Term 4 Newsletter 23/24

Welcome from the Headteacher

Dear Parents/Guardians, 

A major highlight of this term has been the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths) Fair which was expertly planned and led by Miss Spencer and Mr Hearnshaw. This flagship event for the school was once again a triumph as we hosted visiting students from over 30 local primary schools who were amazed by the live and hands-on experiences offered over the two days. This year, we also hosted notable alumni from Red Bull, Eminox and JCB as part of the presentation teams, and as always our Sixth Form students played a pivotal role in ensuring the effective delivery of STEM Fair 2024 by chaperoning guests and by leading a broad range of sessions. Please see the articles later in this Newsletter that present a more in depth review of the STEM experience through the eyes of not only Miss Spencer but also ‘EnGeneva Beaver’, our new STEM Fair mascot!

The addition of a second ‘D’ to our MADD Evening this term certainly had the desired impact, as dance clearly complemented what was presented by students through music, art and drama earlier this term. Alice’s mum shares a fantastic article with us all here which outlines the empowering affect live performance can have on performers and audience members alike. To have parents/guardians reviewing school events like this and by sharing content is a great way to include the wider QEHS community in contributing to termly newsletters. Therefore, if any other parents/guardians would like to do the same following events your children have taken part in, we would be very pleased to receive such articles from you.

Inevitably the ‘stretch & challenge’ agenda is always in sharp focus here at Queenies, and in this term’s newsletter you will note that plenty has been on offer to extend the abilities and aspirations of our students. What with visits to Christ’s College, Trinity College and Clare College at the University of Cambridge alongside the ‘Good Innovations’ workshop, plus engagement with the Biology Olympiad Challenge, it is clear to see how students at QEHS are being afforded numerous opportunities and platforms upon which to shine and to show off their incredible academic talents and ability. Indeed, across all Key Stages, the QEHS extra-curricular offer has been significant and impactful through its intent to place learning into context and to ground new knowledge and understanding in real life experiences. Trips to the Bomber Command Centre and the Civil War Museum, for example, are expertly reviewed here by Lottie and Isla, and Akshath respectively. Elsewhere, you will read of the amazing sporting achievements of Arthur, Charlie and the QEHS Equine Team.

I shall also use this opportunity to add to Mrs Stevenson’s request for donations of any books for the school library. As you will discover in the ‘News from the Library’ article, reading and borrowing rates are going through the roof, so the insatiable appetite of our young readers needs feeding! Accordingly, if you do have any good condition paperbacks, age 11-14 appropriate and young adult fiction that you would be happy to donate, this reading material would be gratefully received by Mrs Stevenson and her team.

Everyone at QEHS was thrilled when, towards the start of the term, we were informed that the school had been successful in securing ’The Teaching Times Wellbeing Award’ at Gold Level in recognition of our engagement with the ‘Raising Attainment & Wellbeing Programme – Putting People at the Heart of Learning, Teaching & Leadership.’ Diane Hall, our Senior Mental Health Lead, has led on this project and deserves much credit for not only ensuring recognition was at Gold Level, but also in ensuring QEHS was awarded ‘Pioneer Status’ which means the school can go on to play a key role in supporting and developing wellbeing in other educational establishments through engagement with face-to-face events and virtual platforms. At a time when wellbeing and mental health is, rightly, of high priority, it is deeply reassuring and affirming to know that the approaches taken at QEHS are serving the whole school community very well indeed.

Finally, to close, this final week of term saw the culmination of the Sixth Form Senior Student Team selection process. Following assemblies and presentations to each year group across the school and associated voting, plus the production of manifestos as well as sitting formal interviews, the 2024-25 team has been identified. From across a high calibre field, the details of the positions awarded to Year 12 students are as follows: Eboney Aitchison (Head Girl), Tobin Scawthon (Head Boy), Jess Hudson and Khushi Haldipur (Deputy Head Girl) and Joshua Rogers (Deputy Head Boy). Very many congratulations to all five!

My thanks are extended to you as always for your steadfast support of the school, and I wish everyone across the QEHS community a wonderful Easter break.

Kind Regards

Mr R Eastham

Headteacher

Term 4 Headteacher's Commendation Award

Following recommendations from staff, congratulations are in order for Eboney A (12A), Joshua R (12S), Ellie A (11C) and Jake W (11D), for being awarded this term's Headteacher's Commendation Awards as detailed below:

Leadership for Learning - Ebony A (12A) nominated by Mrs Crick, Mrs Slack and Mr Hearnshaw

For outstanding commitment to personal development opportunities in school and being an excellent History Ambassador. Also for Eboney’s involvement in several activities including mentoring, attending trips, supporting classes and more recently the STEM fair, and for refining the circle time and small group delivery to Key Stage 3 students and working tirelessly with the team to develop positive relationships in the classroom environment and challenging negative beliefs in a constructive way.

