20 Winter 2012 - Greenhead College

NEWSLETTER
ISSUE 20
Winter 2012
Greenhead
news
The newsletter of Greenhead College
A Dramatic Feast
As Autumn turns into Winter and the days and nights get progressively
colder, the theatre seats at Greenhead College have been kept warm
by hundreds of audience members enjoying a feast of great drama.
The Autumn season was kicked off with ‘Blood Wedding’, with the
production’s passion and intensity hotting things up across four
performances. This was followed by the tension of ‘Our Country’s
Good’ and the cutting satire of ‘Lady Windermere’s Fan’, both providing
glimpses of eras long gone and the timeless heat of verbal sparring.
Next on the playbill was the major college Enrichment production ‘At the
Far Side of the Crooked Wood’. Audiences were drawn into a world of
wolves and witches, fable and folly through music, drama and dance.
Involving over eighty students from across the college in performance,
design and stage management it provided a soothing winter balm for
all who dared wander through the dangerous and macabre world of the
crooked wood...
Charity Day 2012
This year the college managed
to raise an impressive
£2721.40.
This money will be split between
our two GCSA chosen charities: The
Benevolent Trust and The Forget Me
Not Children’s Hospice. The Benevolent
Trust works with soldiers from the
Yorkshire Regiment who have been
left emotionally or physically scarred
along with families who are suffering
from bereavement. They continue to
offer their support long after the event
has passed. £1360.70 of the money
raised will go towards the £100K that
is needed yearly for The Benevolent
Trust to offer their continuous support.
The Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice
has been running for over 12 years
and works with over 400 families who
have a child suffering from a life limiting
condition. They work with families
from within the Kirklees, Calderdale
and Wakefield region. Our remaining
Fundraising Spectators: A panoramic shot of the student community enjoying the entertainment.
donation of £1360.70 will go towards
raising £3million that is needed to
build a centre that is closely accessible
within Huddersfield so that families
do not have to wait hours for the help
they need.
The talent show on the day was a
huge success, with a diverse range
of acts from some very enthusiastic
contestants. We saw more passion
this year with the many variations of
fancy dress costumes and the creativity
between the finalists of the competition
was outstanding. We saw a fully suited
and electronic Iron Man, cupcakes
and a Lego man, but the giant roll-on
deodorant stole the show.
We would just like to say thank you to
all of the Yellow Helpers and a massive
thank you to the staff and students
of Greenhead College who donated
so generously.
www.greenhead.ac.uk

Greenhead
news
Radio One Calling! An Appointment with Bond....James Bond
Rebecca is pictured (from left to right, fourth left) alongside Daniel Craig,
Naomie Harris, BBC Breakfast Show host Nick Grimshaw and other
competition winners.
NEWSLETTER ISSUE 20 Winter 2012
Congratulations to A2
student Rebecca Hamilton
who recently won a Radio
1 Nick Grimshaw Breakfast
Show competition. The
prize was to sit in on Nick’s
breakfast show broadcast
and interview Daniel Craig
and Naomie Harris, who
both star in the latest Bond
instalment ‘Skyfall.’ In order
to win the competition
Rebecca “had to choose a scene from a previous James Bond film and attempt to recreate it
in a one minute video of my own.” Impressively, Rebecca was “one of five winners who went
down to London.” Post broadcast, the competition winners “went to a suite in The Dorchester
Hotel to prepare for the interview.” Rebecca asked 007 aka Daniel Craig “When he (Craig)
and Sam Mendes (director) were planning ‘Skyfall’ what did they want to achieve...why was
this instalment any different?” Craig’s “response was at first they simply wanted to make the
best Bond film possible. They discussed new ideas at the very beginning because the story
from the previous two Bond films that Daniel had been in (‘Casino Royale’ and ‘Quantum of
Solace’), had been wrapped up at the end of ‘Quantum of Solace.’ Craig said as a Bond fan,
he’d always wanted to bring back the old Bond feel into the movies, but in ‘Casino Royale’ it
didn’t seem appropriate as it would have been copying previous movies. ‘Skyfall’ gave them
the opportunity to bring in new and old characters but reintroduce them properly for the first
time.”Rebecca recalls that “My favourite part of the experience was gaining an insight into
the behind the scenes aspects of the film and entertainment industry. I enjoyed learning
about how much of an actor’s job comes after filming has finished. The film had to be heavily
promoted and to do this, the crew travel to countries all over the world to be interviewed and
later may return for premieres. It was incredible to have heard firsthand accounts of their
experiences from being involved in such an iconic British film franchise.”
The search for Lord Sugar’s
Young Apprentice Continues....
Watch out for Andrew Tindall
Greenhead’s Andrew Tindall is
currently appearing in the BBC
series of ‘The Young Apprentice.’
Andrew, 16, is an AS student
who has joined the college from
Salendine Nook High School.
Being a School Prefect enabled
Andrew to contribute to the wider
school community. Making a
contribution is also a feature of
Andrew’s entrepreneurial ethos. Andrew demonstrated
sales acumen at the age of ten by selling greeting
cards. 20% of the proceeds are donated back to
charitable organisations. In terms of holding his own
amidst national competition Andrew was one of 12
shortlisted candidates competing against a wider field
of 50,000 applicants. At time of going to print in week
6, Andrew is still a contender, with the prospect of being
hired. Two weeks remain to see who Lord Sugar will
hire. The coveted prize is a £25,000 investment in the
future of the hired candidate.
