National School Sport Week Roundup

Written by Gemma Long on June 24, 2022. Posted in Medina College, News - MC.

National School Sport Week Roundup

Year 7 & 8 had a great game of rounders in the sunshine on Tuesday! They were narrowly defeated by Cowes Enterprise College in a nail biting match.

All of our players gave it their all and we are so proud of their pride in representing our College.

Wednesday saw a fabulous afternoon of cricket, hosted by the Isle of Wight Cricket Board at Newclose. Well done to the girls who took part.

Also on Wednesday, there was a hotly contested Staff v Student rounders match. Huge thanks to the staff and students who took part. The student team were indeed victorious!

Huge thank you to Michelle Davis from Starlight Boutique for running an incredible dance workshop on Friday. Dance Live 2023 – we are coming for you!

What a great opportunity for our Year 8s Friday morning; a Volfsball activity session! This was the students’ first experience of this super game, designed by the Larwood family, here on the Isle of Wight!

Head of School’s Blog – 17 June 2022

Written by Karen Prismall on June 17, 2022. Posted in HoS Blog - MC, Medina College. Leave a Comment

17 June 2022

It has been a mixed week for year 11, with their exams continuing in earnest but also having their leavers assembly. It was a very emotional event for some (Mr Williams!), as it is the culmination of five years worth of hard work and investment. These five years have been different to those experienced by decades of previous Year 11s and I am proud of how they have risen to each of the challenges that they have faced and approached them with maturity and resilience. Please continue to remind the students that they do need to be in full uniform for their exams and ensure that they are on time. We are still here to support them so please do contact us and remind them that they can do the same if they do have concerns or questions.

This week you will have received the notification of our consultation to merge with HISP MAT. I would like to reassure you that this is being done with the best interests of the current and future students at the heart of it. I want the opportunities and experience that all students who attend an Isle of Wight Education school to be the best that they can have. They deserve it. We feel that this provides the opportunity to further develop the journey that we have started. Please remember there is a parent/carer FAQs document, which may answer many of your questions/concerns, this can be found on our website here. If you have a comment that you would like to contribute, please do complete the consultation form which can be found here. This can be a concern but can also be a message of positive support, both are important to know. If you have questions or would like to discuss your concerns then please email, anna.mursell@iwef.org.uk who can arrange a phone call with me. This may then help inform a representation you may wish to make.

Many parents/carers are asking about the return to school in September. The following dates are now set. Thursday 1 September, Friday 2 September and Monday, 5 September are development days. Tuesday 6 September is the first day back for what will be Year 7 and Year 11, Wednesday 7 September, all year groups return to school.

From Tuesday 21 June we will be pushing a bit harder on late students. In each half term, any student who is late three or more times will receive an after school detention of one hour that day. We are trying to remind students of the need for good habits.

As a reminder, this Monday 20 June is our reassigned Bank Holiday in lieu on the Queen’s Jubilee. Therefore, we will be closed to all students except Year 11 who are sitting exams. Work will not be set as it is effectively a Bank Holiday. As communicated, the buses for Year 11 will run as normal, both before and after school. Please continue to allow time for the one way system that will still be in place on Monday morning.

We look forward to welcoming all other students back on Tuesday, in full school uniform and ready to learn.

Enjoy the Festival if you are going, if not then enjoy your weekend and some sunshine.

Year 7 Girls Cricket

Written by Donna Keogh on June 17, 2022. Posted in Medina College, News - MC. Leave a Comment

Year 7 Girls Cricket

We had a great afternoon at Christ the King College on Tuesday with our Year 7 cricketers. We were defeated, nevertheless, we demonstrated some wonderful fielding, batting and bowling.

Mrs Tuck’s highlight was the non-stop giggling on the minibus.

We had more great cricket with our girls and the Isle of Wight Cricket Board on Wednesday. We played against The Bay and The Island Free School.

Great play all round and even more giggling on the bus.

Well done girls, we are very proud!

Year 11’s Final Assembly

Written by Gemma Long on June 17, 2022. Posted in Medina College, News - MC.

Year 11’s Final Assembly

On Tuesday afternoon we said an emotional farewell to our year 11 students in their final assembly.

