Summer 2011 - Maidenhill School

N E W S 

SUMMER 2011 

Farewell 

Mrs Walker 

Mrs Walker with English teachers - Mrs Melendez, Miss Kedward, 

Mrs Appleton, Mrs Heggie, Mrs Walker and Ms Boon 

Mrs Walker, who has 

been librarian at the 

school for 24 years, is leaving 

this summer. In addition to 

her library work, Mrs Walker 

has been the editor of this 

newsletter since 1990 

and has also managed the 

school website. 

Read more on Page 4 

Ofsted Report 

This June, we were pleased to receive a very 

positive report from Ofsted inspectors, 

which judges Maidenhill to be providing a 

satisfactory and improving standard of education. 

“Most students are keen to do well, respond 

thoughtfully to adults and other students in 

lessons and demonstrate good attitudes to 

learning and behaviour.” 

Read more on Page 3 

INSIDE THIS EDITION: • FAREWELL TO STAFF 

• SPORTS NEWS • YEAR 11 FUTURES • FRENCH VISITS 

• THORPE PARK VISIT • LIVE AWARDS • PROM 2011

MAIDENHILL NEWS: SUMMER 2011 

Headteacher’s Update 

It was hear tening that Ofsted 

confirmed our own views 

in relation to the improving 

standards at the school. 

We are now at a crucial point in the school’s development 

with a real opportunity to move on to a different level. 

The combination of a new tutoring system where students 

will be grouped into learning communities and a revised 

school uniform are both significant symbols of ambition 

for our immediate future. A further £3.6m has been 

secured for improvements to the fabric of the building 

and an additional £140,000 for the improvement of 

facilities for our students, including more new toilets! With 

Year 11 students well placed to achieve good results and 

Year 10 progressing well the future is indeed bright. 

fantastic job of producing Maidenhill News – surely 

the best school newsletter in the country! We will pay 

full tribute to all of them in due course but I am sure 

you would like to join me in thanking them for their 

contributions and wishing all of them the very best for 

the future. 

Mr Watson 

Several staff will be leaving at the end of the year 

including our librarian, Mrs Walker, who does such a 

2


Ofsted Report 

This June, we were pleased to receive a very positive report 

from Ofsted inspectors, which judged Maidenhill to be 

providing a satisfactory and improving standard of education. 

Many of the comments within the report point to the good 

quality of the education provided. We are aware that there is still 

improvement to be made and we are in the process of drawing 

up an action plan to tackle the targets that Ofsted has set, 

particularly in raising attainment and rates of progress. We were 

particularly pleased with the response from parents in sending 

in their questionnaires, which showed inspectors the wholehearted 

involvement that so many of our parents have in their 

children’s school lives. The full report is available on our school 

website. 

Here are some of the comments that have made us 

proud of the recent progress of our school towards 

excellence: 

"The improvements in attainment, teaching and 

learning and the shared commitment of staff 

and governing body, demonstrate a satisfactory 

capacity for sustained improvement." 

"Most students are keen to do well, respond thoughtfully 

to adults and other students in lessons and demonstrate 

good attitudes to learning and behaviour." 

"There are good links with parents and carers, 

seeking their views through surveys and involving 

them in discussions about their children’s progress." 

"The school provides a purposeful climate for learning." 

"This school is led by a strong and effective 

management team who instil a positive ethos in 

the staff and students." 

During the inspection Year 8 students helped to guide 

inspectors around the school. 

Danielle Jones and Jamie Deane wrote: 

When the Ofsted inspectors came to our school to evaluate us, 

we had to show the inspectors to the classes they needed to visit. 

As we took them around, they asked us many questions about the 

school…for example, “What makes it a performing arts school” 

and “What’s your favourite subject or teacher and why” A rush of 

nervous excitement came to us on our first day. We had to wait 5 

minutes before tutor time to meet them and then we had to return 

5 minutes before the next lesson. Overall we would say that this 

experience will help us in future life as we now know how to speak 

to someone we have not met before…. an important official! 

GOVERNORS' COMMITMENT 

One aspect of the school that is graded as “good”, 

is the effectiveness of leadership and management. 

The senior management team and the governing body 

are both praised for their commitment to raising 

achievement and clear vision for the future. 

Chair of Governors, David Hauser, wrote: 

The governors are very pleased to see Ofsted’s findings and send 

their congratulations to Gary Watson and to all staff and everyone 

associated with Maidenhill. It is clear that the inspectors were 

impressed with the considerable progress the school has made. 

We were pleased to see the number of areas attracting the grade 

“good”, including governance, which they found well structured with 

a clear vision for further development. We would like to thank 

parents and carers for their positive responses and everyone at 

Maidenhill for their professionalism, enthusiasm and commitment. 

3


Farewell to . . . 

Mrs Walker 

When When Mrs Walker started as 

Maidenhill’s librarian in 1987, she spent 

the first term moving all the books from a 

classroom into the library’s new home on 

the first floor. New shelving had been bought 

and she had to arrange everything ready for 

the grand opening in January 1988. 

Mrs Walker in 1989 

Since that moment, everyone in 

the school has benefited from 

Mrs Walker’s commitment and 

vision of what a school library 

should be like. She has supported 

all areas of the curriculum and 

the library has been at the very 

heart of the learning process. 

The English department especially, owe Mrs Walker an 

enormous debt of gratitude for the way she has supported 

us and enabled us to enrich our teaching. Ask any 

Maidenhill student and they will be able to tell you which 

animal they wrote about during the English Year 7 animal 

project and in the process they will have learnt how to 

carry out a research project. 

Mrs Walker has an extremely wide knowledge of children’s 

literature so that she often knows exactly the right book 

to suggest to a student to develop their love of reading. 

Every year she has arranged visits from authors at the very 

pinnacle of their field: amazingly, Dick King-Smith, Sue 

Mayfield, Jacqueline Wilson, Benjamin Zephaniah, Aidan 

Chambers– and many others - have all spoken to students 

at Maidenhill. 

