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Month: June 2022

Year 7&8 Boys Cricket

Year 7&8 Boys Cricket

On a beautiful afternoon for cricket the year 7 and 8 boys travelled to Northwood CC for a match against Cowes.

Cowes batted first and the Medina lads bowled and fielded well to limit the 1st innings total to 51. All the bowlers bowled well but our fielding was excellent. Captain Fergus with a great pick up and direct hit of the stumps for a run out and Aaron G with a wonderful 1 handed catch with his weaker hand were the highlights.

Medina openers were Aaron G and Nick W. They batted very well and formed a cohesive partnership both playing some lovely shots and scoring runs. They both retired not out, Aaron on 19no and Nick on 10no. In came Fergus and Oscar who both batted nicely and were quick between the wickets. Ethan and Isaac finished off the innings and managed to get the winning runs.

Thanks to Northwood for hosting and well played to Cowes on what was a lovely game of cricket.

Mr Dye

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Head of School’s Blog – 10 June 2022

10 June 2022

It has been another busy start to the half term. I hope you all had an enjoyable Jubilee weekend. I have led the assemblies this week with years 7 to 9. The focus has been on Aspire and Achieve, the college’s strapline. I was very impressed with the uniform, attitude and behaviour of all the students and it was excellent to see the students nominated for the weekly subject awards.

On Tuesday I had the pleasure of attending the Osborne House Jubilee Concert. We were invited to perform at Osborne House on Tuesday evening along with students from Medina College and other schools on the island. This was to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Well done to all those involved. The performances were fantastic. The weather could have been kinder but at least it did not rain! Huge thanks to Mrs Peckham and all the staff who made the event possible. 

We have ten students from year 10 taking part in a programme delivered by the University of Southampton named Learn with US.  They will be going on Tuesday 14 June and the focus for the day is the development of research skills and will be taught and demonstrated through the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.  

We have two students, Blake and Twiggy, who are part of the 18 Scouts from the Island who have been selected to make up half of the Hampshire unit that will be travelling to South Korea to represent the Isle of Wight at the 25th World Scout Jamboree to be held in SaeManGeum, South Korea in August 2023.   Blake was asked and has accepted the role of Youth Shaped Champion, so will be representing his unit. There will be some fundraising in school to support this fantastic opportunity.

HPV vaccinations took place this week for year 8 and 9 students.  For the students who were unable to attend, there will be a catch up session towards the end of the month.  Details will be sent out shortly.

Thank you to all the parents/carers who booked appointments for the year 8 parents evening on Thursday 9 June.  The feedback from staff has been very positive.  The next parents’ evening is for year 7 and letters will be sent out in the next few weeks with details of how to book the virtual appointments.

It has been another full week of exams for Year 11. They have continued to be amazing in terms of their attitude and approach to the exams. A letter will be coming home with information about their last official day in school which is Thursday 16 June, after which they will just be expected to be in for exams

Congratulations to our top achievement point winners for the last week of last half term. Year 7 Kyle, Year 8 Bethany (second week running), Sophie and Brooke, Year 9 Eleanor and Year 10 Christian.

I hope you have a good weekend. 

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Head of School’s Blog – 10 June 2022

10 June 2022

We launched UCAS 2023 on Thursday 9th June with Year 12 students this week. If you have any questions, please take a look at the online support and watch the briefing (links below). 

Online support: https://www.ucas.com/file/603521/download?token=v-CjPu_c

Briefing: https://www.iwef.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/UCAS-briefing.mp4

Key points:

  • Sunflower is the keyword to link your application to the Island VI Form
  • Internal deadline is December 9th (Don’t wait)
  • Offers are received normally within a few days of application being submitted (Hence don’t wait)
  • You are allowed 5 choices only
  • Researching courses is the current priority
  • Writing your personal statement is the next step
  • Student service run a help session every Tuesday lunch time

If you are not planning to go to University, you need to be doing very similar things – your personal statement is the same as your letter of application, what skills and experiences do you have to offer a future employer?

If you are worried or confused about your next step, please ask for help. There is nothing wrong with applying for work and University if you are not sure – but doing nothing is a problem.

