The Woodlander

WOODLANDS ACADEMY
September 2015
Issue 23
The Woodlander
The success stories continue.....
This is the 23rd edition of The Woodlander and we hope it continues to give you an insight into life at Woodlands Academy.
WOW! So much happens at
Woodlands Academy!
See for yourself by looking inside!
Inside this newsletter you will see just some of the exciting activities that took
place at Woodlands Academy during the last few months.

Woodlands Academy
Making their point
Earlier this year whilst they were still in Year 8, three of our students took to
the world of debating for the first time as they entered the ‘Youth Speaks’
competition, which is run each year by Rotary International. Tom Checklin,
Olly Carroll and Ewan Lawson made up the team and worked together to
get themselves ready for a tough competition. Choosing the controversial
question “Should famous figures convicted of crimes be allowed to remain in
the public eye”, the boys did themselves proud, producing a well-researched
and thought-provoking argument. Literacy Co-ordinator Miss Reed, said “With
tough competition from the eight other teams, we missed out on the prize,
but the boys were incredible and represented the school admirably.”
Child Sexual Exploitation Day
Earlier in the year we took park in the first National
Child Sexual Exploitation Awareness Day which aimed to
encourage everyone to think about, spot and speak out
against abuse.
Students and staff at the Woodlands Academy showed
their support for this campaign by writing ‘STOP’ on their
hands and raising it in the air.
Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) is a form of sexual abuse.
It involves people grooming their victims in various ways,
such as in person, via mobiles or online to gain their trust
before emotionally and sexually abusing them for their
own gain.
Students also have lessons about CSE delivered by the
police and within their PHSCE days
during the year.
To find out more about Child
Sexual Exploitation and how to
stay safe, scan this QR code to be
directed to this website http://
www.seeme-hearme.org.uk/
Red Nose Day
Earlier in the year, students in McLachlan House raised money
for Comic Relief by shaving Mr Adams’s beard in morning
assembly in front of the whole House. Everyone found it
hilarious as they ran out of time and Mr Adams had to go to
his morning lessons with only half his beard shaved off! He
took this in good spirits and managed to raise £53.23.
@woodlandscov
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Our published poets
You may have read in the last edition of The Woodlander that we were celebrating the success of James Smith earlier in the
year as he came in the top twelve out of 14,000 entries in the Young Writers poetry competition.
We have also been celebrating a huge literacy success after coming second place in a national poetry competition. Organised
by Young Writers, the competition runs every year and we have seen boys’ work published in the past in regional anthologies
which is exciting in itself. However, earlier in the year a group of students
(Year 12’s) reached new heights of success by taking the runner-up spot out
of 450 other schools across the UK. Adding to James Smith’s achievement you
can see that as a school we have a wealth of talent brimming from our senior
years alongside him. The students were Adam Dunne, Corey Blackwood,
George Allison, James Smith, Joe Capar, Jordan Guest, Matt Collier, Ryan
Kenny, Tom Hughes and Zac Moore.
Their English teacher, Miss Reed, said “As a school we are used to celebrating
sporting successes, so to be able to celebrate our writing talents on such a
national platform is exceptionally exciting. Congratulations boys – keep up the
writing!”
Page 2

Issue 23 September 2015
A message from Dr Harris
Following the retirement of Mr Charlton, I am delighted to have been appointed Acting Headteacher at
Woodlands Academy. I am excited to take on this new role, along with my leadership team.
One of the things that stands out for me at Woodlands Academy is our House System. I have worked
in other schools previously and have never seen pastoral care delivered to the same level as we see
at Woodlands. For the students to have a base where they can meet with their peers before school
and during break times is quite unique in itself but to also share this time with the House staff is most
definitely something you rarely find in other schools. Our House staff spend time getting to know their
students and they all become part of a large family whilst they are at school and this is something special
to us at Woodlands.
As well as our fantastic pastoral care, we also offer an exciting curriculum staffed by teachers who not only have a passion for
their subject, but also for teaching boys.
Our school also offers excellent after-school experiences for the students, offering a variety of extra-curricular clubs and
activities, as well as a wide range of trips - some of which you would rarely see in other schools.
I have already met with the students who have been awarded positions of responsibility in their Houses. In this meeting
I congratulated them on their achievement but also explained that we expect them to set the standard for behaviour and
attitude as an example to other students in the school.
I am delighted that the Governors have given me the opportunity to take this school forward and I relish the chance to meet
with parents and carers. In addition, I also intend to continue to teach science on a regular basis as this is the core business
of schools and it is important for me to retain familiarity with the classroom.
Dr R L Harris
School Nurse Champions
See the nurse before it gets worse!
At Woodlands Academy we have a School Nurse who visits the school each
week and is available for the students to talk to. The School Nurse is able
to provide early help and intervention in a young person’s life regarding
their health in order to improve their life chances.
One aim of the School Nurse Service is to recruit, train, support and
facilitate young people to become School Nurse Champions.
The young people who had used the School Nursing Service identified the
School Nurse as a friendly and trustworthy person who needed to be more
visible, available and accessible. However, the young people who had not
used the service did not know how to contact the nurse and did not know
what the nurse could offer e.g. the drop-in clinics.
The role of the School Nurse Champions will be during school hours and the main focus will be to publicise to students from
Years 7 to 11 how the School Nurse can help with all health problems. The Champions will also assist the School Nurse at
health assemblies, and will be knowledgeable about local services, so that they can signpost young people to the School
Nurse Drop-Ins, the Walk-In-Centre, GPs, pharmacies, sexual health services and substance misuse services etc.
The School Nurse Champions’ intent is to increase the visibility and accessibility of the School
Nursing Service in secondary schools. It is well-known that early help and early
intervention is key in preventing future health problems. We envisage
that if young people are told about health services by their
peers, they are more likely to use them.
Page 3

