Download - Ripley St Thomas C of E High School

Believe.....
the news from Ripley St Thomas November 2011
Jacqueline’s
Ripley Read
Believe..... 1

Welcome
Dear Parents,
CONTENTS
4
6
8
10
Year Group News
Tremendous Tri-Star and Terrific
Talents lead the way for 2011/2012
Sixth Form Update
News on the Sociology & Psychology
Summer Writing Competition
Jacqueline’s Ripley Read
One of the UKs most popular
authors visits Ripley!
Renewable Ripley
Christmas Fair and Sustainability
week lead the Renewable agenda
I hope you and your families had a good break at half term; I was very
fortunate during the time off to have the opportunity to go on a guided tour
of our grounds with Mr Bell, our groundsman. I suppose we do often take
our beautiful environment at Ripley for granted as we all rush around being
busy but we are truly missing out. A woodland walk, a stroll by the canal, so
many unusual species of trees and shrubs with a sprinkling of wonderfully
and lovingly crafted wooden sculptures created from trees which have
reached the end of their lives – these are all waiting to be appreciated. We
are so privileged to work in such magnificent surroundings and to have a
groundsman who has shaped them into something eminently worth an hour
and a half or so of one’s time. If you would like a tour of the grounds – and
I think Ripley is at its best in May – do contact Mr Bell on the school number
and he would be delighted to take you round.
Examination Results
As I mentioned in my September letter we were all delighted with our
examination results this year. The one disappointment, however, was
the French results, which, inexplicably, were considerably lower than the
German. Fortunately, things have moved on since September! Following
extensive remarks of speaking and writing components, the French results
have moved from 57% grade C and above to 70%, which is much more in line
with expectations. A small number of grades in Maths and English remarks
have also been uplifted. The end result of all this is that our overall 5A*-C
figure has moved to 90%, a quite superb outcome for the year group and
one that puts us in the top few comprehensive schools in the country. We
shall be working extremely hard this year to try and maintain this figure!
Staffing
13
14
16
Gold Crest
Scientists lead the way in Power
Station Partnerships
The Arts
An update from Music, Dance and
Performing Arts
Sport
The start of the Sporting calendar
has begun with success!
Ripley St Thomas
Ashton Road
Lancaster
LA1 4RS
01524 64496
admin@ripley.lancs.sch.uk
www.ripley.lancs.sch.uk
We say goodbye to two members of staff in the next week. Mrs Savage, our
receptionist for the last 17 years, is moving to Scotland and Mr Sharples,
our Catering manager, is moving on to take up a new business opportunity.
Both of these staff have made a very significant contribution to Ripley over
the past years and we are most grateful to them. We wish them well in their
new ventures beyond Ripley.
Child Protection
We felt it might be helpful for parents to be aware of our systems for child
protection at Ripley . Obviously this whole area is very high profile and I hope
the guidance published on our website will reassure parents and provide you
with useful information on this topic.
Rip Roarers
Our wonderful Jazz Band are taking their final bow in style this term; they
played to great acclaim at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester
and week commencing 7 November they are playing at the Albert Hall in
London as winners in the National Youth Music Festival. They have greatly
enhanced many of our lives over the last few years and we wish each of them
2 Ripley St Thomas

well in their future; we hope very much that new players will
step up to the mark and make sure the Rip Roarers continue.
Extra Curricular Activities
Outside the normal curriculum school life is very full. At this
moment 36 students and three staff are visiting the Hadron
Collider in Cern in Switzerland. A number of our pupils are
performing next week in The Tempest in the Shakespeare
schools’ festival at the Dukes Theatre. We are all still
recovering from Jacqueline Wilson’s visit just before half term;
she was given a reception akin to that of a popstar by pupils
with much screaming when she appeared in the Phythian
Hall. Jacqueline signed her new book for pupils and spoke
very warmly of her time with us.
Charity work continues apace; I am particularly thrilled and
delighted to report that year 8, who were given £1 each before
the summer to use to raise money, have raised an amazing
£5000 – quite an achievement! We look forward to charities’
week just before Christmas.
Former Pupils
We were delighted to see that Jack Senior, a former pupil, hit
the winning putt in the recent Walker Cup golf competition for
Great Britain; Jack came into school the week afterwards,
presented the school with his winning jersey and spoke very
movingly to the sixth form about his time at Ripley. Jack has
now turned professional.
I also had a long email from Richard Jephcote, also a former
pupil. Having done an MA in film making at Goldsmiths, he
writes that the films he has made have been selected for
screenings at institutions as prestigious as BAFTA, the BFI
and the V&A as well as winning awards at international film
festivals. He has also just won the Kodak/NAHEMI award for
best Cinematography in the UK and Ireland for 2011.
It continues to be inspiring to work with our young people and
always excellent to hear of their success beyond Ripley.
E Nicholls
Principal
Are you following us?
/ripleystthomas
/ripleystthomas
Term Dates for 2012/2013
Term and holiday dates for next academic year are as follows:
Upcoming
dates
Wednesday 16 Nov Year 10 parents’ evening
Tuesday 22 Nov Year 13 Parents’ evening
Tuesday 6 Dec Year 12 Parents’ evening
Tuesday 13 – 15 Dec Year 11 Mock Examinations
Monday 12 – 16 Dec Charities’ week
Wednesday 14 Dec Carol Service
Friday 16 Dec School closes
Wednesday 4 Jan School re-opens
More dates online at
www.ripley.lancs.sch.uk
Tuesday 4 September
Wednesday 5 September
Friday 21 September
Monday 29 October – Wednesday 7 November
Monday 5 November
Thursday 8 November
Friday 21 December
Monday 7 January
Monday 18 February-Friday 22 February
Thursday 28 March
Monday 15 April
Monday 6 May
Monday 27 May – Friday 31 May
Tuesday 23 July
Year 7 return
All years return
School closed -Staff Training Day*
Half term
School closed -Staff Training Day
School reopens
Last day of term
Term begins
Half term
Last day of term
Term begins
May Day bank holiday
Half term
Last day of term
*Please note, we are awaiting confirmation of this date with a trainer, it may move to another date in September.
Believe..... 3