The BBC Young Apprentice website notes that the
selected candidates have had to demonstrate an
“academic flair and burning passion for business.”
We wish Andrew every success in the final stages of
this exciting contest. The college also congratulates
him on this outstanding achievement.
Gold at the Palace
Congratulations to Leigha Farrington (pictured
below left outside St James’ Palace), in attaining
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Leigha was
presented with her Gold
award at St James’
Palace on November
14th, 2012. Leigha left
Greenhead in 2012 and
started an adult nursing
degree, at the University
of Huddersfield. The Gold
award was presented to
Leigha by the Duke of Edinburgh and she recalls
this as “an amazing experience.” In order to
obtain the Gold, Leigha has achieved the Bronze
and Silver stages of the scheme, which makes
this attainment highly impressive.
Leigha is convinced that The Duke of
Edinburgh’s Award programme has provided a
vital underpinning in gaining her undergraduate
place at university. “All the volunteering at the
118th Huddersfield Brownies has been a means
to succeed.” Leigha has been volunteering
with the Brownies since she was 15. She has
thoroughly enjoyed obtaining the award as part
of the college programme.
Well done on this outstanding achievement.
Creative Achievement Celebrated
Zoe Griffin and Alice
Cousins with a visitor to
the Exhibition
The Private View in June
provided a wonderful
celebration of the creative
achievements of 75 A2
Art and Design students.
This year’s show was more
diverse than ever with a huge
variety of work including
some exceptional sculpture,
drawings, paintings, prints, fashion and textiles and
the highest number we have ever had working in
video, film and installation. The nature and quality
of the work on show is reflected in the offers our
students received from universities and colleges
around the country. Three of this year’s cohort were
given places on the highly competitive Architecture
course at the Bartlett UCL. We are very proud of the
achievements of all the excellent young people we
have worked with over the past year.
The following words were written in the ‘Comments
Book’ on the evening of the exhibition.
“Amazing show – high standards of work and
presentation. Very good ideas from very talented
young people.”
“Outstanding! A credit to all staff and students.”
“An eclectic, vibrant and highly thought provoking
presentation of work.”
Cosmopolitan Capital:
Art and Design Trip
The Art and Design
trip to London in July
offered the opportunity
for students starting
their A2 course to
experience the mesmerising energy of one
of the world’s most vibrant and cosmopolitan
capital cities. We arrived a matter of weeks
before the start of the Olympic Games. The
flags, advertisements and road markings were
all in place making for an international cultural
extravaganza.
Over three days we scrutinised exhibitions of work
in Tate Britain, Tate Modern, The V&A, The Royal
Academy, The Serpentine and The Fashion and
Textiles Museum.
As well as an array of Fine Art past and
present, we also saw a huge diversity of work
from Fashion and Textiles to Architecture and
Product Design. Artists included were Thomas
Heatherwick, Damien Hirst, Leonardo Da Vinci
and Mary Quant.
A memorable time was had by all. The research
and practical work done on the trip has provided
a fantastic spring board for students’ Units 3s.
2
www.greenhead.ac.uk

Greenhead
news
Dr Kevin Conway 1947-2012
“A remarkable man who left
a lasting impression”
Kevin Conway, Principal
of Greenhead College
from 1987 to 2002,
sadly passed away at
the start of the term,
August 28th. Our
sympathies are with his family and friends,
but his unforgettable personality and
achievements as a leader of the college
touched us all positively, and we have
much to celebrate and remember - the
college thrives on his legacy.
Kevin established Greenhead College as
one of the country’s best. As Professor
John Tarrant, former Vice Chancellor of the
University of Huddersfield now Secretary
General of the ACU notes, “For 14 years
Kevin was Principal of Greenhead College.
He led what was an averagely-performing
college when he arrived to become the
top sixth-form college in the country.”
After his retirement from the college and
in spite of deteriorating health, Kevin
pioneered an educational consultancy
called Alps. Alps is currently based in the
Media Centre in Huddersfield with over 20
full time employees. Forged on a central
premise within his work, this Advanced
Level Performance System used raw data
to set challenging but achievable targets
for students. It is a testament to Kevin’s
passion for sharing educational practice
that his Alps philosophy is now utilised by
teachers nationally in many hundreds of
schools and colleges. Alps now works in
70% of England’s sixth forms.
Kevin was brought up in Beragh, near
Omagh, Co Tyrone in Northern Ireland.
He was schooled by the Irish Christian
Brothers. He gained a first-class honours
degree followed by a doctorate in Physics
at Queens University Belfast. His first
teaching post was at the British School of
Brussels, Belgium returning after 8 years
Diverse Debate
No matter how low the outside temperature
plummets, issues at Greenhead’s College
Debating Society always remain heated. With
respectful, intelligent discourse flowing from
the speakers and audience alike, the Debating
Society is the place to be if you wish to
become better informed and to express your
own views on a range of topics.