Woodlands Academy
Exciting Experiments!
Each week we have a Science Club where students can go to take part in exciting experiments and learn more about science.
During some of the fun activities, students having learnt how to solve crimes like Forensic Scientists would. They needed to
wear all of the correct protective equipment and collected evidence including fingerprints, blood and hair. Each sample was
analysed using chemical tests, fingerprint kits and microscopes. Even the teachers had their fingerprints taken! Matthew
Porter said “I really enjoyed solving the crimes, especially doing the fingerprinting”.
Science Club is very hands-on and has a range of experiments each week. Some of the highlights have been building a
trebuchet, making fire extinguishers and fireworks, growing crystals and using lemon powered circuits and learning about
reactions to heat and cold.
Year 9 Rugby - Coventry Schools Champions
The Year 9’s won this year’s Coventry Schools’ U14’s
Cup with a 15-14 win over King Henry’s VIII School.
It was a fantastic atmosphere at the Butts Park
Arena with great support from parents and students
cheering the team on.
The game was extremely tight throughout with an
outstanding defence from both teams. Captain Olly
Clarke opened up the scoring with an excellent try
and Adam Bruce powered over the try-line. Henry’s
were back in the game just before half-time after
being awarded a penalty try bringing the score to
10-7. The weather conditions weren’t ideal and our attacking options were limited but Adam Bruce managed to carry the
ball over the try-line for another try bringing the score to 15-7. Soon after Henry’s scored a try under the posts, the final
score was 15-14.
Mr Williams, the team coach, said “The lads were tired, but never gave up and managed to see the game out and become
the champions for a second successive season. I’m extremely proud of every single one of them.”
Derren Brown Trip
At the beginning of May the Year 13 psychology group, based at Woodlands
Academy, took a brief break from their revision to have one last trip together
before their final exams.
Miss Pearce, Mr Howell and Miss Ellis accompanied the class to the New
Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham to see Derren Brown’s touring show,
entitled ‘Miracle’, in which he performed several ‘miraculous acts’ that varied
in impressiveness – ranging from guessing the type of chocolate that a person
was eating by listening to the way they chewed it to evangelical healing! The
whole group thoroughly enjoyed the show were left wondering “How the
heck does he do that?!”
A thoroughly enjoyable time was had by all and it was a great way to end a
fantastic two years with a group of very able psychologists. Mr Howell and
Miss Pearce wish them the best of luck for their results in the summer!
Our Website
www.woodlands.coventry.sch.uk
Our website is constantly
updated with news, photos
and other information
Page 4

Issue 23 September 2015
West Coventry Sixth Form Trips
The Art and Photography West Coventry Sixth Form trips have become very popular over the
last few years. The opportunity to capture different imagery and cultures has led to some
fantastic work and results in examination work. This year the WCSF group visited Spain and the
amazing city of Barcelona. Staff and students spent five days absorbing the Catalunyan culture
and made the most of this fantastic opportunity.
They took part in a wide range of activities, whilst enjoying the sunshine and mild climate.
They visited Barceloneta beach and travelled across the harbour by cable car which gave the
photographers superb panoramic views. They explored ‘La Ramblas’, ‘Plaza de Catalunya’
and the Gothic quarters. However, the highlight of the trip was when they visited ‘La Sagrada
Familia’. The Cathedral was breathtaking and the views from the top of the towers were
spectacular, if a little bit scary! Another popular activity was Gaudi’s house – ‘Casa Batlo’, and
the budding architects enjoyed this in particular.
On the last day they visited ‘Park Guell’ presenting yet another wealth of photographic
opportunities, followed by a visit to the MEAM art gallery. This was great preparation for the
students’ art and photography exams.
Overall, the trip was a great success because the students simply wanted to experience
Barcelona, the local cuisine, architecture and culture. Mr Griffin, Head of Post-16, said “A great
time was had by everyone and all students got something out of the trip, which was the main
objective. We are now looking at possible destinations for next year’s trip!”
Woodlands Wolves Charity Fundraising runs
Woodlands Academy staff have been at it again - raising money for three worthy causes - by not just completing one 10km
mud, run but two! The usual ‘Woodlands Wolves’ - as well as some new recruits - all trained hard for the event as they
wanted to make the most of the opportunity and ultimately earn The Reaper and Summer WOLF T-shirt at the end of the
10km and wear it with pride.
Collectively they chose three charities which were close to their hearts - Parkinsons UK, Cancer Research and The Myton
Hospice. They all proved popular and worthy causes and families, friends, parents of the school and work colleagues dug
deep and made incredibly generous donations. They raised over £1200 in total, which is fantastic! The Myton Hospice were
incredibly grateful towards them raising money and the hospice offered them ‘Myton’ vest tops to wear for the event, which
looked great. The team received a warm welcome from the organisers and fellow mud runners which helped the Woodlands
Wolves to get around, up and over the obstacles.
Mrs Haywood, the team organiser, said “I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who took part and donated to
the charities. It went so well we will be doing it again by tackling the Autumn WOLF and next year’s ‘Tough Mudder’”.
If you would like to donate to any of these charities you can do so by searching for Team Woodlands on the JustGiving website
https://home.justgiving.com.
Page 5

