Our PE Department have been shortlisted for the ‘Active School’ Award at the Lincolnshire Sport & Physical Activity Awards 2022. The Active School Award will be awarded to a school that has pro-actively encouraged pupil participation in sport and physical activity. It recognises schools that have made an outstanding contribution through sports to their students or used an innovative approach in the delivery of physical activity, healthy lifestyle and wellbeing across the whole of the school.

There have been absolutely fantastic performances from all sixteen QEHS students who competed in the Lincolnshire Schools Swim Competition! Winning performances from Elyse H and Stansie C in 7E, Jennifer W in 10D, Isabelle M in 10A and James T in 8S were notable stand outs. They are such a hardworking and talented group. 

On Friday 9 December, Sebastian R-C in 10B competed at the Men’s Artistic Gymnastics National Finals (Level 6) in Birmingham, as part of the team representing the East Midlands. His team narrowly missed out on the Bronze medal. However, Sebastian himself had an outstanding competition and was awarded a Gold medal for his individual performance. As a result of this, he will now be invited to spend a week at Lilleshall training with top gymnasts from the England and GB squad. An outstanding achievement and we are all immensely proud. Well done Sebastian! 

Mrs Cropper

Congratulations to Niamh J in 7A, who will be representing the East Midlands in the National Gymnastics Championships in December at Guildford. She recently became County Champion and last Sunday finished 6th overall in the East Midlands to qualify for the National Finals. Well done Niamh!

I am in the Gainsborough Dolphins Swimming Club, coached by Mark S and Ben A (a former QEHS student). I recently swam in the Scunthorpe Anchor ASC Remembrance Meet at The Pods in Scunthorpe, along with eleven other swim clubs from around the area. This was my fourth swimming competition. I competed in three races -  individual medley, freestyle and backstroke. I came first, receiving a Gold Medal, in 50m freestyle with the time of 40.93 seconds, which is a new personal best. I came third in the 50m backstroke, receiving a Bronze Medal. As a mark of respect for Remembrance Day, before the racing began we observed a two minute silence with everyone surrounding the pool. 

Hazel H, 7B

Well done Hazel! 

Well done to Leo C in 12D, who competed in a World Taekwondo Championship in Bosnia last weekend. He competed against national champions and made it through to the semi-finals. Leo came away with a Bronze medal which now qualifies him for further world and European level events. 

Congratulations to Ryan A in 7C, who finished 3rd on Saturday at the Yorkshire Biathlon Championships. A solid 800m run and a great 50m swim! Well done. 

Well done to our Equine Team, Scarlett K, Ivy H, Elsie B and Emily B, who competed in a show jumping competition at Epworth Equestrian this weekend. They won the Lincolnshire section, qualifying them for the National Competition at Hickstead in May. They will also be competing in the eventers challenge in two weeks.

Congratulations to all of our New Year 7 Sports Leaders! Year 7 students were invited to apply for the role. Our Sports Leaders will be given the opportunity during the academic year to assist the PE Department at competitions and sporting events.

Well done to Hannah O in 7S, Ewan L and Harrison T in 8C, and Lewis B-W in 9B, who were selected from a draw to win season tickets following a kind donation from Gainsborough Trinity.

Following recommendations from staff, congratulations are in order for Freddie C in 13D, for being awarded this term's Headteacher's Commendation Award for his outstanding contributions to our school community. These contributions have taken the form of not only his leadership at school events but also his impact on students' personal progress through his work as a Peer Mentor. From School Tours and Open Evenings to Music and Drama events, he has shown himself to be a great ambassador for the school and his support for younger students, both inside and outside of academic subjects, has been significant.

It has been a wonderful year for the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme at QEHS. We are proud to report that 23 Year 12 students have successfully completed their Silver Award and that 95 students in Year 9 have completed their Bronze Award. And of course, a new group of students from both Year 9 and Year 12 are busy completing their sections for this year’s award.

