Dear QEHS Community,

There is an oft perpetuated urban myth that the final term of the academic year is something of a winddown ahead of the summer holidays. How far from the truth this is can be measured by just how busy Term 6 at QEHS has been. Any sense of the past six weeks being a relaxed prelude to lazy summer days on the beach is quickly dispelled by looking through this Newsletter! So, where to start?

To announce the ‘welcome return of exams season’ seems initially somewhat counter intuitive, however for our Year 11 and 13 students this has been a genuine opportunity to shine. The usual post-exam analysis in the corridors was notably positive and the mood upbeat. Both year groups went on to celebrate in style at their respective Proms. These were truly special occasions. For the students to enjoy these rites of passage in such wonderful surroundings was a real tonic for all concerned. The parade of vehicles for the red carpet drop off was similarly impressive - from crop sprayer and tuk-tuk, to Ferrari and Rolls Royce!

The new Year 7 cohort set to join us in September thoroughly enjoyed an extended two-day transition experience and left all the more confident as a result, as did our future Year 12s who had their initial induction to Sixth Form life with a morning in College House.

‘Well-a, well-a, well-a’ what a show ‘Grease’ was! The energy and camaraderie of the cast was something to behold – a true spectacle, complete with an actual cut in half car! Many thanks to all families who came to see the production and, like me, you probably caught yourself subconsciously humming songs from the show over the ensuing days!

Open Evening showcased the school with visitors clearly wowed by the QEHS experience. In every learning space there was fun to be had, knowledge to be gained and skills to be honed. Central to the positive impression and key to the vibrancy throughout the evening was the input from students who were present in significant numbers, helping out with demonstrations, activities and performances.

Sports Presentation Evening was held at Thonock Park Golf Club as we acknowledged and celebrated the achievements of the top teams and individual stars of QEHS’ Sporting elite. Quite rightly, students were made to feel special, and their families so very proud. Meanwhile, Sports Day marked the culmination of the House Championship in a year which saw a total participation rate of nearly 4000 across the student body. The QEHS House system most certainly remains a jewel in the crown.

This edition of the Newsletter covers these events and much, much more including details of refurbishment projects taking place across school over the summer, examples of our impressive QEHS curriculum and associated subject Learning Journeys, and feedback from employers on Year 10 and 12 students who went out on work experience placements.

Thank you everyone for your ongoing total commitment to QEHS. Do take a moment to stop and appreciate just how impressive you all are.

Kind regards,

Mr R Eastham

Headteacher

Congratulations to Isla L, who was awarded the Term 6 Headteacher's Commendation Award. Isla has stood out for her contributions to school tours. She has stepped in when other students could not do tours and continued to think about how tours could be improved, including bringing in some of the things she made in DT when she was in Year 7.

Very many congratulations to those students who have achieved 100% attendance in this academic year! 

Copy of the letter: 

Dear ...

I am writing to congratulate you on your outstanding achievement of 100% attendance during this current school year. Your commitment to attend school every day will be reflected in your learning and the outcomes that you receive.

Good attendance is essential to ensure that you are maximising your learning potential. Pupils with 100% attendance continue to achieve the higher grades at GCSE and are 2.8 times more likely to achieve their predicted grades than other pupils. Regular and prompt school attendance is one of the most important skills and it is one of the most powerful ways that you can prepare yourself for future success, not only in your learning journey but also in your future work life. 

You are a great credit to QEHS and I wish you every success in your studies next year, when perhaps I will even be presenting you with this award again!

Yours sincerely

Mr R.M. Eastham

Copy of the certificate:

We are thrilled to recognise our most improved readers in the current Year 7 and 8 cohort, who were all presented with a letter of congratulation from the Headteacher and a proof copy of a new book release.

Congratulations to Jayden C, Ethan C, Jessica C, Grace M-B, Amy W, Mackenzie F, William G, Harley L, Nidhi M, Pavithira R and Jennifer W. We are sure their love of reading will stay with them for the rest of their lives and will stand them in good stead with their studies as they move towards their GCSEs.

Mrs Timms

Dear …..

I was thrilled to hear from Mrs Stevenson and Mrs Timms that you will receive a prize and due recognition for the progress you have made with your reading this academic year.

To have raised your Reading Age by three whole years since September is a phenomenal achievement - something you deserve to be incredibly proud of. Well done!