Mrs Walker and Mrs Heggie with the 2010 Carnegie Shadowing group 

Mrs Walker’s library has been so much more than just a 

collection of useful books, it has been a springboard for 

many culturally enriching events. Writing workshops, 

book weeks, library assistants’ club, a safe haven at 

lunch time: all have fostered a love of reading. And don’t 

mention the number of biscuits eaten while students in the 

Carnegie shadowing club have argued about the relative 

merits of the books up for the annual award… Mrs 

Walker says her best reader, was, without a doubt, Daniel 

Mackintosh, who read every single book on the shortlist 

from Year 7 to Year 11! 

Mrs Walker has also been Newsletter Editor and Website 

Manager for many years. She has been there with her 

camera at all the major activities in school. She has worked 

with former teacher, Kay Chapman, to create a school 

archive collection which tracks in pictures, articles and 

memorabilia the events in our school since the day it 

opened. 

We will all miss her massive contribution to school life, 

her work as school governor, her readiness to help staff 

and her genuine concern and care for our students. Mrs 

Walker says she will miss working with young people, 

sharing their delight in reading new books and hearing 

their news, from the latest quail chick born to finding an 

angel’s feather in the garden. 

In the future Mrs Walker is intending to spend time 

working with the Stonehouse History Group writing a 

history of the town and collecting old photographs. She 

plans to continue to attend events at the school and hopes 

to be able to visit and see the new refurbishments planned 

for the school next year. We wish her all the very best. 

Mrs Walker with Corrin Sherman in 2000 - before the 

computerised library system 

By Mrs Heggie 

4


opportunity to join in school life. She is proud of her role 

in developing the supportive, pastoral ethos within school 

so that students feel free to knock on her door and talk 

about anything at all. Recently she has worked towards 

gaining Anti-Bullying accreditation for the school and also 

supporting families within the Maidenhill community. 

Her favourite thing about the school is how polite, friendly 

and honest the students are. She thinks they have a really 

good sense of humour and are fun to work with. She also 

loves seeing a student start in Year 7 and grow up through 

the school until they leave in Year 11 as an adult and ready 

to go out into the world. 

Mrs Weiss 

Mrs. Weiss started working at Maidenhill in 

1994, so she has worked here for 17 years. 

She used to be a theatre sister, and has 

worked all over the world, including Africa, 

Canada and Europe. She spent 10 years of her 

life travelling around the world working in 

hospitals in different countries. 

At Maidenhill, Mrs Weiss has worked in pastoral support 

in a variety of roles. She first started supporting individual 

students in the classroom but since 2000 she has been 

involved in inclusion; making sure that every child has the 

She’s had so many nice experiences she doesn’t know 

which one is her favourite, but she enjoyed going to Exeter 

and Plymouth with Mr Bowen and the Year 7 students 

during activities weeks for about ten years. She has 

enjoyed working with the parents, staff and students and 

will miss everyone. “It’s the best school I’ve ever worked 

in,” quoted Mrs Weiss. 

Her favourite pastime is travelling. She loves Africa 

because of all the wildlife on the safaris. When she retires 

she wants to live in the Forest of Dean and also hopes to 

spend six months of the year in Europe. 

Everyone at Maidenhill has enjoyed her company and will 

miss her when she goes. 

By Dan Latchford, James Lapidge 

and Ross Whitaker. 9DWA 

He said how much he relished the opportunity 

of recording different songs with students and 

seeing how happy they looked after their songs 

were recorded. He also said how he loved 

being involved in all the school productions 

and concerts, especially when they went really 

well. 

Mr Howlett 

Mr Kevin Howlett started 

working at Maidenhill as 

our Performing Arts Technician on the 3rd 

of November 2003. He has many wonderful 

memories and specifically mentions how 

much he has enjoyed running all of the music 

workshops and working with all the students. 

He has organised the annual Bandit events 

since 2005, bringing together students from 

schools all over the area to work together in 

creating performances. 

When we asked Kev about what he wants to 

do in the future, he said at the moment he 

is looking at building up his events company. 

He would like to perform more with his band 

Silver Campervan. 

Kev has been involved in so many things in 

the school and has helped so many students; 

for example he has helped Year 11 with their Music GCSE 

recordings. He has been at all the major events in school 

helping staff with presentations. At concerts he has 

made sure that all the sound equipment works and that 

background tracks are ready. During drama performances 

Kev has been in charge of the lighting as well as sound and 

teaching students how to run the systems. He will be 

dearly missed by all and we wish him all the best for the 

future. 

By Amy Long 11GAP 

5


6 

Farewell to . . . 

Mr Pearse 

Our favourite history 

teacher is leaving 

the school at the 

end of this term. 

He told us that he 

has enjoyed teaching 

all the students but 

it is time for him to 

move on. 

Mr Pearse first came 

to Maidenhill in 1995. 

He taught French and 

English and became Head of Modern Languages. He left for 

a short while to work at Wycliffe College, but returned to 

teach History at Maidenhill. Mr Pearse has also taught PE, 

Geography, Spanish and finally Chinese basket weaving! 

He said the things that he has enjoyed at Maidenhill are the 

funny members of staff, like Mr Day who drinks tea out of a 

bucket (an extra large teacup!) He also likes the friendliness 

of all the pupils. He would like to thank all the canteen staff 

who feed him.He said that working at Maidenhill has been a 

very rewarding experience and the last 16 years have made 

him very happy. 

Mr Pearse is a very interesting teacher. He makes us laugh 

and giggle but we learn a lot about history as well. We are 

all going to miss him. 

By Kelvin Woods and Aaron Lund 8RWA 

Mr Pye 

Mr Pye started at 

Maidenhill in 2005 

as an assistant to 

the site manager. 

He has worked hard 

at keeping the school 

buildings safe and 

working well. He 

is well known for 

his friendly, helpful 

character and getting 

all the small but vital 

jobs around the site 

done speedily and 

efficiently. 

Mr Pye is hoping to 

get another job in the building maintenance industry and 

wishes everyone at Maidenhill well for the future. 

Mr Watson 

Mr Watson 

started in June 

2008 as a 

Maths teacher. 

He doesn’t 

teach any 

other subjects 

because he 

thoroughly 

enjoys Maths. 

