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- Message from the Headteacher
- QEHS Continues to Educate
- Feel in Control of Your Future
- Farewell to our Leavers
- Sixth Form Applications for entry in September 2020
- Sixth Form Visit to Berlin February 2020
- PSHE and Citizenship
- Congratulations Jamie Ellis
- European Standard Duathlon Championship
- Go the Distance with the Easter Challenge
- Celebrating our academic success
- Oxbridge Conference
- The Rainbow Children
- Schoolzine App
- Year 10 GCSE Sports Studies
- Career Mark Success
- Journaling Can Be Helpful
- This too shall pass
As we near the end of our second week of home-study, I would like to thank you for your continued support of your children’s learning. I told the students before we closed for the Covid-19 lock-down that school was not stopping but their learning was transferring to their individual homes as we closed the buildings. Your support in facilitating this happening has been hugely appreciated by myself and the whole team at QEHS.
However, we all need a break from screens and the intensity of working alone at home and so I have asked staff to only set the same amount of work they might normally have set over the Easter break in order to allow families to spend some well-deserved time together albeit in the confines of our own homes.
I have also emailed students this morning with the same message. This doesn’t preclude individual students choosing to continue to work, or indeed catch up on missed work if they have fallen behind. However, there is no expectation for the teaching staff to be monitoring emails, so students should not expect immediate responses.
It is not yet clear how long schools will be closed but, given that it is likely to be at least until May half-term if not beyond, we need to manage our workloads appropriately.
We intend to start some online tutor meetings after Easter to allow students to contact friends from their form in a safe way supported by their form tutor. I would therefore encourage students to look out for emails inviting them to form time.
Parents might want to use some of the resources we have made available on our website giving guidance on how to keep students safe online. These can be found here: https://www.qehs.lincs.sch.uk/parents/school-closure-work/wellbeing
There will of course be anxiety over the details of transition into next year from all students. We recognise this but are keen to make sure that we get one clear message out to students rather than hinting at possible scenarios. Please therefore bear with us as we work through the details of things such as Year 9 starting GCSE in Term 6, Year 11 and 13 external exam grades, language choices and setting (in subjects lower down the school) for September. To try to allay some of those anxieties, please be assured we will do everything in our power to ensure nobody is disadvantaged as a result of the current situation.
I hope you have a restful break and find the space to spend some time with your loved ones, albeit perhaps online!
Mr D Allsop
Headteacher
During this difficult time, the staff at QEHS are still hard at work to provide an education relevant for every child and their stage on their educational journey.
See https://qehs.lincs.sch.uk/parents/school-closure-work/ for further guidance.
We have been impressed with the majority of students already in full swing with remote learning - through Google Classroom and the other online learning platforms they are already used to, well done QEHS students, we are proud of the responsible attitudes that you continue to display!
There will be updates to the online teacher support available: https://qehs.lincs.sch.uk/parents/school-closure-work/online-teacher-support so please check frequently.
Mr Allsop will continue to put regular updates on the website homepage https://qehs.lincs.sch.uk/, with all previous letters in relation to the Covid-19 strategy found at https://qehs.lincs.sch.uk/COVID19
If you require further support please see https://qehs.lincs.sch.uk/parents/school-closure-work/wellbeing, where there may be regular updates to help you.
Remember, parents, guardians and students are all welcome to submit content for Newsletter Articles: https://qehs.lincs.sch.uk/news?nid=11 for Term 5 Live Newsletter 19/20: Submit Content is found at the top right of the page.
Keep in touch and take good care.
Feel in Control of Your Future
Times of change and uncertainty may cause anxiety and distress, even for a fleeting moment or two, or every now and then. This can take you unawares, and ultimately effect your ability to concentrate, make decisions or even remain rational. In order to support the well-being of students, staff, parents and guardians, our School Counsellor Diane Hall (MBACP) continues to be available from 8.30-16.30, Monday-Friday. Whether it's via email, phone call or Google Hangouts, Diane can be contacted for a chat, support or just to touch base and say "Hi!".
