oakwood Summer 2011 - Oakwood Park Grammar School

attle of the bandsAPRIL saw Oakwood Park’s very first Battle of the Bands takeplace. A large crowd descended on the school hall to witness theevening’s entertainment and a well delivered introduction and agood dose of humour from year 12 hosts Shaun Stewart and PeterRodgers set the standard for things to come.The band also brought out a crowd pleaserwith the classic ‘All The Small Things’First up on the bill was Signpost To Nowhere which kicked thingsoff with a solid cover of Oasis’ ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’. Theyear 10 outfit were met with a great reception as they went to givea polished rendition of Jet’s ‘Are You Gonna Be My Girl?’ Goodperformances from guitarists Nick Rowland and Ben Town saw theband receive a huge round of applause and cheers as they endedtheir set. Following them were indie rock group Purple Sky whowowed the crowd with confident playing and a huge sound for theirfour members. I had my doubts when lead singer Shina Oguntoyeannounced they would play a cover of Rihanna’s ‘Umbrella’ but theywere soon dispelled. The band went on to perform a stylish cover ofthe song, playing with unfaltering confidence and technical ability.Guitarists Shina Oguntoye and Aaron Jackson interacted with thecrowd well, utilising humour and audience interaction to great effect.The band also brought out a crowd pleaser with the classic ‘All TheSmall Things’ by Blink 182, capping off a very impressive set.Clay Pigeons were next to come out with a cover of ‘The Bucket’by Kings Of Leon yet it was their cover of Weezer’s ‘Buddy Holly’which impressed me. The band displayed musical ability andtrue authenticity by stepping outside the realms of clichéd coverversions. The infamous crowd pleaser of “Mr. Brightside” was nextup and the band played well with vocalist Luke Bury doing a greatjob. The next band up was the year 12 collective The King’s Eyeswho were absolutely superb. Vocalist Tom Metalle did an excellentjob of delivering stylistic and confident versions of ‘Dance Wiv Me’

Year 9 in BoulogneBY LEO GOSS AND MARK WYATTby Dizzee Rascal and Cee-Lo Green’s ‘Forget You’. Their uniquemix of folk, rock’n’roll and blues stood out well and proved to be ahuge hit amongst the audience. Years of playing experience shonethrough as the band played with masses of confidence and ability.Following them were the heavy metal collective ‘Concealing Fate’who made a change to the light rock mood of the evening and withguitarist Joe Bartholomew showcasing some impressive guitarplaying.well done to The King’s Eyes asthey were deserved winnersI’d like to take this opportunity to say a huge well done to The King’sEyes as they were deserved winners. The combination of theirunique style, confident playing and original covers saw them takethe competition. Oakwood Park’s first Battle of the Bands was ahuge success; not only did it provide the school with an opportunityfor fundraising but also gave the musicians within the school aplatform to showcase their hard work.OUR DAY began with the usual trip excitement as we made our wayto Dover, all of us looking forward to the day ahead in Boulogne.Our first stop when over the border was the Todt Battery. We werefascinated by the history all around us and found out that themuseum had been set up in the biggest bunker along that part ofthe French coast. Originally housing a 380mm gun, the concretedesign was intended to keep it safe from RAF bombs. Inside thebunker we found a collection of interesting artefacts includingmodels and photographs and we got a good sense of how thesoldiers who manned the battery lived.Hopping back on the coach, our next destination was Old Boulognewhere we embarked on a town trail. With high hopes we enteredthe huge grounds and scoured the battlements, looking down forlandmarks. When we went through the town, we were surprised bythe amount of shops around us and the old signs and market stallseverywhere. We learnt a lot about what life was like when the townwas the main part of Boulogne.the biggest bunker along the Frenchcoast, originally housing a 380mm gunFinally we stopped off at a French hypermarket where we indulgedin the vast array of different shops, restaurants and stalls. Thehypermarket was a stretch of 300-400m long, with shops oneach side stocking everything from coffee to toffee, and lime tothyme! After dining at the most exquisite restaurant in the entirehypermarket (half a pizza and a can of coke) we got back on thecoach and left for Calais.The ferry back was interesting to say the least. We gained firsthandexperience of how rough the journey could be as the waves crashedinto the boat. We all stayed on our feet, well some of us!The trip was very interesting and we learnt all about the history ofthe town in a fun and enjoyable way.

Carbon detectiveswin national competitionAFTER entering a competition on the Carbon Detectives website, we beat800 schools in the country to be judged the most effective in terms of ourschool’s attempts to lower its carbon footprint. Our prize is a five-day tripin July to theCzech Republic!As part of the entry process for the competition we had to fill in a formabout what steps we’ve taken in school and there was a lot to say! Weare taking steps with food, transport and energy. We use over one millionsheets of paper in this school so we’re trying to increase our recyclingrate. We also have installed light sensors so we don’t keep the lights onand we try to encourage people to switch lights off where necessary.We’re growing our own food with help of the gardening club and we’reproducing our own compost as well. In fact, we’ve been selling ourlettuces and herbs to the canteen and staff! Another step we’ve take isthe automatic shut down system in ICT which turns the computers off ifthey aren’t used after 10 minutes, and we’ve got stickers on doors tellingpeople to shut them in the Winter to keep the warmth in. Our next step isto release a school survey and make everyone aware of what we’re doingin our school.IT’S A BUSY time for us in thegarden at the moment. We’regrowing onions, lettuces andpotatoes as well as herbs andother produce. We will givesome to the canteen, hopefullykeep some for ourselves or evenset up a mini market stall withinschool.We have been awarded a£2,500 grant to buy an ecofriendlygreenhouse which willhave a rainwater harvestingsystem. This will mean theplants are watered in asustainable way. We are gettinga potting table that can catchany excess soil which will alsobe helpful.Overall, it may not have beenthe best winter for the gardenwith all the snow and frost, butit’s been a success.During our trip to the Czech Republic we will be attending theEuropean Schools Climate Change Conference which will be reallyinteresting. There we will get our own personal translator so we canspeak to the students from other countries. We could probably talka little to the Spanish and French people ourselves but not if they gointo eco terms with it!we will be attending the EuropeanSchools Climate Change ConferenceWe’re very excited about the trip - for two of us it’s our secondtime abroad, after our school trip to Normandy the week before!We’re really looking forward to the experience and going to Pragueparticularly.

