The second half term has arrived very quickly and our students have settled in well as the weather is starting to turn and we head towards Christmas. Staff are currently evaluating the progress made by all students and we will be sharing this with you over the coming weeks. Students in Year 11 have just completed their mock examinations and our new Year 7 students continue to live up to the very encouraging reputation that they arrived with.
I would personally like to take this opportunity to thank parents and carers for your support in supporting our drive on attendance and I am very pleased to tell you all that the academy’s attendance figure for the first seven weeks of this school year was above the national average figure. We are keen to make sure that this continues.
In this edition of the blog we catch-up with how our new Year 7 students have settled in, tell you more about the wide range of extra-curricular activities available to students before, during and after the school day as well as placing Miss Ackerley in the spotlight. There is an update on the work of our GCSE geography students, we share the experiences of our recent student STEM (Science, Technology, English and Maths) visit. We also round up recent sporting fixtures. I hope you enjoy reading about the many initiatives that take place daily here at Sandhill View.
Richard Carr
Head of School
Spectacular Extra-Curricular
Enrichment is up and running and in full swing this year. We have a wide range of popular activities, some which are returning from last year, and some which after speaking to students' requests are brand new. We have a qualified mechanic working closely alongside students learning a range of functional motor vehicles skills in our fully equipped garage. Popular last year was our Wii games club which has been expanded this year to include a movie option, as well as jewellery making and crafts to cater for all tastes.
Our working salon is being put to good use as students learn hair and beauty from our qualified hairdresser. For those who want to extend their learning we have an art club as well as a staffed computer suite for students who need an extra hand with their homework. We have a new trampoline coach this year joining us from Apollo where lots of our students already attend outside of school. This is a great way to build relationships in the community and really push sporting facilities in the local area.
We are constantly updating our activities in order to cater for all students and welcome any suggestions for new areas. There are a range of other activities available from football to archery, x-box games to knitting. Students can see what is available any time by checking the timetables posted around school or on our website.
Baltic Bound
This week our art and photography students visited Baltic to find out how they could pursue a career in the creative industries. Workshops ranged from games design to floristry, art therapy to tattooing, theatrical make up to architecture. Our Year 11s were a credit to the school and learned the importance of hard work and determination to pursue the career they want. As well as spotting a snow dog or two on their travels!
STEM Growth
Year 7 and year 8 went to the Nissan factory on 20th October to see how Nissan is using technology to make advances in the North East. First our group were given a lecture about technology and how big a part it plays in our lives. The presenter, Martin Abele, told us that computer games used to try to make cars look real, now engineers try to take ideas from computer games and make them real, quite a turnaround! This is the challenge our next generation of engineers will face, hopefully our learners at Sandhill View will be able to take on that challenge.
After the presentation we were given the opportunity to have a tour of the factory, we were actually taken on our tour by the person that drove the very first Nissan car off the production line at Sunderland, quite an honour!
The group were taken aback by just how big, how busy and how loud the factory is. We were proud to find out that Nissan in Sunderland is the most productive factory in Europe, because of the hard working people and bright minds working on how to make the process better
Year 11 ICT Skills Booster
Students were able to make a start at developing their Microsoft Office Application skills in order to achieve the European Computer Driving License qualification, which is the equivalent to a full GCSE and is recognised as a desirable qualification in the most in-demand industry in the country. Currently, 46 students have fully completed the qualification with 72% of them achieving A*-A grades and plans are currently being devised to allow all remaining Year 11 students to complete their missing units, in order to also gain the full qualification. During what proved to be a challenging week, the Year 11's conducted themselves with outstanding maturity and resilience.
Year 7 Know How to Party
As the end of the first half term approached all Year 7s were invited to a welcome school disco to get to know each other, their tutors, Year 7 mentor and head of year better. On the evening of the disco dancing shoes and beautiful clothes were worn, hair was preened and make up applied for a night of dancing, pool, computer games and mini indoor go-cart racing!
The night was a roaring success with some tremendous dance moves and routines displayed by all, staff were beaten at gaming and shown up at their lack of pool playing skills. New friends were made and blossoming friendships established. There was lots of laughter and fun had by everyone, so much so that the pupils were asking for another disco to be arranged at the end of the evening! Which I am sure can be arranged.
The Sandhill View Calculation Conundrum
We welcome the launch of the first Sandhill View Calculation Conundrum. It is competition for parents or guardians to enter that will run monthly. The winner will be drawn on the 25th of every month.
Do you know the answer?
Enter our monthly competition.
What do you do at Sandhill View? I am an MFL teacher, which means that I am currently teaching French and German from Yr 7- Yr 10. Through my teaching, I’m hoping to share my passion for foreign languages and to encourage pupils to progress in their French and German language and cultural understanding. I am also a Y9 tutor and am thoroughly enjoying the experience of getting to know pupils outside of the MFL classroom!