Diane has also been busy adding further support resources to the new Well-being page on the QEHS website https://qehs.lincs.sch.uk/parents/school-closure-work/wellbeing, and although this has been added due to the current national restrictions placed on us all, the page is here to stay and offers something for everyone to take into their everyday lives for the future. Keep in touch everyone and keep your mind healthy.
Feel in Control of Your Future is just one of the resources to be found on the Well-being web-page.
Thank you Diane.
Friday 20 March brought an abrupt end to school life as we know it, for the foreseeable future. This came as the biggest wrench for our Year 11 and Year 13 Leavers of 2020. Never the less, staff worked very hard to ensure a send off that the students deserved, and all be it short notice, we were able to send them on their way with some last day memories that they can all cherish. The new Sixth Form Twitter account @Qehs6thform shares some of the highlights for Year 13 Leavers:
https://twitter.com/Qehs6thform/status/1241066632258207744?s=20
https://twitter.com/Qehs6thform/status/1241066458773360642?s=20
Year 13 students managed to complete team boards in 24 hours (which is just amazing! and testament to their ability to rally round and be proactive in the face of adversity). These will form a permanent reminder of the 2020 Leavers in College House, to brighten up the rooms they used most and share with future new students.
We wish all of the Year 11 and Year 13 Leavers good luck on their chosen career paths, and ask that you all keep in touch through Future First https://futurefirst.org.uk - connecting QEHS and other Alumni. Remarkably 44 of you have already registered over the last week! You can also look up the Facebook page: Queen Elizabeth’s High School, Gainsborough: Alumni, or view and upload articles to our Alumni Newsletter: https://qehs.lincs.sch.uk/news?nid=9, new for 2020. Alternatively, contact us at any time in the future: [email protected], for further information on how you could support QEHS in the future.
Watch out for the reunions!
Mrs R Haldenby
Assistant Headteacher (Head of Sixth Form)
Sixth Form Applications for entry in September 2020
You may be aware that new transition arrangements have been put into place this year for all Year 11 students, as they look ahead to their Post 16 options. This is to ensure that all students are supported along the way, receiving guidance information in preparation and allowing the opportunity to ask questions about our Sixth Form Offer.
We are pleased to say that our excellent offer, along with a history of very strong results, has produced over 220 applications to Sixth Form from QEHS this year, as well as external students. At the time of writing all of these students will have had a one-to-one meeting with a member of the QEHS Sixth Form or Leadership Teams to further discuss future aspirations and how we can help to ensure a smooth transition to our Sixth Form.
These meetings have proved popular by students and staff alike and have enabled the changing relationship between the two to develop further in readiness for Sixth Form life in September. Conditional offer letters have been sent to all students who applied and we look forward to coming together in June for the Year 12 Welcome Day.
If your child has not applied to our Sixth Form but would now like to do so, please email Mrs Housham on [email protected] indicating which subjects they would like to study and we will do our best to accommodate them.
Mrs R Haldenby
Assistant Headteacher (Head of Sixth Form)
Sixth Form Visit to Berlin February 2020
Departing at half past three in the morning on the 14 February, A Level German, along with a couple of extras, travelled to Berlin, the once divided capital of Germany, in order to gain a better insight into the diversified culture that has developed as a result of its tragic past.
After checking into our hotel, we were immediately eager to explore and so walked through the closely situated Tiergarten, finally arriving at the Bundestag (the Parliamentary Building) and the neighbouring Brandenburg Gate that has become a recognisable symbol of Germany’s reunification. After eating Currywurst, a German delicacy and arguably one of the highlights of the trip for many, we visited the Amplemann Shop, another symbol of Berlin’s reunification. We then ventured deeper into Germany’s recent past by visiting the Wall Memorial Museum. Situated next to where the wall used to stand, it commemorates the lives of the citizens that were lost trying to cross the border from the GDR to the more liberal West, and explains the significance of the fall of the wall for global relations.