footballs for fondantsBY ALEX MIDGLEYTHE DAY WAS A REFRESHING CHANGE TO BEING IN THECLASSROOM AND THE WORKSHOP GAVE US A FANTASTICINSIGHT INTO THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF A CHEF.TEAM OAKWOOD swapped footballs for fondants when theywere given a cookery master class. I was fortunate enough to beamongst the gifted and talented sport students who were given acrash course in culinary expertise when the head chef of The Bargerestaurant paid us a visit.It was a fantastic opportunity for us to experience firsthand just amorsel of what is required to produce great tasting food on a tightschedule.First on the menu was a pan fried chicken breast accompanied withGnocchis (small Italian dumplings made carefully from potato andflour). The latter part of the meal proved to be the most delicate andfine tuned, with most of us ending up with them tangled, muddledand bound together in the bottom of the sieve! When we comparedthese to the chef’s (which were perfectly shaped, tormenting us onthe chopping board) we found ourselves questioning our ability tohandle the basic skills of boil potatoes and mixing in flour!After much frustration and anguish provided by the maincourse, the time came to produce the most eagerly awaitedproduct of the day- a rich chocolate fondant for dessert (asmall chocolate cake with a beautifully thick liquid centre).Perhaps unsurprisingly, this proved to be the more popularchoice out of the two dishes prepared and the results werequickly wolfed down to much appreciation.The day was a refreshing change to being in the classroomand the workshop gave us a fantastic insight into the trialsand tribulations of a chef, highlighting the extortionateamount of skill, craft and speed required to run asuccessful restaurant.the head chef of the bargerestaurant paid us a visit.After the cookery class we went to David Lloyd for asession on sports nutrition before taking a spin class.

p8 in pyjamas to raiseBY CHRIS JOHNSONmoney for charityEVERY two years the epic comedy-filled, action-packed charity appeal we callComic Relief comes around. Each time Lenny Henry has looked me in the eyesand told me to ‘do something funny for money’, and finally I have.When three members of P8 first announced they were going to do a sponsoredbike ride I jumped at the chance to join them, ever the keen cyclist. Little did Iknow they would be riding around Leybourne Lakes on one of the hottest days ofthe year in stripy pyjamas and fluffy dressing gowns!The brainchild of Joe Bass, Harry Young and Luke Sutton, this seemingly simplechallenge would become a battle to fight off ‘what on earth are those boyswearing’ type looks and put aside our personal pride for a good cause.together we raised around £250 for comicrelief through sponsorship.Tom McGrath and Jason Ferris joined me and we set off on our own pace withthe PJ gang attempting to drum up support and collect money as they went. Thethree of them were even given free ice creams by the onsite ice cream man!Jason and I had to drown our sorrows with a slightly melted Twix I found in myback pocket instead! After many more laps, a few races and photographs, wehad completed the charity challenge.Well done to all of the boys. Together we raised around £250 for Comic Reliefthrough sponsorship by family, friends and teachers.Y10 are smellingBY TAHMID CHOUDHURYof rosesAS A REWARD following the stress of our science exams, the sciencedepartment planned a an action-packed enrichment day which saw teams comeup with a brand new fragrance for the market.Split into groups names Armani, Dior, YSL, Versace, and D&G, we had to comeup with a strong marketing campaign a well as actually creating our scent.later we went on to make the scent and Ican assure you ours smelt very goodIn my group, Armani, we came up with an idea for a unisex fragrance for themarket aged between 20-30. We also had to come up with a box idea for theproduct. We had earlier decided to call our product ‘Alert’ with the slogan “beawake – be alert”, therefore we thought the colour red would reflect our brandname. Later we went on to make the scent and I can assure you ours smelt verygood! We also made a hair gel which would come free with the product as anincentive to buy.The day tested us on a lot of skills needed for business, such as our ability towork as a team, communicate, and come up with and sell a product.On behalf of year 10 I would like to thank the science department and particularlyDr Oguntoye for planning such an exciting day, which provided us with muchknowledge and gifts for mothers’ day!

dogs in the classroomstudents stopped in their tracks whenthey saw the unusal sight of the dogsDOGS might not be what you would usually expect to see in aclassroom but that was certainly the case when Pets As Therapypaid us a visit.Students stopped in their tracks when they saw the unusual sight ofthe dogs wandering through the corridors.The friendly animals were accompanied by volunteers from Pets AsTherapy which takes P.A.T. dogs P.A.T. cats to hospices and carehomes to offer comfort, relaxation and motivation for those who areunwell or elderly.The visit was organised by Alex Miles, year 12, who is a memberof Pets As Therapy Junior Club and accompanies her mum, topromote awareness events wih their own P.A.T. Dog Sally.Here she explains what the charity is about and why it is soimportant to her.Pets As Therapy is a national charity and is unique in that itprovides temperament assessed P.A.T. Dogs and P.A.T. Catswith registered volunteers to hospitals, hospices, residentialcare homes, day centres, special needs schools and many otherestablishments, providing comfort, companionship and therapy.There are approximately 5,000 P.A.T. Dogs and 108 P.A.T. Catsbringing benefit to more than 150,000 people of all ages everysingle week throughout the UK.This was shown when I brought 5 P.A.T. Dogs into our school onan enrichment day. Being a volunteer myself I wanted to show thestudents how Volunteering can be fun for everyone. The dogs hada brilliant reception as they entered the school being well receivedby all of the students in every year. Each volunteer was reallyimpressed by how well all of the students reacted to the dogs as itwas a change to their normal enrichment day.Being a volunteer myself I wanted toshow the students how Volunteeringcan be fun for everyoneRaising awareness within the school proved to be a wonderfulexperience as when speaking to the year 12 students abouttheir volunteering and what we do, they all seemed to be reallyinterested.As well as the students being welcoming to the dogs, the teachersand school staff also enjoyed our visit, proving that everyone canbenefit from the animals. The smiles and reception was outstanding,reinforcing to me why I have worked with this charity for 5 years. Iwould like to thank everyone for the wonderful opportunity to bringthe dogs in and I hope that everyone benefitted from the visit.THE VISIT is one of the many volunteering opportunities Ms Hernhas provided to Sixth form students who are taught about a varietyof charities and organisations and encouraged to get involved.Ms Hern said: “Students find working in the community a good wayof developing their skills, using their academic and social abilities tohelp others.“In school they volunteer as buddies and mentors to youngerstudents, providing them with an important role model.students find working in the communitya good way of developing their skills“Our students also volunteer in a range of contexts outside ofschool from working as riding and swimming instructors to acting ascomputer teachers for the Royal British Legion.“We are always very proud of the way our students rise to the rolesand responsibilities they take on and the interest and empathy theyshow towards organisations such as Pets As Therapy.”