We are deep into the examination season now – remember to pace yourselves, rest and take time to relax and do enjoyable things as well as revision and preparation.  

Finally, congratulations to Josh Sunnucks who took part in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant in London. Details of his wonderful experience can be found below.

Have a safe weekend. 

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Privilege Seat Application Window – Academic Year 2022/23

Privilege Seat Application Window – Academic Year 2022/23

We have been asked by the Local Authority Transport Department to share the following information regarding the Privilege Seat Application Window for the Academic Year 2022/23.

If you have any queries regarding this information, please do not hesitate to contact the Transport Department on transport.info@iow.gov.uk or telephone: 823780.

Privilege Seat Application Window – Academic Year 2022/23

Dear Parent/Guardian

The dates for the privilege seat application window for academic year 2022 have been finalised. Should you wish to apply for a privilege seat for your child to use the school bus service you will need to apply between 9am on Monday 27 June 2022 and 4 pm on Friday 8 July 2022 for  children in school years 0 – 11, only. You will not be able to apply for privilege seats for sixth form students (school years 12 – 14) at this time. Please note that the online form will only be live between the above times and that applications received outside of this window will not be accepted.

Further information on the privilege seat process can be found online, here: https://www.iwight.com/Council/OtherServices/School-Transport/Privilege-Seat-on-School-Transport.

Please also note the FAQs, Code of Good Practice and Ticket Terms and Conditions sections available via this webpage. If you scroll to the bottom of the above webpage you will see the bus services for which you can apply. This information will be live from 9 am on Monday 27 June 2022. Should the service you require not be listed you will not be able to apply for that service at this time.

Do bear in mind that making an application for a privilege seat does not guarantee a seat on the school bus.

Privilege seat ticket prices are set costs as follows.
– Up to a full term £130.00
– Up to half a term £65.00
– Up to a full term AM or PM only £65.00
– Up to half a term AM or PM only £32.50

Should you have any queries please contact the Transport Team at the Council via email: transport.info@iow.gov.uk or telephone: 823780.

Important Points to Note
– There will only be 1 application window before the start of the academic year so please ensure you apply during this
window for your child to be considered for a seat.
– Information on bus services that can be offered will be available on the website from 9am on Monday 27  June 2022.
– We may not be able to provide an update on the number of seats available before the application window opens but
please be aware seats availability will be very limited.
– There is be a strict payment deadline for making payment. Should you miss this deadline, the seat offered to your child
will be offered to the next child on the waiting list (should one exist) and your application will be cancelled.
– Once applications have been processed by the Transport Team you will be able to see the status of your application online as well as make payment without having to contact the Council.

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Year 7 Literacy Week: The Tempest

Shakespeare’s The Tempest – Literacy week for year 7 students

An important part of our Literacy Strategy is to ensure that Key Stage 3 students are equipped with the key literacy skills required, and the belief that they can succeed, at GCSE level.  In order to achieve this, we aim to remove as many taboos about Literacy as early as possible and make it seem less daunting to year 7 students, as well as building their confidence with regards to school and their own abilities. 

Last half term we took a small group of year 7 students and immersed them into the Shakespeare text, The Tempest. Initially, students were worried about not being able to understand the words and the writing but by approaching the text through The Arts, the students soon became comfortable with the ideas and themes within the plot. 

These year 7 students worked with our resident artist Trudie Wilson, and English teacher, Mrs Smith to access this tricky text. Through drama, music and art the students were plunged into the Elizabethan text and encouraged to think about the characters and how they felt. 

By visiting the beach, the students were able to experience the atmosphere of the sea and understand and appreciate its power. They were able to imagine that they, too, were castaways washed up on the sand and how frightening that might have been. The beach also allowed the students to create some fantastic art works and to act out sections of the text.

When visiting the forest they were able to feel nature and talked about the language that could be used to describe the environment. Throughout the week they worked with clay to recreate characters to help further develop their understanding of the text. They depicted key scenes from the text by creating boxes inspired by Joseph Cornell and sculpting cardboard.

Back at school, students used their beach experience to compose a musical response with Mrs Peckham and later in the week, performed Act 1 Scene 1 with Mr Lyle to gain further appreciation of the text.