Literacy skills are so incredibly important across all of your studies at school and beyond, so the impact of the steps you have taken to improve your reading will be noticed not just now but in years to come.

Your prize is a ‘hot of the press’ pre-release novel and as such will be something of a collectors item in that your book is a pre-proofed edition. Therefore, my challenge to you is to see how many spelling mistakes and potential grammatical errors you can spot as you read through your book. In that sense, you, the reader, will be holding the author to account for their literary prowess!

Once again, many congratulations and keep reading!

Kind regards, 

Mr Eastham

Congratulations to our Year 8 Handball team who finished 2nd in the National Finals! Such an incredible achievement after winning all of their games until the final. We had an outstanding following from family members who created an unbelievable atmosphere for our girls. The group of girls are an absolute credit to the school. The girls have already said they want to continue their practices to make sure they are ready to go one better next year!

To watch them play in the final, click the link below: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXdWgxZehr8

Mr Burge

Iris H

Hollie C

Poppy B

Jasmin L

Emily B

Elsa S

Scarlett K

Sophie R

Hannah P

Olivia L

Holly K

Congratulations to Arthur R, 9B, who achieved a height of 3.30m in the Pole Vault at the County Athletics Trials. He has qualified for the English School Athletics Championship, becoming only the 3^rd in the UK in his age group to record that height.

Well done Arthur!

Many congratulations to George W, 10S, who has been selected for Leicester Tigers Under 16 Academy. Fantastic achievement, well done!

Many congratulations to Martha W, 7E, who competed in the Lincolnshire Closed Table Tennis Competition. She finished as under 15s and under 19s Forks Champion and runner up in the Mixed Doubles. Well done! 

Many congratulations to Finley I, 10E, and Isla M, 9C, who won Gold and Bronze in the Kingston League. Well done!

On Sunday I went to Shelford in Lincoln to perform a dressage test with my team (Grove Pony Club). The test went very well and we waited for results and then out of nowhere they said, "...and first place goes to Elsie Bradley riding Willow." I was so excited I was jumping up and down. The lady then gave me a sash and I got to stand on the first place podium which was such a relief. It then moved on to the teams and the lady said, "First place winners are the Grove Hunt Pony Club". All three of us were so happy that they made us the first ever Pony Club to win PC 70 dressage because they only started at this level this year. When I came home my whole family was thrilled, especially my Granny. She knew how hard I worked for it and she saw me practicing and knew this was my first time going. Once she heard I had won she was so happy. I think I probably made her whole year with the news!

Elsie B, 7E

Junior Boys

1st - Churchill

2nd - Scott

3rd - Darwin, Elgar

5th - Brunel

6th - Austen

Junior Girls

1st - Churchill

2nd - Austen

3rd - Scott

4th - Darwin, Elgar

6th - Brunel

Inter Boys

1st - Brunel

2nd - Scott

3rd - Churchill

4th - Darwin

5th - Austen

6th - Elgar

Inter Girls

1st - Austen

2nd - Churchill

3rd - Darwin

4th - Brunel

5th - Elgar

6th - Scott

Seniors

1st - Churchill

2nd - Brunel

3rd - Austen

4th - Scott

5th - Darwin

6th - Elgar

New Records

Arthur Reilly – Inter High Jump

Iris Hutchinson – 1500m

Zack Nicholas – Junior High Jump

Well done to Year 8 students for completing their Extended Projects last week. The range and the quality of the work was outstanding with projects from flower arranging, to the study of skulls, to balloon modelling and the history of button holes!

A large number of parents/guardians attended after school to view the projects and all were impressed with our students work. Thank you to all parents who came in to school and offered feedback to students as part of the reflection process.

Thank you also to the staff who have been working and supporting Year 8 on developing and finalising their projects.

Mr Johnson

To be a part of the cast for Grease, we can honestly say was amazing for everyone involved. Grease was a great opportunity for every member of the cast. Much love and support was given from all the staff and fellow cast members. We all had a good laugh during rehearsals, and a superb four shows. We couldn't ask for a better cast. You are our second family.

For us, the best part of Grease was the opportunity to meet people who we wouldn’t normally have spoken to, to spend time making new friends from other year groups and just the chance to get back out performing after so much time off. For some it was the first performance they have ever done at QEHS. From Freddie’s banter, to Mr Rigby having to take on a role, pretending to throw up on the night, to all of our surprise. It has been a brilliant experience for us, and I hope it has been the same for everyone involved.

