Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 V2.pub - Highcliffe School

H2U
Excellence by Design and through Innovation
Over 95% of criminal
cases, more than one million
every year, are dealt
with by magistrates, yet
very few people know
enough about
their vital role.
The Magistrates’
Court Mock Trial
Competition run
by the Citizenship
Foundation
aims to introduce
the legal system
to young people
in an innovative
and exciting
way, giving them
the opportunity
to gain hands on
experience. Now in its
fourteenth successful year,
the competition involves
young people throughout
England, Wales, and
Northern Ireland; every
year over 4,500 young
people and 800 magistrates
and other legal professionals
are involved in
The Credits
Mock Trial—Real Success
the competition. Years 8 and
9 students take on the roles
of lawyers, witnesses, magistrates
and court staff and
prepare the prosecution and
defence of specially written
criminal cases. Teams compete
against each other in a
live format at Magistrates
Courts with their performances
judged by magistrates
and other legal professionals.
On Saturday 10 th March a
team left Highcliffe School at
8am and drove to Poole
Magistrates Court where
they competed against
other schools in the Dorset
round of the competition.
They faced Kings High
School and Bournemouth
School for Girls
and we are delighted
to report that although
Sam Beater
was found not guilty
of ill treatment of a
white domestic rabbit,
Highcliffe School won
the overall competition
and will now go
on to the regional final
which will be held
at Southampton Magistrates
Court in May. The
whole team and supporting
staff must be congratulated
on this success,
which was as the result of
thorough and careful
preparation over the last 3
months.
Report by Mrs Read
Contributors : Mrs Read, Mrs Gower, Mr Yapp, Mr Campbell, Mr Goddard, Mr Jones, Ms Cullen, Mr
Burgan, Alex Eatough, Mr Rycroft, Mr Trevorrow, Professor V May, Mrs Wheeler, Mrs Pearson, Mrs
Finch, Josh Adams, Mrs McGrath, Mr Wilson, Miss High, Mrs Barclay, Mr Nicholls, Mr Dean, Mr Jobbins,
Miss Kovacevic, Mr Hill, Nicola Huggens, Maria Lane, Tina Wright, Mrs Day, Mrs Karanja, Mrs
Dunleavy, Mr Maurice, Becky Jones, Anya Daszykowski, Cassie Hearn, Elle Harding, Jamie Currie, Megan
pennell, Mrs Stone, Haydn Bower, Sam Le Feaux, Mrs Gabony, Jack Hill, John Davies, Martin Pink.
Editorial/Production Team: J Potts, J Coleman, P Coughlan, M Gower, S Bagshaw.
“I believe in using what you have, instead of mourning for that which you do not.
In thirty years time, I want to be able to look back at my youth and know that I
used my talents fully: that I wasted nothing”
A former Highcliffe Sixth Former

In the Community
In Memoriam—John Baker CBE JP 1928—2007
We were sad to learn of
the death, on March 3 rd , of
John Baker the first headteacher
of our school. In
1961 Mr. Baker was appointed
to be the head of
the new Christchurch
Grammar School and became,
I believe, the
youngest headteacher in
the country. At that time
these buildings, which now
house Highcliffe School,
were still under construction
and the first grammar
school students shared the
accommodation at The
Gore County Secondary
School in New Milton.
Eventually in 1963 they
were able to settle in here
at Highcliffe.
John Baker was inspirational
and innovative as a
headteacher; his attitude
to education was very forward-looking
and in many
ways “before its time”. For
example, he wanted to
adopt the idea of school
starting early and finishing
Student Bulletin Goes
Online!
Would you like to be more
informed about the many
activities and opportunities
that our students are offered
in school every
week? Well now you can!
You may be aware that at
the beginning of every
week, an information bulletin
is published for all
students, informing them
of the many goings-on in
at lunchtime – leaving the
afternoon free for sporting
and other extracurricular activities.
Always approach-
able, he would listen to any
ideas that might benefit his
students and he would always
support his staff. A
former colleague remarked
at John’s funeral “He was
born to lead and did it with
Keeping You Informed
school for the coming week.
Up until now, these ‘Student
Bulletins’ were only distributed
in paper format, with
copies displayed in all tutor
rooms and on the School
Student Notice Board.
We have now moved to publishing
the Student Bulletin
on the School website, to
enable parents and students
to access the information
more easily. All the Student
Bulletins that have been
an incredible restless energy.”
Changes to the education
system, both locally and
nationally, led to the
introduction of comprehensive
schools. The
Hampshire LEA opted
for a system of 11-16
comprehensive schools
feeding sixth form colleges.
At this stage, in
1970, John Baker was
appointed to manage
the transition of Brockenhurst
Grammar
School to a sixth form
college and later to a
tertiary college.
For his services to education
John Baker was
made a CBE; he also
served as a highly respected
magistrate in
Hampshire. Our condolences
go to his widow and
to his children Hilary,
Helen and Richard who
were all students here.
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 Page 2
Report by Mrs Gower
printed this year can be
accessed through the
‘Parents’ and ‘Students’
sections of the School
website.
Every Friday afternoon, the
Student Bulletin for the
forthcoming week will be
added to keep us all more
informed and up to date!
Report by Mr Yapp

Encouraging students to achieve their full potential!
Every member of staff at
Highcliffe would agree that
one of the key aims of the
school would be to encourage
all students to achieve
their full potential. All
schools will not, however,
adopt the same approach,
and Highcliffe’s new Letters
of Commendation and
Progress Trackers are our
own initiative to encourage
our students in their school
careers.
Three times a year we report
to all parents about
the progress and achievement
of our students –
twice with the Progress
Checks and once with the
Year Profile.
From these judgments
made by teachers we examine
the progress being
made by students. We examine
the current predicted
GCSE grade or National
Curriculum level for
each student in each subject
and also look at the
Attitude to Learning gained
for each student in each
student. Students who are
doing particularly well are
awarded a Letter of Commendation.
Students who
we feel would benefit from
some more focused oneto-one
encouragement and
support to gain their predicted
level or grade we
admit onto the Progress
Tracker (Years 10 and 11)
and the Key Stage Three
Tracker (Year 9). This
means that once a week
the student receives an individual
progress check for
the relevant subjects in
which they require some
extra attention. Form tu-
tors and senior members of
staff are mentors to the students
on the Progress
Tracker and the end result
should be that students feel
more supported and able to
achieve their potential.
In the box below is the text
from the Letter of Commendation,
which would be sent
on headed notepaper to students.
On the following
page you can also see the
criteria for Attitude to
Learning which should clarify
the meaning of an AtL
award on the Progress
Check and Student Profile.
If your son or daughter receives
a Letter of Commendation
then we would en-
courage you to ensure that
it is retained in their Progress
File and of course
hope that you will be
pleased. If your son or
daughter is placed on the
Progress Tracker then we
hope that you will be able
to encourage them by
signing it on a weekly basis
and helping them to
make the necessary effort.
As always we remain keen
to have your views about
what we do, and therefore
if you have any ideas or
comments about any of
the above please get in
touch with the school to let
us know.
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 Page 3
Report by Mr Campbell
We are delighted to award a Letter of Commendation
to:
Joan of Arc – 11.9
in recognition of the outstanding attitude to learning
which has been recorded in the recently reported Progress
Checks this term. We are keen to congratulate
all students who display an excellent attitude to their
learning across the majority of their subjects and to
reward them with a commendation letter.
We also wish to encourage our students to maintain
their outstanding attitude to learning and to continue
to make solid progress in their education.
This Letter of Commendation should be placed in the
student Progress File as evidence of the excellent attitude
to learning displayed this term.
We extend our congratulations most warmly again.
Headteacher: Ms. J. A. Potts
Head of Achievement: Mr. A. Goddard

1 – Excellent
2 – Good
3 – Satisfactory
4 – Variable /
Inconsistent
5 – Unsatisfactory
Attitude to Learning (AtL) Criteria
This student will be working to his/her full potential, and
have shown ambition and drive by doing more than what is
expected. Work will be completed to the best of the student’s
ability; work will be produced on time; attention and/
or participation in class will be exemplary. Coursework and
home study will be up to date. Behaviour is never an issue.
Punctuality and attendance is always good. (Uniform will
always be worn correctly.)
This student will be working to his/her ability, and will have
produced work on time and completed tasks. This student
will have shown examples of having drive and ambition in
their work. Coursework and home study will be up to date
with requirements. This student will be working well and
will be actively engaged in class. Punctuality will be mostly
good. This student will respond well to advice and guidance.
Some work produced will have been better than expected.
(Uniform will be worn correctly.)
This student will be doing what is required, but no more.
This student will respond when asked but may not offer any
participation in class without being prompted. This student
will generally be well-prepared and well-behaved with occasional
lapses. Work will usually be handed in on time.
Coursework and home study will be broadly on-line with requirements.
Punctuality will be good with some lapses.
(Uniform will be worn correctly.)
This student may occasionally display poor behaviour. This
student may sometimes fail to complete tasks to the best of
their ability and may sometimes fail to produce homework.
This student may be off-task at times in class. Response in
class will be variable and effort will be inconsistent. This
student may sometimes be late. (Uniform will sometimes be
incorrect.)
This student will have shown poor levels of behaviour and/or
a poor attitude towards their learning in class. Tasks will often
not be completed. Home study will often not be completed.
Punctuality may not be good. This student will have
already been warned of a poor attitude and will not have responded
to guidance. (Uniform will often be incorrect.)
How do you measure up?
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 Page 4

GCSE Booster Programme 2007
• With GCSE examinations looming ever closer our
attention is focusing on preparing our Year 11 students
for their terminal examinations.
• Building on our very successful key stage 3
booster programme we have prepared our most
extensive booster package yet to support our students
and to ensure that they have every opportunity
to realise their potential.
• The full programme has already been issued to
students and this gives full details of the extra opportunities
that have been provided to support our
Year 11 students in the build up to the GCSE examinations.
• An extensive programme of booster sessions including
times, dates and venues for most subjects
is included. In some subject areas such as Science
boosters some students were specifically advised
to attend whereas in English students have been
invited to sign up.
• In option subjects all students are recommended
to attend. Most sessions are open to all
students.
Report by Mr Jones
Attention all Y10 Students and Parents:
Year 10 Science GCSE exam
The exam date for Unit 3 Additional Science, which
all Y10 will take, has been changed by OCR
from 20/6/07 to Thursday 14/6/07 pm
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 Page 5

Rules:
Place a digit (1 to
9) in each empty
cell, so every row,
every column and
every 3x3 box
contains the digits
1 to 9.
Tip:
Use a pencil not a
pen so that errors
can be erased.
Level :
Hard
By Mr Burgan
Sudoku
Important Summer Term Dates
Summer Term Begins—Monday 16th April
Half-Term Friday 25th May—Monday 4th June
Inset Day—Wednesday 11th July
Term Ends—Friday 20th July
The new Autumn Term begins on:
Monday 3rd September
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 Page 6

