News from the Senior Department

From Mrs Wright

What a busy week in our Senior Department, and a busy weekend ahead for pupils taking part in the Youth Speaks Public Speaking Competition in Cambridge and those who are in the school production of Emil and the Detectives.   

Excitement is mounting (for me at least) about next week’s Pi celebrations (see below) – will anyone beat Ben M’s spectacular school record of 1112 digits memorised?  – as well as our whole school celebration of British Science Week – more on this from the Science Department below.  We also have the Choirs’ Concert to look forward to on Tuesday – I hope to see lots of you there.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Mrs Wilkins on her new appointment from September 2023 – we will be sad to see her leave Beechwood but we are delighted for her on this well-deserved promotion.

Have a lovely weekend!

Mrs Wright

Pupil Leadership Team

We were delighted to announce the appointment of our Top Form Pupil Leadership Team (PLT) this week.

The PLT will join our Heads of School in representing pupil voice alongside developing their own leadership skills, as part of the Top Form Leadership programme.

The PLT are:

• Joshua Davies
• Thomas Grimshaw
• James Hadland
• Tommy Hubback
• Felix Maxwell
• Finlay Waite
• Anna Webster

The PLT had their first meeting with me today and were full of ideas and initiatives for the whole school.

We wish them the very best of luck in their first foray into leadership.

Mrs Wright

Engagement and Effort Recognition

Each week, Mrs Wright recognises pupils who have received at least 10 credits.

Well done to Ella Rose, Holly, Jane, Bertie, Mathew, George, Paddy, Rose, Elsie, Kaede, Chloe, Evie and Jack.

From the Science Department

The Science Department used last week’s World Book Day as a warm up for Science Week, which starts today and runs through until next Friday (17 March).

Members of the department dressed up as detectives ready for our theme of Forensic Science which will also support Arts Week and the play Emil and the Detectives.

Keep following the Science Department Twitter account next week, and you will see plenty of photos of all the exciting  activities taking place in lessons.

We will also have our annual egg hatching event taking place.

Ms Begley and Mr Darcy

From the Maths Department

Congratulations Elliot!

Congratulations to Elliot (Year 6) on winning the Beginner Boys Under 13 category at a national figure skating competition in Sheffield this week.

Elliot scored a new personal best of 20.00, ahead of skaters in second and third place who scored 17.93 and 17.81 respectively.

From the Senior Department Library

The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander

The Door of No Return is a thought provoking and moving book written in Alexander’s trademark award-winning verse. 

Eleven-year-old Kofi Offin has dreams of water, of its urgent whisper that beckons with promises and secrets. He loves these things above all else: his family, the fireside tales of his father’s father, a girl named Ama, and, of course, swimming. But when the unthinkable – a sudden death – occurs during a festival between rival villages, Kofi ends up in a fight for his life. What happens next will send him on a harrowing journey across land and sea, and away from everything he loves. Yet Kofi’s dreams may be the key to his freedom

Set in the Ashanti Kingdom in Africa in 1860, against a backdrop of cultural oppression, this book includes references to slavery and abuse which can be both interesting and harrowing. As such it should be approached with caution, and yet this gritty ending will have readers keenly waiting for the next release in the trilogy.