Believe..... - Ripley St Thomas C of E High School

Believe.....
the news from Ripley St. Thomas January 2011
Success &
Celebrations
STARTING 2011 WITH A BANG!
Believe..... 1

welcome...
...to the first edition of our new–look newsletter ‘Believe.....’.
I am indebted to Tom Grattan, a member of our sixth form last year, and now
our Ripley scholar, for the more contemporary design. Tom has been doing
excellent work on publicity for us, including our website.
CONTENTS
4
5
6
Entrepreneurial Excellence
Miss Harrison writes about our
Young Entrepreneurs
Year 10 Successes
Pupils from Year 10 share their
year groups successes
Art Trip to London
Sixth Formers recently visited
London for inspiration
We are now well into a very busy term with the current examination period
stretching right through January this year. As you will be aware universities
are asking for ever higher grades and our young people are under
considerable pressure to achieve. They need a great deal of support and
encouragement.
Goodbye and good luck!
Two very long serving members of staff have said goodbye to Ripley and
moved to a new chapter in their lives.
Mrs Evans has been our SENCO for many years and I know that many
of you appreciate greatly what she has done for our young people with
learning difficulties. Mrs Evans has moved back to her Scottish roots on
the Island of Mull, where she reports she is greatly enjoying the peace and
calm and the beauty of nature, as well as being near her family. We wish
Mrs Evans much happiness in her new life.
Mrs Boustead, our Head of History, has taken early retirement after a long
period of ill health. Mrs Boustead has made a very significant contribution
to the success of our History Department over many years and a number
of pupils have been inspired through her teaching to study History at
University – and even to become History teachers. We wish Mrs Boustead
much improved health and a fulfilling retirement.
8
12
14
16
2
Science with a Bang!
Science Live to the Gold Crest -
it’s been a busy time for Science
The Arts
Our sustainable efforts continue
to grow around school
Sport
Bad weather has plagued
fixtures but our results shine
Sixth Form
All the news from our Sixth Form
Centre
Ripley St Thomas
Ashton Road
Lancaster
LA1 4RS
01524 64496
admin@ripley.lancs.sch.uk
www.ripley.lancs.sch.uk
Believe.....
Academy Update
Much progress has been made over the last few weeks; by the end of
December we had received consent from the four foundation bodies who are
required to give permission to proceed: The Ripley Trust, The Priory PCC,
St Thomas’s PCC and the Diocese. We are very grateful to each of these
bodies for calling extraordinary meetings to make sure we hit the necessary
deadlines. Our extensive consultation was completed on 16 December;
a report on the three replies received will be made to the Governors at the
next meeting and Governors will consider any issues raised. We made
an application to the Secretary of State in early January and he has last
week approved this and issued an Academy Order. This gives us the goahead
to progress towards Academy status. However, should it emerge at
any stage that moving to academy status is not in the best interests of the
school, we are able to withdraw our application. We are now in the process
of dealing with a range of issues and processes which need to be changed.
As far as parents, pupils and staff are concerned however there will be little
perceptible change at Ripley St Thomas from 1 April!
The Importance of Teaching
The Government’s White Paper, “The Importance of Teaching”, came out in
November. The paper has much to commend it, focusing on the centrality
of what happens in the classroom and the need to ensure teacher training
is of the highest quality. One of the major issues for us is the emergence of
the E-Bacc – the English Baccalaureate, an overarching qualification/award
for students achieving Grade C and above in English/Maths/Science/a
Language/Geography or History. For many schools this will mean
significant changes to their curriculum. At Ripley, all students already take
a language; the issue for us is around Geography and History. It would
seem likely that Higher Education institutions will start to use the E-Bacc
as an additional filter and therefore we will be advising year 9 students
“

wanting to progress to Higher Education to choose either
Geography or History as one of their options. We are
currently looking at our Curriculum Plan to see how we
might facilitate this without losing the breadth in our
curriculum that is so important for us. We believe that the
Arts and Technology in particular are vital to a rounded
education and we certainly do not want to see them slide
out of the curriculum!
Funding
Alongside the turbulence which will ensue from the
White Paper are many issues around funding. There
is of course no doubt that the momentum in funding will
be significantly downwards, as with the public sector in
general. We have been well funded particularly through
specialisms in recent years. Ring fenced specialist
funding has now come to an end. We have been told
that we should still receive funding but no longer have
to use it on specialisms; indeed, we no longer have to
function as a Language or Technology College. In a
new era of freedom we are able to define ourselves as a
school however we choose. Clearly we have much to
consider around this issue.
There is still much uncertainty around funding, not only
regarding specialisms but regarding sixth form funding
which is set to reduce to the level of funding given to FE
colleges.
However, we hope and believe that, with the move to
Academy Status, and with buoyant numbers, we will be
able to continue with our current provision and provide a
first rate curriculum for our young people.
The Year of the Bible
You may be aware that 2011 is the Year of the Bible,
celebrating 400 years since the production of the King
James Bible. We are celebrating this at Ripley through
having a Verse of the Week shared by either staff or
pupils, published on the plasma screens and in the pupil
and staff bulletins. This week’s verse, put forward by our
school Learning Resources Manager, Mrs Buckland, is:
“
love the Lord
your god with all
your heart
& love your neighbour
as yourself
Luke 10 v 27
“
What a great recipe for the world - God’s word remains
as powerful as ever!