This year the debates were kicked off with
a topical contest about journalistic freedoms
with both the proposition and opposition
putting forward strong arguments and
NEWSLETTER ISSUE 20 Winter 2012
to take up a post in Dane Court School,
Broadstairs, Kent. After a tenure as Vice
Principal of St Brendan’s Sixth Form
College, Bristol, Kevin moved to Greenhead
College in 1987.
Martin Rostron, Greenhead’s current
Principal, observes that Kevin’s faith was
an instrumental factor in shaping the
college’s enduring success. Every student
and member of staff was “valued and
treated with kindness and love, reflecting
his own beliefs.” He never pushed for his
own advancement but retained a clear
unfaltering focus on his central educational
ethos which was that young people should
be provided with the highest standards of
teaching and pastoral guidance in order to
realise their opportunities. Staff working at
Greenhead during Kevin’s time recall him
as “ a wonderful listener”, “a magician”,
“a giant” who altered the landscape of
post compulsory education. Kevin “knew
everyone by name and the little things
that matter.” He contributed “such a big
difference to the lives of so many pupils
and staff.”
His achievements led him to being
honoured many times for his educational
work, including receiving a CBE in
2001, and an honorary degree from the
University of Huddersfield. Outside of
work Kevin was a devout parishioner at
St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church in
Huddersfield and as a lifelong Manchester
United fan enjoyed going to Old Trafford
with his sons, as season ticket holders.
Kevin was married to Mary for 43 years
and the couple have four children, Martin,
Mary, Simon and David. He also leaves
seven grandchildren-Fynn, Zac, Thea,
Michael, William, Katherine and Noah.
The college received tributes from all
corners of the country recalling that
“teaching, learning and people were
always at the heart of everything for
Kevin.” It is a legacy to be valued and
to preserve within our college today.
rebuttals, but the floor voted that the privacy
of the individual is more important and the
motion, “Journalistic Freedom Should Allow
Images of Celebrities to Be Freely Published”,
was defeated.
The society has debated a whole range of
issues each argued and deliberated by the
speakers with the members of the floor
casting the final vote for the winning side.
Fascinating subjects, facts, opinions and
diverse banter have all made the Debating
Society a wonderful enrichment to take.
Muneera Lula
Annabel Scholey: A Sparkling Decade
of Acting!
Former Greenhead College student Annabel Scholey,
is certainly one to watch! Since leaving Greenhead in
2002, Annabel consolidated her academic success at
The Oxford School of Drama.
A diverse range of acting roles has followed, including playing
Hermia alongside Dame Judi Dench in 2012. This critically
acclaimed production was directed by Sir Peter Hall. The
production also marked a reprisal of role for Dench, who played
Titania almost fifty years after she debuted in the role for the
Royal Shakespeare Company. The Stage credited that there
was “terrific comic attack from Annabel Scholey as Hermia.”
Hall also cast Annabel as Julia, in Sheridan’s The Rivals
alongside Penelope Keith and Peter Bowles in 2010. The
Telegraph noted that Annabel’s performance enhanced “this
happy comedy with an edge of real poignancy.” More recently
Annabel played Lady Anne in Sam Mendes international
touring production of Richard III (2011-2012). The tour played
at The Old Vic in London, The Hong Kong Arts Festival, Spain,
Singapore, reaching New York in January 2012. Playing
opposite American screen and theatre legend Kevin Spacey,
in the title role, the production and Annabel’s role within it was
superbly reviewed. The LA Times credits “Annabel Scholey”,
who
“delicately
makes
plausible the
infamous
seduction
Annabel Scholey and Kevin Spacey in Richard III
in which
Richard,
the man who decimated her world, alchemizes her hate
to confounded desire.”Annabel notes that her professional
highlight to date has been performing Lady Anne at The Athens
and Epidaurus Festival. Mendes production played for three
nights to a sellout audience of 14,000. It was performed in the
open night air at an Amphitheatre. Here, theatre was played in
a “rock concert atmosphere” and Annabel refers to this as an
“amazing emotional and spiritual experience.”
In 2012 Annabel performed at The National Theatre, alongside
Christopher Ecclestone and Jodie Whittaker. Annabel played
Ismene in Polly Findlay’s contemporary interpretation of
Sophocles Antigone. Critics commented on her “deeply
moving” performance. When asked what advice Annabel would
give to any young adult who has aspirations to succeed in their
chosen field, she references the importance of “self belief!”
Within the acting industry you encounter “an unemotional and
hard” series of hurdles. It is important to be “well rounded in life
and enjoy other hobbies.” “It is also important to keep positive
and to retain the purest form of you.”
Greenhead wishes Annabel continued happiness and
success for the future. We will keep watching her outstanding
contribution to the arts.
www.greenhead.ac.uk 3

Greenhead
news
NEWSLETTER ISSUE 20 Winter 2012
New Faces • New Faces • New Faces • New Faces
Economic Tips
Batley-born Zak Basser gives us his likes, dislikes
and key tips to life at Greenhead College for students
and teachers. Zak joins the team teaching Economics
and seems to have settled well into his first teaching
position. He likens his job to being a performer, claiming he could never
work in a normal office. He has a “passion” for his job and couldn’t see
himself doing anything else other than teaching Economics.