Tremendous Tri-Star
L Appleyard, Progress Leader, Year 9
This half term we celebrated the hard work, dedication and
support for others shown by our Year 9 pupils. Tri Star began
in Year 7 when each pupil was given a £1 and asked to use
their talents to make the pound grow. The year group as a
whole raised £2200 and decided to support the North West
Air Ambulance, Cancer Research UK, St John’s Hospice and
Children In Need. During Year 8 each pupil kept a log book of
their achievements in the following Tri Star areas, charity and
community, academic achievement and personal challenge.
108 pupils received bronze awards, 102 silver awards and
42 gold awards. Eleven pupils received gold in all threes Tri
Star areas and were awarded special awards. The awards
were presented by Progress tutors, Senior students and
Mrs Nicholls. At the presentation, Paul Helliwell and Eleanor
Bullen-Hyde played pieces on the piano. Sophie Santon
played her guitar and sangand Ciara Hodgson sang. We heard
a clip from Jacob Lawson’s radio programme and Rebecca
Winn and Ashleigh Hartin danced. This was A very special
occasion reflecting the amazing talents and care for others
shown by our pupils.
Well done to them all.
Tremendous Tri-Star Pupils!
TerifficTalents
R Burr, Assistant Progress Leader, Year 8
A huge well done, to all those in Year 8 who put their ‘Talent’ to good use
during the summer holidays.
Collectively, they raised over £6700 for local, national and international
charities by taking part in a wide range of activities which included
baking and selling cakes, making different craft items, mowing grass,
moving firewood, face painting and nail art, sponsored events – even
climbing Ben Nevis and walking across Morecambe Bay and helping out
with household chores for family and friends.
A pupil vote was held to decide how the funds should be allocated and
the following charities will all benefit from the pupils’ hard work – St
John’s Hospice and Cancer Care Lancaster, Cancer Research UK, Funzi
Bodo, Seve Ballesteros Foundation, Make A Wish, Royal Manchester
Children’s Hospital, Children’s Ward RLI, Isle of Skye Mountain Rescue,
Asthma UK, North West Air Ambulance, Animal Care, Wolfwood and the
Itekeng Orphanage in South Africa.
The talented Year 8 pupils!
Special mention must go to the following pupils Molly Ayrton and Megan
Wilson who both raised over £1000, and Georgia Battersby Hill, Conor
Bennett, Callum Dône, Amelia Haygarth, Bailey Johnson, Indie Kaur,
Sam Read and Ellisha Richardson who all raised over £100.
4 Ripley St Thomas

Year 7
R Burr, Assistant Progress Leader, Year 7
All pupils appear to have made a positive start to
their life at Ripley. They are making new friends,
managing to navigate their way around school, are
settling into the routines and structures of our day
and getting involved in the life of the school.
Pupils are now working alongside Year 11 Mentors
in their Tutor groups one morning each week, and
they themselves have been invited to join the Year
7 Executive Committee which will allow them the
opportunity to make a difference at Ripley.
This will be another busy half term both in the
classroom and as we prepare for Charities Week in
December, may we take this opportunity to thank
you for your continued support.
Unwanted
‘Friends’
D Richardson, School Nurse
Little unwanted friends have been
reported in school over the last few
weeks. Could I ask parents to please
check their child’s hair regularly? There
are all sorts of products on the market
now for getting rid of head lice if you
need any advice or help please give me
a ring or ask at a Pharmacist.
Year of Opportunity
J Cowper, Progress Leader, Year 11
It has been another busy term for the year group with
controlled assessments in full flow and preparation for
modular examinations which are on the horizon. Outside
of the classroom also continues to offer a wide variety of
opportunities for all.
A new Year Council team has been appointed following an
application process, the standard of which was extremely
high. Five students put themselves forward to represent the
year group at school council and produced and conducted
a short presentation in a year group assembly from which
Thomas Smith and Matthew Alpin were voted in.
The Senior Prefect team have been demonstrating their
excellent leadership skills organising and monitoring their
team of 70 prefects who equally have risen to the challenge
in their respective areas of responsibility supporting Subject
Leaders in their departments.
The Year 7 and Year 8 Mentors have also made a big impact
with the Year 7s working with our new intake focusing on ‘cool
cards’ ensuring a smooth transaction from primary school to
the Ripley family. The Year 8 Mentors having been getting to
know their forms and have started to lead assemblies and
worships.
Those involved in the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze awards have
recently passed the expedition element of the award after a
very wet weekend demonstrating all of their outdoor skills,
congratulations to all those involved. There also continues to
be a wide variety of opportunities in the sports, music, drama
and dance.
Finally in our first enrichment day of the year, the year group
have experienced a taste of life in the sixth form at Ripley. All
of the students have had the opportunity to select 4 subjects
that they are interested in studying post 16 sampling a
taster session in each. They have also had the opportunity
to experience the wider aspects of sixth form life. Linked to
options post 16, YPS interviews are available to students in
the year group. Students have been encouraged to put their
names forward should they feel they would benefit from such
a service.
Believe..... 5