“
thank you
for your support
& for sending us such
wonderful
young people
“
following their moving assembly on the subject they were
quite overwhelmed with the response from their fellow
students. Not only were they able to send huge quantities
of suitable clothing and toiletries but quite a number of
students signed up to regularly work with those who have
found themselves homeless.
In the lower school we had every sort of fund raising event
imaginable during charities week – I think the canteen
takings were well down that week, with alternative options
available – and not always healthy ones, I have to admit!
I think the hot chocolate milk shakes sold outside went
down particularly well in the freezing temperatures! Some
forms chose to run sporting events, others sold jewellery,
one tutor group made over £600 selling beautiful cards and
Christmas decorations made on our state of the art laser
cutters. And, of course we had the annual Tower Run now
in its 28th year where Mr Owen’s form run up to and down
from the Tower as many times as possible in an hour.. As
many of you will know it is quite a climb and the last set
of stairs are particularly steep! I understand the record is
83 – amazing! This year 7Owen raised almost £400 on this
event. So, plenty of successful and innovative enterprise
going on! Monies raised are shared between the
school charity and to charities voted for by pupils in each
year group which this year included; Cancer Research
UK, Make a Wish Foundation, Help the Heroes, NW Air
Ambulance and St John’s Hospice
I think we can say that Ripley plc is definitely in business.
Look out Alan Sugar – we have many budding Apprentices
here! The total for the week now stands at over £4000.
Well done to all!
Events
We look forward this week to our junior school production
“Greek Myths”, an ambitious reconstruction of some of
the world’s most ancient stories! The French exchange
departs this week and the Jazz Band embark on their tour
to South Africa just before half term, followed by a Ski Trip
to Italy over the half term break. Lots going on as ever at
Ripley! Please do keep logging onto the website for the
latest information.
Charity Week
Our Charities week, held just before Christmas, has
been a long tradition at Ripley and remains one of the
highlights of the year. The sixth form chose to focus on
the homeless shelter in Lancaster this year– and I think
Thank you all for your support and for sending us such
wonderful young people.
E Nicholls
Headteacher
Believe..... 3

Songs of Praise
I hope many of our parents saw Songs of Praise from
Lancaster on 23rd January; it was a real privilege for us to
ask to be involved. Pupils and staff really enjoyed the four
filming sessions and the programme gave a very positive
picture of Ripley, in particular of the farm and the issues
around sustainability.
If you missed the programme, go to our website and watch
the clip from our homepage.
Artists Visit London
On the 17th and 18th of November 2010 the Art Department
took some of the Year 12 and 13s to London. The emphasis
of the trip was to see a wide range of Art focusing in the
main on contemporary and current work. The pupils worked
in sketchbooks both on the train and while in the galleries
making notes and sketching work that interested them
We were privileged to see the Tate Modern, Kensington
Gardens (Serpentine Gallery has sculpture in the park),
Saatchi Gallery and finally before we went home the Tate
Britain where students were able to see the work of the
short listed artists for the Turner Prize. A small group went
to the National Portrait Gallery as the exhibition here was
of particular interest to them and connected well to their
studies.
One of the highlights of the trip was our trip to the theatre
to see ‘Wicked’. I am pleased to say we had excellent seats
near to the front and the show was more than we could have
hoped for, truly wonderful.
We arrived back in Lancaster enriched and exhausted in the
evening of the 18th November after a broken journey.
Students have been able to use their experience in London
to their advantage now that they are studying back in
school. References can be made to artists who previously
might have been unknown and work has developed with
understanding and knowledge.
4
Rosie Wood, Adam Briscoe and Sam Palmer
enjoying the trip to London
Believe.....
Mrs Thompson
Art Department
“
students
have been able to
use their experience to
their advantage
“

INTERNATIONAL
SCHOOL NEWS
Careers Evening
We held our inaugural Careers Information Evening this term where 30
employers both local and national kindly gave up an evening to provide
impartial advice and guidance to our Year 9, 10 and 11 pupils in our
Sixth Form Centre.
Feedback on the evening was extremely positive from pupils, parents
and employers which supported the need for such an evening in these
challenging times. On behalf of the school, I would like to thank once
again all the employers listed below, for offering their time and support
to our young people.
• Scott and Wilkinson Chartered Accountants
• Norbreck Genetics - Agriculture
• James Willoughby - Arboriculture
• Mason Gillibrand Architects
• Army
• Lancaster Training Services Automotive Apprenticeship
• British Telecommunications
• Bowker Ltd Electrical Engineering Contractors
• Edf Energy Heysham Power Station
• Jo and Cass Hairdressing
• English Lakes Hotel – Lancaster House Hotel
• Richard Prescott IT Support and Consultancy
• Lancaster Guardian
• Lancashire Constabulary
• The Centre for Medical Education at Lancaster University
• Nazareth House Day Nursery
• North Lancashire NHS Trust
• Hannah Ballard – Occupational Therapist
• Mark Leather Physiotherapy
• Rogerson Homeserve Ltd
• BHS
• Old Holly Farm
• Oglethorpe, Sturton and Gillibrand
• Maja Möller Paediatric Speech and Language Therapist
• University of Cumbria
• Farm Gate Veterinary Services Ltd
• Bay Vets and Young People’s Services.
