BLUEPRINT September 2014

to a new year at BRGS, we hope you have all had a lovely

summer. A BIG WELCOME to:

all our new Year 7s who look SPLENDID in their new uniform and to those who have joined us in later years. We hope you’ll be happy and successful as well as enjoying taking part in all the fun activities taking place at BRGS this year

all our new Y12 who look equally splendid and who come flushed with success following the release of the GCSE results

all existing students returning refreshed and relaxed and ready for another exciting year

all new staff: Mrs Cassidy and Ms Greenhalgh both join us as new Deputy Heads; Mr Seddon joins us as Assistant Headteacher and Head of Maths; Miss Meredith joins as Head of English; Mrs Porteous and Mr Heaton join our Science Department – Mrs Porteous teaching Biology and Mr Heaton teaching Chemistry; Mr Webber joins our Music Department; Miss Parkinson joins our PE Department; Miss Palmer joins our Geography Department; Miss Gore joins our Technology Department teaching Food Tech; Miss Coulston joins us to cover Psychology for Miss Walsh on maternity leave and Miss Entwistle will be teaching Media Studies. Miss Yasuda joins 6th Form as Learning Support Manager.

our existing staff who have taken on new positions within school, we wish them well and every success in their new roles. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all parents and friends for your help and support throughout last years’ centenary celebrations, it is very much appreciated and we look forward to sharing another enjoyable and successful year with you. As you will be aware, work continues on our new Maths Department which will be an extension to the Clark Building. Work on the foundations has now started and we are hopeful for completion by the end of February. We are all very excited about this – particularly the Maths department!

Excellent GCSE results!

BRGS has continued its tradition of sustained high achievement with another excellent set of GCSE results.

Nearly a quarter of all grades were at A* level

Almost 90% of all grades were at A* to B, up from 87% last year.

99% of our Year 11 students achieved 5 or more A* to C grades.

97% achieved 5 or more A* to C grades including English and Mathematics

70% of our students achieved 5 A*/As up from 66% in 2013.

Nearly two-thirds of all grades were at A*/A, up from 59% last year.

Our English Baccalaureate figure, the percentage of students achieving an A* to C in English, Mathematics, Science (dual award or two single Science subjects), a humanities subject and a MFL subject, was 95%. This is a significant increase on 88% in 2013.

70% of the year group achieved 5 or more A*/A grades.

29 out of 147 students, 20%, achieved 5 or more A* grades.

20% of the year group achieved all A* or A grades up from 14% in the previous year.

A Level Achievements

BRGS has continued its tradition of sustained excellence with another excellent set of A-level results.

The overall achievement at A* to B was 61%.

The overall achievement at A*/A was 34% significantly higher than the national figure.

40 students achieved the excellent standard of three or more passes at grade A*/A. This constitutes 20% of the year group.

19 students, nearly 10% of the year group, achieved 4 or more A*/As.

6 students achieved 5 or more A*/A.

2 students achieved 6 A*/A.

Outstanding results came from the following students; the numbers show how many grade A*/A passes the students achieved at A level.

6 Mohammed Kouta, Anna Ainsworth

5 Matthew Hoyle, Asanish Kalyanasundaram, Matthew Lewis and Alexander Porteous.

Two of these students, Asanish Kalyanasundaram and Alexander Porteous, actually achieved 5 A*s at A2.

4 Ameer Ali, Eilidh Brailey, Robert Cairns, Thomas Grundy, Tom Helm, Carys Keeble, Thomas Kelly, Sam Kitson-Platt, Richard Lucas, Saumitra Mishra, Connor Rothwell, Rachel Service, Jack Starkie, Holly Walker-Dunseith and Alex Wilson

The results mean that five students will take up their offer of a place at either Oxford or Cambridge University. Gaining a place at Oxford is Matthew Hoyle (Law), along with the following students who will be studying at Cambridge: Asanish Kalyanasundaram (Medicine), Sam Kitson-Platt (Veterinary Medicine), Mohammed Kouta (Natural Sciences) and Alex Porteous (Natural Sciences). A further six students gained highly competitive places in the top medical schools.

