Terms 1 and 2 Newsletter December 2023
Headteacher's Message Dear Parents/Carers, The war in Gaza is the latest in a long list of potential reasons to feel downbeat about the future. But my day-to-day view of the future - at least the future as represented by students in Wheatley Park classrooms - has to be a positive one. The challenges we face, whether locally or globally, are going to require some collaborative work from great minds. And luckily there is no shortage of them here at Wheatley Park. Some of our Sixth Formers, for example, have recently formed the Dead Philosophers’ Society, inspired by their A Level Philosophy lessons. So if you want to experience our value of Everyone Learning when pushed to its limits, you may enjoy browsing the first two editions of their self-produced magazine, themed around Freedom and Chaos. While this may represent rather abstract learning, there are countless examples of learning being applied in positive ways, as Wheatley Parkers demonstrate our value of Everyone Caring. Charlie Clift in Year 11 provides one such example. As an active member of Teach the Future, a national student-led campaign group, Charlie has been advocating at the highest levels of government for better sustainability and climate change education in all UK schools. The leadership qualities exhibited by Charlie are also in plentiful supply at Wheatley Park. I would like to extend my thanks to our outgoing Senior Student Leadership Team (SSLT) and congratulate the new team (introduced later), who have already been busy keeping our end-of-term spirits up with the now traditional Wheatley Park Christmas Countdown. Hopefully, you’ll come away from this newsletter sharing my positive view of the future after reading more about the latest bumper-sized Santa sack of achievements from within our community. For now, thank you as ever for supporting us to support our wonderful Wheatley Parkers. I wish you and your family every health and happiness over the festive period. Tim Martin Headteacher Welcome to New Staff We are delighted to have welcomed the following new members of teaching and support staff to the school this year. A very warm welcome to the following:
Wheatley Park School
Laura Smith Student Welfare Officer
Emma Chadbone Student Services Administrator
Faatimah Osman Teacher of Science
Errol Prinsloo Cover Supervisor
Kelly-Anne Taylor Team Leader in Maths
Janet Bryce Teacher of DT Maternity leave cover
Keelee Edwards Progress Coach
Juan Liu Language Assistant Mandarin
Oneka Glasgow Progress Coach
Euan Tippen Teaher of Maths
Claire Ashby Teacher of Maths
Toni Sanders Progress Coach S2B
Charlotte Laisney Teacher of Languages
Jana Machado Evening Cleaner
Marianne Shepherd Science Technician Casual
Maxine Adams Progress Coach
Ruth Vickers Assistant Head of Year Sixth Form
Elli Bromley Teacher of English
Jonathan Self Progress Coach
Governors' message
Dear Students, Staff, Parents and Carers, Another busy year seems to have flown by. We celebrate with students on their excellent examination results for GCSE, AS-Level and A-Level in the summer. Well done to all for these hard-won and well-deserved achievements. The government has published provisional results for schools. Wheatley Park’s score for the progress pupils make by the end of Year 11 was 0.42 compared to an average for state-funded schools in Oxfordshire of 0.05. This means students at our school are making better progress by almost half a grade per subject than they would at the average school. More information is available here: www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/school/140875/wheatley-park-school This reflects highly on the hard work and dedication of staff, students and their parents/carers. Well done to all. As governors we continue to focus on the two key areas of the School Improvement Plan (SIP). Every student attends well, behaves impeccably and works exceptionally hard at all times. Every student is taught exceptionally well at all times We hold school leaders to account on and ask probing questions about progress on these. Students and their parents/carers who are familiar with the ‘Wheatley Park way’ will have detected a focus since September on attendance. There is a time for personal reflection weekly to allow students to think proactively about their own attendance which they can talk about with their tutor, Assistant Head of Year or Head of Year. This arises out of the first focus on the SIP because there is clear evidence that those who attend well, achieve better results on average than they would with more absence. Everybody