83 November 2004 - The Best Yet!! - Greenhead College

With a 99.5% pass rate and 69.3% of grades at A and B this year’s A-level results were the best ever, putting Greenhead firmly
at the top of the Guardian and Independent’s college performance tables.
Once again it put us near the top of the lists for ‘all-comers’ too, amongst the best state and independent grammars, regardless
of entry criteria.
These are fantastic results – well done to the staff and students involved. What makes us especially happy is not just the
‘raw’ excellence of the results, but the performance of candidates who would have struggled to get access to A-level education in
many places. It is easy to predict that students who came to Greenhead boasting at least half their GCSE grades at A* would
achieve 99% grade As at A-level (which is what our students actually achieved) on the other hand schools and colleges where
candidates who came with an average of a grade B in each of their GCSEs achieved between them more than 50% of their A-
level grades at A and B – like students did here last summer – are truly exceptional. For many institutions this is the ‘cut-off’
point for entry to A-level courses.
Two candidates passed six A-levels – Stephanie
Illingworth with six grade A’s was featured nationally.
Clare Harrisson, a Historian (now on a gap in
Peru), got 100% in all six units, an unprecedented
feat which also received national attention, and she
has been awarded a prize by the Royal Historical
Society. Chris Black, a musician who won a Guardian/BBC
young composer competition while at college,
was top A-level chemist in the country and the
Royal Society of Chemistry will be giving him a
prize for this. Greenhead students got top results in
several other subjects too.
Each year these successes delight and worry one
person in equal measure – the Principal! The success
of so many is a great joy, but the Governors expect
better results every year…
Beacon College Award
A renewed honour! At a recent Awards Ceremony Greenhead College was granted Learning and Skills Council Beacon Status –
we are now one of a small number of colleges to be honoured this way.
You might already have seen on our letters a ‘Beacon Colleges’ logo. The accolade was bestowed on us by the FEFC
(Further Education Funding Council) together with the DfES (Department for Education and Science) five years ago. However,
as the FEFC ceased to exist in 2002 this title was a little out of date.
At the end of September we received a letter from the new Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, Kim Howells, confirming
that we are again a Beacon College, this time recommended by the LSC (Learning and Skills Council)
who replaced the FEFC! This is awarded for our “excellent inspection” and because we are “top performers”.
The Award was presented by the Minister at a ceremony in London on October 12 th , to which the Principal,
the Chair of Governors, a member of staff and two students were invited.
There is a ‘cash’ prize as well as the right to display a badge of our status, but we do have to earn it too.
The college will be running three conferences in the coming year to explain to teachers and lecturers
from around the country how we have helped ourselves in attaining the highest standards in teaching
and learning.
MR

Dear Parents and Students
Fantastic results: well done to last year’s second years who did themselves proud in the summer. They did make life easier for us:
we are still striving to achieve the perfect 100%, but we had relatively few problems with students missing out on a first or second
choice university place or the qualifications necessary for their chosen job. Thanks to all – exams officers, invigilators, support
staff, teachers, parents etc – who help with this massive enterprise every year. All fears about the disruption caused by being
inspected mid-year have been trumped!
What about the future? Last year’s leavers set our current second years a challenge. I believe they will meet it with flying
colours – the AS results last summer were outstanding with A and B grades up by 4% from 53 to 57%. Since most students have
dropped their fourth – and often weakest – subject this will go up noticeably when A-level results come out next summer. The pass
rate increased from 94% to 95% as well, so even by ‘standing still’ they should do even better!
The new first years are settling very well: teachers are reporting excellent commitment, and you have been using the extended
library and new ‘reading room’ very sensibly.
For all students we are getting into the hardest part of the year: short days, dark nights and (for second years) the prospect of
A-level units and AS resits after Christmas. Get some relaxation: parents can help by offering encouragement and the best possible
study conditions at home. Don’t miss out on the laughter and exercise – these things will keep you in balance and help you get most
out of study – and life! Also on a second year’s mind will be job and university applications: UCAS forms are now urgent – if there
are problems or worries, the Personal Tutor is the one to contact.
