PRIMARy NEWS - Kettering Science Academy

m 

under the 

croscope 

Term 2 Newsletter 2012 Issue Thirteen 

The Spirit of KSA 

Achievement, Collaboration and Leadership 

– KSA’s mantra sums up the last two terms 

perfectly with pupils showing great team 

spirit during a very productive and successful 

four months. 

There have been lots of firsts since September 

– the first lessons in the new building, the 

first KSA Fun Run, the first head boy and girl 

in Primary, the first Christingle service and a 

particular highlight, the first whole-academy 

sponsored walk. 

Around 1,600 pupils and staff took part in the 

walk for Cransley Hospice and the hospice’s 

fundraiser, Diana Patrick, was amazed when she 

learnt the amount raised – more than £13,000 

with Gift Aid. Principal Martin Campbell said: 

“I would like to congratulate all the pupils 

and staff who completed the walk and raised 

such a significant sum of money. The walk 

was organised to raise awareness and money 

for a local charity who contribute so much to 

our community.” 

Our pupils – from Nursery right through to 

Sixth Form – have done us incredibly proud in 

the way they have embraced Academy events 

and charity fundraising, with many older pupils 

taking on leadership roles. 

They also showed the utmost respect during 

our special Remembrance assemblies (pictured) 

Remembrance 

when each secondary house captain and vicecaptain 

laid a petal to form a giant wreath. 

There have been lots of firsts in the classroom 

too – all Sixth Formers using iPads for their 

studies, economics taught at GCSE level for the 

first time and links made with SATRA Technology 

Centre. Another first was a visit by French 

and German students through the Comenius 

programme, which gave our host pupils and 

their families the chance to gain a greater 

understanding of other cultures. 

A special mention must also go to our 

Year 11 basketball team who won the 

league and district tournament and are 

undefeated in 2 years. 

In Primary, more leadership roles have been 

introduced including the Young Leaders 

scheme, junior librarians and 

house captains. 

With so much already 

under way, we look 

forward to seeing 

what the rest 

of the year brings. 

Fun Run 

Sponsored Walk 

1

2 

KETTERINg SCIENCE ACAdEMy 

These first two terms 

across both Primary 

and Secondary 

phases have been 

extremely busy. We 

are currently in phase two of the building project 

with the old building being demolished and 

refurbishment of the Primary phase continuing. 

The last phase – landscaping, car parking and 

outside court construction – should be complete 

by early March. 

After a busy summer of works in the Primary 

phase, the children returned to a much improved 

space, if maybe just a little unfinished in places. 

We would like to thank you for your continued 

support as we await the final works such as car 

parking and playgrounds. The children have 

returned with a real sense of commitment and 

composure. The whole Primary phase feels 

incredibly calm and purposeful. The children 

are working hard and very much enjoying our 

new maths scheme, Maths Makes Sense, which 

develops their maths skills in a practical way. 

This term we have begun our special Friday 

enrichment curriculum. The children have had 

a variety of experiences from drama to cookery 

with the Academy’s Catering Manager and from 

Zumba to French with some of the Secondary 

French teachers. Each term the children will 

rotate groups allowing them to experience a real 

breadth of activities. 

In the Secondary phase the move into the new 

build was successful and teaching began on time 

in September. Since then there have been a 

number of events to show off the new building 

to parents and the community. We have held 

a parents’ welcome evening for all year groups 

together with a celebration evening for the 

past Year 11 pupils, many of whom are still 

with us in the Sixth Form. We held a successful 

community evening where members of the 

public were invited to have a look around and we 

were pleased to see the Mayor, Councillor Jim 

Hakewill, in attendance. We have held opening 

events for the art work projects and have shown 

LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPAL 

dear All 

around many guests and those who played a 

part in designing and building the new Academy. 

Perhaps the largest attended event was the 

open evening for Year 6 parents and pupils, with 

well over 900 people attending. Throughout the 

week of tours we estimate that there were more 

than 1,200 people looking at the Academy as a 

possible school for their children. 

What was particularly pleasing were the many 

positive comments made by parents and the 

community about the young pupils, mainly from 

Year 11, who escorted and showed them around 

the building. I would like to say a massive thank 

you to all the student ambassadors who gave up 

their time on numerous evenings to represent 

the Academy – you did a magnificent job! 

In addition to evening events, there have also 

been a number of charity events which have 

generated a huge sum of money for different 

causes. The main event was the sponsored walk 

(below) where together we estimate that 1,500 

pupils and staff walked an average of 4 miles, so 

6,000 in total, to raise a magnificent £13,146 for 

Cransley Hospice. We also held the fun run, cake 

sales and Children in Need day which, taken all 

together, puts KSA as raising almost £16,000 for 

different charities. Thank you and well done! 

I have conducted, across both phases, a 

number of assemblies this term but 

would like to mention just 

one. I recently talked to 

the pupils about what 

the word loyalty 

meant and about 

what it means 

to be loyal. I 

spoke about 

leaders 

being loyal 

to those 

they lead 

in the 

face of 

difficulty 

and that 

THANK yOU KSA 

Thank You Letter from Reverend Dr John Smith – Patron, Cransley Hospice. 

Dear Mr Campbell, 

I still have a sense of amazement that a school, the 

school of which you are the Head, could walk and 

raise money for Cransley Hospice. And it was not 

just a few pupils who walked but the entire school, 

thus my amazement. 

I understand that the money raised so far amounts to a 

massive £13,146,including Gift Aid and for that we and 

our patients and their families are extremely grateful. 

But it is not just the money because I know that the 

school has informed itself of the work that the Hospice 

does and why it does it. My hope is that the pupils will 

carry what they have done and what they have leant 

into their lives in the future. 

Thank you 

Yours sincerely 

Reverend Dr John Smith 

loyalty is something which, if given, is repaid, 

twice over. I spoke about the need to remain 

loyal and that true loyalty is only seen when 

things are difficult and people face challenges. 

I reminded them that great leaders have a loyal 

following because they pride themselves on 

treating people with respect and dignity. I asked 

that when they become leaders they remember 

that they will only be able to lead if they have 

loyal people willing to follow and that fear never 

ever breeds loyalty. 

The Remembrance Day service was also 

something I would like to highlight as a 

particularly important part of this term and 

one which follows on the theme of loyalty. 

After a small speech the house captains and 

vice captains each laid a petal of a poppy 

around the central black circle. A piper then 

played ‘Flowers of the Forest’, the piper’s 

lament, which resonated around the central 

area. It was a poignant moment and one which 

I hope all pupils will remember. 

As this busy term draws to a close I would like 

to wish you all a very happy Christmas and a 

peaceful New Year. 

Martin Campbell – Principal 

Issue Thirteen • Under the Microscope

KSA TERM dATES 

Term 2 

Friday 21st December 2012 Last day of term 

Term 3 

Monday 7th January 2013 Re-open to students 

Friday 8th February 2013 Last day of Term 

Term 4 

Monday 18th February 2013 Re-open to students 

Wednesday 27th March 2013 Last day of term 

Thursday 28th March 2013 Teacher Training Day 

Term 5 

Monday 15th April 2013 Re-open to students 

Monday 6th May 2013 Academy closed May Day 

Thursday 23rd May 2013 Last day of term 

Friday 24th May 2013 Teacher Training Day 

Term 6 

Monday 3rd June 2013 Re-open to students 

Friday 19th July 2013 Last day of term 

Important Information about Child Benefit 

Parents should be aware that their child benefit will 

stop if their child is not in education or learning. 

Under the present law, the school leaving age is 16. 

After 2013, the education leaving age will rise to 17 

and from 2015 it will rise again to 18. This means 

that this year’s Year 11 pupils (2012-13) must stay in 

education or training until the end of the academic 

year they are 17. 

Research has shown that young people who carry 

on learning or training until the age of 18 earn more 

money, are less likely to be in trouble with the police 

and are likely to healthier. 

does this mean that students need 

to stay on at school? 

No. There are different interpretations of what 

counts as ‘staying in learning’ 

• Full time education. This can be in school or 

college or educated at home 

• Work based learning. This can be with an 

employer or training provider. For example, 

apprenticeships 

English teacher Andrea Bodnar is saying farewell to 

KSA and moving to Melbourne, Australia. 

Miss Bodnar moved to England from Canada and 

started at KSA when it became an academy in 2009. 

She said: “It was a good time to start because I 

was learning as everyone else was – it was quite 

a challenge to come from another country but the 

English department has been so supportive. 

“I have had the same form group since then and I 

have really grown to love them and enjoy spending 

time with them. 

ACAdEMy INFORMATION 

• Part – time education or training. They will need 

to be employed, self employed or volunteering for 

more than 20 hours a week 

• Starting their own business. 

Implications for parents 

• Young people cannot leave school without an 

identified learning pathway 

• Child benefit will continue whilst the young person 

is in learning 

• Benefits will stop the first Monday in September if 

a child is not in some form of education or training 

• Some vocational training may start later at age 17 

and continue longer 

• The Academy will continue to monitor the 

young person’s destination after they have 

left the Academy. 

