Senior Citizens Christmas Party

It gave us great pleasure to welcome the Senior Citizens of North Featherstone to St Wilfrid’s Catholic High School for an afternoon of entertainment. After a Christmas celebratory drink of sherry the delicious food provided by our on-site caterers was well received. The musical entertainment was courtesy of Mr Rob Clarke (Director of Expressive Arts/Music) and the school choir, the medley of carols and traditional Christmas songs went down very well with everyone joining in. This was followed by the Prize Bingo called by Mr Ray Rowett and his lovely assistant Mrs Judy Dakers, or is that the other way around? Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to Everyone!!

Disco Inferno

It's 1976 and passions are on the dance floor, St Wilfrid's are getting into the groove, performing the hit musical 'Disco Inferno'. The funkiness starts 5th February 2008 until the 8th. Choreographed by Michelle Birkett this unstoppable show will take you back to the moves, grooves and styles of the 70's. Musical Director Rob Clarke leads the school band in playing all the famous hits of the 70's, guaranteed to get you up on the dancefloor!.

Student Press Release.

Performing Arts Facilities

Over the summer there was extensive building work taking place in Theatre 1 and Theatre 2 that has produced fantastic new facilities for the Performing Arts. Theatre 1 has been developed into a larger performance space with a brand new sprung floor so that it is also suitable for dance. The space is custom made for performances and it can hold an audience of over a hundred. There are even more dramatic changes to Theatre 2 which has been developed into a state of the art dance studio equipped with mirrors, ballet barre and sprung floor. The students on the various performing arts courses are delighted with the new spaces and feel that it is a fantastic place to work.
See the new facilities in action at the open evening on Thursday 15th November where A’ Level Drama and Theatre Studies, BTEC National Performing Arts, and BTEC National Dance students will be showcasing a variety of their work for potential sixth form students and their parents. The showcase starts at 6pm and refreshments will be served at the end.

CAFOD Family Fast Day 5th October

St Wilfrid’s was quieter than usual on 5th October, as many students in Yrs 7 & 8 took part in sponsored silences through the day. Assemblies for all year groups through the week focussed on CAFOD and its work, reminding students of the need for us as Christians to support those in need through agencies like CAFOD. As ever, the students responded with enthusiasm, and the sponsored silences were just a part of the overall fund raising efforts. Also taking place was a ‘Rich Man Poor Man’ lunch, when students bought a ticket for the chance of a full hot meal – or soup and a roll if they were unlucky in the draw. The meal drew attention to the inequality in the world, when some have more than enough and others starve. The pictures show the students during the meal, both rich and poor playing their part.

Gerry O'Donnell Oct 2007

BTEC Construction course launched for Year 9 pupils

September has seen the launch of out BTEC level 2 Construction course. This gives students an insight into the construction industry and also the opportunity to develop their skills in plumbing and electrical work; students work in a structured way to solve real life problems. This course is a welcome addition and compliments the range of Design Technology courses offered at St. Wilfrid’s.

Dave Parkinson, Sept. ‘07

Open Evening

Our Open Evening will be held on Thursday 4th October 6.30pm -8.30pm for pupils entering Year 7 in September 2008 and parents who wish to learn more about the school.Applications are welcome from Catholic and non-Catholic children, wishing to benefit from our caring, Christian community.

Students celebrate record breaking GCSE results!!

Year 11 pupils at St. Wilfrid’s Catholic High School and Sixth Form College are celebrating today after achieving a record-breaking set of GCSE results. An incredible 92% of pupils passed the benchmark standard of five or more passes at grade C or above.
John McNally, Headteacher, described the results as “a really impressive achievement for the pupils and their teachers”. He said, “I am delighted for all the pupils. They have worked really hard and have been a pleasure to teach. The figures are particularly impressive when you consider that all St. Wilfrid’s pupils take a good balance of courses including maths, English, a foreign language and double science. The students are now set for further success in the Sixth Form and can look forward to higher education or meaningful careers. I am even more pleased that the pupils are well-rounded and caring individuals who will make a valuable contribution to society. I would like to publicly thank all the staff who have worked so hard in helping the students, and parents, who have supported us fantastically well over the years.”
There were many success stories, including an amazing number of 26 particularly able students who achieved at least eight GCSEs at the top A* and A grades. The average points score was 589, which equates to ten GCSEs at grade A* or eleven at grade A.
Pupils from other high schools may be interested to know that St. Wilfrid’s is accepting record numbers of students into its Sixth Form this year. Anybody interested in joining the school should contact Mr. Maltman in the first instance (details below).
Please telephone or e-mail John McNally, Headteacher, or Alan Maltman, Head of Sixth Form, at the school for further information. Telephone number: 01977 691000, fax 01977 723569, e-mail swhschool@aol.com.