Leadership for Learning - Joshua R (12S) nominated by Mrs Crick, Mrs Slack, Mrs Housham and Mr Betts 

For embracing all aspects of Sixth Form life and for putting himself forward for the Marketing Team and sorting out the school tours. Josh is always being enthusiastic and dedicated to school, keen to help, fill in and volunteer as aswell as showing considerable initiative and an outstanding commitment to personal development opportunities in school and for being an excellent History Ambassador. Josh is extremely reliable and is superb at supporting school events and is always keen to make a positive difference.

Behaviour for Learning - Ellie A (11C) nominated by Mrs Wislocka-Antkowiak

For being an exceptionally well-behaved student, possessing a strong work ethic, self-motivation, time management skills always and for having a positive attitude. Ellie has continued to work very well across her GCSE courses this year and is working towards top marks across her subjects. Ellie goes above and beyond, always listens carefully, and takes every piece of advice to succeed.

Learning to Learn - Jake W (11D) nominated by Mrs Redgate-Large

Jake has made huge progress from his first Chemistry mock to his second Chemistry mock. He achieved a grade 9 in his second mock, which was up from a grade 7 in his first mock. This is down to his hard work and dedication both in and out of lesson. Jake's progress has been outstanding.

Biology Olympiad Challenge

This year we have had nine Sixth Form students take part in the Biology Olympiad Challenge.

The Olympiad is a fantastic challenge for students, and some have now taken part two years in a row.

George B (13A) is our first student in the last two years to achieve a Gold Award. We are still awaiting the results to see how George got on with the second round. If he is successful, these could see him move onto a selection round at Warwick University and then Kazakhstan for a further competition!

The Biology Olympiad Challenge runs every year, so are you a Sixth Form Biology student who could take on this challenge next year?

George B (13A) talks below about his experience:

“The Biology Olympiad was a very fun and challenging experience, and it is also a very good accomplishment to put on a personal statement or CV. The Olympiad consists of two tests which are quite difficult and really push your A Level knowledge! There are unfamiliar questions that require you to use what you know in addition to the information you are given. The questions look very daunting at first but once you begin to really think about them, they begin to make sense. I received a Gold Award which only the top 5% in the country have received and I have got through to the first selection round for the International Biology Olympiad to potentially represent Great Britain at the international Olympiad. This required me to take another test with more questions based on an academic research paper that I was given beforehand. This test was most definitely a lot harder and really pushed me, especially with the academic paper as it covered concepts that were extremely detailed and difficult. Miss Ellis really supported me and was probably as confused as I was at times! I am hopeful it went well, and hope i will get through to the next round. The whole process is definitely something I would recommend to other students. It is fun as well as looking great on a university application.”

Cyber Christmas Advent Calendar Challenge

We had a very successful National Cyber Christmas Advent Challenge, with one of our own students winning a prize. All computing students, across all Key Stages took part in the competition, where they dived into 24 Christmas based cyber challenges. From decoding cryptic messages to solving a mix of intricate problems, our students demonstrated exceptional perseverance, and problem-solving skills.

The problems focused on computational thinking and also hands on problem solving. Students not only honed their computational skills but also gained invaluable experience in collaborative learning and critical thinking. We are immensely proud of each and every participant who rose to the challenge and showcased their talents.

The challenges are varied and can take different forms. This challenge requires the students to work out letters in a question based on the number of letters and then enter a Christmas based answer.

I am pleased to announce that one of our own students emerged victorious in the prize draw, earning the esteemed reward of a micro:bit. Harry B (7D), was the lucky prize winner. This achievement serves as a testament to his talent and dedication to problem solving. Well done to all who took part.

Mr Senescall

Head of Business Studies and Computing

Performing Arts MADD (Music, Art, Drama and Dance) Evening

Following a hugely enjoyable evening at the Performing Arts MADD event on 07 February 2024, a parent of Alice  L-F (7E) who attended the event shares their throughts:

As a family of a Year 7 student, everything is new to us this year at QEHS and we were not sure what to expect from the MADD evening.  Alice has been playing the piano for several years now, so both her and us thought it was lovely to be asked to perform alongside so many other talented performing students, who were also all older than Alice, in all different types of disciplines. Both Alice and ourselves were all a little nervous about the evening, but we needn't have been. We had such a lovely evening and also it was really well organised and a relaxed event held in the PAC at QEHS.

Five of us came along to see Alice and all the other performers, and our little group covered a wide range of ages and interests! There was Alice's brother, who happened to be celebrating his 10^th birthday on the same day as the event, myself (her Mum) and her Dad, as well as two of her grandparents. It is fair to say, that beyond singing and performing the piano, Alice's grandparents have never ventured into other subjects within the performing arts, however they both really enjoyed the range of different performances. Dance was a completely new art form for Alice's Grandad to watch, and when we left he specifically said how great it was to be able to see a wider range of performances beyond what one might usually expect from a secondary school event. Alice's Grandma and her brother both had a very interesting and in-depth conversation afterwards about the issues raised in the performed duologue too!  Myself and Alice's Dad were, as always, so impressed with all the performers and it was very clear how hard everyone had worked and how much effort had been put into the evening, both on and behind the stage. Being part of an audience that was smaller than what we are normally used to for a school event meant that we could really appreciate everyone's performances and Alice's younger brother could see and enjoy them far more easily too. In fact, I think it is fair to say, there was less fidgeting as a result!