DofE is acknowledged to be the world’s leading youth achievement award which allows participants to gain new skills and experiences whilst at the same time preparing them for the challenges of later life.  

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award programmes generally take one year to complete, and they must be completed by the participant's twenty-fifth birthday. There are around 300,000 participants annually. The programmes are at three progressive levels which, if successfully completed, lead to a Bronze, Silver or Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

Participants select and set objectives in each of the following areas:

• Volunteering: undertaking service to individuals or the community.
• Physical: improving in an area of sport, dance or fitness activities.
• Skills: developing practical and social skills and personal interests.
• Expedition: planning, training for, and completion of an adventurous journey in the UK or abroad.

To achieve an award, the participant must work on each section for a minimum period of time, and must be monitored and assessed by someone with knowledge of the chosen activities. Each progressive level demands more time and commitment from participants: Bronze 3–6 months; Silver: 6–9 months; Gold: 12–18 months. Participants are required to show regular activity and commitment to the award for the duration of their DofE programme, which is usually at least one hour per week.

Needless to say, our students rise to the challenge and thoroughly enjoy the experience.  They enjoy a huge variety of opportunities including working local dance groups, helping old people, learning to bake, playing musical instruments and coaching sports teams.  

It is also pertinent to say a big ‘thank you’ to the small but determined team of staff who willingly give up their own time to run the scheme.

Mr J Kingdom 

I have come a long way since being a ‘Wave’ in Frozen. Ever since I was young, I have had a passion for musical theatre. I started at Joyce Mason’s Dance Academy at the age of 3, doing ballet and tap. I danced to Veo Veo and Mr Sun as part of the showcase ‘Dancing Times’ in 2014.

My passion for singing led to becoming Angel Gabriel in my primary school’s Nativity where I sang Little Donkey. I later joined The Fame Academy, a local group in Gainsborough, at the age of 7. I found out about them through a friend and was selected to be in their summer school production of Frozen as a wave. Though I was only a small part of the ensemble, I had a great time with my friends and it led me on to do bigger and better things. When I was 9, I passed my Grade 2 Musical Theatre Exam with a distinction while rehearsing for my part as ‘Little Nala’ in The Lion King. I found a passion for freestyle dancing in 2019 and trained at Tara Fox’s School Of Dance. I competed in the 10-11 years division and won first place.

Also that year, I performed in the musical Olivia, a female version of Oliver, as the leading role with The Fame Academy.

2019 was a fun-packed year for me as I went on to win the East Midlands Regional Gymnastic Competition. I also took my Grade 3 Musical Theatre Exam and passed with a distinction. After attending an audition earlier in that year, I landed the dream role of ‘Annie’ with Brigg Amateur Operatic Society. During this role, I had the challenge of working with a dog but I enjoyed every minute of it.

I shared my role of ‘Annie’ with my new friend. We both went on to be in the pantomime Mother Goose at the Trinity Arts Centre. I decided to focus on my dancing skills for a while and we both joined Musilova Theatre Arts in Brigg. I was enjoying my ballet training for about two months until Covid-19 disrupted my dancing. We continued to dance over Zoom, which I found to be extremely difficult, until the pandemic was over. I took part in the events at the dance school such as the ‘Choreographic Competition’ and the summer showcase of Seasonal Elements. By the time Covid restrictions were eased, a date had landed at the Trinity Arts Centre for The Fame Academy to perform Fame The Musical. I played a ballerina called Iris Kelly after two years of on-and-off rehearsals due to the pandemic. In 2022, Brigg Amateur Operatic Society announced their new production of Carousel and I was keen to be a part of it. The show took place in October and I was happy to be back on the stage as part of the ensemble.

During my time back on the stage, I auditioned for Stagebox, a national recognised performing arts group, to further my career. I was accepted and started training on Monday nights. Stagebox is also a management agency so I was sent for headshots and my profile uploaded for casting directors to see. Stagebox includes workshops and training which I am excited for in the future. Currently, I am taking my Grade 6 Musical Theatre Exam and awaiting my Grade 2 Piano Exam results.