has a role to play in ensuring children are attending school regularly and on time. Your children have only a comparatively short time at Wheatley Park, and any disruption to their education can have a profound impact on their life chances after they leave. If your child is struggling with coming to school, please talk to someone. It is always better to talk than to keep silent and there are many things staff and the community can do to help. Our dedicated school leaders, teachers and support staff continue to use the time freed up by the early Friday finishes to work on improving the quality of teaching. School leaders are working on developing staff to be the very best they can be in order to take significant steps on the second goal of the SIP. Your governors want to hear from you. We meet with groups of staff and students and also want to hear from parents/carers. This helps us to be sure that progress is in the right direction. Please contact your governors (using clerk@wheatleypark.org) if you have a query or want to tell us anything; although we cannot promise we can help on individual issues and may need to refer some things to the highly capable school staff team. We wish you all a safe festive season whatever your plans, plenty of rest over the holidays and renewed vigour for the New Year. Richard Cave & Caroline Williams Chair & Vice-Chair of Governors
Congratulations to all students who have, at the time of writing, achieved over 95% attendance in Term 2 or have made significant improvements from the last academic term! This includes over 30% of students that have been here during every morning and afternoon session and an amazing 73% of students that have achieved over 95%. These achievements have been recognised in recent school events including assemblies. The parent’s role in supporting this is not underestimated and we would like to pass on our thanks for your continued efforts during this academic year. The target set for each student this term was for them to improve or equal (if they achieved 100%) their Term 1 attendance. The full results of this challenge will be shared in the new year! To further work together with you to support your child(ren) to be here in order to be to be happy, healthy and successful we intend to start calling home each day for any student absence. This is in addition to you reporting your child absent from school using either our absence phone line (01865 877623) or the absence form. Finally, a quick reminder of the NHS guidelines (see here: Is my child too ill for school?) regarding when children should be kept off school and when they shouldn’t. Thanks again for your ongoing support.
Attendance: Everyone Belonging
ECO GROUP - Winter News Update
Lo
This year we have put on another successful 'non-polluter commuter breakfast', where we saw a great turn out of cyclists and walkers picking up a brioche bun and juice box in return for the carbon neutral journey to school. Most of these students, and staff, regularly use their own free and carbon neutral energy to get themselves to school and we celebrate all of them, who are lucky enough to live in such close proximity to school and take full advantage of this privilege. We are working with Charlie Clift (see headteacher's message) in a review of our curriculum in line with the sustainability goals set out in the proposed curriculum changes due in the next government. This is a large task and will take contributions and effort from many areas of the school. Thank you in advance for any help you are able to give on this front. We have recently had some great news with the Canteen. Having been given a new much more efficient oven they have now reduced the sales of plastic wrapped items by around 70-80%. The ability to cook a range of items rapidly as a result of the new oven is really a great win for the school and a big push forwards in the drive of reducing the plastic in school. In mid-November we launched a ‘sustainable present giving’ challenge. The Eco group put together resources for an assembly and tutor time activity heralding anti-consumerism and asking people to think before they buy, to make planned purchases of presents wherever possible to ensure that: a) they save themselves some money and b) they don’t buy presents that are going to be wasted / not used. The follow up activity for students showed a number of ways in which student might be able to make presents and or buy second hand items or set up Secret Santas. We have also put together (thanks to Kiera Murphy and Chloe Parsler) the Festive Recycling Guide (see picture).