presenter rob wasequally impressedon the radioMUSIC, money and the media were amongst the many topics us@oakwood reporters quizzed presenters from a local radio stationabout when they visited school.Breakfast presenters Rob Wills and Nic Fletcher from Kmfm Extracame straight from their show The Extra Big One, to give us a talkand workshop on radio presenting and production.They filled the team in on the new station, how to get into jobs inradio and the media, and about the industry itself.Year 7 reporter Cameron McIntosh said: “It was interesting to learnall about what goes into producing a radio show.“Normally I wouldn’t listen to radio but kmfm extra has persuadedme to listen to more.“The media is certainly an industry I’m interested in for a futurecareer so it’s always useful to hear from people who work in theindustry.”He said: “It was brilliant visiting the guys at Oakwood and was reallygood to chat to students who knew about radio.“Oakwood has been one of our best schools yet as the studentswere really interested and engaged with what we had to say.”Earlier in the day we took part in ashorthand master class to keepbrushing up those journalistic skills!mr dwinell takes musicHERE is one of the many sketches done of MrDwinell by some of the primary school children heteaches. Each week Mr Dwinell visits different primaryschools offering a variety of music and literacyenhancement, mostly to key stage 2.For Music he introduces the pupils to basic rhythmrecognition, a steady sense of beat and theinstruments of the orchestra. For more advanced orable groups, the pupils work with ‘boomwhackers’something different to the pupils,in content and presentationand other class instruments to perform a variety ofensemble pieces.to local primary schoolsFor Literacy Mr Dwinell displays a number of hisphotographs of animals for the children to respondto. The results of a morning’s work are very often thebeginning of exceptionally insightful poetry.Mr Dwinell said: “By offering something differentto the pupils, in content and presentation, the classteachers have the rare opportunity to view their ownclass learning from a different adult. The pupils canrelate to the visiting teacher with a ‘fresh start’ andoften display engagement in a new and special way.”The ‘portrait’ of Mr Dwinell shown here came from yr3 at Brookfiled Primary.

flowers bloom in memoryBY ROBERT CRAWFORDof holocaust victimsLAST YEAR the Gardening Club planted rows of crocus bulbsalong the edge of the school garden. The bulbs were given to us bythe Holocaust Education Trust in Ireland to commemorate the datethat the Holocaust ended. The flowers are now starting to bloomand can be seen through the large glass panel on the side of thequad. The beautiful yellow flowers unfortunately bloomed late due tothe bad weather as they were meant to appear around the date ofthe commemoration day in January.We were one of the hundreds of schools in the UK to take part inthe Crocus Project which sees provides thousands of yellow crocusbulbs for schools to remember the 1.5 million Jewish children thatdied in the Holocaust. The yellow crocuses resemble the yellowStars of David which all Jews were forced to wear under the Nazirule.The Holocaust took place during World War Two when the Nazisheld six million Jews and five million others in concentration campsdue to their beliefs.IN 2009 I had the opportunity to visit the Auschwitz concentrationcamp in Poland with two Year 12 students and also to attenda course run by the Imperial War Museum and the HolocaustEducation Trust. The purpose of the course was to examine howthis sensitive and challenging subject is best taught in secondaryschools. It was as a result of this that links were made betweenOakwood Park and the Holocaust Education Trust Ireland whichruns the Crocus Project.i am glad that their interest can bereflected outside of the classroomthrough the crocus project...When teaching about the Holocaust in History lessons and anEnrichment Day, we are constantly impressed with students’ maturereactions to what they learn. I am glad that their interest can bereflected outside of the classroom through the crocus project andthankful to the Gardening Club students for giving up their time tohelp commemorate this event in our school community.

MR MCAULEY joined the Geographydepartment in September 2009. Hehas worked enthusiastically in theclassroom but has also becomeinvolved in other aspects of schoollife such as teaching table tennisto GCSE students, running crosscountryclub and being Head ofHouse for Sadler. Mr McAuley’scharity events this year have certainlyset the mark, which have revealed hishidden talent of cake baking!Hi, Ho, Hi, HoMr McAuley is well-known throughoutthe school which is due to his friendlyand approachable manner, andcan often be seen talking to staffand students. In his short time atOakwood Park, Mr McAuley hasmade an impact on the school and hewill be missed.it’s off to Burham We GoBY JAMES MORRISONTHE SUN was out as year 8 set off to Burham to study the Geography of thetown. So with our packed lunches and clipboards packed away in our rucksackswe were on our way to Bluebell Hill.From the top we could see Snodland,Burham, the M20, MaidstoneOnce we were there our artistic skills were called upon to draw a field sketchof the view we saw at the top of the hill. From the top we could see Snodland,Burham, the M20, Maidstone and various industrial estates in the area.In the sunshine we then set about noting down the change in vegetation and soil typeand were then let loose in the village. Our job was to work out the age of the buildings inBurham. So, with ice-lollies and cakes from the bakers in our hands, we started to workout the building ages.After we had devoured the buns we slowly worked our way down to the bank of theriver Medway. Once we arrived at the bank and stared longingly at the cool water wediscussed the uses of the river in Maidstone, writing down more facts ready for ourBurham project next term.

SCHOOL TRANSPORT CUTS AREBY GREGG HARFLEETAMONGST THE QUESTIONS RAISEDTHE SCHOOL was lucky enough to have been visited recentlyby local MP Helen Grant. Mrs Grant was elected as Member ofParliament for Maidstone and the Weald in the May 2010 election.During her visit Mrs Grant, who was a solicitor before becoming anMP, engaged in a lively question and answer session with studentsfrom across the years who raised several challenging questions.Some of the topics discussed included the plans to cut Legal Aid,the fight to keep maternity services at Maidstone Hospital and thenew Alternative Vote system proposals.Describing OPGS students as ‘real model citizens’, Mrs Grantsaid: “The young people here are very politically aware and reallyconscious of issues affecting their community”. She credited theschool for the encouragement and work they put in to helpingprovide such learning experiences.“The young people here are very politically aware andreally conscious of issues affecting their community”My main area of questioning for Mrs Grant was on Kent CountyCouncil’s proposal to reduce the school transport budget to removefree transport for pupils who attend grammar schools or faithschools. This would mean that, except for a limited number ofchildren from families with very low incomes, many families wouldhave to pay for transport to any school other than their nearest. Inmy opinion, the diversity of schools in the system is a key sellingpoint of Kent’s current education system. The removal of transportsupport will remove that choice from families who do not have themeans to pay for their children to attend the schools they choose ina diverse system. Whilst appreciating the difficult financial situationthe country is in, I believe the proposed cuts are bad for choice,bad for diversity and bad for the majority of Kent council tax payers.Once we go into sixth form my annual bus fare will be almost £500,just to get to school!days like the one spent at OPGSmade her glad she was an MPMrs Grant said: “It is a worry because it will impact. I know there’sa Freedom Pass for under 16s, but people need to be aware ofit and applying for it can often cause problems. Part of the issuehere goes back to the problem that we have been spending moneythat we haven’t got. The country is in a mess and the councils arehaving their budgets slashed and they have to make savings.“Unfortunately until we can get ourselves out of this terriblefinancial situation that we are in, I suspect that these changes aregoing to continue to impact”.Mrs Grant said she was a firm supporter of justice and explainedthat should any of her constituents ever hear of injustices theyshould contact her and “we will have to do battle on an individual,person by person basis”.Discussing May’s referendum she said: “I’m against AV. I’m a Toryand most of the Conservative party are not in favour of AV. I thinkthe first past the post system that we have had for years and yearsand years has worked very well in providing stable democracy andI think we have got bigger issues to worry about like the financialcrisis and hardship rather than spending time changing our votingsystem.”Speaking about the conflicting opinions of the two partiesleading our government, Mrs Grant said: “The liberals are infavour of AV so this is the first little battle we’ve had since weformed our coalition and its being done very sensibly and ina civilised manner, and that is fine. We are two very differentparties, we always have been and we will always continueto be. I think it is right in some ways that we should havedifferences in opinion”.Mrs Grant was a very interesting speaker who had lots to saybut was also keen to take in our opinions. She even said that itwas days like the one spent at OPGS that made her glad shewas an MP because she valued being able to speak with ourgeneration, and incorporate their views. Thank you very muchto Mrs Grant for her time.