Lions Roar On!
The links between the Lions
Club and Highcliffe
School continue to get
stronger and stronger
thanks to Mr Don Crabtree
Youth Development Officer
for the Lions Club of
Christchurch.
‘We are very fortunate that
Don and the Lions Club are
so committed to developing
opportunities for youth’
said Deputy Headteacher
Mr G Hughes. Recently,
the Lions have supported
the development of the
School Organisers, run
very successful Peace
Eco-Group
Green fingered students
at Highcliffe
The Woodland Trust is a
conservation charity that
offers packs of hedgerow
plants to schools annually.
We received some hawthorn,
hazel, holly, dog
rose and dogwood
that will
certainly
make the
school
grounds look
more ‘green’
as well as attracting
some
insects.
S-Factor Greenies are a
group of students in Years
7 – 9 and each of them did
some planting along the
edge of the school field
with the help of Geoff the
Groundsman. As you can
see in the photo the students
were quite excited
during the activity and
Poster competitions
and established
a
junior Leo’s
section
which also
involves
students
from The
Grange and
Twynham
School.
Highcliffe
students have developed
an excellent reputation in
the competition by providing
the winning entrant
over the past four years.
Pictured receiving their
Peace Poster Prizes are
learnt to tell one plant
from another with Geoff’s
expert advice. It was a
cold afternoon but everyone
got busy and involved,
all had a fun time!
Global Warming
Global warming is a growing
issue. It is causing
plenty of problems according
to top scientists.
The main
cause is power
stations and
cars letting off
carbon dioxide.
This carbon dioxide
is then
trapping and reflecting
heat
from the sun and the heat
is then warming up the atmosphere
and then melting
the polar ice caps.
When the polar ice caps
melt it is affecting many
arctic animals. For polar
bears their land is melting
away and it is getting
First Prize Winner Sofia
Constantinou and Runner
Up Alex Leftwich whose
entry has now gone on to
represent Christchurch at
district level.
harder for
them to
catch their
food
(seals).
Seals are
often in the
water and polar bears
catch them when they
come up for air. Now there
is a vaster amount of water
it is harder to catch
them as they can swim
further away. This then affects
scavengers such as
arctic foxes who feed on
the remains of what the
polar bears eat. Most polar
bears, arctic foxes, arctic
rabbits etc. die of starvation
more than anything
now.
This will then affect us as
well. It is estimated that in
2030 London could be under
water and all the polar
bears will be dead except
for the ones in captivity.
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 Page 7
Report by Alex Eatough
(Year 8)

Year 9 students are hoping
that the local bird population
will show their appreciation
by moving into the
nest boxes they made during
Activities Week.
On Valentine’s Day, the
Spring is in the Air
Shoebox Appeal
start of National
Nest Box
Week, ten
boxes were
sited throughout
the school
grounds.
Nest boxes are
vital for conservationbecause
in many
places there
are simply not
enough natural habitats. It
is hoped that the boxes
will help improve the
school environment and
ensure suitable breeding
sites for years to come.
Report by Mr Rycroft
Each year the response to the shoebox appeal gets
better and better. This year 410 shoeboxes were collected.
Here is a photo of the lorry being loaded,
which you might like to see.
A very big thank you to everyone who was involved
this year!
Report by Mr Yapp
STOP PRESS
Ex-students Sign for
EMI
Mr Trevorrow has just received
some excellent
news about 3 former students.
Here is the information
as he received it.
‘You may be aware that 3
members of the group ‘Air
Traffic’ were students at
Highcliffe School (David
Jordan, James Maddocks
and Tom Pritchard). They
were signed by EMI records
in May 2006 and are
hotly tipped to be one of
the big bands of the future.
Their single is out on
Monday 26th March and
they will be playing live in
HMV, Bournemouth on Friday
30th March at 5pm as
well as signing CDs and
posters. They will also be
performing at The Old
Firestation in Bournemouth
on 25 March.
Swimming Progess
Here is the text of a letter
just in, which updates us
on the progress of Martin
Littlefair who we featured
in the ‘high, higer…’ section
of a previous issue.
‘Dear Ms Potts,
Just thought you would
like to know how Martin is
getting on. Despite being
the youngest in his age
group Martin won 5 Gold
medals at Dorset County
and has now recorded 10
‘Western’ times. Hopefully
by June he will have
achieved more than 1
‘National’ time.’
Well done to Martin from
all at Highcliffe!
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 Page 8

‘Hovering’ Hoodies
Throughout this term
classes in Year 7 and 8
have been helping Bournemouth
University extend
the scope of
its Dorset
Coast Digital
Archive www.
dcda.org.uk
Learning Materials
for
Schools use
the archives
of Dorset
County, the
Dorset
County Museum,
Bournemouth
Borough and
the University
to stimulate
Citizenship
classes.
There are many websites
about smuggling, but the
DCDA has linked the old
with the new in a project
called the New Smugglers.
Students started by investigating
the history of
smuggling. They produced
a timeline and discovered
that for over 700 years
governments have raised
taxes to pay for wars and
protect trade. A 1718 Act
to control smuggling was
called the Hovering Act –
Year 7 decided this was
similar to hanging around
outside shops. The same
Act outlawed hiding your
face behind a mask to prevent
identification. Year 8
saw this as the same as
being told to remove their
hoods and the controversy
Citizenship
Curriculum News
over veils.
As a result of the project
the students learnt that
problems that we considermodern
have
often been
faced before
and
found it
fascinating
to explore
the extent
to which
smuggling
still takes
place the
world over.
There have
been benefits
on the
other side
as well -
Professor
Vincent May worked with
these classes and Mrs
Stone to make sure that
the DCDA materials
would be useable in
schools.
Learning
Resource
Centre
News
World Book Day –
Thursday 1st March
2007
Murder/Mystery event
World Book Day arrived
and with it a chance for
students to try out their
detective skills in the library.
Over lunchtime,
enthusiastic students were
greeted with a crime
scene, a body and a trail of
clues, which they had to
solve to find out the identity
of the body lying
across the table. Who was
the cruel murderer and finally
what murder weapon
was used in this heinous
crime?
Excitement mounted as a
trail of clues were found on
magnifying glasses, each
one with an individual letter
on it and these spelled
out the murder weapon,
the victim and the murderer’s
name. Some of the
clues were hidden in crime
novels and this was linked
into a promotion of crime
and murder/mystery novels
that was on display in
the library.
Authors that were being
promoted were Agatha
Christie, Colin Dexter, Ruth
Rendell and Eleanor Updale
who wrote the Montmorency
series. Another excellent
range of books that
is now available in the library
is The Invisible Detectives
series by Justin
Edwards.
Fortunately there was professional
help in the form
of PCSO Gary Evans. He
was available to assist in
the enquiries that arose
from this dreadful crime
and his help proved invaluable.
The successful winning detectives
were Keziah Leary
7.4 and Oliver Bailey 7.1.
Over 40 students followed
the clues to find out that
Mrs Heathman was the vic-
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 Page 9

tim and Mr Yapp carried
out the murder with a rolling
pin.
P.S. Please note nobody
was hurt in this event and
the victim has
been returned in
pieces to her
cupboard in Da
Vinci. Mr Yapp
has now cleared
his name and the
rolling pin has
been returned to
its kitchen
drawer!
Small Island
Read 2007
The Small Island Read
2007, is being promoted
by the South West Great
Reading Adventure. Libraries
and schools across
the South West of England
are reading this book
throughout the months of
January to March.
This year 2007 marks the
200 th anniversary of the
passing of the Slave Trade
Abolition Bill and the book
that has been chosen to
commemorate this is Andrea
Levy’s Small lsland.
This novel provides an insight
into post war contact
between Jamaican migrants,
descendants of enslaved
Africans and the
White ‘Mother Country’.
A display of
books linked to
the slave trade
and the Windrush
generation, plus
copies of Small
Island have been
available for loan
from the Learning
Resource Centre.
Further information
on the Great Reading
Adventure can be found on
www.smallislandread.com.
Report by Mrs Wheeler
English
Year 12 English Literature
Students Meet Author
and Playwright Michael
Frayn
Eleven Year 12 students
recently travelled to London
for an English Literature
‘Programme for Success’
study day.
This study day, for AS students,
looked in detail at
the two introductory units
of the whole AS qualification,
showing students how
to approach and study the
modern novel and Shakespeare
and giving them
skills and insights for success
in the examinations.
Despite the 7am start, the
students arrived on time
and only a little blearyeyed
at the University of
London. Stella Canwell,
the Chief Examiner, gave
the introductory talk. She
started by looking at the
AS qualification as a whole
and how it is assessed before
moving on to show
how all the units complement
and build on each
other.
Nick Hutchison, the popular
actor and director, followed
with a practical session
designed to show how
both actors and students
pick up clues from Shakespeare’s
plays. Nick’s work
covers television, film
(About a Boy), theatre and
radio: He has worked with
the Royal Shakespeare
Company, the Royal National
Theatre and Shakespeare’s
Globe.
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 Page 10
Two further
workshops
swiftly followed,
Five
Angles on the
Contemporary
Novel and Answering
the
Novel Questions
before

the highlight of the day -
An Audience with Michael
Frayn. This was an invaluable
opportunity to meet
and hear the author of
Spies, Michael Frayn, discuss
the writing of his
novel. There followed a
lively and informative
question and answer session
with three questions
posed by students from
Highcliffe. With plenty of
time to make the return
Year 11’s Big Jewish
Wedding.
On a beautiful spring
morning in March, a small
wedding
party congregated
on the
grass outside
the school reception
to
witness a
wedding –
Jewish style.
Year 11 have
been studying
Judaism since
September
and have recently
been
looking at the
different Rites
of Passage.
It was decided
to reenact
a Jewish wedding
ceremony – with no detail
overlooked! The bride and
groom (Robyn Holloway-
Evans and Toby Graham)
were traditionally dressed.
Robyn wore a beautiful
handmade veil with a garland
of fresh flowers in her
hair, and a bouquet of pink
roses, whilst Toby wore an
authentic purple Kippah
(skull cap) and Tallit
Humanities
journey home we took our
time gathering our notes
together to be rewarded by
an almost private audience
with Michael Frayn as he
made to leave. He happily
chatted to the students
and - the icing on the
cake – signed their copies
of Spies. A tiring but rewarding
day!
Report by Mrs Pearson
(prayer shawl).
The Rabbi (James Calder),
assisted by the Chazan
(Ady Smith), welcomed the
couple under the colourful
Huppah (canopy), and
read several traditional
blessings over a goblet of
wine (Ribena), which was
then given to the groom,
then to the bride to drink.
The ring-bearer (George
Knight) then presented the
rings that were blessed
and exchanged. The
Ketubah (marriage contract)
was signed by the
groom, promising to feed,
clothe and care for his new
wife, and given to the
bride.
After the Rabbi recited the
7 blessings to the couple,
the groom stamped on a
glass – in keeping with tradition,
symbolising that
marriage sometimes goes
through difficulties and to
remind people of how the
Temple in Jerusalem was
destroyed. Great care was
taken to ensure safety at
this point with the glass
wrapped in a towel to contain
the broken pieces.
The congregation threw
environmentally-friendly
confetti at the couple and
shouted ‘Mazel Tov!’ as
they walked away from the
Huppah- this means ‘Good
Luck’ in Hebrew.
Family
and friends
stayed for
some group
photos to
serve as a reminder
of a
wonderful day,
packed with
emotion and
joy. The wedding
party
made their
way back to
Hu1 where it
had been
hoped that a
big feast would
end the celebration
but the caterers let
us down!
Well done to all the Year
11’s who took part – from
the bride and groom to the
canopy bearers, (and Mrs
Rose who assisted Mrs
Finch as wedding planner/
mother of the bride).
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 Page 11
Report by Mrs Finch
Photos by Josh Adams

