Warlingham School - News RSS Feed

Record Results at GCSE for Warlingham School

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Year 11 students at Warlingham School achieved their best ever results at GCSE and smashed all previous records. They successfully attained two notable government measurements of achievement, with 78% students achieving 5 or more good (A-C) GCSE passes and 64% students gaining 5 or more good (A-C) GCSE passes including GCSE Mathematics and English Language. 100% of Year 11 students gained a GCSE qualification.

There were some excellent individual successes with Sarah Cross achieving 9 A*s and 3 As. Sarah will go on to study Psychology, Chemistry, History and French at Warlingham School’s Sixth Form and hopes to go to university to study for a career as a vet. Bethany Souter, Jasmine Collins and Michael Wyllie gained 7 A*s and 2, 3 and 5 As respectively plus some B and C grades. Bethany and twin sister Hannah Souter, who also achieved great results, will also be joining Warlingham Sixth Form to begin their A Level courses in September. Their mother Mrs Souter said: “We are delighted with Hannah and Bethany’s results. Both girls are wonderful and have worked really hard to achieve these excellent results. The school has really supported them.” Michael Wyllie hopes to go to study Computer Science, Further Maths, Physics and Chemistry and would like to go on to university to study Computer Science and eventually have a career in the gaming industry as a developer. Elizabeth Jones and Solmaz Purser both achieved 5 A*s, 4 As and 2 Bs and Ryan Burke gained 4 A*s and 5 As.

Headteacher, Alison Woodhouse emphasised how students had applied themselves so positively in the lead-up to the public examinations and stated: ”Students have worked tirelessly with their teachers to achieve the best results”, she said, “as a school we have very high expectations for our students to do well and I am delighted that they have achieved such amazing results.”

Warlingham School looks forward to these and many other successful GCSE students joining its ‘outstanding’ (Ofsted 2008) Sixth Form in September and going on to accomplish even greater results at Advanced Level.

A Level Success is Outstanding!

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Warlingham School is delighted to announce some of its best ever A Level results this year and would like to congratulate its students on their outstandingly successful performance this year. The A-E pass rate achieved was an impressive 98% and the A – B grade % performance has also continued to improve to 43%. These results endorse the recent Ofsted judgement which again judged the Sixth Form as ‘outstanding’. This is further reflected in the number of excellent individual successes, with ten students achieving three straight A grades or better in their A Levels :-

Lizzy Maskey AAAB

Lauren Showler AAAB

Issey Amigony AAA

Larissa Baker AAA

Alex Bearman AAA

Stephanie Glover AAA

Peter Johnson AAA

Kenny McCarthy AAA

James Pursehouse AAA

Francis Stancliffe AAA

Another 13 students achieved 2 A’s and a B.

Lizzy Maskey who achieved 3 As and 1 B grade at A Level has accepted a place at East Anglia University to study Environmental Geography with International Development and hopes to go on to have a career in developing improved water sanitation in third world countries and Peter Johnson who gained 3 As at A Level having studied Maths, Further Maths and Physics will go on to study Maths at Bath University. Following on from her success last year at GCSE Level, Louise Outlaw, who gained 6 As and 6 A* at GCSE, achieved 5 As at AS Level this year and is looking forward to completing her A Level course next year.

Headteacher, Alison Woodhouse, said: “I am absolutely delighted with the outstanding results and pay tribute to all the students for the hard work and commitment shown by a very dedicated year group who have been a credit to the school throughout their time at Warlingham.” Assistant Headteacher and Head of Sixth Form, Rob Scott, was also delighted: “I would like to congratulate the students. I am particularly impressed not only by their excellent grades, but also by their wider commitment both to the school and to the local community as part of their Surrey Graduation qualification.”

Students will celebrate their success with their family and teachers at a graduation ceremony which will be held at the Hilton Hotel, Croydon in September.

Open Evenings 2009

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Art Exhibition 2009

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:00:00 GMT

At this year’s Art Exhibition you will be able to see a fantastic selection of GCSE and A Level work.

The GCSE students have worked on two main coursework themes ‘Surfaces’ and ‘Environments’ and produced a variety of outcomes including paintings, batiks, photographs and 3 dimensional work. Together with their sketchbooks, this work makes up 60% of their GCSE. For the Examination they worked on themes as diverse as Landscape, Pop Art, West Africa, Colour and Changes.