Sixth Form News
Sporting success This month the Sixth Form have been showing off their sporting prowess across the county! On 6th December we visited Magdalen College School to play in a very competitive rugby match. Once we had established where the try line was, it made scoring tries a lot easier! James Hunter, Umar Abdulkareem and Kenzie Taylor (with a blistering run from the halfway line) secured our tries with Finn Hudson converting, securing a very respectable win of 17-7. What was perhaps the most impressive part of the day, were the exemplary good manners shown by our team, who went and shook the hand of the opposing teacher thanking him for agreeing to the fixture. The man of the match was awarded to James Hunter. On 13th December we travelled to The Oxford Academy to play in a basketball match. This was an hour of nail-biting as both teams took turns to lead and throughout it was neck and neck. However, in the end our Sixth Form reigned supreme with a final score of 57-50. It would perhaps be quicker to name those players who did not score but that might be rather unfair! The photo of the two teams (us in yellow) show the great camaraderie between the players....we did perhaps have a height advantage! The man of the match was Euan Barrett - though I'm sure there will be much discussion about this! We are looking forward to playing more sporting fixtures next term and continuing our unbeaten streak! Academic success University offers have been coming in thick and fast. Some of our students already have 5 offers from all of their universities. We have others who have been applying for degree apprenticeships and we are very grateful to David Walsh who has voluntarily come in to do mock interviews for these candidates, not quite as tough as 'The Apprentice' interviews but he wouldn't look out of place on the programme! We have had 7 Year 13 students shortlisted for interviews at either Oxford or Cambridge University for Computer Science, Engineering, Philosophy, Materials Science and Law. Students will hear in January whether they have been successful. Whatever the outcome, these students have done incredibly well to get so far in what is an increasingly competitive process. We are very grateful to Magdalen College School who have arranged mock interviews for all of our candidates. Social success We are very much looking forward to our Winter Ball on 19th January at the Oxford Belfry. The evening will consist of a sit down meal followed by dancing and will be an occasion for students to let their hair down following their mock exams at the beginning of January. Staffing success Mrs Weir who has been in the Sixth Form for the last 6 years (much longer in Wheatley Park as a member of staff and parent) found success in the job market and is now employed in the Theatre which she is loving. We do of course greatly miss her. However, we are delighted that Mrs Vickers has taken her place with almost a seamless transition. She is very much looking forward to getting to know our sixth formers. She joins Mrs Walsh who started with us in September from lower down the school and together they are having a significant impact in improving things in our Sixth Form for our students. Life success Students this term have been learning in morning registration, via various videos by Mr West, on life skills such as how to change the wheel of a car, how to mend a bicycle puncture, how to travel safely abroad, what the different mortgages are and finally what their rights are as employees. There are more videos to follow.... Leadership success We have this term said thank you to our Senior Student Leadership Team for 2022/23 - Estelle Nwadike, Kayla Helsby, Xavier Fernandes, Matha Block, Umar Abdulkareem and Kenzie Taylor - for the amazing work they have done over the last year with so many highlights but in particular the Culture Day and the Christmas Countdown. We welcome the new team for 2023/24 - Georgia Robinson, Harrison Josling-Preest, Kayla Liddiard, Katie Morris, Tomos Hawkins and Hari Dayanandan. We look forward to see what changes they are going to bring about in the year ahead. Mr West Head of Sixth Form
Mrs Vickers
Sixth Form News cont.
Library News
Mr Martin’s Book Raffle Thank you to Mr Martin for giving 5 copies of ‘The Night Bus Hero’, by Onjali Q Rauf, to some lucky Year 7 students. We hope they have enjoyed reading this great book. The next raffle giveaway is for Year 8 and should have happened by the time we break up for the holiday. It is Marcus Rashford’s new book, ‘Heroes’. It features 10 inspirational people who have had a positive impact on his life. He offers top tips and advice in the book. Harry Potter Writing Competition We had lots of wonderful writing handed in last term and these have been celebrated in the library. Here is a short snippet from one submission. This bit is a tense moment with a scary dementor … ”An intense cold burst over me. It was a cold that didn’t rest on my skin; it seeped through my flesh, flowing through my blood. It clenched and squeezed at my heart making it feel as though it might implode at any moment. I struggled for a last fleeting glance of what was happening beyond the growing veil of shadow but only managed to catch the sound of a short, bone-rattling wheeze before the gloom finally imprisoned me”. Congratulations to Naomi Elsworth, the author of this piece, and all the other fantastic authors who created such entertaining stories and poems for us to enjoy. If you have a budding author at home, they might enjoy this great opportunity at the Story Museum. It is a 3 week series of writing workshops for 12 - 16 year olds called 'Story Creators', starting in January. Book Club Key Stage 4 Book Club have been meeting Week 1 on Monday after school and are currently reading ‘Never Let Me Go’ by Kazuo Ishiguro. Years 7 & 8 Book Club will be following the Oxfordshire Book Awards from January, meeting at lunch time in the library. Please get in touch if you think your child would like to join. We have had a great response from students wanting to contribute to the running of the school library. They are now busy helping to make it a great place for everyone to spend time in. A big THANK YOU to everyone who has volunteered.