Debate and Discussion as PalestinianPeacekeepers Visit StudentsWE WERE fortunate enough to be visited by OneVoice Movement,a grassroots organisation which seeks to promote peace andreconciliation in Israel and Palestine. One of the representativeswas from Tel Aviv in Israel; the other was from Bethlehem in theWest Bank of Palestine.A group of year 9s and Sixth Formers watched them give apresentation on conflict resolution in which comparisons weredrawn between the challenges faced by diplomats and the variousconflicts encountered in everyday life. Ultimately, the principle isthe same, because the solution tends to involve compromise.over lunch, us sixth formers had a even greateropportunity to talk further with the representativesOne of the key points made by OneVoice was the differencebetween what each side is demanding, and the underlining reasonsand feelings that motivate that. So, for example, both Israelis andPalestinians want to be allowed an expression of national identity,and to live without fear of attack.We were then handed three different maps of the region and told todecide which solution we thought would be the best. The first wasan illustration of the current situation, with the West Bank and GazaStrip divided and a significant number of illegal Israeli settlementswithin Palestine.The second map showed a ‘two-state solution’ where Palestinebecomes a legally recognised country with complete independence.Here, the Israeli-controlled settlements had either been removedor been taken over by Palestinian authorities. Many students feltthis was the best solution, although flaws were highlighted such asthe continued separation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip and theway in which Israeli Arabs and Palestine-based Israelis were notaccommodated for.The third map was an illustration of the ‘one-state solution’, whichinvolves the entirety of Israel and Palestine forming a single unifiedgovernment. Although controversial, because of the loss of theindependent national sovereignty and identity of the two states, thissolution was seen to treat the citizens involved fairly and in the longterm could be a greater model for peaceful relations.Over lunch, us Sixth Formers had a greater opportunity to talkfurther with the representatives. Merits and flaws of each proposalwere discussed with comparisons made with the situation in Irelandand the discussion turned to the present outlook.The visit was extremely informative and interesting and it isclear that it is a topic demanding both international attention andreasoned debate.

xbox controllers to paintbrushes to fret sawsoakwood’s f1future funding“It’s been very different having an Xboxcontroller in our hands at school, thegame is really good and creative.”YEAR 8 spent the day slicing wood, playing Xbox and paintingAbstract art in what was described as a ‘really good and enjoyable’enrichment day.You probably think kids spend enough time with these controllersin their hands but now they are in school. Don’t worry they’re notplaying their normal shooting and sport games, Year 8 workedinstead on designing their own world and game using softwarecalled Kodu Game Lab. Rob Hipps, T8, said: “It’s been verydifferent having an Xbox controller in our hands at school, thegame is really good and creative.’FORMULA 1 is usually a sport associated with big budgets andhigh speeds. F1 in Schools is here to give young people the chanceto experience the speed, on a much smaller budget. This is onlysmall compared to the budgets used by the actual teams. We arelucky enough to have secured £500 of funding from Toyota UK,with your help, we believe that we canreally be successful in this competitionfor which we are very grateful, but this is only part of the way toraising competitive funds. More details on how to sponsor us canbe found below. With your help, we believe that we can be reallysuccessful in this competition, and then advance on to the nationaland potentially international finals.After their Xboxing, Year 8 turned to saw and sander in DT wherethey worked on the clocks they designed in class.Next on the agenda came the paintbrush and we went to the MsNeelands art room to see some Picasso paintings being producedby T8. The master art in work consisted of shapes that theyextracted from the drawings of still art that they did last term. Withfancy shapes and colours everywhere you couldn’t tell which waswhich and well which was the best I can’t decide.OAKWOOD PARK GRAMMAR SCHOOL is looking for sponsors to support the school.Advertising your business in @oakwood, the schools website and the TV screens around the school,viewed by hundreds of people each day!We are able to offer a varity of services from creation and design to just hostingFor more information contact Mr M Solly or Mr S PeacockTel = 01622 726683 or Email = msolly@opgs.org or speacock@oakwoodpark.kent.sch.uk

english department is‘outstanding’ according to ofstedTHE ENGLISHDEPARTMENT saysgoodbye to both MrsJeffery and Miss Broom atthe end of the school year.We asked both of themwhat they will miss mostabout OPGS.Head of English MrsJeffery, who has been withus for 7 years, said: “It’sbeen wonderful to see somany students achievefantastic grades in Englishafter starting with no selfbeliefin their abilities in thesubject at all.“I’ve made some wonderfulfriends in the departmentand have felt veryprivileged to have had theopportunity to make somedrastic changes to the waythe English departmentworks over the years.”YOU may have noticed an inspector wandering around the Englishdepartment just before the Easter holiday from Ofsted.Well after a thorough inspection of a range of lessons and books,the English department has been rated as ‘outstanding’. This is thehighest level a school or department can achieve.During the two day inspection a range of English lessons wereobserved and a variety of students’ work was looked at from all keystages. Students were also spoken to in depth about their views onthe style, delivery and content of English lessons and how muchprogress they felt they were making in the subject.According to the report published by Ofsted, the support andguidance given by teachers in the department was said to beexceptional. Lessons are said to be “stimulating and challenging”with “imaginative, well constructed approaches”. It was also saidthat the “quality and clarity of guidance in lessons and marking areexceptional”.The report also noted the high attainment in GCSE Englishlanguage and Literature which has risen consistently, with theproportion of A and A* grades well above average.The department’s enrichment programme was identified as anotherstrength with students involved in range of trips and activitiesincluding visits from authors and other industry professionals, filmmakingand writing for this very magazine.The inspector was also very impressed with the Penguin bookcover doors which also got a special mention in his report.So well done to the English department for doing us proud andkeeping Oakwood on top!certificates for schoolreading club ‘the blurb’AS part of the OPGS reading club ‘The Blurb’, we joined otherMaidstone secondary schools to attend the Maidstone Area BookAwards (MABA).At the event we were given a talk by author Andy Briggs (of theHero.com and Villain.net series) and the Mayor of Maidstone, andthen each school gave a presentation to the others about what theyhad been doing in their reading groups.The books which were voted as most popular by the schools wereWolf Brother for KS3, and The Hobbit for KS4, and we were eachgiven a certificate for our work.In our reading group we have been reading and discussing bookswhich all have the common theme of Journeys, whether throughplace, time or space. We have also been able to blog and sharecomments on the website ‘MABA Jabber’.‘The Blurb’ reading group meets Friday lunchtimes in the libraryand is open to all year groups so if you enjoy reading and creativewriting come along and find out more about the group’s next focus.MISS BROOM, who hasbeen with us for 3 years, isleaving to teach in Romania.She said: “There have beenso many wonderful moments- it’s been wonderful watchingmy first year 9 class growinto young adults and finishtheir GCSEs.“I’ve also been really luckythis year to have a fantasticyear 7 form- I don’t think I’llever forget their impromptucrazy cake sale to raisemoney for the postage of ourChristmas shoeboxes!“I will miss most the colourfulpersonalities that populatethe Oakwood corridors, myform and the extraordinaryfriends I’ve made here.”