Zarna L, 9A

Mrs Jones very kindly offered to give up her free time to allow my Year 9 Spanish class to try their hand at cooking something Spanish. Most students chose to work in pairs during the lesson. Some made quesadillas, others made fajitas and others made Spanish style crepes. They enjoyed making the batter and frying the crepes, and of course, sampling their own delights at the end! Muchas gracias Mrs Jones!

Mrs Robinson 

Well done to Madeleine W in 11S for passing Grade 7 Flute with Merit. A fantastic achievement! 

There was a real buzz about the Sixth Form this week as many of our Year 13 students received their invitations for interview at Oxford and Cambridge, from subjects as diverse as Physics, Theology, English, History, Politics, Biochemistry and Medicine. The staff in school have worked extremely hard over the last few months to support these talented students with their applications and we are delighted that so many have been successful, with three being called for interviews at Oxford and twelve at Cambridge.

A number of students were required to sit extremely challenging entrance exams as part of the selection process and this year we have seen many outstanding results. The last few days have been busy with the follow up, organising and preparing for mock interviews before the real events take place. It is a huge achievement for these students to be invited for interview and we are hugely proud of all of those who have been given this opportunity. The quality of the students is outstanding and we are confident that the admissions tutors will recognise this when they speak with them.

Congratulations to all and best of luck!

Mrs Cropper

To enable the Work Experience programme to run smoothly and on schedule, could I please remind parents and students of some key points in the process:

• The paperwork, which students will need to assist them when applying for a work placement and to book their placement once an employer has confirmed that they are accepted, is on the school website. The Work experience area is under: The School - Careers - Work experience.
• A guidance PowerPoint has been made available for Year 10 students through the Tutor stream of Google Classroom, which they can refer to at any time to give them the guidance they need to find and then book work placements.
• The School support letter is also available and should be sent by both Year 10 and Year 12 students, along with their application, so that employers are aware of the placement dates, the Health and Safety process and that QEHS does support the application.
• Separate Google booking forms are available for Year 10 and Sixth Form students on the school website. Students will need to fill in all the required areas of the form before submitting it to me. Please include as much detail as possible about the activities students will be doing to assist our Health and Safety partners in drawing up the job description and risk assessments.
• The employer confirmation of the work placement must be uploaded to the Google Form as the form cannot be submitted for processing without this confirmation.
• I would encourage students to apply for placements as soon as possible. Once we are back to school in January, the time will fly by until the deadline of 31 March 2023 and there will be competition for places. Please put work experience on the “To do” list!
• For Year 10 students taking part in the German Exchange, there is an overlap with the last two days of work experience, but we have successfully run the two activities alongside each other for a number of years and Ms Turnbull will keep the parents and students involved, up to date with the process.
• I would encourage Year 12 students to take part in block Work Experience next July, or to source an extended placement for a Wednesday afternoon, to assist with their career aspirations. Evidence of work experience can sometimes be the deciding factor when universities are making offers and employers are looking to recruit.
• A reminder for parents whose child may be considering a placement outside the East Midlands area covered by our Health and Safety partners. There are a number of counties in England who no longer have Health and Safety agencies who carry out risk assessments for young people. It is therefore essential that students considering this option, see Mrs Thorpe before they apply to the employer, discuss whether the placement is likely to be able to go ahead.

Finally a reminder that we cannot support placements in Scotland, Wales, Ireland or abroad and that the deadline for submission of Google Placement Forms for Work Experience in July 2023, for both year groups, is 31 March 2023.

Thank you for your continued support with the Work Experience programme.

Mrs Thorpe

At 11 o’clock on 11November we held the annual Remembrance Service to honour the fallen soldiers of the world wars that attended our school. The service was a poignant reminder of the sacrifice those soldiers made. Having recently returned from the battlefields of Ypres and the Somme, for some of us this was an especially  emotional event. The sombre atmosphere of the battlefields was mirrored here outside our school as we could better empathise and further appreciate the devastating effect of losing someone to war.

