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E-NEWSLETTER  •  ISSUE 180

A Message from Principal, Mr Martin

This term seems to have gone by incredibly fast this year. 

Exam season is well underway and formal exams have now started in a number of subjects including PE, Drama and Dance. Students have approached these with focus and determination and are very keen to show what they can do and do their best.

Last week we had our Spring concert with performances from the choir, percussion group and wind band, as well as solo singing performances and two songs from the school band. It was a fantastic opportunity for students to perform some of their exam pieces in front of a live audience and a chance to celebrate their talents with family and friends. I would like to thank Mrs Kirkman for organising such a great evening. 

This week I had the honour of attending the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery at King’s House, Bedford. It was a profoundly moving event with live poetry, music and readings. I was incredibly proud to see our students on stage participating in this important event. The compère, Sharon De Leonardis, was full of praise for our young people and for all the work we have undertaken this year. I would like to thank Dr Haynes and Mrs Brown for their leadership in this area, which has been astounding. 

Sport has had some notable highlights this term, with the 1st XI U18 Boys Football team reaching the national final once again this year. For half of the team, this is their second final in two years, and we are hoping that the experience last year will hold them in good stead this time around. At Rosslyn Park Sevens last week, we had several highlights with the U16 boys being awarded the fair play award, which is voted for by the referees. The girls, however, stole the show with the U16s reaching the semi-final and the 1st VII U18s reaching the final of the plate and narrowly losing 17-7 after an amazing run of games. Girls’ rugby has gone from strength to strength this year and I would like to thank the PE department for all their hard work in this area. Meanwhile, netball has been incredible this year and continues to grow with recent wins against schools such as Oaklands College. In other news, recent individual sport highlights include Izzy, who won the national championships for Taekwondo, and JT in goal for England School Boys this week!

Finally, on the 19th of April, the performing Arts students are running a 12-hour sponsored dance-and-sing-a-thon to raise funding for extra equipment and staging to enable us to take our productions to the next level - the first of which will be ‘Oliver’ in the Summer term. Please see our GoFundMe page for more information.

Happy Easter and enjoy some time with friends and family.

Messages From Heads of Year 

Year 11, Mr R Nicholl

 

It has been another busy term for Year 11 students, understandably so, with the GCSE exam period just around the corner. Many subjects have completed the practical elements of the course and some have completed coursework that will be part of the overall grade. These elements are subject to moderation, so grades will not be shared with the students. 

It has been great to see how mature the Year 11 students are when entering an exam environment. These good habits will hopefully continue after Easter. All Year 11 students will have now finalised their exam entries and will know the dates of specific exams. Please let the year team know if this is not the case.

The summer exam schedule (both A-level and GCSE) can be found on the following link: https://www.samuelwhitbread.org.uk/_site/data/files/exams/2023-24/F63A3FB9E9FC7FAED241CAB1A1151AA4.pdf

In preparation for the GCSE exams, we had the opportunity to work with NCS / Hear 2 Listen who have been in school and delivered some excellent workshops. Students were able to develop a range of strategies, discuss relevant topics and take part in activities put in place to prepare them for the upcoming exams and beyond. The workshops included developing resilience, problem-solving, aspirations, exam readiness and stress management. The feedback from both SWA staff and students has been very positive, and we will no doubt work with the organisation again. Feedback from the NCS staff was that our students are mature, outgoing, confident and willing to try new things. 

The vast majority of recent assemblies and form times have been dedicated to revision strategies and nuggets that may help support our Year 11 students. We continue to deliver a PSHE programme during form time but many of the activities link to the exam process. On this note, we still expect students to attend tutor time on time and in the correct uniform. We reiterate to the Year 11 students that they are role models and the lower years look up to them. Setting a positive example has a positive impact on the environment that is created around the school. We also expect all students to have the appropriate equipment. This will ensure that they have everything they need during all of their exams.

The following link shows the equipment that is needed: https://www.samuelwhitbread.org.uk/page/?title=Uniform+and+equipment&pid=35

Having had many conversations with our students regarding the prom (09/07/24), we are aware of how excited they are. The prom committee has been meeting up regularly and has come up with a theme that will look amazing! Thank you to the prom committee and Miss Duguid for all their work on this. 

The year team would like to thank you for all your support throughout this term. We are aware of the stresses and strains that both the student and parent/carer go through during an exam period, and we appreciate all the strategies you are putting in place at home. 

Have a great Easter, and we look forward to the start of the summer term and, with it, an opportunity for the students to exceed their potential in their exams.