Woodlands Academy
Yr12 WCSF Economics trip to London!
A Year 12 class of twenty-four students were fortunate to recently
spend a day in sunny London as part of their AS Economics
course.
Having just studied the different macroeconomic factors that
affect the economy, the students went to London to visit some
of the country’s leading economic institutions. After managing
the early start to catch the Megabus to London and braving the
London Underground on a Friday morning, the group visited
the City of London looking at some of the impressive financial
institutions where a few might hopefully end up working one day!
The day started with a visit to the Bank of England and listening to a talk on its role in
influencing the economic performance of the country. This was followed by a look around
the Bank of England museum and learning more about what happens in its traditional role
as a bank and as a Government adviser.
The students got very interested when they realised they were standing just 45-feet above
the famous Gold Vaults where some £198 billion pounds worth of gold is stored! Students
were allowed to pick up a real gold bar worth £340,000 and they were surprised at how
heavy it was.
After lunching in Covent Garden Market followed by some shopping time, the group
travelled on the Underground again to the prestigious London School of Economics – one
of the world’s leading universities in this field. Students listened to various talks on the
work of the university and making effective applications should they consider applying later
in the year. It was brilliant to see one of the talks lead by ex-student Lyndon Clews who
achieved a grade ‘A’ in economics 2 years ago after being taught by Mr Pateman and is now
in his final year of successful study at The London School of Economics – an aspirational example to them all!
This trip was so successful three students have already visited LSE again since and are now planning to apply there next year!
Nyle Patel commented “The whole day opened my eyes to what is now possible”.
The day was rounded off with a short sight-seeing trip around London with a stop-off for photos outside Buckingham Palace
before a late-night coach trip back to Coventry.
Post-16 football success
After losing out in the West Midlands
Competition, the under-19 squad were
determined to go out in style with a great
performance in the showpiece final at the
Westwood Coventry Sporting Ground. Playing
against Stoke Park, who were making their
debut in the final, the team were slightly
nervous before the goal-scoring machine that
is Jamie Howe, stirred himself into action. With
two decisive strikes he managed to edge West
Coventry Sixth Form ahead. A fantastic strike
from Elliot Hughes moved them further ahead
and despite a bit of a fight back from Stoke Park,
Woodlands proved too organised and perhaps fitter with further strikes from Ross
Knight and super-sub Michael Kelly with the game ending at 5-2 and the trophy
retained by Woodlands for another year. Tournament organisers handed the trophy
over to captain and Head Boy Daniel Bramley who raised it high to cheers from the
watching crowd of parents and supporters.
Coach Mr Griffin said “I would like to thank the everyone who turned up to support
the team.”
Coventry Schools
At h l et i c s
Well done to all the students who
participated at Warwick University
track during the 2015 athletics season.
Mr Austin, Curriculum Leader, Physical
Education, said “There were some
fantastic performances and the boys’
conduct was a credit to the school.”
This year sees Mr Doherty and Mr
Williams stepping down as organisers
of the Coventry School’s Athletics.
Mr Austin said “This is something
they have done fantastically well for
25 years. We thank them for all their
time, hard work and dedication to
local athletics and extra-curricular
sport.”
Page 6

Issue 23 September 2015
Art and Photography Exhibitions
This year’s A’Level and GCSE Art and Photography exhibitions were fantastic and showed the
great examples of our students’ work.
Staff and parents were ‘wowed’ by what was on show at the exhibition.
Each year students are awarded trophies for excellence in art and photography.
The 2015 awards are Thomas Hughes - The Wilkinson/Clayden trophy for art.
Adam Dunne - The Norden trophy for photography. Jordan Mittoo - The Jackson trophy for
art. Chris Howe - The Colin Dick trophy for graphics.
More photos
from the
exhibitions can
be seen on our
website.
National Science Week
Throughout National Science Week earlier in the year, there were activities in the Science Department to celebrate the event.
Every lunchtime there were challenge activities running in the laboratories. There was also a Rocket Challenge with Year 9
students organised by Mr Duggan which culminated in a rocket launch after school. However, the experience of a lifetime, a
solar eclipse took place on Friday March 20th.
All over Woodlands Academy there were eclipse activities. In the Hall, there was a live
feed from sunnier climates, just in case the sun was not visible in Coventry. However,
we were very fortunate and from 8.30 a.m. we were able to track the Solar Eclipse. We
had pin-hole cameras to check the progress of the eclipse with the Stargazing and Solar
Eclipse live coverage on the interactive whiteboard. Science technicians Mr Anetts and
Mr Bevis had set up a viewing binoculars, and Dr Berry projected the images of not one,
but two, solar eclipses onto a screen. Sixth form tutor group 12D were able to join in
the fun and were joined by Mrs Newman and her English class for this exciting event.
In addition to viewing the eclipse, temperatures were taken at three external locations
before, during and after the eclipse as well as monitoring the activity of birds, to
provide data for the National Eclipse Weather Experiment in conjunction with Reading
University. The results of this are being used to see if there is evidence of changes in
climate during an eclipse, and if there is a change in wind speed.
The experience was shared by all as different departments and classes were able to
experience this rare event.
What is an Eclipse? A solar eclipse is a rare
phenomenon in which the sun is
completely obscured by the moon.
Page 7

Woodlands Academy
Twilight Learning in Late Night in the Lab
Thinking About Science programme in conjunction with Warwick University.
The ‘Thinking About Science’ programme is run by Warwick University to encourage and
support students who might not have considered studying science to A’ Level and beyond.
In the Spring term, the programme invited Year 11 students to a day at Warwick University.
Here students got to experience lectures at a top university. Students were able to access
some of the top researchers and professors, with talks, lectures and hands-on lab activities.
Year 11 Separate Sciences students and their parents were also invited to come into the
science labs at Woodlands Academy for ‘Late Night in the Lab’ learning experiences.
Warwick University came to us, bringing a host of PhD and Masters students, who were
prepared to give their evenings to share their love of science.
Students and parents got involved on the physics, chemistry and biology sessions for
two hours of science fun including making things fly, music and physics in action as well
as dissections to name but a few of the activities involved. Some of the comments from
parents and students who attended the sessions included “The sessions really helped
me to study for my science GCSE”, “I believe the sessions have had impacted on my son’s
learning in a positive way” and “All three sessions were amazing!”
In addition, Maggie Lieu, a former Post-16 student at West Coventry Sixth Form, came back to tell students and parents about
her involvement in the Mars One Mission. Maggie was an inspiration to all. Not only did she talk of the Mars Mission but also
about her forthcoming summer in Chile where she will be completing her PhD in Astrophysics.
Curriculum Leader, Dr Berry said “The Science Department are very grateful to Dr Charlotte Carroll of Warwick University for
the ongoing involvement in the Thinking About Science Programme, and to her team of PhD and Masters students for their
enthusiasm and sharing their expertise with us.”
Readathon 2015
In March, our Year 7’s were challenged by the school’s Librarian, Mrs
Wildman, to take part in the 2015 Readathon.
Readathon is a sponsored event which raises money for four children’s
charities. The Year 7’s who took part spent a month reading as many books
as they could, whilst getting sponsored. They raised over £200 for CLIC
Sargent, Readwell, Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity and Together
for Short Lives.
Schools were also offered free books which we have donated to children’s
hospitals. Mrs Wildman said “I’m really pleased that students accepted the
challenge to read as many books as possible and to raise money for these
worthy charities. Their efforts raised much needed funds for the charities
and I am really proud of them.”
Show My
Homework
In an attempt to make the homework
system more transparent for students,
their parents and the school, we have
decided to use Show My Homework
from September. For parents who wish
to take a more active role in their son’s
home learning, they can do so by having
their own Show My Homework account.
They can now take a more pro-active role
in encouraging their sons to complete
homework tasks and keeping tabs on the
progress, without being intrusive.
Students will be able to access their
homework via their online account. They
can see what homework has been set,
when it is due in, and more importantly,
the mark given to them by their teachers.
Show My Homework is used by schools
across the country and it has great reviews
so we hope we will reap the benefits over
the coming months.
Page 8