On Wednesday 13th December 2023 we welcomed students from Year 12 and Year 13 and from our 2023 leavers, to be celebrated for their achievement in GCSE, A-level, and BTEC external examinations in the 2022-23 academic year. This was a delightful evening during which subject leaders spoke about students who had embodied the school values of Everyone Learning and Everyone Caring throughout their time so far at Wheatley, and we had the opportunity to present awards to over 70 students. We were particularly thrilled to welcome back our leavers, as this Prize Giving marks the first time that we have been able to do so, and this is also the first in-person KS4 & 5 Prize Giving since 2019! One of the highlights of the evening was the talk by the guest speaker, alumnus Dr Sophie Fielding, who is a biological oceanographer based at the British Antarctic Survey, a government research institute. There she specialises in active acoustic techniques to resolve the marine ecosystem, addressing issues around food security and how the changing climate impacts carbon cycles. A particular focus is assessing the distribution, abundance and role of Antarctic krill, a keystone species in the Antarctic ecosystem, and she chairs and attends international working groups as part of the Antarctic Treaty process to manage this species in the wider ecosystem. In 2019 Sophie was awarded a Polar Medal for outstanding services to fisheries acoustics in the Antarctic, which she brought to show attendees at the reception following the presentation. Sophie also presented the school with a wooden shield of the research ship for which she leads the commissioning of the science capability (the RRS Sir David Attenborough, aka Boaty McBoatface); these are typically given as an exchange between vessels when they meet each other, so in return we presented Sophie with a Prize Giving shield made from Wheatley Park oak. This event also signals the end of tenure for Senior Student Leadership Team 22-23, who have had a brilliantly productive year. They handed over to the new Senior Student Leadership Team 23-24, who are already very busy in many areas of the school, and have introduced themselves and their committees overleaf. We are extremely grateful to individuals and organisations who sponsored Prize Giving, to everyone who supported the event, and most of all to those who supported our students to be successful in their lives as learners. Mrs K Clifton Rabone
Prize Giving
Senior Student Leadership Team 23/24
It is an honour to be elected as your Senior Student Leadership Team for this academic year. Our team is composed of six students: Harrison Josling-Preest, Georgia Robinson, Hari Dayanandan, Tomos Hawkins, Kayla Liddiard, and Katie Morris. Since being elected last month, we have organised the annual WPS Advent Calendar and helped out with the Christmas dinner. Although last year’s SSLT is a tough act to follow, we are confident that 2024 will be Wheatley’s best year yet! This year, we are excited to work closely with the younger student leaders who we have divided into six subcommittees, each addressing a key aspect of student life here at Wheatley: The Welfare committee, led by Harrison, is committed to improving students’ enjoyment of school and ensuring that everybody feels safe within our school grounds. They will take the student voice into account in order to do this so that everybody feels at home at Wheatley. The Careers committee, led by Georgia, will focus on ensuring that all students are aware of and engaged with the career paths open to them after they leave school. This will involve supporting when guest speakers who specialise in certain careers give talks as well as hopefully hosting a careers fair later this year. The Extracurricular committee, led by Tomos, will endeavour to support the clubs that are currently available at school as well as encouraging the creation of new clubs which might be popular. They would also like to work towards putting on a Wheatley Park 'freshers fair’ for the first time in order to advertise the wide variety of extracurricular activities that Wheatley offers. The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion committee, led by Kayla, would like to conduct research with students into what makes students feel like a ‘Wheatley Parker”, and then use this information to promote inclusivity even further in our school community. They will also take a leading role in organising the Culture Day which was such a huge success last year. They are also interested in ensuring that diverse celebrations across the year are recognised in the student body, and that students learn about festivals from other cultures that their peers are involved in. The Environment committee, led by Katie, will work alongside the Eco Group with a particular drive this