The AS Art and Design students have produced some exciting and impressive coursework based on ‘Autobiography’ and ‘Inside and Outside’. As well as large scale paintings they have created shoes that represent an aspect of their personality or lives. Their examination themes included Fur, Feathers and Scales, More than a Likeness, Figurative Toys and Intense Emotions. The A2 Art and Design students chose their own themes and worked through sustained investigation to produce some highly individual and imaginative work.

The AS Art/Textiles is once again a fabulous and exciting display of colour. They worked through themes of The Natural World to produce batik wall hangings and Line, Shape and Pattern to produce hats and skirts. The A2 students have once again excelled and produced some beautiful creations on their chosen themes.

The exhibition will culminate in a private viewing on Thursday, 25th June from 3.30pm to 7.30pm which parents and friends are welcome to visit. If you are unable to attend the exhibition why not check out the exhibition online in the 'ArtRoom' from Monday, 29th June 2009!

Warlingham Students Are Master Chefs!

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Warlingham School Food Technology department hosted this year’s Warlingham Masterchef on Thursday, 11th June 2009.

The Craft Guild of Chefs School Representative, Chef Matt Owens and Culinary Academy representative, Chef Bernhard Englehardt dished up a gastronomic master class to a group of Year 10 Food Technology students. The two award winning chefs, demonstrated a variety of dishes; Apple Strudel, Fruit Pizza, Leek and Potato Soup, Chicken Kiev and Broth, Seafood Pasta, Butternut Squash Risotto with Parmesan Twists, Salmon Fishcakes with Pineapple and Lime Salsa which the students had to replicate in teams of three in only one hour. The groups worked expertly, embracing new ingredients and techniques such as making fresh pasta from semolina and eggs and strudel pastry which they had to tease and stretch without tearing. They learnt to chop, blanch and prepare a whole chicken by removing the breast and leg portions, something that none of the students had done before.

Assistant Headteachers, Steve Day and James Jackson had the enviable task of tasting all of the final dishes. They presented the winners who prepared the Chicken Kiev and Broth with a prize and certificate. Mr Day said: ‘We have chosen these dishes as they ticked all the boxes. The presentation, taste and texture are all excellent - even the seasoning is spot on. Fantastic, and expertly prepared by the students.’

This annual event is organised by Business & Enterprise and Food Technology teacher, Sue Powell in conjunction with the Craft Guild of Chefs representatives who give up their time to promote catering as a career choice, reinforce the benefits of healthy eating and support the school’s Healthy Schools status. Chef Matt Owens said: ‘It’s great to be back at Warlingham School. We are really pleased that this event engages young people and inspires them to want to prepare and enjoy good, wholesome, delicious food.’

Matt Owens and Bernhard Englehardt were recently honoured by the Guild during their AGM held in April and were presented with Gold and Silver Medals respectively for their commitment and loyalty. Bernhard Englehardt said: ‘The real prize for us is finding out that previous participants of Warlingham Masterchef have gone on to catering college. We are very pleased that this event impacts on the students and has had such a positive and lifelong effect.’

'Take A Seat' - Warlingham School Show

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:00:00 GMT

The show is a series of inter-linking stories about life, love, family and human experience. The storylines are linked to and initially based around a particular location - a park bench, and the variety of life which has come into contact with it. 'Take A Seat' has been devised, created and performed by students involved from Years 7 to 13 under the direction of the Drama department. The poster was designed by Year 13 student, Amy Edwards-Green.

The show will take place from Thursday, 18th June through to Saturday, 20th June 2009 and performances will start at 7.30pm. Tickets are available for students to buy from the Drama Studio during break and lunch times. Adults £5.00 and children/concessions £3.50.

Are you eligible to receive £30 per week?

Wed, 3 Jun 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Year 11 students who are planning on continuing their education should check to see if they are eligible to apply for EMA (Education Maintenance Allowance). If you are 16-18 and in full-time education or on a recognised apprenticeship scheme and your household income is below £30,810 then you should be entitled to an EMA payment of up to £30 per week.

Application packs are available online at ema.direct.gov.uk or by calling the Learner Support Helpline on 0800 121 8989. Students planning to study at Warlingham Sixth Form will be able to collect application packs in school during the induction (24th & 25th June) and enrolment days.