Year 12 Spanish
Work Experience
C Diez, Subject Leader, Spanish
Last June, a group of Year 12 students travelled
to Córboba, a beautiful town in the South of
Spain. During the 3 weeks, the students had
the opportunity to do work experience in shops,
radio stations and nurseries.
Sixth Form Students with their prizes and awards
Sociology
& Psychology
Summer Essay Writing Competition
“Work experience in Cordoba Radio Station was
a fantastic opportunity to get a taste of not only
speaking another language but also of taking
in a professional environment. I got to make
my own way to work, buy lunch and generally
to adapt myself to the Spanish daily routine. I
attended daily news conferences and became
temporarily very involved in the current issues
of Córdoba.” Anna Wiley.
“The trip was a fantastic experience. I worked
for nearly three weeks in a shoe shop and
although at first it seemed like a challenging
prospect, once I started I didn’t want to stop.
It helped improved my Spanish and general
communication skills and I made a lot of new
friends at the same time.” Ben Lawson.
A Blundell Roberts, Subject Leader, Psychology
A Level Psychology and Sociology students were set a challenge
over the summer holidays of competing in an essay writing
competition, discussing the statement: “Crime is a rational
choice”.
Both the Sociology and Psychology departments were thrilled
with the amount of entries received, alongside the standard
of work showcasing the high level of knowledge and content
understood over the AS and A2 course.
Students were presented with prizes donated by local
businesses, in one of the Phythian Hall morning briefings last
week. Prizes included stationery sets from Unbox, Running
Shoes from The Runners Centre, Cupcakes from The Yummy
Cupcake Company and Sports Wear from Mike’s Sports World.
Thank you to all local business for donating and encouraging
students in their studies.
Entrants included Charlotte Ayres, Olivia Brown, Bethan
Camm, Kate Charlson, Katy Edmondson, Rebecca Firth, Louis
Harrison, Sarah Manley, Kelvin Stevenson and Maisie Stocks.
The Sixth Form
Debating Society
M Plowright, Subject Leader, Performing Arts
On November 3, a team of debaters travelled
to Runshaw College to take part in the first
round of a national competition, Debating
Matters. We argued in favour of the motion:
“this house believes that Supermarkets are
bad for society.” A team of debaters had been
researching the topic and working to hone their
debating skills in preparation for the event
since early September.
The advantages for young people engaged
in this activity are substantial. Our aim is to
continue to offer opportunities for students
in debating that will develop their skills as
confident thinkers, wordsmiths and strategists!
A programme of debating will start for Year 11
in November in which their first topic will be the
legalisation of Euthenasia.
6 Ripley St Thomas

Year 8 RE Trip
Megan Dews, Year 8
Today was my first RE trip to Manchester,
going to a Gurdwara and a Mosque. I
had been looking forward to the trip
since the beginning of the week.
The bus journey to Manchester didn’t
take as long as I thought it would. It
didn’t really matter though because I
like travelling.
The first stop was the Gurdwara. All the
girls had to put on their headscarves in
respect of their religion and the boys got
a turban when they entered. Everyone
had to take off their shoes and we had
to wash our hands.
We all then entered the main room
which was beautiful. A man who said to
call him CJ gave us a talk on his religion.
He then showed us where the Holy Book
got put to bed. I thought it would be a
delicate box but I was wrong; it was an
actual bed.
After this we had dinner which was naan
bread, vegetarian curry and a drink.
It was delicious. I didn’t know what to
expect but it was really tasty and had
seconds of it.
We then got back on to the coach and
set off to the Mosque.
The Mosque looked impressive from
the outside. It had a big dome on the
top which made it stand out from the
other buildings.
We entered the Mosque and again
had to remove our shoes. The talk
didn’t take as long as the first one
but I still found it interesting. It
looked very detailed on the inside
with the carpet filled with patterns.
It was a really interesting day out
and I learned a lot about Sikhism
and Islam.
The Loyne School
Jordan Barron & Jessica Dunkerly, Year 7
On the 3 October 2011, The Loyne School was
invited to Ripley St Thomas for the day.
All involved in the Ripley and Loyne School Partnership
When they first arrived we all sat in a circle and
shouted our names out loud, so we could get to
know each and every one of our names.
We got to know a lot about them. When we had
finished Mr Owen suggested that we should split
into two groups and show The Loyne School what
we get up to. Finally, we made our decision to who
we were going with and started to set off. We got to
show them quite a lot. We showed them our lovely
farm, swimming pool, gym, chapel and fields.
I got to know that Molly loves horses and that she
wants one when she’s older! I also learned that
Ethan can spell his name by using sign language!
After a long walk we started to head up back to the
Hall. We were greeted by the other group and sat
down for our last talk together. We talked about
what we would do the next time we see them. It
lasted for fifteen minutes, and then with a last
wave goodbye, all of us went home.
Pupils get to work on a challenging task
Believe..... 7

at Ripley St Thomas
Jacqueline’s Ripley Read
R Buckland, Librarian
Jacqueline Wilson, one of Britain’s top selling authors,
spoke to Y7 and Y8 pupils to promote her latest
book, Sapphire Battersea. Jacqueline’s work which
often deals with difficult subjects, such as mental
illness, divorce, bullying, children in foster care, and
dysfunctional families appeals to girls of all ages. Our
VI Form students formed an avenue and applauded
her as she arrived and upon entering the Phythian
Hall she received a rapturous welcome, with screams
of excitement, from over 350 pupils, 75 of which were
guests from neighboring schools.
Following the event, Jacqueline’s publicist thanked
Ripley for the tremendous welcome and went on to say
that ‘Jacqueline so enjoyed meeting all your wonderful
students and she left your school on a real high’.
Signing one of over 300 books
8 Ripley St Thomas