All the best to everyone, looking forward to another year of exceptional successes,
Yours sincerely
Dates for your diary
NOVEMBER
Mon 1 College opens
Half Term 2 Enrichment courses begin
Wed 3 BMAT, LNAT and HAT exams (am)
Thu 4 Student Council Meeting,
Adult Carol Rehearsal 7.00pm
Fri 5 Final day for Subject Monitoring and entering
Progress Grades. Haydn Wood Music Competition
Sat 6 Haydn Wood Music Competition
Tue 9 Oxbridge Mock Interviews 6.00pm-10.00pm
Wed 17 PAWS applications returned
Thu 18 AS/A2 Parents Evening A - G, from 6.00pm
Fri 19 Charity Day
Sun 21 A2 Geology Field Course in Lake District (until 24 th )
Tue 23 AS/A2 Parents Evening H - O, from 6.00pm
Sun 28 Rehearsal – ‘Grease’
Mon 29 AS/A2 Parents Evening P - Z, from 6.00 pm
Collection of items for hampers begins
DECEMBER
Fri 3 Technical Adjustments for ‘Grease’ (Evening)
Adult Carol Rehearsal 7.00pm
Sat 4 Final Technical Adjustments for ‘Grease’
Sun 5 Dress Rehearsal – ‘Grease’
Mon 6 Governors Meeting 4.30pm
Tue 7 College Production: ‘Grease’
Wed 8 College Production: ‘Grease’
Thu 9 College Production: ‘Grease’, Student Council Meeting
Fri 10 College Production: ‘Grease’
Tue 14 Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, Holy Trinity
Church
Thu 16 Student Council Day
Old Students’ Reunion and Prize Giving
Carol Singing for Charity in town at lunchtime
Tues 21 College closes
The Good Person of Szechwan
They don’t do things by halves in the Drama Department!
Barely a couple of weeks into a new academic year and what
did they manage this time?
Well, they not only edited and adapted the complexities of
Brecht’s script themselves, condensing and reducing it to focus
sharply on the profound question of whether goodness can
survive the imperatives of existence on earth, but they did so
with characteristic brio and verve. The world of the play extended
beyond the auditorium itself, spilling over into corridors,
welcoming and leading the audience into an imaginatively-used
space where visual theatricality was balanced by
verbal intensity and narrative pace. Alison Moore’s wonderfully
resonant voice lent gravitas to her twin characters; the
Gods had great presence and were surrounded by a versatile
cast who took on multiple roles effortlessly. Let it be hastily
added that none of these performances would be possible
without the efforts of the whole ensemble, the team, living out
of the Brechtian notion that “everyone needs help from everyone”
- and possibly answering the very question posed by the
play in the process of dramatising it.
Thanks to Liz Bowen and the whole group!! AO
The Gods
deliberate
about the
‘goodness’
within Szechwan.
Left to right:
Liz Orr,
Scarlett
Maguire,
Natalie Heppenstall.

Project &
Workshadowing
g c
21-25 June 2004
Projects Update: This year there were 343 students involved in projects running in PaWs week, continuing to increase the number
of projects on offer. The choice of project also continued to vary. New project choices included Leadership & Management Skills
led by Lt Steve Conneely from the Royal Navy, and DNA Techniques organised in conjunction with Bradford University.
Work Shadowing Placement Update: A grand total of 556 student placements operated this year which was an upward trend from
the previous year when 476 students were placed. A new development involved 18 students being placed in London: ten ‘capital’
student placements were arranged directly by the college. Carol Hibbert (London Placement Supervisor) accompanied the student
party down for the week. Accommodation was provided for the group in the University College London (UCL) Halls of Residence.
An international dimension to work shadowing reached Besançon in France. Seven students were accompanied by Avril Looseley
and Professor David Looseley from the Leeds University French Department. Elaine Maynard organised placements in Unna, Germany.
The items below are a snapshot of the positive staff and student experiences encountered across the week.
PaWS
Bretton Sculpture Park
by Anne Credland (Project Supervisor)
The park plays host to people who have a diverse range of interests
and ages from career minded to casual aesthetics, from
primary to retired; they all work under the guidance of three
professional artists.
In June this year a group of 19 Greenhead College students
completed their projects and work shadowing experiences
there. Many of them were extending their art studies from college
and enjoyed the tour of art work on display in the grounds
of the old mansion.