year towards promoting anticonsumerism (cutting back on the number of goods we buy) and building an awareness of where our products come from. We have started by promoting methods of making homemade Christmas presents. We hope that encouraging more mindfulness when shopping will hopefully have an impact upon the worldwide waste crisis. The Charities committee, led by Hari, will focus this year on the importance of donating time, energy and kindness to those in need of it. The committee, alongside the Interact Club, will choose charities to raise money for over the course of the year through fundraising events like the December Christmas Jumper Day, the Variety Show, and the Sixth Form Pyjama day. We would like to wish you a very merry Christmas this year, and we look forward to working with you in 2024! The SSLT
The Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award is an award for completing extra-curricular activities where Year 9 students can challenge themselves to learn new skills and make a difference in the community. Last Year 101 Year 9 students took part in the award and we are so proud of all the amazing things they achieved and took part in. Students took action and made a difference to their communities through volunteering, improved their own health and fitness through physical activity and learned new skills. Below are some examples of the activities students completed for their award. Volunteering Litter picking in the local area Working at a local charity shop Supporting an elderly neighbour with walking their dog Supporting an elderly neighbour to maintain their garden Raising money to donate to a charity Physical Improving running fitness Improving strength and flexibility with yoga Improving fitness and skills whilst playing football Improving fitness and skills whilst playing netball Skills Learning new cooking skills Cake decorating Dog training Learning to code Learning sign language Students also completed a 2 day and 1 night expedition where they were completely self-sufficient, including carrying all their kit, cooking and navigating their way to the campsite using their map reading skills. We are so proud of all the hard work our students put into their DofE awards last year and we are excited to have 132 Year 9s enrolled on the programme this year. Gemma Sperry (Duke of Edinburgh school leader) Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award
Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award
Arts Department News
Our very own Lily Bone in year 11 has been taking part in The Oxford Playhouse’s Panto Jack and the Beanstalk this season. You can see Lily in the middle of the picture. Congratulations Lily for being selected to perform in the panto. You can also see Lily, who will be playing Wednesday in The Addams Family in February. Year 12 and 13 students had the opportunity to go and watch Woodhill by LUNG theatre company at The North Wall theatre in Oxford. This was a power piece of physical theatre exploring the issues within the prison. The students also partook in a workshop before the show and showed a fantastic maturity when exploring the content that was in the performance. Next School production: The Addams Family is in full rehearsals now with the cast learning lines, songs and dances. The band are in full force with the music and backstage is creating the magic that will bring the show alive on stage. THE ADDAMS FAMILY is a comical musical. ‘Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family– a man her parents have never met.’ What could possibly go wrong when the families meet?! Tickets will go on sale in January. The show dates are: Wednesday 31st January- Saturday 3rd February. We very much look forward to seeing you at the show. Christmas Concert: We held our Annual School Christmas Concert in our main hall on Thursday 14th December which showcased many students singing and families enjoying themselves. The PTA Raffle was drawn on this night and refreshments were sold by our PTA Committee. Wishing everyone a lovely Christmas time with your family and friends: ‘tis the season to be jolly!' Art: Year 7 students have been creating work based on the formal elements Line and Shape. Studying the artist Henri Matisse, students have created their own organic compositions based on his work. They have shown a great understanding of the way symmetrical and asymmetrical balance is used. Well done Year 7. Year 8 have been looking at the artist Picasso and learning about watercolour and pastel blending. They have created their own A3 copies which show a great range of vibrant colour and energy. The next stage is to design their own distorted portrait and make their own decisions about colour and pattern. They have had a great start to the year and we can’t wait to see what the produce next term.