Issue 23 September 2015
It all adds up to success in maths!
Congratulations to all students who participated in this year's Junior Maths
Challenge. Woodlands Academy students achieved four silver and eight bronze
medals. Over 200,000 students from across the UK sat the Junior Maths
Challenge with the top 6% receiving a gold certificate, the next 13% silver and
the next 21% bronze. Well done to the following students:
Ewan Lawson and Aleks Wrighton - Best in school and silver certificate.
James Beech - Best in year and silver certificate.
Ryan Burdett - Silver certificate
Jake Kerby, William McCranor, Lonath Hettiarchchi, Jack Wilcox, Jay Shepstone,
Ben Thompson, Adel Saad and Harvey Evans who have all been awarded a
bronze certificate.
As well as the Junior Maths Challenge, schools all over the UK have been celebrating their students’ achievement in the UK
Maths Challenge. Woodlands Academy students Craig Mills, Aleks Wrighton and Oliver Carroll (pictured above) took part in
The Team Maths Challenge regional final at Myton School, Warwick.
Activities on the day included a group competition, cross-number and a mathematical relay race.
There were over twenty teams in the fast-paced challenge and the Woodlands Academy team finished in a very impressive
9th place overall.
Up-to-date records
If you are a parent or carer of a student at Woodlands Academy, it is vital that we have up-to-date contact details for you. If
at any time you move house or change your phone number - either your mobile, work or home - please ensure you let us
know as soon as possible. In case of emergency, or if a member of staff needs to contact you about your son for any other
reason, we need to be sure we have a working phone number and emergency contact details. Please contact the school if
you have recently changed any of your phone numbers, email addresses or other details.
Woodlands’ success in American football
This year American football as proved really popular at Woodlands
Academy. We have two teams - Woodlands Jets and Woodlands
Panthers. In the inaugural Coventry and Warwickshire Flag American
Football Cup, Woodlands remain undefeated against Tudor Grange
Academy.
The Jets won the trophy by points difference, with standout
performances by Dylon Traynor and Hussama Noma. Hussama had a
personal total of 6 touch-downs and proved unstoppable, meanwhile
Dylon scored 4 times and made a game-changing interception in the
second game when the score was 12-6 and Tudor Grange were driving.
The club is open to students in Years 7-11 and they train on Friday
evenings, and the cost is £2. Mr Evans who runs the club said “The
programme at Woodlands has been funded by the County Sports
Partnership (CSP), without whom none of this would have been
possible.”
Some of the students represented Coventry in national
competitions during the summer holiday.
Page 9

Woodlands Academy
LOVE UNDERDOGS
‘Love UnderDogs’ is a charity that was set
up by animal lovers who wanted to help
and support some of the most unwanted,
abused and neglected dogs in Romania.
The family of two Woodlands Academy
brothers are supporters of the charity. Kyle
and Josh Hodson, both of Stringer House,
regularly help at the locally-based charity
by walking the dogs which have been
transported back to the UK to be nursed
back to health before being re-homed here.
One of Josh’s homework tasks was about
poetry so he and his brother each wrote a
poem. The poems were sent to the charity
and were published in their newsletter,
as well as proving very popular on the
charity’s Facebook page.
The poems are below for you to enjoy.
L ots of dogs are abandoned
O ver the years dogs are adopted
V ery few dogs are respected
E veryone needs to help Love
underdogs
U nder age puppies are left and need
love
N o creature should be without a home
D on’t break a dog’s heart
E ven though your life may be complete
why not make a dog’s life complete
R espected dogs for respective owners
D on’t be afraid to love an Underdog
O wn a dog today
G
S ave and care for one of the wide
variety of breeds at LOVE UNDERDOGS
By Kyle Hodson
L ove all dogs
O pen all
hearts
V arious
breeds
E ver loyal
U nderdogs
N eed new
homes
D rop by and have a look
E very time you pass
R ights of dogs
D eserved to be loved
O ver the hills
G reat dogs await
S how them love and they will do the
same!
By Josh Hodson
Chicks arrive at Woodlands Academy
Over the past few months the
Science Department has been in the
process of incubating and hatching
some baby chickens. The eggs placed
in the incubator included three
different breeds: Cream Crested Leg
Bars, Buff Orpingtons and Rhode
Island Reds. Out of the all the eggs
that have been incubated eleven
chicks hatched and have been a lively
and chirpy addition to Mr Duggan’s
science room.
Students have been fascinated by
their behaviour and find them a
constant source of amusement and
interest. With the chicks growing
rapidly over the course of the
summer, they are due to be moved
onto an outdoor free range small
holding to hopefully live a long and
productive life.
THE COMMONJETS
go from strength to strength
If you haven’t already heard of Woodlands’ (and now West Coventry Sixth
Form’s) hottest musical act in many years then it really is time to check
out The Commonjets! This band has been together all the way through
Woodlands Academy and members have now all stayed on to study at our
Sixth Form. You genuinely could not meet a finer bunch of young men than
Reuben O’Connell, Matthew Keegan, Jamie Keegan and Harry Holles. The
recent release of their EP ‘Northern Quarter’ and a single on iTunes called
‘Her Name’ prove they are ready for the big time soon and just need that
final lucky break. The band have just returned from performing for the
second consecutive year at the prestigious Isle of Wight Festival and have
a summer of gigs
lined up spreading
their name outside
of Coventry.
Local fans were
treated to a great
set at the Godiva
Festival in the city
whilst rumours
persist their next
appearance will be
an international one
in Lake Garda, Italy!
Good luck to these
students at the start
of what we hope is
a successful career
in a very difficult
industry!
Page 10

