Contents

April 2017
Contents
Headteacher
World Book Day
Science Week
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Technology Week Page 5
SGT
Page 9
Heads of House, Charity Week 2017
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SKI TRIP, February 2017
Message from Mr Samra
This term, staff have
continued to work with
parents and governors in
creating a unique learning
environment at Southam
College. An environment
within which students have
been challenged,
supported, and inspired
both academically and
through their participation
in extracurricular activities.
Hundreds of students have
sat pre-public examinations
and are now responding to
the feedback teachers have
provided them. As we move
to a challenging new
examination system where
coursework will be removed,
it is vital that students have
the skills to be able to show
their knowledge and
understanding in linear
examinations.
Students have also been
engaged in a huge number of
extracurricular activities. This
has included a vast range of
sporting events and
residential visits. I am
extremely grateful to staff for
giving up their weekends and
evenings to provide the
students with such wonderful
memorable experiences.
The term has also seen a
very exciting Science and
Technology week. Although
many students loved the
annual visit of snakes to the
school, this is one activity
that I am always happy to
watch rather than participate
in! Southam’s Got Talent
grows in popularity every
year and congratulations to
all the acts who were once
again amazing. Charity week
showed how wonderfully
caring our students are and
how they will always go the
extra mile to support others.
In conclusion, we have had
another wonderful and happy
half term and I wish you all a
lovely Easter. For those of
you sitting GCSE and ‘A’
level examinations remember
to put the hard work in now, it
will be worth it in August!
Mr Samra, Head teacher
Girls’ Uniform Reminder
For students wearing trousers please remember that school trousers must be full length, this means that
the trousers will meet the shoes when standing. No exposed zips or series of buttons are allowed and
trousers may not be skinny/slim fit or cropped. We appreciate your support in maintaining the high
standards of uniform that we regularly see across the school.
Chewing Gum
Please be aware that chewing gum is not allowed in school, we are proud of the school environment and
how this is maintained by all that use it. Chewing gum can cause damage to equipment and has a
2

World Book Day 2017
This year's World Book
Day was another exciting
day where Southam
College seemed to have
been taken over by literary
characters. There was a
whole range of activities
going on, all encouraging
reading and having fun
with stories.
Students had fun trying to
guess which of their
favourite characters teachers
were dressed up as, with
Sherlock and Watson,
Katniss Everdeen and a trio
of pirates turning up instead
of English teachers and the
Heads of House
transforming into characters
from Wonderland including
Alice herself, The White
Rabbit, The Mad Hatter and
The Queen of Hearts!
Meanwhile in the library
there was a comic making
workshop at lunch time so
students could produce their
own stories along with a
book quiz to put their
knowledge to the test! There
were some fabulous comics
made including one about
the success of World Book
Day and another starring Ms
Coleby as the World Book
Day superhero – The Book
Mark – defending books
from peril and finding the
right book for people
everywhere! 8A3 seized the
chance to choose a mystery
book by just its first line, to
challenge themselves to
something new to read and
many discovered something
they never would have
chosen from the cover
alone.
We saw the launch of the
Extreme Reading
competition which over thirty
students entered, sharing
photos of themselves
reading in a whole range of
exciting and creative
locations, from speed boats
to backstage at Southam’s
Got Talent proving there’s
always time to read!
Ski Trip 2017
In February half term, forty three students and six staff
made the long journey to the beautiful Austrian Alps for the
annual ski trip. All four groups had excellent instructors that
developed the skiing ability of all. Towards the end of the
week we had fabulous conditions with loads of powder and
sun. On the final day all groups took part in a slalom race
and enjoyed their final day on skis, we celebrated a great
trip with a lunch stop 3,000 metres high at the highest point
in Salzburg. All students have made excellent progress and
have done themselves proud. Thank you to all the students,
parents and staff for making the trip such a superb
memorable experience.

Science Week 2017
This year in Science
Week we had a variety of
activities. On Monday it
was animal handling,
where Mr Eltringham
brought in some of his own
pets to show students
along with the schools’
animals. On Tuesday the
students were able to see a
cow’s lungs, liver and heart
be dissected as well as
having a go themselves.
Wednesday saw the
houses battling it out in an
engineering competition to
make the best water
rocket. Thursday was a
chance for the staff to
show off some of their
favourite experiments and
on Friday the students
were able to walk on a
paddling pool full of
custard!
Thank you to everyone
that helped out with
Science Week and to
everyone that got involved!
Mr Etheridge
6