We are looking to hold a similar event next year. If you feel you would be
able to assist on the evening by offering presentations or a stand please
contact Mrs Burr- burrr@ripley.lancs.sch.uk
Mrs Burr
Assistant Pastoral Manager/ Careers
The Spring Term will be a very busy one on
the international field. Our Jazz Band will
be going to Cape Town to perform a series
of concerts and visit our partner school
Holy Cross Convent High from 16-28
February. During their time in Cape Town
they will have an organised programme
of the usual tourist attractions; Robin
Island, Table Mountain, Cape Point etc. In
addition they will participate in workshops
in our partner school, They will experience
the full range of South African culture and
we are very grateful to the British Council
for funding this activity.
“
experience
a full range of
south african
culture
In March we have two groups participating
in Comenius project meetings. A group
of Year 12 students will go to Steinhagen
in Germany from 16-21 March. The
meeting will also be attended by students
from Cyprus and Spain. Each group
will give presentations of the work they
have produced for the project and then
participate in joint workshops. There will
also be a full cultural programme during
our stay. The following week a group
of Year 10 students will participate in a
similar meeting in Loreto, Italy. This will
also be attended by students from Spain,
Germany, Slovakia and Slovenia.
Finally the day after we return from Italy
we will be hosting a group of students
from Holy Cross Convent High in Cape
Town. They will be in Lancaster from 30
March to 10 April when they will transfer
to London for a couple of days sightseeing
before returning home on 12 April. During
their time in Lancaster they will have a
full cultural programme and spend time in
school in a range of lessons. This will be
a chance of a lifetime opportunity for the
students from Holy Cross to experience a
totally different culture and level of freedom
than they are used to at home.
Mrs Lowe
International School Co-Ordinator
“
Believe..... 5

Celebrating Year 10 Su
In Year 10 we have a clear focus in celebrating pupil
success and achievement both inside and outside of
Ripley. The Success Committee have played a huge
part in recording the success of our pupils and helping to
deliver our celebration assembly in which everyone was
rewarded with sweets, Vivo’s and vouchers. We will be
holding our second celebration assembly in next half term
so please continue to encourage your child to inform us of
what they do.
Members of the Committee have written the following
articles and taken the photographs to share with you the
success of the Year group.
Mr Cowper & Miss Luszczak
Year 10 Progress Leaders
At Ripley we believe that we should acknowledge
achievements and talents in and out of school. Emma
Hutchinson, Chantelle Ecob, Lorna Burton, Eleanor Nelson
and Molly Semple have received honours in their dance
exam. Becky Wilson and Mia Wilkinson also performed for
Ludas in a Christmas dance performance.
In keeping with the theme of sport Shannon Davey and
Cathy Park have been accepted into the Lancaster Ladies
Hockey Team, whilst Shona Barnish and Jess Pearson
have volunteered for sport outside of school.
“
pupils
have achieved
outstanding
achievements
in & out of school
Rachel Ritchie entered into the English School Swimming
Association Nationals, and received third place in the
one hundred metre breaststroke. She also entered into
Manchester short course open water championship and
came in third place. Rachel is also in the England Talent
Programme for swimming.
James Nelson has been awarded with his grade one
in power boating and has participated in the guilding
foundation course. Bethany Hay is part of the Lancashire
hockey team, alongside Emma Peill who is also part of the
Lancaster and Morcambe athletics sprint squad. Michael
Lynn has achieved his bronze D of E award.
6
Believe.....
“
Jack Sharples has received his sailing qualifications
whilst Ellie Bayton, Hannah Blamire and May Jarvis
have been recognised for their rowing achievements.
Becky Maddox has also been recognised for her
achievements in Jujitsu. Chloe Watson entered into
the North West Rowing Trials, and Lauren Sharkey has
participated in the youth games. Sophie Ingram has
received Grade 4 in Modern Dance and Ballet.
We also have a lot of musical talent; Sophie Ingram
has received Grade 6 in Piano whilst Josh Liley has
received Grade 1 in Trombone and David Lowe has
achieved Grade 5 Violin. Shannon Greenwood also
achieved Grade 1 in Flute.
Maddie Camp received her first aid badge and Matthew
Alpin was selected for the world scout jamboree in
Sweden 2011.
Our Year 10 Talent also stretches to famous
appearances, including David Lowe, who appeared on
the BBC Television series Waterloo Road, whilst Daniel
Blundell starred in a Grand Theatre production and
Rachael Platt performed in Snow White in the Grand
Theatre.
Our school charity is very important to us and Aaron
Ward raised £150! Well done to all!
Chanel Brown
Year 10 Student
Thank You!
A big THANK YOU to those parents who turned out for
the recent Year 8 Consultation Evening - the turnout
was over 90%.
Mrs Appleyard
Year 8 Progress Leader

uccesses
Chaplaincy News
Great news on raising funds for our school charity the
Funzibodo Trust, supporting the health and wellbeing of
the people of Funzi and Bodo in Kenya:
Christmas Carol Service Collection £311.50
Sixth Form Charity Week £320
EnerCities Winners
At the end of last term some of the Year 10 pupils took
part in and won the EnerCities challenge at Lancaster
University. The team beat a lot of strong competition
including LGGS, Central, and Lancaster and Morecambe
College. The team won over £1000 worth of renewable
energy educational kit! The pupils who took part were
Alex Chippendale, Amanda Lund, Brandon Clarke
(who got the highest score of the day), Adam Long,
Richard Cardwell, Jack Walker, John Fishwick, Mitchell
McClements, Dom Robinson and Gareth Pearson. Well
done!