The artists Gary, Jayne and Linda gave them insights into
the lives of the artists whose work is on display, the times they
lived and worked in (1960 – 2004), and how their sculpture
was influenced by their environment. A favourite was the Barbara
Hepworth Family of Man; a series of nine pieces that is
displayed on a gently sloping hillside where they stand among
beech and fir from another age. Hepworth was the subject of
Jayne’s thesis for her Art degree and she spoke particularly
knowledgably about the work. Back in the studio our young
artists were encouraged to create their own sculptures to reflect
their feelings and understanding of the world around them. In
small groups they collaborated to design, produce maquettes
and create their final pieces, which were entitled: Monkey
Man, Rose and
Barbs (pictured) and
Reaching Hands.
Student views of the
week included: “I
gained a new aspect
to my work,” “The
teaching was topnotch,”
“I enjoyed
the freedom and
relaxed approach of the course” and “It should be longer, more
hours in the day.” If you would like to see their works they are
displayed in the grounds of the education centre and will be
there throughout the summer and autumn.
Guardian Angels
by Cory Hazelhurst
In June 2004, Matt Keighley, Laura Summers and I spent
two days of our Work Shadowing week with Martin Wainwright,
the Northern Editor for The Guardian. In those two
days we travelled the North in search of news. The stories
ranged from nationally significant issues, such as the suspension
of Humberside’s chief constable, David Westmoor; to
local events like the Pontefract Liquorice Festival. Our article
about the festival appeared on the newspaper’s website. Martin
was supportive, generous and helpful, and ensured that the trip
was an invaluable insight into the life of a journalist.
Work Shadowing Week
by Sophie Parker
During Work Shadowing week I visited Mytholmroyd, near
Hebden Bridge, and spent my time with the Reverend James
Allison. Although primarily a vicar, Mr Allison fills various
other positions including that of the Mayor of Hebden Royd, a
youth and community worker, the president of a local charity
organisation and of a children’s storyteller. I don’t think I
could possibly have asked for a better placement. My most
challenging day was Wednesday, a day mainly fuelled by an
Arts Festival event. After conducting a short storytelling assembly
at a local school, we travelled back to Mytholmroyd to
prepare for the Arts Festival event, a visit from a small group
of Tibetan Monks
who were due to
take part in a
schools workshop
in the afternoon,
and a performance
in the evening.
Fortunately, everything
was done in
time, all ran
smoothly, and the
Monks were intriguing to watch and to listen to both for the
children in the workshop and the adults in the evening. A thoroughly
worthwhile and satisfying week!
Stop Press: The Huddersfield Examiner
by Mark Hollingworth
As an aspiring journalist I was delighted to be informed that I’d
be shadowing print journalists for a week at The Huddersfield
Examiner. A large section of my week was spent shadowing
reporters, inside the newsroom and out on various jobs. I was
lucky enough to observe the full reporting process. The placement
served as a brilliant overview of working life within the
field I wish to pursue, confirming my ambition to be a reporter.
Mark working on a
press release at The
Huddersfield Examiner
PaWS week 2005 will be held between 20th-24th June 2005.
Please contact Claire Barnes on 01484 422032 ext 281 or
cbarnes@greenhead.ac.uk if you can offer a placement.

News of People and Events
The Best Ball To Date: Pictured below are some of the
students who attended the Leavers’ Ball on June 4 th 2004. This
very successful event was attended by 370 students who were
provided with a very enjoyable meal. Two jazz bands, three
magicians, a caricaturist and a performance artist provided a
diverse programme of entertainment, alongside a disco. Thanks
and appreciation should be extended to The Ball Committee.
Photograph
courtesy of
John Woods
Photography
“What’s Ahead?” A seminar for A1 students
“What’s Ahead?” was a question posed to Greenhead A1
students on Friday 18 th June, 2004. Fortunately, answers were
offered by a range of speakers. Seminar choices were diverse,
ranging from Looking For A Job led by Tony Sturdy from
Huddersfield New College to Taking A Year Out in which Will
Moolman focused on the Eco Africa Experience. Students were
offered a choice of three different sessions in which they could
ponder how to develop their training and academic careers
beyond Greenhead. The editor sat in on the Leadership &
Management Skills seminar led by Lieutenant Steve Coneely
from the Royal Navy. This was a lively dynamic session in
which students discussed what constituted great leadership and
debated the merits of historical and contemporary leaders. The
tutorial follow up session allowed students to reflect on and
evaluate the seminar. Highlights included Surviving Group
Interviews delivered by Hazel Manley from IBM which was
dubbed as being an “excellent” experience. Similarly, John
Garside from the University of Engineering offered a
stimulating session: “The engineering speaker was brilliant, a
thoroughly entertaining chap.”