Expressive Arts in action!
Year 10 Expressive Arts
students recently spent an
exciting
and energetic
day
working
with choreographer
Nicky Penfold
from
Wise Moves
Dance. This
formed
part of the
group’s
preparation
for this
year’s Rock
Challenge
competition
to be held
at BournemouthPavilion
on Friday 23 rd March.
During the workshop, students
created lots of
imaginative motifs together
with contact work
and some very effective
lifts and balances. The
challenging choreography
was incredibly stimulating
and by the end of the day
students had produced an
enormous amount of material
which can now be
deconstructed, reconstructed
and manipulated
into what should prove to
be an amazing performance
piece. Well done to all
those who took part!
Report by Mrs McGrath
Ballard School link
Staff at Highcliffe School
are busy establishing links
with Ballard School in New
Milton in order to share expertise
and resources between
the 2 schools. Re-
Expressive Arts
cently, Mrs McGrath ran a
series of drama workshops
with Year 9 Ballard students
and is hoping to use
their excellentPerforming
Arts
facilities to
host a Highcliffeproduction
in
the summer
term. We
are also encouraging
our students
to attend a
range of
performance
based extra
curricular
activities at
Ballard and
to take a
leading
role in helping direct future
performances. Both
schools are involved in
an exciting dance project
which will take
place in May. Watch this
space for future exciting
developments!
Report by Mrs McGrath
The Snow Queen
As part of the A level
Drama and Theatre Studies
course, Year 12’s recently
attended Poole
Lighthouse to see a spectacular
production of ‘The
Snow
Queen’.
Presented
by Italian
Theatre
Company,
Teatro Kismet,
this
spinechilling
piece was
pure theatrical magic. With
minimal set and a powerful
sense of visual communication,
the talented company
breathed new life into
Hans Christian Anderson’s
19 th century fairytale. The
cast of seven played a fascinating
array of roles, offering
top class physical
theatre which included acrobatics,
dance and martial
arts. Added to this were
lashings of humour and a
carefully chosen and marvellously
eclectic soundtrack
designed to make the
very most of the emotional
twists and turns of the
story. During the morning,
the students were able to
work with the show’s director
Teresa Ludovico on
a range of demanding ensemble
acting exercises
which will prove invaluable
for their forthcoming A
level performances.
Highcliffe School Christmas
Show Review
On the 18 th and 19 th of December
2006 Highcliffe
School presented its annual
Christmas
Concert. Once
again it was a
huge success
and featured
over one hundred
and
eighty students
from all
years of the
school. Build-
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 Page 12

ing on the popularity of
last year’s concert it was
necessary to put on two
performances in order to
accommodate the four
hundred parents and students
that came to watch.
The students reached a
new level of excellence
with notable performances
from the ‘Shout!’ and
‘Vocalis’ vocal groups as
well as the ‘Harmonious
Funk Jazz Band’. Each
year the Christmas concert
spotlights a number of soloists
from our A Level
courses. Vicky Harris,
Andy Baxter, David Ruff
and Becky Jones produced
excellent performances
that will contribute towards
their grades this year.
Each year the Expressive
Arts faculty tries to
broaden the range of ac-
Robots, ‘Greenies’ & Inter-Planetaryexploration
take over at Highcliffe!
There can be no doubt that
the first full year of specialist
science college
status has had an overwhelmingly
positive effect
on the Highcliffe School
community.
Several Year 10 students
have recently returned
from a highly successful
second exchange trip to
The Netherlands,
every
HSSF
classroom,
laboratory and office in the
school now has a recycling
bin and recycling monitors,
the school pond and wild-
Science
tivities available to the students.
It was a pleasure to
introduce performances
from the Guitar Group under
the direction of Mr Bannister
and the Year 7 and 8 Dance
group under the direction of
Miss Clark. Thank you for
supporting this event and I
look forward to seeing you
at our future performances.
Report by Mr Trevorrow
Head of Music
Photographs by
Josh Manning
DRAMA WORKSHOPS
Drama students in Years 7,
8 and 9 were treated to a
drama workshop recently by
Susanna from the Helen
O’Grady Drama School. Students
took part in a series of
improvisations and had to
play a variety of roles from
artist to spy showing a
life area is under construction,
S-factor has sprouted
the extremely popular & influential
S-factor ‘Greenies’
and Robotics and Space
clubs are going strong.
But that’s not all…..
National Science & Engineering
week ‘12 th – 19 th
March 2007’
The Science team have
worked hard to make this
week’s ‘National Science and
Engineering Week’ an
exciting time for all of
our students across
all years.
S-Factor on Thursday became
the ‘Dyers Workshop’
with students colouring &
setting fabrics in an array of
range of emotions. Students
also had the opportunity
to improve their vocal
skills looking at tone,
pitch, tempo and projection
and also worked on
script. The sessions were
lively and fun and all students
responded imaginatively
with enthusiasm.
exciting colours! S-Factor
is open to all KS3 students
and KS4 students/helpers
and can be found in SC10
every Thursday 3.20pm till
4.15pm.
On Monday a group of our
KS4 students headed off to
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 Page 13

Twynham School for a Science
challenge and several
KS3 students from Twynham
came to Highcliffe for
a turbulence testing challenge.
All had great fun,
and the winner’s shields
for both competitions have
found a home in our own
trophy cabinet!! Well
done! (See ‘high. Higher…’
section for a full report.)
Wednesday saw the interschool
science challenge
‘Blue Fusion’ at IBM in
Hursley and Highcliffe had
representation at ‘Sparks,
Quarks & Larks’, a reception
to mark the launch of
a year long festival of science
activities in Christchurch
as part of the Science
Sisters initiative.
We were also
tracking the
crew of the
RRS James
Cook who set
sail for the
mid-Atlantic to
investigate a
section of the
Earth’s crust that appears
to be missing, leaving the
Earth’s mantle exposed instead.
You can read the
diaries of the crew and
check out pictures at
http://www.
classroomatsea.net/
Report by Mr G Wilson
Holland Exchange Visit
The first leg of the 2007
Dutch exchange took place
before half term. Fifteen
lucky students from Highcliffe
were
‘paired up’ with
some Dutch students
and had
e-mail and MSN
contact before
finally meeting
them late one
Sunday night at
Schiphol airport,
Amsterdam. We
visited the
school in Zandaam,
close to
Amsterdam on
the Monday
morning, spending
time in various
lessons. In
an English lesson
younger students had
prepared
questions for
us and we
told them all
about our
school, their
English was
amazing!
Everyone was
surprised at
how different the Dutch
school was to Highcliffe, the
main thing being that they
didn’t have to
wear uniform
and they cycle
everywhere!
After a morning
in school
we all spent
some time in
Amsterdam
before visiting
the ‘Energetica museum’
where Cat messed
her hair up even more on a
Van Der Graf generator
and the boys tried to outcycle
the girls in a bid to
light a series of bulbs!
We didn’t let the rain deter
us and visited a working
windmill where they gave
us lovely hot chocolate and
biscuits, as well as telling
us all about
the art of
milling.
We visited a
wind farm
on a very
rainy day
and a brave
few students
stood
underneath
a turbine
and heard it
‘whirr’, they
really are
very tall. It
was interesting
being
shown a
pumping
station, without which
pretty much the whole of
Holland would be under
water.
All in all, the trip was a
great cultural experience;
the Dutch students and
staff made us so welcome.
The trip was finished off
nicely with some traditional
Dutch cuisine, we
said our emotional farewells
at the airport and
were sent
on our way
with all
sorts of gifts
from the
host families.
We all
really look
forward to
them visiting
us in the
summer.
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 Page 14
Report by Miss High
Science Level 8 Project -
Sea Chemistry
Did you know that our island
is surrounded by
more than seven thousand

miles of coastline? Our
Year 9 level 8 project team
do!
If you stretched this out
you could just about connect
Manchester in England
to Borneo. More than
two thirds of the world’s
surface is covered in water.
Amazingly, scientists have
put more time and effort
into investigating space
than they have into looking
at our planet’s own oceans
and seas.
In lunch-time sessions
which began in October a
group of potential Level 8
science students have
been investigating the basic
chemicals dissolved in
our oceans. They have
been finding out about the
desalination of saltwater to
use as drinking water and
whether icebergs could be
the solution to global
shortages of drinking water.
The work has involved
students carrying out practical
activities and their
own research.
Report by Mrs A. Barclay
Asst Curriculum Leader-
Key Stage 3 Science
Year 9 Trip to the
Fleet Air Arm Museum
at RNAS Yeovilton
Do you fancy sitting in the
cockpit of Concorde or seeing
what it
is like to be
on the
flight deck
of HMS Ark
Royal?
In July
2007 the
science faculty
will be
taking a group of 50 Year 9
students to the Fleet Air
Arm Museum at RNAS Yeovilton
in Somerset. Students
will be able to take a
tour of Concorde and will
use this experience to find
out about the technologies
needed to build a supersonic
aircraft. Students will also
have the opportunity to experience
the flight deck of
an aircraft carrier in the museum
simulator.
There will be lectures, workshops
and museum tours.
This activity is planned for
Activities Week in July and
more information will follow
at a later date.
Report by Mrs A. Barclay
Assistant Curriculum
Leader- Key Stage 3 Science
Special guest at S-Factor
Greenies
On Thursday 25 th January
there was a special visitor at
the S-factor Greenies, Laura
Snoulton, recycling
officer from Christchurch
Borough
Council spoke to students
and staff
about recycling in
the area, and what
we can do at school.
Laura was impressed
at how much paper
we recycle here at
Highcliffe and offered
us some compost bins
to deal with some more
natural waste; the compost
will definitely
be
useful
when the
wildlife
area is
created.
Laura told
us all
about the
journey
that our home recycling
takes, from the moment
we throw it into a recycling
box, to its arrival at a recycling
depot. Miss Picking
was a little concerned
about what is happening in
her area, the talk definitely
made us all think a lot
more about the rubbish
that we produce.
The Greenies asked Laura
loads of questions and the
visit could have gone on a
lot longer than it did. She
invited us to have a guided
tour around a local recycling
centre, which we
hope to take her up on so
that we can tell everyone
at Highcliffe what happens
to his or her waste.
The meeting was really interesting
and thought provoking.
The students asked
some brilliant questions
and showed Laura just how
knowledgeable and green
they are.
Look out for more recycling
events and provisions
here at
Highcliffe in
the near
future.
Greenies
logo
The environmental
group now
have a
logo, designed
by Alex Eatough in
Year 8. Quite a few logos
were submitted but Alex’s
was chosen as it represents
the interests of the
members of the group and
integrates the Highcliffe
logo.
Recycling monitors will
wear the logo on a badge
when they are emptying
staff’s recycling boxes, so
look out for them. Well
done Alex!
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 Page 15