TimelyAdvice Ltd, a team of independent careers 

consultants, is working with the Brooke Weston 

Trust to offer guidance to all leavers. 

See page 24 for more details. 

Miss Bodnar Says goodbye 

“I want to thank KSA for giving me an opportunity 

to grow as a teacher. I have learned 

so much from working here 

and I will miss being 

part of it.” 

Miss Bodnar, who 

is also a drama 

teacher, has also 

been involved 

in many of the 

Academy’s shows. 

Contents 

House Pages 4-5 

Academy Events 6-7 

Primary News 8-9 

Nursery & Reception 10 

Years 1-3 11 

Years 4-6 12 

Art, Music & Industrial Design 13 

Communications 14 

Maths & I.T. 15 

Science 16 

Ethics, Humanities & Business 17 

P.E. 18 

Sixth Form 19 

Library 20-21 

Academy News 22-23 

KSA Open Day 24 

Follow KSA on 

Twitter 

KSA is now on Twitter so follow @KSAcademy1 

for the latest news and events. 

The Academy will use Twitter to inform parents 

and the wider community of events and to 

share the achievements of our pupils through 

our news stories. 

It is a broadcast account only so if you need to 

contact the Academy, please continue to use 

the normal channels (phone or email). 

Under the Microscope • Issue Thirteen 3

4 

HOUSE NEWS 

Sanger’s charity rep, 

Jospin Sebastian-Ramesh, 

has been coming up with 

lots of fundraising ideas 

Sanger for her house this term. 

She was also one of the 

pupils who played a key role in the Academy’s 

sponsored walk for Cransley Hospice. 

As well as collecting loose change in sweet 

tubes for Macmillan, the house also launched 

Get Sanger Reading as part of the Academy’s 

literacy focus. This saw pupils bringing in 

newspapers, magazines 

and books which they 

spent time reading 

during CAPS. When 

they were finished with 

the magazines and 

newspapers, each form 

had to create an outfit 

from the material, with 

some creative designs 

on show. 

Right: House Captain Mason 

Hoath and Vice Captain 

Sonam Seroye 

da Vinci has been busy 

creating a KSA calendar to 

raise funds for its charity, 

KidsAid. Each form has 

Da Vinci been given a month and 

they have to come up with 

a theme that fits with the Academy’s motto 

of Achievement, Collaboration, Leadership. 

There will be a suggested task for each month 

such as doing something to help others or to 

develop a skill. 

da Vinci has also been running inter-form 

competitions to mark national events, such as 

National Poetry Day and National Peace Day. 

Hawking house across 

both phases came 

together for Primary’s 

Hawking Christmas fair this 

term, with older and 

younger pupils linking 

up to sell cupcakes and help out at the fair on 

December 8th. Charity reps Megan Marshall 

and Reade Barnes have been working closely 

with Hawking in Primary. In addition, Jess 

Mutton (pictured right), of Hawking 3, put 

together a quiz in her own time and sold 

it to raise funds for the house’s nominated 

charities, Pseudomyxoma Survivors and 

Marie Curie. On December 13th, Hawking 

members from primary visited secondary to 

sing carols in assembly. 

House Captain Charlie Massie 

and Vice Captain Jake Clark 

Above: House Captain 

Josh Clubley and Vice 

Captain Darcy Dixon 

Right: Jess Mutton with 

her quiz 

Socrates is now 

fundraising for a new 

charity, as suggested 

by Curtis Mason. All 

Socrates proceeds will now go 

to Always a Chance, 

a charity set up by the family and friends 

of James Cooper and James Kouzaris, who 

were shot dead in Florida on 2011. The 

aim of the charity is to work with young 

people who are at risk of getting involved 

in violent crime. Socrates made Always a 

Chance its nominated charity after hearing 

presentations by Sixth Formers about 

a number of charities. It started with a 

collection of 20p pieces in Smarties tubes, 

which raised £110. Mr Haywood’s class 

raised the most with £24.40. 

This term marked Socrates’ fundraising 

week and the house took advantage of the 

footfall through the Academy on parents’ 

evening by holding a cake sale and guess 

the name of the teddy. 

Socrates also marked National Anti- 

Bullying Week by 

holding a competition 

for the best poster or 

poem. 

Right: House Captain 

Charlie Bonel and Vice 

Captain Georgia Clarke 

A fundraising drive by 

Franklin saw pupils 

collect £67 through a 

money box challenge. 

Franklin Each form was given a 

children’s money box 

which they had to fill with loose change, 

with Franklin 4 collecting the most. The 

money will go to Bliss, a charity which helps 

premature babies. 

House Captain Abi Kapur and 

Vice Captain Tom Martins 


HOUSE NEWS 

House Captains Ready to Lead the Way 

A group of Year 6 pupils have been nominated 

for the role of House Captains thanks to their 

attitude and effort in school. 

A boy and girl have been selected to represent 

each of the Houses – many of them applied for 

House Captain in Primary: 

Socrates 

Taylor Weatherley Owen Patrick 

Sanger 

Harrison Andrews Jade Darby 

the positions of Head Boy and Head Girl and 

such was the strength of their applications, 

staff wanted to get them involved in school life 

in some way. They have been visited by their 

counterparts from the Secondary phase to learn 

Hawking 

Ryan Cross Manuela Entiriwaa 

da Vinci 

Lewis Singh Laya Turnbull 

KSA decorate 

Tree for Winter 

Wonderland 

The Academy got involved in Kettering’s 

festive celebrations by decorating a tree for 

the Winter Wonderland in Market Place. 

Each house produced items for the tree, 

which is now on display in the building next 

to Prezzo. The Winter Wonderland, which has 

been organised by Kettering Borough Council, 

will be open over the Christmas period from 

3.30pm-6.30pm during the week and 

11am-3.30pm on Saturdays. 

On 20th and 21st December it will be open 

from 11am-6.30pm so why not pay a visit to 

see KSA’s contribution? 

more about what the role involves. 

The House Captains will help to organise 

assemblies as well as being involved in some 

decision-making in school. 

Franklin 

Kyle McQueen Leah Cotton 

House Hampers 

Pupils showed their community spirit 

once again by donating food for Christmas 

hampers to be distributed to the elderly. 

Each form was given a box to fill which will 

then be delivered to the Four Seasons Day 

Centre in Kettering. 

Thanks to all families who made a donation. 


6 

ACAdEMy EVENTS 

WHOLE-ACADEMy WALK RAISES MORE THAN 

£13,000 for Cransley Hospice 

KSA’s first whole-academy walk raised more than 

£13,000 for Cransley Hospice – smashing the 

original target of £5,000. 

Secondary pupils walked a six-mile route 

around Kettering while Primary children either 

completed laps of the sports field or a walk 

to Wicksteed Park. The event on Friday 19th 

October – coupled with a trial walk in July 

and mufti donations – raised £13,146, 

including Gift Aid. 

Year 7 pupil Joe Watson (pictured) raised 

£320 thanks 

to generous 

donations from 

family friends. 

When Joe 

was five, his 

dad received 

support from the 

palliative team 

Joe raised 

£320 

in the weeks 

before his death 

from a brain 

tumour. Joe said: 

“I didn’t think I would raise even £100 but my 

brother gave me £70 and it just went from 

there. I think the school should do it every 

year because you can help people just by 

walking.” 

James Harris (pictured), in Year 8, also raised 

£320 after his dad took his sponsor form into 

work at IVG White in Burton Latimer. He said: 

“When he told people at work what I was 

doing, he 

found out 

that a lot of 

them have 

had family 

members 

in Cransley 

Hospice. 

I didn’t 

expect to 

raise much 

and I didn’t 

know what 

to say when I realised how much they’d 

sponsored me. I enjoyed doing 

the walk because you know 

you’re helping people 

when they’re at their 

worst point.” 

Shanie Tyrrell was 

another pupil 

who managed to 

raise a substantial 

A Message from Cransley Hospice 

Earlier this year, five pupils visited the hospice to 

find out more about the work that goes on there 

and they later shared what they had learnt with 

the rest of their houses. In assembly, they read 

out an article written by the hospice’s patron, 

Reverend Dr John Smith, which was published in 

the Evening Telegraph: 

“We were sitting in a queue of traffic in 

Deeble Road when we saw hundreds of 

school children, of all ages and dressed in 

mufti, some eccentrically. The older ones 

were clearly looking after the younger ones, 

but what were they doing? And what school 

were they from? 

“The answer came when we saw some 

of them walking past our home in Barton 

Seagrave. They were all walking for Cransley 

Hospice. And the school? Kettering Science 

Academy, the whole school including the very 

young from Year 6 of the junior department. 

“I know one of the objectives would have 

James raised 

£320 

been to raise money through sponsorship 

for the hospice. I say a very, very big thank 

you for that. But I also know that the pupils 

will have become aware of all that Cransley 

is trying to do for the community – caring 

for the very sick and those with difficult 

symptoms and, yes, caring for the dying too. 