Jacqueline and the Ripley Pupils eagerly
awaiting readings from her new book
Year 7 started the new school year by choosing their
free book as part of the national Booked Up programme.
Booked Up is a run by the Booktrust, an independent
UK-wide charity dedicated to encouraging people of all
ages and cultures to enjoy books. Booked Up gives a free
book to every child starting secondary school in England.
Pupils had 12 books from which to choose and these
books are expected to arrive after half term will also be
used as the subject for the LRC lessons for their book
reviews.
Further information about this programme can be found
by visiting the Booktrust’s website.
Jacqueline and pupils
Believe..... 9

J Macbeth, Sustainability Co-ordinator
Christmas Fair
Planning has begun for the 2011 Renewable Ripley
Christmas Craft Fair. The event takes place 3 December
this year. Last year £1,200 was raised and has been used
to fund sustainable projects within our school. We have paid
for a new filter for our pond, numerous recycling bins and
facilities, plants and materials for our biodiverse garden and
the aluminium tube needed to create a geodesic chicken run,
which we have started to design.
The Renewable Ripley Christmas Fair offers a fantastic
opportunity for us to showcase the work going on to improve
the grounds of our school and the education our pupils
receive. Those who attended last year will know that as well
as sustainable Christmas gift ideas and decorations, we will
have stalls from local revnewable energy installers, charities
and local food producers. Our raffle has already got some
huge prizes; first prize is £100 of high street vouchers, and
more are coming in from local businesses every day. Our
freerange barbecue will provide sustinence for visitors on the
day, with the chance to buy fairtrade and vegetarian sweets,
fizzy drinks and coffee. We will also have a Bring & Buy sale. If
you have any old clothes, books, games or bric a brac, please
send it in to school – any not sold will be forwarded to charity!
Sustainability Week
The week preceding the event hosts our second annual
Sustainability Week – 28 November to 3 December (leading
up to the Renewable Ripley Christmas Craft Fair).
This year, this will involve all KS3 pupils learning about
sustainability in key subject areas, such as Geography,
Science, D&T, Food, Ag & Hort. All through this week there
will be activities during breaks and lunchtimes for the whole
school to get involved in. We will be selling awareness
ribbons, there will be cake stalls and many other games and
competitions.
The event is organized by the various strands which make up
the Renewable Ripley Team; the Year 7 – 10 club members,
the Year 11 prefects, the Sixth Form Mentoring Team and
some willing members of staff to facilitate.
We need...
• Items for our Bring & Buy sale
• Empty 2 litre pop bottles, for our greenhouse
• Dead batteries and print cartridges / toners to be
recycled
Or...
Can you help?
• Would you like to sell craft items at our fair?
We would just ask for a donation from your profits
• Could your business donate a raffle prize?
10 Ripley St Thomas

We Believe.....
in D&T
The Renewable Ripley team is currently focused
on attaining Green Flag status for the school. After
meeting with coordinators from other schools at
regular Eco-Cluster Meetings, it has been made clear
that we already exceed almost all of the requirements
to gain this award. We must now implement our Action
Plan, to be given our award… watch this space!
• Our Recycling Scheme is still going strong. Every
classroom collects waste paper, can & bottle
collection points are in key locations around
school. Our food department and Canteen now
collect waste tins for recycling. We also collect
batteries and print cartridges – please send yours
in from home to avoid them ending up in landfill.
We have earned £150 in high street vouchers, (to
be given away in our raffle) through the recycling of
old computer equipment.
• Pupils in the Renewable Ripley Club have
completed their biodiverse garden area, which
includes a bog garden. The bog garden must settle
for six months before planting. We will be adding
plants to this area around March, so a long time
for our members to see the fruits of their labour!
Did you know, Renewable Ripley has its own area on
the website (under the School Information tab) where
you will be able to get regular updates on our ongoing
work within school? We are always happy to welcome
new members to our team. The club meets Thursdays
after school in T5
S Douglas, Subject Leader, Design & Technology
A recent trip to Westminster saw Mr Douglas and Mrs
Gornall meeting with Members of Parliament and the House
of Lords as well as other dignitaries and prominent figures
from industry including representatives from Rolls Royce,
Finmeccanica UK, IMechE and BAE Systems.
The meeting was organised to discuss the role of Design and
Technology in securing more engineering and manufacturing
jobs in industry. As George Osbourne MP, and more recently
Nick Clegg MP, said ‘ I want to say Designed in Britain, Invented
in Britain, Made in Britain’. Those present at the meeting
were all in agreement that the skills that are developed in
Design and Technology can help to mould our next generation
of designers, technologists and engineers!
Our school was asked, as we are considered to be the best
example of what Design & Technology can be in the UK, to
bring examples of how these skills can be utilised. We were
extremely proud to show our KS3 to KS5 students’ work as
Ripley St Thomas Church of England Academy was the only
school in the country to be asked to showcase their work.
Lord Kenneth Baker, who some may remember as the
Secretary of State for Education in the 1980s and a supporter
of Design & Technology, was also present at the meeting and
took time to look at the work of our students. He can be seen
in the photograph alongside Mr Douglas and examples of the
pupil work we showcased.
The Design & Technology association are running a campaign
to ensure that D&T is kept as an integral part of the National
Curriculum at KS3 and KS4 that is currently under review.
You can see the manifesto for the campaign on the following
website www.data.org.uk as well as signing a petition.
Believe..... 11