Being part of the musical gives anyone, especially new Year 7s, help to gain confidence, make friends and generally be a part of something that will give them a sense of satisfaction and pride. The best bits for me were being able to develop my acting skills and developing on and off stage relationships. The hair and make-up sessions were some of my favourite times of the whole process because it gave me a chance to see people when they are not rehearsing or in character and enjoy their company. I am so thankful for everyone who helped out to make the show what it turned out to be. This includes not only those who acted, directed or helped to produce the show, but also the parents and sponsors who made the show possible.

Next year I'm looking forward to working with another amazing cast to make yet again another superb show.

The feedback that we received was amazing and makes us so proud of what we accomplished, and makes all the time we spent rehearsing worthwhile. Thank you to everyone involved. We can't wait for next year.

By Thomas G and Maddi S

A big thank you goes out to our sponsors Lovelle and Smiffys

‘Always expect the unexpected’ is a phrase that resonates with our Year 11 students. They are the Covid generation whose run up to GCSEs was punctuated with lockdowns and remote learning, disjointed returns to school and the sudden disappearance of all of the extra-curricular activities that make school life.  But, despite all of that, they have shone, they have remained resilient, determined and cheerful and they have triumphed in adversity. And the Year 11 prom at the Hemswell Court Hotel was a celebration of all of that and more. 

We celebrated a wonderful cohort of young people who know that the world is a tough and challenging place and who are ready to meet those challenges head on.  From the wonderful array of cars and agricultural vehicles that announced the students’ arrival, to the casino, to Mr Eastham’s speech which captured the very essence of these students’ school experience, to the magician, to camping in the rain afterwards, the students were able to pause, reflect and celebrate all that is past. We herald them for what they have achieved and wish them all the very best for their futures. We know that they will all excel, because that is what they do!

Mr Kingdom

The Year 13 Prom was held this year at The Double Tree by Hilton Hotel in Lincoln. It was great to have an end of Sixth Form social occasion, as Covid has disrupted many of the normal Sixth Form events that would have taken place for this Year group, both in and outside school. The event was enjoyed by those who attended.

We sincerely hope that the Year 13 students achieve the grades that they need to get to the next step on their journey. Good luck for the future!

The Sixth Form Team

On Wednesday 13 July, Thonock Park played host to our first Sports Presentation evening for three years. The excitement was building ahead of the evening, whilst students and families arrived Mr Burge prepared to open his speech to begin proceedings.

The first students to receive an award were those students whom had shown ‘Outstanding Effort and Engagement in PE’. Seven students were recipients of our first award including William C, Hannah D, Toby D, Brooklynne F, Jackson L-H, Alex W and Ruby W. All of the recipients were recognised for their consistent outstanding engagement and effort in PE throughout the academic year, including during lessons, extra-curricular sport involvement or being and outstanding sports leader.

The second and third awards of the evening were given to those students who had consistently shown ‘Outstanding Effort and Engagement in GCSE / A Level PE’ throughout the academic year. We are excited to see the results these students achieve next summer! The recipients of the ‘Outstanding Effort and Engagement in GCSE PE’ award were Neve B, Thomas D, Jessica H, Tudor M and Ruby R. Students who were awarded the ‘Outstanding Effort and Engagement in A Level PE’ were Harry D, Lola H, Josh J, Dominic P and Drew S.

As the evening progressed Miss Allen was invited to the stage to present the ‘QEHS Sport Leadership Award’ to our young and aspiring sport leaders. The students receiving this award were nominated as a result of showing outstanding leadership for learning in a variety of different ways in Physical Education and Sport. The students receiving this award were Neve B, Charlotte C, Ethan F, Jake S, Madeleine W and Elin W.

The next award was presented by Mr Burge to those students who had shown ‘Outstanding Contribution to PE and School Sport’. Students receiving this award have immersed themselves in all aspects of the Physical Education and Sport Department, whether that be representing the school in teams, outstanding engagement in PE, but ultimately for going above and beyond in their contributions to PE and School Sport. The winners of the ‘Outstanding Contribution to PE and School Sport’ award were Poppy B, Emily B, Hollie C, Monty D, Tiegan G, Irish H, Noah J, Scarlett K, Holly K, Olivia L, Jasmine L, Hannah P, Sophie R, Elsa S and Matthew W.