We were interested to know if Zak had any tips for us as students and
he said that it’s very important to stay on top of your work during college.
Finally, Zak’s most important tip... ‘Smile’ (you’ll get better grades).
Beth Graley & Louisa Hillaby
A friendly and helpful welcome
Greenhead’s new Library Assistant, Caroline
Batchelor, joins us after an interesting and varied
career. Most recently she worked in administration
at Huddersfield University in the School of Music,
Humanities and Media, though she began her adult life studying French
and German at Aston University in Birmingham, during which time she
spent a year on work placement in Frankfurt.
After completing her studies, she spent two years in Japan on the JET
(Japan Exchange and Teaching) Programme, an experience she highly
recommends, saying that the “really friendly people” at the schools
where she worked made her time extremely enjoyable. On returning to
England, she worked at Nottingham Trent University’s Business School,
before returning to live in Huddersfield, where she grew up.
Since starting at Greenhead, she has been bowled over by the
friendly and helpful welcome she has been given, as well as by how
hardworking our students are. Outside of work she likes spending time
with her nine year old son, and reading.
Luke the Duke of Biology
Originating from Somerset, Luke Sinnick has taken
the Biology block by storm with his broad experience;
ranging from teaching English abroad as a foreign
language, to working with students who have learning
difficulties. Luckily for us, Luke enjoys working with sixth formers and
disclosed that Greenhead students in particular “already seem hardworking”.
Luke acquired his BSc at Bristol University – which he highly
recommends to us prospective undergraduates. Aside from the world of
academia, Luke enjoys recreational enjoyment such as listening to indie
and reggae music, along with reading about politics.
Holly Whitford and Leona Leveridge
The rewards of independent thinking
Lusia Taylor studied at Nottingham University, then
travelled extensively and worked in London and
abroad, before entering teaching in 2002. Over the
past 10 years she has rediscovered her roots back
in Yorkshire, returning to the Psychology Department at Greenhead
College, where she herself was a student. When interviewed Lusia said
that in teaching she enjoys helping people to think for themselves and
develop an interest in the subject. If Lusia had not become a teacher
she would have gone into clinical / educational Psychology. Outside
of college, she enjoys spending time with her family and her interests
include music, books, films and keeping fit (although this has taken
somewhat of a back seat since becoming a mum).
Nicole Capewell & James Kernan
LARPing About
Upon meeting Michael Rees for the first time, it
becomes clear he is an enthusiastic Drama and
Theatre Studies teacher. After pursuing a variety
of careers including working as an IT technician, a
playwright and a chef, Michael decided to teach at Greenhead as he
considers it to be a very positive, friendly place. Additionally, it is indoors
and doesn’t involve heavy lifting – Michael’s two ideals. In his spare
time, Michael enjoys playing the guitar, and our favourite...LARPing (Live
Action Role Play – Google it!) After informing us that he was a runner
up in a stand up comedy competition, we assume that Michael took
inspiration from his favourite playwright, Eugène Ionesco. In a movie
of his life, Michael would be played by Bruce Campbell, a well-known
American cult film actor.
Alexandra Tattersley and Lauren Flint
Figure-ing a stake at Greenhead
A former student from Brigham Young University
in Utah (the likes of Mitt Romney and Stephanie
Meyer who wrote the Twilight series also studied
there), Noelle Abdy’s passion for teaching Physics
is certainly valued. When she isn’t working in Maths and Physics Help
or looking after her five-month baby girl, Canadian-born Noelle enjoys
synchronized ice skating. As a keen ice skater, Noelle’s dream job was
to be a mascot at hockey matches, as the joy of wearing a costume and
remaining incognito seemed exciting and entertaining. Noelle enjoys
most music and occasionally turns on Radio 2. She had previously
worked in Scunthorpe and Leeds but enjoys her work being closer to
home and appreciates the fact that “Greenhead students are willing to
learn.” Noelle also loves that by the end of the year, her students will
finally understand her jokes about The Big Bang Theory.
Mohammed Yoosoof and Katie Sherdley
Experiencing Sociology First Hand
The newest addition to the Sociology Department,
Pippa Pennington, is excited to return to teaching after
maternity leave, with a part time post at Greenhead
College. Having previously worked in high school
sixth forms, she is enjoying the atmosphere at Greenhead, as she says
it is “a nice place to work.” Pippa explained that she has a passion for
Sociology as she loves how students are experiencing the subject first
hand for themselves. Her hobbies include netball (having played in the
Pudsey and West Yorkshire leagues), and going to see indie bands of
the nineties such as Shed Seven! She prides herself on her eclectic
music tastes. In the future Pippa is possibly interested in setting up a
Criminology enrichment.
Megan Byrne & Jake Ross
4
www.greenhead.ac.uk

Greenhead
news
First Team Football
With a nucleus of players from last year and
the addition of some talented A1 players, the
1st XI have made a successful start to the
season, remaining unbeaten so far. However,
four games have been lost to the weather
and it will be difficult to fit them all in, given
the number of games to play. In the league
Minsthorpe, Barnsley, Brighouse and Dearne
Valley have been defeated and we played
out a 4-4 draw with Calderdale. In the British
Colleges’ National Cup we scraped through
2-1 at Rotherham and now have a home tie
against Scarborough College. Unfortunately, top
scorer Sylbert Stewart has left college to take
up an offer at Halifax Town Academy and fellow
striker Luke Hill has been injured since the first
game of the season.