Lourdes Pilgrimage

Y10 and Year 12 students went on pilgrimage to Lourdes from 5th –13th July. All pupils were assigned to a sick member of the adult pilgrimage. Some of these pilgrims were terminally ill. Their responsibility was to transport these people to the many pilgrimage events in Lourdes and to be a support for partners or companions of these sick people. The pupils were deeply touched by the experience. Talking, listening, caring for the sick and giving practical, physical support affected them emotionally and spiritually. They could see the value of working with those less fortunate than themselves. Some of their future career choices would be ultimately affected by this profound experience.

Mr Aitchison, Miss Rylands and Miss Couttie were very proud of the way each and every student responded to every task and responsibility they were given. Mr Aitchison said “We are privileged to witness the attention and affection the students gave to the person(s) they were looking after. The pilgrimage is tiring work. After travelling 27 hours to arrive in Lourdes, the pupils were set to work straight away. They often worked from 7.30am to 10.30pm. To see these young people enjoying the experience and leading them in various events and liturgies which had an affect on them spiritually was a humbling experience. You build a very trusting and loving relationship with the students and there are moments when staff are sought after to offer spiritual guidance, support and a listening ear”.

James Aitchison

JUMP INTO HEALTHY EATING!

September is the start of our new in-house catering provision using the first phase of our refurbished kitchens. Jump into Healthy Eating is our new logo (designed by Elizabeth Atkinson in Year 8) and our new ethos. Our new service provision is in the capable hands of Babs Askham, our catering manager and her wonderful team who have been with us for many years.

If I asked you what the phrase “being healthy” meant to you, what would you say? Eating five fruit and vegetables a day? Exercising daily? Looking after yourself? Being healthy to me and our school means being equipped to make the right choices to ensure we are healthy. It is having a balanced approach to living and learning. This involves body, mind and soul, physically, mentally, emotionally, socially and spiritually.

As you know the government has introduced new food-based standards for lunchtimes and we have set up our service with these in mind. Our baguette bar in the tuck shop area along with a new vending bank, offers healthy and nutritious drinks – and also a food vender for fresh sandwiches, fruit and yoghurts is available when all other services are closed, especially for after school activities. We are introducing a new Pasta Bar in the main hall, with our new main meal menus being delivered from the “some like it hot” serving station along with baked potatoes and soup. In the sixth form the deli station will be extended; a new fridge cabinet for all-day snacks, baguettes and sandwiches will be available, a pasta bar and a help-yourself salad bar, jacket potatoes and a free-trade coffee machine will also be available.

Under government regulations confectionery is not available in school, as you know they are high in sugar and some are high in fat and do not make a valuable contribution to a child’s nutrient intake. We want to encourage everyone to eat a balanced meal. If you do provide a packed lunch please make it a healthy one !

Please follow these links for suggestions/ideas for healthier packed lunches.

http://www.foodfitness.org.uk/

http://www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/content.asp?ContentId=295

http://www.nutrition.org.uk/upload/Healthy%20Eating%20for%20School-aged%20Children.pdf

http://www.nutrition.org.uk/home.asp?siteId=43§ionId=1381&subSectionId=1123&parentSection=303&which=6

Battlefields Trip

The Year 9 and Year 10 History students enjoyed a fascinating trip to the World War One battlefields of northern France and Belgium. During the trip the pupils visited several graveyards and war memorials, which helped to illustrate the sheer scale of the human loss during the Great War.

The students were also able to visit many of the trenches and battlefields that became a major part of war on the Western Front, highlighting the terrible conditions suffered by thousands of soldiers at the time.

