Welcome to the latest edition of the WPT Newsletter.
It’s been a busy half term with lots of exciting things happening across the Trust.
This newsletter showcases just some of the things we’ve been getting up to over the last few weeks.
On behalf of Wickersley Partnership Trust, have a good half term!
On Wednesday 17th May, four of Rawmarsh Community School feeder primary schools attended a transitional Curling event run by Mr Inglis and the RCS Sports Leaders.
The event saw 28 Y6s, soon to be Y7s, come down and take part in five activities (four of which were curling based with the other being a tour of the school). The event aimed to help aid transition for the new RCS students, through allowing them to familiarise themselves with the school and its current students.
All activities were run by the Sports Leaders with one of them saying “I’ve really enjoyed the teaching element of the day and teaching Curling to the children”. The Sports Leaders also helped gather feedback from the children regarding the event. Whilst at the same time handed out booklets which contained useful information for the new Y7s such as the school timetable, required equipment for September, a map of the school and some fun facts about their new teachers!
Ross Inglis, School Games Organiser said: “The event was a big success, with the majority of the children, during the pupil voice activity at the end, saying they have changed their minds from feeling apprehensive and nervous, to excited and happy, about the prospect of moving to Rawmarsh Community School in September.
A big thank you to Rawmarsh Community School for hosting and to Rawmarsh Ashwood, Monkwood, Rawmarsh Sandhill and Rawmarsh Thorogate for attending.”
On Tuesday 9th May, 85 Y9 students from Wickersley School & Sports College, Clifton Community School and Thrybergh Academy took part in our first ever ‘Mega Expedition’ for their Duke of Edinburgh Award.
They walked almost 30k around Castleton and the Hope Valley over two days, taking in beautiful sights such as Cave Dale, Mam Tor, Lose Hill and Padley Gorge.
They also spent the night camping at Glenbrook Campsite and they were an asset to their teachers and the Trust throughout.
We’re pleased to say that they all successfully passed their expedition!
Our WPT Data Manager, Helen Roddison, has recently delivered a careers talk to Y5 and Y6 students at Rawmarsh Ashwood Primary School.
The talk had a particular focus on careers in Maths, and her own journey to become Data Manager of the Trust.
A big thank you to Helen for giving up some time to deliver this talk to the students – they found it extremely insightful and aspirational!
On Friday 12th May, around 300 students and staff from across Wickersley Partnership Trust took part in a Colour Run event to raise money for Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice.
The day consisted of four races, with the runners completing a 2.5k obstacle course, with lots of paint being thrown at them!
This year’s Colour Run was a huge success – the weather held up, the students (and staff!) had enormous amounts of fun, and we’ve managed to raise over £1200 for the charity so far.
David Walker, Sports Development Manager at Wickersley Partnership Trust, said: “It was fantastic to not only fundraise for such a worthy and local cause, but to have over 300 children taking part in physical activity with a smile (and paint) on their faces.
“It was also great to see some of our WPT staff getting involved in the action too!
“Thank you to Bluebell Wood for supporting the day and a special mention to our very own Chloe Turton, who was the driving force behind the success of the event.
“We are looking forward to visiting Bluebell next month to see how the money raised has made a difference and to discuss having an annual fundraising event in collaboration with Wickersley Partnership Trust.”
Chloe Turton, School Games Organiser at Wickersley Partnership Trust, added: “We are so proud of the way in which our children (and staff!) threw themselves into the spirit of the Colour Run. It was wonderful to see such a range of ages embrace the different obstacles and work to complete their five laps in order to raise money for Bluebell Wood.”
Well done and thank you to those who helped make the event happen, those who took part in the event, and those who supported the event by donating to such a worthy cause.
When’s the next?!
If you would like to donate, head to the Just Giving page by clicking the button below.
On Wednesday 3rd May 2023, Clifton Community School held its annual Battle of the Bands event, which saw students from secondary schools across Rotherham compete for the trophy.
It was an amazing evening and this year’s event brought in the highest standard of finalists ever!
The judges – David Burgess (Head of Music at Rotherham College), Sarah Potts (professional saxophonist), Toby Smith (Head of Rotherham Music Service) and Janine Miller (ex-music teacher and multi-instrumentalist) – had many difficult decisions to make.
The evening started with Group A (Intermediate), with the finalists including:
They presented an eclectic range of genres, and the audience and judges were thoroughly impressed.
The judges commented that Clifton’s Gazi Band was ‘by far the coolest looking band’ in the building, with Banned Soul (the youngest participants in the competition) showing their impeccable sense of timing and their enthusiasm.
Oakwood’s Unconfirmed featured three singers who’s harmonies truly wowed the audience.
Wales High School’s ‘Not So Big Band’ took the win for this group and Beautiful Carrot (WSSC) took the Runner Up spot.
The night progressed onto Group B (Advanced) which really was a tough competition. The finalists for this category were:
Rawmarsh’s ‘Day Dreamers’ opened the second half of the show and really set the bar for the rest of the evening.
Clifton’s The Leavers gave a soulful performance of Etta James’ classic ‘I Would Rather Go Blind’, with the judges recognising the power and emotion behind the vocals in this song.
Orchedelia presented another contrast to the show, playing original songs they’d worked on as a band.
The Unnamed (Thrybergh Academy) brought a lot of energy to the stage, and Wickersley’s Tivolis gave a very professional performance.
This was the second time Oakwood’s Raw Honey had qualified for the final; and the experience really showed.