Issue 23 September 2015
Year 9’s visit Jaguar Land Rover
In June there was a trip to the Jaguar Land Rover site in
Solihull. The Computing Department had selected fortythree
computing students to go on the trip. Both students
and staff enjoyed a tour of the factory and also some
educational activities.
The day was divided into two halves and the first part of
the day was spent in Land Rover’s training centre taking
part in team-building and production-line exercises which
the students thoroughly enjoyed. The second part of the
day consisted of touring the factory floor and experiencing
the full manufacturing process of this iconic car.
Mr Khalifa, organiser of the trip said, “We were able to see the whole process of how a Land Rover vehicle is manufactured.
A fun, educational, insightful and thoroughly enjoyable day for all.” Ryan Woodward said “My favourite bit was watching the
cars being assembled using robots”. Jack Sarjeant said “Seeing how specific the robots had been programmed to do their
jobs was amazing and how they did not crash into each other”. Samuel Gibbons added “The activities required teamwork in
order to succeed in completing our own separate production line”.
Farewell to Year 13
Following two years of hard studying, staff at the West Coventry
6th Form said goodbye to the Year 13 students as they finished
their exams and eagerly await the results as they prepare to go to
university or to enter the world of work.
The year ended with one final memorable trip when 70 staff and
students enjoyed a day out paintballing.
Over 150 students and staff gathered one June evening at the
prestigious surrounding of The Manor Hotel in Meriden to finally
celebrate the end of the year.
With everyone ‘scrubbing up’ impressively well, the room was
awash with gorgeous cocktail dresses, glamorous ballgowns, tuxedos and lots of fake tan!
The night raced by as students posed for stylish photographs, enjoyed a luxury three-course meal, listened to the wonderful
speeches from Mr Griffin and the student leaders, before dancing the final hours of the night away.
Mr Griffin, Head of Post-16, said “It really
was an absolutely fantastic night and a
true celebration of the community spirit
and achievement that is now embedded
in the West Coventry Sixth Form
organisation – students didn’t want the
night to end and a fantastic time was
had by all.”
Page 11

Woodlands Academy
VEX Robotics Challenge
Recently there was an opportunity to obtain a Vex Robotics kit worth nearly £500 (funded by RA Engineering and Vex
Robotics) and to get a team together to enter a robotics competition. Throughout the year we have had a number of science
challenges, and from the activities during National Science Week it was apparent that we have the talent in school to be able
to develop and test a robot worthy of taking part. We were not disappointed and a team of five roboteers were recruited.
Our Roboteers were Year 9 students Bradley Gough, Ryan Grimley, Reagan Roberts, James O’Donnell and Ryley Guild.
The students developed their roles, working together to overcome each difficulty as they constructed and amended the
design. There are many skills gained through the process of competitive robotics and the team would need to give a
presentation as well as make and develop the robot.
The students allocated the roles according to their skills. As well as building and developing the robot, the scheme helps
to improve communication, and students needed to write and present a record of the team’s development. The students
worked in the lab before school, at lunchtimes and after school every day for nearly a month, and ‘Peabody’ the Woodlands
Vex robot was ready!
The Vex Robotics Competition Day, in partnership with and funded by the
Royal Academy of Engineering and the Connecting STEM Teachers Project,
took place on 1st July 2015.
The team won nearly all of their matches on the way to gaining a place in the
final, against Stoke Park who were the host school. Dr Berry said “Sadly, we
did not win the final this year but we intend to learn from this, our first year
in the competition, and go on to do it all again!”
Mr Nangreave, who accompanied the group at the competition, said “Their creativity in solving problems using their robot
shows that they can all have great careers ahead of them as scientists or engineers.”
Bradley said “I enjoyed working as a team to modify the robot and to excel in the competition.”
Peer Mentors ready for action!
Each year a new group of Year 7 students apply for the much sought-after posts of Peer Mentors in their Houses. Following
the application process, the successful students attended a full day’s training with Miss Pearce and Miss Ellis.
Sonny Parsons said “The reason I would like to do this job is because when I started at secondary school I was feeling a
little nervous and I want to have the opportunity to share my experiences of starting the exciting new journey of secondary
school. It really isn’t that bad!” Liam Wood said “I think I would make a good Peer Mentor because I am reliable and
committed to working and trying hard. Although at times I am quiet, this may be good and make me approachable. I am
also a good listener, so if boys have any problems they could talk to me. I have settled well in Year Seven and I think this
would be helpful and a good example to the new boys. “
In September, as Year 8 students, they were on hand to welcome the new Year 7’s on their first day and they will continue to
be there to assist in any way they can throughout the coming year.
Photos of the Peer Mentors can be seen on the school’s website.
Page 12