Students were treated to a musical medley performance from our Maestros, a personalised version of Greenday’s “Time of Your Life” by Mrs Connor and a final performance from Mr Williams. They also watched a video montage of the students’ last five years.

Awards were presented for the final time for each subject area and each tutor group. A video was shown that staff had put together to wish the students well for the future and then, finally, Mr Williams gave a speech about the year group and awarded his Head of Year award.

After shirt signing, selfies and a treat from the ice cream van, students departed.

Thank you to the staff involved in putting this final assembly together to make it a special event for the students.

Award Winners

Award	Student Winner	Citation
English	Axel	Although a naturally gifted English student, Axel has still put every effort into ensuring his success in this subject; quotations have been learnt and extra essays and papers. As a result, Axel has produced some of the most sophisticated responses that I have ever seen. Very well done!
Maths	Joe	Joe has embraced the challenge of working extremely hard in Maths. He has used hard work and resilience to mature mathematically. He has become increasingly confident and this has shown in his assessments. He continues to work hard and is striving for the optimum. Well done Joe you should be proud of your achievements thus far.
Science	Joe	Joe has made great progress over the last 2 years in science, he has gone above and beyond in his work, always completing homework and classwork to a very high standard and because of this great work ethic, he has taken on learning work for the higher tier in his own time. Congratulations Joe and good luck with whichever endeavour you take on next.
Computer Science	Zach	Zach has been the most consistent student over the course. He has always worked hard and applied himself to every task set before him. I wish him the best for the future.
Spanish	Reuben	Ruben has shown a marked improvement in his confidence in Spanish over the last year, he is always willing to give an answer and his vocabulary recall in the last few months has been excellent.
French	Jess	I have been totally impressed with Jess’s effort over the past couple of years. Her French has improved incredibly. She has worked hard and been an absolute joy to teach and I have just loved her witty comments if not verging on the sarcastic side!
Latin	Georgie	Georgie has developed into a truly excellent Latinist over these last 5 years. She has worked hard , listened carefully , learned from any (rare) mistakes and she is now confidently translating passages that would terrify most Year 11 Latin students ! She has been an absolute pleasure to teach.
Music	Jake	Jake has worked tremendously hard throughout the GCSE course, and continues to impress us all with his knowledge of 70s prog rock bands. He deserves to do very well this summer, well done Jake.
Music Technology	Makenzi	Makenzi has been nominated for this award as he has made so much progress during year 11 in particular. His effort and attitude since September 2021 have been fantastic and it clearly shows in his work and results. Well done Makenzi and all the best for next year!
Drama	Josh	Joshua has progressed phenomonly in Drama, producing two performances of outstanding quality. Joshua is always there to drive his group forward to achieve their best. Throughout the course of year 10 and 11, Joshua has also improved the quality of his written work, showing clear and insightful responses to the exam questions, becoming a thorough and reflective performer.
Food Technology	Maisie	Maisie has gone above and beyond to develop her skills and knowledge. She has certainly taught me a few things about french cooking and the pronunciation! Well done Maisie it has been a pleasure to teach you. Very best wishes for the future.
Product Design	Maya	Maya has put 100% effort into her coursework and is always looking for ways to improve. It has been a pleasure to teach her over the last three years and I wish her the best for her future.
Child Development	Mia	Mia has shown herself to be a talented, determined and capable student who has worked consistently hard in Child Development. Her positive attitude supports her in ensuring that her work is always of the highest quality. Always able to make us smile and support others within discussion, I have no doubt that Mia is destined to be a huge success. Best of luck as Mia as you move into the next chapter of learning.
Health and Social Care	Kirsty	Kirsty’s hard work, good humour and teamwork has been superb this year. She has embraced the tasks set with enthusiasm and real desire to do well. Well done Kirsty, a brilliant end to the course.
Art	Alicia	It has been a real pleasure watching Alicia really progress over the past 3 years. She has pushed herself and shown real enthusiasm for the creative pieces she has developed. We are very proud of you Alicia and all that you have achieved. Well done!
Graphics	Alfie	Alfie is determined, enthusiastic and always tries his best. He has listened to feedback given and worked through challenges which have faced him. It has been a pleasure having him in the group and we wish him the best for his next journey.
Photography	Taylor	Taylor’s interest, enthusiasm and effort has not waned over the three years of the course. An excellent photographer and a great student to deal with.
Geography	Lennon	Outstanding attainment throughout the three years of GCSE. Fantastic geographic knowledge and passion for subject.
History	Rose	Rose has shown a fantastic work ethic and attitude in history this year. She always tries her best in class and has produced some great work. Well done!
Business	Ruby	Ruby has worked so hard on the run up to her GCSEs. She has attended revision religiously whilst pushes herself and never complains about any extras she has to do. Very proud to have taught her over the last 3 years.
Sports BTEC	Bella	Bella’s work has been of the highest standard throughout the course and her grade for her unit 1 exam was one of the highest in the cohort and that Medina has seen. Thank you Bella for your enthusiasm and consistent approach to the course.
TEAMS	George	George is polite and enthusiastic member of this class. He always tries his best and is willing to help those around him. I am very proud of the young man he has grown into and wish him all the best for whatever his next adventure will be.