A Student View by Munaza Rafiq: The “What’s Ahead?” day
was a great opportunity for people to get a feel of what skills
and experiences could be gained from going to university.
Conferences such as Leadership Skills, presented by two Navy
officers allowed people to think quickly and work with groups
of people they had only just met. Most conferences throughout
the day were equipped with useful information to help A2’s
smoothly on their way through university interviews or even
consider wider options available to them.
Trip to Alton Towers:
At 7.00am on Thursday
2nd September 2004, 14
coaches set off for Alton
Towers with
approximately two-thirds
of the new A1 students
for a fun-packed day of
thrills and spills! On
Day 3 of the academic
year, this was a great way for the new students to get to know
each other. The trip was a great success and thanks must go to
the Senior Students for organising this event.
New Faces
Not like Jail:
by Vicky Broughton and Danielle Boothroyd
Peter Edwards, a Liverpool-born Modern
History teacher, has had his temporary
contract with Greenhead College renewed
for another year. Previously the Deputy
Education Manager at Wakefield Prison,
where he worked for nine years, Peter
decided he wanted a change of scene. He
explains it was a positive “culture shock”
when he began to teach at Greenhead in
that the college is “a more liberal” environment. Growing up
in a family with a keen awareness of History, his interest in
it was sparked at an early age, inspiring him to study it at
Leeds University. Here he gained an impressive set of qualifications—a
BA, an MA, a PHD and a PGCE. He pursues a
wide variety of other interests outside of work including
running, climbing, walking and listening to a broad range of
music as well as playing bass guitar in a jazz duet himself.
Peter has no specific professional ambitions beyond his wish
to “harness his potential for professional development”. Life
at Greenhead must be almost perfect then, if driving here in
a company car is the only thing Peter thinks it lacks!
Organic Lessons on the Timetable?
by Michael Greenfield and Tasbiah Akhtar
From the other side of the Pennines
comes the Geography department’s
(nearly) new signing, Michaela Barraclough,
a face some students may recognise
from last year. The Manchester University
Geography graduate, who grew up
in Liverpool, previously taught at North
Chadderton School and is with us for only
a year teaching part-time due to the demands
of her three young children. She feels that she can
make more of a difference as a teacher than she did previously
as a social worker engaging the “injustices and inequalities
in the world.” When not canoeing in Canada with
her partner, Michaela enjoys growing her own organic food
and is about to become (in her words) “an allotment lady!”
With an admiration for Nelson Mandela, she also remarks
that if she could change today’s society in any way, she
would “make people recycle and care more about the environment.”
Maths is Fun with Mr Lumb!
by Stephanie Stephenson
Stephen Lumb may be a new teacher, but
I already knew this name, and so chose to
interview him. This isn’t because I have
maths lessons with him, (I can’t do maths,
and never will be able to), but because I’d
heard friends tell of their incredibly funny
maths teacher—Mr Lumb. Is this possible—a
teacher who can make maths fun?
Mr Lumb has a degree in Maths and has
been Head of Maths at two other schools. He says that he is
loving Greenhead as “the staff and students are great”,
which is always good to hear. Mr Lumb should be popular
with the students too; his favourite kind of music is fast and
noisy—including Offspring. He also enjoys playing football,
cycling and skiing. The hobbies don’t stop there though: he
used to be in a male choir and likes acting in musicals. In
the future Mr Lumb would like to “stay healthy and ski a
lot”, and—not forgetting the important stuff—not to frighten
the kids away from maths.

London Law Trip
by Katherine Dukes & Melanie Briggs
Six o’clock in the morning on Thursday 23 rd September 2004
and 54 bleary eyed Law students gathered outside Greenhead
College gates in order to embark on what was to be a fun filled
(yet educational!) trip to London. Six and half hours later we
arrived outside Imperial College halls of residence. After a quick
break for lunch we were off again. This time the trip was considerably
shorter thanks to the convenience of the London underground,
and in no time at all we arrived at the Old Bailey. After
stringent security checks we were ushered into Court Room
number 13.