This project allowed students to break down any preconceived notions they may have had relating to Shakespeare. Students ended the week by producing an exhibition for parents on the Friday afternoon.  

Thanks to Miss Keogh for driving the minibus and Ms Ryan and Mrs O’Callaghan for supporting throughout the week. A big thank you to the Creative Arts Faculty for their assistance and unending positivity.

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Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant

Student takes part in Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant

On Sunday 5 June, Jasmine in year 11 was lucky enough to take part in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant in London with a carnival group from the Island called Shademakers. 

There were approximately 250 performers in their group and they all stayed in London on Saturday night, ready for a 7.30 am start on Sunday. Although the pageant didn’t start until 2.30 pm, they had to be ready and in position by 1.30 pm. It was a long wait but they got a close view of all the horses, military and celebrity buses ahead of them. Some of the celebrities they saw included Mo Farrah and Prue Leith.

As they got through the arches on to The Mall, there were cameras everywhere and hundreds of people, and when she finished the parade and got back to the dressing room she found out that her Dad and sister saw her on TV!

Jasmine received a bag, badge and souvenir programme as a reminder of the day. The whole experience was amazing and something that she will never forget. It was even more special as she got to do it with her Mum. 
 
Well done Jasmine! What a fantastic, once in a lifetime experience! 

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Year 7 Boys Cricket

Year 7 Boys Cricket

In case you are wondering why there has not been a recent Avengers film released, it is because they have been hiding out in our year 7s.  Yesterday our Avengers took on The Island Free School in a year 7 boys cricket match.  As it was a straight knock out competition the pressure was on, especially considering they were playing away on a very narrow and uneven surface which the home side practised daily on.  However, this did not seem to impact on our Captain America (Daniel P), who after winning the toss went against the norm and elected to field first. 

Like all good captains, Daniel opened the bowling and was supported by Iron Man (Wilfie), who with his lazer precise bowling accuracy made it very difficult for the home team to get going.  As the home team began to find their way into the game, the strength and unity of the Avengers eventually took its toll on them.  With Arrow (Shai), who from an impossible angle, fired the ball in from a distance to hit the only stump he could see in order to runout the opening batsman.   With the Hulk (Lincoln) bowling perfectly to frustrate them further, the home team stuttered in building a big score.  With Thor (Charlie) bringing the hammer down behind the wicket to stop anything from going past him and Black Panther (Liam) throwing himself all over the pitch to stop anything from going past him.  Whilst contributing with consistent and well pitched bowling, the home team just couldn’t see a way past.  When Dr Strange (Jack) got in on the action bowling almost a perfect over and making some impossible stops in the field when backing up, the home team just couldn’t comprehend the magic he could produce.   When Spiderman (Max) appeared, it was pretty much time for the white flag to come out for the home team thanks again to some quality fielding and bowling. 

With 84 runs on the board, The Hulk and Captain America came out to bat and you could literally see Nick Fury (Mr Fleming) on the boundary smiling with confidence.  Daniel brought his shield out early hitting multiple quick runs and with Lincoln down the other end shouting Hulk Smash (best line ever) and the score went up quickly for the Avengers.  With the game turning ever one sided, Captain America hit boundary after boundary and as players have to retire on 25, he waited until he was on 24 to smash a 6 out of the galaxy.  With Hulk starting to strike out more and Black Panther darting between the stumps after stylish shots, the score continued to drive up.  Even once Hulk was runout, Arrow came to the crease with some big hits over the top of the fielders.  With one over left, Arrow retired to allow Dr Strange the opportunity to come and take us to the multiverse of champions. 

The Avengers eventually won with 6 wickets in hand and four overs to spare.

Well done boys, excellent performance.

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Schools’ Concert for the Platinum Jubilee

Schools’ Concert for the Platinum Jubilee at Osborne House

On Tuesday 7 June, 20 Carisbrooke College students and 7 Medina College students performed alongside a number of local primary schools and Isle Wight Music Centre ensembles at a spectacular Platinum Jubilee Concert at Osborne House.

The rain held off and the large audience enjoyed a variety of outdoor musical performances whilst indulging in cream teas and picnics on the lawn in front of the historic royal residence.