Year 7 were invited to join the service as it was their first year in the school and their first opportunity to honour our ‘Old Boys’ too. Hopefully this will have had a profound impact on them. In addition, some of our students who are in the cadets and dressed in their smart uniforms were also present at the service so they too could pay their respects and offer an alternative perspective to remembrance.

As part of the service, A Level English students announced the names of our ‘Old Boys’ in order to respect their patriotic dedication to the war and their country. Students also presented assemblies to the rest of the school around the theme of remembrance. These assemblies were an informative and interactive way to include all students and encourage them to remember those from QEHS who had dedicated themselves to the war and for them to consider the continuing sacrifice people are making even now in conflicts across the world. Poetry was a large factor in communicating the message of remembrance. One of the students read a poem in German to convey how both sides are affected through the hardships of war.

It was a great opportunity to pay tribute to the fallen.  

Lizzy, Grace, Alice, Amy, Georgia, Eva and Tia in Year 12

Year 9 had the delight of having Amiee Gibbard, one of our former students come into school to take an assembly. Aimee works for Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 team. She works as a Component Test Engineer and she spoke about how during her school life she faced lots of challenges but never gave up on her dream. I would like to extend a huge thanks to Aimee for giving up her time to come in to school.

Mr Johnson

On Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 December, our students kicked off their Camps International fundraising journeys in style. Students had created a range of Christmas crafts which they sold at the Matilda performances. The quality of the crafts the students had produced was fantastic and they all raised money to help fund their once-in-a-lifetime expedition to Borneo in the summer of 2024. Keep an eye out for craft fairs at future school events to help support our students in this exciting journey!

Miss Meneer

Iceland was an incredible experience that I would not have been able to have without school. The opportunity to tour the country will be something that I will always remember. The tour guide, Nick, was also very helpful, providing his expertise on the landmarks as well as other facts about Iceland and its culture. The whole trip was educational without you realising it as I have picked up and remembered facts and explanations that will be helpful later on in A Levels. Amongst the travelling and marvelling at the landscape, there were opportunities to relax, such as the Blue Lagoon and Krauma geothermal baths. These were great opportunities to catch up with friends whilst also making new friends with other students on the trip. The highlight of the trip for me was, obviously, seeing the Northern lights, coupled with the clear, star-filled skies, which was a surreal experience.

George B, 12A

The International School Award celebrates the achievements of schools that do exceptional work in international education. Fostering an international dimension in the curriculum is at the heart of the British Council’s work with schools, so that young people gain the cultural understanding and skills they need for life work in today’s world. The elective curriculum at QEHS provides a plethora of opportunities for students to experience travel overseas; recent trips to Costa Rica and The Galapagos, Iceland and Madrid and planned ones to Berlin, the Rhineland and Borneo being cases in point. Hosting teachers from partner schools is a similarly important aspect of our international work.

Mr Higginbotham joined us, just before Christmas, from our partner school, Mount Carmel College in Hobart, Tasmania. Tasmania boasts net zero carbon emissions, and a host of programmes based on environmental sustainability. It also hosts many creatures that slither, bite and sting. Mr Higginbotham was keen to share all of this and more with Sixth Form Geography students studying Water and Carbon and Population and Environment modules of their A Level course. He also joined a Year 10 lesson and spent time meeting students in the canteens and outside areas. He was hugely impressed by our students, their knowledge of and interest in sustainability and their broad and perceptive questioning. We wish Mr Higginbotham and all staff and students at Mount Carmel College all the very best and look forward to forging more contacts. 

Mr Kingdom

Earlier in December, our Year 7 students presented 'Matilda JR The Musical'. Everyone's performances were incredible. Performances to parents/guardians and to primary schools alike were fantastic. Well done to all of the students involved. 

Below are just some of the positive reviews received: 

Every year at QEHS, Year 7 students get the opportunity to be in a project called The Year 7 Production. This year’s show was Matilda!