“I am glad that a handful of the older 

students have visited Cransley Hospice and 

learnt about how we care for the patients 

and their families and that caring about 

other people and valuing them as individuals 

is one of the most important things that we 

do. In a society that often seems to shout, 

“me, me, me” it is good to know that the 

opposite is true, “you, you, you, it’s all 

about you, not me”. 

“The word hospice literally means a 

resting place on a journey, a journey 

that, in the end, we must all make. The 

students at Kettering Science Academy, 

amount after collecting £210. 

In Primary, the pupils who raised significant 

amounts were Kasie Milne (£106), Harvey 

Haycock (£95) and Vidonia DeJesus (£90). 

Principal Martin Campbell told pupils: “We 

thank you not just for the effort of walking 

but for collecting sponsorship – you should 

be very pleased and proud.” 

Diana Patrick, the hospice’s fundraiser, told 

pupils: “Fundraisers aren’t often stumped 

for words and how do I say thank you for 

this? It’s absolutely amazing. You have 

embraced the hospice and also learnt about 

the work that goes on there, and that’s 

very important. From all the families we’re 

looking after – thank you very much.” 

and all our schools are on a journey too. A 

journey that will have untold possibilities, a 

journey of joy and, at times, intense sadness, 

a journey that is full of wonder, of the life 

that they all have and they will all lead. 

“A school, a walk, a journey, it all fits 

together – a life.” 


CHARITy COMMITTEE’S EFFORTS RAISE 

£1780 for Children in Need 

Fundraising activities organised by KSA’s charity 

committee helped the Academy to collect £1780 

for Children in Need this year. 

Committee chairman Alex York and Elisha Taylor 

organised a whole host of competitions and 

sales, working across both phases to encourage 

pupils to join in. 

Other Sixth Formers lent their support in 

more unusual ways – Ellie Warren and Ethan 

Waterfield volunteered to have sponges thrown 

Primary staff 

at them in the central courtyard, while Jack 

Marlow and Jatinder Singh gritted their teeth to 

have their legs waxed. 

There were also cake sales, a raffle, the sale of 

Pudsey paraphernalia and over in primary, a 

fancy dress competition among other things. 

Alex said: “It’s taught me that charity 

events take a lot of planning but the 

pay back is amazing.” 

Piper’s Lament for 

Remembrance Assemblies 

A piper provided a poignant moment as pupils 

remembered those who have lost their lives in 

past and current conflicts around the world. 

Secondary pupils gathered in the Academy’s 

courtyard where each of the five house captains 

laid a large petal to form a giant poppy around 

the centre spot. Principal Martin Campbell 

reflected on his own experiences in the Army 

and spoke to pupils about the calm before the 

storm of going into battle. He spoke about the 

fear that soldiers experience in the minutes 

leading up to the instruction to advance and 

the bravery it takes to face the gunfire that lies 

ahead. A piper then played a lament as pupils 

reflected on the sacrifices made by both those in 

the military and their families. 

Pupil Rhys Alford said it was a moving assembly 

that gave them the opportunity to think about 

what servicemen and women have to go 

through. He said: “Mr Campbell’s speech was 

very inspirational due to the fact that he’s 

been there and done it. It was good to see 

the school showing its appreciation in this 

way and that the time was taken to do it 

so formally. Everyone was showing respect. 

A lot of people can relate to it if they have 

family members who have gone out and 

fought for us, so it’s only right that we pay 

our respects.” 

An assembly in the primary phase looked at 

what it means to remember something from the 

past – such as birthdays, Christmas and trips – 

and the things which help us remember those 

times. The role of the poppy was then explained 

to pupils as a way of remembering those who 

died. In class, pupils have been learning about 

Remembrance Sunday through poetry, pictures 

and documentaries. 

ACAdEMy EVENTS 

Christmas 

at KSA 

KSA got into the Christmas spirit with 

a Christingle and Christmas Showcase 

this month. 

The Christingle service, led by Revd Dr Rob 

Bewley from Christ the King Church, was 

held around a 17ft Christmas tree in the 

secondary phase courtyard. 

It was followed by a Christmas Showcase 

which gave our budding musicians the 

chance to demonstrate what they have been 

learning during after-school clubs. It also 

featured the KSA choir, a staff performance 

using iPad technology, magic by Jamie 

Docherty, solo performances, readings, and 

dance and drama pieces. 


8 

PRIMARy NEWS 

Head Boy and Head girl Appointed 

The Primary phase has appointed its first 

Head Boy and Head Girl – Dylan Mutebi and 

Maddison Foulke. 

Dylan and Maddison were among 20 children 

who completed application forms for the 

positions, outlining why they wanted the role, 

how they’ve helped the Academy already and 

what they would do in certain situations. They 

were then invited to a short interview where 

they had to talk about their personality and 

give three words they would use to describe 

themselves. 

Shortly afterwards, Dylan and Maddison were 

told the exciting news that they had been 

appointed. 

As part of their roles, they will meet with 

Primary staff, be ambassadors for the Primary 

phase and will be involved in assemblies, such as 

the award ceremonies on Fridays. 

Maddison, who is already a member of the 

school council, said: “I didn’t think I would get 

to this point.” Dylan said he was “excited and 

happy” about becoming Head Boy. 

young Leaders Scheme 

A new Young Leaders scheme will see a group of Year 6 pupils leading activities 

for their peers and also teaching them playground sports. 

The Young Leaders, who were picked because of their efforts and 

achievements in sport, underwent training and will now lead some short 

sessions during PE lessons. They will also teach games during break and lunch 

times to encourage them to take ownership of the activities they run. 


Introduction to French 

Years 1 to 6 have been having two French lessons a week thanks to close working 

between the primary and secondary phases. 

Language teachers Anne Reeve-Mavrommatis and Aine McAllister focus their lessons 

on the curriculum themes of each year group – for instance Year 2’s topic was Stories 

We Tell, so they used a fairytale to teach pupils the French for different animals and 

colours. Mrs Reeve-Mavrommatis and Ms McAllister speak in French when instructing 

pupils to immerse them in the language. As pupils are already learning phonetic sounds in 

English, teaching French words goes hand-in-hand. 

In the run up to Christmas, pupils have been learning a French carol to perform at the Christingle. 

KSA Awarded Primary 

Science Quality Mark 

A focus on the teaching of science has led to 

KSA being awarded a bronze Primary Science 

Quality Mark. 

The scheme, which is run by the Association for 

Science Education and the national network of 

Science Learning Centres, celebrates the quality 

of science teaching and learning. 

The award is the result of KSA’s drive to 

encourage children to 

think about science 

outside the classroom. 

Last summer, primary held a special Science 

Week and looked at things like the science 

behind paper aeroplanes and environmental 

science such as recycling. 

Launch of Junior Librarians Scheme 

Six keen readers have been awarded the title of 

Junior Librarian and will now play an active part 

in the development of the library. 

Jade Darby, Shannon Garnett, Lewis Tassell, 

Alice Hope-Clarke, Amie Njie and Jordan Miles 

applied for the posts and were interviewed by 

Mrs Hughes, Mrs Walker and Heidi, the librarian 

across both phases. They spoke about their 

favourite authors, how to locate a book and what 

they could do to support good behaviour in the 

Early Bird 

Breakfast Club 

The Early Bird Breakfast Club is now open for 

Reception to Year 6 children, from 7.45am to 

8.50am every morning. 

Activities include games, arts and crafts, reading 

and construction, with breakfast included. 

The cost is £3.50 a day which must be paid 

weekly in advance – pick up a registration 

form from reception. 

Children are supervised at all times. 

library. They have been helping out in the library 

during break times and lunchtime, keeping it 

tidy, assisting other pupils and learning how a 

library operates. 


10 

NURSERy: 

getting Creative RECEPTION: 

What To Wear 

In Nursery this term the children have been very busy 

experimenting with the different ways of painting, from bubble 

painting to string painting. They have also been exploring messy 

play which has included cornflour, gelli baff and crazy soap. 

We have been listening to the story of Goldilocks and the Three 

Bears and have been dressing up as the three 

bears to tell the story. We have also been 

filling and emptying porridge oats into 

bowls and comparing their sizes, small, 

medium and large. 

Tracy Sheridan – 

Nursery Manager 

NURSERy & RECEPTION 

Ladybird and Butterfly classes have been 

particularly busy this term learning all 

about clothes. We put on our very special 

clothes and held a fashion show. We made 

some fantastic poses! 

Back in class we made our own hats and 

created sock puppets for our puppet show. 

Lynsey Jones – Reception Teacher 


yEAR 1 

Celebrations 

Year 1 started this term with a bang, literally! Our topic is 

Celebrations so we started by celebrating bonfire night and 

the children got the opportunity to use sparklers. As part of 

our topic we are looking at celebrations worldwide to give 

us experience of other cultures. So far we have celebrated 

Diwali where we made a yummy chutney and created 

diva lamps, travelled across the world to America and 

celebrated Thanksgiving by making a delicious pumpkin pie 

and stayed in the UK where we celebrated Remembrance 

Day and Children In Need! 