As for Alice, she said she genuinely enjoyed the evening and working towards it. As a young pianist straight out of primary school, she hasn't so far had many opportunities to take part in many events with other talented performers. Whilst a competent performer, preparing for an event, working with much older students, as well as teachers beyond her out-of-school music teacher, is all new to her.  It is all a learning curve, but she really enjoyed it and said she really enjoyed working with the older children and seeing so many different types of performances.  It was so obvious that she definitely felt part of a team, which is something she's not really experienced before outside of sport, which was lovely and really showed her that playing the piano doesn't always have to a solitary undertaking. Working alongside older performers and musicians for the MADD event has been very motivating for her.  She has really gained a new excitement about performing for people and seems very inspired to work towards getting involved with more performances in the future. Working with older performing students, as well as seeing how a performance event is put together, is proving really inspiring to her.

As for her brother, he really enjoyed his evening and afterwards said he thought it was a very good event to go and see on his birthday.  And can he start to learn the drums?! (Negotiations continue on this request...)

Joanna (Mum of Alice L-F (7E)

Thank you to Alice's Mum for sending in this article. If any other parent/guardian would like to do the same following events their children have taken part in, we would be very pleased to receive any such articles. If wanting to send articles to be included in future editions of the QEHS Newsletter, please forward them to [email protected]

Kind Donation

Following the MADD evening the Martin family made an extremely kind donation, and the Performing Arts staff and students would like to pass on our sincerest thanks to the Martin family for their generous donation towards the growth of our new Faculty. We were delighted to hear how much you enjoyed the evening and we will be sure to put the money towards developing the inclusive nature of the Performing Arts Faculty. Your kind gesture has touched us all and the students who represented the Faculty so professionally on the evening. . We are all truly grateful.

Wellbeing Award

Throughout the past year at QEHS we have been working on an exciting whole school initiative to further improve the wellbeing provision across our community. Positive wellbeing is essential for our young people to flourish and to reach their full potential in an academic school environment and beyond.

I am really pleased to announce that our efforts have resulted in QEHS gaining ‘The Teaching Times National Wellbeing Award for Schools’ at Gold level, which is the highest accolade a school can gain in this area. We have also been awarded an additional acknowledgment of our work and gained ‘Pioneer status’. This means we can go on to have a direct impact on creating and developing wellbeing in other educational establishments through webinars and conferences.

Below is the acknowledgement we received:

“It is with great pleasure that we present to your school community a National Wellbeing Gold Award in acknowledgment of your participation in the Raising Attainment with Wellbeing Programme: Putting wellbeing at the heart of learning, teaching and leadership.

The Needs Analysis process was executed really well, and the "before" and "after" ratings, moderated by our Coach, show improvements across the board. There is so much outstanding wellbeing practice to celebrate."

Some areas that were particularly acknowledged were:

• "We also acknowledge a unique embedded counselling service that works on a proactive and reactive basis. Group workshops to support students on different themes are built in by local providers. Placement therapists volunteer from local and far-reaching universities and private training schools to attain their BACP registered status within the school."

• “A stand-out piece of work has been Sixth Form students delivering assemblies on topics that can be potentially challenging, using a peer-to-peer model of education to make the learning more meaningful, relevant, and relatable for other pupils. This has also led to making greater impact.”

• “The evidence demonstrated in the submitted case study is vast and demonstrates the impact that has been embedded for pupils with senior students as mental health leads across the school and for staff with adaptations and improvements to physical spaces.“

• “We hope your wellbeing journey acts as inspiration and motivation to other school communities in the UK and globally, as we collectively seek to put wellbeing at the heart of everything a school should do and stand for.”
  

Diane Hall

Senior Mental Health Lead and DDSL

Welcome Booklets for the New Year 7 Students

Year 7 students enthuse and reassure those following in their footsteps

We were delighted to see so many  of the current Year 7 students offering their own version of text for the Welcome Booklets to be used this year. These booklets will be sent to the Year 7 students' joining QEHS in September. We received a total of 21 entries. Unfortunately we were unable to turn all of these into booklets but we really do appreciate the effort that went into all of them. There will be other opportunities during the year to make a contribution to the Transition process so keep an eye out for these if ypu are in Year 7!

A huge congratulations goes to: Ellie P (7S), Emily W (7S), Sophie K (7S) Molly S (7B) & Eva T (7A), who between them completed all the hard work for the three booklets which we used this year. Pictured below  with Mrs Watson and Mr Eastham are the students with their own copies of the booklets to take home as a memento.