The judges debated over who would be crowned the winners as our special guests ‘Malibu’ from Rotherham College performed.
After a huge amount of deliberation, the audience and bands were thrilled as The Leavers (CCS) took 2nd place and Wickersley’s experienced performers (Tivolis) took the win for this group – they were amazing.
Jessica Smales, Music Teacher at Clifton Community School, said: “The next generation of the music industry in Rotherham is clearly outstandingly strong!
“All of the students from all schools conducted themselves like real musicians and were a real credit to themselves. All of the students really supported each other and were proud of their performances.
“An additional thank you to the support from Rotherham College, with the support of some of their Music Performance and Music Technology students in the set up of the event.
“Myself and the Music Team are looking forward to what next year’s competition will bring.”
To celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III, students across the Trust took part in various activities.
There were a lot of parties and picnics for our students, teachers and parents.
Some students took part in “If I was King for a Day” and also took part in their own Coronation ceremony.
Those who have a keen interest in art took part in the “Royally big portrait”- a project run by the BBC’s Children in Need which aims to digitally showcase portraits of King Charles III to celebrate his coronation.
Other students also created special Coronation designs on mugs and plates, when they went to ‘paint a pot’; whilst others designed their own crowns, designed crowns for the new King and wrote letters too!
A fantastic week of celebrations was had by everyone involved!
Arran Hill is a Secondary SEMH (social, emotional and mental health) Resource and provides a broad, balanced and bespoke curriculum, in line with Wickersley Partnership Trust’s Curriculum Intent.
The SEMH resource is currently based at Thrybergh Academy in the Arran Hill Centre.
Children from all secondary schools in the Trust have the opportunity to access this resource in the event that their presenting needs mean that they are unable to access the mainstream classroom – helping children with a range of SEMH needs, which include school refusers to children with hidden disabilities.
Spring term was a busy one for the students at Arran Hill – with lots of different activities to support their learning and development.
The students engaged in weekly cooking sessions as part of the curriculum, but also for therapeutic intervention.
Last term, the students enjoyed making cookies, apple pies, Victoria sponge cakes and pizza dough. They also attended theory sessions alongside the practical to learn the basics of food and nutrition.
Students had the opportunity to attend weekly horse riding sessions, where they learnt stable management and the skills for horse riding. They developed fantastic relationships with the staff at the stables and the horses.
There was a range of Science activities at our centre last term. Our Y8 students created model lungs; Y9s analysed samples and were able to correctly identify which contained glucose; other students also took part in a hands-on CSI activity – collecting evidence, using fingerprint analysis, DNA analysis and chromatography to solve the case.
Diversify, a student knife crime and child exploitation charity, present a workshop to our students. Monique, who led the session, discussed with the students the impact of child exploitation, county lines and knife crime by sharing her own personal experiences.
The students showed a true interest in Monique’s story and engaged by asking loads of questions. This workshop was arranged by South Yorkshire Police, as part of their strategy to educate young people around the dangers of gangs, exploitation and knife crime.
A very positive term for the students at Arran Hill, keep up the good work!
The Magna Lane Centre is a Primary SEMH (social, emotional and mental health) Resource will provide a broad, balanced and bespoke curriculum, in line with Wickersley Partnership Trust Curriculum Intent.
The SEMH Resource is based at Foljambe Primary School, in a newly refurbished, custom-built environment.
Children from all primary schools in the Trust have the opportunity to access this resource in the event that their presenting needs mean that they are unable to access the mainstream classroom.
Spring term was another busy one for the students who attend our Magna Lane provision.
At the start of term, the students read the story of ‘Elmer the Elephant’. The students really enjoyed this book and it helped them to develop their understanding of how we are all different and unique, and we should accept people for who they are.
The first Friday of February was NSPCC’s Number Day and we had lots of activities for the children to complete over the day, including a number and shape scavenger hunt.
The students were busy in the kitchen too. They cooked up a range of foods from pizzas and homemade chicken nuggets, wedges and salad, to robot biscuits, pancakes and fruit sundaes. We also had a fruit tasting session, which we linked to the story of ‘Handa’s Surprise’.
We also celebrated Kindness Week and it was lovely to see so many acts of kindness taking place. All the students wrote their names on a cloud and the other students then left a kind comment about them.
Another fantastic term at Magna Lane; let’s see what this summer term brings!
As part of a new Facilities Hire agreement, The Harpham Company (THC) is hosting its new Rotherham-based Youth Theatre sessions at Wickersley School & Sports College.
The Youth Theatre School is for children aged 3-18 and provides training in singing, dancing and acting.
Sessions start at the school on Saturday 22nd April 2023.
Olivia Harpham, Founder of The Harpham Company, said:
“We deliver weekly Musical Theatre technique classes in a warm and welcoming Drama School environment. Members fine-tune their craft by training with our industry professionals and receive the opportunity to work towards yearly festivals and outstanding live performances on a professional stage in front of a live audience.”
Adam Cloney, Lettings Manager at Wickersley Partnership Trust, added:
“We have seen a number of fantastic and passionate stage performances by students in our school over the years, and feel this partnership will allow them the opportunity to develop skills further in collaboration.
“Furthermore, the school has been looking to enhance our offering to our local community, and our partnership with The Harpham Company will offer something to the public that we have not been able to previously.”
We’re beyond excited for The Harpham Company to use our facilities to train the next generation of stage performers.
For more information about the classes and membership – including class times and prices – head to the THC website.
If you have a budding young performer who loves to sing, dance and act, enrol below:
Enrol Now