“Covering a 5.25 acre site and using 35 million bricks, is the
vast Royal Courts of Justice, impressive with its Victorian
Gothic exterior, the Law Courts house the Supreme Court of
Justice for England and Wales, where major civil cases are
tried.” This was to be the next thing on the agenda for Thursday,
and impressed we all were.
After a good night’s sleep we all woke up bright eyed and
bushy tailed
with a trip to
the Houses of
Parliament on
the agenda.
This consisted
of an hour
long guided
tour showing
us both the
House of
Lords and the
House of
Commons
with an animated tour guide providing us with a detailed explanation
of what goes on there.
A big thank you to Kate Martindale for organising the trip
and to Neil and Martin for accompanying us.
New Work With New Eyes:
A public realm for a private view
The Art show provided an opportunity for AS & A-level students
to display their work. It was also an opportunity for visitors to
view the new accommodation. As the Art team state “Our wonderful
new working environment has without doubt enhanced the
teaching and learning experience in this department.” Work was
varied with a strong sense of forward thinking and creative approaches
to conceptual Art and Design. A department philosophy
is to examine ideas anew: “As in science, artists must develop
new ways forward. In its nature art is about invention. At the start
of a new century we need to look at where we are now by learning
from the past and paving the way for the future. We cannot
stand still…”
“Studying Art at Greenhead has been the most amazing experience
for me, mostly because the character of the course encourages
the students to go beyond the bounds of viewing it as
just an A-level. For many people it becomes a way of life, and for
the most part, I’ve been less bothered about the grade and more
worried about whether my work has any real value. The exhibition
is the climax of the course. John and Annie put so much effort
into making sure first that each student has the type of space
most suited to their work, then that each set of work is presented
to an absolute professional standard.” by Rhianna Laurie
Chemistry News
Schools Analyst Competition
A team of three Greenhead students was selected from our
region for the National Final of the Schools Analyst Competition
held at Liverpool University. They were: (pictured left
to right) Alex Budds, Patrick Conaghan and Mohammed
Ajmal.
15 teams from all over the
UK participated in the
event which was sponsored
by United Utilities.
Their task was to analyse
laundry detergents using a
range of analytical techniques.
After an enjoyable
and challenging day in the laboratories they were awarded
runners-up prizes. Congratulations on their achievement.
Exam Successes
Christopher Black is the first Greenhead student to gain
full marks (600/600) in the A-level Salters Chemistry exam.
Emma Laithwaite also gained the joint second highest
mark in her Advanced Biology exam. Christopher, Emma &
Dr Mary Barber will be attending an Awards Ceremony at
Salter’s Hall in London on 9 December. Well done on a
brilliant achievement!
Seven students were successful in the very demanding
Advanced Extension Award. Matthew Spencer and Elizabeth
Durkin were awarded distinctions, and James Asquith,
Kirsty Roberts, Sonya Pemberton, Elizabeth
Scully and Christopher Black were awarded merits. An
excellent achievement all round.
MBA
Debating Society
by Sophie Wood
Deciding the topics:
Meeting for the first time this year, on Monday 20 th September,
the college Debating Society got straight down to business.
After some deliberation between teams of four, the
group came up with 30 or so topics to choose from. We then
had a vote to determine the order that these debate topics
would run in. Popular topics were reflective of current issues
such as Immigration and Asylum, EU Membership and
the Euro and Positive Discrimination.
Any Questions:
This meeting saw four teachers from different departments
take to the hot seat to answer questions put to them by members
of the debate team. John Greenaway-Jones, Philip Bartlett,
Kate Martindale and Peter Gordziejko faced thoughtprovoking
questions one after another on a range of topics.
Immigration and Asylum:
The first debate given by students was held during lunchtime
on Monday 4 th October. The motion was “there should
be tighter controls on immigration and asylum into the UK.”
Speakers for this motion were Joe Carr as main speaker
and Matthew Schreibke as seconding the motion. James
Butterworth was the main speaker opposing this motion
backed up by Iona Davis second speaker against this proposal.