What is the most Rock'n'Roll date of the year? Friday 13th of October. What did we do? We witnessed the spectacular second edition of the Battle of the Bands, of course. Sceptics doubted the event could surpass the magic of last year, yet, we proudly declare, that this year's showdown was nothing short of grandeur. Picture this: 300 guests adorned in their best gigging attire strutted through glittering curtains into a transformed school hall, immersed in darkness and smoke, the floorboards pulsating with music. The judges, looking fabulous, awaited in anticipation, while backstage, bands nervously tuned their instruments. Amidst the excitement, attendees indulged in refreshments, embellished themselves with glow sticks and face paint, and brandished inflatable instruments, eagerly awaiting the arrival of our host. Suddenly, the lights dimmed, the crowd surged forward, dramatic music kicked in, and bam! Mr. West hit the stage, and the party started. Introducing our esteemed judges - Tiny Martin, The 5th Beatle, Buddy Holly, and the Dancing Queen (Mr Martin, Mr Ahmad, Ms Dervey, and Ms Flannagan) - Mr West set the scene for an evening of musical mayhem. The first band, LRM, our youngest band ever, that formed just three weeks prior, captivated the audience with their style and confidence. The Humble Jalapenos, a band of four year eight boys, followed suit, leaving the crowd clapping along. Anemone, a group of renowned musicians, had everyone singing along to classic tunes. FREEDOM!, a band including a trio of sisters treated us to a powerful performance and light-up drumsticks. They tugged at heartstrings and left many in tears, setting the stage for an unforgettable competition. After a well-deserved intermission, the anticipation peaked as the second set unfolded with a gut-busting drumbeat, face-melting bass, and electrifying guitar that seemingly came from nowhere. Suddenly, Crash Control stormed the stage, inciting a frenzy of jumping, screaming, and headbanging - an unparalleled energy that left the crowd in awe. Enter… Bohemian. A seasoned band radiating confidence. They ensnared the entire audience with a captivating performance, culminating in a rendition of "Living on a Prayer" that had the venue shaking with the collective roar of lyrics sung by 300 people at the top of their lungs. The Jazzy Jeffs, with their exceptional talent and style, took the stage, featuring powerful vocals, cool trumpet playing, and a piano solo so fast that hands blurred - ushering in a wave of grooving and even enticing the Dancing Queen herself to boogie. The music this year reached unprecedented heights, setting the stage for the crucial moment: voting. Each audience member had one vote, while the judges' votes held the weight of 50 each. The fate of the bands hung in the balance, with hopes soaring high. Amidst the suspense, the Staff Band took to the stage, adding a touch of coolness to the evening. Finally, Mr Martin stepped forward to announce the victors with theatrical flair. Crash Control claimed third place, FREEDOM! earned second, and a resounding congratulations to Bohemian, the crowned champions of Battle of the Bands 2023. An encore from Bohemian topped off what was probably the greatest night in the History of Wheatley Park. If you missed this musical spectacle, let the echoes of the night leave you yearning for the next Battle of the Bands, a promise of even greater crescendos and electrifying performances! If you can’t wait that long, please keep your eyes peeled for some extremely exciting musical endeavours that are planned for this year. Please take a moment to read the thoughts of some of our Wheatley Parkers that were at Battle of the Bands: Maddie Bungay-Hill, Year 11 - Drummer in Bohemian When Bohemian won Battle of the Bands, it was such a proud moment for us. We had rehearsed like crazy, with lots of ups and downs, but since last year I can definitely say we’ve grown and improved. Performing was so much fun this year, and that’s probably the best difference from the last BOTB; it was just great to be on stage, with the crowd singing along to Living On a Prayer and all of us enjoying their enthusiasm, with the lights and sound pulling it all together too. We hope to come back next year and we really look forward to seeing all the bands that were so amazing this time play again, especially the younger bands who have so much bravery and talent. Stanley Timms, Year 8 - Guitarist in The Humble Jalapenos I went to watch the first Battle of the Bands