They were accompanied by Mrs Keddie, Miss Moseley, Mr Fitzpatrick, Mr Mellor and Miss Beevers.

Matt Fitzpatrick

Simon Armitage – a famous Yorkshire poet – visits St. Wilfrid’s

Friday 15th June 2007 arrived and many teachers and Year 10 pupils were eagerly awaiting the performance of prominent Yorkshire poet and novelist, Simon Armitage. Simon previously won the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award and has worked extensively in radio, film and television. The vast majority of pupils in the country will study his poems at GCSE level.
Despite his indisputable acclaim, Simon transformed pupils’ expectations of what a ‘typical’ poet might be like; he was funny, down to earth and inspiring. It was an invaluable experience for pupils to hear poems they have studied and seen on the page performed and brought to life by their creator.
Despite animating his own poems, Simon even upheld his modesty when it came to discussing the ownership of his work. When questioned about his poems’ meanings he humbly announced: ‘Once I’ve written something it doesn’t belong to me any more – the meaning belongs to the reader’.
This was fabulously empowering for pupils to hear; individual interpretation and creativity are essential tools in the successful study of Literature and Simon actively encouraged pupils to use their imaginations in their studies. And that is the beauty of all literature; it creates new worlds and experiences – no exact interpretation of any text is ever entirely right or wrong and Simon reaffirmed this for everyone.
We hope to welcome Simon back next year and he has promised to be our ‘pet poet’.

Kate Midgley

St. Wilfrid’s Praised by OFSTED Inspectors

Pupils and staff at St. Wilfrid’s are celebrating after receiving a glowing report from OFSTED inspectors recently. A team of five inspectors visited the school in May and identified “a strong and inclusive Christian ethos [which] underpins the work of the school and supports a community in which pupils can thrive.” They also noted that, “pupils enjoy coming to school: they are well motivated and keen to learn” and “pupils work hard and make outstanding progress”. John McNally, Headteacher, said he was delighted with the report, saying, “The Inspectors were really impressed with our pupils, noting the pride they and the staff take in St. Wilfrid’s.

I am particularly pleased that OFTSED also recognised we are set for even higher levels of success in the near future, describing us as still improving. This report is a testament to everybody involved with the school and I would like to publicly thank pupil, parents, staff and governors for their hard work and dedication to St. Wilfrid’s”.

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The Royal Navy and the Royal Marine Commandos

On Friday 4th May during Personal, Social Education morning Year 11 pupils attended a talk from the Royal Navy in the new sports hall. The talk gave pupils information on the careers available within the Navy, the opportunities to travel and see the World, and to learn a trade. The presentation was given by serving members of the Navy and the Royal Marine Commandos. After the talk pupils were able to visit the Navy’s mobile recruitment unit, which was parked in the school car park and were able to ask questions and find out more detailed information about the opportunities available to them.

Throughout the rest of the morning the pupils in their form groups were able to attend training sessions that were instructed by the Royal Marine Commandos. Pupils were put through their paces and were able to experience some of the training a new recruit would go through.

Pupils participated in the bleep test which tests their stamina and endurance whilst running between two cones as the time allowed decreased and finished off the session with a game of rounders. Through the activities in the sessions pupils were able to know how physically demanding it is being a serving member of the Royal Marine Commandos. Pupils participated well during the sessions and came away with a clearer idea of what is involved in joining in addition to having some fun!!

Sam Pullan

Trip to Leeds Metropolitan Higher Education Fair

On Thursday 26th April 40 students from St Wilfrid’s 6th form attended the Higher Education Fair held at Leeds Metropolitan Beckett’s Park campus. The two-day event gives students the opportunity to research courses and Universities and assists them in the decision making process. At the event students were able to talk to the admissions, college and school liaison representatives about the courses and the admissions policies at the Higher Education institutions. Over one hundred University’s and Higher Education Institutes from all over the Country attended the event, which gave the pupils a wide and varied look at the Universities and courses available. The event was very busy and was well attended by schools and colleges from across West Yorkshire. During the day students were also able to attend various seminars on subjects varying from the UCAS application process to student life and finance. The Higher Education Fair is an integral part of the Higher Education program here at St Wilfrid’s with outside speakers booked for later on this term to advise students on UCAS application and student finance.