He has been the tutor for 8RWA. Every morning we do 

a lot of fun and interesting things like having debates about 

things in the news, making Christmas shoe boxes and 

working in the computer room. We have written articles on 

different things like the 2012 Olympic Games. Every morning 

he always asks us what we have done over the weekend and 

how we are, which is really good. 

He supports us in many ways such as asking us whether we 

won anything at the weekend competitions we do. 

This could be anything from dancing to dog showing. 

He said that he has enjoyed being at Maidenhill because 

there are friendly students and he loves to teach Maths. 

We are going to miss Mr Watson very much as he has made 

the school a happy place and very enjoyable. 

Thank you for everything that you have done for us. 

Thank you from 8RWA and the whole school. 

By Melissa Damsell and Bethanie Gardner 8RWA 

This year we have a number of staff moving on. 

This year we have a number of staff moving on. 

Mr Drennan has been teaching Personal, Social and 

Health Education including Citizenship for 4 years. 

He has also taken charge of the School Council. 

Mr Drennan has made the council elections a real life 

experience for all students, introducing hustings and 

votes for President and councillors. He has overseen 

a programme of student meetings that have started to 

give them a real voice in school life. He is leaving the 

school to take up a teaching post in the Middle East. 

Miss Sturgess was appointed as a P.E teacher and 

School Sports Co-ordinator in 2009 She has been 

responsible for promoting sporting activities to 

local primary schools and also giving our students 

opportunities to help younger children to enjoy sports. 

Mrs Davis has been ICT technician for four years. 

She has assisted all staff and students to access ICT 

facilities and helped with all manner of technical 

problems. She also helped maintain the school website 

by taking photographs and writing pages. 

Mr Halliday has been working for a year as a P.E 

and Schools Sports assistant. He is now moving on to 

Gloucestershire University to study Sport and Exercise 

Science and hope eventually to gain a PGCE which will 

enable him to become a P.E teacher.


Count your 

chickens! 

Royal Agricultural 

College Trip 

Thanks to the British Hen Welfare 

Trust, I have recently rescued some 

battery hens from a life of captivity where 

they have been kept cruelly inside a tiny 

cage for the whole of their lives. I set two 

maths groups a challenge to discover which 

shape gave the best area for his chickens to roam around in my 

garden. The students had to calculate the maximum area they 

could create with 1000m of fencing. I was delighted with the 

response. The reports the groups produced were excellent and 

it was really hard to pick the winners. I chose Aaron Lund, Ryan 

Burford, Poppy Knight, Tiegan 

Bingham Roberts and Aiesha Williams. 

They have the honour of naming 

one of my chickens that are now 

enjoying a free range life. 

By Mr R Watson 

Ryan Burford writes: 

I really enjoyed the project as it was useful real-life 

mathematics. I used lots of maths skills like Pythagoras’ 

Theorem and it really stretched me mathematically. I 

found out that the circle gave the greatest amount of 

area. I think the circle is the best as it has an infinite 

amount of sides. I found that the greater the number of 

sides a shape has, the larger the area. Also regular shapes 

give better areas as the square gave a better area than a 

rectangle and an equilateral triangle was better than an 

isosceles. Mr Watson should build his chicken run as a 

circle as this is the best shape. 

This June, twenty two Year 9 and 10 students, who are 

talented in English, took part in an Aimhigher visit 

to Cirencester’s Royal Agricultural College. This was an 

opportunity to find out about college life and also to take part 

in a debate on the controversial topic of fox hunting. When 

we arrived we were met by the college ambassadors and 

taken into a lecture theatre. We were divided into two groups: 

For Fox Hunting and Against Fox Hunting. We created some 

arguments and had a lively debate about whether we thought 

fox hunting was right or not, which was great because it felt so 

real and gave us an idea of what higher education would have 

in store for us. In the end the group Against Fox Hunting won. 

Then we had a tour of the college. They have their own church, 

cafeteria, fields and dormitories. They have farms as well so the 

students can do practical work, as well as academic studies. 

Later we talked about interviews for colleges, universities 

and work places. We got into pairs and interviewed each 

other, marking our scores and practising the techniques we 

had talked about. We were very lucky to be able to have this 

practice as some people go into interviews not prepared 

for anything! 

The last activity of the day was by far the most enjoyable for 

everyone! We all went outside and a pack of beagle puppies 

and dogs were 

released on us, all 

very enthusiastic! We 

were then told that 

without fox hunting, 

most of these beagles 

would be put down 

which definitely made 

some people change 

their minds about 

hunting. 

We left the college 

with a bag, pen, pad 

and book about the 

college. It was a very 

interesting and 

exciting day. 

By Molly Wise 9DWA 

7


Year 11 Futures 

Every year we are proud to see our students 

move on in the world to choose their future 

Kit Page 

career. Today’s students have a wide range of 

opportunities, some of which they have been able to 

After my exams I plan to enjoy 

sample at Maidenhill and some of which are brand 

a very relaxing summer holiday 

new challenges. We wish them well in their further 

by going to some music festivals 

education, whether it be practical learning at work or 

and staying with my brother in 

academic courses at college. We are always interested 

Brighton. In September, I hope 

in what our past students are doing, so if you know of 

to go to Cirencester College where I plan to do A 

any ex-pupil who has done well in their chosen career, 

please let us know. You can email the school via 

Levels in Anthropology, Psychology, 3-D Design and 

the website. 

Photography which I’m really looking forward to. After 

college, I’d like to be involved in Camp-America where 

I could teach a sport like basketball or canoeing to 

Kate Lapidge 

younger children for 6 months. Then I’d like to go 

travelling while my visa lasts. 

I intend to go to Stroud College 

to do a BTEC Level 3 Extended Harriet Young 

Diploma in Music Technology. From 

there, I hope to go to university to 

I am intending to go to Cirencester 

study for a degree in Music and 

College to follow a Child Care Level 

then to train as a musical therapist. I enjoy music and 

2 course. Once I get a qualification 

it has helped me through some tough times. I want 

in Child Care, I hope to get a job 

to work with people and to use music to let them 

in a nursery. I have always loved 

express their emotions. 

working with children and I feel I would enjoy working 

in a nursery. 