If any Year 11 student has not yet organised a college course or employment/apprenticeship for when they have finished school please contact Judith Shuttleworth or Karen Ip at the Connexions Centre in Redhill on 01737 773801 for support and advice.

Boost Your Revision!

Thu, 21 May 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Warlingham School will open their doors during the half term holiday to students sitting public examinations. A series of 'booster' sessions have been organised by staff to support students' individual revision timetables. Students wishing to benefit from these extra-curricular revision lessons should consult the list below and attend any relevant sessions. Some focussed sessions have been organised for students who have been specifically invited by the subject teacher. A section has also been created on the website where some departments have uploaded past papers and useful revision material which can be found by clicking on INFORMATION>REVISION MATERIAL> and selecting the subject department required.

HALF-TERM REVISION SESSIONS

TUESDAY, 26TH MAY 2009 :

Chemistry – A Level 9am to 4pm in C22a with Mr Moore - Click here for further information

Government & Politics – Year 13 - 9am to 2pm with Mr Johnston

Physics – Year 11 C/D - 11am to 1pm and Year 11 A*/A - 1.30pm to 3.30pm in A18 with Mr Watkins

WEDNESDAY, 27TH MAY 2009:

History – Year 11A - 11am to 1pm in B8 with Mr Bradwell

THURSDAY, 28TH MAY 2009:

English – Year 12 A/B candidates + Year 11 - 11am to 2pm in C9 with Miss Brown

Government & Politics – Year 12 - 9am to 2pm with Mr Johnston

HALF-TERM FOCUSSED SUPPORT SESSIONS

Relevant students will be invited to attend.

TUESDAY, 26th May 2009 :

Physics – with Mr Watkins

Applied Science - with Mr Randall from 10am to 2pm

WEDNESDAY, 27TH MAY 2009:

History – with Mr Dicks

THURSDAY, 28TH MAY 2009:

Maths – with Mr Raymond

FRIDAY, 29TH MAY 2009:

English – with Mr Hepworth

Budding Warlingham Builders!

Wed, 20 May 2009 12:00:00 GMT

This year and last year's Warlingham School Year 10 and 11 students who followed the Alternative Pathway completed a two year course on construction. One of the projects they worked on was a raised flowerbed situated on the school site in an area which used to be home to a tree which had become diseased and had be removed. The students worked hard to secure the site, lay foundations and begin construction of the surrounding wall.

It was a huge project for them to complete as they only had two hours per week allocated to the task but the result of their hard work is testimony to their committment and determination to see the project through. The students involved were: Grant Sandford, Taylor Cranfield, Nick Courtman, Jonathan Hunt, Josh Dickenson, Sam Goshawk, Lewis Martin, Lee Dance, Louis Everett, Matt Cavali Turner, Peter Holmes, Charlie Sherlock and Billy Taylor.

On 6th May 2009, Headteacher, Alison Woodhouse, officially opened this new addition to Warlingham School when she unvieled a plaque celebrating these students' hard work.

Swine Flu Information

Mon, 4 May 2009 12:00:00 GMT

>>Health Protection Agency

>>Direct.gov.uk

>>nhs.uk

Bike to School Week

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Monday, 27th April launches the start of ‘Bike to School 2009’ week, a Warlingham School Good Going Team initiative following on from the successful ‘Walk to School’ week held last year.

Participating students will be greeted at school with a free breakfast and hot chocolate drink having cycled or walked from designated ‘drop-off zones’ to school. Aside from the gastronomic benefits, ‘Bike to School’ week helps improve health through exercise and is an environmentally friendly way of travelling to and from school. Cycling and walking will help ease the ‘school-run’ congestion in the community and is a great way of starting the day - why not arrange to cycle/walk with a school friend and make it into a social event too!

So there are no excuses – the mornings are lighter, the school has new lockable secure bike facilities where you can leave your bicycle during the day and if you live too far away from the drop-off zones, why not get your parents to take you by car and cycle or walk the rest of the way?

For further information, speak to your Form Tutor and join us when we ‘Bike to School’ next week!

Sixth Form Funding - Business as usual at Warlingham

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Over the last few weeks, the national media have featured the budget cuts made by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) which funds all Sixth Form and Further Education provision in the country. Due to their miscalculation of the number of students in post-16 education, the LSC alerted schools and colleges on the last day of the financial year that it would be unable to meet its funding guarantee. Warlingham School was notified that their budget would be cut by £77,000 – this is on top of the efficiency savings the school had already been asked to make by the government due to the current economic climate.