Dear Grandad By Phodios Papa-AdamsInspiring as a leader,The moments were like a dream,Thought on his feet like a cheetah,He never gave up.Got up early, went to bed late,But still helping everyone in his way,The little twinkle in his eye,His sheer presents lit the sky.The irreplaceable memory,Will be cherished until I die,The TIME he made to take me out,The words of wisdom,I couldn’t live without,I wonder if grandad is looking down on me,Simply to make me,A better person through and through,Dear Grandad I miss youBy Phodias Papa-Adams, T7Stormy Seas By Sam StedmanHelp! Help!The sailor yelped,I could hear his shrieks from ashore.But I ran back home and closed the door,His cries I could hear no more.I went to sleep that night,And I woke with an awful fright,I looked out of my window and saw a light,I followed the light to a familiar sight,It was where I heard that man last night,The view was certainly not a delight,It looks like the boat had got into a fight!Pieces of timber all over the show!What happened? Well I don’t know!I wonder if the sailor could tell us his story,But with the state he is in, it might be quite gory!shortlisted for humanrights reporter of the yearAMERICA. LAND OF THE FREE?Indefinite. One word expressing the cruel reality for GuantanamoBay detainees. The murky future of this shameful Americancreation is echoed in its murky past. With accusations ofmistreatment, torture and four suicides, Guantanamo Bay hasremained at the centre of worldwide controversy. We only needglance at the disturbing photographs of the prison to get a sense ofwhy Amnesty International supporters have compared it to a SovietLabour camp.The US defence argues the camp, which plays host to suspectedterrorists, is a deterrent and prevention for attacks on America. Aclear symbol of the ‘war on terror’. However detainees like ShakerAamer have had to pay the ultimate price. Recently AmnestyInternational wrote to the Foreign secretary William Hague to urgehim to intervene in bringing freedom to the UK’s last prisoner atGuantanamo Bay. He is held over claims of links to the Taliban andal-Queda. Yet he has never been charged with any offence. He hasbeen detained for 10 years. His British wife has been helplesslywaiting for her husband for 10 years. And for 10 years his fourchildren have been without their Dad.CATHERINE LEONARD Y13has been shortlisted for anational journalism competition.Cat beat more than 1,000entries in the over 16 categorywith her impressive articleabout Guantanamo Bay andmade it to the top 10.The Earth AwakesI threw down the spade in frustration,The air choked your lungs; It was as thick as gravy.The sky, Oh the sky! Fiery redAs if heaven was alight.The smell, Oh the smell!It was like the Earth was burning,The smoke penetratedEvery last corner.The noise, Oh the noise!The Earth was cracking in half,The thunder penetrated the Earth itself,The Thief By Cameron McIntosh T7Strolling down the alley way,Towards my favourite place,The noise and smell and coldness too,Slapped me in the face.Entering the cafeLeaving the cars and buses too,The feeling of soft lino,Underneath my shoe.The smell of sausage rolls and,Coffee in the kettle,A man kept changing seatsHe just would not settle!Finally choosing a seat to sit,He settled down at last,Aamer and his fellow detainees have been labelled ‘EnemyCombatants’. This is a military euphemism designed to hide ablatant violation of justice. The detainees have become humananomalies with their rights inferior to prisoners of war and UScitizens accused of crime. Result? 755 people since 2001 havebecome powerless in the hands of a lawless institution. Manyimprisoned without a charge, let alone a trial. Alarm bells should beringing worldwide questioning the legitimacy of the detention camp.There has been evidence for mistreatment such as shacklingdetainees to the floor and subjecting them to extreme temperatures.At first every effort was made to capture and imprison thesepeople except now they have become a burden. A large portionof prisoners have been cleared. This leaves a dilemma of whereto send them. In their home countries they face bleak prospectsof torture yet nowhere else will take them. The most wanted havebecome the unwanted. The U.S created the problem and if no othercountries are prepared to take the detainees the responsibilityshould lie with them. But America doesn’t want to play at its owngame. A Gallup poll in November 2009 found two thirds of UScitizens were opposed to the prisoners being brought into America.The Human Rights Reporterof the Year competition is runjointly between The Guardianand Amnesty International.The brief was to investigateany issue about human rightswhether this be a story aboutsomeone being discriminatedagainst or abused, or astory celebrating a positiverecognition of human rights.As slowly the Earth was consumed in flamesBy Tom Spackman T7Right across the table from,Ms Pammington, she’s got class!Her jewellery gleamed as always,Especially her ring,Glancing down at it,Gave my eyes a sting!The bright lamp above,Made the ring look hot!Then the unsettled man stood up and,The undeserved stigma has meant many politicians refuse toallow detainees into America, anxious about the effect on theirown popularity. Ignorant fear has driven this rejection. The guisethe military can use is frightening by labelling the detainees assuspected terrorists the public will continue to ignore the unfairtreatment. It’s quite right to respond to citizens’ fears; people shouldfeel safe in their day to day lives. However I strongly disagree withhow they have chosen to ‘protect’ their citizens. Sacrificing personalfreedom and human rights is never acceptable.Nicked it on the spot!

earthquakes and dinosaurs atBY CHARLIE WOODthe national history museumthe dinosaur exhibit, for example,offered an extensive outlook on howthe dinosaur’s structure is composedA VISIT to the National History Museum was a great chance forYear 10 to see a broader range of topics in a more engagingenvironment. The museum offers the opportunity to see a varietyof different items from the remains of dinosaurs to experiencing a‘make-believe’ earthquake right below your very own feet.The variety made it an exhilarating day for everyone as therewere some really exciting things to be seen. The dinosaur exhibit,for example, offered an extensive outlook on how the dinosaur’sstructure is composed. Not a single student who walked past wasnot utterly intrigued by the 3D motion dinosaur as it moved aboutthe area within the museum.head boyand girlstoryThe same memorable experience was provided in the stimulusearthquake. Going up the escalator towards the exhibit, theexcitement levels were intense as students made a frantic dash tosecure their place on the platform that wobbled vigorously belowyour feet.It was clear from the moment you walked through the large doubledoors to the Grand Hall of the museum that it was the place to be asyou could just see a spectrum of different coloured school uniformswith students from a range of schools learning in a different way.