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International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery with SpectaculArts

This week, six students, Taylan, Anita, Kobby, Kiera, Rudo, and Harley, had the honour of delivering a powerful performance at the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery. The event was organised by the incredible Sharon De Leonardis of SpectaculArts. The students read out the names of enslaved children and lit candles to remember and honour the millions of children who lost their lives.

During the event, Kiera and Rudo delivered fantastic unprepared speeches, informing the participants about how SpectaculArts has inspired them and taught them so much about black history and heritage. The evening also included incredible local talent from the Bedford gospel choir, and our very own Mr Tawede started the service with a powerful libation.

We are very grateful to Sharon and the SpectaculArts program for their hard work in inspiring our students. We also want to take a moment to thank our students for their hard work and dedication. It is truly inspiring to see the impact that they have made and the knowledge they have gained.

Year 13 Charlotte Reynolds cuts hair for The Princess Trust

Year 13 student Charlotte Reynolds recently donated approximately 12 inches of her hair to the Princess Trust and raised funds for the charity. She had been growing her hair since she was 13 in Year 9, and now at age 18, her hair was at the appropriate length to donate. Charlotte has always admired the Princess Trust and wanted to do as much as she could to support their cause. The charity provides free human hair wigs to children with cancer to help them regain their confidence and identity. In addition to donating her hair, Charlotte also organised a charity bake sale, which helped her raise almost £500 for the Princess Trust. Her dedication and selflessness towards this great cause is truly admirable.

Charlotte said, “There is nothing that would make me happier than knowing that this money is going to help improve the lives of children with cancer, as it is unfair that they should have to be so mature and brave about something as devastating as this, at such a young age.”

We are extremely proud of Charlotte for her generosity and commitment to this valuable cause.

                     

Spring Concert, Dance Showcase and Performing Arts-a-thon

Over the last two weeks, the Performing Arts department has been very busy with some amazing events. Last Wednesday, we had the Spring concert which showcased the incredible talent we have here at Samuel Whitbread. The evening was hosted by Daniel and Rose, who also performed, and featured outstanding singing from the choir groups, bands, and solos. We also enjoyed performances by the percussion group, the string group, and the Big Band. The following Wednesday, we had an evening of Dance, with fantastic group and solo performances from students of all years. The tech crew who worked behind the scenes to make everything happen deserve a special mention too. We're so proud of all the students who took part in these events; they demonstrated how incredibly talented we are as a school! 

We also want to express our gratitude to Mrs Kirkman, Miss Major, and Mr Osborne for their hard work in organising these events.

Don't forget that we have the 12-hour Performing Arts-a-thon coming up on the 19th of April. It's going to be an incredible 12-hour extravaganza of singing, dancing, and acting to raise funds for much-needed stage lights in the theatre to support our upcoming summer musical, Oliver.

To donate to this cause, please use the link below. 

https://gofund.me/df59f0f8

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This term, we have witnessed the incredible strength and talent of our students across all teams, and we are inexplicably proud of them all. There have been major victories and a couple of losses, but through and through, our Whitbread teams have shown sheer determination, strength and unity in every game. We are excited to see what the next term holds for them!
With that in mind, here is our sports round-up for this term.

U14 Rugby 7’s - Plate runners-up! 

The group put up an impressive show, displaying excellent skills and attitude during the match. Congratulations on your achievements! A special shout out to Lucy for her exceptional leadership and ball-carrying abilities, and to Grace G for her impressive communication and game sense throughout the day.
Well done, girls! 

U16 Football – County Cup Finalists

Our U16 boys' football team has secured their place in the county cup final! In a highly competitive match against a resilient Cedars School team, our team emerged victorious, showcasing their exceptional skills and determination. 

U18 Girls Rugby – Rosslyn Park Finalists

Our U18 Girls Rugby 7’s team finished as the runners-up in the prestigious Rosslyn Park competition, playing their hearts out on the field. We could not be prouder of their outstanding performance and incredible achievement. 

U18 Netball

Our U18 Netball team had an outstanding performance in a competitive friendly against local rivals Oaklands College, securing a 46-42 win. Both sides displayed excellent fluidity and contested all over the court, and we are extremely proud of our team for their exceptional performance! 

U18 Football

Our U18 Footballers had a fantastic week as they reached the National Final with a 5-0 win over Northampton School for Boys. Year 11 student Dan Kemp was the man of the match with a hat-trick, stealing the show with his excellent performance. The team will now face Shrewsbury School at Stoke City FC on Tuesday 7th May. In addition to their cup heroics, the team is also a step closer to their Floodlit league title after defeating Stony Stratford 3-0 on Thursday evening while representing Shefford Town & Campton FC. The team needs just one more point from their last two games to be crowned champions!

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