However, we can look forward with confidence
to the rest of the season. RF
Hockey
The Greenhead Hockey teams have enjoyed
a successful term. The girls’ team, captained
by Abi Sawyer, qualified for the North round
as undefeated champions at the County round
of the National Schools’ competition. Expertly
coached by Kelly Fillingham, they went on
to be clear winners of their pool, narrowly
missing out on automatic qualification in the
final by losing 2-1 to Cheadle Hulme. As the
second placed team in the North they will now
attend play-offs to reach the National Finals in
NEWSLETTER ISSUE 20 Winter 2012
February. This could be history in the making
as Greenhead has never made it so far in this
competition.
The mixed team, captained by Sam Spencer,
has had a run of wins over colleges from the
Yorkshire and Humber region beating Bishop
Burton, Wyke and Pontefract putting them
second in the league to John Leggott midway
through the season.
The girls’ team may reach a second national
final if they beat John Leggott on December
12th at Lockwood and join our other amazing
athletes who have already qualified to the
British Colleges’ National Finals for Sport at Bath
University in March 2013.
Individual Hockey honours have been attained
by Katie Firth, Abi Sawyer and Jack Canham
(GK) who have been selected for the British
Colleges’ hockey team. They now go on to
receive squad training and international playing
experience. MSH
Netball
What a start to the season for all three
Greenhead netball teams! The first team went
to the Regional Round of the British Colleges’
Championships at York and were the outright
winners and have qualified for the National
Finals in Bath. In a tournament of 14 teams,
no team achieved a half score against the
Greenhead squad. In the National Schools’
competition, the girls sailed through the County
round and are now in the Regional round in
February. Five of the players: Harriet Gill, Lydia
Walker, Georgia Hamilton, Olivia Blackburn
and Tayla Booty have also made it to the final
trial for the British Colleges’ squad. A fantastic
achievement!
The Second team are having a tremendous
start to the season, obliterating any opposition
in their path on their journey to greatness!
Currently at the top of the league, captain,
Emily Woodings is confident of continued
success.
As for the Third team, don’t let the ‘3’ fool you.
In the same league as the Second team and
other Yorkshire Colleges’ First teams, they
are becoming the stars of the show, nearly
defeating the Second Team in an inter-college
clash. Dynamic duo Alannah and Georgia Booth
have led their team well! SY
British Colleges’ Final
The British Colleges’ qualifying tournament
for the Yorkshire and Humberside Region was
held at York University in October. Winners
from these championships were selected to
represent the Region at the National Colleges’
finals to be held in Bath in March. Greenhead
took part in all the sports on offer and had
incredible success. We now have students
competing at the Finals in badminton, cross
country, netball, squash, swimming, table
tennis and tennis and are hopeful of even more
success in hockey and trampolining who have
to compete later in the year to qualify. SY
Netherhall Visit
Rawthorpe Junior
School, part of
the Netherhall
Learning
Campus, visited
Greenhead
College as
part of the voluntary service enrichment
programme. The pupils had a guided tour of
the college, followed by an IT Session where
they created their own CV. The Greenhead
Voluntary Service programme allows students to
complete voluntary work and gain certificates to
demonstrate their long-standing commitment to
their community. Over 500 students participated
in the scheme over the last academic year. It is
a fantastic opportunity for students to learn vital
skills which they may need for their university
courses and future professions. A special thanks
to Sam Rowntree and Alex Colbert who have
given up their time to volunteer each week at
the school throughout the year and Caroline
Marshall who co-ordinated the visit. For further
information about GVS, please contact Claire
Barnes or Gill Fenney. LJ
Law Brought to Life at Greenhead!
On the 23rd of October, Law students
had the delight of ‘Red Mist Training’
delivering two interactive investigation
sessions in the morning and afternoon.
The directors of the event made
four hours fly by with this creative murder mystery
workshop, giving us a chance to taste the life of a real
detective. We were put into groups and given packs
with pictures and information about a scenario that
was based on a true case, with just a few of the facts
changed. We were kept constantly on our toes with
reminders to ‘think outside the box’ and look out at all
times for clues to try and work our brains as to who
the killer was.
The organisers were extremely personable and made it
easy and enjoyable for everyone to get engaged in the
task. Not only was the day incredibly interesting, it was
also insightful, with many pupils stating they “learned
a lot” and that it “made law fun!” It even led a couple
of students to claim “I really want to pursue a career in
the police now!” and “this experience has convinced
me that working in the police is what I want to do.”
