Newsletter 13 - December 2012 - Faringdon Community College

OFSTED OUTSTANDING SINCE 2008OUTSTANDING STUDENT PERFORMANCE 201294% of students achieved 5A*-C at GCSE50% of A Level passes were at A*/BY8 Living Rainforest TripDid You Know?facts, news, achievementsWe have been looking after 3 Finnish teachers this week. They are here on a short study visit toget a better feel for the English education system and how we use technology to enhance thequality of teaching and learning.Newsletter 13 - December 2012Focus on Year 11:It’s the time of year when the days are short, Christmaswill soon be upon us and we all look forward to the holiday.However, for Year 11 it’s the time of mock exams, notaking it easy just yet, lots of revision and hard workrequired by all. When the Year 11s come back afterChristmas there are less than 80 school days before thefirst exam starts in the summer, the clock is ticking.The Year 11 interim reports were very impressive and Iwould like to congratulate Seb Allum and Ellie Millard, bothof 11AD, for achieving an overall effort level of 1. Meaningthey achieved 1’s in every single subject, well done to bothof them. I would also like to congratulate 11MP forachieving an average effort grade of 1.58 as a tutor group,well done. I would like to say a big well done to all year 11tutor groups for achieving an average of 2 or less for theireffort grades, continue to work hard year 11.VIVO rewards have gone from strength to strength sincetheir launch in September. The top 5 in the year and thetutor group’s standings are as follows:Top 5 Students1. Lauren Curs 3652. Jake Hancock 2863. Natasha Blesing 2474. Seb Allum 2365. James Bowden 236Tutor Groups1. MP 33522. DT 32863. AD 31074. NL 30085. JWe 24366. NB 2385Year 11 has yetanother celebrationof sportingexcellence torecognise. LaurenCurtis 11DT hasbeen mentionedbefore for hersuccess in Judo.Lauren took partin the BJD National Championships where she won thegold medal in the 70-78kg category, well done Laurenanother excellent achievement.To all Year 11s revise hard for your mock exams, have arestful Christmas ready to come back in the New Year towork hard and achieve the best possible results in 2013.Happy Christmas from Mr Jukes and the Year 11 tutorteam.Focus on History:A report from the battlefield’s trip by Rosie HoyleWe set off from school at six o’clock, everyone was tiredbut very excited and raring to go! It was a twelve hourjourney but lots of people slept through it. When we finallyarrived in Belgium, we visited Essex farm cemetery wherewe saw the grave of a fourteen year old soldier, theyoungest soldier to die in the war. Then we went to the ‘InFlanders Field’ exhibition where we saw some artefactsfrom the war and some personal accounts from soldiers inthe trenches which made me feel more connected to thesoldiers as we were able to view them as people with livesof their own rather than just names on a grave. After wewent to the hotel at six o clock, had dinner and went tobed.Over the nextthree days wevisited manycemeteriesincluding TheThiepvalmemorialwhich was verybeautiful butthe amount ofnames on itwas also incredibly sad and moving. We also went intothe quarries where the soldiers were living before theywent to fight in the Battle of Passchendaele. We sawdrawings on the walls of the quarry that the soldiers haddone when they were living down there and the placewhere sermons were held for men about to go intobattle. We also visited the Musee Vivant trenches, whichwere over ankle deep in water and mud and we wereable to get a glimpse of what life in the trenches wouldhave been like for the soldiers. On the evening of thesecond day, we attended the last post at the MeninGate where we paid respect to all of the soldiers whogave their lives in the war. There was a very large crowdat the Menin Gate as well and the amount of peopleattending to pay respect to the memories of the soldierswas hugely inspiring.The whole trip was a touching, moving, inspirational andincredibly emotional experience but also immenselyenjoyable.p.s. Miss Armstrong also sang along to Abba on thecoach which was also very wonderful.HOW TO CONTACT US AT FCCTelephone: 01367 240628/240375 Fax: 01367 242356 Email: office@fcc.oxon.sch.uk Email: studentservices@fcc.oxon.sch.ukFaringdon Academy of Schools, a charitable company limited by guarantee, registered in England & Wales. Company Number 7977368.Registered Office: Faringdon Academy of Schools, Fernham Road, Faringdon, Oxfordshire, SN7 7LB