Issue 23 September 2015
Tomorrow’s teachers get ready for the classroom
We are delighted to announce that fifteen West Coventry Sixth Form students
have just successfully graduated from and completed the ‘Tomorrow’s
Teachers’ programme for 2014-15.
This group of students have worked with Mr Griffin from Woodlands and Mrs
Neofitou from Tile Hill Wood to undertake a programme of events during
the year aimed at giving them an insight to a career in teaching and helping
them to start to build the skills and experiences necessary for this demanding
vocation.
Year 12 student Yahiya Todd said “We have carried out a whole range of
activities, presentations, meetings, lesson observations and university visits aimed at increasing our knowledge of what is
involved. It has definitely cemented my aim to be a teacher.”
After observing staff teach at Woodlands and listening to a talk from Mrs O’Connor, the Head of Tile Hill Wood, on what
she expects to see in a good teacher, the students were set the task of planning and delivering a lesson to a class of Year 7
students. TK Madziya said, “Although this was really initially quite a scary thought, it was really fun to do and it was amazing
how we were treated as teachers and it proved that teaching is tough but good planning helps.”
Emma Bedford was particularly impressed by the opportunity to visit Edge Hill University, one of the leading teaching
universities in the U.K. Emma said “It was a great day out and the opportunity to go through a real teacher training interview
boosted my self-confidence, although the maths and literacy test requirements were quite scary”.
All of the students that completed the programme have received a certificate and have some great experiences to add to
their C.V. and university application, they all also now are guaranteed an interview at Edge Hill University should they wish to
apply for a teaching-related degree in a year’s time.
Mr Griffin said “This is a great result for a fantastic group of students who have made the most of this excellent opportunity
offered by West Coventry Sixth Form.”
52-acres of fantastic learning space
At Woodlands Academy we consider ourselves very fortunate to have such a
lot of wonderful space in which learning can take place. Not only do we have
the five House blocks in which the students gain so much in terms of pastoral
support and socialising with their peers, we also have individual buildings
housing specialist equipment for each subject. Our facilities include dedicated
drama studios, music suites, science laboratories, technology workshops,
kitchens, computing suites and art studios, not to mention the purpose-built
sports hall and Power League pitches.
One thing that sets us apart from other schools, especially newly built and redeveloped
schools, is our green-field environment. With acres upon acres of
fields full of trees and even a few ponds, the site provides outdoor
classroom space not only for sports but for other activities such as geography
and science.
Dr Harris’s Year 10 triple science group recently used the fields on their final
lesson of the year to launch methane rockets and the water rockets which they
made during the lesson.
Year 7 and Year 8 students have had great fun during the summer term
making use of the fields whilst playing cricket and rounders and
taking part in lots of athletics lessons getting
ready for sports day.
Page 13

Woodlands Academy
Moving on -
to Sixth Form
When talking about ‘moving on’ and
transition, most people would think
this involves 11-year-olds moving from
primary school to secondary school,
and they would be correct, but at
Woodlands Academy, great emphasis
is also put on the transition from Year
11 to the West Coventry Sixth Form.
Over 180 potential Sixth Form
students seemed to hugely enjoy their
experience at our two-day transition
events and left feeling excited and
confident about their future at West
Coventry Sixth Form. Students spent
time on all three sites (Woodlands,
Tile Hill Wood and Westwood)
experiencing a range of study skills
and enjoyable sociable experiences
all aimed at making the step up from
Year 11 to Year 12 that little bit more
effective and comfortable.
Hopefully the experience of their
transition days will have prepared
them for the next stage in their school
career from September onwards.
Page 14
DRESS FOR SUCCESS 2015
From September, West Coventry Sixth
Form requires students to dress in
a manner appropriate to a modern
professional environment. This is
designed to reflect the fact that
our students are ambitious to have
interesting and rewarding careers,
which will inevitably involve high
expectations of personal presentation.
“Dress for Success” has been created
in collaboration with students in
order to balance the requirements
of a professional workplace with the
increased freedom available to students
who have chosen to stay at school.