SCIENCE BARGAIN, SCIENCE BARGAIN!!!
We have packs of examination papers so that you can practise lots of
SAT questions before the big day (Tuesday 8 th May). These are for
sale at lunch times between 1.20 pm and 1.40 pm in the Science
Prep Room. The cost of these is £2.00. Cheques should be made payable
to Highcliffe School.
Remember that there is a limited supply of revision guides that may
be borrowed from the library.
Design &
Technology
A new year has brought
new projects to
both Design
Technology and
Product Design
in Key Stage 3.
New equipment
and the desire to
increase the challenge
within projects
has meant a
complete change.
In Year 7 we are
now making CD
Racks and Bookmarks
using a mix
of traditional skills and the
latest CAD/CAM technology,
in the shape of a Laser
Cutter. Year 8’s are
designing and making Mechanical
Toys so that they
can learn about mechanisms
and movement.
In addition, our Year 9 students
are designing an
Asian style lamp which
should be suitable for sale
through the retail chain,
Ikea. Ikea have been generous
enough to give part
sponsorship to this project
so that we can supply a
safe and affordable light
fitting and therefore make
the project viable. The
most successful designs
will be photographed and
sent to Ikea for their interest.
It is also hoped that in
Year 9 we will
be carrying out
a small Jewellery
design
project, but as
it is the first time
through with
these projects
we will need to
see how time
and productivity
progress.
Report by
Mr Nicholls
Sports News
A Great Year keeps
getting better
Throughout the year we
have been bringing you
news of success on the
sports field. We have had
a real sense of pride in
bringing you the evidence
of the rewards that have
followed the hard work of
the PE staff and the students
who give up their
free time to represent the
school in this way.
In this issue we get to
see how success breeds
success with news of excellence
and sportsmanship
in a range of team
sports – rugby, football
and netball. We want to
publicly congratulate all involved
, particularly the PE
and the non-PE teaching
staff involved on the
coaching side.
Rugby Sevens—Year 7
On Monday 12th March,
Highcliffe's U12 Rugby
Team travelled
to Oakmedians RFC to play
in the Christchurch Schools
Sevens Tournament. Six
schools entered the event
with The Grange and Highcliffe
also bringing a B
Team as we look to get as
many students involved as
possible in sport.
Strength in depth has been
key to the success of Year
7 this year. The numbers
at training have been very
positive, which has meant
that final selection has
been very tough for every
fixture. This strength has
really been shown
throughout the season as
Highcliffe has dominated in
all its fixtures and tournaments
this season. This
day was no exception. The
greatest thing that I personally
took out of the day
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 Page 16

was the success achieved
by the Highcliffe B team
who were anything but the
walkover many schools
may have
thought.
Highcliffe A
played some
great rugby in
the group
stages beating
The Grange B
34-0
(Steadman x2,
Gould, I-
Burrows, Busby
& Cann x2),
Twynham 22-5
(Runnalls,
McLeod x 2 &
Busby) & St Peter’s
24-0 (I-
Burrows x2,
McLeod &
Busby). Two of
the players deserve
a particular
mention.
Firstly, Tom Ibarguen-
Burrows who continues to
grow into what I hope will
be fantastic team captain;
he led from the front and
dominated in the loose.
Also, Jack Busby who was
everywhere. A
real terrier to the
opposing team,
andwhose support
play was outstanding.
Highcliffe B
had been given a
really tough draw,
and would have to
play some very
good rugby to
progress from the
group. And progress they
did! Some awesome defence
and strong running
meant that they had a 10-
7 win against Portchester
and a 10-5 win against the
Grange. Both A teams!
Ballard proved too strong
scoring 3 tries against our
none. Despite this, the B
team had done enough to
Christchurch Sportsperson of The Year 2007
Left to Right
Michael Bradwell (Pettengells - Sponsor), Jared Sharman (2006 winner), Chris
Symons (Highcliffe – Nominee), Stacey Angliss (Grange School – Winner),
Nicholas Marsh (Twynham School – Nominee), Stephen Foley (AFC Bournemouth),
Chris Lane (Pettengells – Sponsor)
get through and it was a
Highcliffe v Highcliffe Semi
Final.
It wouldn't surprise many if
I said Highcliffe then made
their way through to the fi-
nal, where we came up
against Ballard. Tom Ibarguen-Burrows
really stood
out in this game not just for
scoring 2 tries but for the
sportsmanship he showed
when Ballard scored against
us. He had tackled the Ballard
player who had just
done enough to cross the
Highcliffe try line. Tom’s
response was
superb - he
helped the Ballard
player up,
patted him on
the back and
ran back to his
team. As the
final whistle
blew Highcliffe
had come out
12-5 winners!
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 Page 17
Congratulations
to the players
involved. We
look forward to
some more ‘7s’
fixtures in the
future. Well
done!
I would also like
to pass on my
many thanks to
the parents of the team
members whose tremendous
support added to a
highly successful and enjoyable
day for the students
involved.
Team: Ryan McLeod, Jack
Busby, Tom Ibarguen-
Burrows (Captain), Matt
Runnells, Tom Gould, John
Cann, David Steadman, Jo
Herbert, Ashley King, Marcus
McKenzie, JJ Broomfield
(Captain B Team),
James Fagg, James Bonney
& Harry Fry
Report by Mr Dean
Rugby Sevens—Year 8
On the 13th of March the
Year 8 Rugby Sevens team
set out to Old Oakmeadians
Rugby Club to take part in
the The Grange Invitation
Rugby 7's Tournament.

The team
arrived as favourites after
winning the St. Peter’s
tournament earlier in the
year. The players were in
confident mood. They
played St. Peter’s in the
first game and with good
work from Harry Aston and
Scott Snudden they won
25- 12. The next group
game saw them take on
the Grange where the
team ran
riot scoring 54- 0 with
Oliver Lucas, Adam Aston
and Joe Marlin among the
try scorers. The final group
game was against Twynham
and after a slow start
they ran out winners 15-
5. The semis saw the team
paired against Grange
again, and once more the
Highcliffe boys piled on the
pressure to run out 45- 5
winners with good running
from Will Aimson, Sam
Jackson and Will Woodfine.
The final saw us up against
old foe Twynham but after
a cagey start the team
powered home with major
contributions from Harry
Busby and Scott Snudden,
winning 27- 10 and being
crowned Champions. A big
well done and thanks to all
team members. What a
great way to finish the
season!
Report by Mr Jobbins
Rugby Sevens—Year 9
On Wednesday 14th
March, Highcliffe's U14
Rugby Team travelled
to Oakmedians RFC to play
in the Christchurch Schools
Sevens Tournament.
Some 8 schools entered
the event which started at
1.00pm and ended after
the final at 3.30pm.
Highcliffe's opening fixture
was against a
strong Arnewood team. We
enjoy a friendly rivalry with
the Arnewood boys as many
are teammates from New
Milton RFC so it is always an
enjoyable fixture and played
in particularly good spirit. In
the 15 a side game earlier in
the year, Highcliffe came
away with a commanding
win - however this time the
sevens game evened things
out and with Highcliffe taking
time to get going the
opening fixture was narrowly
lost.
It was apparent that this focused
the team’s attention.
Some work on the basic fundamentals
of sevens play
worked well as the team
went on to score many tries
in their remaining 2 group
fixtures. Peter Crowley
really was the pick of the
team finishing the group
stage as top try scorer,
many of which were scored
from his own half! Matt
Wiles continued to use his
destructive running lines
with Will Baughan, James
Olsen & Calum Marrs causing
havoc at the breakdown.
This resulted in a big win
against St Peter’s B and a
tight win against a rejuvenated
Twynham team who
had just beaten Arnewood!
That shock result meant
that Highcliffe went through
as group winners.
In the semi finals Highcliffe
came up against Porchester.
In this game the team
played some of its best
rugby and really dominated
from start to finish, resulting
in a win that put them
through to the final against
St Peter’s. The final was
perhaps a game too far for
the team as at half time
they were 3 tries down, but
a second half fight back resulted
in Peter Crowley,
James O'Callaghan & Matt
Wiles touching down. However,
as the final whistle
blew it was St Peter’s who
were celebrating as they
had converted one more
try than Highcliffe. A great
game fitting of a final. So
although Highcliffe missed
out of a clean sweep in the
sevens tournaments, the
Year 9s can be very
pleased with themselves
for being runners up. With
the standard of rugby on
show it was a fantastic and
very difficult achievement.
Congratulations to the
players involved and many
thanks to the parents who
have offered tremendous
support to the team.
Team: Dan Hancock, Rhys
Frampton, James Olsen,
Calum Marrs, Will Baughan
(c), James Runnalls, Ryan
Dunlop, Peter Crowley,
Matt Wiles, James O'Callaghan
Report by Mr Dean
Football
In early March the Year 9
& 10 teams had their 5-aside
tournaments at Roko
Sport Centre. During the
group stages the Year 9's
finished second so had to
play Twynham who finished
top of their group for
a place in the final.
Unfortunately they lost (to
the eventual competition
winners) so had to
settle for a third place play
off. Eventually they finished
the day in fourth
place out of twelve
schools.
The Year 10 team finished
third in their group and
ended up finishing eighth
overall in the day. A big
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 Page 18

well done to both teams
who tried their hardest
and had a thoroughly enjoyable
day.
Report by Mr. Jobbins
Netball
It has been a very busy
year for netball. All years,
including the Sixth Form
have been taking part in
friendly games against local
schools as well as area
and county tournaments
and leagues. This term
has seen many of our
teams reaching the final
stages of the area
knock-out competition.
The Year 9 team reached
the semi-finals, but unfortunately
were knocked out
by Ringwood.
The Year 10 team were entered
into the U16 age
group so they knew they
would have some tough
games. They reached the
semi-final where they
faced Wentworth. They
won this game showing
great skill and teamwork
and faced Twynham in the
Trip to Aalen – Germany.
Recently a number of
Highcliffe students were
lucky enough to be able to
visit Aalen in Germany as
part of a Youth visit programme.
Here is a report
of their experience by two
of the Hifhcliffe participants.
We follow this with
a report of the trip as a
whole sent to us by the
trip organiser, Tina Wright.
‘We stayed with Herr &
final.
The final took place on
Tuesday 20 th March. It was
a bitterly cold day, but the
girls once again showed
great determination and
skill. The game was made
even harder when the snow
started to fall, but the girls
battled on and eventually
won the final 16 – 9. This is
a great achievement for this
team. Not only is this the
first time that we have won
this section of the tournament,
but the girls have
won it a year young.
The Year 10 team have had
the greatest success this
year. The team includes
Aimee Chester, Lucy Burgess,
Megan Jones, Clare
Langley, Dani Seton-
Smith, Charlotte Mortimer,
Laura Jones and
Bethany Jessop. For the
first time in many years the
team reached the Dorset
Schools County Championships
held at Leweston
School in Sherborne.
It was a glorious spring day
Modern Foreign Languages
Frau Schall and their two
children, Checkie (boy) and
Annika. Checkie was 13 and
Annika was 11 years old.
The father was an estate
agent and the mother was a
librarian. They had a dog
that was friendly but quite
big; it was black and well
trained. They were a nonsmoking
family and they
drove a people carrier and a
mini.
They lived in a beautifully
decorated house in a pretty
and the girls were excited
about playing schools
across the county. The
standard was high, but the
girls maintained their composure
and won a number
of games. Overall they
achieved 5 th place, which
was a fantastic result.
The teams have also been
taking part in the annual
netball rallies. These are
friendly tournaments at
the end of each netball
season. The Year 10 team
came runners up, whilst
Years 7 and 8 came 5 th
overall. The Year 9 team
achieved 4 th place. Our
Sixth Form team has also
shown success having
beaten Bournemouth
School for Girls in a recent
game 11 – 0.
As you can see it has been
a great year for netball at
Highcliffe School. Well
done to all the girls who
have and taken part. Lets
hope 2007/2008 is just as
successful.
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 Page 19
Report by Miss Kovacevic
area, a fair distance away
from the town and in fact
their little village wasn’t
too far from the school.
We went to school for 3
days in the morning, going
into Checkie’s class and involving
ourselves with the
lessons. They might have
been younger than us but
they were doing very advanced
work in all of their
lessons. They were a bi–
lingual class and took Geography
in both German