what a ride ithas beenBY SAM JAMAAFIVE LONG YEARS the current Year 11s have been at Oakwood and it has definitely beenan eventful time. So to mark this we took a science trip to Thorpe Park. The day was, asyou would expect, filled with excitement and high spirits, and there was a real ‘end of anera’ feeling to the day.And that’s exactly what it is. Over the last 5 years I, along with every other Year 11, havefound fantastic friends. Some people will return in Year 12, some are moving to other SixthForms, joining College, or going straight into work, and the shape of the year will never bethe same again.filled with excitement and high spirits, and therewas a real ‘end of an era’ feeling to the dayOur day at Thorpe Park would prove to be the last time the whole year could betogether outside of exams and the opportunity was embraced by the boys whosoon began reminiscing about their time at Oakwood. The well-received tripwas a truly great finale to our time at Oakwood -demonstrated by some greatphotos! It was also a real fond farewell to all those Oakwood Park studentswho will be leaving us this year, and a way of rewarding the students fortheir hard work, so I think it is worth noting some of the highlights andsuccesses of our 5 years.Very recently Oakwood celebrated a fantastic victory in the Football Kent CupFinal; it was a great success to see so many of our fellow Year 11 studentsplaying their part in the 1ST XI. The residential trips also hold fond memories forus, including Norfolk and Normandy, as well as Year 9 Camp, and trips to Cubaand Barcelona. These trips really helped us bond and build really strong andvaluable relationships.Academically, throughout the five years, we have strived to get the best grades,with some really impressive results, and let’s hope, come August, everyone getsthe grades they want and deserve.Academically, throughout the five years,we have strived to get the best gradesAll the students who will be leaving us this year will be sorely missed by everyoneat the school, despite the ups and downs. The year has been a real asset tothe school and I hope that many relationships made throughout the last fiveyears of our lives will be continued and never forgotten, and that everyoneachieves what they deserve in the future.So on behalf of Year 11...... farewell Oakwood!

Fond farewell fromHead Boy and GirlIT IS HARD TO BELIEVE that we are approaching the end of another academicyear and the end of our secondary education. It has been nearly 18 months sincewe graciously shook the hand of Miss Tipp to accept our roles as head boy andhead girl. We know what you are thinking too- senior prefect teams enter andleav¬e every year and each year has a series of tasks, events and changes toimplement but do they ever really achieve their goals and what have we done?it has been nearly 18 months since wegraciously shook the hand of miss tipp toaccept our roles as head boy and head girlThroughout the year we have had three main goals; charity work, the studentvoice and a sense of shared responsibility and we believe these goals have beenachieved. The latter has included giving middle school prefects a role within theschool by joining them into sixth form prefect duty teams. Our team has workedhard to get all students involved in our ethos. We like to think of ourselves as apositive team, focusing on the positive things about our school and all the goodthings which happen each day as opposed to the negatives. We think that gentleencouragement, advice and the occasional moan have made students thinkabout their actions and buy into this shared responsibility idea. The house systemlinks nicely into this idea and we have been impressed with students’ willingnessto take the lead and get involved with activities such as house music, housecharities, enrichment days and competitions.The student voice has been given a new lease of life this year.Rebranding it to resemble a student union has given students anever increasing and needed voice; this culminated in the studentvoice elections where a variety of students politically fought forthe post of president of the student voice. Providing a vehicle forstudents to air their ideas is wonderful and we are after all whatmake the school; the collective minds of many are better than a few.Charity and volunteer work is incredibly important to us; we believeit broadens people’s outlook on life and in particularly in a Kentgrammar school where students tend to be from very privilegedbackgrounds. This year we have raised money for Demelza House,which cares for 600 life-limited children and their families acrossKent, South London and East Sussex and Build Africa who helpwith the building of primary schools in Africa, giving thousandsof children the chance to go to school – something we take forgranted. The money has been raised through house charity weeks,by individuals, non-uniform days and key events like Stars in TheirEyes.Stars was a great success and a great opportunity for the SixthForm to work together. Almost £4,000 was raised which is thelargest amount in its seven year history; something we areparticularly proud of. In March our challenging quiz night was wellsupported by parents, friends and students raising nearly £2,000.Each charity will receive £3,000 thanks to our school’s collectivehard work.Leading a team and taking on extra responsibilities does come withmany challenges but is also very rewarding. We have had to bestrong and totally committed together as leaders. Good leadershipshould argue behind the scenes but when it comes to it, supporteach other on the final decision.Oakwood Park has been an amazing adventure; we could not havebeen more pleased with our time here. We have brilliant and happymemories and take great pride in having been a part of the schoolover the last few years. The school doesn’t try to push you into abox or make you fit a mould, it develops each individual’s uniquecharacteristics to get the best out of them. Our advice for the futurewould be to seize the opportunities you are given, say ‘YES!’ andbelieve in yourself. From now on, the world is your oyster.each charity will receive £3,000 thanksto our school’s collective hard workAlthough we are sad to leave, we also feel ready and are excited forthe opportunities which will head our way next year. Finally, we justwant to say that it has been brilliant and we hope you have enjoyedhaving us as your lead students over the past year. We would liketo wish you all love, happiness and success in your own futures andlook forward to hearing about many great things to come.Dan will be studying Physics at the University of York and Gemmais studying Social Policy at the University of Birmingham.