To finish our topic we are going to plan and experience 

a wedding! We will be making party food, creating 

invitations, choosing a bride and groom and of course 

having a party – we can’t wait! 

Melissa Warman – Year 1 Teacher 

yEAR 2 

The Magic 

Of Storytelling 

Our topic this term has been The Stories People Tell. 

We have had many guest visitors in to read us their 

favourite story and to tell us why they love it so much. 

In literacy we have been learning about legends. We 

have read the legends of the red and white dragons and 

George and the dragon. We were so inspired we have 

even written our own dragon legends! 

We have also enjoyed the legend of the dream catcher 

and have been busy making our own to keep our bad 

dreams at bay! 

Claire yarland – Year 2 Teacher 

yEAR 3 

A Topic To get 

your Teeth Into 

Year 3 have been studying chocolate and its origins as part of this term’s 

topic. They have looked at the different countries chocolate comes from, 

its Aztec origins and how chocolate is produced. They have created 

their own chocolate bars by adding lots of different ingredients 

and they have rated different chocolate bars. The children have 

also been reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and have 

written about the characters – they even pretended to be 

Charlie and talked about how they would feel if they won the 

Golden Ticket. 

Matthew Jones (pictured far right) even made his own 

chocolate bar at home! 

Richard Hollwey – Year 3 Teacher 

PRIMARy NEWS - yEARS 1-3 

Matthew’s 

chocolate bar 


12 

PRIMARy NEWS - yEARS 4-6 

yEAR 4 

Ancient Egypt 

Year 4 have settled into the new academic year very well and 

have been thoroughly enjoying their topics, especially their 

work on Ancient Egypt. They visited the history museum in 

Birmingham where they saw real Egyptian artefacts, learned about 

mummification and did lots of sketches of the artefacts. They have 

also looked at significant people including William Shakespeare 

and Howard Carter who discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun. 

Kate Jackson – Year 4 Teacher 

yEAR 6 

discovering the World Around Us 

During Term 1, Year 6’s topic was called Go With 

The Flow. Pupils learnt about river courses, 

meanders, river profiles and river speed. They 

had the opportunity to experience this first-hand 

by taking part in a local river study at the River 

Ise in Kettering, then planned their route. Prior 

to this, puils looked at local maps of Kettering 

and located the River Ise and planned their route 

for the river walk based on information from the 

map. This was a very hands-on topic and pupils 

thoroughly enjoyed all activities. 

A ration book cake 

(left) and tank cake 

yEAR 5 

Superheroes – 

Past and Present 

Class 5CW have really been working hard this term and 

especially enjoyed writing about superheroes using adjectives, 

similes and metaphors. The children made up their own 

characters and then used them to write extended stories. 

Another fun activity that they all enjoyed is learning the 

recorder. Miss Reider from secondary teaches us new notes and 

skills each week; it’s very noisy but lots of fun! 

Class 5LT thought about why we have Remembrance Day and 

why we use the poppy to represent it. They studied and wrote 

poems about remembrance. 

Chris Woolhouse – year 5 Teacher 

This term, pupils learnt about World War Two 

and how the world is led. This was an interesting 

topic and many pupils spoke to older family 

members to find out what their experience in 

the war was like. It is amazing how much World 

War Two memorabilia pupils have and how 

eager they were to replicate artefacts. 

Liz Blakeley – Year 6 Teacher 

World War II display 


Art 

Here are some 

fantastic examples 

of artwork by our 

talented pupils. 

Creativity and Innovation 

in Product design 

Sixth Formers studying A Level product design 

have come up with some unique, consumerdriven 

pieces. 

Luke Pennifold designed a space-saving desk 

lamp with a light that can be fixed to different 

areas of a table surface. As part of his 

coursework he had to explore different 

manufacturing techniques and materials 

to show how he would solve the 

problem he had identified. 

Luke is hoping to go on to study 

industrial design and technology 

at university. 

He said: “Doing this A Level has 

really benefitted me because 

universities like to see how 

you generate ideas, how you 

ART, MUSIC & INdUSTRIAL dESIgN 

go through the design process and your 

techniques for drawing. 

“Mr Tara has shown us what standard we 

should aspire to.” 

New Technology… 

Pupils are making full use of the suite of Macs in their 

music lessons, using the latest programmes to compose 

their own ringtones, film music and more. Having such 

technology, alongside the recording studio, has led to 

the development of new courses on offer to pupils, 

such as A Level music technology. 

Pictured: A class using the Garage Band 

programme to come up with their own 

original composition. 

LAUNCH OF 

Engineering 

Course 

Pupils can now gain a GCSE in engineering 

thanks to the introduction of a one-year course. 

Four groups of Year 10 and 11 pupils are now 

studying the subject, which covers mechanics, 

electronics and pneumatics. It includes both 

theory and practical work and will culminate 

with an end of year product. 

DT teacher Dr Nick Guy said: “As an 

engineer, I think it’s very important 

to offer this course because there’s a 

shortage in well-qualified engineers 

with a good understanding of industry. 

“Engineering careers include those 

in the automotive and aerospace 

industries, as well as manufacturing, 

design and the military.” 

Pupil Sam Smith said: “I like practical 

work so I wanted to study engineering. 

It’s been interesting to learn about 

different materials and why they are 

used for certain jobs, and finding out 

how much planning goes into a product 

before it’s made. 

“I would like to go into civil engineering 

to build bridges and houses.” 


14 

COMMUNICATIONS 

Pupils Host French and german 

Students Through Comenius Project 

KSA pupils who are taking part in the 

international Comenius project hosted French 

and German students for a week…and what a 

busy and productive week it was. 

KSA invited over 46 students from Le Portalet 

School in France and Gymnasium Balingen in 

Germany. They stayed with KSA pupils who were 

nominated by staff to take part in the British 

Council scheme. 

During their week here, students paid a visit 

to the historic Holdenby House, took part in 

team-building activities at the Frontier Centre in 

Irchester as part of the leadership through sports 

objective, and spent time with their host families 

on Saturday when many were taken to London. 

On Sunday they competed in the KSA Fun Run 

and on Monday, they sat in on a number of 

classes. The group was also given filming and 

media editing training in preparation for the final 

documentary they are producing. 

French teacher Aine McAllister, who is leading 

the Comenius programme, said: “It’s lovely 

to see the students all getting along 

because that’s what the Comenius 

group Talk Rolled 

Out to Improve 

Language Skills 

A methodology which encourages pupils 

to engage in spontaneous conversation 

in foreign languages has been rolled out 

this term. 

Group talk encourages pupils to speak as 

themselves in a real-life way, rather than 

relying on role play and imaginary situations. 

It was launched last term and now every 

module in each language class has a group 

talk element with a strong literacy focus. 

French teacher Aine McAllister said: “Pupils 

learn to use the language of opinion and 

they become more engaged as they learn 

to express themselves. 

“We record them so they can hear 

themselves and learn together – we 

also use it to look at ways to improve 

group talk.” 

programme is all about. 

“Our pupils were surprised at how easily 

friendships could be made and they gained 

confidence in their own language skills. 

Our host families were so welcoming and 

they went out of their way to give the 

exchange students a good experience. 

I’m very excited about going to France 

in June – our pupils have a new 

confidence about going as a result of 

hosting students themselves.” 

Thomas Wilkins had two German students 

and one French student staying with him. 

He said: “It was crazy at our house: 

we’ve been teaching each other different 

languages and just having fun. You learn 

a lot from the experience, like having the 

confidence to speak to anyone. We will 

definitely stay in touch.” 

Charlie Massie added: “It’s been a really good 

experience and we’re going to miss them.” 

Charlie said she enjoyed the week so much that 

she and other host pupils are hoping to visit 

their German friends during February half term. 

Helping Pupils Make the grade 

The English department has been running after-school group 

sessions to support pupils’ literacy and exam skills. 

The sessions started for Year 11s but have been 

rolled out for years 8 and 9 too. It gives pupils 

the opportunity for small group work to help 

them reach their targets and will focus on 

areas such as planning and structuring 

writing. The sessions are organised 

vertically with a focus on the skills 

required for each level rather than on 

year group. After Christmas years 7 

and 10 will also be targeted. 

Activiscope and Vocab Express 

Pupils are able to use www.activiscope.com to 

learn and revise French and German vocabulary 

at home and in school. Activiscope allows 

pupils to practise vocabulary using a series of 

motivating games. 

Username: ketteri1 

Password: kettering 

Target language 

Pupils will have noticed a difference in French 

and German lessons recently as teachers have 

moved to using a lot more French and German 

for instructions and praise. To encourage the 

pupils’ use of French or German spontaneously 

we have produced laminated target language 

mats including questions the pupils can ask 

In January we will be launching Vocab Express 

which allows pupils to master vocabulary they 

will need. The pupils and teachers will be able 

to track progress. Vocab Express will focus on 

particular words that pupils find difficult and 

help them concentrate on these. 

the teacher, vocabulary they need for playing 

learning games and also words to praise their 

partners’ work. Callum Massie is an early star 

in this respect! 