Chaplaincy
Update
On the farm...
S Cheesman, Chaplain
Chaplaincy has been a wonderfully
hectic place already this year with the
return of some familiar places to the
room and lots of new Year 7s getting
involved. Personally speaking the
feeling of being the new boy went quite
quickly thanks to a packed diary and
extremely supportive student and staff
body, and a big THANK YOU needs to
go to the four Chaplaincy prefects who
have been wonderful guides through
the first couple of weeks.
The recent Harvest service was well
supported, and the Choristers and
Worship Band made it a lively and
worshipful time. This wasn’t the first
time the Worship Band had led us in
worship as we had them involved for
a week, complementing the organ
hymns we have heard on other
occasions.
The Christian Unions have been
continuing to grow in number and in
depth and a new group has been set
up to cater specifically for the needs
of those in Years 12 and 13. We’re
meeting in the Sixth Form centre
and discussing issues from the Bible
or from personal faith that excite or
challenge us. One thing we haven’t got
yet is a name that will sum up what we
do without falling into the trap of being
too cheesy so any suggestions would
be much appreciated!
Our previous chaplain Susanne
seems to be like a kid in a candy shop
in Peru, and we’ve loved hearing how
her exciting adventure is going. Her
Spanish is now good enough to leave
the city and move to a more rural
location to work so she remains in our
thoughts and prayers.
Coming up we have Spirituality day
and the CU are leading worships so we
will keep ourselves busy, especially as
we are already starting to organise our
Christmas Carol service!
Year 11 helpers with the horses
R Wilson, Subject Leader, Agriculture & Horticulture
Following the introduction of an Equine element to the Land based curriculum
at Ripley things are going well. The second Year 7 Pony Care Club has just
begun currently being supervised by Miss Exton and Year 11 helpers Caitlin
Woods and Alice Taylor.
We are also delighted to have started a further after school activity bringing
in the expertise of local British Horse Society instructor Helen Wain. Helen will
be teaching after school classes throughout the winter enabling students to
gain the Level 1 BHS qualification in Horse Care.
Art in London
H Thompson, Art Department
The Art department are very much looking forward to going down to London
again with our AS and A2 Students. The dates for our trip are the 23rd and
24th of November. Our intention is to visit a number of galleries as well as the
Victoria and Albert Museum. We made the trip last year with the same age
group and it was a tremendous success. Here the students found it extremely
beneficial, evidence of the trip was clear in their coursework and influenced
their development. When visiting the galleries pupils become aware of artists
they would previously not have considered. Pupils are exposed to a variety of
approaches to Art which then influences them when back in the classroom.
This year we are staying in a more central location which should help our
tired feet and give us more time to see as much as possible. We are also
seeing ‘Billy Elliot’ at the Theatre on the Wednesday evening, we’re all looking
forward to this as well.
You will hear of our London adventure in the next newsletter with perhaps
some photographs.
12 Ripley St Thomas

Gold Crest
Students presenting to industry experts
D Menadue, Science Department
Last year 2 groups of AS students studying science A levels
embarked upon Gold Crest Awards. The projects were in
partnership with the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay -
NHS Foundation Trust. The project briefs were:
1. To determine the viability of changing from electric
heating to a biomass boiler heating system and identify a
sustainable fuel source to make a carbon neutral heating
system. The project was based at the Westmorland
general hospital in Kendal
2. To investigate the application of L.E.D or induction lighting
systems fit for a hospital environment. The project was
based at Royal Lancaster Infirmary.
The projects were so successful that the teams were asked
to present their work to the NHS Trust board meeting in July.
Following this presentation the findings from the lighting
project at the RLI have now been implemented and are
saving the hospital money and reducing the hospitals carbon
footprint. Also data collected by the team has been used
to inform engineers at the RLI that motion sensors are not
needed in the main corridors of the hospital, further saving
money.
The students were mentored in the projects by Bruce
Mumford, local STEM Ambassador and Mike Wilkinson from
the RLI. The projects were sponsored by Heysham Power
station (EDF Energy). Without this financial support and the
community links with Morecambe Bay Hospitals Trust we
could not have carried out these projects.
This year we are going to be running two more projects in
partnership with the RLI and Heysham Power Station, they
are:
1. To investigate the provision of medical thermometry in
the RLI and to find replacement medical thermometers
to be used throughout the hospital.
2. To investigate the installation of solar panels on the
hospitals roof to reduce their carbon footprint.
These exciting projects will hopefully help to develop our AS
students for the world beyond Ripley. Any parents who have
knowledge or expertise in the above areas and would like to
be involved can contact Mr Menadue via
admin@ripley.lancs.sch.uk
Hothersall Lodge
A Walmsley, Science Department
The staff of Hothersall Lodge were extremely impressed by
the enthusiasm and dedication that our Year 13 biologists
showed during a three day residential course in September. As
well as great students, we also had excellent weather, which
made our trips to the Ainsdale sand dunes and surrounding
fells all the more enjoyable. There were opportunities to
practise and understand the investigative techniques used
in ecology and classroom sessions focussed on laying
theoretical foundations. We caught a short glimpse of a red
squirrel at Ainsdale. Sadly, it may have been our last. Late
evening table tennis, card games and football were not the
only source of competition between students (and staff), with
worm-catching becoming a closely fought contest. Students
displayed fantastic attitudes in their approach to all aspects
of the course and were a real credit to the school. Thank you
biologists!
Believe..... 13