December Clothes Mountain £295
Spend a Penny for Funzi Toilet £200
The clothes mountain continues, so if you have any old
clothes, shoes, bags, belts, bedding, soft toys, curtains,
towels in any condition – drop them into chapel,
chaplaincy or at reception.
We recently placed a toilet near the entrance of the
Chaplaincy to collect small change and named the
campaign ‘Spend a Penny for Funzi!” It has been a huge
successes and raised a massive amount, showing how
small change can make a big difference!
Huge thanks to everyone who contributed to the last
clothes mountain, carol service collection, charities
week and the toilet!
Suzanne
Chaplain
Spelling Bee
Year 10 Successes
Lauren Sharkey, Paige Clinton, Rachel Ritchie and
Becky Townend have also competed in the Divisional
Team Relays Swimming Competition and won.
Aside from sport, these pupils have received academic
achievements to be celebrated: Matthew Heath and Joe
Gray both received English grade A’s, Luca Cusimano
got an A in RE, and Bethan O’Brien and Naomi Ford
received A*. Also Laura Woodhouse is currently singing
in the worship group, and Sarah Myerscough made a
fantastic contribution towards the Operation Christmas
Child shoebox appeal.
Emma Bateman
Year 10 Student
Following Ripley’s inaugural entrance into The Times
Spelling Bee competition last year, we will again be
entering a Year 7 team into this year’s championships.
A regional heat against schools in the North-west
will occur on May 21st. Education Secretary Michael
Gove has admitted he is ‘a huge fan of this compelling
competition’ and team organiser and general
cheerleader Mr Gillett is hoping for a t-r-e-m-e-n-d-ou-s
result!
Mr Gillett
English Department
Believe..... 7

Science with a BA
With a new GCSE Science course
starting and many extra-curricular
activities, it has been a hectic year so
far for the Science Team.
Following on from previous events we
have successfully re-visited CERN
(at the same time as the first lead
ion collisions) and the Rock Doctor
blasted out string theory from his
guitar on his annual visit. Battling
along the M62 Year 10 attended the
‘Science live lectures’ at Leeds which
was really stimulating.
CERN 2010
Could you imagine a place where the conditions of the early universe are
recreated and the laws that govern the world around are investigated and,
amazingly, even the floor changes colour when cosmic rays interact with
it?
We have maintained our links with
Heysham Power Station and they are
generously sponsoring the Gold Crest
Awards projects with year 12.
2011 will see the return of the ‘Man
in the Shed’ Year 11, and we have
planned a creepy crawly day for Year
7, Being 747 Evolution show and
more.
Mr Mumford
Head of Science
Luckily for the A and AS level physics classes we don’t have to imagine the
place where the world’s leading particle research takes place anymore as,
thanks to the physics teachers, we travelled to CERN at the beginning of
November. If there is one word that sums it up, it would be ‘inspirational’,
as not only did it allow us to learn more about the fascinating methods of
investigating the enigma that is particle physics, including how the subatomic
particles are accelerated, how to control particles that are moving
so close to the speed of light and, in turn, how to analyse the results
that these experiments produce; but also, we learned of the great minds
that had made great discoveries and breakthroughs at CERN. These
advances include the World Wide Web in a project called ENQUIRE,
the development of the world’s largest particle accelerator the LHC and
recently, when we were there in fact, the collision of lead ions which has
brought new understanding of matter as it would have existed in the first
moments after the Big Bang.
8
Students enjoying interactive
displays at CERN
Believe.....
In addition to the physics, this trip also offered an opportunity to explore and
experience the culture and differences of being in a foreign country. This
entailed having to try to speak French when buying supplies (chocolate
mostly) and (never having an aptitude for foreign languages) I admit it
was a struggle but I’m glad this was a fundamental part of the trip as I had
certainly improved by the end. We were also taken to Chamonix where we
took a cable car up one of the mountains and the only way of describing
the sights would be spectacular, whether it was the towering forests or
the colossal mountains, everywhere I looked there was mind blowing
sceneries that, I have to say, were so remarkable and phenomenal I doubt
the sight of them will ever leave me.
All in all, Geneva was everything I hoped it could be – I learned all I could
about particle physics in the time we had there and visited exceptional
places. Also I, as I’m sure everyone else who visited CERN in November
does, feel closer to the science we study in our A levels and want to pursue
in later life and I can only extend my thanks to the teachers who went out
of their way to take us to such an incredible place
Harry Waring
Year 12

ANG!
GOLD CREST
The AS Gold Crest projects this year are:
1. To build a self contained solar powered
ultra violet water filter for use after
natural disasters. This project is in
partnership with Pump International Ltd.
Students with Dr Mark Lewney - ‘The Rock Doctor’ that
recently visited Ripley
SCIENCE LIVE
On the arrival of our trip to Science Live, we found Andrea Sella
demonstrating chemistry in a series of colourful and dramatic
chemical reactions. After this, biologist Steve Jones talked about
genetics and evaluation, a topic we are currently covering at Ripley!
Then there was an expert in nuclear fusion, Dr Kate Lancaster, who
talked about renewable energy and showed pictures of a huge particle
accelerator! Professor Jim Al-Khalili also talked about space and time
travel. The talk concluded with an I.T. scientist, Professor Dave Cliff,
who discussed robots and the future.
I think everyone would agree that the talks were really interesting!
However, the most memorable part of the trip had to be our epic six
hour journey home in the snow, after the motorway closed!