Sixth Form Art Trip to New York
In February we flew to New York from London. When we got into the city we went to the
hotel and then went straight to the subway to go to the Roosevelt tramway. The tramway
took us to Roosevelt Island. After this we spent our first night in Times Square, it was like
a dream. The next day was so warm and sunny, we couldn’t have had better weather for
this day as we went to the majority of the tourist sites this day. First off we got the ferry to
Liberty Island. Seeing the Statue of Liberty for the first time was amazing. The statue, the
island and the views were all stunning. Seeing the New York skyline from the island was
insane. After this we went to the financial district. Here we saw the 9/11 memorial, the
new World Trade Centre, and also the Oculus Train station. We then walked through
Brooklyn and went to China town for lunch. This was a hilarious experience as not many
people speak English, but you do feel like you have walked into China. In the evening we
visited Brooklyn Bridge. It was breathtaking seeing the skyline being lit up by all of the
individual lights. We went into Little Italy for dinner this night to celebrate the birthdays
that occurred on the trip and to have a group meal together. Overnight snow took over
New York and we woke up to a blanket of snow covering the city. As the day went on it
continued to snow and it got thicker, at one point it was ankle deep. We went into Central
Park and had a snowball fight. We then walked to Soho. We got some free time to go
shopping here. Before Soho we made a quick stop off on 6th Avenue so Mr V could go to
Dave's, his favourite. In the evening we had more free time to spend in Time Square. On
our last full day in here we visited Grand Central Station on our way to the MoMA. The
collection within the MoMA is so vast, but my favourite piece was Van Gogh's “Starry Night”. After visiting the MoMA we walked
along the High Line. But because of the snow, not all of it was open so we spent the afternoon in Chelsea where we could find
lunch or go to some of the independent art galleries that were near by. Later that afternoon we went back to central New York
and walked to Rockefeller Centre, where we went to the Top Of The Rock. Looking over the city was breathtaking. As it was late
afternoon we were there whilst the sun set. From the top you can look over Central Park, see the Chrysler Building, the Empire
State and other landmarks. As this was our last night in New York we spent the evening in Times Square. We made the most of
this evening and did some shopping and had our last dinner. The next morning we went to the Guggenheim. Whilst the
collection here wasn't as large as the one in the MoMA, the variety of the pieces was huge. There was also a new exhibition on
called “Tales of Our Time” which was an exhibition of Chinese artists, this was my favourite exhibition form both galleries. There
was so much variety of work and culture within the exhibition. After our morning at the Guggenheim we went back to Times
Square to get some lunch before we flew home. This trip was such an amazing opportunity and the whole trip was surreal, I
would recommend it to everyone. I know I will definitely never forget it. Ellen, Year 13
Technology Week 2017
This year was the first time at Southam College we have celebrated
Technology as part of National STEM week and wow did it deliver!
Throughout the week we have had different local companies coming in
to school delivering sessions on careers and workshops on developing
creative skills. When working with Stratford College textiles students
were given the theme of 'paper fashion' the Textiles students had 30
minutes to create a garment like structure for the catwalk with some
excellent results. The JLR Construction team had 50 year 10 students
working on creating structures and testing those structures using
weights, this led to a very competitive atmosphere that encouraged
students to be experimental. Sytner BMW brought in the hybrid i8, i3
and Mini Cooper Sport gaining real excitement from the students whilst
being given the information on how each car has been made and
career opportunities within Sytner. Food Technology had some exciting
experiments going on linking with science in order to do yeast testing
and creating different sauces. A massive well done to all the students
who took part in the week.

Year 11
Whitemoor Lakes Trip
Southam College returned to Whitemoor lakes for
another successful high attainers weekend.
Students were immersed in studies on English,
Maths and Science as well as core revision
strategies and techniques. Over the course of the
weekend students also got to take part in many fun
and engaging activities from zip wiring to canoeing.
The students were absolutely fantastic and great
fun was had by all!
We will look forward to returning next year
Mrs Godfrey
Careers Fair
2017
Southam College held its
annual Careers Fair where
over 40 exhibitors from local
employers, colleges, training
providers and universities
attended.
Students and parents were
able to research education,
employment and
apprenticeship opportunities.
Southam College would like to
thank everyone who attended
and made the event a great
success.
Foreign Language Spelling Bee
Congratulations to Poppy, Ethan and Alana who
competed in the regional final of the Foreign Language
Spelling Bee. They reached the final 53 out of over
6500 students!
8

Whittle
are the Best!
Whittle
are the Best!
Charity Week
3 - 7 APRIL
Charity Week 2017
Charity Week has been the highlight of the year so far for the Heads of House. The Southam
spirit really came to the fore with everyone making a contribution in some way; running stalls
and sporting events, completing sponsored silences as well as a whole school raffle and a
twenty four hour netball event. A big thanks must go to all those who got involved; teachers,
parents, the local businesses of Southam who kindly donated raffle prizes and of course our
wonderful students. All of the hard work and donations will go towards the fantastic charity
Crohn's and Colitis UK, as voted for by Southam students. This is a such a superb charity
and we are very proud to have supported them.
4