Stephen Reid – 

Head of Modern Foreign Languages 

New friends 


MATHS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOgy 

The Four Nations Tournament, 

Maths Style 

Students from years 7 to 10 put their 

mathematical skills to the test as they competed 

in the online Four Nations Maths Challenge, 

run by Mathletics. Over 300 students answered 

questions from the curriculum and competed 

directly against other students across the UK 

over two days. 

Senior Maths Team 

On Thursday 29th November, the Senior Maths 

Team travelled to Wendover to compete in the 

2012 Senior Maths Challenge Team competition. 

The team were Christian Dobson, Euan Lindley, 

Extra provision is now available to provide an 

alternative to the mainstream curriculum. 

KSA already works with a number of outside 

agencies and organisations to offer pupils extra 

support where needed. 

A new addition is the Cave project at 

Maplefields, where two of our pupils are 

working towards a City and Guilds level 1 

certificate in construction. In this state-of-theart 

facility, they work in small groups and are 

given a space which they can plaster, brick-lay 

and practise basic plumbing. 

One hundred and 10 students achieved a bronze 

certificate for earning over 1000 points. In 

particular, Adam Doughty in Year 8 amassed a 

staggering 8638 points by answering over 2000 

questions correctly. Five students, Bernard 

Dec (Year 6), Thomas Jawad, Ezri Mannion, 

Chloe Roberts and Jenna Willis (all Year 7) each 

achieved over 3000 points. 

Every student who took part was extremely 

enthused and engaged by the tasks and clearly 

enjoyed taking part. Well done to all these 

students for making this a huge success! 

Stephen Ready – 

Second in Maths Department 

Jamie Hills and Evie Underwood. They competed 

in 3 rounds including a mathematical relay race 

and a crossnumber. The team had a particularly 

good second round, scoring 50/56 in the 

Senior Maths 

Challenge 

Four Sixth Formers did particularly well in the 

Senior Maths Challenge in which they had to 

answer 25 online multiple choice questions. 

Christian Dobson and Todd Panton (pictured) 

were in the top 20% so picked up silver 

certificates and Jamie Hills and Fabien Sutton 

were awarded bronze. 

Well done to all those who competed. 

ALTERNATIVE PROVISION 

The other new project is Torch Learning 

in Irchester (pictured), which specialises in 

hair, beauty and child care, as well as personal 

development. Students even have access to a 

fully working salon. 

KSA is also expanding its work experience offer 

to provide more pupils with the skills required 

for the world of work. This already includes 

work placements within the Academy. 

crossnumber and were pleased to improve their 

overall position compared to last year. 

Sophia Parkinson – Maths Teacher 


16 

SCIENCE 

SCIENCE CLUB 

Proves Popular 

Members of the after-school Science Club have dissected a 

heart and investigated the science behind fireworks this term. 

The club, made up of Year 6 and 7 pupils, gives members a 

chance to have a go at experiments and investigations. One 

of the projects was to build a model heart and Josh Peglar 

(pictured below) and his dad build a wooden box to house 

the completed model. The group started by dissecting a heart 

to examine how it works and what it’s made up of. They 

then looked at ways of making their own model heart, with 

suggestions including a maze that tilts to allow a marble to 

move round, showing the route blood takes through the heart. 

Science Club meets every Wednesday in science in 

room 1.06. 

SCIENCE FACULTy HEADS 

Back to the Classroom 

With the recent changes to exams and a 

stronger emphasis on literacy, the science 

department deemed it necessary to follow some 

in-house training to help aid the incorporation 

of literacy into each of their lessons. The 

training session was delivered by Martin 

Reece, a consultant with the Science Learning 

Centre, and focused on the incorporation of 

talk into a normal science lesson. The teachers 

participated in a range of activities with the 

Building Links with Industry 

The science department is working closely 

with SATRA, a leading research and technology 

centre which employs scientific, technical and 

support staff in the UK, US and China. They 

conduct vital research and testing on a range of 

products to improve performance, quality and 

safety. There are many departments within the 

company where research and testing is carried 

out on various products including furniture, 

aim of getting pupils to talk about the content 

they are learning and increasing access. It 

was the first of three sessions with the others 

taking place in the New Year; these will focus 

on improving the reading and writing skills of 

pupils. The department is hopeful that, with 

a stronger emphasis on literacy, the overall 

progress of pupils will also improve. 

Mel Jolliffe – Science Teacher 

clothing and fabric, footwear and flooring. 

SATRA also have a department in engineering. 

On December 5th, a staff visit to SATRA took 

place to investigate the possibility of work 

experience placement and work shadowing 

opportunities. We are investigating how pupils 

can be introduced to SATRA’s work, thereby 

enabling them to see how science can be used 

in the real world and to apply what they have 

X Rays in 

Science 

Year 11 pupils studying triple science physics 

were recently given an insight into the history 

and current day application of x-rays in 

healthcare. Dr Liz Parvin, a medical physics 

lecturer from the Open University, delivered a 

session in the school’s state of the art lecture 

studio to the budding physicists. 

A particular area of interest was the 

development of CT scanners which are used 

for modern day diagnosis of a wide range 

of medical conditions. Within this area she 

also discussed the dangers associated with 

ionising radiation and the ethical implications 

of CT scanning for health insurance purposes. 

Dr Parvin concluded her talk with a discussion 

of the wide range of careers available to 

students in the health professions outside of 

the traditional doctor or nurse roles that are 

already well advertised. 

Science teacher Patrick Mackie said: “The 

students gained a lot from the session. 

They will be able to apply what they were 

taught by Dr Parvin in their final physics 

extension unit exam which is based on 

medical physics.” 

Pupil Aimee Parker said: “I enjoyed the 

depth of knowledge that Dr Parvin was 

able to bring to the session. She went into 

great detail about CT scanning and safety 

issues that will help my studies in physics.” 

Patrick Mackie – Science Teacher 

already learnt in their science courses. It is also 

anticipated that SATRA will be able to offer 

careers advice about the different scientific 

work options available within their company. 

Watch this space... 

Jyotika Mistry – Science Teacher 


The debate 

on the pros 

and cons of 

monopolies 

Studying Economics 

AT GCSE LEvEL 

A new business and economics GCSE proved to 

be a popular choice for Year 11s this year. 

It is the first time that economics has been 

offered at Key Stage 4 and it will help pupils who 

want to study the subject at A Level. The one 

year course looks at the definition of business 

success, which is not just profit but social 

responsibility. It also covers fiscal and monetary 

policies, taxes and how the government 

regulates the economy. 

Head of department Jason Mitchell-Bunce said 

there was a demand for economics at GCSE 

level. He said: “Our pupils have been very 

When in Rome... 

Year 7s swapped their school uniforms for togas 

for their study of Romans this term. 

Those who forgot to bring in their toga had 

to take on the role of the slave, collecting 

textbooks and holding the door open when 

the rest of the class left. 

History teacher Andy Brown, who even donned 

a toga himself, said: “Pupils in coloured togas 

were royalty so we had to listen to them. 

ETHICS, HUMANITIES & BUSINESS 

enthusiastic, especially as they haven’t 

covered some of these topics before. They 

enjoy debating some of the issues.” 

Year 11 pupil David Wilson said: “I have 

definitely enjoyed the course and would 

say it was a good idea to run it. Learning 

about finance will help me in later life 

because I would like to be an economist. I 

will definitely take economics and business 

as A Levels next year. I think learning 

about the stock exchange has been the 

most interesting part so far.” 

By the end, every pupil was wearing one. 

It was a bit of fun and they looked forward 

to lessons.” 

The module, titled What Have the Romans 

Done for Us?, has seen pupils study gladiators 

and emperors. 

GEOGRAPHy 

Mapping Crime 

Year 8s have been looking at the link between 

the geography of an area and crime rates. 

They started by carrying out some research 

in the library, reading newspaper reports 

to see if there is a pattern to be found in 

crime hotspots. 

The group then looked at the land use of 

areas where the most crime happens and 

came up with some possible solutions for 

problem areas. 

The topic also covers environmental crime 

and pupils studied the Aral Sea, a lake 

between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, which 

has been steadily shrinking since the 1960s. 

They looked at the reason behind the decline 

in water levels and how people who rely on it 

have been affected. 

HUMANITIES 

Star Pupil 

Bethany Jordan in Year 11 has been 

nominated as one of the humanities 

department stars this term. 

History teacher Marissa Wright said: 

“Bethany is very hard-working – she 

puts 100% into everything she does 

and she always goes that extra mile. 

She puts forward her arguments 

clearly and concisely and supports 

her answers with evidence.” 

Well done, Bethany. 


18 

PE 

BASKETBALL TEAM 

Undefeated for Two years 

The Year 11 basketball team is now unbeaten 

for two years after winning both the district 

tournament and league again this year. The 

team beat Bishop Stopford School on December 

12th which meant they were crowned league 

champions for the second year running. It 

follows their recent success in the district 

tournament which pits five of the best teams in 

the area against each other. KSA won three and 

drew one: 

KSA v Bishop: 16-7 KSA v Latimer: 8-8 

KSA v CBA: 20-4 KSA v Prince William: 12-4. 