Beth Hadley
Year 10
2. To determine the viability of changing
from electric heating to a biomass
boiler heating system and identify a
sustainable fuel source to make a
carbon neutral heating system. This
project is in partnership with University
Hospitals of Morecambe Bay - NHS
Foundation Trust and is based in
Kendal.
3. To investigate the application of L.E.D
or induction lighting systems fit for a
hospital environment. This project is in
partnership with University Hospitals
of Morecambe Bay - NHS Foundation
Trust and based at Lancaster Royal
Infirmary.
Group 1 have successfully been awarded
a partnership grant of £300 from the Royal
Society to help in the development of the
solar powered ultra violet water filter.
Group 2 have had a successful visit to
Westmorland general hospital in Kendal and
are currently trying to source a renewable
supply of wood chips for a biomass boiler.
Group 3 are visiting Royal Lancaster
Infirmary later on this month.
“
develop our
as students
for the
world beyond
“
These exciting projects will hopefully help
to develop our AS students for the world
beyond Ripley. Any parents who have
knowledge or expertise in the above areas
and would like to be involved can contact
Mr Menadue menadued@ripley.lancs.
sch.uk
Mr Mendaue
Science Department
Students that visited Science Live
Believe..... 9

Living Roof
Our living roof is complete... but not yet
living! So, we have a… roof. It’s a start
though! We are waiting for the weather
to improve before the Renewable
Ripley Club plants the roof with sedum
and other plants. A viewing platform is
under construction and our water runoff
and temperature sensors are being
installed.
Work on our insect habitat has also
been slow during the poor weather,
but Mr Huddleston (our Technology
Technician) is helping to complete the
frame and shelving we need. Both
projects should be complete by the
end of the academic year. Watch this
space!
Sustainability
Week
The week from 29th November – 3rd December saw our first ever
Sustainability Week with activities during breaks and lunchtimes for
all years. We had facts about climate change scrolling on the school
screensavers (which appear on every computer in school) to spark
debate. We had a mini EnerCities (online sustainability computer game)
competition within school, as well as a short film competition, organized by
Mr Gillett, with some fantastic entries!
The real focus of this week, however, was Year 8 pupils. They were taught
an element of sustainability in many lessons including:
• Making newspaper masks in Art
• Turning old fabric into new in Textiles
• Learning about where wood, metal and plastic come from and where
they go when we have finished with them in Technology
• Creating sustainability posters and learning new vocabulary in Modern
Foreign Languages
• Thinking about sustainable issues in Citizenship
• Learning about sustainability from a Geography perspective
A short questionnaire was given to pupils after the event. Encouragingly,
the majority of pupils felt that they had a better understanding of sustainable
issues. 75% said they changed their habits, such as turning off lights and
recycling more.
I think we can conclude that the week was a success and well worth
including in next year’s diary. We have managed to raise awareness
amongst our young people. Thanks to all those who put time and effort
into making the week what it was.
Renewable Ripley Day
“
WE HAVE
MANAGED TO
RAISE
AWARENESS
OUR YOUNG PEOPLE
10
Our Living Roof
“
Believe.....
We also managed to raise the awareness of our wider community with
the Renewable Ripley Fair on Saturday 4th December, which was very
well attended. We had numerous local voluntary groups and some
green businesses demonstrating the work they do, alongside games,
competitions and activities run by our own pupils. A dedicated team of
Sixth form students organized much of the day. These students also
helped to run many of the stalls. The Renewable Ripley Club members
were also on hand to give out information, sell programs and help out on
the huge Bring and Buy stall.
We attracted hundreds of local people to the event, who enjoyed the day
and our free-range barbecue. The Raffle was extremely popular with some
fantastic prizes donated from local businesses (many worth over £50).
Altogether we raised around £1,200 for the Renewable Ripley Fund, so
that we may continue our work, making our school more sustainable.

PGCE
You may or may not be aware that We
run a Design & Technology PGCE (Post
Graduate Certificate in Education) here
at Ripley. This is the only one of its kind
in the whole country, but something the
government are very keen to replicate.
Our current ‘Placement A’ student, Miss
Pattinson has recently been completing
part of her Masters level assignment
researching sustainable issues in Design
and Technology and has taught a lesson
based on sustainable packaging. The
lesson went very well and the results of a
short questionnaire will form part of Miss
Pattinson’s research paper.
Recycling
Our hard work with recycling continues!
Paper and cardboard are now routinely
recycled and it is common to see pupils
crossing the school grounds to collect
paper from designated areas during form
time. New bins were introduced during
Sustainability Week for the recycling
of bottles and cans. We have been
overwhelmed by the response, expecting
pupils to throw half-eaten sandwiches
and other waste in these bins. Not a bit of
it - the bins are respectfully used and fill
up very fast. We have more bins on order
to collect from more areas, including the
Sports Hall.
Our latest venture is the collection of
batteries and recycling of print cartridges.
Please do not throw these items in the
bin – evil chemicals leach out of them
and end up in our eco-system and water
supply. We now have facilities to collect
these within school, before removal by a
certified waste management firm. Please
send yours from home to be disposed of
properly!
We are still collecting clean 2 litre pop
bottles to create a new greenhouse on
the farm! We have hundreds, and have
started processing them, but we need
1,500 to produce a greenhouse of a
usable size. Please keep sending them
in!
