July 2022 - Page 2 of 4 - Penwortham Girls' High School

Year 9 BTEC Media Group Visit to Media City/Salford University

Posted on July 18, 2022 by Michelle Murray

Year 9 BTEC Media Group visit to Media City/Salford University

On the 27^th June, the new year 9 option group had a fantastic day out visiting Salford University at Media City. They worked in two groups to research, produce and present either a radio or TV news programme.

The girls worked really hard to write and research before rehearsing and presenting in the TV and radio studios. They were given the chance to use industry standard equipment throughout the day in order to make their final news bulletins. They were then given a short tour of the area. This included seeing where a variety of TV and radio programmes such as ‘Match of the Day’ and ‘Granada News’ are produced. It was wonderful to see so many of the students enthusiastic about career possibilities in the media sector and many asked some great questions to gain a better insight into university courses that they could apply for.

Mrs L. Gornall

Design and Technology

Computing – Summer Term News 2022

Posted on July 18, 2022July 19, 2022 by Michelle Murray

Key Stage 3 Computing

Year 7 have been investigating binary and python basics. The python work builds on the programming skills the students learnt when they completed Scratch in the Autumn term.

Year 8 have been designing their own music festival and have planned a website to promote this music festival. The students have incorporated a variety of features into their websites, including scrolling text, videos and slideshows. We have been investigating the programing language HTML that sits behind the websites and look at challenging the students to write some HTML code to help produce their websites.

Year 9 have been learning about media and have looked at some of the theory behind films, looking at a range of audiences and purposes and also learning about different narrative structures and character types. They have worked in groups and have planned a film trailer for a teenage audience with a purpose of escapism. The students have produced their scripts and have spent time filming. They are in the process of editing the video clips and incorporating sound effects for the trailer and have a finished product. I am looking forward to seeing what the students produce as there are some interesting ideas and have been some interesting costumes!

GCSE Computer Science

Year 10 have completed all the theory for paper 1, Principles of Computer Science! This theory consists of systems architecture and software, looking at data representation including binary, hexadecimal and sound, learning about networks and how different networks are structured and work, this includes the internet, looking at security of networks and a variety of security issues and finally learning about ethical and environmental issues surrounding Computer Science including legislation. You have all worked extremely hard this year and I look forward to next year when we will focus on paper 2, and the practical elements of the course.

Mrs Bennett

Curriculum Leader for the C.A.T. Faculty

C.A.T. Faculty London Residential 2022

Posted on July 18, 2022July 19, 2022 by Michelle Murray

This Year, 23 Key Stage 4 students accompanied Miss Morris, Mrs Gerrard and Miss Scott for the annual CAT Faculty Residential to London. During the visit, students experienced the delights of London which included visits to the Tate Modern, Victoria and Albert Museum, The Natural History Museum, The Science Museum and The Design Museum.

Our busy schedule also included a stroll down the famous Mall and tickets for the West End show ‘Wicked’ which was a delight to see.

The trip was a wonderful success and plans are already in place for the next year’s residential.

Miss Morris

Lead Teacher of Art, Design and Photography

Life Skills – Summer Term 2022

Posted on July 18, 2022July 18, 2022 by Michelle Murray

Year 7 and 8 have spent several lessons looking at gender identity, sexuality and homophobia. They recognise the importance of equality and diversity and how to show respect towards the values, beliefs and opinions of others.

To tie in with Pride month, students had a look at the history of Pride and the different flags to represent inclusivity. They then produced a display and included sources of support.

Year 9 have been busy looking at the topic of ‘Health’. They learned more about the vaccinations that they may have had as teenagers and the reasons why, as well as looking at herd immunity. They also got the chance to use the mini Annie resuscitation dolls to learn CPR, provided by the Heart Foundation. They have then produced some information leaflets on what to do.

Year 9 have also been looking at health apps. Digitally Healthy Schools is a program designed to give young people access to trusted digital health apps to support a wide range of health areas. Students will be able to access the library within Digital Healthy Schools in the next academic year.