Southam’s Got
Talent
Park Lane Monopoly
The superb Year 9 band Park Lane
took their chance and swept to a
popular victory at Southam's Got
Talent 2017. Impressive lead singer
Lucas Evans was well supported by
drummer Matt Baker and guitarists
Seb Priest and Ruairidh Macleod, as
they brought the house down with the
rendition of Take Me Out! They were
pushed hard by sensational gymnast
Hayden Clamp whose action packed
routine contained a straight back
somersault with full twist. Third place
was shared between the beautiful
harmonies of Maisie White and Molly
Versey and the expressive voice and
piano playing of Liberty Walton.
It was a real community chest of an
evening with thirty-five acts performing
superbly to entertain a captivated
audience! With over seventy students
performing it was an evening that
made you appreciate how fabulous
Southam College students are. A
significant characteristic of the
evening was the incredible support
the students offered each other.
Another re-occurring theme was the
dedication to practice shown by the
students, to make the most of their
talents and ensure outstanding
performances. The Sports Acro/
Dance group 'Pink Ladies' typified this
with lunchtime practices taking place
in the gym on a daily basis for weeks!
Georgia Smith was given particular
praise for her brilliant dance
performance and the resilience she
had shown in bouncing back from an
unsuccessful audition the previous
years to become one of the top acts of
the night.
We did get out of jail on the first night
when a power failure backstage with
just two minutes to we pass go.
Thankfully, some swift action led to the
fantastic student technical crew being
able to put on two fabulous nights of
excellent lighting, sound and prop
changes. The team is led by Year 10
Andrew Montague, whose
outstanding commitment ensures the
technical side of the show is
professionally delivered. He is
fabulously supported by Ollie Stuart,
Tommy Cole, Emma Grier, Joel
Hassell, Luke Chambers and Hugh
Cave.
It was great to know that staff,
students and parents left the school,
went down Welsh Road West and
onto Coventry Street with huge smiles
on their faces.
45

Sports News
Warwickshire Schools County Tournament
March 11th - Southam College girls rugby teams played in the Warwickshire Schools County Tournament. The girls
had a fantastic evening competing against the other schools.
The under 13 team have improved drastically over the last few months and came out today fighting. Defensively
Corla Moses, Olivia Constable and Poppy Lummis were strong and powerful through their tackles. The girls were
assisted by Niamh Purnell and Shona Thorburn whose pace enabled the girls to score vital tries in the games.
Brilliant debuts from Connie and Andrea Parker.
The under 15 team were in a real tough competition as girls were trying to win but also to impress the midlands
scout. The girls played well winning 2, drawing 1 and losing 2 but all games were very close. Izzie Hannay and Aoife
Williams showed their pace scoring all of the teams tries throughout the evening. Huge tackles were made from Ruby
Cole, Melania Michniewska and Larissa Hurt kept the game competitive.
The scout was super impressed with the girls but especially the performances by Izzie Hannay, Larissa Hurt, Aoife
Williams and Ruby Cole suggesting they take the sport further in the future.
The improvement since the first training session is unbelievable and myself and Mr Eaton were very proud of you.
Well done, Miss Warman and Mr Eaton
PGL NETBALL TOUR
Player of the tournament:
Y8 - Olivia Constable, Y9 - Cerys James, Y10 - Jodie Stevens
Most valuable player - Madison Smith
We took thirty one students across on
a netball filled weekend in Liddington. It
was a fantastic trip from start to finish
with all of the fun filled activities and of
course the netball itself. After such a
successful trip last year this years
cohort had a lot to live up, however the
girls excelled themselves.
All three teams managed to progress
from the group stages in their ages
groups with the year 9 team finishing
joint top after day one. On the Sunday
the teams made it to the semi finals,
the year 10s battled hard but lost to the
overall winners by five. The year 9s had
a similar story facing the overall
winners and narrowly missing out.
Finally the year 8 semifinal had to go to
extra time but unfortunately the
Southam girls missed out by one goal.
However it did mean three bronze
medals for the girls.
10

England Call Up!
Maria Timms has been called up to the
England U15 Squad to face Belgium in
April. She will spend five days in
Belgium training and playing. Maria is
14 and her dominant performances
have led to Southam College reaching
the final of the County Cup. Maria
scored four goals in the semi-final!
She currently plays for Birmingham City
Ladies U16's as a defender. She has
previously played for Aston Villa U13's
and U15's and attended training
sessions at St George's Park and a
Regional Camp at Lilleshall National
Sports Centre. Maria is on the FA Girls
England Talent Pathway through the
Birmingham City Ladies Regional Talent
Club.
Well Done Callum!
This weekend Callum Beale was awarded the Hovercraft
Club of Great Britain award for Driver of the Year and the
Martyn Scott Trophy for having a passion for hovercraft, as
well as his National Championship trophies for Formula
503, Formula 2 Open and Open Overall categories.
Well done Callum, Southam College is very proud of you!
Schools Orienteering Championships
Congratulations to all the students who took part in the Octavian Droobers Schools Orienteering
Championships at the War Memorial Park, Coventry.
For many it was their first experience of an Orienteering competition, and they did very well. Our top
finishers in the Lower School Boys Competition Jacob Watson finished 4th, with Charlie Parsons 7th and
Joe Quinney 8th. Alice Parsons finished 4th in the Girls Competition. Our team also secured second place
in the Schools Team Competition!
Very well done again to everyone that competed and hopefully we'll be able to get a full team out again for
the up and coming West Midlands School Championships on the 13th May.
10 11