Staff are invited to nominate students who have demonstrated a Growth Mindset in the past few weeks. This might have been in lessons, in clubs, in tutor time or simply around school. Please note we already award bi-annual subject badges and merits for good academic work, effort and improvement. These Growth Mindset nominations recognise those who show resilience (academic or otherwise); who aren’t afraid to get things wrong and learn from it; those who have a go, take themselves out of their comfort zone or show that even if a task is tough they will persevere.

On the 12 August, I competed in the England Golf National Women’s Medal Final at Woodhall Spa Golf Club on the Hotchkin course. I had qualified for this from a regional event in early June at Stanton on the Wolds which I won.  

In the evening of the 11 August, a gala dinner was held at the club to celebrate women’s golf week. It was here that I was presented with the trophy for winning my qualifying event. All of the participants in the final were given a free night in the Petwood Hotel with breakfast on the morning of the event and lunch following their round of golf. 

The Hotchkin course is known to be one of the most difficult in the country. I had not played the course before and so was feeling a little apprehensive, especially as it is well known for having 143 bunkers. However, I soon relaxed and enjoyed the challenge of playing a new course. I played 7 under my handicap which was good enough to win the final.   

Sophie 11L

Huge Congratulations from the English Department to Ellie who has this week been informed that she will have a poem published in the Young Writer’s upcoming showcase collection.

Her poem, ‘The Rain’ has won a certificate of Merit and was highly commended by the judges. The English Department normally has several competitions advertised within the department – please ask for details.

Mr J Cassidy

Subject Leader - English

On Wednesday 14 and Friday 16 September, the Year 11 Geography students visited North Norfolk. This was to develop our knowledge and understanding of coastal landforms and to facilitate our collection of primary data for the GCSE course.

The first destination was to Morston Quay. From here the group on Wednesday were able to participate on a boat trip to Blakeney point which is an example of a depositional landform called a spit.  We learned about the process of coastal transportation which is called longshore drift and the role of deposition in the formation of spit. The boat was amazing, and we saw loads of seals flopping around on the end of the spit, bathing in the sun, which was a real highlight!

Unfortunately, the Geographers who visited Norfolk on the Friday experienced extremely strong winds meaning the boat trip was cancelled. Instead, a visit was organised to the Norfolk Wildlife Trust Cley Marshes. The students visited some hides in the reserve and learnt about salt marsh succession and its role in coastal management. There was also a quick visit to Cley Beach where huge destructive waves were depositing shingle.

In the afternoon we visited Hunstanton, also known as “Sunny Hunny”. Here we observed the iconic stripy sedimentary cliffs made of carstone and chalk. We learnt about the formation of the wave-cut platform at the base of the cliff. We then calculated the height of the cliff using a clinometer and trigonometry. We discussed the importance of coastal management and how and why the seaside town of Hunstanton should have sea defences.

Finally. we spent time measuring the height of the groynes along the beach comparing the north and south ends. We also measured the long axis of different pebble samples and categorised their angularity.

Overall, it was really enjoyable fieldtrip, particularly as after carrying out all of the data collection, we were allowed some free time to eat lots of doughnuts, chips and ice cream! A great end to our day in Sunny Hunny!

Ellie 11F

Congratulations to sisters Lucy 13L and Charlie 12F who competed in the North of England Sprint Championships at Hollingworth Lake, representing Doncaster Schools Rowing Association. They won all of their events. 

Lucy participated in the womens coxless quad and WJ18 double. 

Charlie participated in the WJ18 coxless quad and WJ18 double. 

It was the first time they have competed together in a double. Good luck for the future!

The High School is proud to offer a wide and varied selection of extracurricular clubs and the Freshers' Fayre a couple of weeks ago gave all our students the opportunity to browse the Clubs’ stalls and sign up. Extracurricular activities play a vital role in shaping young people and can greatly enhance their overall school experiences by learning new skills, boosting confidence, widening social interactions and providing the chance to represent their school.  With the help of student volunteers and our great sixth from subject prefects, our Freshers' Fayre marked the official launch of clubs for Terms 1&2.  There will be a mini re-launch of clubs at the beginning of Terms 3 and 5, giving further opportunities for students to sign up and try something different. Please scroll down to see the full range of clubs. Thanks for supporting you child to get involved.