The team, which started playing together in Year 

8, comprises Tom Martins, Balazs Komarniczky 

(missing from photo), Bradley Harris-Bruce, 

Harry Camozzi, Mason Hoath, Joe Edwards and 

Dennias Muswere. 

PE teacher Michael Oldershaw said: “Every year 

they get better and better - they’re the most 

successful basketball team we’ve had. 

WORLD MARATHON CHALLENGE: 

KSA are Kettering Winners 

KSA finished in 113th place in the world after 

joining 500 other schools who took part in the 

World Marathon Challenge. 

A group of 28 Year 8 pupils competed in the 

relay race challenge at Kettering Leisure 

Village and were comfortable victors over 

Latimer and Southfields. 

They had to run the marathon distance – 

26 miles – as a relay, which they completed in 

“Some of the players practise every night 

in the sports hall. Two of them play for the 

Northampton Nets so the rest of the team 

trains hard to get up to their standard. The 

dedication and attitude of all the players is 

what makes the team so good.” 

As a reward for their efforts, the team is going to 

watch the Harlem Globetrotters at the NEC. 

two hours and 17 minutes. Each pupil had to run 

200m eight or nine times. 

The event was organised by the School Sport 

Partnership as part of the Olympic Games legacy 

and was used to raise awareness of Save the 

Children’s campaign against hunger. 

Starting the race was Alan Bell, who was an 

official at London 2012 and started a number of 

track events in the Olympic stadium. 

PE Stars Rewarded with Trip to Old Trafford 

A group of pupils who have demonstrated 

outstanding effort and achievement in PE were 

rewarded with a trip to watch Manchester 

United play in the Champions League. 

Head of PE Lee Haywood got tickets through 

the junior ticket scheme and took 12 pupils 

from years 7 to 10 to see Wayne Rooney and 

co against Romanian team CFR Cluj. 

Mr Haywood said: “It’s the first time we’ve 

done a trip like this and none of them had 

been to a Champions League game before. 

“They were impeccably behaved and were a 

credit to the Academy. They 

were so appreciative 

of being there and 

really enjoyed the 

90 minutes.” 

GIRLS’ FOOTBALL TEAM 

district 

Champions 

The Year 7 and 8 girls’ football team was 

crowned district champions this term. 

The seven-a-side team won all their games in 

the district tournament and beat league winners 

KBA on penalties. 

Jade Tonks was one of the stars of the day as she 

was the stand-in goalkeeper and saved all KBA’s 

penalties. She even scored the winning goal. 

PE teacher Angela Charlton said: “They just 

went out there and did the job – they were 

brilliant. They all come to training every 

week and work hard.” 

Flash Mob 

Causes a Stir 

A group of dancers surprised diners with a 

flash mob in the restaurant this term. 

The Year 9 BTEC group gave an impromptu 

performance while pupils and staff had their 

breakfast. They went down a storm with 

pupils taking photos and 

cheering them on. 

Keep an eye out 

for future stunts 

– you never 

know where 

they might 

appear next! 


Revision Sessions 

KSA recently organised for a guest speaker, 

Rachel Lambert, to visit Year 13 to advise them 

about how to revise and study. 

Students were encouraged to undergo various 

activities such as producing mind maps. 

These tasks are aimed at improving memory 

techniques which could be used at home. 

Rachel, director of Study Flex, said: “My aim is 

to help students and adults of all ages study 

effectively – not harder – to improve their 

overall exam results. The advice is important 

because in today’s employment market 

it’s hard enough to decide about further 

education, jobs and careers.” 

Cambridge Interview 

Christian Dobson is hoping to be accepted into 

one of the world’s most prestigious universities 

after securing an interview at the University of 

Cambridge this term. He has applied to read 

maths at Caius College and had two 30-minute 

interviews on December 4th. 

Christian was given four maths problems 

to solve during each interview, with the 

questions getting progressively harder and two 

interviewers watching his calculations. 

DOCTOR OFFERS INSIGHT INTO 

A Career in Medicine 

Sixth Formers and Year 11s were given an insight 

into a career in medicine by a visiting doctor. 

David Rigby, who works at the Royal Brompton 

hospital, explained to pupils the route he took 

to become a doctor and the A Levels and grades 

needed to get into most medical schools. 

Dr Rigby spent five years at medical school and 

has worked as a GP, in A&E, in a surgical position 

and on an orthopaedics ward. 

He told them: “Your A Levels are crucial. You 

need chemistry A Level and most medical 

schools will want an A grade. They might want 

another science A Level, generally at grade B or 

above. If you don’t get those grades, there are 

other ways in, such as doing a bio-chemistry 

degree and then applying for a shorter course 

at medical school.” 

Dr Rigby urged pupils to start thinking about 

relevant work experience to help with their 

applications if they do decide to go to medical 

Student Shaun Chivers said: “The advice she 

gave us was very helpful. We learnt what’s 

important about revising, not just different 

ways to revise. I liked listening to her 

different ideas on what we should include 

and remember.” 

Karolina Zeissel added: “I found the day useful. 

The part that really helped me was when the 

guest speaker told us that everyday rehearsal 

can improve memory because I think it will 

really help my study.” 

The day was a complete success for both 

teachers and students. It aided students’ 

motivation in revision and gave teachers a better 

Christian said: “Most of it covered things I 

have learnt in school but just applied in a 

completely different way. Once I actually 

got in there I started to relax and I enjoyed 

the second interview – I could have gone 

on for longer. 

“As a university, Cambridge is famous 

worldwide for maths but it’s also got a 

really good atmosphere.” 

Christian, who spent time at the university 

school. He suggested volunteering in a care 

home to show commitment to patient care, or 

volunteering at a hospital. 

The visit was arranged by English teacher 

Felicity Wallace as part of an ongoing careers 

programme. She also organised for a musician 

to speak to pupils about the careers available in 

this field. 

Applying to KSA’s Sixth Form 

year 11s wanting to apply for the sixth form are reminded that their applications need to be 

in by 1st February 2013. Offers for places will be made on 10th February and the Sixth Form 

induction will take place in July. 

visit the website to view the latest prospectus or see Ms Watson. 

SIXTH FORM 

understanding of how students should revise to 

improve their grades in the future. 

Article and photo by Danielle Bowen – 

Sixth Former 

during a summer 

school earlier this year, 

told the interview 

panel what he had 

learned during the 

taster sessions. 

He will find out in January if he has been 

accepted – good luck to him and all our other 

Sixth Formers who are waiting to hear about 

university places. 

Health & Social Care 

Visit KSA’s Nursery 

As part of the AS Health and Social Care 

coursework, we visited KSA’s nursery on a 

Friday morning for a couple of weeks. 

During the first week over there, we 

observed how the children played and how 

they acted with people they didn’t know in 

the room. This observation helped us to plan 

our activities to suit the different abilities. 

The following week, we split into groups and 

ran different activities with the children. The 

activities ranged from using a multi-coloured 

parachute and puppets to colouring pictures 

and painting. 

The whole purpose of visiting KSA’s nursery 

was so that we could see how the children 

interacted with us, with each other and how 

we interacted with them. After the Christmas 

holiday, we will be visiting Kingsley School to 

see how children with different disabilities 

interact with each other, with us and how we 

interact with them. 

Article by Bronwyn Ryan – Sixth Former 


20 

LIBRARy 

Introducing KSA’s 

New Librarians 

KSA welcomed new librarian Heidi Economou 

who will work with all pupils across the Academy 

to promote reading and improve literacy. 

Mrs Economou, who worked at Latimer Arts 

College for the last five years, said the position 

appealed to her because it gives her the chance 

to work with younger children in primary right 

through to Sixth Formers. 

Mrs Economou’s love of libraries started as a 

teenager when she spent two weeks in her local 

library for work experience. She said: “I loved it 

because I met people from so many different 

walks of life. I loved reading anyway so when 

they offered me a job at the end of the two 

weeks, it just went on from there.” 

Her journey was to take her from an 

apprenticeship to library manager, with spells in 

mobile and even prison libraries. 

She said: “The job at KSA is brilliant for me 

because I get to sow the seed of reading with 

children at a young age and then develop that 

right through to Sixth Form. 

“One of the things I’d like to do is invite parents 

in to hear the younger children reading.” 

Mrs Economou said her favourite book is The 

Alchemist by Paulo Coelho because it inspired 

Launch of Accelerated Reader 

The Accelerated Reader programme is aimed at 

getting more children to read fiction and nonfiction 

books for pleasure. Through this reading 

for pleasure pupils will make significant progress 

with reading, spelling and comprehension skills. 

The programme has begun with Year 7 who took 

a reading star test at the start of the year. This 

generated each pupil a colour for their reading 

level and books in the library are also marked 

by these colours so pupils know which ones to 

select. Pupils are encouraged to read their books 

as part of their English lessons, CAPS lessons 

and in their own time. Once they have read a 

book, they complete a simple online quiz about 

it through the Accelerated Reader program 

which can be accessed from any computer or the 

library’s iPads. Quizzes can also be completed on 

any book students read, not just those from the 

school library, by searching for the books title in 

New Librarian Feels Right at Home 

This term we welcomed another new member of staff 

in the library, assistant librarian Emily Scott, who will 

work with Heidi Economou to promote reading. 