and in English and next
year they will also be taking
History in both languages.
We liked the
school because
it was
really relaxed
and
the classrooms
were
big and well
decorated.
Their café
was really
nice and
good to
hang out in.
If we were
able to go back, we would
definitely go because all of
the people were really
friendly and welcoming to
us. We thought it was a
great opportunity and
would be happy to set up
an exchange, because the
school was so different
from ours and so much
better because of it.
My favourite thing about
the school and the whole
trip was the fact that after
school, which finished at
1.00, we were able to go
shopping, which we can’t
do here in England.
Maria’s favourite highlight
was the P.E lesson. Because
Checkie had a science
exam we both had to
go to Annika’s lesson. She
had P.E and we were allowed
to join in and we
played dodgeball, but their
version. We had a really
good time but we did
spend half of our time on
the bench!
We met the mayor on the
second day, and we were
able to ask questions
about Aalen and learnt a fair
amount about the town.
For one of the days we went
to a spa in the evening
where we relaxed, but our
time was cut short because
we had to go to Checkie’s
Carol service, which he sang
in.
Then on the night before
leaving, we went shopping
in Ulm, which had a large
shopping centre like Southampton
but better. We
spent a good four hours
straight just shopping, and
spent a lot of time in the
Christmas market outside of
the cathedral. We went back
the next day but had to wait
a few hours because our
plane was delayed due to
the fog in Heathrow. We
were happy to wait and no
one complained, We all had
fun and made some great
friends.’
Report by
Nicola Huggens (11.8)
& Maria Lane (11.1)
Christchurch Uk To Aalen
Germany
Youth Visit
14 th – 21 st December 2006
Six students from the 3 local
Secondary schools set off
in response to a gift from
the mayor and people of
Aalen. Highcliffe
School was represented
by Nicola
Huggens and Maria
Lane - The Grange
School by Kwabena
Bruce and Willow
Wren and Twynham
School by
Tessa Humphreys
and Matthew Norman.
All accompanied
by me Tina
Wright and sent on
our way with good
wishes by the
Mayor of Christchurch
David Fox,
in a mini bus (Thank you
Round Table) to Heathrow
and then a BA flight to
Stuttgart.
The Chairman of Aalen
Round Table – Boris Erdmann
- was waiting there
to transport us to the Eichenhof
Hotel (thanks to
Sven a Round Tabler) and
a meeting with our host
families.
Each school had been
linked with an Aalen school
and the students visited
these each morning to
take part in lessons and
activities. A morning
school start time between
7.30am and 8.00am was
rather a shock to the system
for the Christchurch
students who handled it
pretty well but don’t want
it to happen too often!
Students and staff were
very welcoming and
friendly and as the German
students were very anxious
to practise their English
(much better than our
German) no one got lost.
We were joined by some of
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 Page 20

the host families for a visit
to the Thermal Baths and
the time spent there was
great fun. A heated outdoor
pool with steam rising
into the dark December
night was a new experience
for most. Some
opted for a plunge in the
cold pool, while others
sensibly did not!
Afternoon activities included
an official welcome
reception at the Rathaus
from the Mayor with the
Schools, Twinning Association
and Round Table all
present too. Drinks at the
tiny Aalen Christmas market
followed with promises
of better things to come on
later trips.
This promise of a bigger
and better Christmas market
was met when some of
us spent time in the
nearby town of Ulm while a
couple of students went
with their host families to
Stuttgart.
The students did their best
to help the economy of
Germany with liberal buying
of Christmas goodies
and clothes, while I sampled
the delights of German
sausage and
gluhwein!
We were all made very
welcome by the folk in
Aalen and the schools were
thrilled by the visit and
hoping for lots more contact
in the future.
The weather was unseasonably
warm and we did
not struggle with frosts or
snow. The biggest problem
was the fog at Heathrow
which saw the cancellation
of many flights and
delay of others.
Thursday morning at Stuttgart
was somewhat confused
with different information
(Check in – don’t
check in: Drop off bags –
don’t drop off bags: There
is no plane – there is a
plane: Take off at 2.00pm
no 1.30 pm no 3.00pm)
plus texts from friends in
England and anxious calls
home but we finally took
off 4 hours late and arrived
back in THICK fog. The
minibus dropped us back
at 5.00pm and families
were there to collect the
students.
As part of the South West/
Andalucía Education Partnership,
Dorset is going to
be working closely with the
Jaén area of Spain. In order
to celebrate this exciting
partnership, students
from Highcliffe and Mudeford
Junior School, performed
at a signing ceremony
for the schools involved.
Ten Year 6 students from
Mudeford performed the
classic children’s song “Los
pajaritos”, which they had
learnt by heart and performed
with actions to illustrate
the different animals
they were singing
about.
Vicky Gee, Ryan Smith and
Kate Sparks read “Baladilla
de los tres ríos” a Spanish
poem written by Federico
García Lorca who is a very
famous Andalusian poet/
playwright.
Dorset y Jaen
Our trip was voted a great
success by everyone.
Thanks to all the students
who were great fun and to
all our hosts in Aalen.
Thanks to the citizens of
Aalen for their gift – to the
Twinning Association and
to the Round Table for
their support and financial
help. Greetings were sent
to Christchurch from every
quarter and I hope that
this trip will prove to be
just a beginning and not a
one off experience!
Our Year 11 students –
Emma Fisher, Ginny Moseley,
Catherine White and
Emily Waters performed
“La camisa negra” by Colombian
pop star Juanes.
You may remember the
song from last year’s
Christmas concert – well, it
didn’t take much for them
to remember the lyrics for
the entire song, complete
with dance routine. All involved
did us proud.
The following day, we were
visited by Domingo and Miguel
Arévalo who are both
from Jaén. They spent the
day observing Spanish lessons
both here at Highcliffe
and at Highcliffe St
Mark. We are hoping to
develop an exchange with
Miguel’s school I.E.S. Hermanos
Medina Rivilla.
Watch this space for further
developments.
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 Page 21
Tina Wright
Report by Mrs Day

14—19 At Highcliffe
Presentation
Evening
Sixth Form Presentation
Evening
“An exceptionally talented
group!” such was Mrs
Karanja’s glowing description
of the students who
finished their Highcliffe
School career in the summer
of 2006. Looking at
the happy group who had
assembled for the annual
Sixth Form Presentation
Evening on Thursday 4 th
January in the Da Vinci
Centre it was easy to recognise
the hard work and
achievements of the students,
which had led to
this comment.
Ms Potts welcomed the
hundred or so ex-students,
parents, guardians, governors
and staff who had
come to meet and greet
the cohort, each eager to
see the slideshow of photos
commemorating their
exciting
2 years
in Highcliffe
Sixth
Form,
remembering
some
nostalgic
times and events, including
the University of Plymouth
trip, particularly the
cream cracker eating incident
with Alex Sachs, the
Christmas fancy-dress
Charity Collection where
the bemused citizens of
Highcliffe were sung to and
money collected for the
NSPCC by our cheerful and
musical students, despite a
howling gale and
torrential rain. And
who could forget
Aidan Graham and
his bin-bags?
Ms Potts emphasised
the community
aspect of Highcliffe
School, thanking
the students
and their parents for their
contribution to the growing
‘family feeling’ of Highcliffe
School, she said that students
had “..left their footprint
with the contributions
they had made.”
She voiced the
feeling of all those
staff and governors
who wanted
to say “Well
done!” to the enthusiastic
and energetic
students,
who achieved so
well in not only their A Levels
but also in their efforts
on behalf of the school, participating
in the sporting and
cultural life, such as the
very successful production
of “The Hot Mikado”.
The case for investing in
the 6 th Form at Highcliffe
was very strongly made,
citing the rising number of
University
places
offered
to our
students,including
those in
Medicine
and Vetinary Science,
with Law, Sports Sciences
and Zoology being other
popular choices. Other
students had benefited
from excellent careers advice,
choosing to go into a
wide range of paid employment,
including sales, marketing
and pharmacy. Ms
Potts concluded her speech
by saying that students
should always regard Highcliffe
School as a welcoming
environment where
each student can achieve
to the highest level of their
ability. “Once Highcliffe,
always Highcliffe!”
Mrs Karanja then took the
floor to celebrate the major
achievement of our
2006 students - the completion
and successful attainment
of their A Levels.
Students were handed
their certificates by Mr
Martin Axton, the Chair of
Governors of Highcliffe
School. He presented the
required brown envelope
to the proud recipients,
who were then photographed
by Mr O’Connor
demonstrating not only his
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 Page 22

photographic skills but also
his ability to sit and squirm
into awkward positions to
get the
best possible
snap! As
Ms Potts
said: “He
can do
this and
b-b-q as
well!”
The Awards for Achievement
then followed with
students being presented
with specific awards, as
voted for by staff. Choosing
these, as Mrs Karanja
said, was particularly difficult
for this year group, as
each had attained in a special
way. However the following
awards were made:
The Special Achievement
Award was presented to
Lucy Emmett, a well deserved
reward for outstanding
achievement in a
successful year, and for
gaining a place at Medical
School.
The Achievement Award
was presented to three
students, all of whom thoroughly
deserved the
award, Sian Owen, Bethany
Gower and Sam
Quirke.
The Progress Award was
given to Jeffrey Dowdey
and Tony Rhodes, with so
many excellent examples
of their diligence and perseverance.
The Effort Award went to
Samantha Terry, Becky
Woolls, Faye Allen and Andrew
Satherley, for their
sterling efforts throughout
their 6 th form career.
The Community Award
was presented to a deserving
Alex Sachs, who, together
with an
excellent academic
record,
represented
Highcliffe School
within the
Christchurch Lions,
and the
Youth Parliament,
and appeared
to stunning
effect as Katisha in the
Hot Mikado.
The Leadership Award
went to Dean Prodomo, who
proved himself a natural
leader in so many ways, and
displayed his natural talents
by rushing out and buying
more cream cheese for the
canapés when urgently required,
despite having just
arrived!
The Extra-
Curricular
Award went to
Nathaniel Brawn,
whose amazing
musical talent
has been recognised
in his performances
throughout his
school career.
Emily Wallis was also presented
with this award, for
her award winning photography
for which she has received
plaudits and local
publicity. Max Holloway was
the third recipient of the Ex-
tra-Curricular Award. He
managed to successfully
balance his academic work
and his training commitments,
being a notable
sportsman, now training
with the Olympic squad in
sailing.
India Lawton was awarded
the Personality gong, a
lovely girl with a sunny
and charming personality,
who ‘always has a smile on
her face’. India is now
happily studying at the
Bournemouth Arts Institute.
The presentations were
followed by excellent canapés
and a selection of
drinks, prepared by the
current Year 12 Catering
students studying for their
NCFE Certificate in Nutrition
and Health, as part of
the 6 th form enrichment
programme. The GCSE
Year 11 Catering Group
were also part of the team
who produced these attractive
and delicious little
offerings, served with
great panache by the students
on silver salvers.
Mrs Rowe and Ms Ford ably
led their dedicated team
and were rewarded by appreciative
smiles
from the
assembled
guests.
With Mr
Axton
were Mrs
Gardiner
and Mrs
Sheekey, representing the
Governors of Highcliffe
School who proudly
watched the students participating
in the events of
the evening, together with
staff who were delighted to
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 Page 23

welcome the company.
Mr Harry Sharp who is
making a good recovery
from his illness, sent his
apologies and wished the
2006 leavers all the good
luck in the world.
Mrs Gower (who was away
with the penguins!) also
sent her congratulations
and best wishes to all ‘her’
students.
Special mention must be
made of the sterling work of
Mrs White and Mrs Bower,
who, not only organised the
mammoth amount of paperwork
needed for such an
evening, but displayed great
skills in pouring and serving
drinks and generally making
the evening the success that
they worked so hard to
Oxfam Unwrapped
The Sixth Form, organised by Coral Stark and Megan
Pennell, raised over £350 for Oxfam Unwrapped with
donations instead of buying Christmas cards. The team
would like to thank everyone for their support. As a result
Oxfam is able to provide the following items .
£50 Care for an orphan or vulnerable child
£30 12 Textbooks
£6 School dinners for 100 children
£15 School desk and chair
£25 Kit out a teacher
£30 Teach a teacher
£15 Two Mosquito nets
£18 Safe water for 25 people
£30 Toilet
£38 Train a health worker
£16 Plant 50 trees
£24 Goat
£10 Fishing nets
£24 Plant an allotment
£20 Market stall
achieve.
A delightful evening, celebrating
the success of
Highcliffe 6 th Form 2004 –
6, and paving the way for
many more such pleasant
evenings as Highcliffe 6 th
goes from strength to
strength.
Report by Mrs Karanja
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 Page 24
Report by Mrs Dunleavy