By Leona Leveridge
A most curious visit
Pictured: Mark Mitchell, Head of
Business Studies, with Charlotte
Nicol, Richard Purchon and business
student Viviane Kemgne
In October
Charlotte Nicol
and Richard
Purchon, ex
Greenhead
students,
came into
AS Business
Studies
classes to
discuss
their innovative new business entitled Most
Curious Tours. The business partners run
guided tours around London aimed at young
people with a passion for the arts. Their
unique selling point is the interactivity of the
tours, for example the Literary Tour is hosted
by a published poet who reads out poems
during the tour while their Opera Tour has the
tour guide singing to the tourists. They also
run a Classical Music Tour and a historical
pub walk. Greenhead business students
were able to ask questions to the partners
who won a Shell Livewire award and could
be named as the best entrepreneurs in the
country later this year.
www.greenhead.ac.uk 5

Greenhead
news
Lessons from
Auschwitz
Earlier this year, four Greenhead students
participated in the ‘Lessons from Auschwitz Project’
organised by the Holocaust Educational Trust.
This involved a one-day visit to the former Nazi
extermination camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau. All
found the visit to be a deeply moving experience.
In Hannah James words, “It’s different for everyone,
but it certainly makes you think.” She describes
how the sight of the ‘arbeit macht frei‘ gate as you
enter, and seeing all the material proof - mass of
human hair, shoes, teeth, spectacles, suit cases
etc makes the hairs stand up on the back of your
neck and sends a shiver down your spine. It’s
hard to imagine the suffering that took place at
Auschwitz. The thought, she says, of SS Rudolf
Hoess, the Auschwitz Kommandant, raising his
family little more than 200m from the gas chamber
at Auschwitz deeply sickening, making the mass
murder of a race a seemingly everyday experience.
Tom Beaven too, was struck by the sheer logistical
and technological scale of Auschwitz and how
clinical the whole process was, where man’s
scientific advancement seems to have outstripped
his wisdom and our respect for basic human rights.
It made Tom think about the way technology is
sometimes used today to discriminate against
others, especially cyber bullying on the internet
and other related technologies. He says, “It is
my belief that technology, for all its benefits, has
depersonalised and aided many forms of prejudice;
the anonymity and wide audiences available on the
internet form only one such area which presents
disturbing possibilities.” Reflecting on the tragic loss
of life at Auschwitz, for Kyle Hallas the message
is clear, ‘”We should live our lives to the full and
never be afraid of ‘failing’ because there are far
too many people in the world that have never had
NEWSLETTER ISSUE 20 Winter 2012
Participants left to right: Hannah James, Kyle
Hallas, Tom Beaven and Poppyanna Waterman
the chance to pursue their opportunities in life.”
He was keen to reiterate that people should never
be persecuted on the basis of their ethnicity, race,
religion or even politics. A view shared by Hannah,
“People aren’t born prejudiced, like the children of
the Third Reich you’ve got to be taught to hate and
fear from an early age, and for me that is one of the
ugliest things about the world today. By educating
people on the Holocaust, and even subsequent
genocides like Cambodia, Rwanda, and even more
recently in Darfur and Sudan, future generations
can be taught not to discriminate and learn from the
mistakes of their ancestors. We’re all people, and it’s
important that we should embrace our individual and
cultural differences, as it’s something that makes
us all unique.” A message shared by Poppyanna
Waterman, “Even though we recognise the horrors
of the Holocaust, many still seem not to have learnt
the true message: tolerance. As children we are
taught that we live in an accepting society, and
I’m sure many people are. But since my Auschwitz
experience, I have noticed more intolerance, and I
am more determined to stop it.” All were keen to
reinforce the strengths of living in a democracy and
the importance of safeguarding human rights and
freedoms. They are planning to further promote
their ideals of tolerance and fighting prejudice in the
forthcoming Holocaust Memorial Day – ‘A Bridge of
Voice’, January 27, 2013.
Diane Beaven and Simon Barratt
Imperial
Honours
Congratulations to Carrina Turner
and Morgan Turner, two former
students on their outstanding
achievements. Carrina left
Greenhead in 2003 to go to Imperial
College London to study Chemistry
for eight years. This resulted in
her becoming Dr Turner with a
PhD in Nanotechnology. During
the course of her studies, Carrina
visited many countries and became
a licensed scientist. In 2007 she
won the Degussa Award for Physical
Chemistry and in 2012 won the
John Kilner Prize for Physical
Chemistry. Carrina comments that
her teachers at Greenhead were
inspirational and really encouraged
her to aspire towards a fruitful
career in science and technology.
Morgan left Greenhead in 2006.
She gained a BSc (Hons) at
University College London in Biology
progressing to acquire her MSC
DIC at Imperial. Morgan is currently
a PhD research student on a
scholarship with Glaxo Smith Kleine
Pharmaceuticals in Immunology at
the University of Birmingham.
Pictured on the way into the Royal Albert
Hall, in which both sisters were presented
with awards, degrees and a doctorate.
Results & destinations
Another outstanding year for results: we are acclaimed by the Sunday Times
as the best college in Yorkshire, and third best nationally! In a year when
top grades at A-level were deliberately suppressed by examiners across
the country, our students still excelled with 12% at A*, 50% better than
the national average, and almost two out of every five grades were A* or
A grades. There are too many individual stories of outstanding achievement
to single out an individual – 20 students got A/A* in five subjects!