The Year 7 Production is not just about the acting. Students can be given backstage roles such as: make-up, Stage Manager, lights, sound, Front of House and many more. Students can also be a part of the dance crew which is, during songs, being a dancer on stage. Dances are choreographed by an older student . Where students don’t have a backstage or onstage role, they are asked to sing in the choir.

Being an onstage character isn’t as easy as it seems. Students had to go through three audition stages: an acting audition, a singing audition and a dancing audition and since the majority of Year 7 productions are musicals, songs and solos are involved. The only roles that do not require any auditions are backstage roles or members of the choir.

The overall experience onstage was amazing. We don’t think too much went wrong, in fact, nothing went wrong! The show was fantastic and worth all of the hard work.

We would like to thank the outstanding Year 10 students and Sixth Formers for their help backstage and their overall management. Without them, we don’t think the show could have happened at all. Sometimes it was difficult during scene changes to get where you needed to be, whether that was onstage or backstage. However, we managed it without making too much of a noticeable fuss…we hope!!!

Finally, we would like to say a MASSIVE thank you to Mr Rigby, Mr Corner and Mr Shah for putting on this show, providing help along the way and creating an experience we will never forget. We would also like to thank all the other students who helped us during this production. We appreciate everything you have done for us.

Thank you

Izzie, Charlotte and Elyse, 7E

On Friday 25 November, Technology students in Years 10 and 11 enjoyed the privilege of going to the BBC Winter Good Food Show 2022. We had tickets to see Nadia Husayn perform demos of a whole onion curry and a smoothie bowl with coconut croissants on top. The highlight of my day was going to a book signing where I met Jane Dunn of Jane’s Patisserie. I also got the opportunity to see her perform a demo of a gingerbread cookie bar at the Get Baking stage.

As well as getting to meet some cooking professionals, there were also lots of independent stores selling various items like chocolates, cheeses and also cookery equipment, plus lots of different samples to try and things to buy. There were also plenty of free things to get such as tote bags and coffee. 

It was such a great opportunity to raise my awareness of how taking Design and Technology subjects could impact my future choices and what careers are involved in taking these subjects.

Isla S, 10B

Year 7 students have been making Hindu shrines for their RE homework, as part of their learning about prayer. Students study how different religions pray at home and the Mandir. In their shrines they included a God or Goddess of their choice, a puja tray and other offerings Hindus may bring. Hindus pray using their five senses so their shrines try to appeal to all of these senses. 

Mrs Sacker

The Bebras Computing Challenge is organised across 50 countries with the aim to get students all over the world excited about Computing and introduce them to the concept of computational thinking. 

Over the course of a two week window (7-18 November), all Computing students at QEHS were given the chance to take part in the challenge. It consisted of 18 mini challenges of varying degrees of difficulty, which they were able to complete online, in a range of different age classifications (Juniors age 10-12, Inters age 12-14, Seniors age 14-16 and Elite age 16-18). 

Within each age category, awards were given as follows: 

Merit – Above 50% within QEHS 

Distinction – Top 25% within QEHS 

Gold – Top 10% nationally 

A Best in School award given to the highest in each category. 

Over 600 QEHS students took part in the challenge with 88 students achieving a Gold certificate – placing them within the top 10% nationally. They will get the chance to take part in the next stage, The Oxford University Computing Challenge, which takes place in school from 16-23 January, 2023. 

Huge congratulations to all students who took part. Hopefully they found it an interesting opportunity and something they will continue to experience into the future. 

Miss Clausen

New Support Staff

This term we welcomed the following new Support Staff:

Cover Supervisor

Mrs Fotheringham is our new part time Cover Supervisor. She will supervise lessons during teaching staff absence and ensure a positive learning environment is maintained.

Premises Manager

Mr Wood has recently taken up the role of Premises Manager to manage our team of premises staff, the security, cleanliness and maintenance of the school site.