We are very pleased that the results in our Centenary Year continue to demonstrate our sustained record of high academic attainment. Clearly these excellent results have required considerable hard work and commitment from both our students and staff, and we congratulate them on their achievements. There are many outstanding individual successes and we wish all our students well as they move on to the next stage in their lives.

Mr Porteous (Headteacher)

SIXTH FORM OPEN EVENING

FOR ENTRY SEPT 2015

THURSDAY 16th

OCTOBER 2014 at 6 pm

PROSPECTUS AND DETAILS OF HOW TO APPLY ARE

AVAILABLE ON THE EVENING

This evening provides the main opportunity to find out about the academic and enrichment curriculum offered by BRGS Sixth Form. All subject departments will be represented both by staff and by sixth form students currently studying these subjects. The evening starts with a short presentation defining the ethos of BRGS Sixth Form and outlining the application procedure. You will be given the 2015 Sixth Form Prospectus as well as receiving information about transport and bursary availability. The evening is equally for students and parents and is just as much for students already at BRGS as it is for those considering joining BRGS from other schools. Please put the date into your diaries and do share this with other parents who may have sons/daughters in Y11 at other schools. If you require any further information in advance of the evening please do not hesitate to email sixthform@brgs.org.uk or phone the Sixth Form Office on 01706 233400 between 8.30am and 3.30pm each day.

Please see below a list of the extra-curricular clubs available at BRGS this year. We hope you will

enjoy them!

EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES Monday

12.25 - 13.00 Years 8 & 9 Lower School Mooting 92 Mrs Taylor

12.25 - 13.00 All years Squirrel 103 Miss Dougherty

15.10 - 16.00 All years Table Tennis Hall Mr Vincent

15.10 - 16.30 All years Art Club 69 Mrs Brownlee

15.15 - 16.15 All years Orienteering Sports Hall Mr Willis

15.15 - 16.15 Year 7 Football training Astroturf Mr Spencer/Mr Jones

15.15 - 16.15 6th Form 1st 11 Football training Astroturf Mr Whyte

15.15 - 16.15 Years 7,8 & 9 Netball training Astroturf Mrs Kolbuck/Miss Parkinson

15.15 - 16.15 All years Girls' Basketball Sports Hall Mr Pigott

15.15 - 16.15 KS4 Street Dance Studio

Tuesday 12.25 - 13.00 Years 8 & 9 Lower School Mooting 92 Mrs Taylor

12.25 - 12.45 All years Music Theory Club Grades 1-4 Music Dept Mr Mercer

12.25 - 13.00 All years Christian Union 90

12.25 - 13.00 All years Music Theory Club Grades 5-8 Music Dept Mr Mercer

15.10 - 16.30 All years Art Club 66 Mrs Bamford

15.15 - 16.15 Year 8 Football training Astroturf Mr Wilkinson

15.15 - 16.15 Year 11 & U19 Basketball training Sports Hall

15.15 - 16.15 U14, Y10 & 11 Netball training Astroturf Mrs Kolbuck/Miss Parkinson