Samantha Pullan
Careers Co-ordinator

Dance triumph for Alice Wilkins!

Congratulations to 16-year-old Btec Dance Award student Alice Wilkins who has successfully auditioned for a place in the prestigious Yorkshire Young Dancers Company. This company is made up of 13-17 year olds with exceptional talent in contemporary dance. Alice will have to attend contemporary classes three times a week as well as intensive weekends and summer schools. It will give her the chance to be taught by leading contemporary dance teachers and professional choreographers.
Competition into this company is fierce with Alice winning a place out of two hundred other young dancers. She had to participate in two gruelling auditions where she had take part in contemporary dance and ballet technique classes and also choreograph and perform a one minute solo.
Alice has been interested in dance and gymnastics from an early age. She has trained in a variety of styles from ballet to disco at the Victoria Wills School of Dance and has developed a love of contemporary dance since she participated in GCSE Dance at Carlton High School. Alice joined St Wilfrid’s Sixth Form Centre this year specifically to continue her dance training and is an exceptionally dedicated student on the Btec Dance Award course. Since being at the school she has been a lead dancer in Fame! She has also won the Northern region of Festival 4 Stars in the duo competition alongside fellow Btec Dance Award student Rebekah Barraclough.
Alice is really looking forward to being part of the Yorkshire Young Dancers Company and hopes that it will help her achieve her dream of becoming a professional dancer.
If you want to see Alice in action, alongside the other Btec Dance Award students, come and see the “Evening of Dance” at St Wifrid’s on Wednesday 16th May. Tickets are £4 for adults and £2 for concessions and will be available soon.

Michelle Birkett

Mission Day

Anna Cowell, Hannah , Fr Martin Kelly and Franciscan Brothers Simon and Thomas visited St Wilfrids on Thursday 19th April for the school mission day. The day reminded students of the Diocesan programme ‘Come and See’ and this years theme of Reconciliation. Each session began with a warm up game followed by a dramatic interpretation of how humankind became separated from God and how this was reconciled. Fr Martin gave a testimony of his call to priesthood which then moved into a presentation of a very moving film called ‘team hoyt’ about a Fathers love for his Son. This left a lasting impression with staff and students reminding them of love, love God lavishes upon us. The day was a great success and we look forward to more days like this in the future.

Incredible Gianna

Gianna Jessen visited St Wilfrids High School on Monday 19th March to speak to students in year 10 and 11. Gianna has been a guest on numerous radio and television programmes. She travels frequently, sharing her testimony .Gianna told her incredible true story of her courageous journey from Abortion survivor to steadfast defender of life. She captured students with her story of determination to make the most of her God given opportunities. Speaking for those who can’t, she brings encouragement and hope to youth and adult audiences.

Fantastic Inset

Tuesday 13th March Jason Bangbala led the staff in their INSET on behaviour for learning. He was a very charismatic speaker whom enthused and motivated staff to experiment with a positive approach to learning. Staff welcomed the training day and some have stated ‘It was the best INSET ever’ and ‘We should have more INSET like this’. Jason will return to the school next academic year to work with teams of people on behaviour for learning strategies.
Here are just some of the pointers he provided:
Behaviour for learning pointers

Believe you can make a difference
Be calm
Plan for the behaviour before it happens
Focus on the good pupils
Praise good behaviour
Reward good behaviour
Focus on what pupils should be doing
Give pupils escape routes and options/choices
Give pupils responsibility for their own behaviour
Be consistent – take the action you promise
Intervene quickly and calmly when inappropriate behaviour occurs – don’t let it escalate
Don’t take inappropriate behaviour personally
Be non confrontational
Avoid shouting – be assertive not aggressive
Have a sense of humour
Enjoy what you are doing
Be positive
Use smile therapy
Body language

Easter Prayers

Lord, by the Easter mystery you touch our lives with the healing power of your love. You have given us the freedom and the promise of eternal life. May we celebrate your gift, and find joy in it forever in heaven. May each of us make your love known in all that we say and do. May we give to others the sense of hope that you give to us. Amen.