Y11 Study SuccessTips for students and parents to ensure exam success0 schooldays untilthe mockexams start100 schooldays(approx)until thefirst GCSEexamWeek 4 – Revising for the mock examsThe mock exams are upon us, starting next week. Make sure you have a copy of the mock timetable and have highlightedwhen you are required to be in college, whether for an exam, science ISA or catch up session. A supervised ‘study room’ isavailable throughout the mock exam period but make sure you bring your own work or revision to complete. Below are afew tips to help you with your revision. You may not have started your revision yet – if not – NOW is a good time! It is nevertoo late to begin...• Make a realistic revision timetable that you will stick to throughout the mock exam period. This is something that can bedone in tandem between parent and child. Why not carry out intensive revision throughout the mock period and thencontinue to revise a little each night until the summer exams. This will make the information stick in your mind and prepareyou fully for the real thing!• Set up an area where you feel comfortable revising. This may be in your bedroom or a dining area – it should besomewhere without distractions (tv or internet) and somewhere which has everything you need – books, pens, pencils,highlighters, paper etc.• Find a good revision aid for each subject – this could be a book, revision guide, website or CD ROM. Some people revisebest from class notes so make sure you take your exercise books home each night.• Have a start and finish time for your revision – and stick to them.• Get into the routine of following your revision plan. Set your aim for the session and get right on with it.• Use the tips and strategies issued to parents on student review day. If you need another copy, feel free to collect one fromme or email me and I will send this to you.• Reward yourself when you have achieved your aim. Feel proud of the work you have achieved.Next week – further tips to help with last minute revision!Mr J Winter, Assistant Headteacher – Care & GuidanceJOWinter@fcc.oxon.sch.ukWork Experience at STFC RutherfordLaboratoriesIf you are in Year 10 or Year 12 and are thinking ofapplying for work experience at RutherfordLaboratories then you need to apply now!They offer opportunities in• Space Science• Lasers• Computing• Particle Physics• Engineering/TechnologyTo apply go towww.stfc.ac.uk/Public+and+Schools/2593.aspxor email ralworkexp@stfc.ac.ukTHE CLOSING DATE IS 31ST DECEMBER 2012 FOR 2013PLACEMENTSIf you need any help please see me.Tina BelcherCareers AdviserTHE LAST DAY OF TERM IS FRIDAY 21STDECEMBER, BUSES WILL DEPART AT 1PM.Christmas Lunch will be onThursday 20th December,Students can pre-order andpre-pay, the cost is £2.502 courses, including aChristmas cracker .Vivo points canbe used as payment.No other hot food will beavailable on that day.UNIFORMMaintaining High StandardsWe believe that a smart appearance indicates a pride inoneself and the college. At Faringdon Community College ahigh standard of personal appearance is expected of allstudents and anyone arriving at college in non-uniform mayexpect to be sent home to get changed.We do feel however that there are still some students who arenot meeting the standards we would like. At the end of termwe will be sending letters home to some students indicatingwhat aspect of uniform needs improving for the new year andwould appreciate the support of parents to address this.If further clarification is needed on the correct school uniformthis can be found on page 7 of the student planner or on theschool website.

Kids’ Lit Quiz 2012On Friday 30th November 4 students from years 7 and 8 wentto the Kids Lit Quiz. The students were Zac Robinson (Y8),Izzy Read (Y7), Milly Spencer (Y7) and Olivia Bannister (Y7).We competed against 33 teams from other schools in the hopeof winning. The winners got to go to Coventry to compete withwinning schools from all over the country. Authors such asM.G.Harris, Julia Golding, Richard Knight and Michelle Harrisonwere at the event to have a go at the questions.It was lots of fun and overall we came 17th. We all thank MrsHudson for taking us there and entering us into a brilliant quiz,and recommend it for all Year 7s and 8s.By Milly Spencer and Olivia BannisterFCC team with Mayor of Faringdon, Councillor Dr MikeWise, who was a VIP guest at the eventICT year 10 and year 11 Coursework Catch Up Sessions: Making the most of your PotentialA reminder of the sessions being offered by the ICT and Computing Team for theOCR Nationals Level 2 Certificate in ICT.WeekAWeekBMondayLunchtimeIT2MrsSherriff