15.15 - 16.00 All years Pop Choir Music Dept Mr Mercer

15.15 - 16.00 All years Jazz Band Music Dept Mr Mercer

16.00 - 16.45 All years Chamber Choir Music Dept Mr Mercer

Wednesday 8.20 - 9.00 All years Junior Guitar Club Music Dept Mr Mercer

12.25 - 13.00 Year 12 Critical Thinking Support 92 Mrs Taylor

12.25 - 13.00 All years Astronomy Club 7 Miss Morris

12.25 - 13.00 All years Ukulele Orchestra Music Dept Mr Mercer

12.25 - 13.00 KS4 & 5 Amnesty 103 Miss Carney

12.25 - 13.00 Year 10 Creative Writing 104 Miss Jordan

15.15 - 16.15 Year 9 Football training Astroturf Mr Chambers

15.15 - 16.15 Years 7 - 11 Badminton (Girls) Sports Hall WEEK 1 ONLY

15.15 - 16.15 Years 7 - 11 Badminton (Boys) Sports Hall WEEK 2 ONLY

15.15 - 16.15 U16 & U19 Netball training Astroturf Mrs Kolbuck/Miss Parkinson

15.15 - 16.15 Year 11 D of E Silver cooking skills 41 Mrs Jackson

Thursday 8.20 - 9.00 Senior Guitar Club Music Dept Mr Mercer

12.25 - 13.00 Years 10 - 13 Debating Society 90 Miss Gauntlett

12.25 - 13.00 All years Chess Club 104 Mrs Ashworth / Mr Blacoe

12.25 - 13.00 6th Form Sixth Form Mooting 92 Mrs Taylor

15.10 - 16.00 All years Computer Programming Club 78 Mrs Sharp

15.10 - 16.30 All years Art Club 68 Miss Flint

15.15 - 16.15 Year 10 Football training Astroturf Mr Baird

15.15 - 16.15 All years Girls' Football training Astroturf

15.15 - 16.15 U14 & U16 Netball training Astroturf Mrs Kolbuck/Miss Parkinson

15.15 - 16.15 Years 7 & 8 Basketball training Sports Hall Mr Pigott

15.15 - 16.15 All years Concert Band Music Dept Mr Mercer

16.00 - 16.45 All years Woodwind Group Music Dept Mr Mercer

16.00 - 16.45 All years Brass Band Music Dept Mr Mercer

Friday 12.25 - 13.00 6th Form Sixth Form Mooting 92 Mrs Taylor

12.25 - 13.00 Years 7, 8 & 9 Language for Learning Leaders 7 Miss Morris

12.25 - 13.00 KS3 MFL support 83 Miss Jackson

12.25 - 13.00 All years Squirrel 103 Miss Dougherty

12.25 - 13.00 All years Gardening Club Garden Mrs Ashworth

12.25 - 13.00 Law Club 91 Mrs Reynard

15.15 - 16.30 KS3 Stitch Club 89 & 86 Miss Hartley/Mrs Reynard

15.15 - 16.15 Years 9 & 10 Basketball training Sports Hall Mr Pigott

15.15 - 16.15 Year 11 Football training Astroturf Mr Bradshaw

Every day 12.30 - 13.00 15.10 - 17.00 Years 7 - 11 Homework Club 29 TAs/Miss Robinson

15.10 - 16.30 Years 10-13 Drama rehearsing 81 Mr Neve

Hockey, Trampolining and Recreational Netball training will start in the Spring Term please

check the notice board in the Sport Hall. Support classes are also available for various subjects - please check with Heads of Department.

Music practice available any lunch/evening if required and if music staff available to supervise.

To fully secure lockers, please use a padlock with a staple bar at least 5mm thick and metal box approximately 4 x 3 cm e.g. Abus code 65/40. Padlocks are available from Fletchers in Waterfoot or any other DIY store. Any problems with lockers should be referred to Miss Robinson (room 8, balcony). Please ensure all your child’s belongings are named. We sometimes have a very high volume of lost property which we struggle to return if there is no name in them. Lost property can be found on the shelving units outside room 28 or in the Sports Hall for sportswear. Valuable items such as mobile phones/jewellery etc are given to Miss Robinson if found so please check with her.

BUSES FROM WEIR

The time of the 948 bus from Weir to BRGS has changed and is now running in the morning so will get to school on time! Also, if students catch the 464 service bus from Waterfoot to Bacup after school, there is a connecting Rosso 948 bus to Weir (see times below).

Thank you to all parents, families and friends who

supported sons and daughters in undertaking the

Sponsored Walk during the summer term. The

amount raised to date is £7,456.68 with gift aid

still to be reclaimed from the sponsorship forms -

a fantastic achievement, thank you! This money

will be allocated towards a School Minibus and we

will keep you posted regarding this.

Please return any outstanding sponsorship money to the General Office.

Many thanks.