Who was your favourite teacher at school and why? My favourite teacher when I was at school was (unsurprisingly!) my French teacher, Madame Moss. Madame Moss taught me French from Year 7 right up until A-Level French in Yr 13. Having the same French teacher for 7 years was an incredible experience, which I was extremely lucky and grateful to have. Madame Moss well and truly built my confidence in speaking, writing, reading and most of all, understanding French. She really inspired a love for French language and culture within me, which I hope to share with my own pupils. What do you like to do in your spare time? I love spending quality time with my friends and family and visiting new places with them. During the holidays, I always try to squeeze in some travelling abroad and particularly enjoy catching up with friends in France and Germany. Having studied English Literature alongside French and German at University, I also love settling down and losing myself in a great book. I’ve also recently re-started ballet lessons and am really enjoying getting back in to dancing.
Who is your favourite musical artist or band? This is a hard one because my music taste varies so much! I have been to lots of gigs and festivals over the years but if I had to choose, I would probably say that I enjoyed Arctic Monkeys the most.
What's the best thing about Sandhill View? Getting to know lots of students and staff members! The last 7 weeks have been really rewarding and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed getting to know lots of new people. It’s great to feel recognised and valued as part of a team, which has a really powerful and positive attitude towards learning. I know it’s a bit of a cliché to say that ‘every day is different’ in teaching, but, so far, that has been absolutely true!
What's the one thing you could never be without? Family! (and my beloved Mini Cooper to get me from A-B!)
Football Report
With Autumn creeping its way through SR3 in recent weeks, a beautifully crisp early evening on the Sandhill provided the backdrop as the Academy’s year 9 boys ran out convincing winners in this season’s curtain-raiser. During a contest where Venerable Bede ultimately succumbed to some clinical second-half finishing, the first-half provided a real test of nerve and attitude for last season’s SSFA league runners-up.
Decked out in their traditional royal blue with crimson flashes, SHV took an early lead through Callum Nichol before the visitors from Ryhope regrouped and took the game to the home side. Before the break, Venerable Bede had equalised with a fine effort from the edge Liam Hutchinson’s box. As the first period drew to a close VB looked to be the superior side – their wingers causing sustained havoc on both flanks.
Changes at half-time saw James Clark, Kane Thompson and Danny Parkin take to the pitch in an attempt to shore-up midfield and inject an inventive spark to proceedings. The switches paid dividends but not before captain, Darren Hunter, took the initiative and fired a Beckhamesque long-ranger past the opposition’s ‘keeper. The ball bulged the net satisfyingly. “Top bins!” cried Cameron Ridley. It would not be Hunter’s last such effort of the evening.
The bit firmly between their teeth and with a slight wind aiding their pin-point passing, the year 9s were in no mood to let this slender lead slip. Some excellent work down the right from ‘tricky’ Matryn Foster – a player who espouses the positive energy and work rate of this group - produced a series of opportunities as the midfield and forward line poured forward to rack up a series goals in quick succession. The outcome was settled.
With Clark, Nichol (who scored a hatrick and probably should have had more), Hunter (a brace – both beautifully struck), Parkin and Foster all notching, the lads ran out 8-1 winners to get their season off to a flyer. Sterner opponents await but this is the kind of game where heads have dropped in the past.
Onwards and upwards. Ha’way SHV!
Squad: Liam Hutchinson, Luke o’ Brien, Kane Thompson, Danny Knight (vice cap), Danny Parkin, Darren Hunter (cap), Cameron Ridley, Taylor Mutch, James Clark, Dylan Nelson, Martyn Foster, David Andrews, Thomas Furness, Callum Nichol
The pastoral team have been delighted with the positive start that the majority of children have made to the school year. Teachers have been reporting excellent attitudes to learning which have allowed them to award lots of praise points:
• 220 of our students have not received a single consequence so far this year (not even forgotten a pen!)
• 325 of our students have already received enough praises for a Bronze Praise Award this year
• A further 340 have already received enough for a Silver Praise Award – after only eight school weeks!
• Two children have already received enough praise for a GOLD award!!!
Only 109 students have as yet failed to receive enough praise points to receive an activities award in the week before the Christmas break BUT there are still five weeks to collects more points!
The attendance team have been overwhelmed with the support that the majority of students and their parents have given to our push to drive up attendance. It is proven that those students who come to school every day have a significantly higher chance of examination success in their future:
• 540 of our students are currently achieving out whole school attendance target of 97% or above and will receive a Bronze attendance award at the end of term if this continues!
• 389 of those students have not had a single absence so far this year and are on track to achieve a Silver attendance award at the end of this term if this continues!
Thanks goes to all parents and staff who are supporting these achievements every day.
Thanks for reading! We look forward to reporting on more stories from Sandhill View Academy in the new school year. Until then we hope you have a great summer!