MUSIC
at Ripley St Thomas
R Richmond, Subject Leader, Music
The Music Department has been enjoying a busy term of
musical performances from our musicians in the school. The
first public performance of the term was up at the Lancaster
Priory when our Jazz Band, as part of the Lancaster Arts
Festival, gave a full concert to an appreciative audience
of townspeople. Following on from this the Rip Roarers
performed in the school’s own Jazz Night, with the Lancashire
Youth Jazz Orchestra who were invited to share the concert.
There was a wide variety of jazz to suit every taste, and
everybody enjoyed the superb atmosphere that was created.
We were able to take full advantage of the fact that some of
our retiring band members had not yet departed for university,
and so the old Rip Roarers line- up was seen for one of the
last times. Having said this, we were invited to play at this
year’s Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, so we
got the group to reconvene from various parts of the country,
and we entertained the NUT and various invited MPs at the
Midland Hotel. Our performance style was obviously just what
they needed after a full day of politics. There was singing and
dancing in the aisles and many enquiries followed for future
bookings. The Manchester gig gave us a valuable opportunity
for one last rehearsal as we prepare for our final performance
in this line-up. This last gig will take place at the Royal Albert
Hall in London where we will be performing as part of the
Music For Youth’s School’s Prom. We will be playing our usual
style of Trad Jazz music, and joining in with other groups from
around the country in a work especially commissioned from
the composer Tim Steiner.
Other musical performances this term have included the
Choristers, Worship Band and Junior Singers who sang and
played at this year’s Harvest Festival. The congregation
enjoyed a wide range of music in the service, and joined
in lustily in the singing of We Plough the Fields. Future
performances from our singers and other musicians will
include an appearance at our forthcoming Autumn Concert
on 29 November, and our Carol Service on 14 December.
Hope you will be able to join us on these occasions.
The Rip-Roarers creating a storm at the Jazz Night
14 Ripley St Thomas

dance
at Ripley St Thomas
J Hate, Subject Leader, Dance
Welcome back to a new term at Ripley, and to a new
host of performance opportunities coming up this term.
Firstly, the KS3 Dance Club will be performing as part
of the Friends Bonfire Night Celebrations on Friday 4
November. It is great to see so many new faces from Year
7 joining the club, and I hope they all enjoy performing
on the night. The next performance will see some of the
KS3 dancers performing in the Shakespeare Schools
Festival at the Dukes on Monday 7 November as we
take on The Tempest. Thank you in advance to those for
stepping in to support the actors in the piece!
After half term the KS3 dance club will be preparing
for the Lower School Production, which this year will be
based on Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. We will be
working on producing a full length dance piece to be
performed in January. If you would like to be involved
in the production, then please see Mr Hate for further
detail
Dance Clubs
Monday
Year 10 GCSE Dance support and extra rehearsals
Tuesday
Ripley Youth Dance (open to Year 10 – 13)
3.15 – 4.45
Wednesday
Insomnia Boys Dance (all year groups)
3.15 – 4.30
Thursday
Year 11 GCSE Dance support and extra rehearsals
Friday
KS3 Dance Club
3.15 – 4.30
the
arts
at Ripley St Thomas
M Plowright, Subject Leader, Performing Arts
You will be delighted to know that on Monday November 7
at The Dukes a cast of twenty pupils performed an abridged
version of The Tempest as part of The Shakespeare Schools
Festival. This is an annual festival organised by The National
Theatre.
The pupils have been rehearsing since the beginning of
September and we have had the pleasure of watching them
grow and develop in their understanding, interpretation and
delivery of the text. The performance is, as a result moving,
funny and visually powerful. The production features original
music especially composed and arranged by our Ripley
Scholars, former pupils Lily Whitfield and Chris Pilkington.
We are pleased to announce that this production is a
collaboration between The Performing Arts Departments and
The English Department.
Believe..... 15