Farewells

We say a sad farewell to the following colleagues this term. We wish all of you the very best for the future:

Mrs Haldenby – Assistant Headteacher (Head of Sixth Form)

Mr Dunkley – Premises Manager

Mrs Anderson – Temporary Teacher of History

Mrs Wilkinson – Teacher of Biology and Assistant SENDCo

Hello, I'm Marco and I am the new Spanish assistant at QEHS. I come from Madrid, and after completing my Master's degree in teaching I took this opportunity to work in England. I've been here for a month now and it's going well. I am very excited to see how my native language is taught abroad and I feel lucky I can help the students to improve their speaking skills as well as to learn more about Spanish culture. All of them are really nice and willing to speak and learn Spanish. QEHS is a very welcoming and agreeable educational environment, and certainly a good opportunity for my professional and personal development. Thank you for everything and it's a pleasure to be here!

Let me introduce myself!

My name is Johanna, I am 24 years old and I work as Foreign Language Assistant for German at the QEHS. I live in Potsdam (approximately one hour from Berlin), where I study English and German to become a primary school teacher. Potsdam is a beautiful, historical city next to the river Havel and is absolutely worth a visit! During my studies, I already worked as a teacher assistant - I love to work creatively with young people and to teach them a foreign language. At QEHS, I mainly teach Years 10, 11, 12 and 13, helping the students to improve their German speaking skills. I really like my job here. The students as well as the staff have been very friendly and welcoming, no matter how many questions I ask. Being here in Gainsborough, travelling England and getting in touch with people from a different culture than mine inspires me. I’m glad to be here, able to collect all these memories of which my English learners will benefit from in a few years.

To support learning at QEHS teachers use a wide range of online learning platforms, including SAM Learning, Educake, Mymaths, BBC Bitesize and Linguascope. One such learning tool that we have used increasingly over the last few years is Seneca Learning and as this is a useful resource for learning in most of our subject areas I thought it might be helpful to give parents a bit of detail about the platform so that its use can be encouraged at home.

The Seneca website can be easily found via Google and all our students have a log in linked to their school email account.

Once they log in, the screen will turn purple and this confirms that their log in has given them access to the premium subscription, which we pay for from our school budget as it gives additional features for learning. If students forget their password this is easily reset by a link to their school email address.

Students can then allocate themselves courses to study and undertake a range of activities from ‘fill in the gaps’ to practising exam questions. It is a very intuitive and interesting way of learning, with ‘wrong answers’ and ‘smart learning’ modes which hopefully your child will be able to explain to you.

Many teachers set assignments on Seneca for homework but the real beauty of the platform is that it is superb for independent learning as it works through the subjects topic by topic and so is wonderful for consolidating learning. It is great for reviewing topics in the run up to assessments and is a fun, friendly way of learning that engages students. It also works adaptively, changing the questions to suit the needs of individual learners.

One excellent use of this platform at home is following a disappointing test or Learning to Learn grade. Subject topics can easily be studied again on line and this kind of thorough approach to test feedback is sure to enhance progress.

I hope that you have found this information useful. Please contact me if you would like to know more.

Mrs Watson

During a recent whole school staff training event we launched our new QEHS Action Research Groups with the emphasis around enhancing best practice and Quality First Teaching. It presented an opportunity for staff to share ideas around Teaching and Learning across different faculties and subject areas. The different Action Research Groups are listed here:

• Retrieval and Retention
• Purpose and Sequencing
• High Expectations and Communication
• Knowledge and Deliberate Practice
• Modelling and Questioning
• Metacognition and Self-Regulation
• Literacy and Reading
• Feedback and Review
• Digital Learning
• GMAT
• PP/SEND

The QEHS Action Research Groups represent an opportunity for teachers to learn more about their classroom practice, enrich their pedagogical repertoire and reflect on the way they teach. Through action research, teachers’ attitudes, professional identities and expertise can keep evolving, as they consider their needs together with those of their students within the context of QEHS.

Mr J Burge

Associate Assistant Headteacher (Enhancing Best Practice)

As part of our desire to continually improve as a school we have been implementing ways to enhance the link between students, family, and the school itself, as illustrated by our ‘Golden Triangle of Success’.