In the evening we went to the Gedachniskirche, which was destroyed in the Second World War bombings, (similar to Coventry), and the Ku’Damm, the main shopping street. Saturday was filled with even more walking and museums, to best enrich our short stay. As the weather was sunny, we walked through the Tiergarten once again to reach the Siegersaule, another piece of Berlin’s iconic architecture. We then visited the Holocaust Memorial and Potsdamer Platz, well known for their yearly film festival. Later we visited two further Museums, the Topographie of Terror, a Holocaust Museum, and Haus am Checkpoint Charlie-that described and demonstrated the many ways that people used to try to flee into the West.
That evening was my personal highlight of the trip, a look inside the glass dome created by Norman Foster. It sits on top of the Reichstag, where we could look out across the illuminated city.
The third day consisted of the GDR Museum, particularly interesting for us as it closely related to the film that we study, as well as the globally famous East Side Gallery-the largest stretch of the Wall that remains, now decorated in graffiti. After eating ice-cream in the rain, we ventured to the old East and explored a Soviet WW2 Memorial, as well as the Stasi Museum, once again reminding us of the true nature of life in the East.
The fourth and last day was brief but engaging as we visited the World Clock and the Fernsehturm, the old Eastern TV tower built to demonstrate their strength. From the top, you could see all of Berlin, and the stark differences in the layout and architecture of the two sides.
From the trip, it has become even more remarkable to me how the city used to be divided, and I am certain that when I visit again in the future, it will become even harder to tell the difference between the two sides.
Sarah Percival 12D
See more photos of our visit on twitter @QEHSMFL
Here at QEHS we pride ourselves on the fantastic pastoral House support system, able to enrich the educational experience of our students in a vast number of ways. We are so lucky to be able to offer the extensive careers, sports, house competitions and international links that our students are exposed to on their QEHS career, supported by a wealth of outside provision. Fundamental to the student experience is the PSHE and Citizenship Programme. https://qehs.lincs.sch.uk/parents/school-closure-work/wellbeing gives the most recent PSHE and Citizenship guidance for students, along with a number of recently posted support resources for parents and guardians. Details of which can also be found below:
PSHE
Students are encouraged to complete the ‘PSHE 30 Day Challenge’. At different points throughout each week they are tasked with researching specific topics in line with the PSHE scheme of work as well as tasks which will help to support their own mental health through this challenging time.
Try the PSHE 30 Day Challenge
Citizenship
Years 7 & 8
Students will be set a task once a fortnight in line with their usual lesson. The resources/worksheets can be found on Google Classroom and should be submitted for the deadline set by the class teacher.
Additionally, to build on and support the skills developed in Citizenship lessons students are encouraged to take an interest in current affairs and broaden their understanding of topics which are having an ongoing impact on their daily lives. As part of their research, it is important to consider and explore information from many sources, however students are advised to stick to reputable platforms in order to form their own opinions. Families are encouraged to have discussions and debates on topical issues.
Online Safety
This is an important time to revisit online safety guidelines with your family.
Safer Communities Service, Lincolnshire County Council provide the following guidance: thinkuknow secondary parents
Stay Safe Partnership Advice for Parents/Guardians
The additional up to date resources below also form comprehensive advice:
Internet Matters Guide Digital Diet Balancing Screentime
Internet Matters Guide Official UK Social Media Guidance
Internet Matters Online Identity Guide
Internet Matters Social Media Tips Guide
Mrs H Crick
Head of Scott and PSHE/Citizenship Co-ordinator
European Standard Duathlon Championship
Punta Umbria March 2020
The first week in March I flew to Faro and then a short transfer over the border took me to Punta Umbria, in Southern Spain for the ETU Duathlon Championships.