MondayLunchtimeIT2MrsSherriffMondayAfterSchoolIT2MrSpoors MondayAfterSchoolIT2MrSpoorsWednesdayAfterSchoolIT2MrsTomkins WednesdayLunchtimeIT1MsWilliamsThursdayLunchtimeWednesdayAfterSchoolIT2MrsTomkinsIT1MsWilliamsandIT2MrsPayneThe ICT and Computing TeamThere are careers and there are Merchant Navy Careers- Places starting in January!At a time when the maritime industry is predicting a shortfall in the availability of suitably qualified officers, thereare now exciting opportunities for school and college leavers to join the British maritime industry in the followingroles:Engineer Officer:is responsible for keeping the ship moving and for all machinery on board, from the main engines to the electronic control systemsused throughout today’s modern fleet.Deck Officer:is responsible for the safety of the ship's crew, its cargo and the safe navigation of the vessel.The Electro Technical Officer:is responsible for the complex electronic and communication systems employed on board modern vessels today.The minimum entry requirements for Engineering and Electro Technical Officer are 120 UCAS points and having studied A LevelMaths or Physics.The minimum entry requirements for Deck Officer are 120 UCAS points and a minimum B in GCSE Maths.The training lasts for three years and is split into five phases, three at college and two at sea, building academic skills and practicalskills, culminating with your academic qualification and a Certificate of Competence that allows you to work on any ship in theworld fleet.This industry is continuing to expand year on year. Ship operators are keen to attract new entrants who they can train for a careerat sea.Excellent sponsorship packages are available, please visit our website for up to date information and online applicationhttp://www.sstg.org/ or email recruitment@sstg.orgSSTG is a not for profit organisation working on behalf of over thirty shipping companies, having trained thousands of young people over the pastthirty years who are now employed throughout the maritime industry on ships or working in maritime law, insurance, education and managementand engineering facilities etc.

CULHAM LABORATORIESAPPRENTICE APPRECIATION WEEK 2013We have been offered the opportunity to take part in the ApprenticeshipAppreciation Week at Culham next summer as part of our workexperience programme.During the Apprentice Appreciation Week the students are supervisedby fully trained technicians and learn different engineering skills byhands-on experience of some of the fundamental tasks undertaken bytechnicians at Culham. These include various types of mechanical andelectronic assembly work using some basic tools and processes. Theweek culminates in the ‘Scrap Heap Challenge’ where teams competeto transport an egg the furthest distance using the materials supplied.The students gain valuable team building and leadership skills as theywork together during the week. The programme is designed toeducate and enthuse students about engineering.The Apprentice Appreciation Week is aimed at Year 10 students thatwould in the future be interested in an advanced apprenticeship atCulham when they have obtained the required 5 GCSE’s, C to A* (theymay decide to study A levels first and apply after Year 13). Thestudents should be self-motivated and enjoy problem solving, have anaptitude for mechanical or electrical tasks and be seriously consideringa career in engineering at technician level.You must be able to travel to Culham (near Abingdon).Interested applicants should send me a covering letter expressing theirinterest in completing their work experience placement with Culham(use the example in your work experience packs). They should also letme have a CV showing the GCSE subjects they are studying, along withtheir predicted grades. They should include information regardingtheir hobbies and interests. I have example CVS that you can workfrom if necessary.All applications received will be reviewed and shortlisted applicants willbe invited to attend an ‘interview’ at Culham to ascertain their interestin pursuing a Mechanical or Electrical Engineering career in the future.Tina BelcherCareers AdviserCLOSING DATE 14TH DECEMBER 2012CAREERSComing Soon ! Look out for news of Saturday School.Too cool for school...SaturdayschoolFaringdon Academy of SchoolsPARENTMAILIf you wish to receive this newsletter via email pleasecontact Pcacooper@fcc.oxon.sch.ukTheme for the week commencing 10th DecemberMISTAKESFCC is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children andindividuals.