We were therefore delighted to welcome our first Parental Working Group to QEHS on Wednesday 07 December with the focus around Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening engaging in fantastic discussion with parents/guardians. This time together presented opportunity to reflect on the QEHS curriculum and also to discuss ways in which we may seek to continually drive the school forwards.

A sample of the parent feedback following the session:

“It was good to listen to and share views with parents of children in the same year group”

“Understanding the depth of the curriculum and hearing the obvious passion of the staff first hand” 

“A really useful evening - insightful intro from staff around what school intent is around curriculum and felt that parents were well- directed on what to discuss and what to feedback and that this information was listened to and will be taken into consideration when further planning curriculum developments”

“We're very happy with our choice of QEHS, the evening was a great idea and I'm looking forward to seeing the resulting curriculum improvements” 

“I Feel the School is flexible to change and that improves the students' experience” 

We look forward to welcoming more of our parents/guardians who have signed up for our future Parental Working Group sessions across the academic year.

Term 4 – Parent Working Group Session 2

Date: Thursday 02 March 2023 - 16.30-17.30

Discussion Topic: Behaviour for Learning

Term 5 – Parent Working Group Session 3

Date: Thursday 27 April 2023 - 16.30-17.30

Discussion Topic: Sixth Form/Personal Development

Term 6 – Parent Working Group Final Session

Date: Thursday 22 June 2023 - 16.30-18.00

Discussion Topic: QEHS Overview (Parental Working Group) – Next Steps (Opportunity to draw all working groups together as a conclusion to the 2022/2023 Parental Working Groups).

Mr J Burge

Associate Assistant Headteacher (Enhancing Best Practice)

Dear Parent/Guardian

We want to make sure that we are providing your child with the best education and support we can. Healthy school food has obvious health benefits and can help pupils establish healthy habits for life. Healthy school food can also help to improve pupils’ readiness to learn.  

Families who receive certain benefits may be eligible for free school meals.  Your child is eligible for free school meals if you’re in receipt of one of the following benefits:

• Universal Credit with an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400.
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Support under Part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• The guarantee element of Pension Credit
• Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for the four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
• Child Tax Credit (with no Working Tax Credit) with an annual income of no more than £16,190

Registering for free meals could also raise an extra £985 for school to fund valuable support like extra tuition, additional teaching staff or after school activities.

This additional money is known as Pupil Premium and is available from central government for every child whose parent is receiving one of the benefits listed above.

Further information can be found on the school website under Pupil Premium.

Important: Once you have applied, tell your school if you receive any qualifying benefits so they can receive the Pupil Premium funding.

How to apply

Parents, guardians and carers should apply for free school meals online at:

https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/school-pupil-support/apply-free-school-meals

Would your child like to join the KS3 Book Club? If so, it takes place on a Week 1 Friday lunchtime in the Library, 12.45 until 13.15. This club is student-led and is a great opportunity to discuss their love of books and broaden their horizons by choosing books from a range of authors, genres and perspectives.

Please see Miss Harrison for more information. 

To what extent should we sacrifice our traditions for a greener Christmas? Western countries are known for producing large amounts of waste and greenhouse gas emissions, especially around Christmas time. With many strategies taking place today to try and fight back against global warming, here are some ideas for how your family could change your Christmas to better the environment. 

We have come up with some simple changes that could massively make a difference in the way that Christmas corrupts the environment. 

Such as: recycling Christmas cards, save wrapping paper to use for the next year or use plastic free paper, as well as plastic free sellotape. I have found that newspaper and masking tape are excellent alternatives. 

Small traditions such as buying Christmas crackers can have an enormous negative impact on the environment. 40 million Christmas crackers are thrown away each year. On a global scale, this creates waste the size of 1220 mount everests. Instead of Christmas crackers, a simple yet effective alternative is having a chocolate next to your plate to enjoy after dinner.