I had qualified for both Sprint and Standard events, but with me being at the top of my age group and the races back to back, I opted for the Standard. The Sprint was on Saturday followed by the Elite Men and Women, and saw Alistair Brownlee taking Bronze Medal - with only 5 seconds between the first 3. Sunday brought the Paralympic events - as inspiring as ever - and then it was my turn.
We were off in the last wave. I knew I was in good shape and gave it my all. I was second in, off the first run; but on the bike, 2 managed to just get ahead of me. It was all down to the last run with 4 of us all in transition at the same time. I very quickly moved into Bronze Medal position and kept working hard. I passed another competitor (ex-Commonwealth 10000m track runner of 31mins!!), which took me into Silver Medal position to finish, absolutely over the moon! I was the oldest in my age category and it was a big ask, but I’d worked hard with my partner/trainer Garry to get into great shape. In view of the current situation we were incredibly lucky that the event went ahead and it may be the only international sporting event in the ETU Duathlon Championship to happen this year.
My advice: stay fit and keep exercising, and always follow your dream. If anyone would like any advice on duathlon/triathlon, please get in touch via [email protected] .
Mrs J Baldwin
Head of Austen
A huge congratulations on your European Duathlon Championship Silver Medal Mrs Baldwin! Thank you for sharing your story, you are an inspiration to us all.
Go the Distance with the Easter Challenge
You are perhaps missing your regular sporting commitment or may even be planning for the 5km run for the NHS. The PE Faculty have come to our rescue! We have all been set an Easter Challenge: to achieve 1,000 miles by the end of the Easter holiday; either running, walking, cycling, or indeed using any other piece of equipment that covers distance, as part of your daily exercise routine.
The challenge starts on Sunday 5 April, all the way through Easter to Sunday 19 April. All you need to do is either send a photo of your watch/phone showing the distance you covered or email me [email protected] - pace is irrelevant. You are also invited to send a selfie, I will be updating our online tracker everyday at 6pm via Twitter: @QEHSPE so that we can keep track of how far we have achieved as a whole school. It would be a great way to actively keep in touch with the QEHS community - staff, parents/guardians and students, and more importantly, encourage us all to continue being physically active over the Easter break.
We look forward to receiving all of your distances and photos.
Stay safe.
Mr J Burge
Head of PE Faculty
Celebrating our academic success
The Gainian Magazine
Here at QEHS we are very proud of The Gainian: The academic journal of QEHS.
"The journal represents the continuation of the tradition for this school to showcase the very best of its students' work in order to share it with our wider community. The Gainian magazine was produced historically by QEHS to publicise the school’s achievements.
We strive to be the best and this magazine bears testament to that. Our staff and students demand high standards of each other and of themselves, and as a result we boast a standard of academic achievement that places us amongst the best academic institutions in the country.
This journal records and shares that work and is a snapshot of the work that is produced every day in our school. We hope that you enjoy reading it."
David Allsop, Headteacher (The Gainian, Volume 3)
You may have seen The Gainian either in school or at the local libraries, cafes, etc. we deliver it to. Students who have contributed to the magazine also receive their own copy. You can find the latest edition below or look up all volumes on the new page: https://qehs.lincs.sch.uk/the-gainian
Look out for The Gainian Volume 3 Cover
Mr J Kingdom
Sadly, the annual Oxbridge conference that was planned for Priory LSST, Lincoln on 20 March had to be cancelled, along with many other events aimed at supporting our Year 12s who are considering applying to Oxbridge later this year. However, we at QEHS are in the fortunate situation to have many of our own Year 13 students who currently hold offers from Oxford and Cambridge, having successfully been through the application and interview process earlier this year. On the last day of term we were able to make use of their valuable experiences and put them together with our current Year 12s in order to share advice and guidance on how to select and apply for a course at one of these prestigious universities. Students were able to pair up with those of similar subject interests and all found the experience useful. Now that we are in lock-down we have been able to put our students in touch with each other electronically facilitating a valuable network of support that can continue while school is closed; also making use of our ex-students who have already taken up places at Oxford or Cambridge.