Dear Parent/Guardian,I am writing to ask for your support to help us address the inappropriate use ofFacebook, Twitter and other social media, which can often result in cyber-bullying, and issadly becoming increasingly common with young people. We have several measures inplace to address these issues, with recent assemblies on anti-bullying and the impactbullying has on the lives of teenagers. These topics are also covered on our Citizenshipdays. Many schools are dealing with similar incidents and to recognise this, our SchoolsPolice Liaison Officer Mike Dix has put together some sound advice on cyber-bullyingand I have included this in the newsletter.One site which is becoming increasingly popular is ASK.FM, a social networking sitewhere teenagers can send and receive anonymous questions and comments. They canconnect to this website through their Facebook accounts. This website allows for onlineconversations and does not require that teens reveal their identities. We have learnedthat some of our students have innocently set up ask.fm accounts hoping to hearpositive affirmations from their peers. However, this site is being used for cyber-bullyingand harassing others. The anonymity of these websites gives teenagers the freedom towrite anything they wish without fear. These sites are meant to be forums for teenagersto get to know each other better or for celebrities to connect with their fans. However,the unintended consequences of these websites may outweigh the potential benefits assome of the anonymous comments have been hurtful and damaging.The school’s position on cyber-bullying is that if we think that the law has been broken,we will inform the police.Many parents have excellent controls in place and supervise their child’s use of theircomputer. We hope that by sharing this information we will enable you to further supportyour child’s use of social media with clear agreements over monitoring, and ensuringthat your child does not become involved in e-conversations that relate to gossip,bullying or causing offence.If you have concerns about the issues raised in this article please contact us at thecollege.Colin ProffittDeputy Headteacher

CyberbullyingCyberbullying can be an issue for young people and can affect their school and homelife. It can possibly be committedwithout the offender/s fully realising the consequences of their actions. So please be aware of the following and discusswith your children.In brief, Cyberbullying is where a person uses the internet or mobile phone to upset another person. By its very nature,Cyberbullying can happen anywhere, in school, outside or at home, and on a 24/7 basis. Comments and images canalso go out to a wide audience and so increase the anxiety of the victim, who can come to feel upset and threatened,even in their own home.While Facebook and other social networking sites can be fantastic socialising tools they can also be poorly used andbecome a vehicle for nasty, hurtful comments and images.Is your child contributing? Or even committing an offence?Do you have access to your child’s Facebook profile/account? If not, why not?!Is there communication or images on there they don’t want you to see?!Some people seem to think it is OK to post comments on Facebook, chat rooms, or mobiles that are perhaps inappropriate,upsetting or offensive. People may say things on Facebook or similar sites that they would not say to another’s face,that’s adults as well as children. Yet this can be as, or more hurtful, and can be just as much of a criminal offence.Although bullying is not a specific Criminal Offence in UK law, criminal and civil laws can apply in terms of ‘harassment orthreatening behaviour’ and ‘threatening or menacing communications’. This is covered under the following legislation.Protection from harassment Act 1997, which has both Criminal and Civil Provision, Malicious Communications Act 1988,Section 43 of the telecommunications Act 1984, Communications Act 2003, Public Order Act 2003.You can view a very short film about internet bullying by following the link below. You may feel it appropriate to showthis film to you child and discuss it with themhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embeddedandv=LU8K6osTSBEIf you or your child sends any messages that can be offensive or upsetting to the receiver, or others that view it, you oryour child could be committing one or more of the above offences. Please discuss this with your child, monitor theirFacebook profile and internet use. They may not fully understand this unless you tell them. If you find they have commentsor images that fall into this category, please remove them and ensure they understand it can be offensive andupsetting, can be against the law and could get them in trouble.By monitoring your child’s internet use you will also be able to see if they are receiving any negative messages themselves,which they may not be telling you about, and so enable you to help and support them. If you find any contentlike this, do not reply, it may make things worse. Block the sender from your list and save the messages. If it is schoolrelated, talk to the school. If you feel that it is serious you can also report it to the police. If you or they are being botheredvia Text, you can contact your service provider on the numbers below, who will have an area who deal with this.O2 - ncb@o2.com or 08705214000Vodafone – 191 from Vodaphone phone or 08700700191 (pay monthly) and 08700776655 (pay as you go).3 – Call 333 from a 3 phone or 0870733033Orange – Call 450 on an Orange Phone or 07973100450T-Mobile: call 150 on a T-Mobile Phone or 08454125000Most children and adults I have spoken to have many hundreds of friends on Facebook, but are they really friends?Sending your personal images and conversations to people you hardly know, or are not true friends with, can bringunwanted complications. I strongly feel if someone is not a trusted friend, then you could be causing yourself futureissues by sending your personal images or comments to them! Discuss this with your child and consider reducing theirnumber of friends to a sensible, manageable number of trusted people.The best general advice I can give to parents at this time is to visit the CEOPS (Child Exploitation and Online ProtectionService) website which is www.thinkuknow.co.uk . CEOPS is a Police Organisation and specialises in online safety forchildren. The site is extremely user friendly, designed for children of all ages to use and learn about internet safety in afun and modern way, and includes several short films. There is also a parent and carer section which gives great adviceand guidance. This really is a fantastic tool and one that I really hope you will visit and encourage your children to dothe same. Maybe you could consider visiting the site together with your child.Thank you for taking the time to read this, I hope you find it practical and useful and may help you reduce the risk of anegative internet related experience.Mike DixSchools Police Liaison Officer