Harry Vallender 

I’m intending to go on to Archway 

Sixth Form where I hope to study 

Chemistry, Biology, Maths and 

Geography. After that I’d like to 

go to Hartpury to study Equine 

Nutrition or Equine Sport Science. Eventually I want 

to be self-employed in the Equine Industry, possibly 

working as an Equine Dietician or Physiotherapist. The 

science and anatomy of the horse interests me greatly. 

Hannah Jones 

Simon Jones 

I have been offered a place in 

Archway Sixth Form to do A-Levels 

in Geography and History and a 

BTEC in Sport. At Maidenhill, I have 

been involved in Aimhigher and have 

visited universities which has persuaded me that I would 

like to go to university to study one of these subjects. 

I think Geography is very interesting and I like sport. 

Eventually I would like to become a secondary school 

teacher or a police officer. 

8 

I am planning to go to Hartpury 

College to follow a 2 year course 

in Sport and then hope to gain a 

qualification as a fitness instructor 

because I would like to pursue a 

career as a Personal Trainer. I still want to be involved 

in training in performing arts and dance so I will try to 

audition for shows. 

Karolina Batugowska 

I want to go to Stroud College to 

follow a Public Services course 

and then to go on to university for 

further studies. I have always been 

interested in the public services and 

eventually I would like to go into the Police Force.


Michael Thompson 

I intend to go on to Cirencester 

College to study Music 

Technology, Photography, Media 

and Graphic Design. I’ve chosen 

these subjects because I have 

a creative imagination and a passion for music. 

Eventually I would love to get a job in the music 

industry. 

Perdie Ashenford 

In September, I am intending to go 

on to Gloucestershire College to 

do a BTEC Level 3 Performing Arts 

Diploma. I have always enjoyed 

performing and Maidenhill has 

really helped me to build my confidence. I feel going 

to college will be a good opportunity for me to meet 

others who enjoy the same things as me. Eventually 

I want to pursue a career in the Performing Arts 

business. 

Megan Bullock 

I am hoping to join Archway’s 

Sixth Form to study for A Levels 

in Chemistry, Biology, Maths and 

French. If I attain A grades in 3 A 

Levels and 1 AS Level, I hope to 

go on to university – possibly Bristol – to study for 

a degree in Medicine. I enjoy science and helping 

people so medicine should be a good way to 

combine both. I hope to follow a career as a GP or 

Plastic Surgeon. 

Ford Sass 

I hope to go to Gloucestershire 

College to study for a Graphic 

Design and Illustration National 

Diploma Level 3. This will give me the 

equivalent of 3 A levels. After college, 

I hope to go on to the University of Gloucestershire. I 

love art and graphic design and drawing has been my 

passion for years. I would love to become a graphic 

artist for a magazine or a website or even become 

freelance. 

Billy Perry 

When I leave Maidenhill, I’m 

going to Cirencester College to 

study Anthropology, Drama and 

Theatre, Geography and Business 

Studies. I then hope to go on 

to university to study Business Management. I’ve 

really enjoyed being Vice-President of the School 

Council, leading a team and helping them to reach 

targets. I’m hoping that Business Management will 

be similar. Ultimately I want a job where I run or 

own a significant part of a big business. 

Jordan-Eva Tiley 

Next year I am going to Filton 

College in the South West Academy 

of Dramatic Arts. Last February, I 

had to audition to get a place on 

the National Diploma in Musical 

Theatre. The Diploma will be the equivalent of 3 A 

Levels. When I finish the 2 year course I hope to stay 

at Filton to study for the Musical Theatre degree. 

Recently I passed my grade 6 Musical Theatre exam 

and have realised how much I love performing. I would 

like to begin my career as an entertainer in a holiday 

park, at the same time auditioning for parts in plays or 

musicals. 

Sam Wright 

I am going to Stroud College to do 

a Level 1 Building Services course 

where I will do a mix of plumbing 

and electrical work. This will help me 

decide which of the two services I 

want to pursue. I may try to get an apprenticeship as a 

plumber or an electrician. I chose this career because it 

is a valuable skill to have and I hope to be able to work 

in lots of different environments. 

9


French Visitors 

On Thursday 9th of June, Maidenhill 

students in Year 8 had a very beneficial 

visit from some Year 8 and 9 students 

from a French school in France. 

While the French students were in school, students from 

Maidenhill showed them around. The French students 

loved the school, many of them were commenting that we 

were very lucky and that we must be rich, because of all 

of the equipment we have. 

Some of the students explained to us, as best they could 

in a foreign language, that their school doesn’t have as 

many facilities as ours has. They were amazed at how 

much space we have. As they walked into the sports 

hall their faces lit up, they couldn’t believe how much 

equipment there was! 

After giving them a tour of the school, we then had lunch 

with them. This was a time where we could mingle with 

everyone, not just the people we were told to show round. 

The French students were surprised that we could buy 

such good lunches, in fact they actually went and got 

some themselves. 

Then it was time for the French students to go. Everyone 

was rushing around trying to say goodbye to all the 

people they had met. Mrs Collins said that we could keep 

in touch with them if we wanted to… instantly everyone 

was rushing to find out people’s names and numbers. 

This was very interesting for us. We picked up a lot more 

French and improved our understanding of the way 

French people talk and their accents. Everyone from both 

schools seemed to enjoy themselves. 

By Rebecca Smith 8LBE 

ROUTES INTO 

LANGUAGES 

Last year Jordan Jones and Alex Lake won the Routes into 

Languages competition in the South West region with their 

song in French "Laisse-moi tomber". This year the boys 

entered the competition again, along with Lewis Brain and 

Michael Thompson. They composed a song in French, called 

Ca m'est egal (Its all the same to me) which was featured 

on Youtube. There was an online voting system. On 4th May 

the boys went to the finals at Taunton and their song 

came second. 

French Breakfast 

In our French lesson a few weeks ago, Mrs Collins decided to host a French restaurant. 

We had to sit in pairs and take it in turns to be the waiter. We had to draw up a menu for our 

restaurant and give it to our partner, so they could choose what they wanted to try first. We had 

a choice of chocolate crepes, croissants, pain au chocolat, fruit, and bread, with lots of different 

toppings. For drinks we could choose from chocolate milkshake, orange juice, or apple juice. 