Risen Lord Jesus, the truth of your resurrection echoes throughout this Easter season. Help me, my family and friends to grow strong in faith and know your presence. Amen.

International Week 2007 "Every Child Matters"

On Monday 5th March 157 students and teachers from 6 countries descended upon Featherstone for the 7th annual International Week at St. Wilfrid’s. Visitors, old and new, came from partner schools in Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, Sweden and Ukraine. Our partner school in Spain joined us for the first time, whereas our German partner school was visiting for its 18th year!

On Monday afternoon some of our primary feeder schools got the week off to a great start by taking part in the 2nd Primary Song Extravaganza. The event was organised by Jane Johnson, Primary Languages Coordinator and gave the students the perfect opportunity to show off their languages skills.

Over 100 hundred of our guests were hosted by families of students at St. Wilfrid’s. This gave our international guests the chance to experience life in an English home. Our English families made our students feel so welcome that most of them didn’t want to leave at the end of the week.

This year’s theme was “Every Child Matters” and international students, alongside students from St. Wilfrid’s, worked in teams on an exciting project. It was their task to adopt a virtual child from cities including Johannesburg, Bangkok, Marseille and Sarajevo. During the week, groups researched their given cities to create a life for their virtual child. On Thursday, all of their hard work was exhibited in school to Year 7 students. The exhibition was also displayed to specially invited guests, including the Mayor of Wakefield, on Thursday evening.

During the week students actively involved themselves in a range of other activities, including cookery workshops, origami making, Bollywood dancing and yoga sessions. Excursions also took place to York and the National Coal Mining Museum.

Perhaps the most memorable and lively event of all was the International Song Contest on Wednesday evening. Thirteen superb acts took to the stage to battle it out for the winning trophy but there could only be one winner. Our partner school in Lodi, Italy won the contest with a song and dance routine.

The week was not only an opportunity for people from different backgrounds to experience life in England, but also a week to build long-lasting friendships and take away very happy memories. We definitely succeeded in doing this and many of our partner schools enjoyed the week so much that they have already started planning for next year!

Ian Storey
Head of the International Dimension

Matthew's British Biology Olympiad success - wish him luck!!

The BBO is a competition open to all 6th form colleges in the country, and about 1500 people sat the first exam. Sixth form student Matthew Stammers received a Gold Medal from the first round, and was selected to sit the second paper. He has subsequently finished in the top 12 candidates,and has been selected for the practical training at Birmingham University over Easter. Four people will then be selected to represent Britain in the International Biology Olympiad in Canada.
This is an outstanding achievement for Matthew. The vast majority of successful competitors are from the top private schools. The exam papers are extremely difficult, and include material that is far in excess of what we do at A level. Matthew has shown a phenomenal understanding of the subject, and we wish him luck in the next stage of the competition.

Year 7 Reconciliation Service

On Thursday 15th March 2007, all members of Year 7 were given the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, as part of the school’s Lenten preparation. The School theme for the year is “Back to the Father” which ties in well with the theme of “Repentance and Reconciliation” for the second year of the Diocese of Leeds Come and See renewal process.

At the start of the morning, there was a reconciliation service for all of Year 7, led by Mr Russell, with readings by members of 7Fisher. Students were reminded of the story of the Prodigal Son, and of the importance of the Sacrament. After the service, four of our local priests, Canon Maguire, Fr McGeough, Fr Reilly and Fr Powell spent the morning at school, hearing confessions from students. The priests said afterwards that they were impressed with the honesty of the students, and the way that they had been prepared to receive the sacrament.

England Rugby Union Triumph for Joe

Congratulations to Joseph Quinn in Year 11 who has been selected to represent England at Rugby Union at U16’s.
He has been selected as first choice Second Row and will be playing against France, Wales and Scotland over the Easter period.
This is an awesome achievement for Joe who plays for Leeds Tykes U16 Academy.
Good Luck Joe, we wish you well with the fixtures.

Cook off competition!