Miss Scott saw the opportunity for an opening in 

the school library and applied to follow her passion 

for books. 

Emily said: “I’ve wanted to work in a library for quite 

a while as I love reading and English was always my 

favourite subject at school. I really liked the idea of 

Pre-School Readers 

The Primary library has welcomed its first 

pre-school readers this term. Every Wednesday 

we welcome younger siblings of our pupils 

with their parents. They are registered on 

the library system and borrow a book to take 

the Accelerated Reader programme. Prizes are 

awarded for the number of quizzes completed 

successfully and for progress made. Prizes 

awarded include certificates, bookmarks, badges, 

Amazon vouchers and even a Kindle Fire. The elite 

prize is entry into the Millionaire’s club – a gold 

badge and special privileges for pupils who read a 

million words. Throughout the year teachers will 

be tracking pupil progress and league tables will 

be compiled to show each form’s progress so the 

houses can see how they are faring against other 

in the Accelerated Reader inter-house challenge. 

The house with the best results each half term 

will win the AR House Cup. In the future it is 

hoped the programme will be rolled out to Year 

8 and Year 6 pupils as well as any pupil for whom 

English is not their first language. A link to the 

Accelerated Reader programme can be found on 

the Academy’s website. 

home and read with their parents. We hope 

this will encourage our younger children to 

begin to enjoy reading books before they start 

school. It also gives parents a chance to sit 

with any of their children and share a book in 

her to go 

travelling. 

“As soon as 

I finished 

reading 

it, I booked 

my ticket to 

Mexico,” she said. 

“At the time, the effect 

it had on me was profound. My favourite 

children’s book is The Hungry Caterpillar – it’s a 

classic and I’ll never get bored of it.” 

working in a school, helping students to enjoy reading. I 

am really enjoying this new role and it feels like I’ve been 

here for a while already. The staff and students have both 

been very welcoming and friendly.” 

When asked who her favourite author was she said: 

“That’s a hard one but I would probably say Roald Dahl; 

even as an adult all his books are fun to read!” 

Article by Charlotte Firman – Sixth Former 

Top Readers 

The following pupils borrowed the most books 

from the library in Term 1: 

Tayla 

Katebzadeh-Shahidi 

Year 8 Sanger 23 books 

Mohammad Usama Year 7 Hawking 15 books 

Loren Cooper Year 7 Da Vinci 14 books 

Ezri Mannion Year 7 Hawking 13 books 

Gemma Green Year 8 Franklin 11 books 

Jordan Ayre Year 9 Franklin 10 books 

Joshua Lane Year 7 Hawking 10 books 

Tamsyn Henderson Year 7 Socrates 9 books 

We congratulate them for their excellent attitude 

towards reading and look forward to seeing 

more pupils next term! 

a relaxed atmosphere. We would love more 

parents to come and join us and use the library 

for their younger children. 


Recommended Christmas Reads 

Here are KSA’s suggested reads for Christmas – why not treat 

someone this holiday? 

Pre-School 

Christmas Peekaboo! RRP £6.99 

It helps you play festive peekaboo with your baby and hear them giggle in 

delight as hidden Christmas surprises are revealed! Read together and lift 

the giant flaps to reveal Christmas presents and a glittering snowman; then 

explore the soft, shiny and bumpy textures. Where’s Christmas baby gone, is 

she behind the present? And who will you discover behind the snowflakes? 

Find them all, they are waiting to say Peekaboo! This is an award-winning 

series for babies perfect for developing imagination, early-thinking and 

memory skills. 

Age 5-8 

How Santa Really Works – Alan Snow RRP £5.99 

Beneath the Arctic Polar Ice Cap, deep underground, is a bustling community 

with one mission and one mission only: to make Christmas happen. Have 

you ever wondered how Santa can pop out of a chimney without a soot 

stain on his red velvet? Elves, of course – fully trained at the Elf Academy in 

chimney sweeping! And does Santa really have time to check if every single 

child’s been naughty or nice? Of course not – that’s why he created the CIA 

(Christmas Intelligence Agency) to train elves to spy on children. 

Age 9-12 

Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel – Jeff Kinney RRP £12.99 

The ‘Third Wheel’ is the hilarious next book in the brilliant, bestselling and 

award-winning ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ series. Perfect for readers of 8+ and all 

the millions of Wimpy Kid fans. Love is in the air, but what does that mean for 

Greg Heffley? A Valentine’s Day dance at Greg’s school has turned his world 

upside down. As Greg scrambles to find a date, he’s worried he’ll be left out in 

the cold on the big night. 

Age 13+ 

Guinness World Records 2013 RRP £20.00 

Guinness World Records 2013 is crammed with new and updated records, 

and never-before-seen photography. Meet the new shortest living man and 

a slam-dunking parrot, and witness the fiercest predators in the ocean – you 

can see them in 3D with our new augmented reality app! 

Adult 

Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals – Jamie Oliver RRP £26.00 

Following the record-breaking success of ‘30-Minute Meals’, Britain’s 

most-popular cookbook of all time, Jamie Oliver brings us the even-better 

‘15-Minute Meals’. This book is completely devoted to what we are asking for 

– super quick, tasty, nutritious food that you can eat every day of the week. 

Elmer Competition 

Last term the primary library ran a writing 

competition based on the popular Elmer series 

of books. Children had to write about Elmer’s 

adventures based on the question: if he 

packed his trunk for a holiday, where 

would he go and what adventures would 

he have? Sophie Evans in Year 4 was our 

Key Stage 2 winner and received Elmer 

books and some chocolates. Sydney 

Pearson from Reception was our Key 

Stage 1 winner. She also won books and 

some chocolates. 

LIBRARy 

WORDSMITHS CELEBRATE 

Roald dahl day 

Pupils took inspiration from one of the 

greatest children’s authors during Roald 

Dahl Day. 

They were challenged to come up with their 

own version of the BFG and had to describe 

their character in the same imaginative style 

as Dahl. 

The winner, Ben Richards from Da Vinci 

9, was congratulated for his “wonderful 

vocabulary and whopsi-wiffling description”. 

The Special BFG Word Award went to Erzi 

Mannion thanks to her contributions to the 

Gobblefunk Glossary. 

Other winners were: 

• Pippa Williams for writing which showed a 

great sense of humour 

• Loren Cooper for her imaginative similes 

• Courtney Halliwell for her creative sense 

of drama 

• Olivia Difante for her use of engaging 

sentences to entice the reader. 

Their work has been put together in the form 

of ‘An Anthology of Fantabulous, Whopsi- 

Wiffling, Scrumddliumptious Work’ and is 

available from the library. 

Librarian Heidi Economou said: “Year 7s had 

been learning about creative writing in their 

English lessons so we held this competition 

as part of their studies. We had nearly 50 

entries and they were so fantastic.” 

The winners received a copy of the anthology, 

a Dahl book and a Willy Wonka chocolate bar. 

PRIMARy 

Library Club 

Library Club has now started in Primary to offer 

new services to pupils and their families. 

On Tuesdays Key Stage 1 and 2 children come to 

the library after school until 4pm. This term the 

Library Club is giving children the opportunity 

to find out about illuminated books. They will 

be having a go at their own illuminated writing 

using quill type/bamboo pens and ink, and 

decorating their text with gold and silver as the 

monks in medieval times would have done. 


22 

ACAdEMy NEWS 

Tom McCartin and Shannon Mulvey have been 

getting more involved in Academy life after being 

appointed Head Boy and Head Girl. 

The pair had to complete an application before 

making a presentation to fellow Sixth Formers 

about why they wanted the positions. To 

their delight, they were voted in and are both 

looking forward to honing personal skills such 

communication and leadership. 

In their new roles, Tom and Shannon, who are 

in Year 13, have been showing visitors around 

during open evenings and other Academy 

Pupils, staff, parents and friends united in 

support of KSA’s first charity 5k fun run this term. 

They were joined by French and German 

students who were visiting as part of the 

Comenius programme and much enthusiasm 

was shown by the 150 runners. They set off at 

a brisk pace from Cheyne Walk and followed a 

route through the Ise Lodge before heading to 

the finish line in Wicksteed Park. 

There, they had the chance to have their photo 

New Head 

Boy and 

Head girl 

Appointed 

events. They also have active roles on some of 

the Sixth Form committees. 

Tom said: “It’s a challenge – I wanted to 

develop my leadership skills and I enjoy 

speaking to an audience. I think to be 

successful in this role, you need good 

organisation skills as well as confidence.” 

Shannon added: “I’m looking forward to 

having a go at things I wouldn’t have 

had the chance to do otherwise, as 

well as having more say in things.” 

Myles gets a Taste of Navy Life 

A cadet spent a week at sea to learn the ropes 

on board a training ship. 