National Space Centre Visit

On Thursday 8 February, fifty of our Year 7 students visited the National Space Centre in Leicester. Students took part in the ‘Is it rocket science?’ workshop where they learnt about how combustion reactions power rockets and saw some very exciting demonstrations. Students also had the opportunity to explore the museum and the rocket tower, learning about the history of space exploration. The highlight of the day was a trip to the planetarium, where students discovered what it takes to be an astronaut and all the training required.

Mrs Redgate-Large

Science Teacher

QEHS Equine Team

We had more success with the Equine Team in mid March. Elsie B (9E) goes to Hickstead (The NSEA National Championships) as the Lincolnshire County Novice Dressage Champion. Also, Elsie came 1st place in the combined training class, with Scarlett K (10A) securing 2nd and Ivy H (11C) 6th. This qualifies the QEHS Equine Team for the National Winter Championships in October.

Well done girls, and keep up the hard work!

Miss Spencer

Year 12 Trip to Cambridge

Thought-provoking, inspiring and breathtaking. If I had to use three words to describe our visit to the University of Cambridge, those are the ones that I would choose. On the 28 February a group of Year 12 students were lucky enough to have the opportunity to explore part of the university, including Christ’s College, Clare College and Trinity College.

The day began with a walk through the streets of Cambridge guided by the lovely Ellie to Christ’s College. The architecture itself was astounding, with each college we passed being unique in its own alluring way, from beautiful masonry to golden embellishments and gorgeous grounds. It felt as though we had stepped into a fairytale. Christ’s College itself was a work of art with its grand entrance, historical significance and impressive stature. It was here that we were given invaluable information regarding Oxbridge standards and expectations as well as those of universities as a whole. This included things such as “What sets Cambridge apart from other universities?” and “What are super-curriculars and why are they so important?”, along with a Q and A session with two current students.

After this we split off into two groups, with half going for lunch and the other half having a tour around Christ’s. Lunch itself was lovely, with friendly staff and a tasty menu able to accommodate everyone's needs. It was an unexpected way of briefly stepping into university life as we ate alongside current students and began to understand what day-to-day life at Christ's would be like. The tour around Christ’s proved to exceed our already high expectations, especially as we learnt that the picturesque buildings surrounding us were actually student accommodation! Distinctive amongst other Cambridge Colleges, Christ’s was petite enough to be amiable and homely, but large enough to be home to a wide range of staff and students who are able to find others with compatible interests. Its history was also fascinating. We learnt about Margaret Beaufort’s role in enlarging the original God’s House, until it was refounded in 1505 with this formidable lady being honoured as the Foundress. Charles Darwin was one of the College’s most famous alumni, who studied there in 1828 and it was here that his interest in botany and geology was nurtured.

We could then choose toto explore either Clare College or Trinity College. I chose Trinity and was not disappointed. Our tour was led by the delightful Tessa, who embodied enthusiasm and passion. We began with looking around its Chapel, which was truly a breathtaking place. It was home to six imposing depictions of Trinity men (Isaac Barrow, Francis Bacon, Thomas Macaulay, William Whewell, Lord Tennyson, and Issac Newton) and a magnificent organ. We then headed over to the cloisters where we stepped back in time to carry out the same experiment which allowed Isaac Newton to explore the speed of sound in air through the use of echoes, nearly four hundred years ago. Trinity’s Wren Library was our next stop, which is honestly the most beautiful place I have ever visited. It housed over 70,000 volumes, some of which dated back to the 8th Century. The tomes ranged from an annotated copy of Sir Isaac Newton’s Principia Mathematica to the manuscript of Winnie-the-Pooh. Discovering that the Wren is a working library certainly gave us much to think about as it just added to Trinity's array of appealing attributes, along with the friendly people, grand stature and rich history.

Overall, our visit to the University of Cambridge was priceless, as it has provided us with an insight into student life, the gorgeous architecture and the opportunities which await us as we look ahead to what the future holds. We would all like to say a huge thank you to the amazing staff who helped to run this trip, including the superb Mrs Griffin and the wonderful Mrs Walsh, for making this inspiring visit possible.

Eboney A (12A)

Geography Fieldtrips

If it is possible for a subject to have a ‘unique selling point’ then for Geography, it must be its field trips. This year so far has seen QEHS offering plenty of trips, including:

Year 9 students enjoyed a day of urban geography in Lincoln in the autumn. Students were studying regeneration and collecting primary data on the Brayford Wharf area of the city. 

Year 10 on the other hand, collected urban data for their GCSE controlled assessments during a fieldwork day in Sheffield city centre in February.  Another fieldtrip is planned for this year group, in the spring, when they will collect fieldwork data in Withernsea.

At the start of February half term, students from Years 11 and 12 visited Iceland, something of a flagship trip for the department. Temperatures were at -15^oC when we arrived but that didn’t prevent us from seeing the sights of the Golden Circle and Borgarfjordur and the west coast.