On Thursday 15th February Charlotte Thorpe and Ben Oldroyd went head to head in a competition cook off at Wakefield Restaurant Brasserie 99. The competition was held as part of the Wakefield Rhubarb Festival and was organised by the Primary Care trust to help promote healthy eating in schools and to highlight the importance of eating fresh, seasonal, locally produced ingredients. Charlotte and Ben were each assigned a chef to help them prepare their own two-course meal for the competition judges headed by Wakefield Lord Mayor Cllr. Darren Travis. After a great deal of discussion and taste testing Ben was awarded first prize with Charlotte the runner up.

The following Saturday, Ben cooked his winning menu again in front of an audience of 80 in the marquee erected for the festival in the city centre. Ben said that although there were far more people watching him in the marquee he found the actual competition day had made him much more nervous. Both Ben and Charlotte had an amazing experience and coped admirably with the pressure of such a high profile event.

Careers Fair

In February we held our first annual Careers Fair in the newly built Newland building. A variety of employers and Higher Education institutes attended the two-day event and were able to talk to and advise pupils with their career questions and career opportunities.

Pupils in Years 10 and 11 attended the event to assist them with their post-16 options and long-term career goals. Members of the sixth form were particularly interested in the assistance and advice offered from the Cambridge school liaisons officer who was able to share valuable knowledge about what makes a good University application with pupils.

The organisations that attended the Careers Fair were from a variety of industries such as catering, finance, the motor trade, the local council and trading standards to name a few. The Armed Forces were represented with all three forces in school and found themselves to be very busy and for their stalls to be well attended. Higher Education Institutes also attended the event including Trinity and All Saints College, University of Huddersfield and Cambridge University. The Higher Education Institutes handed out prospectuses to the pupils and discussed the courses available.

Pupils enjoyed the two-day event and came away with free pens, pencils and other promotional gifts, but most importantly a clearer idea of the opportunities available beyond their time at St. Wilfrid’s.

Samantha Pullan
Careers Co-ordinator

Army Exhibition North Trip

During the summer term 2006 a group of Year 9 and 10 pupils visited the Army Exhibition North held at Catterick Garrison Barracks in North Yorkshire. The annual three-day event showcases the different regiments, trades and careers available with the Army.
Pupils were able to talk to serving soldiers about their job roles, sit in heavy machinery and tanks, fly down a zip wire, complete a simulated parachute jump and join in many more activities that they normally would not get to do.
The pupils had a fantastic day and gained a lot from the experience.

Samantha Pullan
Careers Co-ordinator

Careers Team

Here at St Wilfrid’s we are lucky to have a well-resourced and staffed Careers Centre, which is located on the middle corridor in the Lindesfarne building. We have a variety of information available for young people to access including University prospectuses, career guides and DVD’s showing different job roles.

The Careers centre is staffed by Miss Pullan Careers Co-ordinator, Sally Hodgkinson Careers Personal Advisor from Connexions and the recently appointed Tim Dowey Intensive Personal Advisor also from Connexions. Sally’s job role includes advising young people on a range of options available to them both at post-16, post-18 and Year 8 pupils choosing their GCSE options. Tim’s job role includes assisting young people who have barriers to learning and offering them additional support.

The resource is available for pupils in all year groups to access during break and lunch times. If you would like to speak to a member of the team please contact through the main telephone number for the school.

Samantha Pullan
Careers Co-ordinator

Kickboxing Superstar Beth!

Who would believe that polite and charming Year 8 student Beth Billington is in fact a champion Kickboxer! Beth is THIRD in the World for her weight and has titles of 1st in England and 1st at British Championships. From Kinsley Hotel where she trains with tutors Ian Womersley and Debra Hicks she has travelled as far as Switzerland, Spain and Canada to represent her Country. Beth continues to have fun attending Team Strikes Club where she trains.

St Wilfrid’s Achieves Safe Mark Award

The safe mark award scheme was seen as a ideal opportunity to extend recent improvements in behavioural standards beyond the school gate.

The safemark consultation phase involved students, bus drivers, teachers, governors and local police. Safemark’s aim is to reduce unacceptable behaviour on buses and to improve the quality of the journey to and from school.

Joshua Angell and Valentine Nguhi, pupils from school, travelled with Mr Ray Rowett to collect the award from Councillor Mick Downes (Leeds City Council) at a ceremony held at Metro House Leeds.