Summary
Supporting Ripley
J Quarry, Subject Leader, Physical Education
The first half term has flown by and the half term break once
again provides a welcome opportunity for pupils, staff and
parents to recharge their batteries in what continues to be a
busy and exciting autumn term of school sport at Ripley.
We continue to be extremely grateful to the many different
areas of our wider school community whose contribution
ensures that high quality PE and Sport is delivered throughout
the whole year.
Supporting Ripley
Thank you to all the staff, parents, family and friends who
turned up on a damp and drizzly October morning for
Supporting Ripley 2011 which was once again a great
success with boys rugby fixtures against QES, Kirby Lonsdale
and girls hockey against Lancaster Hockey Club. There were
Rugby wins for Year 8 and 9 and Year 8A girls’ hockey teams.
Results
Rugby v QRS:
Year 7 (L) 19-7
Year 8 (w) 7-5
Year 9 (w) 24-5
Year 10 (w) 43-5
16 Ripley St Thomas
Hockey v
Lancaster
Hockey Club:
Year 8A (w) 2-0
Year 8B (L) 3-1
Sports Tours
Sports Tours at Ripley continue to be popular and the next
instalment of the Holland Hockey Tour takes place at half
term with Mrs Pearson, Mrs Bray and Mrs Benter preparing for
the six-day trip to Noordwijk. Mr Greenacre is also underway
with preparations for next October’s Valencia Football Tour
and letters to those wishing to express an interest being sent
out before half term.
Changes and Updates
Due to the increasing demands of Sport at Ripley, there will
occasionally be changes to the published extra curriculum
programme and fixture list which can be found on the Sport@
Ripley page of the school website. Please remind your
children to check the noticeboards in the red corridor for upto-date
information about what is happening.
Leadership
Through our Year 10 & 11 Leadership and Coaching pathway
as part of Key Stage 4 PE a large number of pupils have
been in primary schools working with children delivering
Quick Sticks hockey and throwing and catching skills. The
Year 10 students have been going to Bowerham to work with
the Year 3 students on a Thursday afternoon while the Year
11 students have been working with the Year 2 and Year 5
students from Moorside Primary.

The students have shown great organisational skills and
communication skills with the youngsters, whilst developing
their skills and feedback from teachers from the respective
schools has been extremely positive and encouraging for the
pupils.
Swimming
The Ripley swimming teams continue to impress. Five Ripley
teams travelled to the North West Division Team Relays
Championships at Everton Park, Liverpool. The rearranging of
the division meant that over 18 schools were involved in the
u14, u16 and u18 age groups.
The Ripley Junior teams had Year 7 representatives, which
means they still have another 2 years at this age group.
Considering their age they acquitted themselves very well. It
was fantastic that this year we were able to take an u18 girls’
squad to the finals, well done to those girls for taking part.
Pride of place, however went to the Intermediate girls. They
retained their titles in both the Freestyle and Medley Relays
and now have an anxious wait now to see if their times are in
the top 12 times in the country to qualify us for the National
Finals at the end of November. At the time of writing with 4 of
the Divisions results in, the girls currently lie in 1st place in
the Medley and 2nd place in the freestyle. Our Junior boys are
still in with a chance of qualifying in the Freestyle relay.
Results
• 4x 50m Freestyle
Junior Boys 3rd 1.58.73
Junior Girls 5th 2.06.46
Inter Girls 1st 1.58.34
Senior Girls 11th 2.12.45
National Finals
Following a successful competition at the Divisional Relay
Championships at Everton Park, Liverpool last month, Ripley
St Thomas have been confirmed as finalists in the English
Schools National Swimming Relay Championships on the
26th November in Southampton.
Having qualified for the national finals in the past, Ripley’s
achievements this time round are all the more impressive
due to having both the Junior Boys team and Inter Girls team
make it through to the top 16 teams in the country based on
their relay times from their regional performance.
Changes to the divisional structure meant an increase in
the number of teams and quality of competition on the
night, however the Inter Girls team performed outstandingly
to win both the Medley relay and Freestyle relay, recording
times which place them 7th and 8th respectively on national
rankings going in to the national finals out of around 130
schools nationwide. The finals competition will be close affair
with only one second separating fourth and eighth place.
The Junior Boys Freestyle team qualified for the national
finals by recording a time good enough for 13th place in the
overall rankings; a fantastic achievement given that 145
team occupy places on the ranking list.
The achievements of both the Ripley teams is particularly
notable given the well established independent and private
sector schools, including Millfield, Plymouth College and Kelly
College who are all ‘Swim Academies’ and dominate the
rankings and finals line-ups.
Congratulations!
• 4 x 50m Medley
Junior Boys 8th 2.20.60
Junior Girls 5th 2.22.03
Inter Girls 1st 2.12.20
Senior Girls 11th 2.41.41
Congratulations to Rachel Ritchie (Year 11) who has been
selected to compete in the British Olympic Swimming Trials
in April, which will take place at the Olympic pool prior to the
main event later in the year. Good luck!
Believe..... 17

Summary
Stay
Connected
In addition to the informative school
website, you can now keep up-to-date
with all the latest sports news on
Facebook and Twitter. Find out what’s
happening from fixtures and results
to information about practices and
upcoming events.
Ellie Walton
Fell Running
/ripleystthomas
/ripleystthomas
Congratulations also to the following students that took part
in the English Schools’ National Fell Running Championships
at Cockermouth.
Boys
Year 7 Isaac Weber 25th
William Huntington
38th
Year 8/9 Laurence Johnson 28th
George Tostevin
35th
Year 10/11 Jack Sharples 31st
Girls
Year 10/11 Ellie Walton 13th
Paige Clinton
30th
Rowing
The Ripley rowing club have taken part in a number of races
in recent month where the quad of Chloe Watson, Jess
Pearson, Hannah Blamire (Year 11) and Rhianne Bell (Year
10) were placed first in the Chester 5km time trial. A fantastic
achievement. Congratulations! Monday night training will
begin again with Sarah Forshaw after half term – all are
welcome, particularly Year 7. It is open to both boys and girls.
Netball
Well done to Ripley 1 and Ripley 2, the two senior netball teams
competing with interest and enthusiasm in the Lancaster &
District Netball League which takes place between 7-9pm
on Monday nights both Lancaster & Morecambe College and
Morecambe High School. Ripley 1 have won 2 of their 3 games
so far, whilst despite losing their fixtures, Ripley 2 continue
to improve. Ripley are extremely grateful to Parkinsons
Contractors for the kind sponsorship of and proud to wear
their new senior kit. Thank you to Mrs Curran and the teams
for their continued commitment to these evening fixtures.
The Ripley Rowers
18 Ripley St Thomas