Myles Tew, who is a member of Kettering Sea 

Cadets, joined other cadets from across the UK 

and Canada on TS Royalist to gain an off-shore 

qualification. He had a go at steering the ship, 

climbing the rigging and controlling the sails. 

They sailed from Gosport, visiting Cowes and 

Portsmouth along the way. 

Myles, who would like to join the Navy when 

he is older, said: “The best thing about it was 

doing something you enjoy and learning how 

to work as a team.” He is hoping to go again 

next year on one of the cadets’ power vessels. 

taken with one of the Olympic torches which 

was carried through Kettering earlier this year 

ahead of the 2012 games. 

Geography teacher Matt Fowler was the first to 

cross the finish line with an impressive time of 

18 minutes and 10 seconds. He said the route 

was quite challenging because of the mix of 

terrain and the hill towards the end. 

Pupil Sacha Case said: “It was a really fun 

experience. At the start line everyone was 

Clubs 

Judo Proves a Hit 

A new after-school judo club has already 

attracted 16 members from years 7, 8 and 9. 

The sessions are on Fridays from 3.30pm to 

4.30pm and are run by Lawrence Kenyon 

and a judo coach who has represented 

Great Britain. 

It is free but you can pay £25 to have the kit 

and a licence. 

Judo is just one of the 

many after-school clubs 

on offer, with more clubs 

soon to be accredited by 

the Children’s University, 

which recognises and 

rewards pupils for the 

participation in extracurricular 

activities. 

Electronics Club meets every Tuesday from 

3.30pm. The club formed after Mr Tara 

discovered that Justin Ike (pictured below 

left) had made a battery-powered robot 

at home and asked Justin if he would be 

interested in joining an after-school club. 

KSA’s Community Unites for First Charity Fun Run 

buzzing and wanted to get going. I have to 

admit I didn’t run the whole way but people 

were running together to keep each other 

going. Towards the finish line, you could see a 

big crowd waiting for you and cheering, which 

made you run faster and lifted you up.” 

A number of Sixth Formers volunteered at the 

event and helped by marshalling the route. 


Horse-Riding Star 

Eleanor Broadley has appeared in a 

national magazine thanks to her horseriding 

success. 

The Year 7 pupil, who has been riding 

for seven years, was featured in Central 

Horse News magazine after coming first 

in a recent show at Rugby Riding Club. 

Over the last year or so, Eleanor has 

been taking part in lots of competitions 

on a 12 hand pony, Elliott’s Surprise. 

We look forward to hearing more success 

stories from Eleanor in the future. 

FOUR PUPILS SELECTED FOR 

Kettering youth Council 

Four pupils will represent the views of KSA after 

being selected for Kettering Youth Council. 

Sacha Case, Megan Wardle, Myles Tew (pictured 

on page 22) and Cameron Thompson applied for 

SPORTS FANS GET 

Olympics Treat 

Seven lucky pupils got the opportunity to go and watch an Olympics 

event thanks to KSA’s participation in the Get Set Go programme. 

KSA got tickets for a ladies football game at Coventry City football stadium 

and a group of pupils went along as a reward for their PE achievements. 

Head of PE Lee Haywood successfully applied to join London 2012’s Get 

Set network by demonstrating KSA’s commitment to the Olympic and 

Paralympic Values. 

the role and had to outline why they wanted to 

get involved. 

Sacha said: “I’m interested in politics and what’s 

going on in the world so I thought this would be 

an interesting experience. 

“It is a good idea for the council to hear young 

people’s ideas about what they’d like. I think 

one of the key issues is that lots of young 

people want to spend more time outdoors so 

there needs to be more places for them to go, 

so they don’t just stay in on 

their computers. 

“I think it will give me a 

good insight into local 

politics and how a 

council is run.” 


FOSSIL HUNT WEEKEND FOR 

Budding 

Palaeontologist 

Bree Streather joined a fossil hunt in 

Whitby for some hands-on experience of 

palaeontology. 

Bree’s interest in fossils and pre-historic life 

began when she was just six years old, when 

her favourite books and television shows 

were those featuring dinosaurs. 

In more recent times, she joined the UKAFH 

(UK Amateur Fossil Hunters) and started 

going to weekly meetings and monthly 

digs. Bree recently attended her first dig 

weekender in Whitby, where she spent time 

examining the rocks in Saltwick Bay and 

Runswick Bay. She also met a palaeontologist 

at Doncaster Museum. 

Bree, who is in Year 9, said: “After a while, 

you get to know what you are looking for. 

You’re given information on what’s been 

found there in previous years. My dad and 

I found vertebrae and some ammonites, 

which are fossils that look like snails. 

“Being part of the group has helped me 

to learn about the different fossils and 

dinosaurs, which is good because I’d like 

a job in palaeontology in the future and it 

will help me get into that career. I asked the 

palaeontologist we met for advice and he 

suggested volunteering in a museum.” 



Eye-Opening Trip to Kenya 

for Three Sixth Formers 

Three Sixth Formers spent four 

weeks volunteering in Kenya after 

raising £3,500 each to take part. 

Ellie Warren, Elisha Taylor and Shaun 

Chivers signed up to the programme 

following Camps International’s visit 

to KSA nearly two years ago. They 

spent 18 months fundraising and 

this summer, they overcame tough conditions to help with vital 

community projects in different areas of Kenya. 

They built fish ponds, got involved in 

forest and marine conservation, dug 

irrigation trenches and laid pipes. 

However, it was meeting children at 

a primary school that had the most 

impact on Shaun, Ellie and Elisha. 

Ellie said: “We met children who 

would sleep at school on the desks with one sheet over them. We 

asked why they stayed over and we were told that it was better 

than what they would have at home. All they had to eat every 

day was maize.” 

Elisha added: “Nothing fazed the 

people we met – they were still 

happy even though they only have 

the basics, like running water which 

we take for granted.” 

The three were accompanied by 

science teacher Louise Oliver, who 

said: “The three of them were 

brilliant – they picked up some Kiswahili so they could say a few 

words to the locals and thank them. They just wanted to make 

a difference. Some of it was very physical work but they wanted 

to do it because they could see the 

benefit for local people. I was very 

proud of them.” 

Shaun said: “I would have paid 

double to do the trip. It was much 

better than I’d imagined.” 

KSA is running a second expedition with Camps International, this 

time to Tanzania in 2014. So far, about 20 students from years 10 

and 11 have signed up and have already started their fundraising. 

Feedback 

We hope you have enjoyed this issue of Under the 

Microscope. To put this magazine together we rely on 

information from students, staff, parents and carers so if 

you have anything that you would like to feature or have 

any feedback then please email 

mmills@ketteringscienceacademy.org / 01536 532700 

Scan here to visit our website 

Follow us at 

@KSAcademy1 

PUPILS LEAD 

THE WAy AT 

Busy Open 

Evening 

Almost 1,000 people paid a visit to 

KSA during the Year 6 open evening, 

showing that more and more families 

are making KSA their first choice. 

The theatre was full to capacity as 

Principal Martin Campbell told them: 

“This building has been designed 

around the Brooke Weston Trust 

ethos which puts the child at the 

heart of every decision. You can have 

the most up-to-date technology 

in the world but if you don’t have 

the right philosophy, it means 

Careers Advice 

Independent careers advisors are now 

available almost every day at KSA to 

guide pupils through their next steps 

and provide advice on further/higher 

education and training. 

Avril Bartley-Smith and Nicola 

Stanbridge, of TimelyAdvice, are 

happy to talk to all pupils but are 

focussing their efforts on those in 

years 11 to 13. 

All Year 11s will have an appointment 

before the end of the year and further 

sessions if required. Avril and Nicola 

are also happy to see pupils on a 

drop-in basis. They provide one-to-one 

support, assistance with application 

forms and careers guidance to 

encourage pupils to consider all the 

options available to them and what 

nothing. We believe we have the 

right philosophy and this wonderful 

building has strengthened that.” 

Families were shown around the new 

building by ambassador pupils and Year 

6 children had the chance to have a go 

at a number of taster sessions in each 

department. They could design and 

make plastic bookmarks in the design 

area, have a go at an experiment in 

science or complete a tongue-twisting 

literary challenge in the library. 

steps they need to take. 

KSA has also acquired two software 

programmes to help pupils further 

explore their career options. 

Avril Bartley-Smith and 

Nicola Stanbridge 

Five gold Medals in One 

Competition for gymnast 

Sophie Tucker picked up five gold medals at a gymnastics 

competition in Leicester. 

Sophie, who is a member of Kettering Olympics 

Gymnastic Club, had to compete against 

another girl from her club on the beam, 

floor, bars and vault. 

She was awarded gold for each 

and another gold medal for 

her overall performance. 

Well done Sophie. 

Kettering Science Academy Primary Phase 

Windmill Avenue, Kettering, NN15 7EA. Tel: 01536 513088 

Kettering Science Academy Secondary Phase 

Deeble Road, Kettering, Northamptonshire. NN15 7AA. Tel: 01536 532700

PRIMARy NEWS - Kettering Science Academy

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