Christmas is the time of year where family, love and kindness is most important, but we need to show the environment this kindness just as much. Easy ways to do this is by buying the right amount of food for your family and therefore reducing food waste. Lots of food comes from all around the world end up on our plates - this produces a lot of carbon dioxide so it is important that we only buy what we need. Being mindful about where we buy our presents is important, so try and buy from small local businesses or second hand shops, this could be a cheaper option and beneficial for when those winter energy bills arrive. There is nothing worse than opening a present on Christmas and having to act like you love it when you don't. To  avoid this make sure you only buy gifts you are confident the receiver will love and keep as this will stop presents ending up in landfill and releasing harmful toxins.

When it comes to displaying decadent decorations to spark some Christmas cheer, it can be hard to find more sustainable options, with just as much sparkle. Here are some easy alterations you can make to decrease the consumption of one of the largest energy consumers of the Christmas period.

When buying new Christmas lights, consider opting for solar powered lights, or lights with a timer - this makes it much easier to show off your lights when everyone can see them (typically between the hours of 4pm and 11pm) and to conserve energy when they're not needed.

If you are using battery powered Christmas lights, be sure to dispose of the batteries in a responsible way. Many supermarkets (including the local Lidl in Gainsborough) have battery recycle points, for you to get rid of unwanted and used batteries in an environmentally friendly way.

Buying a real Christmas tree every year can be expensive, as well as environmentally damaging; around 100,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases are emitted from the 8 million Christmas trees that end up decomposing in landfills every year. A better alternative is getting an artificial tree, these look just as nice as the real things and are often far less messy. My family's fake tree has been a festive staple in our house for over 20 years!

If you are willing to make some bigger changes to your traditional Christmas, consider not cooking a turkey for your big Christmas dinner. In the UK alone, 10 million turkeys are killed per year around Christmas time, when this number is combined with the amount of CO2 produced by each turkey, that number is an estimated 15600000 kg of Carbon Dioxide - a dangerous greenhouse gas.

If you`re looking for a replacement, chicken is a much more sustainably farmed meat, and it often tastes better anyway.

Whatsmore, many families might find they much prefer a Christmas in the sand rather than one in the snow. Despite destination holidays in countries abroad being yearly exercised traditions for some, deciding to forego a pricey trip is a great way to lessen our usage of one of the greatest man-made carbon producers - planes. A perfect and dedicated choice for those willing to go the extra mile for our planet.

If you are celebrating Christmas this year, try and follow this guide to have a more sustainable Christmas and make them your new family traditions.

Help keep our Christmases white.

Written by: Sophie R and Rachel R in 12B and The Environmental Society

Dear readers, in our time of festivity and excitement, remember to stay eco-friendly by following the steps below to help save the environment. Merry Christmas, Meisha R in 9S. 

On Friday 21 October, we had a Civvies Day in support of the charity 'Dransfield Foundation' and raised a total of £631.50. Thank you to all parents/guardians, students and staff for your contributions! 

On Friday 18 November, some of our student held a bake sale to raise money for Children in Need. This was a fantastic turnout and between them, they raised £306.50. Thank you to parents/guardians who raised £244 in donations. This made the total raised for Children in Need £550.50. 

Well done in particular to the following students: 

7D

Imogen P

Nicole Z

Kaya H-B

Joy M-B

8B

Ellie B

Isabella C

Kitty R

Brooklynne F

Ruby W

8C

Maisie W

Darcey T

Amy W

8E

Ann K

Amy E

Elsie B

Harry C

Oliver H

9D

Ellie W

13B

Emily F

Thank you to all parents/guardians, students and staff for your contribution to the Christmas Hampers for the Salvation Army. They were collected from the Salvation Army and were gratefully received.

A big well done and thank you to our STEM students who gave up their lunch breaks to make some draught excluders to donate to the Salvation Army. 

Our House Art display is now up in the Art Corridor and represents some genuinely fantastic work! The students had to draw our Head Boy, Kishna and Head Girl, Harini and then Mr Eastham.

Please click here to keep up to date with our House results.