Headteacher, Alison Woodhouse, contacted local MP Peter Ainsworth and colleague headteachers of secondary schools in the local area to notify them of the situation. She said: “Having spoken to other headteachers in the area, we were all very concerned at the impact these significant cuts would have on the provision we were able to make for our Sixth Form students. Peter Ainsworth contacted the local newspapers who have picked up the local dimension of this national news story.”

During this year’s Budget, Chancellor Alistair Darling appeared to recognise the huge damage that could be caused by failure to fully fund the number of students in post-16 education and has announced £650million over the next three years (£250milion in the current financial year) towards offsetting the cuts made by the LSC. Alison Woodhouse commented: “It will be some time before the amount of funding allocated to each school and college becomes known, but I am hopeful that it will be sufficient to able us to meet all of our curriculum plans, including new developments to our range of courses and enrichment provision.” She continued: “We will continue to base decisions on protecting our core teaching and learning whilst maintaining an ethos that supports high levels of engagement and achievement that has successfully led to an “outstanding” judgement of our Sixth Form by Ofsted.”

Gamezone7 - come and have fun!

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Gamezone7 is a new after school games club for Year 7 students starting on Friday, 24th April and then every third Friday from 3.30pm to 5pm in the Learning Resource Centre (LRC).

Have fun with your friends and join in with a host of games - you could even win a prize!

Special treat for gamers will come in the form of refreshments which will hopefully keep you going - so spread the word Gamezone7 is coming to Warlingham School's LRC this Friday!

See Mrs Sewerin, LRC Co-ordinator for more information.

New Prefect Team Elected

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 12:00:00 GMT

The new Warlingham Sixth Form Prefect team faced their first challenge, being responsible for electing the new Head Boy and Girl during elections that took place in the centre on Tuesday, 10th March. Each of the eight candidates gave interesting and thoughtful campaign speeches to a host of their peers who listened intently before casting their votes.

Each prefect voted for one girl and one boy in a secret ballot which was collected and analysed by the previous year’s Heads and Deputies. The candidates had a nail-biting ten minutes whilst papers were counted and scores totted up. Finally, current Head Boy Peter Johnson and Head Girl Lauren Showler delivered the results and relinquished their positions to the newly elected Head Boy Chris Walters and Head Girl Daisy Milward. Deputies and Senior Prefects were also elected with Lewis Franks being voted as Deputy Head Boy, Lexie Iceton as Deputy Head girl and Hattie Flanders, George Vibetti, Chris Steward and Eleanor Morgan as Senior Prefects.

Book Worms Welcome!

Mon, 9 Mar 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Monday, 9th March 2009 09.10hrs

Warlingham School Learning Resources Centre (LRC) will be opening their doors to the school community on Tuesday, 17th March at 3.15pm when they host a Book Fair in the centre.

The Book Fair, which Year 7 and 8 students will be visiting during one of their English lessons between 12th and 19th March, will be open to the public until 5pm on 17th March. There will be a wide selection of books available to choose from, including fiction and non-fiction, as well as posters and some stationery items. The community’s support will be greatly appreciated as for every book sold at the Fair, Warlingham School will earn a commission which will go towards purchasing new books for students to use in the LRC.

The event has been organised by LRC Co-ordinator Deborah Sewerin in conjunction with Scholastic, a global children's publishing, education and media company to promote the importance of reading and the facilities offered by the Centre.

Setting High Standards

Wed, 4 Mar 2009 12:00:00 GMT

With the Government abandoning Key Stage 3 SATs in October last year, Warlingham School will be giving Year 9 students the opportunity to experience the expectations and requirements of a public examination by running their own revised version at the end of this term. This is a situation they will be undertaking during Years 10 and 11 as part of their GCSE courses. The objective is to familiarise students with this formal situation and ultimately help ease the stress that exam conditions can create.

Year 9 students will sit three exams on Thursday, 2nd April which will be based on past SAT papers and will be used to form part of the final KS3 Teacher Assessment level. These final levels will play an important part in setting arrangements for Key Stage 4 in English, Maths and Science. One of the benefits of these new arrangements is that it will allow students to begin studying these Key Stage 4 subjects in the summer term of Year 9.