They have also had a look at some other apps and trialled an app for a week. They then wrote about their experiences and the benefits of using health apps. The best write-ups have been entered in to the Digitally Healthy Schools competition for the chance to win a fitness tracker or a £30 amazon gift voucher. Maisie W, Charlotte R, Prisha P, Libby W and Molly T, plus many more submitted some great entries. We are currently awaiting the results.

Finally, every student had the opportunity to complete a survey on Life Skills this academic year. The responses were largely positive and this will be shared in the next newsletter. It was encouraging to see the students caring and actively involved in Life Skills. They took full opportunity at having a student voice on the matter. I also have an army of volunteers ready for next year, who will be helping to raise awareness at parent meetings and parent voice, as well as other exciting opportunities. Watch this space!

Mrs R Cahill

Life Skills Co-ordinator

The Sound of Music

Posted on July 18, 2022August 22, 2022 by Michelle Murray

On the 13^th and 14^th July, Penwortham Girls’ High School performed ‘The Sound of Music’. This was the result of a tremendous effort from students and staff alike. Originally scheduled to be performed in 2020, before lockdown, the recasting and audition process began in February, with rehearsals starting immediately afterwards. The Sound of Music is set in Austria on the eve of the Anschluss in 1938; the musical tells the story of Maria, who takes a job as a governess to a large family while she decides whether or not to become a nun. She falls in love with the children and eventually, their widowed father, Captain von Trapp.

Maria is played by India A, year 9 and Captain von Trapp is played by Sea B, year 9. The children are played by Katie K (Liesl), Mia S (Friedrich), Aoifa C (Louisa), Lily S (Kurt), Olivia H (Brigitta), Libby H (Marta) and Jemima A (Gretl) with the children ranging in ages between Year 7 to Year 10. Mother Abbess was played by Katie T, year 8, who performed the iconic song ‘Climb Every Mountain’ with ease. The show would not be possible without numerous other key characters who were also absolute stars of the show, not forgetting the members of the orchestra who pulled together to create the fantastic musical accompaniment and the dancers who entertained us with their elegance. Overall, the performances were a tremendous success and a credit to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved. We hope that everyone has made some special memories which will be treasured for years to come.

Mrs Cattanach, Associate Assistant Headteacher and Curriculum Leader for Music

“Lots of talented, young individuals took part, however, it would never have been possible without the planning, dedication and effort of the staff involved. Lots of money has been invested in finding amazing costumes and a whole new set of microphones. Work from the students started in January and they’ve all been working diligently to perfect their roles by giving up their free time. Many months of collaboration between our excellent cast has formed new friendships and bonds which were made evident when the chemistry on stage was obviously displayed. Despite some hard and stressful times, we pulled through together and the outcome was an incredible performance.” Emma B and Katie K (Year 10).

“It has been a joy to take part in ‘The Sound of Music’ after having so long without being able to take part in stage performances. Thank you to everyone in the cast and staff who have helped us to produce this musical.” India A (Maria)

Sports Day

Posted on July 18, 2022 by Michelle Murray

On Monday, we hosted our annual Sports Day, a celebration of both sporting excellence and community. In uncharacteristically warm weather, each year group competed in both athletics and netball interform competitions. It was great to see so many students jumping, throwing and running to success.

Sports Day is always an inspiring occasion and this year didn’t disappoint. It was great to be able to cheer on the girls surging for the finishing line, and to encourage those persevering outside their comfort zone. Spurred on by cheering form mates and staff, there were some fantastic performances. Standout amongst our senior year 10 students was a superb 8 metre 20cm triple jump by Alexa L, a fantastic 13 metre 47cm discus throw by Olivia S, and a 45 second sprint by Lola U in the 300m. Our new year 7 are also clearly bursting with potential, with a number of standout performances, including a very impressive 1 minute 8 seconds in the 4x100m relay by 7RSN.