I think it was a great experience, and it was good because we got to explore the variety of foods 

there are in France. 

By Wednesday Pegler 8LBE 

10


Trip to Boulogne 

On 21st of April, a group of Year 7s went to France via the 

ferry. We all got up very early to get on the coach that left at 

4.30 am. We drove to Dover where we boarded the ferry and 

had a look around. My favourite part was on deck because you 

could smell the sea air and hear the waves below. This was really 

exciting as I had never been to that part of Europe before. 

I started learning French in Year 2 at my primary school and I 

have been interested ever since. 

When we arrived at Calais the sun was shining and we had to 

set our watches forward an hour because we were in a foreign 

country. We got on to the coach and headed towards the 

hypermarket which is like a big shopping mall. I was amazed of 

the size of it. My friend Imogen and I set off to investigate. 

I bought a handbag for 15 euros. Then we walked around a 

bit and saw other shops we didn’t recognise like the pâtisserie 

which is a cake shop, and the delicatessen which is where you 

get cured meats. 

Next, we travelled to a place in Boulogne called Nausicaa. 

This is an aquarium, and really exciting for me because I’m 

interested in marine biology. The aquarium was shaped like a 

large dome. Miss Collins gave us a ticket and then we all spread 

ourselves around the aquarium. My favourite part was the seals 

- they’re such graceful creatures; it’s amazing how long they can 

hold their breath. Also there were many other different kinds 

of fish and alligators that were so still they looked as if they 

weren’t real! They also had some giant tortoises that were huge. 

After that wonderful experience we walked to the restaurant. 

When we arrived we sat down and had a choice of diet coke 

or water. By this time everyone was really hungry. Everyone had 

chicken breast with a mushroom crème sauce and chips. Some 

of us didn’t fancy trying the sauce but I wanted to try something 

new. For dessert 

we had a chocolate 

chip mousse with 

marshmallows. Overall 

this meal was delicious! 

Because we were a 

bit late, we had to get 

onto a later ferry. 

By this time I was 

really tired so I just sat 

down and watched 

the waves out of 

the window. Some of the boys started a game of tag which I 

watched, then after a while almost everyone joined in. Then 

there was an announcement to say that we would be at Dover 

in a couple of minutes. We had a long coach journey back home 

but I slept most of the way. When we got back to school it was 

1:34 am! 

Overall for me it was the best trip ever and I would love to 

go again! 

By Lamorran Trevenna 7DKE 

Paris Trip 

During the Easter holidays, Miss Webber led another successful 

four-day trip to Paris with Year 8 and 9 students. 

11


SPORTS 

NEWS 

“Athletics competitions are great fun; different schools come together to 

compete in different events. I do athletics; I have to do shot-putt which is 

a competitive event where people have to throw a heavy ball. In Year 7 I 

did shot-putt at the Prince of Wales stadium. It was more competitive than 

doing it as school because it was against different schools and people I 

didn’t know. Last year, I came third with a throw about 9 and a half metres, 

I was well chuffed. Now in Year 8 I can throw further and because I’ve 

grown, I have an advantage in throwing the ball. I came 2nd in the District 

Athletics competition this year.” 

By Oliver Loveridge 8LB 

Results from the District 

Championships 

YEAR 10 

Julianne Thomson 800m 1st 

Kiera Jenkins Long Jump 1st 100m 2nd 

Sian Gardiner 300m 6th 

YEAR 9 

Lewis Quigley 100m 1st 

Danni Sharpe 800m 1st 

Ryan Hampson 200m 1st 400m 1st 

Lance Reynolds Shot Putt 3rd 

ATHLETICS 

Our students have been particularly successful in 

Athletics competitions this year. Students selected for 

the Stroud Schools District Athletics squad are Lewis 

Quigley, Keira Jenkins, Ryan Hampson, Julianne Thomson, 

Oliver Loveridge and Danielle Sharpe. 

Four of these athletes also compete for Stroud Harriers 

and may get selection for further County events through 

their weekend performances. As a result of the County 

Championships Ryan Hampson has been selected for the 

County and possibly even the South West Squad. 

YEAR 8 

Oliver Loveridge 400m 3rd Shot Putt 2nd 

Jamie Gough Javelin 3rd 

Nathan Marks 1500m 6th 200m 4th 

YEAR 7 

Bram Bax-Pratt High Jump 2nd 

Danielle Sharpe winning the 

800m at the District Sports. 

FOOTBALL 

At the end of April 2011 our Year 9 football team were 

successful in winning the District Cup Final against Deer 

Park School. Goals were scored by Lance Rennolds, Ryan 

Hampson and Michael Williams (2) to give a convincing 

win 4 - 2. 

A large number of students are given the opportunity to 

compete in various meetings at different schools and the 

District Championships at the Prince of Wales stadium 

in Cheltenham. 

“On Wednesday 22nd June, Year 9 and 10 students went to an athletics 

meeting at Rednock School. We all did extremely well and we are very 

proud of all our achievements. The Year 10 girls relay team of Brodie-Lee 

Martin, Kiera Jenkins, Kirby Young and Julianne Thomson did especially well 

as we came second which was an improvement from last year. A special 

well done to Kiera Jenkins as she got a PB of 13.1 seconds in the 100m. 

Ryan Hampson came 1st in the 200m and 400m. Well done to all the 

students that participated and maybe next year we will do even better. " 

Year 9 Football Team 

By Julianne Thomson 10A 

12


GETTING 

ACTIVE 

AT SOUTH 

CERNEY 

Some of our students 

have been helping 

students from the 

Shrubberies to get 

active, They went to 

six sessions during 

terms 5 and 6 and 

thoroughly enjoyed 

the experience. 

They were also a credit to the school with their helpful, 

polite behaviour. 

“A group of Year 9 students that had chosen Child 

Development or BTec Sports for their Key Stage 4 

options took up an opportunity to take part in a joint 

project at South Cerney water sports centre with 

students from the Shrubberies School. We practised 

doing team work, building rafts, sailing or canoeing. We 

were all in mixed groups, working and helping each 

other and making new friends. There were 14 Maidenhill 

students that went, we all had fun and it was a great 

experience.” 