Full details is available on the ‘Letters’ section of this website.

Warlingham School Workshops - Book Now!

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Tuesday, 24th February 2009

Developing Skills in the Community

A few places are still available to join the popular workshops at Warlingham School this March. The series of five-week evening workshops are open to parents of students at Warlingham School and other schools in the local area and are delivered in the school’s Business Centre.

The three courses available are ‘Preparing for work’ – for anyone who is seeking employment for the first time or after a period of absence from the workplace, ‘Introduction to PowerPoint’ – an introduction to Microsoft PowerPoint for parents who already have basic computer skills and ‘Basic computer skills for parents’ – a beginner’s course for parents with basic or no computer skills, who want to help their child(ren) get the most from their computer.

Previous participants have found the workshops to have been hugely beneficial: ‘The whole course was excellent – even having a mock interview. It was exactly what I needed and has given me the confidence to apply for jobs. I highly recommend the course, it was very helpful’ (Preparing for work), ‘As I didn’t even know how to switch on a computer, I found the whole course really useful. I really wanted to learn how to use Microsoft Word as I want to go back to work and this would help me as everything is computerised now!’ (Basic computer skills for parents).

The cost of each series of five two-hour workshops is just £25.00*- so don’t delay, book now - email your name and address to Melanie Filmer, Business & Enterprise Manager at Warlingham School (filmerm@warlingham.surrey.sch.uk).

* In cases of financial difficulty, where the fee is a barrier to attendance, the school may be able to assist. If you are affected, please contact Melanie Filmer.

Warlingham Gateway Grows and Audio Zone goes LIVE at Warlingham School

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Wednesday, 11th February 2009 @ 19.45hrs

Warlingham Gateway Grows

Since its launch in January, the new school website continues to grow with the addition of two new Gateway links Sam Learning and Fast Tomato.

Sam Learning is an online interactive revision material suitable for all key stages. Last year alone, almost 1 million students revised on SAM Learning in the weeks leading up to the exams, over 80,000 students a day were logging in from home or school. Through the use of carefully prepared revision exercises and exam-style questions completed and marked online, and with supporting guidance from subject examiners, students using SAM Learning Secondary develop a strong revision habit and improved exam technique. This increased confidence is reflected in improved results. Sam Learning was presented today to the Year 11s and will be of particular use to them in the run up to their GCSE examinations which will take place this summer.

Login information is:

Centre ID: CR6 WS2
User ID: student date of birth followed by two initials, first name then surname e.g. Jo Bloggs born on 1^st January 1988 would be 010188JB.
Password: Initially same as User ID details – students can change this later.

If students have previously used Sam Learning and have changed their passwords, this change is retained.

Fast Tomato is a fully integrated careers education and guidance system, designed for all individuals aged 13 upwards who are considering their future career options. It is already used in over 1400 schools and colleges in the UK and internationally. Further information on how to use this new system will be published in the next issue of the newsletter, Warlingham School News.

Audio Zone Goes LIVE!

The Warlingham School is wired for sound with the launch of the new Audio Zone which went live today. This new facility will allow students to listen to mp3 files such as language revision material and music compositions via the school’s new website. They will even be able to download the audio files to their mp3 players and revise on the go! Simply click on the Audio Zone icon on the homepage.

WEATHER UPDATE-LATEST NEWS

Mon, 2 Feb 2009 12:00:00 GMT

- Friday, 6th February 2009 @ 17.15hrs -

From Monday, 9th February, school will revert to normal school times. Students are expected to arrive at 08.25hrs for registration at 08.35hrs. The school day will end at 15.10hrs.

Students MUST wear normal school uniform and suitable footwear.

We would recommend that parents continue to check this website for further updates.

Met Office - London & South East England Report

Surrey County Council - Update on Closures

Warlingham Welcomes Holocaust Survivor - 'Harry's Story'

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 12:00:00 GMT

On Friday, 16^th January 2009, Warlingham School Sixth Form students met with Holocaust survivor, Mr Harry Fox to listen to his incredible story. This special session was organised by the Holocaust Educational Trust to mark the Holocaust Memorial Day 2009 which takes place each year on the 27^th January.

Mr Fox spoke to the students about his life and his experiences during the war. He gave a frank but poignant talk which left many students feeling inspired by his courage, humility and humour.