To the right and on the following
page are photocopies
of a set of articles from
the newspaper of Pont
Audemer in Normandy.
The article concerns the
recent visit by a group of
Highcliffe Sixth Form students,
led by Mr Maurice
and Mrs Karanja, to undertake
work experience in
the town. Below is a translation
of the article and selections,
in French and
English, from the diaries of
the students involved. We
sincerely hope that you enjoy
reading about this new
and exciting link for the
school.
Translation
Seven English Students
on Work Experience
An Unforgettable
Experience
We are familiar with linguistic
exchanges which
allow school or college students
to
spend
time in
another
country
and meet
young
people of
the same
age and
their families.
Work
experience
abroad is most of the
time reserved for students
The
International
Dimension
who are involved in a project.
But here the English
are being innovative. Last
week, seven English students
who are more or less
bilingual arrived in Pont-
Audemer
to carry
out work
experience
in a professionalenvironment,
on
the initiative
of
their
French
teacher
and Head of the French Department,
John Maurice (see
The school sees its responsibilities as a Language College
as going beyond the teaching of languages. It is about
giving our young people a true sense of the world at large
as well as their responsibilities and their opportunities
within it. A vital component of this is the development of
links with our partner schools whether via electronic
technology or by the use of personal experience.
Sixth Form Work Experience in France
below). Another teacher,
Anna Karanja, accompanied
the group.
Provided with board and
lodging at Saint-Nicolas
Farm, these Year 13 students
from Highcliffe will
take their exams in June
(A Levels) and therefore
want to use this work experience
to improve their
level of French language.
Two students took part in
activities at the music
school and theatre, while
others went to the public
library, the Canel museum,
the Tourist Information Office,
the Tourville-sur-
Pont-Audemer Agricultural
College, the Mont-Houel
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 Page 25

stables in Selles, and even
at L’Eveil newspaper’s publishing
team which welcomed
Becky Jones (see
below).
An unforgettable experience
during which, the students
learnt a lot about
French habits and costumes,
even if when they
arrived they all already
had a good knowledge of
our country. Their special
French class allows them
to study the language and
culture for 10 hours per
week. The teachers and
students would like to
thank: Mr and Mrs Marzat,
Jean-Pierre Hamel, Mrs
Leviel, Mrs Hellot, Miss
Legendre and the Saint-
Nicolas Farm.
An English girl at the Eveil
- Becky delighted with
her stay
She accompanied the journalists
from the publishing
team for five days. Using
correct French Becky Jones
even took part in discussions
with our interviewees.
It must be said that this 17
year old young lady has
been learning French since
the age of 7 and spends
most of her
summers on
the Côte d’Azur
with her
parents. She
has written a
report below:
“I arrived in
Pont-
Audemer on
Sunday. At
the start I saw a small typically
French town. In my
opinion Pont-Audemer is a
beautiful town situated in
the countryside. All the
houses are unique and often
surrounded by farms. Compared
to my town in the
South of England, the
French town is older. More-
over the majority of the
streets are extremely narrow
and it’s very quiet in
the town centre. My favourite
aspects of the town
are the little shops and the
French bars where you can
have a coffee for 1,50 euros
or less during the day.
This week, I think that the
weather has not been
great, but fortunately
there have been some
bright spells from time to
time. I feel relaxed here,
and all the people are very
nice.”
Former Pupil at Saint-Ouen
and Teacher in England
John Maurice shares his
first-hand knowledge of
the system. With a father
who is a teacher of Science
and Economics at Saint-
Ouen College, John Maurice
also became passionate
about teaching, but
preferred English, his
mother’s native language.
And it’s at Highcliffe School
and Language College,
near Ringwood (town
twinned with Pont-
Audemer), that he currently
teaches French after
completing
a Masters
in
English at
Rouen,
obtaining
a PGCE in
England
(the
equivalent
of the
French CAPES) and a brief
spell in a school in Manchester.
Over a 5 year period, he
has had the chance to
taste the English education
system “centred on the pupil
and based on performance,
with regular evaluation
of teachers who have
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 Page 26

to meet targets”, he explains.
“We have to work hard,
with a large amount of voluntary
work for extracurricular
activities. It’s
run a bit like a business,
but that allows us to constantly
review our performance.
The school invests a great
Anya Daszykowski
deal in the young people,
even though we are a state
school!”
This work experience abroad
that he proposed to his class
is a living proof: “I was immediately
given the green
light, we have the possibility
for this type of initiative, it’s
a real opportunity for them.
Europan labour laws make it
easy for them to work in
other countries. It’s also a
good human experience for
the young people, it allows
them to develop their self
confidence.”
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 Page 27
Report by Mr Maurice
& Mrs Karanja
Récemment j’ai fait un stage de travail en France. J’ai travaillé au centre équestre du Mont Houel
en Normandie pendant une semaine. Mes responsables de stage s’appelaient Christine et Frédéric
Marzat et ils étaient très sympathiques. Ils parlaient très peu Anglais donc j’ai dû parler beaucoup
en Français mais c’était bien parce que j’ai
amélioré mon Français. J’ai fait du cheval tous
les jours, j’ai balayé la cour, j’ai préparé les chevaux
– j’ai brossé et j’ai mis la selle. Le centre
équestre était très grand et il y avait beaucoup
de chevaux. Certains chevaux appartenaient à
des propriétaires et certains étaient pour les
cours. Aussi il y avait beaucoup de poneys pour
les petits enfants.
Nous sommes restés dans un gîte. Les filles et
les garçons avaient des chambres séparées.
Chaque matin je me levais à sept heures et nous
prenions le petit déjeuner. Nous avons mangé
du pain avec de la confiture, le gâteau, le yaourt
et les croissants. C’était très bien. Ensuite nous
sommes allés au travail. Le soir on rentrait au gîte et on prenait une douche. Puis nous avons
pris le dîner. Nous avons une entrée, un plat de résistance et un dessert. Les repas étaient excellents
et nous avons beaucoup mangé. Il faisait beau la plupart du temps mais il faisait très
froid donc nous avons porté beaucoup de vêtements.
Recently I did work experience in France. I worked at the equestrian centre of Mont Houel in Normandy
for a week. My supervisors were called Christine and Frederic Marzat and they were really
nice. They spoke very little English so I had to speak a lot of French but it was good because I
improved my French. I rode every day, swept the yard, prepared the horses – I brushed them
and put on their saddles. The equestrian centre was really big and there were lots of horses
there. Some horses were privately owned and
some belonged to the centre for the riding lessons.
Also there were lots of little ponies for
the little children.
We stayed in a gîte. The girls and the boys
had separate rooms. In the mornings I got up
at seven o’clock and we had breakfast. We
ate bread with jam, cake, yoghurt and croissants.
It was really good. Then we went to
work. In the evenings we returned to the gîte
and had showers. Then we ate dinner. We
had starter, a main course and a dessert. The
meals were excellent and we ate a lot. The
weather was nice most days but it was very
cold so we wore lots of clothes.

Cassie Hearn
The first day, at the library
I arrive at 9am to find the staff drinking coffee; they offer me a drink and then begin to ask me
questions. The staff show me around the library and explain all the different sections and the
methods for the sequence of the books. In the library there are lots of different sections; comics,
novels – such as crime fiction and science fiction. There is also a non-fiction section with autobiographies
and encyclopaedias. On the second floor there are comics, novels, fairy-tales and nonfiction
books for children. At 2pm I arrive back from lunch and go over to the theatre to be shown
around. The theatre is huge and very contemporary; the outside walls are made of glass and inside
there are huge bright orange metal panels. In the theatre there are three main sections of
seating. The stage is very large and above it, we were shown ‘la grille’ where the technicians
control the lighting and the scenery using weights.
The second day of work
I arrive at nine for a coffee and a chat with the staff. Shortly after a group of children from the
primary school arrive. Marie-Pascal (my supervisor) reads the children a book and explains to
them the lay-out of the library and the activity they will be doing that morning. They all form
groups and then go on a treasure hunt to search for certain books! After lunch I go to the museum
to be introduced to my supervisor for the day. Her name is Christine and she is very kind.
We talk for a while about where I am from and my hobbies and I
ask her about her family. Then she shows me the museum, it’s
really interesting. On the ground floor there is a big library full of
ancient books from the 17 th , 18th and 19 th centuries. The books
cover many subjects such as history, medicine, literature etc. On
the book cabinets there are photographs of trees which are a part
of the current exhibition ‘l’arbre’. On the first floor there are lots
of ancient paintings as well as a series of Napoleon’s books. His
books explore his discoveries of plants, animals as well as places.
In the same room, there is also a collection of insects containing
many types of beetles, fossils and ancient artefacts. On the second
floor there are lots of photos these are all for the current exhibition.
The exposition changes every three months and comprises
of lots of photos and explores different photographer’s perceptions
of magnificent trees. In the exposition there are some
old photos from the 1940’s along side some from 2004 this makes
for an interesting comparison and fusion of contemporary and
more traditional art.
The third day of work, at the museum
In the morning Mathilde offers to show me some of the books in the big library downstairs. She
shows me the oldest book in the library which is from 1432; it is preserved in a special paper wallet
as it is no longer bound together. I am also shown books from the 17 th century and the 18 th
century. The French in the 17 th century books is difficult to understand and Mathilde tells me that
people train in 17 th century French in order to understand those
books.
However, the books from the 18 th century are much closer to modern-day
French and therefore more easily understood. After that, I
see the first children’s books from the 19 th century and Mathilde
explains the different types of engraving and how much work
went into the coloured engravings. She also tells me about the
different types of paper and how it has evolved from parchment
(made from goat skin) to paper made from cloth and vegetable
oils and now to modern day paper with water. I found it really interesting to find out about the
progression in coverings, engravings and paper.
The whole experience was really useful and interesting; the people in Pont-Audemer were all
lovely and always willing to help. I would also like to thank Mr Maurice and Mrs Karanja for this
opportunity and all their help.
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 Page 28