Carisbrooke College band ‘PG13’ (featuring year 9 Luca, and year 8s Cameron, Lucy and Nathan) were first up from IWEF with their powerful performance of Green Day’s ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’. This was followed with a beautiful rendition of Passenger’s ‘Let Her Go’ from Carisbrooke College’s year 7s Annelise and Tilly.

Medina College year 10 group ‘The Antiband’ (featuring Charlie, Hannah, Khai, Toby, Oliver, Alfie and Talia) captivated the audience with their harmonious cover of The Beatles’ ‘Here comes the sun’, and the final IWEF performance was from the Carisbrooke College Key Stage 3 ‘Sing’ choir with their touching performance of Ed Sheeran’s ‘Photograph’.

The concert was organised by the IOW Music Hub and provided a fantastic opportunity to collaborate with other Island schools and showcase the fantastic talent we have here at IWEF.

We would like to say a big thank you to our trainee music teacher, Jake Winsor, who leaves us at the end of this week. He has superbly supported not only this event but many other musical opportunities in his time here at the Isle of Wight Education Federation and we wish him the best of luck in his teaching career. 

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Our Platinum Jubilee Unicorn

Our Platinum Jubilee Unicorn

Year 12 VI Form Student, Josh Sunnucks took part in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant, dressed as one of 20 unicorns.  Josh, one of about 200 performers for this section, was part of the Queen’s Fantastical Beasts performance arranged by Shademakers from Ryde. 

Josh regularly performs with Dance Vibez from Shanklin and Ryde and rehearsed for his role since February.  As it was not possible to have a full dress rehearsal, part of this was using webinars arranged by the pageant organisers.   Josh said that it was a long day, leaving their hotel in Wembley at 7.30pm and not getting back to the Island until gone 11pm;  he had to wear his 30kg costume, made from aluminium and plastic for about 3 hours.   Josh said that the cheering crowds were the best part of the day.

Josh, who joined us from The Bay Academy at Sandown, is studying mathematics, physics and business studies for A-Level, plans to go to university and sees his future in financial management.   Josh is already on the road to celebrity status having been interviewed by Hello magazine.  In the magazine he is quoted, “Being able to say I’ve puppeteered a unicorn will look great on my university application.”

Josh and his fellow puppeteers will be performing in some of the Island’s carnivals this summer. Well done Josh, what a fantastic experience! 





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Head of School’s Blog – 10 June 2022

10 June 2022

I am pleased to say that Year 11 continue to be taking their exams seriously. Parents/carers will have received a letter today with details about their leavers assembly and final day of teaching. I would like to stress again here how important it is that they remain focused until their last exam, particularly after their leavers assembly. Arriving on time is essential, so please ensure that they allow extra time for travel if traffic is likely to be busy. Students should continue to contact their subject teachers with any questions or requests for support if they need it. 

Some of our students had the honour of performing at Osborne House on Tuesday evening with students from Carisbrooke College and a number of Island Primary Schools at the Junior Prom, celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. All of the performances were fantastic, showcasing some exceptional talent. The students had clearly worked very hard and they should be proud of themselves for their performances; we are very proud of them. 

Thank you to all of the Year 8 parents/carers who took part in Parents’ Evening this week. These events are always important as they offer the opportunity to discuss your child’s progress. Year 7 parents/carers will be receiving a letter in the next couple of weeks with links to book appointments regarding your children. 

Year 10 trial exams are w/c 27 June. Students will receive information from their year team over the next couple of weeks and will also have a message about exam logistics, protocol and behavioural expectations explained in assembly the week before. We will be treating these as an opportunity for the Year 10 students to experience the same exam conditions that their Year 11 peers are currently working to. 

A copy of the letter previously sent to parents/carers regarding Friday 16 June and Monday 20 June can be found here. Please use this link to access traffic relating to the IW Festival. The one way system will be in place from 10 am on Wednesday 15 June 2022 until 4 pm on Monday 20 June 2022. 

Finally, a plea from me about the car park/bus loop at the end of the school day. It is exceptionally busy with lots of students, cars and buses. Please drive slowly and be extra aware when manoeuvring of the potential hazards. This is for your protection and that of our pedestrians. 

I hope you have a good weekend. 

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