The visit was followed by a question and answer session to give students the opportunity to better understand the Holocaust, and to explore its lessons in more depth. The visit was part of the Holocaust Educational Trust’s extensive all year round Outreach Programme, which is available to schools across the UK.

The theme for this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day is Stand up to Hatred, and it commemorates the 64^th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the infamous concentration and extermination camp. Thousands of events are being held across the country to commemorate all those who suffered at the hands of the Nazis during the Holocaust and in more recent genocides. Ultimately the aim of the day is to motivate people – individually and collectively, to ensure that the horrendous crimes, racism and victimization committed during the Holocaust and subsequent genocides are neither forgotten nor repeated again. Year 12 student, Christopher Steward said, ‘It was an amazing experience to listen to Harry’s story and to meet someone that survived the Holocaust.’

Rebecca Howe, Head of Year 12 at Warlingham School said:

“It is a privilege for us to welcome Harry Fox to our school and his testimony will remain a powerful reminder of the horrors so many experienced. We are grateful to the Holocaust Educational Trust for co-ordinating the visit and we hope that by hearing Harry’s testimony, it will encourage our students to learn from the lessons of the Holocaust and make a positive difference in their own lives.”

Karen Pollock, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust added:

“The Holocaust Educational Trust’s Outreach Programme is a vital aspect of our work to educate and engage students across the UK about the Holocaust and its lessons for today and there can be no better way than through the first-hand testimony of a Survivor. Holocaust Memorial Day and Holocaust education is more important now than ever and this year’s theme, Stand up to Hatred highlights the importance of joining forces against hatred, prejudice and intolerance.

At the Holocaust Educational Trust, we endeavour to impart the history of the Holocaust to young people, across all communities so they can see where hate and racism can ultimately lead. Harry’s story is one of tremendous courage during horrific circumstances and each of us has a responsibility to ensure that we honour the memory of those whose lives were lost and take forward the lessons taught by those who survived.”

Levi: Building On Enterprise Roots

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:00:00 GMT

The self-acclaimed ‘Dragon Slayer’, Levi Roots brought a Caribbean flavour to Warlingham School on Thursday, when the creator of ‘Reggae Reggae Sauce’ talked to students about entrepreneurship.

The inspirational figure delivered his business talk with a mixture of song and banter and gave Warlingham students an interesting insight into his rise to fame and fortune. His top three tips to being successful in business are focus, perseverance and having a unique selling point.

Levi Roots became a household name when he appeared on the BBC programme, Dragons’ Den in 2007. His charisma shone out from the moment he ascended the stairs into the lair, strumming his guitar and singing his now famous ‘Reggae Reggae Sauce’ song. The Dragons did not immediately offer their support to Levi, however, it did not take long for them to recognise his dedication and perseverance when Peter Jones, telecommunications tycoon said, ‘I like you Levi, and I think the sauce is great too.”

Mr Roots commended Warlingham School students, ‘They listened closely, and that’s really important especially when they move into the business world.’ Sixth Form students Heather Dawes and Onur Ozen said, ‘We thought Levi’s talk was really interesting. He is really inspiring and talked a lot of sense.’

The talk was organised for all GCSE and Sixth Form Business students by Business Studies teacher, Christina April in conjunction with Business & Enterprise. Miss April said, ‘I wanted to give students an opportunity to meet with a real entrepreneur and be able to hear his story first hand. As a Business & Enterprise Specialist school, we cultivate a culture in which all our students can embrace challenge, negotiate, exercise creativity and innovate and Mr Roots has certainly reinforced this message today.’

Ofsted Success for Warlingham School

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Ofsted inspectors visited Warlingham School in September, only two weeks into the new academic year. The school is very proud to announce that the full inspection report has now been published and Warlingham School has been judged as ‘good’ with an ‘outstanding’ Sixth Form.

In the Inspection Report letter addressed to Warlingham pupils, Her Majesty’s Inspector, Maria Dawes wrote: “Many of you, your parents and staff told us that your school is a happy, caring and exciting place to be with many opportunities on offer to you. We agree with this view.” She also commented on the school’s specialist status, “The school’s specialist Business and Enterprise status has also made a good contribution to improving the school. It has helped to provide a large number of exciting enrichment activities for you to participate in that helps you develop many skills needed for your future lives.” The report notes that the specialism has improved the breadth of the curriculum and even outreaches into the local community and other educational establishments by being responsive to their needs, which in turn helps promote community cohesion. Ms Dawes ended her letter by commending the leadership and management of the school. She wrote, “the headteacher, governors and staff are very capable of making it even better in the future and have good plans in place to enable the school to achieve this.”