As we would expect, about 90% of leavers went straight to university:
more will follow after a Gap Year. It was a bumper year for Oxbridge, with
32 getting places, but also almost 40% of places were at the ‘prestigious’
Russell Group universities. Well done to everyone: few did not get a place at
one of their chosen institutions, and activity in Clearing was relatively quiet.
Next summer’s results? Even better, we expect, as AS-level grades were
higher than those for the previous cohort: students achieved 34% of results
at grade A, compared with 29% in 2011, so we are hoping to beat the
40% A*/A barrier at A-level in 2013! Also, our first years are settling in well.
Congratulations to all on their teamwork – students, staff and families.
Working in harmony obviously produces our great results!
One thing to note for the future: in a precipitous decision, made just before
this was written, Ofqual (the government regulatory body on examinations)
have forbidden any January examinations , starting in January 2014. All our
students will be able to take January exams after this Christmas, but our
present first years will have to take all their second year exams at the June
sitting. We are still pondering the implications. Resits will also be affected:
only once per exam will be allowed and – obviously – it would be taken a
year later. There is a big incentive for our A1 students to put all they can into
doing well this summer!
MR
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Greenhead
news
World Challenge Expeditions to Nepal and Mozambique
NEWSLETTER ISSUE 20 Winter 2012
Important Diary Dates
We have a record number of first and second year students taking up the challenge of
expeditions to Mozambique (2014) and Nepal (2013). Fundraising is going well to raise
money so we can complete projects in local communities in our respective countries.
You can help to raise funds for the projects by going to www.easyfundraising.org referring
to Greenhead College before making your online purchases. A donation is made by
the company to our site and all proceeds will go directly to the projects in Nepal and
Mozambique. You don’t pay a penny; any help will be gratefully received. In the past we have
built an orphanage in Namibia, two toilet blocks - one in Thailand, the other in a remote
village in the Upper Amazon region of Peru, as well as painting schools and teaching. BF
World Challenge Training - The Students’ Perspective
On the 17th and 18th of
November, in sub zero
temperatures, three teams of
students went to the North
Yorkshire Dales to train for their
world challenge expedition to
Nepal. We learnt valuable skills
Students on a recent World Challenge Expedition to Ecuador which will help us when we
reach our real destination. These
included putting up a tent, cooking outside and learning what to do in emergencies which
could arise whilst trekking. In addition to this it was an opportunity to really get to know the
other people in our teams and practise working together in different roles. We are now one
step closer to being ready for our big adventure in Nepal.
Alice Meadows and Jonathan Kain
Brewing up a business
James Clare, Mark Mitchell,
Harry Hayre and Harry Phillips
Ex Greenhead college student James Clare has just opened his
third business! Brew coffee shop is a student-friendly coffee and
sandwich shop with the capacity to move into live music events
later this year. Brew was opened to help cover the rental costs
of the property which houses James’ other companies upstairs.
His design agency Miln is run in conjunction with partner Tom
Wicks another Greenhead leaver from last year. GCL is an IT consultancy business which
James directs with another partner. The 18 year old from Honley is fast becoming a serial
entrepreneur. In addition to running the three companies, he is studying for an Enterprise
Development degree course at Huddersfield University with Theo Paphitis of Dragons Den
fame as his mentor.
Poetic Prizes: “A pure combination of word and thought”
Congratulations to Jasmine Simms who should be commended for
her outstanding contribution to Poetry. Jasmine has recently been
awarded first prize in the 15-18 category of the Ted Hughes Young
Poets Award for her poem ‘Stranger.’ Jasmine was also amongst
85 commended Foyle Young Poets of the Year in 2012, shortlisted
from 7,351 entrants. This was for her poem, ‘My Monday Morning
Girlfriend.’ Jasmine travelled to the South Bank Centre in London
on National Poetry Day for the ceremony. In October, Jasmine also won the Ryedale Book
Festival Young Poets Competition with her entry ‘Freckles.’ Jasmine began writing poetry
at the beginning of Year 10 with the Calderdale Young Writers Group. When asked what
inspires Jasmine to write, she references “reading and working with other young poets.”
Jasmine also utilises within her verse some “creative own experiences relating to youth....
physicality has influenced my style. The use of free verse and the sonnet forms are
significant influences.” When asked why poetry is important Jasmine observes that “poetry
is dependent on the idea that there are things which cannot be said literally. Poetry is a pure
combination of word and thought.” Well done on these outstanding achievements.
DECEMBER
18 Festival of Nine Lessons and
Carols (7.30pm Holy Trinity
Church)
21 College closes
SPRING TERM
JANUARY
7 College opens
9 Exams begin (until 30 January)
10 January Open Evening
(6.15pm-9pm)
11 AS General Studies exam for
all A2 students (9.00am)
15 January Open Evening
(6.15pm-9pm)
17 AS General Studies exam for
all A2 students (1.30pm)
21 January Open Evening
(6.15pm-9pm)
29 Term 2 Enrichment Enrolment
11.05-12.05pm (6 period day)
FEBRUARY
15 College closes
HALF TERM
25 College opens
28 Employer and Gap Year Fair
(4.15pm-6pm)
MARCH
7 Results from January exams
14 Exam re-sit deadline (1.35pm)
14 AS Parents Evening (L – Z)
w/c 18 AS Assemblies
18 Governors’ meeting
19 AS Parents Evening (A – K)
22-24 National Sports Finals in Bath
w/c 25 A2 Assemblies
26 Spring Concert
28 College closes
SUMMER TERM
APRIL
10 & 11 Library open for revision
(9.30am – 4.00pm)
15 College opens
www.greenhead.ac.uk 7

Greenhead
news
‘Like us’ on
Facebook ; ‘Follow
us’ on Twitter!
