Parents-Information-Handbook-2016-2017

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Section 4 - Life Beyond the Classroom
Science Awards, English Related Activities and Media
Top of the Bench
Top of the Bench is a national competition run by the RSC (Royal Society of Chemistry) for Year 9, 10
and 11 students. The competition begins with a quiz and lab activity, run by RSC Local Sections, to select
a team to represent the section in the UK final the following year.
Bill Bryson prize for Science Communication
The Bill Bryson prize for Science Communication is another national competition run by the RSC, in
which students present their ideas on a specific theme.
Chemistry Olympiad
The Chemistry Olympiad, another RSC competition, is a challenging written test of chemical knowledge,
in which Gold, Silver and Bronze certificates are awarded to high-scoring students.
English Related Activities
Beyond the classroom, there are opportunities for pupils to enjoy a range of subject-related activities.
Theatre trips play a significant part in the life of the English Department, and pupils are also given the
chance to take part in workshops given by outside speakers and theatre groups.
Debating is an increasingly popular activity and a lively debate group meets once a week. For those
interested in Public Speaking, there is an opportunity to develop associated skills.
Reading groups for all year groups are available at lunchtimes and are supported by enthusiastic staff
members; the Carnegie Shadowing Group is particularly popular. In addition, creative writing is
encouraged through internal and external competitions. Several of our students have enjoyed seeing their
work in print.
Media
The Media Department organises a very popular and successful Film Club for Years 7-13, where students
watch cult films of different genres and then take part in lively debate about them. Further to this, the
weekly Games Knight club attracts a committed group of board game enthusiasts. The Media Department
also co-ordinates a group of School photographers drawn from students in Years 12-13. These students
assist with the photographic recording of the various aspects of School year including sport, drama,
music, House events and whole School events. Many of these photographs are used in School
publications or are put on the School website to celebrate student achievement and record events. The
department also runs a Young Photographers’ Club which introduces Years 7-9 to key photography and
photo editing skills.
The highlight of the Media Studies calendar is the Ratcliffe College ‘Night at the Oscars’. Academic
coursework for GCSE, AS and A2 Level is nominated for a category award which is presented at an
Oscar’s style ceremony. The Media Mastermind House Competition is a further annual event, which is
highly popular with students who seek to pit their film knowledge against their opponents.
Section 4 - English Related Activities and Media - Senior School