leavers day for year 13SHIRTS WERE SIGNED, INNUMERABLE PHOTOS WERE TAKEN, AND MANYA BURGER WAS EATEN AS YEAR 13 MARKED THEIR LAST DAY AT OPGS.LEAVERS’ DAY thas long been a glorified event signalling a coming of age, thelast stretch to a seemingly horizonless finish line, and the end of an era. But formany at OPGS this year it was a chapter of their lives that they weren’t yet keento close.I’m one of the ones lucky enough to have spent a full seven years at the schoolaveteran of Oakwood life who is eager to tell the stories and anecdotes atany given chance, to any willing (or unwilling) listener. Seven years can seema lifetime and you never really contemplate its end or that the familiar facesand routine will suddenly stop. This was the case for our Leavers Day wherebeginning the day in a new white t-shirt soon turned to leaving as a humancanvas, adorned in an explosion of scribbled sentiments. Age-old friendshipstried to boil down to a few words on a shirt and what struck me was just how‘together’ people were and that sharing the years meant something beyondeducation. In minutes, a simple t-shirt became a scrapbook of memory andunderstanding ranging from the almost short-story mini essays frantically drawnon, to the simplistic but eternal “it’s been jokes”.Even the new additions, some might say mainly the new additions, were sad tolet go. Oakwood has forever had that welcoming atmosphere - we look out for ourown. But don’t be misled! Leavers’ Day was much more a day of celebration thanof separation, and this part started with the prestigious Leaver’s Assembly.Being labelled as the most controversial, revealing, shocking, honest, and justall-round greatest thing to ever grace the school hall, watching our self-madepresentations with teachers and peers is a moment I don’t think I’ll ever forget. Itincluded the likes of a tear-jerking speech, the reform of an old-favourite band ofours and every single photograph you never wanted anyone to see; it really wasa masterpiece to be proud of. It delved back to the roots of our Oakwood careerswith the year 7 photo to match, whilst also never forgetting the ones that gotaway who now live on through legend!If emotions were all over the place inside, outside the story wasn’t much differentas souls were inflated at the glorious sight of a gigantic bouncy castle assaultcourse! The stuff of dreams! After a few unimaginably satisfying bounces andan ice cream in hand, it was hard to feel anything else apart from ultimatehappiness. Whether it had been our leavers’ day or our very first day of school itwas practically indistinguishable on that bouncy terrain, as the Christmas morningesquestretched smiles and inevitable case of bumped heads showed. But all inall, what a way to go. It was slightly surreal taking one last pan around at everyonein a sort of lame Hollywood movie finale way. I knew that despite how unbearablycliché it is to admit, these were probably going to be the best years of my life. Lastminute photographs, rib-breaking hugs and manly handshakes ended the day asone by one people fled the field for their own private get-togethers.I’d like to detail all the highlights of my year in one huge montage but unfortunatelythey are far, far too difficult to select. It’s unfair on the other stories to not beincluded, each one is an article on it’s own, whilst some could be considereda bit too … ‘elaborate’ for this article. It is near impossible to sum up years ofexperience and feeling into this one feature, some things are even beyond wordsbut it’s not goodbye, and the people I’ve met still mean a lot to me, as I wouldlater spill that day at Open Mic pub night! Year 7 to Year 13 has been a hugetransformation that went by at just the blink of an eye, but I wouldn’t have changedany of it. So that’s Leavers’ Day 2011 effectively and me signing our year out.I’M ALREADY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE REUNION.THE EXAMS, HOWEVER, NOT SO MUCH.each charity will receive £3,000 thanksto our school’s collective hard workThe End Of Year Awards is a long-standing tradition in Oakwood heritage and wedid not disappoint. Our year’s ‘Funniest’ jokingly shrugged off chants of speech,our ‘Cockiest’ conjured up an applause-worthy poker face as he stood up tocollect his award seconds before officially winning it, even our ‘Most-likely-tosee-on-Crimewatch’stole the show. It was also great to see that whatever wewere feeling in that hall, living in past memory and reminiscence, the teacherswere feeling too. Head of Year, Ms Lane, in particular wouldn’t have passed thechance to shortlist her favourite moments and “enlighten” us with her “pearls ofwisdom” in a million years. So rather than be joyous to see the back of us assome suspected, the staff clearly were going to miss the strong characters, classdiscussions and countless crazy shenanigans.

Rugby team mark 25th anniversary of the firstsport tour by going back to where it all beganSOME 25 YEARS AGO in February 1986, the Under 16 Rugbysquad embarked on the first ever Oakwood Park Rugby tour, ledby Mr M Housden. The squad travelled to Cambridge for theweekend, playing fixtures in Cambridge and New Market. Fromsmall beginnings began the school’s tradition of sports tours aroundthe world.to mark the 25th anniversary of the firsttour, the 2010-11 1st XV travelled to newmarket rugby club to play....Since Mr Housden began the tour tradition the school has touredCanada, Portugal (the first joint rugby and football tour), Spain,Leeds (the first joint rugby, football and netball tour), Ireland(becoming one of the last teams to play at Landsdown Road RFC)and most recently, touring the delights of South Africa, as part of theschool’s 50th anniversary celebrations.To mark the 25th Anniversary of the first tour, the 2010-2011 1st XVtravelled to New Market Rugby Club to play a one-off fixture in April2011. Mr Keeling-Jones and Mr Housden travelled with the squadto the club the under 16s had visited 25 years ago. The 2010-2011squad is a mix of Year 11, Year 12 and Year 13 students.All the players were looking to recreate the winning feeling of 25years ago. New Market took the kick off and after a few shortminutes and some superb clearing out by the forwards, enoughspace was created for Alex Caine to run in the first of his four tries.However, after 10 minutes it was clear that New Market were justsussing out Oakwood’s style of play. This led to a few positionalchanges to combat some of stronger players in the Oakwoodteam. Oakwood ran in a couple more tries before New Marketreally started playing and when they did the team demonstratedthat they could play some very good rugby, leading to a couple oftries being scored. These tries brought the score line closer, butalso refocused the Oakwood Park team who started to dominatethe game once again. At the half way point, Oakwood Park wereahead on the score board, but if they became complacent NewMarket were certainly capable of scoring and putting pressure onthe opposition.the final score was 36-12, with new marketunable to score in the second halfAs the second half began Oakwood Park certainly were continuingthe dominance shown at the end of the first. The breakdownbecame more important to us as we began drawing more NewMarket players to it with quick recycled ball and a number of pickand drives to create space for Chris Carr, Chester Clough and BenSummers to exploit. Unfortunately, Will Dolton pulled a hamstring(a tradition for him on tours) and this ended his last game for theschool with an early shower.The team showed great commitment and certainly played someof the best rugby all season, with a stand out performance by nextseason’s Captain Chester Clough, who was named as man of thematch. The final score was 36-12, with New Market unable to scorein the second half. This was certainly the best way to celebrate 25years of tours and also congratulate the Year 13 students who hadplayed their last game for the school.New Market certainly made Oakwood Park feel welcome andplayed their part in celebrating 25 years of tours. We are hoping tomake this fixture a regular aspect of our fixture list and thank themfor their hospitality. I would also like to thank the players for theirdedication this year to the development of the squad and also to MrHousden for all the support, coaching and refereeing that has beeninvaluable this year. A fitting end to a good season.{1st xv tour}