Field trips are not however confined to Key Stages 4 and 5.  All Year 7 students plan to visit the Peak District in order to gather rivers and microclimate data. Whilst Year 8 have been be embarking on their local walks into Gainsborough to look at the urban environment through a geographer’s eyes.

Miss Meneer

Geography Teacher and Head of Learning Outside the Classroom

Pictures from the recent Iceland Trip

Work Experience Update

Due to the challenges students have been facing with employers not responding to them, employers not taking students this year and competition for places from other schools, it has been decided to extend the deadline for Year 10 and 12 students wishing to take part in the work experience programme, to submit fully completed placement forms, until Friday 26^th April.

Students who already have a placement agreed but have not yet submitted their Google placement form should do this as soon as possible, to allow our Health and Safety partners time to process the thousands of places booked by schools in the East Midlands for work experience in the summer of 2024.

This extension includes the Easter holidays which will allow students to access employers during normal working hours and should make the process of contacting or chasing up an employer more productive. I would encourage any students who still wish to take part in work experience to take advantage of this extra time. The programme is optional but the advantages for future career choices can be immeasurable.

Google placement forms can be submitted over the Easter break, as Mrs Thorpe will be monitoring. Please make sure all the details are entered accurately, including capital letters for places and names and please attach an employer confirmation before submitting the form.

A reminder that students considering a placement outside the East Midlands should see Mrs Thorpe before accepting the offer, as there are some counties where agencies are not available to carry out the required health and safety checks and ALL employers MUST have the required Employer’s Liability Insurance in place in order to have other employees on the premises.

The employment market for work experience is still affected by employees working from home but perseverance often pays off. Thank you to parents/guardians for continuing to support their child find a work placement to suit their needs.

Mrs Thorpe

Work Related Learning Co-ordinator

STEM - eSports at QEHS

Over the last few months, our new QEHS eSports team, the QEHS Vikings RL, have been competing in the spring season of the British eSports Student Champs – Rocket League open tournament 23/24.

QEHS Vikings RL have been competing against 70 other secondary school and college eSports teams within our designated division throughout the UK, with over 140 eSports teams competing across all divisions within the spring Rocket League tournament.

A huge well done to our Team captain – Lewis B-W (10B), and other team members Nathan G (10E) and Adam W (9E), as well as our two team substitutes Alexander U (7E) and Alex W (11A). Alex W (11A) also very kindly designed our QEHS Vikings RL team logo (pictured below)

We have been very impressed with the dedication and commitment not only to the tournament but the attendance of the students at each practice session and the effort they have put in during their own time too.

Thank you to everyone who has supported the team in their first season of competition. Unfortunately, this time we did not make it through to the knockout stages, but QEHS Vikings RL will be competing again in the new academic year for both the Winter and Spring seasons.

Thank you from Miss H Williams and the QEHS Vikings RL team.

STEM Fair 2024

On 12 and 13 March 2024 the annual STEM Fair returned to QEHS.

During the two days we hosted 14 external exhibitors, offered 30 different activities, hosted over 30 different Primary Schools and around a 1000 students engaged in STEM based tasks. These ranged from learning about the digestive system to how robotics are used in the Navy, alongside how Red Bull’s F1 team develops specialist materials, and why trees are so important to our environment. 

At QEHS we are committed to providing leadership opportunities to our Sixth Form students and the annual STEM Fair showcases our students ability to shine in these roles. Sixth Formers took charge of over 90 groups of students to show them round the fair as well as leading activities to engage all the students who visited us. Students also had an opportunity to talk to QEHS Alumni, with Red Bull, Dyson, JCB, Santander and McLaren activities all being run by our former QEHS students.

I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank everyone who helped the event be such a success, no matter how big or small the contribution.

Below are a few quotes from the feedback we received:

" An amazing opportunity that provided our children with STEM experiences that they would not normally be able to access. The STEM Fair really showcased a wide variety of STEM related jobs which enhanced our science capital"

" A well organised, fun filled and educational morning! Will definitely be back next year!"

"Our children had the best afternoon. The range of activities and the visting companies were impressive. A particular highlight was Red Bull Racing. led by a female engineer - a definite incentive and opportunity to raise the profile of opportunities for women within STEM"

Please see below for a range of images which serve to capture the vibrancy of QEHS STEM For 2024

If this is an event you feel you could support next year, then please do get in touch [email protected].

Miss Spencer 

Head of Design, Art and Technology & STEM Coordinator

EnGeneva Beaver’s STEM Fair Adventures!

Over the two-day STEM Fair at QEHS, our resident scientist (and STEM mascot) EnGeneva Beaver experienced everything that our school had to offer. Her adventures were documented across the length of the exhibition, and she got up to a lot!

One of her favourite parts of the Fair was the student exhibitors, she really appreciated the hard work and effort that they had put in to create a wonderful experience for the primary school students. She started her journey learning about the brain and she made sure to engage her frontal lobe when completing the quiz that the stall-holders had to offer!