Entrepreneurial
Excellence
A group of Year 10 Business Studies students have had the opportunity
of becoming members of Young Enterprise. This is a programme which
is designed to aid students understanding and knowledge of how a
business develops an idea and turns it into a successful business
venture.
As part of this programme the students are producing a product from
scratch to target students from the age of 12-19 within school but with
a twist!
The product the students are designing is a cookbook which they have
designed and produced by them to encourage young people to cook,
it will include easy to follow steps and some extra additional features
(which are being kept as an element of surprise!)
The students have been working very hard since September on the
product. One of their main tasks was to carry out research; they
constructed a questionnaire for students to complete so they could test
the likely demand of the product. From feedback gained within school
the results were extremely positive, particularly with lower school such
as Years 7 and 8, and as such the students have decided to start
working on their product.
This is very exciting for the students as they are getting the
opportunity to act as a real business, in which they all have roles and
responsibilities, from managing director to company secretary. This is
an excellent experience for the students as they are benefiting from
real life scenarios; for example, taking note of minutes of meetings,
arranging appointments to discuss sponsorship, fund-raising and
budgeting for the business.
The main idea behind producing a cookbook is to allow students to
become more independent and ready for life at university, college,
employment but as well as this is to have some memorabilia from their
days at Ripley. The students found throughout their research that the
rate of obesity is increasing year on year and therefore encouraged
the students to produce a cookbook to persuade students of all ages
to start cooking healthier food.
In order to make this product a success we are working with other
departments such as Food Technology, Design and Technology and IT.
Currently the students are working extremely hard. You will be hearing
from the Young Enterprise team as enterprising cookbooks will be
coming to you very soon!
Miss Harrison
Business Department
Mr Macbeth
Sustainability Co-ordinator
Believe..... 11

“
brilliant
talent
on display
by pupils at ripley
“
the
A Level Performing Arts Showcase 2011
The new A-Level Performing Arts course will be hosting a
special performance event on Thursday 17 February as
part of their coursework. The event; ‘Battle of the ‘60’s’,
takes its influence from the women’s rights movement in
America during the 1960’s and uses the Rolling Stones
and Christopher Bruce’s famous collaboration – Rooster,
as it’s main influence. The students will be presenting
a range of Dance, Drama and Music performances –
rehearsals are shaping up nicely and it really does look
to be a brilliant night in the making. There may even be a
few special guests performing alongside the sixth formers
as well! Tickets are now on sale for £3 from main school
reception.
KS3 Production
This year the Drama, Dance & Music departments are
proud to present ‘An Evening of Greek Myths and Legends
– Madness, Mythology and Mayhem’. There have been
well over 100 pupils working on a series of Greek stories,
ranging from Pandora’s Box to Orpheus & Eurydice. The
performances are on at 7pm from Wednesday 26 to Friday
28 January, and will once again be performed in the School
Hall.
Pupils from Years 7, 8 and 9 were invited to take part in
the event, similar to last year, and we are thrilled that the
number has almost doubled from last year! Mr Burgess
and Mr Rafferty have been directing 4 pieces of Drama,
and Mr Hate has been choreographing the Dance with a
cast of over 40 dancers.
We are also pleased to announce that music for the event
has been created by sixth form student Lily Whitfield.
This year will yet again showcase the broad range of
fantastic talent and skills of Ripley pupils in the Arts. The
performances take place on Wednesday 26, Thursday 27
12
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arts
at Ripley St. Thomas
and Friday 28 January, with tickets now on sale from the
school office at only £4 each!
All teachers have praised the pupils taking part for their hard
work during rehearsals in readiness for the performances.
Get your
tickets for
performances
now!
to their devoted followers! Our pupils are eagerly awaiting
a supportive audience so, for those with a passing interest
in the arts and the connoisseurs of the performance world,
this is a free event on Monday 7 th February after school
(exact time yet to be confirmed) in the main school hall.
Dance Department News
Happy New Year and welcome once again to the Dance
Department’s news and events. Dance Clubs continue to
thrive and develop every week here at Ripley, with some
very exciting news for 2011. For those who may wish to
join a Dance Club, here is a reminder of what’s on:
Monday
GCSE Support & Technique development 3.15 - 4.45
Wednesday
Boys Urban Dance 3.15 - 4.30
Thursday
Ripley Youth Dance (KS4/5) 3.15 - 4.45
Friday
KS3 Dance 3.15 - 4.45
National Youth Dance Festival 2011
Youth Dance England (part of the Arts Council England)
runs an annual showcase of dance for young people all
across the country. The Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal
will be hosting our regions festival, with a whole week
of performances by youth dance companies and school
groups. Ripley has been very lucky as 2 of our new
groups have been successful in applying to perform in the
even. Ripley Youth Dance will be performing on Thursday
31 March, showcasing a highly technical and lyrical piece
of contemporary dance set to the music by composer Andy
Garbi. Boys Urban have also been selected to perform
on Friday 1 April, and will be going under the new name
of Insomnia! The piece has been co-created by Anthony
Jolleys and Inigo Bruce (Year 11), with a cast ranging from
Yr.7’s and up. The piece will feature on the Boys Sport
Moves event, highlighting the fantastic talent of all male
dance groups in the region. We are all delighted by the
news of both groups being accepted in to the festival, and
I can’t wait to showcase the brilliant talent on display by
pupils at Ripley!