By Lucy Davis 9ASM 

Andy Maryon receives his award from Miss Bell, Head of PE. 

TOM MOORE AWARD 

Every year the PE Department gives an award in 

memory of Tom Moore who died while he was a student 

at Maidenhill in 1995. The award is for a boy who has 

taken part in a variety of sports, is a committed team 

player and sets a good example for others. This year 

the award went to Andy Maryon. Andy has represented 

the school at rugby, football and athletics. He has been 

Vice-Captain of rugby and football. While in Year 10 he 

played for the Year 11 football team in the District Cup 

Final. Andy also plays football for Cheltenham Town and 

Forest Green U16 teams and hopes to continue in the 

U18s next year. 

ROUNDERS 

Year 7 Rounders Team 

Back left to right: Lauren Stanley, Kelsey Roche, Caprice McGovern, Georgina Brain. 

Front left to right: Jessica Carman, Abi Jones, Charlotte Parsons, Ellie Chandler. 

Year 8 Rounders Team 

Back left to right: Bethany Graham, Kira Howard, Rebecca Smith, Wednesday Pegler, 

Bethanie Gardner. 

Front left to right: Amber Wager, Harriet Wright, Emily Chandler 

13


The Savoy 

Educational 

Trust 

New Coffee 

Shop Opens 

Last term the Design and Technology 

Department opened a new cafe in a 

classroom by acquiring an innovative Space 

Shuttle unit from Space Catering Equipment. 

“We wanted a flexible unit that we could set 

up as a fully functioning café servery, with a 

proper coffee machine, refreshment displays 

and a till,” explains Miss Fry. “But at the same 

time we had to be practical, so we needed a 

solution which we could close up and pack 

away during those times that it wasn’t in use, as 

it is situated in the corner of a classroom.” 

Since its installation, the Hospitality and 

Catering students have been working on all 

aspects of running a café including sourcing 

and costing supplies, planning menus, producing 

signage, getting trained on the equipment and 

preparing to make the refreshments. It has 

already been in use at parents’ evenings 

and governors’ meetings, with many more 

shows, meetings, and school events already 

in the diary. 

The photograph shows Year 10 students, Livvy 

Aylmer, Luke Nurding, Sian Gardiner and Jade 

Cook working in the cafe 

The Savoy 

Educational 

Trust is an 

independent, 

grant-giving 

charitable trust, 

whose main aim is to advance and develop 

education, training and qualifications within 

the hospitality industry. The Trustees award 

grants to educational establishments for a 

wide variety of hospitality related projects. 

Maidenhill has been really lucky to have been 

awarded funding for our catering room which 

opened two years ago and for the new Coffee 

shop which opened this Spring. 

The trust has recently had its 50th Anniversary 

celebration which was held at the Savoy Hotel 

in London. Miss Fry and Mrs Elliot attended 

this event where they were treated to a 

champagne reception with a range of canapés 

from around the world. We were thrilled to 

meet a range of chefs and other celebrities 

from the industry like Brian Turner and Fred 

Sirieix who starred in the Michel Roux ‘Service’ 

earlier in the year and runs the “Galvin at 

Windows” restaurant in Park Lane. 

14


Plane 

Building 

Gardening 

Club 

Maidenhill students Ryan Morgan, Sam 

Hill, Jake Dangerfield and Curtis Carter, 

along with students from Marling 

School, are building a full size two-seater 

aeroplane supplied by Boeing. Maidenhill 

students are responsible for building one 

of the wings. 

The wing has to be inspected at regular intervals 

by a Civil Aviation Authority inspector and the 

workmanship has to pass exacting standards. 

They are being assisted in this by Mr Smith, Mr 

Jones and Roger Gribble of Gloucester Training 

Group Ltd, who is very interested in exploring 

the possibility of offering Maidenhill students 

opportunities in the future. 

The project is being overseen by Dr Ray Lewis, 

who will also fly the plane. Dr Lewis, as well 

as holding degrees in Physics and Material 

Engineering, is a pilot coach with the Light Aircraft 

Association and a class rating instructor with 

the CAA. 

e do a gardening club every Wednesday 

Wlunchtime and this club is available to 

all students. We are at the stage of planting 

vegetables and building a shed. The type of 

jobs you do in gardening club are planting, 

weeding and painting. We have planted 

tomatoes, sprouts, cabbage and courgettes. 

I enjoy all the different types of gardening 

jobs. My favourite job is painting the wooden 

edges to our raised beds. We could do with 

some more people joining our gardening 

club because we could get the jobs done 

more quickly! 

The members of the Gardening Club at the 

moment are Luke Wyman, Nathan Heaven, 

Chelsey Peck, Owen Tyror-Taylor and me. 

The leaders of the club are Mr Burns, 

Miss Fry and Louise. 

By Neil Bond 9CST 

The plane will be exhibited on Boeing’s stand 

at the Farnborough International Air Show in 

July this year and the Maidenhill students will be 

staffing the stand to answer any questions from 

the public or press. 

By Mr Jones 

15


Fun at 

Thorpe Park 

As part of our BTEC ICT course, Year 10 

students were given the opportunity to 

visit Thorpe Park in Chertsey, Surrey. 

The trip was arranged 

for educational 

purposes, and not just 

for a day of fun and 

games, but students 

were able to have some 

time spent on the many 

rides the park features. 

The theme of the day 

was focused around the 

use of IT in the park and how it is used to operate and control 

the majority of rides, and also how the website and advertising 

of the park was arranged and created. 

Two lectures were given by a staff member, one was based on 

advertising and how the newsletter and webpage of Thorpe 

Park was developed, and how the colour schemes were used 

effectively. The second was how ICT was incorporated into the 

operation of the rides in the park. Without ICT there would be 

no Thorpe Park. He talked about the safety procedures and 

how there are different stages involved in order to keep the 

park as safe as possible. 

The day was intriguing and it was fun to develop our 

understanding of how ICT is used significantly in the tourism 

industry, how website design has a huge impact on the 

popularity of the park, and last but certainly not least, how 

great the rides were! 