After learning about how her cerebellum, cerebral cortex and occipital lobe worked, EnGeneva made her way over to another of the Year 12 groups to learn a bit about the science of the earth – Geography. She learned lots about different types of trees, mosses and lichens, and even got to take a closer look at their cellular structure with her magnifying glass. However, just because EnGeneva is a STEM beaver, it doesn’t mean she doesn’t enjoy a range of subjects; she next took a trip to the PAC!

Here, she watched a show performed by some of our senior students, and she loved watching their creativity at work. She also tried out some other of the arts, namely creating cardboard spinners and decorating them with pen, EnGeneva was so impressed with hers that she even posed for a photo with it.

With hundreds of primary school students visiting us to immerse themselves in the world of science, it was only fair that we brought in some past students and external speakers to share their insight into the industry with us. EnGeneva met some incredible alumni from organisations such as JCB, Red Bull, McLaren as well as guests from the Royal Navy, and even the Nuclear Fusion Council!

At one point, EnGeneva got so excited with everything that was going on that the Police had to take her for a little time out in the back of their car where she was given plenty of time to calm down in the cage before she continued exploring! When EnGeneva wasn’t busy looking around the stalls, she was found enjoying some of our experimental apparatus although we nearly didn’t have enough Skittles to finish the practicals!

Overall, she had a fab time thanks to all of the students and staff who took the time to help organise and run this huge event – and she can’t wait for next year!

By the Y12 STEM Team

EnGeneva's Adventures!

World Book Day

Celebrate Reading!  

World Book Day was created as a worldwide celebration of books and reading by UNESCO in 1995. The first World Book Day in the UK and Ireland took place in 1997 to encourage young people to discover the pleasure of reading and offer every child the chance to have a book of their own.

World Book Day founder, Baroness Gail Rebuck says, "Our message is the same today as it was then - that reading is fun, relevant, accessible, exciting, and has the power to transform lives."

On Thursday 07March, we celebrated World Book Day at QEHS. It was a day when staff and students shared their favourite reading books and discussed the benefits that reading for pleasure can bring. 

Did you know…

Reading for as little as 6 minutes a day can reduce stress levels by up to 68%!

Quizzes and creativity were the order of the day, Staff dress-up, alternative book covers and codebreakers were just some of the activities that students could take part in.    

However, students were certainly stumped when trying to work out our favourite books:

• Which Science Technician is a fan of this famous sleuth?
• Which fairytale characters were chosen by our MSAs?
• Pandora’s Box belonged to which English teacher?

Thank you to all the students who took part in our quiz. Niamh J (8A) correctly matched up members of staff to their books. Well done, Niamh – enjoy your reading hamper!

Mrs Regan

Acting Head of English

News from the Library

Accessit Library Catalogue System

Last Spring the Library moved to a new Library Management System called Accessit. The home pages are specific to each year group and have wordsearches, links to articles, and other library information which is updated throughout the year.  The user-friendly layout is proving popular with students looking for their next read.  Parents can also access the system as a Guest and browse the books in our library. Please use the following URL https://uk.accessit.online/qnl05/

Key Stage 3

In the last 12 months the borrowing rate for Key Stage 3 students has risen by more than 30%.  Accelerated Reader quizzing is also up across Years 7 and 8 with many students reading far more books than required for their home learning assignments. We currently have 38 students who have read over a million words since September!  Well done to:

Eva T (7A)                            Harry B (7D)                       Rahma K (7S)                     Zijian G (8C)

Franky McG (7A)              Harry R (7D)                       Akshath S (8A)                   Elizabeth G (8D)

Janson W (7A)                   Mia C (7D)                           Erin L (8A)                           Imogen P (8D)

Lucius De C (7A)               James N (7E)                      Archie D (8B)                      Ashton M (8E)

Emily P (7B)                        Ellie P (7S)                           Ava M (8B)                          Eliza G (8E)

Molly S (7B)                        Harry R-G (7S)                    Charlotte S (8C)                 Adam W (8S)

Eva B (7C)                            Isla S (7S)                             Rhiann T (8C)                     Charlie D (8S)

Ana R (7D)                           Kabir S (7S)                         Shiva S (8C)                         Jacob G (8S)

Our Library Genre Challenge is picking up. This is where students are encouraged to read books by different authors and from different genres as this is a particularly good way to expand their vocabulary.  Those passing quizzes on books from six different genres are awarded a small reward and their names are added to the noticeboard in the foyer.  Well done to the students who have completed the Genre Challenge so far:

Aloka A (7A)                       Safan M (7B)                      Ellie P (7S)                           Finn O (8S)

Eva T (7A)                            Josh A (7D)                          Sophie K (7S)                      Jacob G (8S)

Freddie T (7A)                    Martha H (7D)                   Agana J (8B)

Janson W (7A)                   Austin F (7E)                       Charlotte B (8C)

Maheera A (7A)                James N (7E)                      Adam W (8S)

Key Stage 4

We are also pleased to launch our GCSE revision shelf with a variety of CGP and York Notes revision guides available for our students to borrow on 4-week loan.  Please note that these or similar titles are also available to purchase on SCOPAY along with Workbooks and Exam Practice Workbooks.

