Year 7 enjoys treading the boards in our Matilda production

Matilda the Musical was an outstanding opportunity to be part of and I was extremely honoured to be chosen for the lead role, alongside Polly C. It was a wonderful experience to be able to work with extremely talented girls, from various year groups, since this helped to vastly boost my confidence, not just for the show but in other areas of my life too. Rehearsals began almost immediately after auditions were over in the September 2022, which meant we had 7 – 8 months of consistent rehearsals. These took place each Monday and Wednesday until the nights of the shows – of which we had 2. The first night, Polly took the lead and on the second night I took my turn. Both nights turned out to be a success and our perseverance and commitment really did pay off and have had lots of positive comments since. That said, it did not come without nerves and stepping out into the spotlight was very daunting. However, with much reassurance from the teachers, staff, my family members and fellow cast, the show was a success and it certainly made me realise that performing is not just about putting on a dazzling show for audience members, but to also enjoy yourself along the way. With that in mind, I want to finish by saying that I thoroughly enjoyed performing on both nights, and I believe I speak on behalf of the rest of the cast, when I say that, with much hard work and determination, we produced a Musical that no one will ever forget!

Siena-Maria MH

Duke of Edinburgh participants enjoyed a day getting ready for their expedition.

As part of the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award, pupils took part in an expedition training day on Monday 27th March when not just the sun was shining – volunteers and participants alike had a fantastic day. The participants learned the theory of how to use a compass and practised orienteering on the school field. They experienced how to cook their planned expedition meal(s) on a Trangia and enjoyed their meals out in the sunshine. With the expedition rucksacks being almost bigger than some of the participants, they were shown how to correctly pack and adjust their rucksacks for safe carrying, and to avoid being tipped over in the process. The day finished with pitching tents with a record time of 7 minutes for the first group. Pulling together and helping each other out was one of the big aims for participants and this teamwork was clearly on show throughout the entire day.

A big well done to all participants and a huge thank you to all staff involved. Special thanks to Mr Underwood and Ms Blakey for supporting this day.

Mr D. Stevens & Ms T. Hurley (DofE managers)

Year 8 scientists design pyramids showing connecting food chains as part of British Science Week 2023

As part of British Science Week 2023, we designed and decorated pyramids to show connections between food chains.

We drew our pyramid net in maths and took it to our science lesson where we researched different food chains to draw on each side of the pyramid. We had to find food chains that were connected in some way, as the theme for British Science Week was ‘connections’. The pyramids were judged on construction, creativity, accuracy and connectivity. My partner, Babara and I won a prize for the pyramid that scored the highest in all those categories. We enjoyed this activity, learnt a lot about different food chains and it was good to see how maths and science can also ‘connect’ together.

Caitlin E

Year 12 attend a workshop to outline all apprenticeship options and help pupils register

The Department of Education are actively encouraging all employers to provide Apprenticeships at all levels of education from the more traditional Apprenticeships at 16+ to Apprenticeships at 18+, 21+ and beyond. A few weeks ago as part of our Year 12 Careers programme, our pupils were given a myth-busting presentation on all the opportunities available to them in the world of Apprenticeships. Following on from this, Bishop’s hosted an Apprenticeship Registration Workshop to help our pupils sign up and use the government website for all Apprenticeship opportunities that arise going forward. This workshop was optional – as another route to consider along with UCAS for our Year 12s – and about half the cohort joined in this active session. Our presenter, Becky Betts of Services for Young People, explained how to register and set up alerts for areas of interest. She also explained further the different types of Apprenticeships that exist nationwide and the wide range of businesses and organisations in multiple fields and disciplines the Apprenticeship listings cover. Top tips were given on how to search chosen fields and employers and then advice on how to apply. Our pupils got the interactive session to register and familiarise themselves with opportunities. This is all part of our Year 12 Careers programme focusing on equipping our young people with information about the many choices they have at 18+.

For more information on apprenticeships, visit our Careers page.