By Matthew Harwood 10RCR 

Bike Week 2011 

Another 

successful 

series of biking 

activities took 

place during 

June, with 

both students 

and staff 

participating in 

National Bike 

Week and Green Travel Month by braving the unseasonably 

chilly early morning weather to ride to school on their bicycles. 

The two hour Trip Switch training session was enjoyed by all, 

despite the sudden downpour of rain soaking everyone!! At 

the end of the week there was a biker’s breakfast, a time for 

both students and staff to relax and reflect on all that had 

been learnt. 

Learning in 

a Vocational 

Environment 

Once again our students were very successful 

in achieving awards for their work on the 

LIVE courses at Stroud College. They attended the 

presentation evening on June 15th where they received 

their awards. 

Outstanding Student Awards and Progress Awards 

Y10 Brickwork – Mitchell Evans 

Y10 Brickwork – Jack Young (progress) 

Y11 Plumbing – Dan Weaver 

Y11 Woodwork – Jake Rimmer 

Y10 Electrical work – Dale Baker (progress), 

Liam Allen (progress) 

Y11 Hair and Beauty – Lauren Merrett 

Y11 Hair and Beauty – Cloe Finnegan (progress) 

Y11 Uniform Services – Jack Hynes 

have been going to Stroud College every Friday for the 

I LIVE Course. I have been studying construction; we have 

learned about brickwork, plumbing and electrics. I got an 

award for outstanding progress in electrics. I really enjoyed 

learning all the skills I will need for a job in building. In the 

future I would like to be an electrician. 

By Dale Baker 10AME 

This year I have been attending Stroud College to do 

the LIVE Construction course; this course includes 

electrics, plumbing, brickwork and carpentry. I attended 

the celebration evening on June 15th and received a 

student of the year award for brickwork. I also received a 

Makita spirit level. My electrics tutor also nominated me 

for an electrics award but I was already receiving one 

for brickwork. When I leave school I hope to get 

an apprenticeship in electrics and attend Stroud 

College again. 

by Mitch Evans 10RCR 

16


Ski Trip 2011 

During the Easter 

holidays we 

went on a ski trip to 

Bormio in Italy. 

Sunday was our 

first day skiing. We 

were all divided into 

groups, based on skill 

and experience, and 

met our instructors. 

We were both in the 

beginner group and our instructor was called Giovanni. 

We went up the mountain on chair lifts. In the evening we had 

to nominate a person who had done something stupid in the 

day to wear the yellow jacket. If they were chosen they had 

to wear a yellow jacket and tutu for the next day’s skiing and 

evening activity. 

We spent the rest of the week practising our skiing during the 

day and taking part in fun activities in the evenings. We had 

charades, quizzes and singing and dancing competitions and 

on Wednesday we went bowling. 

Skiing was very good on Thursday. The beginner groups were 

improving rapidly and the advanced groups were practising 

jumps! In the evening we went to the local swimming pool. 

This was amazing! It had two outdoor swimming pools, one 

hot and the other cold. There was an indoor swimming pool 

and slide, and a steam room. When we got back to the hotel 

we had an evening disco that was very fun and loud with a lot 

of dancing and singing! 

Friday was, unfortunately, our last day at the hotel. For our last 

day skiing we had a slalom race. Certificates and badges were 

presented in the afternoon. The ski trip to Italy was a great 

experience and we had an amazing, fun time whilst we were 

there. Thank you to all the staff for putting in all the hard work 

and effort! It was a very successful trip and one that we will 

never forget! 

By Melissa Damsell and Ellie Martin Year 8 

Geography Field Trip to 

Pembrokeshire 

On 4th May at 

8.30 am we set 

off on our journey to 

Pembrokeshire. We 

arrived in Tenby at 

12.30. First we had 

to walk around the 

town in small groups 

and undertake 

several tasks. We 

had to ask 25 local 

people and 25 

tourists what they 

thought of Pembrokeshire and whether or not it 

is a good place for tourists. In the afternoon we 

had to complete a pedestrian count in various 

places in the town. We also had to find out the 

prices of 10 three-bedroom houses in the area. 

In the evening we went for a walk along the 

coastal path near our hostel to be shown how 

to do our experiments. 

On Thursday morning it was pouring with rain 

so we worked in the classroom until lunchtime. 

Then we went out on to the cliffs to do a 

vegetation test, infiltration test and a footpath 

cross-section. Later we had time to relax on the 

beach before returning to the hostel to write up 

our notes. On Thursday evening we repeated 

the same tests in a different location. 

On Friday we went back to Tenby to look 

at different coastal management features 

and complete our pedestrian counts and 

questionnaires. In the afternoon we went to 

Oakwood Theme 

Park which was 

really good. 

We arrived back 

at school at 8 pm 

Friday night. 

During our trip 

we saw lots of 

examples of the 

features we have 

been learning about and we practised our 

research techniques. It helped us understand 

the advantages and disadvantages of tourism. 

By Tilya Kibble 10RCR 

17


Fairgame Music 

Workshop 

During the Easter holidays I took part in a 

music video workshop with the Fairgame 

Theatre Group. First we had a tour around the 

building to show us the equipment and facilities. 

Then we worked in our group to choose a song 

we liked. We had to show our songs to the other 

groups. We chose who would do the chorus and 

who would do the rapping. Five girls made a song 

about a love story. My friend and I made a rap 

about the girls. I did the intro and the end while 

my friend did the middle bit. We had people to 

play the keyboard and the guitar. 

We recorded our song using microphones. We 

went to Maidenhill to make the video to go with 

the song. A man came to film us dancing and it 

was fun. I learned that you must not get in the way 

while they are filming. I also learned how to write 

songs and work together in a group. If you get a 

chance to go on a music workshop, it is great fun. 

By James Hannaford-Hill 8KBU 

Singing at the 

May Fair 

On Saturday 30th of April three pupils from 

Maidenhill School sang in the Stonehouse 

May Fair. Perdie Ashenford, Hannah Jones 

and Charlotte Rigley sung outside the Globe pub at 

9.30 am. The Fair was organised by the Stonehouse Rotary 

Club in order to raise money for charities and in total they 

raised £1000. 