Key Stage 5

Last year we expanded our Sixth Form wider reading library with 150 titles from the Oxford University Press ‘Very Short Introductions’ (VSI) series.  These have proved very popular with our Sixth Form students, and we have seen a marked rise in borrowing. Subsequently we have added a further 15 titles this year as shown in the below.

And finally, a big ‘Thank you’

We would like to thank those parents and students who have kindly donated books to supplement our stock. If anyone else would like to donate books, we are very grateful for good condition paperback fiction (Key Stage 3 and Young Adult titles).  All we ask is that should particular titles be surplus to requirement, you are happy for us to pass them on to someone who can make use of them.

The QEHS Library team

Music Exam Success

Huge congratulations to Licsha S who has passed her Violin Grade 4 .

Mr Rigby

Acting Head of Perfprming Arts

Year 9 Trip to Bomber Command Centre

On the week commencing the 26 February, the QEHS History department ran three unique visits for Year 9 students to the International Bomber Command Centre based on the outskirts of Lincoln. Students completed three different educational workshops during our visit. These workshops included a museum tour, an artefacts lesson and a tour of the gardens and memorials. All sessions were guided by the workers and volunteers at Bomber Command.

During these sessions we completed quizzes, listened to talks, tried on genuine WW2 clothing, and even went in an Anderson shelter that is usually closed to the public. In the main exhibition there were many interactive things to do like an air operation simulator where we got to work as a team to control the plane and bomb the enemy.  It was interesting to listen to the volunteer’s personal stories involving Bomber Command while also being able to remember all of those who lost their lives with, all of their names presented on one of the UK’s tallest war memorials.

We personally really enjoyed the trip because we haven't done anything like it before with school and the volunteers did an especially good job teaching us about Bomber Command and its link to World War Two . The trip linked well into the topics we have been studying and it definitely helped us to gain a better understanding about how it felt during those times and what it was really like instead of just simply learning about it in the classroom.

Overall, it was a great trip, and we think the history department should definitely do more like it in the future!

Lottie A (9S) and Isla B (9S)

Year 8 Trip to the Civil War Museum in Newark

On the 15 March 2024, 8A, 8B and 8D visited the Civil War Museum in Newark to learn more about the English Civil War and to gain a deeper understanding of how, why, and what had happened during the years from 1642-1651. The English Civil War was caused because of King Charles I, who raised taxes, closed Parliament, and basically did what he wanted! When he asked for extra money, the people of Parliament disobeyed and rebelled against him. This was the start of the English Civil War. All students were involved with the three different activities throughout the day. Let me talk you through these:

Armours Session

The first activity was the Injuries and Armours Session where we all got into groups and described the injuries that were faced and how they were caused in the war by observing models of parts of the human body where cuts, bruises and gashes were. We also discussed the two sides who were fighting the war to rule Britain, which were the Royalists (King Charles I side) and the Parliamentarians (Sir Thomas and Oliver Cromwell’s side). Many of the injuries were fatal and really gruesome! We then looked at the three types of armour worn in the war by the Musketeers, Pikeman and Calvarly. Each one had different styles of clothing with only the Pikeman having leather and brass as a uniform. After the lady explained it, one person from each group wore the armour and went to the front of the class to show everyone. At the end of the session, the teacher told them all to pose like the Avengers and it was super funny!

 Tour of Newark

The second activity was the tour of Newark, and this was probably my favourite part of the trip as we got to go around the town and visit the most important places at the time of the English Civil War in Newark. The lady who was our tour guide was really funny and was dressed in the time of King Charles I reign. Newark was an important town as two big roads passed here, the Great North and the Fosse Way. These roads were connected to Royalist headquarters in Oxford and other Royalist strongholds throughout the North of England. Newark endured three sieges. The first siege lasted for two days, the second siege for a month and the last siege lasted for six months. We visited Newark Castle, the Market Square, the Governor’s House (where King Charles I once stayed), the church and the graves of some famous English heroes. My opinion of the tour is that it was really fascinating and helped to deepen your knowledge of this war, which changed Britain forever.

Charles I Trial and Gallery 

After lunch, the third and final activity was the reconstruction of King Charles’s trial and the gallery. The trial was great fun as we were given acting parts of the people who were sentenced to death. This session was really interactive, and our class enjoyed it a lot. King Charles, was executed because of all the people court who each had to sign their signature on his death warrant to indicate whether they wanted him to be executed or not. The majority signed it and King Charles I was executed on the 30th of January 1649. Before we left, we visited the gallery where there were many artefacts from the Civil War, like jugs, chests, swords and much more. We then had to sketch and write a few short sentences about three of our favourite artefacts in the gallery. The gallary was also interactive with board games, a computer cannon game where you had to try and hit the Governor's house (I did!) and the chance to dress up as people of the Civil War.