Any students who wish to access support with applications to Oxbridge who haven't already been involved should email me for guidance and I will be more than happy to help.
Mrs J Cropper
Deputy Head of Sixth Form: EPQ and UCAS
Have you downloaded the Schoolzine App for the QEHS website yet?
For a school of this size uptake has been pretty low so far, but it's easy!
Keep up to date with all QEHS news, access the Newsfeed and Newsletters as they are updated.
From 5-7 February 2020, the current Year 10 GCSE Sports Studies group went to High Adventure Outdoor Education Centre. We were split into four different groups and rotated around the following activities: learning how to tie the correct knots/put on safety equipment (harnesses and helmets), belaying, bouldering, and finally actually climbing; where we put together all of the skills we learnt.
There were many different climbs in order to suit everyone's ability, therefore if you had no previous experience in climbing there were easier routes you could take. Similarly, if you were confident in your climbing or decided you wanted more of a challenge, there were harder routes you could follow.
The instructors were extremely supportive, motivating and helpful. If you got stuck on part of a climb, they would try and talk you through the steps which you should take in order to complete it successfully. Then, if you still didn’t understand, they were quick to get on the wall themselves and show you. As this all gets recorded and goes towards your end grade for your GCSE, if they thought that you could push yourself further, they would tell you what you needed to do in order to improve and therefore heighten your mark.
The accommodation was clean and you could choose who you wanted to share a room with. We had to make up our own beds once we got there, and our rooms were expected to be well looked after at all times. We weren't allowed to eat or drink in our rooms, however there were designated areas where we could sit and socialise with each other and we could eat/drink there.
Breakfast was at 8.00 and there was a range of food available, toast, cereal, fruit etc. As our schedule was tight, due to us wanting to maximise our time climbing, we made our own lunch after we had eaten breakfast. There were things like sandwiches (with a range of fillings), crisps, fruit and of course you could eat things that you had brought from home too. At 17.30 we had dinner, and later on, many people also ordered takeaways from local takeouts.
After dinner, we were split into groups again and either did a speed climb, where you had to race against another person in the group - up a wall as fast as you could, or play games in an underground maze called the Labyrinth, and on the second evening the groups switched around.
Personally, I enjoyed the speed climb the best because I liked the competition and it was fun to see how much I could improve in such a short period of time. The best climb for me had to be the hardest one I did, I got stuck at one point and everyone below me was so supportive - trying to tell me where I should go next. Once I reached the top, the sense of achievement was something I will never forget. I think the funniest memory from the trip had to be on the first night as Mr Johnson had brought two games from home, Dobble and UNO. A group of us just sat around a table, played games and had a good laugh, whilst we saw the more competitive side of each other, (especially Mrs Heathershaw).
I would highly recommend this trip to any current Year 9 students that have opted for GCSE PE next year, as it is a brilliant opportunity to get a good grade on another sport to go towards their final GCSE level.
Finally, I would like to give Mr Downing, Mr Hearnshaw, Mrs Heathershaw and Mr Johnson a massive thank you on behalf of all the students that went on this trip, for enabling us to have an amazing time and giving us something we will remember forever.
Shannon Carte 10S
As announced in the last Newsletter we are delighted to have been awarded the Career Mark: National Quality in Careers accreditation for our work in providing careers information, advice and guidance at QEHS.
The award is a prestigious one and accreditation involved a rigorous process which included the judges interviewing students from every year group on the quality of advice that they had been given and their experiences. We are immensely proud of the advice and guidance that we give to our students in order to help them plan their future careers. An overview of our work is shown below.
QEHS Careers Strategy Overview
If you need advice about careers or work experience then please contact a member of the careers team: Mr Kingdom, Mrs Thorpe, Miss Lowe and Miss Lambert. Thank you to the team for all their hard work in achieving this award.