The netball tournaments were hotly contested with each form playing a round-robin of matches. Tight competitions in years 7 and 8 were eventually won by 7GFO and 8EHO, while 9SHS and 10SCH surged to victory without defeats! 9SHS scored an incredible 56 nets across their 4 matches!

Each form also contested a range of non-sporting challenges, including form banner, poetry and photography competitions. This was Katie T’s effort from 8KFI:

Once there was a runner from PGHS

Who experienced much athletic stress,

Resilient and determined she ran her race

Braving the heat, she was truly an ace.

The teachers cheered, so did the crowd,

Everyone at Sports Day was wowed.

Another Penwortham Girls’ annual event ends,

Remembered as a fun day with friends.

Due to forecasted high temperatures and strong sunshine, there was some last-minute reorganisation of the day, with fan zones relocated to maximise shade and the rounders component delayed to enable a midday finish. The rounders competition will now be held on the final day of term, so in 2022 at least, we don’t have to wait a full year to relieve the thrills and spills of sporting competition! Roll on Tuesday…

Mr Ward

Senior Assistant Headteacher

Governors News – Summer Term 2022

Posted on July 18, 2022 by Michelle Murray

There are always some elements of the summer term that are quite stressful, but always many that we enjoy! It is that balance that makes the life of this school so enjoyable.

Our Year 11s made it through the stress of final GCSE exams and came out the other side relatively unscathed; we now look forward with anticipation to see if they have realised their ambitions when the results are published in August. Many parents will have gone through the stress of finding that ‘right’ dress for the final event also, not to mention the hair, tan and nails! All other year groups have received acknowledgement of their learning this year too and we love to see the results of all the hard work. Governors have approved the 2022/23 budget and finalised the outturn statement for 2021/22. We have, as a governing board, started to consider the implications of the White Paper ‘Opportunity for All’ and the SEND Green Paper both presented to government this term, and we will continue to discuss educational issues raised by them in the context of what is in the best interests of Penwortham Girls’ High School.

On the positive side, summer allows for reflection on the successes of the year and we look forward to the new year to come. As I write this, we have just celebrated Sports’ Day successes, its format altered slightly to cater for the heat, and the team spirit it engenders too. Well done to all who took part whether spectator, participant or helper. Last week, staff confirmed senior student roles for next year; thank you to the outgoing year 11s who have performed their roles so successfully and congratulations to next year’s year 11 seniors who we know will rise to the challenge.

This week, we also have the ‘The Sound of Music’ spectacular to look forward to and even though I have not yet attended as I write this, I know it will be brilliant; there is always so much work put into these events by so many staff and students (lots of them behind the scenes) that we always appreciate the final outcome.

Thank you to all of you (staff, students, parents, governors) for another successful year and on behalf of the governors, please let me wish you all a restful and enjoyable summer break.

Mrs Lorimer Russell-Hayes

Chair of Governors

Year 10 Work Experience Report

Posted on July 18, 2022 by Michelle Murray

Year 10 completed a week of work experience just before the May half term. Approximately 140 students went on a placement that they had arranged themselves with a wide range of employers including:

Marks and Spencer, Subway, HM Government (Civil Service) Ashleigh Nursery, Lancashire Constabulary, Cats Protection League, Eric Wright Construction, Rascals Party and Play Centre, Eddie Stobart, UCLAN, Brookfield Equestrian Centre, Penwortham Pharmacy and Studio 28.

Many of these placements were arranged and facilitated by parents and I’m very grateful for the support they provided.

Another group of students completed a series of virtual placements with Adecco, FineToothComb and National Nuclear Laboratories. Several more of our students returned to their old primary schools to see what education is like from ‘the other side’!

Work Experience is a vital opportunity for students to develop new skills and be pushed out of their comfort zone. Here are some of our students thoughts before they went out on their placement:

“I am excited to face new set of challenges and being more independent.”

“I’m hoping to become more confident speaking to people I don’t know.”

“I am looking forward to helping others and being in a new environment.”