In conclusion, I think that the trip to the Newark Civil War Museum was excellent, and I would love to visit it again someday! Thank you to all the History teachers at QEHS who enabled us go and keep doing that for Year 8's in future! 

By Akshath S (8A)

Good Innovations Workshop

On Friday 23 February, fifteen of our most able Year 9 and Year 10 students were invited to take part in a workshop with a visiting agency called ‘Good Innovations’. This workshop had been arranged in conjunction with our growing collaboration with Potential Plus, which is a charity that supports children with high learning potential.

The purpose of the workshop was to gain valuable insights into what young people with high learning potential think, feel and want to be changed. It also offers an opportunity for students to build valuable practical skills as well as work on their own personal development. Hannah and Alex, the session facilitators, led our students through the morning on self-reflection, a group discussion and asked students to ‘Pitch to Rishi’ their ideas for change.

Our students performed magnificently. The quality of their conversation was excellent, and they all responded with a maturity beyond their years. When asked about their favourite part of the session, some of their responses included:

 ‘Pitching ideas in a group’

‘Thinking of a problem and coming up with a realistic solution’

‘Speaking with people who face the same challenges that I do’

‘Learning about different people’s viewpoints’

Potential Plus were full of praise for our incredible students with their representative commenting that:

‘I bounced out of QEHS with such a positive feeling after meeting the young people. They were each inspiring in different ways. The school had such a positive vibe about it and seeing the young people engaged in the activity really struck home to me the great work we are doing on this project and how collectively we have a real chance to make a difference.’

Well done to each of the students involved and we are looking forward to further developing our collaboration with Potential Plus.

Mrs Griffin

GMAT Co-Ordinator and History Teacher

MFL Term 4 Newsletter

House Results

The graph below shows the House Results so far for this academic year.  As we approach the end of Term 4, we are now just over half way through for this academic year. Austin is currently in the lead by only a very small margin, closely followed by Darwin. With the other Houses not too far behind, the competition is definitely on!

Students Involved with House Events

The table below shows the number of students involved with each of the House Activities so far in this academic year 2023/2024

Term 5 House Events

Inter Badminton
Wednesday 17 April - All Day

Junior Badminton
Wednesday 01 May - All Day

Inter Cricket and Rounders

Thursday 09 May – All Day

Inter Cricket Finals

Friday 10 May – P3 and P4

Junior Cricket and Rounders

Wednesday 22 May – All Day

Junior Cricket Finals

Thursday 23May – P3 and P4

Sporting Success for the Reilly Brothers

Arthur R (11B) has recently competed at the English Weightlifting national age group championships. All youngsters competing did amazingly well in the way they performed and in representing Mettle Club.

Arthur lifted 63 kg in the snatch, 78 kg in the clean and jerk achieving a 141kg in total. He came 3rd place and secured a bronze medal.

The success Arthur demonstrates how weightlifting can do a lot to boost self-esteem and aspirations. Mettle are very proud of helping young people and adults to be happier, healthier, fitter and stronger individuals. Mettle provide a fun and social training environment delivering Olympic weightlifting, strength and fitness, and girlstrong programmes.

In addition to this Arthur R (11B), has also recently won a silver medal in the England Athletics Indoor Pentathlon Championships.

Whilst Arthur couldn't train properly from Late January to late February due to pain in his back and was poorly he went on to up his game over and achieved personal bests in the 60 m sprint, the 1000 metres and  equalled his hurdles pb, and was one increment off his pb in the high jump and pole vault. It was an extremely close finish with less than 100 points between the winner and Arthur.

A huge well done to Arthur for his recent sporting success!

Arthur’s, younger brother Charles R (8B), also took part for the first time in the boys Under 15 Penthalon. Charlie achieved personal bests in all five of his events. He bravely switched starting legs in his blocks for the 60 metres hurdles on the start line for the first time, getting a 0.6 second pb as a result of taking this risk, in order to reach the first hurdle in 7 rather than 9 strides.  Charlie improved his shot pb by over a metre, and his long jump to 5.17 m from 4.75 m. Charlie also improved his high jump personal best by 3 cm and his 800 metres by 4 seconds.

In February Charlie also achieved a National Bronze medal in triple jump. Charlie is also a brilliant sprinter and achieved 4^th place in the 300 metres in the UK National Championship final after being placed 2^nd in his heat with a huge personal best of a second and a half on the day!  Charlie also qualified and competed in the 200 metres in the National Championships,

Last year Charlie was awarded certificates for breaking seven club records, at the Sheffield and Dearne Athletics Club. These were in 60m, 100m, 80 hurdles, 150 metres, 200 metres, hammer, and triple jump. Last year Charlie was also the Northern Indoor and Outdoor 200 metres Champion and was ranked 2^nd in the UK in the Hammer.

A huge well done to Charlie for all his sporting success!

Mvumi Newsletter

And finally, from our partner school in Tanzania, here is the latest update from Mvumi...