Issue 23 September 2015
A fantastic summer of success
Former students from the West Coventry Sixth Form appear to have used their time here as a springboard to go on and
achieve great things at university or in the world of work since leaving us.
Head of Post-16 Mr Griffin said “It is always fantastic to hear of former students’ success because this is exactly what
everyone at school works hard for - to provide the tools and motivation necessary for students to go out and thrive in the
wider world. Nothing makes the staff happier than hearing that this has actually happened.”
This year alone we have seen several students successfully graduating as teachers or get accepted on their final PGCE post
degree course. Suneta Purewal, Becci White and Suzanna Ortea are just three that we have heard from.
Other success stories include Michellle Savanhu, 2.1 Psychology; Sarel Madziya, 1st Drama; Becky Seeley is starting Medical
School at Warwick this September after achieving a 1st in Biomedical Sciences along with Abi Ravindiran. Laura Hunt, 1st
Drama and Theatre Studies; Loren Clay, 2.1 in Law; Alex Sanders, 1st in Business Law; Reanna Taylor, 1st in Business Law;
Tani Galsinh, 2.1 in Biomedical Science; Hannah Pontefract, 1st Pharmaceutical Science; Sophie Venters, 1st Psychology;
Bradley Smith, 1st Coaching and Sports Science; Jamie Bethell, 1st Applied Sports Psychology; Alex Dean, 1st in Business
Management Accounts Finance; Kai Saunders, 1st Digital Media Technology; James McArthur, 1st Photography; David Baker,
2.1 Chemistry and Nathan Soles, 2.1 Motorsports Engineering.
Alex Dean and Bradley Smith spoke about their recent success and the role West Coventry Sixth Form played.
Alex said “Woodlands Academy has provided me with vital stepping stones throughout my education, enabling me to develop
self -confidence and the vital study skills to succeed in my chosen academic path. Subject staff always pushed me and the
Business A-Level lessons were vital in directing me on a career route. West Coventry Sixth Form offers synergies which
benefitted me and all their students. What stands out to me about West Coventry Sixth Form are the teachers. Through
personal experience, the teaching provides the correct balance of nurture and support, as well as
the expectations of achievement through self effort. I will never forget the teachers, friends and
experiences such as Lake Garda - everything which helped me get to where I am now. I have recently
graduated from Nottingham Trent University with a first class degree in Business Management and
Finance and begin my new career as a National Grid graduate. I can honestly not thank the teachers
enough at both Woodlands and West Coventry for all contributing to these achievements.”
Bradley Smith commented “I would like to thank all of the members of staff who helped me throughout
my secondary school years. I am certain that my experiences at Woodlands and West Coventry Sixth
Form provided the platform for my success in higher education. I am very lucky to have met some
fantastic people at Woodlands Academy and the staff that always made me feel welcome and want
to succeed. I am forever grateful to Mr Griffin for the advice and support that made it possible for me
to stay on at sixth form as the decision to stay on wasn’t straight forward. The care shown by tutors
and then the BTEC Sport and Exercise Science staff really allowed me to then make the progression
to university and ultimately resulted in the position I am in today. I am particularly thankful for the
experiences with the wheelchair basketball and supporting teachers in lower school lessons as they
gave the foundation for coaching – allowing me to move on now and even work with Premier League
footballers!”
A very proud Mr Griffin said “All of these are fantastic results and are the just the tip of the iceberg in what has proved to be
an amazing summer for past WCSF students. On behalf of all the schools we are so proud of them all and wish them all the
best in their future careers and we are delighted that in some way we have been able to help to support these young people
and help them realise their dreams through the power of hard work.”
Open Mornings at Woodlands Academy
If you are interested in a place at Woodlands Academy, why not visit our Open Morning in September?
On Saturday 26th September we have an Open Morning at the school where you can visit
departments, meet the staff, talk to students and have a chat to parents.
We also have an additional Open Morning on Friday 2nd
October. Please see back page for more
details.
Page 15

Woodlands Academy
Year 13 Leavers’ Assembly
The Sixth Form Common Room was packed as Year 13 gathered together for one final occasion - a strange mix of celebration
and sadness, all in one event. With nearly 160 students and staff present, the atmosphere was fantastic as students and
staff took a humorous look back at their time in the school.
Many a student was left with red faces as previous episodes they had hoped would be long forgotten were dragged out by
tutors and enjoyed by the rest of the room! Each tutor gave a rousing speech about their group and emphasised just how
fantastic this group have been over their time in sixth form.
The event included a celebration of academic effort over the two years with several awards handed out by departments to
recognise particular achievements. Our winners this year included:
Sociology Prize - Sophie Windsor
H&SC Award - Sophie Mesnard
The Media Award - Harrison Davis
Biology Prize - Sara Anisi
Chemistry Prize - Sankavi Thavakumar
Physics Award - Nero Chandran
Psychology Award - Lauren Lannie
History ‘Paul Edwards’ Award - Alexandra Berry
The Languages Award - Lauren Lannie (French),
Grace Bend (Spanish), Megan Cameron (German),
Kerry Gibbons (Japanese)
The Norden/Crabb Photography Prize - Nicolai
Kolokoltsov’. The Art Prize - Paige Womwell.
Art Outstanding achievement - Shannon O’Donnell and Sam Richards. Business Student of the Year Trophy - Chloe Williams
Margaret Garbutt Award for Maths - Emma Bullock.
Three students were singled out for extra-special praise when they were awarded the prestigious Home School awards for
‘Contribution to Sixth Form life’ trophies - an award any student should be really proud to win.
The Woodlands Contribution to Sixth Form Life Award -George Cooke. The Tile Hill Wood Sixth Form Anneka Brown
Memorial Award - Raneem Dayoub. The Westwood Sixth Form Contribution Award - Josh Weston.
The afternoon ended with the showing of the highly anticipated staff leavers’ video with staff deciding this year to ‘perform’
to ‘Uptown Funk’ – watch along on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyaJrpxPOFA) or search for West Coventry
Sixth Form - but you have been warned!
Staff and students were then treated to a hot dog and burger meal and a bouncy castle to end the afternoon on a real fun
note before the looming public examinations! Head of Post-16 Mr Griffin said “Staff have really enjoyed this group’s time
at WCSF and will miss the characters in this group. Good luck to them all with their results this August and we really hope
WCSF has opened the doors to a bright and rewarding future for you all!”
Introducing the Head Boy and Head Girl
Many congratulations to current Year 12 students Arran Pallan and Ellie Vines on their recent appointment to these two
prestigious roles within West Coventry Sixth Form. Arran and Ellie will take up the positions with immediate effect and will be
ready to welcome the new Year 12 in September when they join us.
The process this year was not easy with the first hurdle being that teaching staff had to nominate only those that they felt set
an academic example to others and would be suitable role models.
The final five - James Cook, Ellie Vines, Arran Pallan, Georgie Kelly and Will Holloway - all made
it through to the nerve-wracking final stage where they stood up in front of 180 of their peers
and delivered a two-minute presentation on why they deserved the role in order to convince
students before the final vote.
Head of Post-16 Mr Griffin said “It was amazingly close but we are delighted to say Arran
and Ellie emerged victorious and will now fulfil these roles next year. It will be great to look
back a year from now and see what a positive difference the pair will make to all three school
communities.”
Page 16