Elle Harding
The Year 13 French work experience was, to say the least, an adventure.
After arriving in France, we had 45-minute car journey to
Pont-Audemer; a small town, twinned with Ringwood, to take a
quick look at our work experience placements. Mine was at the
Pont-Audemer tourist office. On Monday morning, everyone was
slightly anxious but excited too. We were all dropped off at our
placements and introduced to our bosses for the week. At first, I
was shown around the tourist office so that I could get to know the
place and feel more comfortable. I was not the only other person
on work experience there; there was also a 19-year-old girl, who was there so that she could
complete her BAC. Some of the tasks I did in the week were going to the town hall to collect post
and I also got the chance to sit in on a town meeting about the local environment, which was very
interesting. I also got the chance to visit Megan and Matt at the theatre to watch a Marionette
show and I got a guided tour of the museum by Cassie.
Saturday, we had a whirlwind trip of Paris, in which we managed to see the whole of Paris in
about 6 hours.
Although the work experience was slightly scary, I definitely learnt a lot from it and wouldn’t think
twice about visiting Pont-Audemer again.
Jamie Currie
Le stage de travail en France
Le douze novembre nous sommes partis pour la France à neuf heures du matin. Nous sommes
arrivés à Caen à trois heures de l’après-midi où il faisait mauvais. Le soir on a mangé chez les
Maurice un bon repas. Après avoir dîné on est retourné aux gites et on s’est couché à onze heures,
on était très fatigué après une longue journée. Pour mon stage de travail j’ai travaillé dans
un lycée avec deux profs de sport qui s’appellent Jean Pierre Hamel et Nicolas Plessy. Je les ai
trouvé très sympas et gentils. Pendant ma semaine j’ai participé à toute une gamme de sports ;
le foot, le rugby et le badminton. Aussi j’ai joué à un nouveau sport qui s’appelle handball. Le
handball est très populaire en France et dans d’autre pays d’Europe.Pendant le temps que j’ai
passé dans le lycée j’ai vu des différences. Leur journée sont plus longues que les nôtres et les
cours de sport sont mixtes.
Après avoir passé une longue et fatiguante journée au lycée on était prêt à retourner au gîte pour
se détendre. Le gite était très joli et très confortable et de plus la nourriture était très impressionante.
On a mangé des repas incroyables qui étaient tous faits-maison. Le stage s’est terminé
samedi et on est allé à Paris pour visiter les attractions. On a visité la tour Eiffel, le Louvre et le
Moulin Rouge. Dimanche on est reparti pour l’Angleterre après avoir passé un voyage couronné
de succès. On a passé un bon moment en France et je crois qu’il a aidé à amèliorer mon français.
Work Experience in France
On the 12 th of November we left for France at nine in the morning. We arrived in Caen at three
o’clock in the afternoon where the weather was bad. That evening we ate at the Maurices’ where
we had a good meal. After having dinner we returned to the gite and went to bed at eleven
o’clock, we were very tired after a long day. For my work experience I worked at a French
school with two PE teachers called Jean Pierre Hamel and Nicolas Plessy. I found them to be very
friendly and nice. During my week I participated in a whole host of sports; football, rugby and
badminton. Also I played a new sport called handball. Handball is very popular in France and in
other European countries. During my time at the French school I saw some differences; their
school day is longer than ours and PE lessons are mixed.
After having spent a long and tiring day at the school we were
ready to return to the gîte to relax. The gîte was pretty and
very comfortable however the food was the most impressive.
We ate some incredible meals that were all homemade. On
Saturday our work experience had finished so we went to Paris
to visit the attractions. We visited the Eiffel tower, the Louvre
and the Moulin Rouge. On Sunday we returned to England
having spent a successful trip. We had a good time in France
and I believe that it has helped to improve my French.
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 Page 29

Megan Pennell
My work experience began with a tour of the theatre in Pont-Audemer by the theatre publicist;
including the offices, stage, backstage and dressing rooms. I was also given a tour of the town
and shown how the library and museum worked. I then attended a music theory lesson at the local
music school, where people of any age can go to have music lessons and join groups. Later in
the week I also attended guitar, singing, African drumming and organ lessons. As well as this I
also took part in a lesson for young children to introduce them to music and a percussion introduction
for a group of children from a more deprived area of the town who would not otherwise
have the opportunity to experience music in this way. I was also shown how to use computerassisted
music (MAO), which used computers to record and create music. Many different local
bands practise at the school (e.g. reggae, rock, pop) and this is where they can record their music.
During the week I also worked in the admin office where I wrote summaries of performances
that were being shown at the theatre for the children in the school and did other jobs for the director.
At the theatre the main technician called Yannick (Legend) showed us how the technical side of
the theatre worked (including lights, scenery and music). At the beginning of the week there was
a large puppet show being put on for lots of the local school children so I helped set up the lights
and staging for this. I also had the opportunity to help seat people on the day of the show and
then watch the show. During my time at the theatre I talked with the director of the theatre and
the accountant about their jobs and what they did. Luckily, the week I was there they were putting
on one of the biggest performances of the year called ‘l’Orage’ (the storm). I therefore could
see all the organisation for this, could help set up the music system and met the costume and
make-up manager for the performance company. I really enjoyed every minute of my work experience
and as well as learning lots about French music, culture, the theatre and the different
jobs there, I feel that it really helped me to improve my French by listening to and speaking
French all day.
Mon stage de travail a commencé par une tournée du théâtre à Pont-Audemer, y compris les bureaux,
le plateau, les coulisses et les vestiaires. De plus j’ai aussi visité la ville et on m’a montré
comment la bibliothèque et le musée fonctionnaient. Donc j’ai rencontré le personnel par exemple
le technicien qui s’appelle Yannick, le Directeur de théâtre et le comptable. Je leur ai parlé de leur
travail. Yannick m’a montré comment il a fait les projecteurs, le décor et la musique. Je l’ai aidé
avec le spectacle de marionnettes et après ça j’ai pu regarder le spectacle, c’était très bien. Durant
mon travail ils ont organisé un grand spectacle qui s’appelle ‘l’Orage’ ; c’était présenté à la
fin de la semaine. J’ai aidé Yannick avec la musique, j’ai préparé les vestiaires pour les comédiennes
et j’ai appris beaucoup pendant le spectacle.
De même, j’ai travaillé à l’école de musique, qui est une école spécialisée dans la musique
où les gens de tout âge peuvent avoir les cours de musique et se joignent à des groupes. Pendant
la semaine j’ai assisté aussi aux cours de guitare, chanter, percussion africaine et d’orgue.
Enfin j’ai participé à un cours pour les jeunes enfants pour les introduire à la musique et un
spectacle pour un groupe d’enfants qui habitent dans un secteur plus privé de la ville. Autrement
ils n’auraient pas l’opportunité de faire de la musique. On m’a montré comment utiliser ‘la musique
créée à l’aide de l’ordinateur.
Beaucoup de différents genres musicaux
sont pratiqués à l’école (par
exemple le reggae, le rocher, le bruit
sec) et ils peuvent enregistrer leur musique.
J’ai écouté de la musique de
groupes des bandes et c’était fantastique.
J’ai adoré beaucoup mon stage
de travail parce que les gens étaient
très gentils et j’ai appris beaucoup au
sujet du théâtre et de la musique française.
Grâce à mon travail je pense que
mon français s’est beaucoup amélioré.
C’est ainsi que j’ai appris beaucoup de
nouveaux mots. De plus je crois que
maintenant je connais mieux la culture
française ; je l’aime beaucoup.
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 Page 30

Below is the list of Year 8
and 9 students who represented
the school. They
were a real
credit to the
school and to
see them
standing in the
witness box
and answering
questions
posed by other
schools or firing
questions at
"witnesses" from other
schools was brilliant.
If you see them around,
please ask them about the
competition and congratu-
high...higher...Highcliffe!
As you know, we believe it is very important that we recognise the achievements made by all of the members
of the school community. This applies whether those achievements are academic, sporting or social and also
whether they are made in school or outside school. The more achievements are recognised, the greater the
incentive to achieve even more.
Christchurch Young Citizen
of the Year is an award
that counters the negative
image of young people
that is often presented in
the media. Here is a report
just in from Mrs Stone.
“ We nominated Abi for
Christchurch Young Citizen
of the Year and she has
got into the top three of
the category. She
has been invited to the
Avonmouth Hotel on 29th
March for a 3-course meal
and presentation of the final
awards. The nominators
are not invited but she
can take 2 guests.
Mock Trial Team
Young Citizen
of the Year?
late them. Kirsty Darke
9.1, Stephen Hutt 9.7,
Sarah Huggens 9.2, Thomas
Smith
9.7, Hannah
Leary
9.1, Graham
Vey
9.8, Lillie
Shaw 9.2,
Lucy Goddard
9.2,
Robin
Joynson 8.6, Benjamin
Price 8.5, Eleanor Kelly
8.3, Will Holyhead 8.6
Margaret Sheekey 8.4,
Joshua Bailey 8.5, Jacob
Moore 8.6
She received a letter informing
her of this on Saturday
and was amazed.
The nomination was primarily
in recognition of her
fundraising for Ataxia and
her assembly to her year
group when she highlighted
disabilities.
Report by Mrs Stone“
We look forward to bringing
you news of (fingers
crossed!) Abi’s success in
our next issue.
A Cherries star of
the Future?
Congratulations to Ian
Welsh who is currently in
the middle of a six week
trial period with AFC
Bournemouth. We wish
him every luck and hope to
be bringing you plenty of
news of his success in the
future.
Young Anglers
One Day Angling Course
A number of Highcliffe students
took part in a coaching
day organised by the
Wessex Angling Scheme.
In response to this we received,
from the parents of
a Year 9 participant, a
copy of the letter of thanks
that they had sent to the
organisers – expressing
the wish, which the school
certainly echoes, that the
link with the school continues.
One of the other participants
has provided us with
his diary for the day and
we print this below. Well
done to all those who were
willing to devote some of
their time at half-term to
participate in the event.
“In response to an invitation
from the Royalty Fisheries
in Christchurch, six of
us from Years 8 & 9 joined
Chris, Neil and Tony, the
team leaders, for a day’s
fishing and coaching.
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 Page 31

We arrived at their base in
Christchurch but were then
driven to Whitemoor
Lakes, near Hurn, where
we set up our equipment
for the day. Everything we
needed was provided, such
as rods, reels, tackle and
bait, as well as the luxury
of chairs to sit on.
On the way, we were given
a talk about safety on and
around lakes and rivers so
that, when we arrived, we
were able to set up our
rods etc. straight away.
Coaching was provided on
a one to two basis, which
meant we had a coach on
hand to ask for help or advice
whenever we needed
it.
Being a newcomer to the
sport, I was delighted to
be the first person to catch
a fish, a bream, which was
fairly small but nonetheless,
very exciting. During
the day all of us had a bite
of some sort, namely rudd,
bream, roach, chubb.
Ben Woodford, my team
mate, and I both hooked a
carp but, unfortunately, it
got away. As well as enjoying
the fishing, we were
also privileged to see lots
of wildlife around the
lakes. This, along with the
fine weather, made the
whole day a great experience.
Having been such a success,
the leaders invited us
back for a second day,
which most of us took up.
This next time we were
taken to the River Stour at
Iford where we caught fish
such as daice, chubb and
pike.
I think everyone that went
would agree that it was a
great experience and, at
the end of the course, we
were all presented with a
Wessex Angling Society
Certificate of Achievement.
I would just like to
end by thanking the leaders
who were really
friendly and helpful and
gave us two fun days out.
If the opportunity arises
again, I will certainly be
there.
Calling all budding
authors and poets!
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 Page 32
Report by
Haydn Bower 8.6”
Always dreamed of being famous?
Fancy having your work published?
Now’s your chance to make those
dreams come true. Due to the recent
success in the Young Writers
narrative and poetry competitions,
the English Department have decided
to create a ‘Highcliffe Anthology’.
We need YOU! Or, more specifically,
any poems or stories that you are
particularly proud of and wish to be
considered for publication. The anthology
aims to reflect some of the
outstanding talent we have in the
school - from year 7 through to year
13.
Please submit work electronically to
hpearson@hs
Work submitted must be your own
work, and no longer than 30 lines for
poems and 500 words for stories.
We are looking forward to reading
your work!
Mrs Gabony