when I was in Year 7 and it inspired me to start learning the guitar. Through school, I had guitar lessons and I have played nearly every day since. This year I asked some of my friends in my year group if we could form a band and we started rehearsing immediately. We were really nervous before we went on stage but all of the older students were so kind to us and hyped us up. Playing to a crowd that size was insane and we felt like rock-stars! I ended up signing loads of autographs afterwards. I also really enjoyed listening to the other bands. My band are going to keep rehearsing and playing gigs when we can and I really hope we can win BOTB one day. Tobey Felipe, Year 12 - Audience Member The atmosphere of the crowd was very lively, influenced by the bands that played, they were all very unique but each of them were equally thrilling in their own way. The students' bands were shockingly impressive and they played very well and you could tell, since they were practically electrifying the audience with their songs, getting everyone to dance and sing along with them. The judges were (mostly) very fair, all of them were very encouraging and positive. It was heart-warming to see the teachers get involved and appreciate the students’ music. But the teachers got even more involved when they decided to step on the stage and perform for everyone themselves. It was a spectacle to see them blast music and control the whole audience with their incredible stage presence. Overall I will definitely be going next time since it seems to get better each year. A heartfelt acknowledgement goes out to everyone who supported this event. A special thank you goes out to the dedicated members of the PTA for adding fun and energy to the event as well as providing refreshments. Additionally, a massive thank you, is owed to Niv Adiri, whose profound knowledge, top-notch equipment, unwavering passion, and tireless efforts truly set this event apart from anything typically experienced in a school setting. Your contributions have made a lasting impact, and we are immensely grateful. Keep rocking and rolling, everyone, and I’ll see you at the next Battle of the Bands! Jesse Lawrence, Teacher of Science, Head of Year 8 , Lover of Music
Crash Control
Humble Jalapeños
Battle of the Bands
Bohemian
Battle of the Bands cont
Year 7 Rugby
Year 7 Rugby We had a great rugby season this year introducing lots of players to the game. Some wins and some defeats but great experiences had by all. Year 7 had a steady start but as more players learnt the game in PE lessons, club numbers grew and their results showed their development. Next season is looking very promising for them. Year 8 showed how a year of club rugby really pushes players on, as they played some excellent rugby in their matches. Year 9 showed great team spirit with a variety of players playing in all matches, each player happily taking time on the sideline to give everyone game time. The Year 10 and 11 rugby team had a tremendous season coming together as a team in some tough matches under the leadership of Tom Livesey. The team won all but one of their games, suffering a narrow defeat to St Birinus. This group were a pleasure to take to fixtures. The Year 8s started the year with a loss to GFFC in their first cup game. The opposition were very good and expected to go a long way. However, the team showed great team spirit and determination. POTM Finley Bell. The Year 8s performed valiantly with only 10 men against Oxford Spires, only narrowly losing the game. No POTM for this game as they were all outstanding, so the award goes to the whole team! The Year 10s played a competitive fixture away to Cherwell. They were up against a tough team and a player who plays for Oxford United also, but couldn't find a way to win. POTM Charlie Berry. Girls football Our Year 8 Girls football team played their first Cup game just after our return in September. Sadly no progression this time, but if there was recognition for resilience, cooperation and team spirit, then it would go to you! The smiles speak volumes. Our Year 10/11 Girls Football Team also played their first Cup game this term. There was no progression to the next round on this occasion, but the team certainly provided a greater opposition than had been expected. It was a moment of pride for the team and the school when the referee came over to thank the girls for their exemplary behaviour - that counts as a win for us! With League games now underway, the team have made a positive start