Mr Housden hangsup his rugby bootsQ: Why has rugby been such a large part of your life?At the grammar school I went to they played a lot of rugby and although I reallyenjoyed football I wasn’t the best build for it! I found I fitted in better with rugby,and that I enjoyed it more too.“Football is a gentlemen’sgame played by hooligans,rugby is a hooligans’ gameplayed by gentlemen”Q: Why have you decided to retire from coaching the team?I still want to keep fit and will be happy to referee when I’m asked but as DeputyHead I just don’t have the time. I’ve kept on with the coaching until now becauseof my son, Toby, being in the rugby team but he’s off to university now so it’s timeto step down.Q: If you had another chance would you change anything?I would have kept up refereeing as well as coaching. Because I was focused onrunning the team I passed up a lot of refereeing jobs I was offered.Q: What have been your most memorable/enjoyable experiences coaching therugby team?Going to South Africa last year because Toby was captain of the team whichmade me very proud - seeing him play was one of my most enjoyable moments. Itwas amazing to see a country like South Africa play.Q: How has the game of rugby changed since you first started playing it?Younger people have a better, more positive attitude towards rugby. I havegained more respect from the students by doing things outside of the classroomand coaching the rugby team. If there was a tip I would give to the teachers itwould be to let the students see you outside of the classroom as you’ll gain morerespect.TOBY PUGHE, Year 12, tackles the topic which is a constant source of debate inthis school and any boys’ school for that matter!Without doubt the quote above is one which brings much debate to the sportingworld. ‘Gentlemanly’ is certainly not the word that springs to mind when looking atprevious goings on in within the game of rugby over the last few years. The muchtalked about eye gouging issue during January 2010 which left Clarence Harding,26, blind in one eye is a prime example of how ‘thugs’ are being let out to inflictdestruction upon innocent sportsmen, with the knowing that stereotypical viewswill protect them, as of course, rugby is played by ‘gentlemen’.thugs are being let out to inflictdestruction upon innocent sportsmenSince then the game’s reputation has been further damaged by the ‘bloodgate’scandal, in which Harlequins’ winger Tom Williams bit a fake blood capsule inorder to show signs of an injury that would allow his side another substitutionduring their Heineken Cup game with Leinster in April 2010. Williams’ mouth waslater cut for real by a club official in order to cover up the deceit. Correct me if Iam wrong, but these are not the characteristics of a gentleman.In comparison to the somewhat questionable behaviour shown by rugby playersin recent years, professional footballer and national treasure David Beckhamappears to be the model of all gentlemen. David Beckham is a spokespersonfor Malaria No More, and a supporter of Help for Heroes, a charity aimed athelping injured service personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. His owncharity, the Victoria and David Beckham Charitable Trust, provides wheelchairsto children in need, and his focus on helping children has led to his appointmentas a Unicef Ambassador. Not only is it that the honorable David Beckham amongothers in the footballing world posses their own charities but the England playersdonate all their match fees to charity. Although there are many definitions of theterm gentlemen, these are the type of men that in my opinion would fit the mouldadequately.David Beckham is a spokespersonfor Malaria No More, and asupporter of Help for HeroesBy no means are footballers perfect. They do lose their tempers from time totime, they do drink occasionally, and sometimes they even break the law. But inconclusion the ‘hooligan’ tag that has been applied to football is nothing morethan a stereotype that lacks sufficient proof to generalise it to the whole offootball.Don’t agree? Feel your sport or something you feel strongly about is misjudged orstereotyped? Then submit your article to @oakwood.

Oakwood wins Kent Cupfor first time in 14 yearsHISTORY finally repeated itself when the Oakwood Park footballteam won the Kent Schools FA Under 19 White Cup 2-1 after extratime.It has been fourteen years since the school last played andwon the senior competition.On their way to the final Oakwood beat Maidstone Boys 2-0 in thesemi-final and faced a very strong Kemnal Technology College fromSidcup in the final.it has been fourteen years since theschool last won the senior competitionThe final, which was played at Sevenoaks Town FC and attendedby staff and students, was a tight and nervy affair which sawOakwood settle the quicker of the two sides and after 10 minutestake the lead. Toby Pughe latched onto a loose ball in the Kemnalarea to fire home a left-footed shot low in the bottom corner.Oakwood grew in confidence after the goal and managed to controlthe play throughout the majority of first half but were wary of thethreat that Kemnal posed. As the first half came to an end it wasOakwood who were the happier of the two teams but the game wasfar from over.The second half started with the same high intensity from bothsides and with Kemnal looking to use a more direct style of play toutilise their pace upfront, Oakwood had to defend well. For a timeit was backs against the wall for Oakwood who managed to thwarteverything Kemnal threw at them but at the same time looking todeal the killer blow on the counter attack. This so nearly came whenPaul Mancktelow picked the ball up in the middle of the park andproceeded to drive at the Kemnal defence, gliding by three playersbefore slotting the ball past the outrushing keeper only to see it hitthe post and roll agonisingly away from the goal.With Oakwood still ruing this opportunity it was Kemnal who seizedthe initiative back in the 75th minute when a free kick wide on the leftwas dangerously whipped into the Oakwood Park box and, with thefaintest of touches from Aaron Corbin, the ball nestled into the net.With the scores level and extra-time looming, both teams pushedhard for what would have been a winning goal and it was Oakwoodwho had that chance. Sean Johnson found himself a yard of spaceand, with only the keeper to beat, dragged his shot narrowly pastthe post, so the game went into extra-time.sean johnson found himself a yard ofspace and, with only the keeper to beat...The pace of the game looked to have taken its toll on both sets ofplayers early on in extra-time but it was Oakwood who found anextra gear and started to look the stronger, Johnson again onlyhad the keeper to beat but failed to hit the target from eightyards. The continued pressure finally paid off as Johnson,again in the thick of the action, skipped past two defendersand looked to thread a ball into the path of Mancktelow onlyfor it to strike the arm of the defender. With the assistantsignalling a penalty it would be Mancktelow whowould step forward with the opportunity to putOakwood back in the lead and he did so withaplomb, sending the keeper the wrong way.IT WAS an extra specialoccasion for Mr Smith who,being and old boy of theschool, was the captain thelast time Oakwood won theWhite Cup.He said: “The squad havebeen amazing all seasonand deserved this. Theyshowed tonight that theyhave a tremendous teamspirit and attitude, I am sopleased for them and all ofthem have played their partin tonight’s success.”Kemnal pushed hard to find anotherequaliser but were hit with another counterattack and this time Oakwood thoughtthey had sealed the victory when SamChapman lobbed the keeper and, with theball trickling painfully slowly towards thegoal, it was cleared by the excellent BillyLeitchford. Oakwood still had to survive alate scare when goalkeeper Chris Slater wasforced to make two outstanding saves. Thefirst tipping over a fierce shot from the edgeof the area and the second flinging himselflow to his left to push a goal bound headeraround the post.That was the last of the action and as thereferee signalled the end of the game it wasthe Oakwood Park players and supporterswho could celebrate.

CONGRATULATIONS to chrissletchford-Jones for winning thephotography competitionCONGRATULATIONS to tomjackson for coming second inthe photography competitionTHANK YOU FOR READING AND A BIG THANK YOU TO ALLOF OUR REPORTERS. LOOK OUT FOR THE NEXT EDITION!