Boys’ Sport
Rugby
The rugby season got going right from the very first weekend’s
round of games against Hutton Grammar School and the
pupils have continued to respond magnificently to the
competitive opportunities available to them. Up to half term
there have been 65 fixtures across all age groups, which
have included long standing local fixtures, Lancashire Cup,
RBS Daily Mail Cup, Vale of Lune B Tournaments and House
matches.
Under the guidance of Mr Greenacre, the Year 7 team,
captained by Steven Fish have quickly developed into a well
organised and skilful team in the short space of time together
having been impressive in both practice and competitive
games. Victories against Morecambe, Bury Grammar and
Ullswater have started to shape their season. Fixtures
for A,B,C and D teams have been particularly important in
developing understanding and teamwork among a large new
group of keen boys.
The Year 8 team bounced back from early season narrow
defeats to Hutton and Liverpool College (Lancashire Cup)
to record a string of impressive victories and performances
against The Queen Katherine School, Bolton, Bury Grammar,
QES, Ullswater and Morecambe High capped a successful
half term. Building on the success of last year, the physically
developing Year 9 team have produced some strong
performances recording 60 point victories against The Queen
Katherine School, Bury Grammar as well as comfortably
defeating QES, Kirby Lonsdale and LRGS B.
Last year’s injury prone team continue to heal and get stronger
as a group. The Year 10’s have enjoyed some competitive
challenges this half term, recording victories against QES,
Kirby Lonsdale and Ullswater. An early exit in the Daily Mail
Cup sees their group stage campaign begin after half term.
The Year 11s have played only a handful of games this half
term, adding a number of new players to their squad having
not previously played in the A team lower down the school.
An opening round defeat to Hutton Grammar in the Floodlit
cup was quickly followed by an opening round Lancashire
Cup victory against Morecambe earning them a second round
draw against Kirkham Grammar or Ormskirk after half term.
Now in its second season, the Vale of Lune development
tournament reaches its climax straight after half term. Its aim
is to provide development opportunities for B teams within
the area and has proved hugely successful with combinations
of year 8/9 and 10/11 boys contesting fortnightly. Final
league standing will be published on the conclusion of both
competitions. A full set of updated results will appear on the
school website in due course.
Cross Country
The opening round of the
ESAA cross country took
place at Ullswater, with
the Junior Boys. The Junior
Boys were placed 5th led
by Curtis Graham, whilst
the Inter Boys led by Ben
Roberts finished 14th .
The next cross country
race will be the District
Schools Championships
held at Ripley on Saturday
5 December 2011 at
10.00am
Curtis Graham
Ben Roberts
Believe..... 19

Girls’ Sport
Lorrie (second from left)
Lining up for the national anthem
Lorrie shines bright for England
Ripley St Thomas’ talented all round sportswoman, Lorrie
Doze capped a successful week in which she was awarded
a Lancashire Rising Star Fund Award, with two fantastic
performances for England u15 Ladies against international
opponents Norway.
The two games, played last Wednesday and Friday at the
Lancashire FA Headquarters saw Lorrie pull on the iconic
England number 7 shirt, playing a starring role in both games.
On Wednesday, she lined up in front of a crowd of 1,100
enthusiastic spectators and playing in right midfield was
England’s best player in a game in which the three lions lost
7-0 to some fantastic team and individual goals by Norway.
Having reviewed their performance and made a few changes,
the England team were given the opportunity to learn from
their previous experience and duly followed up with a 3-2
victory against the Norwegians helped by a fine goal from
Lorrie.
The goal capped two very good individual performances by
Lorrie, the former Morecambe Youth Boys team and now
Blackburn Rovers Centre of Excellence Academy player who
is in her second season playing for the national team having
made the breakthrough last August. Since then, she has
gone on to become an England regular, playing in the last
three international matches against the Republic of Ireland,
Holland and double header against Norway.
Hockey
Girl’s Hockey has started extremely well this term with over
100 students taking part in hockey from Year 7-13. The
arrival of Mrs Benter has enabled us to take Year 10,11 and
Sixth Form up to St Martins which has been a big advantage
to us allowing practices to take place on a full size pitch.
The 1st XI hockey have played matches against Kirkham and
LGGS and entered the U18 National Schools Competition. Led
by team captain Laura Cape, the commitment to training and
fixtures has been very pleasing and they have been buoyed by
the opportunities available to them.
At half term Mrs Pearson, Mrs Bray, Mrs Benter, Miss Mitchell
and Mrs Sugden are looking forward to the bi-annual hockey
tour to Holland, involving 30 girls where there are 3 games
arranged against Dutch opposition and training with Dutch
coaches to look forward to.
Results and fixtures for next half term will be published
shortly on the school website and sports noticeboard. Watch
this space for details.
Netball
Numbers have continued to grow at netball practices, with
over 100 girls taking part in Year 7 - 9 alone. The addition
of two netball courts on the back yard has been invaluable
both as a teaching resource and a venue to play competitive
fixtures. Year 9, 10 and 11 victories against Our Lady’s,
Lancaster got the season underway.
20 Ripley St Thomas