After a mixture of views put across by the floor, including
raising issues to do with other European countries
like France and Germany and their similar problems with
immigration, the motion was put to the vote. It was passed:
21 were for tighter controls on UK immigration. Eight voted
against the motion and five abstained from voting. The Debating
Society meets every Monday at 12:35pm in D17.

SPORTS REPORTS
Football
We had the usual large number
of students attending the trials
making initial team selections as
difficult as usual. However, the
1 st X1 made a promising start,
drawing the local derby with
New College 2-2 before
beginning the North West
Colleges campaign with a
resounding 4-1 victory against
Salford. We will be further
strengthened when last year’s
top scorer Mike Crosse returns
f r o m i n j u r y .
RF
The 2 nd X1 made a good start
to the season, winning 5-3
against New College and then 6-
0 against Salford which included
a spectacular goal from his own
penalty area by goalkeeper Tim
Stephenson. The first away
game of the season was against
Holy Cross College Bury, which
was lost 3-2 after missing two
penalties, including one with the
last kick of the match.
MT
The 3 rd X1 are competing in
the Yorkshire Schools’ Merit
League and have made a
promising start with victories
over New College (1-0) and
Fulneck School (7-2).
Unfortunately they then suffered
their first loss (3-4) in a closely
fought fixture at home to
Oakbank School, Keighley.
MPi
Rugby
The rugby league team started
the season in fine style by
winning the Student Rugby
League Yorkshire nine-a-side
Championship. The traditionally
strong Wilberforce College from
Hull were beaten 20-4 in the
group stages with an outstanding
team performance especially
from new captain Danny
Garside. In the Final, Joe
Flaherty inspired Greenhead to
an emphatic 28-8 win over
Wakefield with a fine try.
The first league game of the
season was won by 40-14 over
Carmel College, St Helens, with
three tries on debut for Neil
Saul. Although this win was
impressive there will be difficult
times ahead for the RL team
who, by virtue of their success,
are losing players to the
professional Huddersfield Giants
club making them unavailable
for the student competition.
CA
Duke of Edinburgh Day
by Adila Gowa
A day not to be forgotten by many was 18 th September. I had
not known what to expect, neither did I fully know what I was
to do. Blindfolded I turned up at Crowden, where the one day
Duke of Edinburgh expedition was to be held. Nerves shaking
and teeth chattering the seven people in my group set off into
the dark, wild woodland.
I really did not want to go. I am not an outdoor person. I
hate spiders. The thought of the muddy, bad weather, spoiling
my clothes and straight hair was terrifying. Why was I doing
this? The day turned out to be like an episode of Indiana
Jones. I have to say the fun part of the day was actually falling
over. The number of times people had to be saved from
the fast, sucking bogs was uncountable.
By the end of the day everybody was aching and tired but
we all came back with an unusual experience. We had learnt
outdoor skills, how to navigate using maps, as well as how to
meet new people and enjoy the scenic areas. I must admit that
I enjoyed the day and surprisingly want to go again!
Young People’s Award Presentation
On Tuesday 28 th September 2004, the Greenhead Duke of
Edinburgh unit was presented with Gold Awards. The presentation
was made at Huddersfield Town Hall and made by the
Worshipful the Mayor of Kirklees Cllr Mary Harkin. Congratulations
to all involved on this achievement.
The Greenhead Christmas Musical
GREASE
by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey
is being performed on
7th, 8th, 9th and 10th December 2004
Greenhead News
Published twice termly by
Greenhead College, Greenhead Road, Huddersfield. HD1 4ES
Tel: 01484 422032 Fax: 01484 518025 www.greenhead.ac.uk
Editor: Elizabeth Bowen
in the Main Hall
Tickets available from College
By agreement with Samuel French 2nd
Typist: Julie Polzin
Photographs courtesy of Kevin Hirst and
The Huddersfield Daily Examiner
The Kirklees presentation of Gold Awards at Huddersfield Town
Hall.
Pictured from left to right: Claire Petruzzelli, Georgina Barratt,
Jessica Burns, Emma Leaper, Liz Durkin, Phil Rodgerson, Chloe
Middleton & Barbara Farmer (Unit Leader)
Beginning at the start of December
Collection of items of food for
CHRISTMAS HAMPERS
for distribution to the
National Children’s Centre
All contributions via your son/
daughter will be gratefully received