Year 10 Duke of Edinburgh Award Final Expedition

Written by Donna Keogh on June 17, 2022. Posted in Duke of Edinburgh, Medina College, News - MC. Leave a Comment

The postponed year 10 DofE Award Bronze final expedition went ahead on Thursday 8 and Friday 9 June.

The three teams of year 10s hiked approximately 10km a day over the two days from Brighstone to Yarmouth, camping at Wight Camp. They independently planned for the expedition including the route, food and equipment needed.

The main condition of the Bronze final expedition is to be self sufficient and only supervised remotely. This means that the students needed to follow the route on their own as well as carrying all their equipment and food needed for the two days. All three teams did this successfully and to a high standard. They even seemed to have fun – I think!

The next stage is for the students to get the rest of their sections and activities finished and they will be receiving their Bronze award.

Well done all those involved. It was a great couple days and a pleasure to spend the time with all of the students in the great outdoors.

Year 7&8 Boys Cricket

Written by Gemma Long on June 16, 2022. Posted in Medina College, News - MC.

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

Year 7 Literacy Week: The Tempest

Written by Donna Keogh on June 10, 2022. Posted in Medina College, News - MC.

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.

Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant

Written by Donna Keogh on June 10, 2022. Posted in Medina College, News - MC.

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!

Head of School’s Blog – 10 June 2022

Written by Karen Prismall on June 8, 2022. Posted in HoS Blog - MC, Medina College.

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.

Head of School’s Blog – 27 May 2022

Written by Karen Prismall on June 6, 2022. Posted in HoS Blog - MC, Medina College.

27 May 2022

Welcome to the final blog post of this half term.

Yesterday, I had the honour of being one of the judges for our Year 10 Isle of Wight Education Federation Business Innovation Challenge. The students had been tasked with researching the breakfast market and then designing and creating a product which they felt could have a place in the market. There was a large variety of ideas on offer including smoothies, one of which was a full English breakfast smoothie(!), breakfast/protein bars, modified versions of cereals including some using locally sourced produce, some ethically manufactured and a new concept butter utensil for making hard butter easier to spread on toast. The students had obviously all worked extremely hard in their groups to produce these products and were very brave in showcasing them and explaining their reasonings to a group of staff and external industry professionals.

Year 11 are another week into their GCSE exams. Please continue to encourage them to use half term to both revise and recharge, so that they give themselves the very best opportunities when they return. It is vital that the students are on time to these, so please also encourage them to take advantage of the free breakfast offer in the canteen on the morning of their exams. Details of the Year 11 Leavers assembly will be shared after the half term break. As always the full details regarding exams can be found on our website, linked here.

Letters regarding Year 8 virtual Parents’ Evening on Wednesday, 8 June, have now been shared so please do book your appointments.

Please make sure that you are familiar with the plans for the IW Festival weekend. The letter that has been sent to parents/carers can be found here.

We return on Monday, 6 June and I will expect to see all students arriving on time, in full school uniform, with their equipment, ready to learn.

I hope you have a lovely extended Bank Holiday weekend when it arrives.