Ofsted reported that Warlingham School has a shared vision amongst their staff to improve the outcomes and achievements of all students and noted the increasing willingness to innovate and share to make this a reality. The report states that the school has a ‘happy and positive community’ and that ‘parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school.’ In addition to interviewing staff, governors and pupils, parents of students at Warlingham were also interviewed by Inspectors. The report quotes two parents who said: “We have been so pleased with Warlingham School – staff go the extra mile to help and the leadership appears to be very strong.”, “my daughter is so happy at Warlingham that she cried when she was ill and couldn’t attend.”

The Inspectors also reinforced the schools best ever examination results by noting that the percentage of students attaining five or more good GCSEs as ‘high’ and well above the school’s ‘challenging targets’ and national average. The school is particularly proud that Ofsted praised student behaviour around the school and in lessons as being ‘always good and often exemplary’ and that the students that they interviewed felt, ‘safe and secure and know that there are always members of staff to support and help them’.

In 2005, Warlingham School’s Sixth Form was deemed ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted. In this latest inspection the Sixth Form was again accredited as having continued to improve and remains ‘outstanding’. The Inspectors acclaimed Sixth Form students as, “exemplary ambassadors for the school and demonstrate maturity, enthusiasm and commitment to their studies, extra-curricular activities and roles in both the school and the wider community.’ They also noted the students’ role in developing the school’s partnership with the Udjombala Junior High School in Ohaingu, Namibia and the significant amounts of money they have raised for charity.

Headteacher Alison Woodhouse said, “I am very pleased that the high level of achievement in all aspects of academic and personal development and the contribution our students and staff make to the community have been once again endorsed by Ofsted. We are all very proud to be part of the continued success of the school.”

Beijing Olympian Comes to Warlingham School

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Olympic medallist, Tasha Danvers came to Warlingham School on Monday, 20^th October to support its ‘Walk to School Week’ and Healthy Schools commitment. Invited by Warlingham School and Tandridge Confederation, Ms Danvers gave students a personal insight into her life leading up to her Olympic success.

Tasha Danvers won a bronze medal in the Beijing Olympics held in China in August for the 400m hurdles, where she achieved a personal best at 53.84 seconds. She told Warlingham Students, ‘You have to know yourself and what you are good at and believe it, no matter what people say.’ She continued, ‘as long as you do your best, then you are a success – whether in sports or in the classroom, it’s all the same.’ One student asked her if she was disappointed that she did not win a gold medal, Tasha said: ‘No, not at all. I focussed on doing my best and I did my best. I trained my hardest, ran my heart out and I won a medal - I am very happy with that.’

Ms Danvers reinforced Warlingham’s Healthy Schools message ‘good health and happiness inside and out’ by talking frankly about her like of processed foods but the importance of eating balanced, home-cooked foods especially fruit and vegetables. When asked what she eats before a competition, Tasha told the class that she tends to eat a light meal of lean meat and vegetables as it’s important to be light on her feet before competing.

Ms Danvers told the class how important her family and the network of people that she works with are. She said, ‘successful people know how to ask for help and are humble enough to accept it.’ She went on to explain that she would not have been the success she has without the support of her family and friends especially as she has a three year old child.

Keen runner and Year 9 Warlingham School student, Ruth Myburgh was overjoyed when she asked Ms Danvers for some tips on improving her 800m times. Tasha Danvers gave the 13 year old some invaluable coaching advice and offered to introduce her to some coaches that might be able to help improve her technique.

Andy Bruce, Warlingham School PE teacher said, ‘Tasha was really inspiring today. She spoke from the heart and really engaged the students with anecdotes from her career and life. She has given our students a really exciting opportunity to meet and talk with a world-class athlete and has totally motivated them to be the best they can.’

Warlingham School recently gained the Healthy Schools award and continues to develop healthier activities and alternatives to improve the school experience for Warlingham students. The four main areas of development are: Personal, social, Health Education (PSHE), healthy eating, physical activity and emotional health and well being.