Here is the article that
appeared in ‘Bright
Sparks’ about the recent
successes of Highcliffe
science students in local
competitions.
“Highcliffe Double Win:
Hodgkin and Burnell
Shields
Highcliffe School triumphed
over Twynham
on 12 March taking both
the Hodgkin and the
Burnell Science Challenge
Shields home.
Teams of Key Stage 4
pupils gathered at Twynham
School to identify six
white substances in 45
minutes using flame tests
Robotics Group
Congratulations to Mrs
Johnson and the Robotics
group which goes from
strength to strength, performing
well in regional
and national competitions.
As well as this serious side,
the group undertakes a
wide variety of fun activities
and projects. Here is a
report by one member of
Bright Sparks
and a variety
of reagents.
Key Stage
3 pupils
competed
at Highcliffe
School to
pit their
wits and
scientific
skills
against
each other designing a
spill-proof cup. The winning
design was a ‘collar’
that allowed the cup to be
removed but prevented
splashes over the side
when rocked.
The Hodgkin Shield is
named after the first and
only British woman to be
awarded the Nobel Prize
for Chemistry, Dorothy
Hodgkin and The Burnell
Shield after British physicist
Jocelyn Bell Burnell
who discovered pulsars.
The winning KS4 team
said ‘It was tough so it
was good to win’.
Shields, certificates and
the group showing this.
‘During the run up to Christmas
we made Light-up
Christmas
Trees and also
musical and
voice recorded
Christmas
cards. We
gave one of
these to Ms
Potts and we all sang ‘Merry
Christmas’. We also cele-
energy beads (donated
by TTS Ltd) were
awarded to the winning
teams.
Senior Curriculum
Leader in Science Mrs S.
Cullen was delighted
with the performance of
her teams, acknowledging
the close lead of 1
point held by the winning
team in the KS4
challenge.”
Work Experience
Work Experience Logo
Competition
I would like to thank all
the students who took part
in the competition, organised
by Christchurch Borough
Council’s Youth Strategy
working Group. Congratulations
to Lucy Burgess
and Jemma Blundell
who were runners up in
the competition. I am sure
they will enjoy spending
the book tokens they received
in recognition of
their efforts. Well done!
Report by Mrs Finch
brated with scrumptious
chocolate cake (real not
robotic) made by Rebecca
Jones (7.6). We have
some new and
exciting projects
underway
so come and
join us – see
Mrs Johnson in
Room Sc8 if
you are interested.’
Report by Jack Hill (8.2)
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 Page 33

Praise from Leisure
Services
Bournemouth Leisure
Services School Visit
We would like to share
with you the text of a letter
we recently received
from John Davies, Childrens’
Programming Manager
at the Littledown Centre,
following a visit to the
school by him and other
members of the Bournemouth
Leisure Services
team.
“Dear Ms Potts,
We recently came to four
assemblies at your school
regarding ‘getting the pupils
active’ on their teacher
training days and free
sport club offer.
We would like to express
our gratitude to the school
for providing us with the
opportunity to talk, special
thanks to Miss Kovacevic
in setting this up. All the
Year Heads were extremely
helpful and I must
say made a very good impression
in the way the
school operates – discipline
and humour is a very fine
art to achieve with children.
As an outside organisation,
and personally as a parent,
it was a delight to see the
school operate as you do
and gain so many sporting
achievements! The PE Department
must take credit
for a fantastic array of
sporting excellence over a
selection of sports, which
was on show by medals
and certificates on every
day – you could see the
joy in the childrens’ faces
and the pride in the teach-
ers.
You and your teachers
should be immensely
proud of what you are
achieving and the overall
outcome it will have in
many peoples’ lives.
With kind regards,
John Davies”
Casey Burgess
Boxing Star
You may well have seen in
the sports section of the
New Milton Advertiser the
news that Year 11 student
Casey Burgess has managed
to secure sponsorship
from MARK1 Diggers to
support his boxing career.
We reprint the report in
full below. (Minus the photograph
mentioned in the
text)
‘Casey Burgess is the latest
member of Lymington’s
Lawrence boxing club to
have demonstrated his
sporting potential.
Weighing in at 80kg the 15
year old Highcliffe School
Tae Kwon Do
Star in
the making
Congratulations to Martin
Pink (7.8) who as you
can see from the photo is
the proud possessor of a
1 st Dan Black Belt in Tae
Kwon Do.
Well done, Martin!
student knocked out his
opponent after just one
minute of the first round
in his first bout in Portsmouth
recently.
Casey has been training
for the last nine months at
the Lymington club and
has recently secured sponsorship
for the remainder
of the season from local
groundworks company
MARK1 Diggers.
Mark Morris (pictured) of
MARK1 Diggers said: “We
had no hesitation in supporting
this young boxing
talent and we look forward
to seeing him achieve success
at the highest levels
of the Junior ABA and
Schoolboy Championships”.
The Lawrence Boxing club,
a registered charity, is
situated on Marsh Lane
and was founded in 1928
by local magistrate Sid
Lawrence. The club continues
to work with young
people of the local community
thanks to the donations
of organisations such
as Lymington Lions Committee.’
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 Page 34

100% Attendance
Congratulations
Students with 100% Attendance in the Autumn Term.
(Not including Year 9 who were listed in the previous issue)
Tutor Group 7.1 – Ellena Barnes, Holly Clark, Francesca Crisante, Eleanor
Drewitt, Logan Holiday, Stephen Littlefair, Anber Sutton, Calum Wright. Tutor
Group 7.2 – Jack Edney, Robyn Harvey-Hutchins, Jacob Horton, Charlotte
Salter, Stefan Townsend. Tutor Group 7.3 – Oliver Anderson, Danielle Aspley-
Deadman, Scott Burkies, John Gray, ryan McLeod, Katie Powell, James Underwood.
Tutor Group 7.4 – Josephine Dear, Adam Gough, Bridie Hayton, Laura
Jackson, Daniel Parkin, Emma Snaddon. Tutor Group 7.5 – Arran Burkies,
Jack Case, Jay Dervan, James Fagg, Ella Gilchrist, Ashley King, Omar Sharif,
Ryan Taylor. Tutor group 7.6 – Curtis Badley Jack Carter, Phillip Haddow, Rebecca
Jones, George Keats, James Mandeville, Sophie Rolt, Matthew Runnalls,
Georgia Wright. Tutor Group 7.7 – Lucy Grisdale, Alice Harrold, Josh Muir,
David Steadman. Tutor Group 7.8 – Alexander Collins, Zack Collins, Casey
Flaxman, Niall Gallagher, Alice Hayden, Amelia Sawdon, Kayleigh Whyte. Tutor
Group 8.1 – Lewis Badley, Francine Boot, Jennifer Lee, Samuel Wells. Tutor
Group 8.2 – Steven Dow, Richard Hocking, Joseph Hodges, Benjamin Swain,
Christopher Tubb. Tutor Group 8.3 – Kieran Burgess, Alice Crosley, William
Read, Megan Way. Tutor Group 8.4 – Jack Cozens, Luke Gates, Chloe Kitcher,
Jessica Rajska, Margaret Sheekey. Tutor Group 8.5 – James Bailey, Lee Black,
Bethany Conyers, Jack Field, Kathryn Marks, Benjamin Price, Bryony Solan. Tutor
Group 8.6 – Haydn Bower, Rosanna Bradford, Andrew Case, Naomi Henderson,
Jessica Purkiss, Zachary Tebbutt. Tutor Group 8.7 – Daniel Calder,
James Cornford, Megan Peroni, William Woodfine. Tutor Group 8.8 – Madeleine
Daley-Brown, Oliver Forrest, Lauren Hayward, Ranald McAlester, Thomas
Orford, Samuel Wheeler, Isobel Worrall. Tutor Group 10.1 – Keely McAlester,
Calum Underwood. Tutor Group 10.2 – Lucy Baxter, Ryan Lawrence, Sarah
Morley, Joshua Power. Tutor Group 10.3 – Harriet Bailey, Claire Langley,
Adam Waller. Tutor Group 10.4 – Christopher Banks, Charlotte Barrington.
Tutor Group 10.5 – Lucy Errington, Jack Rose, Michael Stansbie, Sophie
Tubbs, Kayley Wells. Tutor Group 10.6 – Claudia Dymond, Lucy Harrold,
Sarah Maitland, Thomas Mepham, Layla Tannetta. Tutor Group 10.7 – Natalie
Boulton, Scott Chandler, Jenny Herrod, Daviud Rowdon. Tutor Group 10.8 –
Ryan Flanagan, Bethany Jessop, Jessica Lovelock, Rebecca Salter, Aysha Woolgar.
Tutor Group 11.1 – Oliver Budd, Andrew Cornford, Joanna Franks-
Norman, Catherine White. Tutor Group 11.2 – Caroline Gladwin, Thomas Griffiths,
Tariq Khoyratty, Tony Wiggins. Tutor Group 11.3 – Lewis Aimson,
James Calder. Tutor Group 11.4 – Stephanie Rooke, Robert Thomas. Tutor
Group 11.6 – Josh Adams, Reece Bennetton, Katie Russell, Andrew Shield.
Tutor Group 11.7 – Thomas Lane. Tutor Group 11.8 – Joseph Boxall, Samuel
Broomfield, Daniel Cassey, Fiona Kyle.
A sincere thanks to all parents.
Let’s get even more names next time!
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6 March 2007 Page 35

Can we take this opportunity to thank all parents who have taken advantage of the
these achievement slips to inform us of the activities and successes of our young people.
As ever we wish to celebrate all the achievements of the students, in and out of
school. We are unable to do this without your support.
Achievement to Celebrate
Achievement to Celebrate
Please use this slip to inform us of any
achievement, whether in or out of school, of
which you are proud and would like celebrated
in the school newsletter.
Please use this slip to inform us of any
achievement, whether in or out of school, of
which you are proud and would like celebrated
in the school newsletter.
Name of Student :
TG:
Name of Student :
TG:
Nature of Achievement :
Nature of Achievement :
Please use this slip to inform us of any
achievement, whether in or out of school, of
which you are proud and would like celebrated
in the school newsletter.
Name of Student :
TG:
H2U, Vol 6 Issue 6, March 2007 Page 36
Achievement to Celebrate
Please use this slip to inform us of any
achievement, whether in or out of school, of
which you are proud and would like celebrated
in the school newsletter.
Name of Student :
TG:
Highcliffe School, Parkside, Highcliffe, Christchurch, BH23 4QD newsletter@highcliffe.dorset.sch.uk
Achievement to Celebrate
Nature of Achievement :
Nature of Achievement :