“I know that work is a lot different to school, and whilst some of the skills like time management are needed in both, I’m looking forward to developing some of my weaker skills like communication.”

“I am looking forward to seeing if this is something I would like to do in the future! I am hoping to develop my communication skills and my ability to work as part of team.”

“It will be different to a normal school day structure and interesting to see how a day is different in a work place.”

So one week later, what had our Year 10s learnt about the workplace and themselves?

Here are just some of their reflections:

“Now that I have had a taste of work life, I will never say to my mum that working is easier than school!”

“I have learnt how important it is to have certain skills for certain jobs especially having the skill of patience and resilience.”

“The people that I have been working with have been amazing and truly made me feel comfortable and a part of the team.”

“I loved this experience as we got to feel like adults for a whole week.”

“I think doing the work experience online has been very effective.”

“It was surprisingly fun and I have learned to be more patient with other people.”

“I believe work experience has helped my confidence a lot and has set my standards higher.”

“Work experience has definitely not put me off being a criminal lawyer or prison law solicitor. I loved it.”

“I feel sad that I’m no longer going to work there. I really enjoyed it.”

“Overall, this week of work experience helped me gain confidence, responsibility, appreciation for small companies and how to work in a team.”

The feedback from the employers was glowing, with students being described as:

“A huge asset”

“Professional at all times”

“A* from us!”

“An excellent member of the team.”

“A credit to herself and the school.”

“There is a job waiting here for her!”

“We would love to see her again.”

“Intuitive and confident.”

I’m really proud of all our Year 10 students for making such a success of work experience and for being excellent ambassadors for PGHS.

Mr Ramsdale

Senior Assistant Headteacher

Passport Walks

Posted on July 18, 2022 by Michelle Murray

Students in years 7-10 recently participated in a series of passport walks, raising money for the charity Sleap (www.sleap.co.uk), who help vulnerable young people in the South Ribble area. In total 600 students took part in the event, with students exploring a range of locations in our local area. Year 7 showed resilience to complete a 6 mile circular walk around Rivington Pike, experiencing some inclement weather along the way. Year 8 hiked around Entwistle and Turton reservoir on a 7 mile route. Year 9 walked from Tarleton to Burscough along the canal towpath. Finally, Year 10 students completed the 9 mile walk from Lytham to Blackpool. The students represented our school superbly on the walks, and were complemented on several occasions by curious members of the public. It was pleasing to see students supporting each other during the more challenging parts of the walks, and showed resilience when the weather became less agreeable. The final total amount raised for charity is not yet known as donations are still being collected, however it will be announced in a future newsletter. I would like to thank all of the staff who volunteered to support the students during the walks and due to their enthusiasm ensured everyone had a safe and enjoyable experience.

Mr Herbert

Associate Assistant Headteacher

Year 11 Valedictory Dinner

Posted on July 12, 2022July 12, 2022 by Michelle Murray

The year 11 Valedictory Dinner took place on Tuesday 28^th June at Barton Manor Hotel. The evening was a great success. The students all really enjoyed it and certainly threw themselves into a good boogie on the dance floor!

Arrivals at Prom are always spectacular and this year was no exception. It was great to see them all looking so amazing and I dread to think what time preparations had begun earlier in the afternoon (or morning!). Mr Dever was on hand to snap some amazing pictures of the girls as they arrived and there were a lot of very proud staff and parents watching on.

Prior to the meal, it was great to chat to the students. The photo booth and the portrait photographer were busy supplying mementos of the evening. Dinner was delicious and soon after, DJ Keith got the party started! The dance floor started quiet but it didn’t stay that way for long; it felt like every student was packed onto it towards the end. The dance floor took such a pounding, it felt like year 11 were going to bounce right through it at one point!

It was a fantastic evening with lots of happy (and very sweaty) faces as we saw guests off at around 11:30pm. The evening was a fabulous finale to their time at Penwortham Girls’ and more than well-deserved following all their hard work over this challenging couple of years. We look forward to seeing them all again on results day.

Mr Bowles, Head of Year 11