with 2 wins in their first fixtures! Keep your eye on the PE Instagram for all the updates for this team and all others! Year 8 and 9 Football League It has been a fantastic term for the Year 8 & 9 footballers. With excellent commitment to training, we have had several to select from and always have ample subs for tired legs. The girls' commitment to training has been rewarded, as throughout the competitions they have continued to improve their ability to link together as a team, as well as demonstrate some excellent individual skills! The first game was a game of two halves: we travelled to Langtree in minus temperatures and initially struggled on an unfamiliar surface, which resulted in 5 goals being put past us. However, the girls came out firing on all cylinders after their half-time chat and they dominated play in the second half, but unfortunately, against the run of play, Langree scored 2 goals and we only scored 1 (Ellie). The score ended 7.1 with Cat being awarded Player of the Match from the opposition. I was particularly proud of how the girls conducted themself, as the weather was absolutely bitter. It amazed me how resilient they were and how not one of them complained! The following week we went to Wallingford in what can only be described as biblical weather. This week we didn’t need to contend with freezing temperatures, it was just particularly wet! Once again the girls didn’t complain and just got on with the game. This week we were playing 11-aside, so the girls had a lot more space to work with. Whilst this was initially daunting they soon got to grips with it and took control of the game. Ultimately, whilst WPS had more of the possession, the score line was 2 all. Well done to Charlotte who scored both our goals and to Cat who took Player of the Match for the second week in a row! In the penultimate week of term we will return to Wallingford to play Icknield and MECE. I am confident all the girls' hard work will pay off and we once again improve our performance and hopefully come home with 2 wins! A special mention must go to Martha and Georgia in 6th form who attend training on a weekly basis and come to the fixtures! You girls are superstars and we cannot thank you enough for giving up your precious time. Year 7 Girls Football The South Oxfordshire league has started for the Year 7 girls. They have made a great start with amazing teamwork learning to play with each other. The squad has shown commitment to training on a Monday after school. Cross Country We travelled to Gillotts School with our Cross Country teams and had a glorious afternoon, made even better as the weather was kind. Some fantastic achievements to note, but also, important to recognise the support and encouragement from all members of the team to each other. Top 10 finishes for Will, Sophia, Robin, Angelo and Emy. Basketball The Year 10/11 were invited to play in a mini tournament at Wallingford school. This was their first basketball tournament as a year group and it was great to see so many students coming to practice to be involved in the team. Both games were played at a great intensity, with some great baskets made by Che Brown, Mukeah Turay and Heath Rogerson. All 10 students who came along played with great enthusiasm and determination and showed Wheatley Park in a great light! Looking forward to some further fixtures in the near future. Years 5 and 6 High 5 Netball Tournament In November we welcomed our PE Partnership primary schools to WPS to take part in their annual netball tournament. This was a fantastic opportunity for students to experience time at WPS alongside some competitive game play and on top of this our wonderful sports leaders were able to develop their officiating skills! A wonderful atmosphere and some great experiences for those involved. Congratulations to Wheatley Primary and Great Milton who will proceed to the final and represent our Partnership in the South competition.
Year 8 Football
Year 11 Football
Sports News
Sports News cont.
THU 25/01/24 Year 9 Guided Choices Evening 6pm-8pm
FRI 09/02/24 END OF TERM 3 MON 19/02/24 BEGINNING OF TERM 4
For the full calendar please refer to our website or follow this link: https://www.wheatleypark.org/index.php/parents/calendar
THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD TO NEXT TERM
THU 08/02/24 Year 7 Parents' Evening, 4.30-7.30pm
MON 08/01/24 INSET DAY 4 TUE 09/01/24 Beginning of Term 3 week 2
THU 18/01/24 Year 8 Parents' Evening, 4.30-7.30pm
MON 22/01/24 Sixth Form Application Deadline