There are a variety of playwrights on show, from Lee Hall to
Jim Cartwright and a multiplicity of styles from gritty drama
to physical theatre, not forgetting of course the plethora of
talent on show! Who knows, you may be the first to see
the next Colin Firth…perhaps!?
This is an exam performance and whilst an audience is
very welcome, exam conditions will be in place.
“
praised pupils
for their
hard work
during rehearsals
Music News
“
The Jazz Band, now officially known as The Rip-Roarers
have been in fine fettle, and their newly produced CD has
been selling very well indeed. They have made a healthy
profit from sales, and the money will be put to good use in
kitting them out with music and equipment for their concert
tour to Cape Town this coming half term.
We currently have 118 pupils receiving instrumental
teaching in school, and this number is growing each term.
GCSE Drama Performances
As part of the GCSE specification, pupils have to direct,
produce and perform both a scripted and devised piece of
theatre to a live audience. Well, the pupils involved have
been rehearsing their scripted pieces for some time now,
both during lessons and almost every night each week, and
the time has now come to showcase these performances
Congratulations to Daniel Mawson and Sophie Flint who
both performed fantastically well to pass Grade 8 with
distinction on Jazz Saxophone with the Trinity Board.
Mr Richmond & Miss Robertson
Music Department
Believe..... 13

sport Sport
At Ripley St. Thomas
Rain…Snow…Wind…Ice…Rain….
Repeat! A similar pattern from
October half term onwards meant
that the fixtures and practices have
been disrupted due to the adverse
weather condition. Fixtures resume
again this week and can all be found
on the school website.
Mr Quarry
Subject Leader, P.E
“
Ripley
performed
extremely
well
“
Sports Leaders Award
The PE department recently offered Year 9 the opportunity to apply to be
part of the Ripley Sports Leaders Award, our new in-house award based on
the Junior Sports Leaders Award.
The two term course, which starts at the end of January is aimed at those
who wish to develop their sports leadership skills and encompasses areas
such as ‘Health and Fitness’, ‘Fair Play in Sport’, and ‘Decision Making
through Officiating’, as well as organisational and communication skills.
There was a fantastic response with 52 students filling in application forms
eager to take part. Benefits include:
• A fun and practical course that focuses on leading rather than technical
ability.
• Potential stepping stone into employment, further education or training.
• A good foundation to progress onto other Sports Leaders UK awards or
qualifications, and/or a National Governing Body award.
• Develops generic leadership skills that will be vital in other areas of life.
• Allows those who are not sports superstars to take a full and active role
in sport and physical activity.
• Increased self-confidence that comes through taking responsibility for
own and others learning and enjoyment
Mr Edwards our School Sport Co-ordinator will deliver the practical sessions
and Mrs Pearson will deliver the classroom sessions in one of their single
periods of PE during the week.
Boys Sport
Following a successful first half term
and the inclement weather conditions,
much of the rugby in the second half
term was restricted to cup matches
and competitions in which Ripley
performed extremely well.
In the Lancashire Cup competitions,
the u13s lost a close first round game
12-7 against Hutton Grammar and
entered into the Plate competition as
a result. At the Quarter Final stage
of the competition, they overcame a
long journey to Liverpool College and
dominated a one sided game winning
17-5. They now face a semi final trip to
either Manchester Grammar School
or St Mary’s College, Liverpool for a
place in the final.
At the same stage of the u14
competition, Ripley entertain Birkdale
college for a place in the semi final,
while the u16 will take on the winners
of Cowley College and St Edwards.
The u15, still in the main cup
competition entertained Merchant
Taylor at Lancaster & Morecambe
College and despite being 14-0 down
at half time, eventually lost 36-0 with
a spirited Quarter Final performance.
In the Lancashire football cup
competitions, last years runners up,
the u15’s went out at the third round
stage after camping the second half
in St. Bede’s half of the pitch and
eventually drawing 1-1 and losing 5-3
on penalties.
Congratulations to the Year 10/11
badminton team of Oliver Ras, Kane
Harding, Thomas Entwisle and
Muhammad Afif Nizam who won the
district championships and qualified
for the Lancashire Badminton
Championship finals in February
Good luck!
14
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Girls Sport
Despite the freezing cold conditions the u14 and u16 team took part in the
District hockey competitions with the u14s losing narrowly to LGGS and
Heysham and drawing with Carnforth. The u16s beat Carnforth 8-0 and
followed up with a 2-0 victory over Heysham High. In the final game of the
competition, a well earned 2-0 win over LGGS saw Ripley become the u16
District Champions.
Following on from our successful Holland Hockey Tour in 2009 we are
again taking a touring party in October half term of 2011. There are spaces
available if anyone would like to join us. We are looking for sponsorship so
any offers would be greatly appreciated - further details from Mrs Pearson
via email: pearsonc@ripley.lancs.sch.uk
Ripley girls have continued to make good progress in the District football
league. Due to the competitive number of players interested in girl’s football,
The u13 squad have had the luxury of rotating players to allow as many girls
as possible to play competitive fixtures, gaining valuable experience.
In the Lancashire Cup, the u14s convincingly defeated Our Lady’s Preston
7-1 and now progress into the quarter finals in the next few weeks. The U16s
defeated Montgomery High School from Blackpool 4-1 and then went on to
beat St Bede’s, Ormskirk 7-1 in the Quarter Final.