NEWSLETTER ISSUE 20 Winter 2012
Gold Achievements
Congratulations to Jacob Ragan on his achievement as U18
National Champion in Track Cycling. This summer he won Gold in
the Scratch Race; this was obtained at the National Championships
which were hosted at the Manchester Velodrome. Jacob was also
awarded Silver in the Individual Pursuit Race. Outstanding! MSH
The college website has had a facelift!
In October we launched a new version
of our website. Although the content
is continually updated, the design had
remained the same since 2005 – an
aeon for a website! Our site is produced
and maintained in college by a small
team of amateur web developers
and the content provided by subject
departments and other cross college
areas. The new design hopefully
performs more effectively with mobile
devices such as phones and tablets.
The focus of the site has always been
on information for prospective students
and their parents but should be useful
to current students as well. To keep
you up to date with our latest news
and announcements we invite you to
‘like us’ on Facebook and ‘follow us’ on
Twitter. There are links from the website
homepage.* We are being supported
with our venture into the world of social
media by one of our first year students,
Regen Gregg, who is helping us
maintain these microsites. We hope to
develop our website and prospectus to
reflect the achievements of our students
and allow for greater interaction and
communication with anyone who
wishes to be involved with the college.
If you have any suggestions, please let
us know.
*www.greenhead.ac.uk
www.facebook.com/
GreenheadCollege
@GreenheadCol
Wolfson Windfall
When Ofsted come calling we have always been able
to count on one thing: they will criticise our buildings!
In 2004 students told them they wanted more social
space and inspectors agreed that ‘accommodation
is congested.’ In 2007 the inspectors said we should
address ‘the overcrowding of student social areas
and in a minority of classrooms’.
In difficult times it has not been easy to find the
money to make any changes, but in the last 12
months we have done just that, on a big scale! Most
of our laboratories have not been significantly altered
since they were built, in 1962. However, thanks to
a generous six-figure donation from the Wolfson
Foundation, we have been able to remodel five
chemistry and biology labs in the summer, as well as
providing various upgrades. Staff and students alike
are very impressed – ‘Fantastic! Liberating!’ they say.
We have also received large grants from our
funding body (the Education Funding Agency) for
‘refurbishment.’ This has been used to great effect.
The English department has undergone a makeover:
16 tiny, dark and dingy rooms were gutted at
Whitsun. Without pulling down the building we
have remodelled the interior and we now have
twelve amply sized rooms with new equipment and
furniture, and better light throughout. Check out the
mood lighting in the corridors!
The Maths and Physics departments have migrated
to the large brand new building on the old tennis
courts. This is the biggest of our recent projects. It
provides four labs, a dozen classrooms, and a drop-in
IT room for help sessions, as well as offices, toilets
Climbing for BEAT
Congratulations to Greenhead personal tutor
and teacher Peter Sylvester, who has raised
£1150 on behalf of BEAT (Beating Eating
Disorders) charity. This was achieved as a
result of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. The
picture below shows Peter at the summit.
Peter references three things that made this
experience so special:
1.“Reaching the summit with little problems, just
a mild headache.”
2.“Having the two chefs bake me a cake for my
and stores. The
spaciousness of the
corridors and rooms
is really delightful.
We finished the first
phase last Easter,
but further money
meant we could
add a storey! The
recently finished
top floor is largely
an open space,
which will be a great
asset for summer
examinations –
air-conditioned, it
will mitigate the sweltering conditions students have
often had to suffer before now.
Not content with this, we have also made a new
entrance gate (actually, it’s the old one re-opened)
at the bottom corner of the grounds. This will help
pedestrian safety, as at present most students
dodge cars at the main entrance gate. The new
path from this gate leads up to our most recent
addition: an extension to the student social area with
a new entrance door for the main hall area, which is
providing improved circulation for all.
Inevitably, we have had difficulties while we have
been building – congestion in the corridors, limited
parking etc – but no major disruptions, and now it
is all behind us we look forward to getting the full
benefit of the improvements. We cannot guarantee
that upgrading the premises will produce even better
exam results, but at least our facilities are much
enhanced and everyone feels better for it! MR
50th birthday and then
having them plus several
porters sing happy
birthday to me in Swahilimemorable!”
3.“Raising over my target
of £1000 for BEAT- If anyone else wants
to add to the total they can do so by visiting
www.justgiving.com/peter-sylvester”
BEAT’S website is www.b-eat.co.uk if
anyone requires any further information.
Photography Acknowledgement: Thank you to Ian Kennedy for his range of excellent photographs which feature in this edition of Greenhead News.
Created by www.concept4.com (ref 5460.1-12/2012), an ISO9001 Quality and ISO14001 Environmental accredited company.
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