscaping and
planting at the front entrance to Reception is
looking rather tired and uninspiring. Is there a
garden designer or landscape architect out there
who could provide the expertise to help us redesign
the main entrance to the school? The catch, of
course, is that the school has little budget for the
work. Is there a willing sponsor out there? Please
let Mr Mallett know if you can help!
Academy Status at Chew Valley?
At the annual parents’ meeting in November, a
parent asked the governors what their position was
on Chew Valley School becoming an Academy.
Governors felt it was important that our view about
Academies was shared widely with parents.
Essentially, we are unconvinced that the benefits
would outweigh the additional risk which Academies