Just a few weeks later the three of us were asked to come 

down to Park Infant school so we could attend an assembly 

that the Rotary Club had organised. We arrived at Park Infant 

school at 9.00 am where we watched the assembly. The three of 

us were then called up to the front, where we were presented 

with a cheque for £100 for Maidenhill's Performing Arts fund to 

say thank you for our contributions at the May Fair. The whole 

experience was brilliant and very worth while. 

By Perdie Ashenford Y11 

Cheltenham Festival 

At the Cheltenham Festival singing 

competition I entered two classes. 

The first one was singing a duet with 

Willow Driversharp, singing The Rose. 

This was the first time I had entered 

the Cheltenham Festival and I was 

really nervous. We got a Distinction 

for our performance 

The next class I entered was Songs 

from the Shows. I was even more 

nervous since I had to sing by myself. 

I was in the solo class with Vanessa 

Kirby and Aeisha. We all sang really 

well. I finished with honours and won 

the silver medal for 2nd place. Well 

done to everyone who took part. 

By Natasha Webb 9RFI 

C H E LT E N H A M 

Festival Results 

Vocal Duet or Trio 15 years and under 

Lucy Steele, Janneke 

Bax-Pratt, Aiesha Williams 

Honours. 

Bronze medal 

Lucy Steele and Janneke Bax-Pratt Distinction 

Jordan-Eva Tiley and Hannah Jones Distinction 

Sophie Thorley and Robyn Bagwell Distinction 

Hannah Jones and Perdie Ashenford Honours 

Vocal Duet or Trio 13 years and under 

Megan Hobson and Harriet Wright Distinction 

Bronze medal 

Hannah Dickson and Katie Robbins Merit 

Lily Atkinson and Jasmine Sweetland Merit 

Willow Driversharp and Natasha Webb Distinction 

Vanezza Avinante and Chloe Hornsby Distinction 

Songs from the shows 15 to 18 years 

Jordan-Eva Tiley Honours 

Perdie Ashenford Distinction 

Robyn Bagwell Distinction 

Jessica Weaver Honours 

Bronze medal 

Songs from the shows 13 – 14 years 

Aiesha Williams Honours 

Willow Driversharp Distinction 

Kirby Young Distinction 

Natasha Webb Honours Silver medal 

Vanezza Avinante Distinction 

Songs from the shows 11 – 12 years 

Jasmine Sweetland Distinction 

Girls, Boys or Mixed 16 years and under 

Maidenhill Choir Honours 

Girls solo 13 and 14 years 

Aiesha Williams Distinction 

Lucy Steele Honours Bronze medal 

18


Art Dragons 

Junior Youth Theatre 

On a Wednesday after school, from 3:00 till 4:45, I take 

part in a drama club with some students from the 

Shrubberies school. We start off the session with a couple of 

games then we practise a play that we will be performing as 

a show. It is a fun thing to do if you have nothing to do on a 

Wednesday or if you want to do drama after school. Other 

members are Hollie Taylor and Willow Driversharp in Year 9. It 

is run by a woman called Nicola who works at the Everyman 

Theatre in Cheltenham. If you are in Years 7-9 you can come. 

By Amber Stanley 9RFI 

‘Village Life’ 

In our Art lessons we have been producing a 

dragon painting. We have been working together 

on our dragon, based on sketches in our books 

which we transferred to a huge sheet of paper. We 

shared our ideas to create one big dragon. 

First of all we sketched out the dragon with Kitty 

drawing the head and Molly drawing the body. We 

chose different shades of pink and gold for our 

colours. This project was really fun and different. We 

would like to do more drawings and paintings like 

this. We were very proud of our final piece. 

By Kitty Rochford and Molly Poole 9DWA 

SCHOOL COUNCIL 

In terms 5 and 6 the school council has been very busy 

trying to improve school life for the students and working 

alongside the staff. You may have noticed that small groups of 

the school council have been going round all the tutor groups 

asking the students what they would like from the school 

council. This was a very useful insight into what the students 

wanted. Thank you to all the students for their ideas and to the 

tutors for allowing us into their tutor time. 

Also we have sent out a survey on the topic of the new fences. 

The responses to this were very negative, saying that they made 

the school look like a prison and they were a waste of money. 

After we had enough responses we talked to Mr Watson and 

he told us that the cost of the fences did not come out of our 

As a great fan of the famous English artist Stanley Spencer 

I was intrigued to see what the Stonehouse Junior Youth 

Theatre would do with the story of his stay in Leonard 

Stanley during World War Two. The theatre group had used 

both written accounts by local folk, and his painting ‘Village 

Life’ to inspire their piece which they performed outside the 

Stroud Museum in the Park on a warm evening in May. The 

players brought some of the most fascinating characters and 

bits of gossip alive as they showed the interaction between 

the villagers and the rather strange outsider who made such 

beautiful paintings and drawings of their village and had a 

rather public relationship with a lady at the local pub where 

he stayed as a guest for a year! 

The players, including Year 9 girls Willow Driversharp and 

Hollie Taylor along with students from the Shrubberies School, 

gave their attentive audience an excellent show. 

The involvement of our students and the local community 

with the ‘Village Life’ project is set to continue into the 

autumn when we will be hosting workshops with artist Imogen 

Harvey Lewis and the Cheltenham Museum and Art gallery. 

We will also be involved in the Big Draw event which is being 

held in Leonard Stanley in October. More information soon! 

By Mrs Finch 

school budget and that they were intended to make the school 

site more secure and stop vandalism. He also told us that the 

school has acquired a 3.5 million pound fund for refurbishment, 

mainly to replace the old windows and to update the heating 

system. 

Recently Jordan Wilson, Jack Wells and I have been going 

to the assemblies for each year group and telling them about 

what the school council has been getting up to recently. It was 

really good to see all the students’ enthusiasm towards what the 

school council has achieved. 

We would like to thank Mr Drennan for all the work he 

has done to help us organise the school council elections and 

meetings. We wish him all the best in his new job. 

By Alex Allcock, School Council President 

19

Prom 

2011 


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