Congratulations to the Year 9 badminton team of Laura Atkinson, Georgia
Noakes, Ellie Walton and Ellie Friel who defeated Heysham to qualify for
the Lancashire Badminton Championships in January. The Year 11 team of
Louise and Josephine Saul, Chloe Webster and Emily Ledward who after
defeating Heysham and Our Lady’s, go on to defend the Lancashire title
won last year, this will take place in February.
As ever we have a busy term ahead, my thanks to Mrs Curran, Miss
Luszczak, Mrs Bray and Mrs Ritchie for their continued hard work with all of
our teams
Rowing club continues on Monday evenings after school on the indoor rowing
machines. We have a new coach, Sarah, helped by our young Leaders who
are working towards gaining technical experience for outings on the river in
the forthcoming months.
Hula Hooping Hit!
This term, the Year 10 and Year 11
girls have had the opportunity to
experience an alternative form of
physical activity in Ultimate Hula’. The
activity sessions have been taken
up by 120 girls and are proving a
popular choice. As well as being a fun,
enjoyable and challenging activity,
Ultimate Hula, delivered by Laura
McConville of Ultimate Fitness works
on the principle of strengthening
and stabilising the core muscles and
improving your balance, co-ordination
and fitness levels.
Sporting
Stars
Year 7
Olivia Clinton (Modern Biathlon)
Qualified for semi finals of
British Schools Modern Biathlon
Championship
Year 9
Zak Lamb (Water Polo) England
Talent Squad selection Trials
Molly Dixon (Water Polo) Great
Britain Development Squad
Lorrie Doze (Football) England u16
Football team
u14 Girls Badminton Team Qualified
for Lancashire Finals
Year 10
Paige Clinton (Modern Biathlon)
Qualified for semi finals of British
Schools Modern Pentathlon
Championship
Rachel Ritchie (Swimming)
3rd Place, English Schools
National Swimming Championships
(Breastroke)
Year 11
Ryan Croasdale (Football) Preston
North End YTS Academy
u16 Medley Girls Swimming Relay
Team Qualified for National Relay
Finals
u16 Girls Badminton Team Qualified
for Lancashire Finals
u16 Boys Badminton Team Qualified
for Lancashire Finals
Sixth Form
Oliver Carter and Matthew
Rogerson (Rugby) Lancashire u18
Squad & NW Regional Trials
Congratulations to all
Believe..... 15

Sixth Form News
Leadership Teams in the Sixth Form have made a
significant impact this year. Teams have led worship
and assemblies within the sixth form centre and worked
together on key fund-raising events, such as Children in
Need, when they raised £500 in one day.
For the Christmas Charities, the sixth form chose to
support LDHAS, which provides services for the homeless
at Edward Street and the Christmas Shelter sited at St.
Thomas’ Church. Students in year 12 tutorials had the
privilege of listening to organisers and recipients from
LDHAS. We collected many parcels of warm clothing,
tea/coffee/sugar, toiletries and laundry materials to
help maintain services over the Christmas period – and
beyond. More importantly, students some volunteered to
give their time to help regularly [and/or over Christmas]
with the Shelter. At lunchtime on the final day, the Senior
Student team staged VI:P [sixth form performance] which
provided a talented finale to 2010 and a focus to add
some extra money to the school’s charity, the Funzibodo
Trust. Our thanks go to Luke Satterthwaite [Head Boy],
Rosie Wood [Head Girl], Amy Blanthorn-Hazell and Simon
Saunders [Mentoring Team], Daniel Mawson and Charlotte
Doze [Duty Team], Emily Burr, Frank Longdon and Tom
Saul [Friends’ Liaison Team] and Chloe Hilton [Learning
Support Team] for their leadership this term.
This year has also seen the emergence of a Debating
Society within the sixth form. After the first lunchtime
debate held in the Phythian Hall, the year 13 tutor groups
went into competition with a series of lunchtime topics,
providing both entertainment as well as ‘food for thought’.
Thanks go to Mrs. Plowright, who leads the Debating
Society and Mr. Cree, who is responsible for sixth form
enrichment.
This term we have held our first ASPIRE assembly.
ASPIRE is the sixth form’s scheme to recognise student
achievement [Attendance, Success, Progress, Initiative,
Relationships, Endeavour] and we were able to celebrate
the many names who featured in one or more categories.
Thanks go to Mrs. Cryan for her work on this scheme and
to Tom Grattan for his design support.
UCAS Conference
We shall be attending the North West’s UCAS Conference
on the 30th March for the afternoon session. All year
12 students will make the journey to Charnock Richard,
this year’s venue, to visit stands held by universities, the
construction and other industries, the public services, in
addition to student and employment advisory groups.
Specific details will be communicated to parents as soon
as we receive them.This year, over 140 students have
applied for university, with some also making applications
for apprenticeships.
OPEN EVENING
THURSDAY 3 FEBRUARY 2011
5.00 - 8.30 PM
Year 11 pupils and their parents are invited to this event,
which will involve ‘drop-in’ sessions on the full range of
subjects on offer at Ripley. Designed to provide time and
opportunities to browse several subjects, the evening
will also include two key speeches, with video: at 6.00
[especially for those new to the school, including curriculum
information] and at 8.20 [especially for Ripley students].
For those coming straight from work, refreshments will be
available from Hatch VI, the sixth form’s dining area. The
programme for the evening is now available on the school
website to allow time to plan the evening. Application
forms will be distributed on the Open Evening and also
available on-line after that date.
Mrs Garnett
Head of Sixth Form
16
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