Issue 23 September 2015
Uniform
Year 7 learn about
Ramadan and Eid-al-Fitr
During the last half-term in the Humanities Department,
Year 7 students learnt about the Islamic month of
Ramadan and the celebration of Eid-al-Fitr.
Lovaris Visockas said “Ramadan is a period of the year that
goes on for a month and this is when you don’t feast on food until sunset. After this period of fasting Muslims celebrate Eid
which is the end of being hungry! The thing I liked most about the lesson was drawing and colouring in the Eid storyboard.”
Students also learnt what Ramadan means to individuals around the world and how this affects many people. Teacher Miss
Ellis said “Students showed empathy and sensibly discussed what it would be like to fast between the hours of sunrise and
sunset.”
Mason Martin said “I learnt a lot about Ramadan, the best thing was realising that people in our lesson were taking part in it.
I was shocked to think that people can’t eat in the daylight. Ramadan is a good thing and I hope when they eat they enjoy it.”
Theo Checkley said “I liked watching and learning about how and why people fast and to experience fasting in the lesson”.
Miss Ellis added “Within the lesson my aim was to get the class to think about why Muslims take part in Ramadan and deem
it as one of their five pillars of Islam. I put a sweet in front of each student to signify temptation and this made them think
about how they feel when it was just a small amount of food and this led to them thinking about how they would deal with
that for longer periods of time. This seemed to work well and helped convey the message of fasting.” “The whole class
worked really hard and I hope they all enjoyed their sweets...eventually!”
At Woodlands Academy we firmly believe that if our students are
smartly dressed in a uniform consistent with the academy policy,
they will be prepared for work in the classroom. We would like to
ask our parents for support in our continued drive for consistency.
Clarification of our uniform policy can be found on our website.
Could we please ask that particular attention is paid to the rules on
hair and shoes. An email was sent to parents about this in July and
a reminder was emailed before students returned in September
after the holiday.
Could we also please remind you that as a minimum standard,
your son requires a pen, pencil and ruler in all of his lessons.
Woodlands Diner
The Woodlands Diner continues to go from
strength to strength with ever-increasing
numbers of students and staff choosing to dine
there at break time and lunchtime, as well as
using the facility before school for breakfast.
Our Chef, Mr Neal, continues to draw in the
diners with traditional favourites such as roast
dinner and fish and chips but also with dishes
such as Chinese stir-fry and curries.
The Diner also does a roaring trade at break time
selling sandwiches, baguettes, slices of pizza and
other hot snacks.
The cost of a set meal is £2.60 which includes a
main course, a pudding and a drink.
The Diner operates using a cashless payment
system meaning students use a pin number
linked to their account to pay for their meals
rather than using cash.
Our website has examples
of the menus.
Page 17

Once again the Year 9’s have shown their
dominance and sporting ability within the city.
The team have won the Coventry Schools’
Cricket Cup for a 3rd successive year, with an
impressive victory over a strong Finham side.
Their coach, Mr Williams, said “They have
made me and the school extremely proud and
I would like to congratulate the boys for their
fantastic achievement.”
The Year 9 cricket team are: Taylor Thornton
(Captain), Will Hawker, Kieran Holland, Tom
Keay, Oliver Eames, Tom Parker, Hayden Miller,
Ryan Woodward, Jack Sargeant, Connor Kirby,
Spencer Sawbridge, Josh Duffield-Harding and
Ryan Johns.
Welcome to th
Woodlands Academy
Year 9 cricket champions
Welcome to the new Year 7’s
In July over one hundred excited Year 6 students came through the Woodlands Academy gates to spend their first day at their
new secondary school. The day was full of fun activities such as music, drama, science and technology.
The new students met their Learning Leaders, their tutor and other students in the House for the first time and made friends
with students from other primary schools whom they have never met.
Each student got to take home a keyring which they made in technology and they were presented with their House tie.
During the day the Year 6 students were assisted in all of the activities by Head Boys, prefects and the newly-trained Peer
Mentors who themselves were visiting the school for the first time just 12 months ago.
Dr Harris said “It was brilliant to see so many happy Year 6’s as I walked around the lessons during the day. It’s great that so
many students have chosen to come to Woodlands Academy and we are looking forward to seeing them in September”.
There are lots of photos from the Year 6 Induction Day on our website.
Page 18

e new Year 7’s
Issue 23 September 2015
Fun in the rain at Rough Close
Despite the rain, the Year 7’s had a great time camping at Rough Close during Activities Week.
Camp organiser Mr Berridge had arranged a fun-packed few days with activities such as
campfire lighting, shelter building, nature trail, physical-training and sports activities.
After three days of activities the students returned home tired and with a bag full of wet,
dirty clothes!
More photos from the camping trip can be seen on our website.
Sports Day
The final sporting event of the year was Sports Day. Spectators cheered on the teams of students as they competed against
each other for one of the most coveted awards of them all - The Sports Day Trophy.
This year’s Sports Day champions were McLachlan House, who also won the Inter-House Trophy. Well done to all of the
sporting and academic superstars!
Lots of
Sports
Day
photos
are
on
our
website.
Page 19

Woodlands Academy
Why choose Woodlands Academy?
1. Woodlands Academy students make better academic progress than students nationally.
2. Unique, friendly, inspiring and nurturing family atmosphere and a sense of community.
3. Excellent facilities set in 52 acres of green-field environment.
4. We have traditional values with future aspirations.
5. Excellent relationships between staff and the students.
An Open Morning with a difference!
Saturday 26 th September 2015
9.30 a.m. until 12.30 p.m.
Speak to staff whilst having a tour of the school with our Student Guides
Bouncy Castle
Food Tasting
Ice-Cream Van
Face Painting
Friday 2nd October 2015
Open Morning
On this morning you will be able to see a House Assembly (at 8.40 a.m.) and take a
tour of the school from 9.00 a.m. until 10.30 a.m.
If you cannot make it in time to see the House Assembly, please feel free to arrive
any time between 9.00 and 9.30 a.m.
If you, or someone you know, is interested in their son having a place at Woodlands Academy in September 2016,
please contact Julie Curtis on 02476 427674 or email julie.curtis@woodlands.coventry.sch.uk.
Woodlands Academy, Broad Lane, Coventry, CV5 7FF. Tel : 02476 462634
Email : thewoodlands@woodlands.coventry.sch.uk Website : www.woodlands.coventry.sch.uk