Polite request to parents We understand that parents may experience problems parking around school and this may cause

inconvenience for local residents. We therefore ask for your consideration when picking-up, dropping–off or parking in this area to avoid minimum disruption to all concerned. For your child’s safety, we also ask that parents refrain from dropping their children off in the staff car park at the

front of school.

Thank you for your understanding.

Tues 16th

and Wed 17th

September Years 7, 10 and 12 individual photographs Sat 27

th September Entrance Exam for prospective students

Tues 30th

September HPV1 vaccinations for Year 8 girls Year 11 Geography Field Trip Wed 1

st October Year 12 concert

Thurs 2nd

October Year 7 Disco National Poetry Day theme ‘Remember’

Tues 7th

October Year 11 Careers Event Tues 7

th – Wed 15

th October German Exchange at BRGS

Thurs 9th

October Grandparents’ Day Fri 10

th October INSET DAY

Thurs 16th

October Sixth Form Open Evening Sat 18

th – Mon 20

th October Silver D of E Expedition

Tues 21st

October Year 7 Informal Parents’ Evening Wed 22

nd October Young Musician of the Year

Year 11 Lionheart Challenge Thurs 23

rd – Sat 25

th October Art/Drama Trip (London)

Mon 27th

October – Fri 31st

October Autumn half term

If you child will be late arriving in school due to a medical/dental appointment, please can you ensure they bring a letter, as proof of their appointment, to the general office when they sign in. (An appointment card/letter or a letter with parental signature is acceptable). Alternatively you can call the school office on 01706 234500 before 10am. For Sixth Form Students, please bring a letter to the Sixth Form Office or ring 01706 233400 before 10am. Please remind your child that they MUST go to the medical room if they are feeling unwell and NOT phone you before seeing Mrs Baines (School Nurse). Mrs Baines will phone you if she feels the need to send your son/daughter home. Please note that this year all Year 7 and 8 students will be offered the flu vaccination (spray up nose). Consent forms will be sent out shortly. Thank you

German Exchange 2014-15

Early October will see the third visit from our partner school in Germany, das Kaiserin-Friedrich-Gymnasium. Amongst other things, our 25 German guests will take part in lessons with their BRGS partners, enjoy a hike around the Rossendale Valley with Mrs Hughes and a day trip to York.

Should you like your son/daughter to take part in next year's exchange (2015-2016), please contact Mr Wyton (pnw@brgs.org.uk). We will be putting together our list of participants this term.

Deadline for Y7 entrance exam registration is 12 noon

on Friday 19th September 2014. No further

applications will be accepted after 12 noon.

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS – ACADEMIC YEAR 2014-2015

All holiday dates are inclusive. INSET days are holidays for pupils, training days for staff

MONDAY 1

st SEPTEMBER 2014 – INSET DAY FOR STAFF

SCHOOL STARTS FOR YEAR 7 & YEAR 12 ON TUESDAY 2

nd SEPTEMBER 2014

YEAR 8, 9, 10, 11 AND 13 START ON WEDNESDAY 3rd

SEPTEMBER 2014 Inset Day 10

th October 2014 1 day

Autumn half term 27

th October to 31

st October 2014 5 days

Christmas 19

th December (last day for pupils and staff) 10 days

Inset Day 5

th January 2015 1 day

Spring half term 16

h to 20

th February 2015 5 days

Inset Day 6

th March 2015 1 day

Easter Holidays 27

th March 2015 (last day for pupils and staff) 10 day

Re- opens Monday 13

th April 2015

May Day 4

th May 2015 1 day

Summer Half Term 25

th May to 29

th May 2015 5 days

Summer 17

th July 2015 (last day for pupils and staff)

Inset Day 20

th July 2015 1 day

School meals Parents are able to view what their son/daughter is eating for their lunch. Please contact the school for their UPN number.

Go to the ‘Parents’ section on the school website Click on the ‘catering’ link Click on ‘Parentscope’ You will be asked to create a user name and password and then enter the UPN number. You will then be able to view your child’s balance and all transactions from this page. Hope this helps. If you have any queries, please e-mail our catering manager Mrs Mawdsley on shm@brgs.org.uk