Mr J Kingdom
Assistant Headteacher (Assessment & Student Progression)
Coronavirus has affected the whole world; these difficult times will go down in history. We are all involved in this strange event, what better reason to start your own journal, writing about your own experiences. Journaling is very therapeutic; you can express how you are feeling in your own words. Write about your good days as well as the bad, about activities you’ve been participating in; getting your thoughts and emotions onto paper helps to free your mind.
When this challenging time is over, journaling will allow you to look back and remind yourself of the journey you’ve been through. A journal or diary is a piece of history that you will be able to share with future generations. Who knows there may be another Anne Frank or Samuel Pepys among you!
Choose an appropriate book to write your account, make a note of the date and time of your piece of writing, and allow your pen to flow. Be as creative as you feel, maybe even adding drawings.
Happy Journaling! Stay safe and positive! Wishing you all well!
Karen Spencer
From Diane Hall’s Well-being Team.
I have been thinking of how I can uplift others whilst being in isolation and hope the following will do just that for you.
There’s lots of twee sayings out there, but some really speak directly to our heart as they contain life, wisdom and truth. I’ve been collecting quotes for years, from a variety of sources such as song lyrics, films, proverbs, scriptures, car stickers, etc. The following are a few that seem very appropriate for such a time as this.
‘’Keep calm and carry on” a quote from War. In this time when we do not have control over what’s happening to the world, we need to remember that we do have control of our own attitude/reactions to it all. Did you know an attitude is at the front of a plane and that is what keeps the plane flying! We can choose to look up, be positive, connect to others; or succumb to fear, negativity and isolation. Take control, be empowered! Even in your own home you can shift the atmosphere - play uplifting music, sing in spite of the circumstances. It does work. Play Pharrell Williams, "Happy". I live by "The joy of the Lord is my strength".
Consider worry and anxiety; of course we are all feeling both at this terrible time, but when people say “Don’t worry, be happy" or you hear the lyrics from Bob Marley “Don’t worry about a thing, ‘cause every little thing is gonna be alright”, it seems to dismiss our worries. But there’s a much deeper meaning; worrying just adds to our anxiety and uses up our energy, it disempowers and disables us. As humourist Erma Bombeck wrote “Worry is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do, but never gets you anywhere."
Marie Curie said: "Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less." Arm ourselves with the right information and avoid pessimistic negativity and fear mongers. Be alert to what we watch and listen to, have healthy boundaries in place, be discerning and wise.
A virus spreads - but so can love and kindness, peace and hope, goodness, joy and laughter; light and truth, grace and wisdom - wellbeing! Blessings! We can all make a difference and it’s often to just one person at a time, but positive energy will multiply and can make a huge difference to families, friends, to communities, towns, counties, then the nation - the world.
If you find yourself short of something don’t panic as it’s surprising how we can cope with very little. There is help out there too, just ask.
Basically, life’s full of experiences both good and bad, but as any athlete will tell you: when you are knocked down, you don’t stay down. It’s the getting up and running the race set before us that matters. Every experience we go through develops us into who we are. Fix your eyes ahead and don’t focus on past failures, but learn from them. Leave behind negative baggage and only carry forward things that strengthen you and make you a better person. Let’s press onwards with perseverance; Philippians.
Whatever happens, we just need to endure. “If you're going through hell, keep going," - Winston Churchill. “This too shall pass," is an old Persian saying.
In the film “Cast Away." After four years stuck on an island, alone, and uncertain of what to do, once he returned home Tom Hanks' character, Chuck Noland, said, "I know what I have to do now, I've got to keep breathing because tomorrow the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide could bring?" “Dawn comes after the darkness," as author Lisa Wingate says. This summarises the perspective and hope we need, to endure. We are all over-comers standing strong together, back to back in a circle facing outwards, so that everyone is protected.
“Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end." - John Lennon.
I speak blessings of peace, love, health, wellbeing, provision and protection over you.
God bless you.
Miss T Garrod
Some of the quotes were taken from an online article by David G Allan, CNN