The next award is a new award this year and is awarded to the ‘Team of the Year’. After becoming East Midlands Handball Champions, Eastern Region Handball Champions and England Handball National Schools runners-up the Under 13 girls Handball team became the first ever winners of this award. We are excited to see if they can go one better next year.

The final set of awards were presented by Mr Eastham and were the prestigious ‘QEHS Sport Personality of the Year’ awards for 2022. In third place for 2022 was Noah J. Noah is an outstanding athlete who continually demonstrates outstanding engagement in PE and Sport. Noah has captained the U13 boys Handball team, represented the school in cricket, football, and was selected to be part of the Golf Go Sketch Project.

Second place in the ‘QEHS Sport Personality of the Year’ awards for 2022 was awarded to Iris H. Iris is a hard working individual whom possesses outstanding talent across a range of activities and sports. Iris leads from the front and drives those around her to be better. Iris has captained the U13 girls handball team, represented the school in rounders, netball, athletics, swimming and indoor football.

The winner of the ‘QEHS Sport Personality of the Year’ award for 2022 was awarded to Tiegan Gray. Tiegan immerses herself in all activities at QEHS, representing the school at athletics, handball, netball, football (indoor and outdoor), and swimming. Tiegan has also been instrumental in the Your Time Sport Leader programme where she has demonstrated the outstanding leadership skills she has used to run badminton, table tennis and dodgeball clubs in PE this year. Testament to Tiegan’s involvement with the PE Department is the fact that she was nominated for every single award (except the A Level PE award). We are proud of your achievements Tiegan, congratulations on being the QEHS Sport Personality of the Year for 2022.

Congratulations to the following students for passing their Music exams: 

David M, 9A, Grade 2 Drums with Distinction

Rosie A, 10D, Grade 4 Classical Guitar with Distinction

Rosie A, 10D, grade 4 piano with merit

Molly B, 10B, Grade 5 Cello with Merit

Licsha S, 8B, Grade 3 Violin with Merit

Liya B, 10A, grade 4 piano with merit

Liya B, 10A, Grade 5 Cello with Distinction

Timas K, 8D, grade 3 guitar with merit

Emily B, 9B, grade 1 guitar with merit

Khushi H, 10D, Grade 4 Violin with Merit

Mrs Henighan

The Geography Department at QEHS firmly believes that field trips play a vital role in the curriculum. Not only do they help students to learn through authentic experience but they are also a fascinating way to explore new things and to experience the world from an academic perspective. Perhaps even more importantly, field trips contribute greatly to the building of self-confidence and foster a sense of teamwork and a love of learning. The Department has worked hard to run a full programme of trips this year after the inevitable impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, students in Year 7 have visited The Peak District, students in Year 10 have visited Sheffield and Withernsea, and students in Year 12 have visited Leeds and Withernsea. Our programme will be broadened further next year with a Year 9 trip to Lincoln and a cross year group expedition to Iceland. 

QEHS Geography Department

On Tuesday 13 July QEHS threw open its doors for the welcome return of our annual Open Evening. The vibe around school was incredible. The range of stimulating and engaging activities across all subject areas was truly impressive.

The entire school site was busy and bustling. There was real energy and enthusiasm about the place with visiting families quickly recognising that QEHS is indeed the school of choice.

The knowledge and pride teaching staff conveyed whilst in conversation with guests was very well received and oft commented upon, together with the impact our student ambassadors made throughout the whole evening. Whether it be Harini, Kishna or Christine with their speeches to parents, or Verity talking parents through the MFL Learning Journey to name but four, every single student helper was an absolute credit to the school and, rightly, regarded as the school's greatest asset in the eyes of visiting families. 

Well done all staff and students upon your collective effort and endeavour which ensured Open Evening 2022 was such a massive success. 

It was great to welcome the new Year 12 students to the Sixth Form on Friday 01 July. We hope that the morning was useful and that the students achieve the GCSE grades that they deserve in the summer. We look forward to seeing you at the school in the autumn.

The Sixth Form Team

This year our incoming Year 7 students enjoyed two Taster Days for the first time. We decided that there were so many activities we wanted them to experience ahead of their summer holidays that we would invite them to join us for two full days. With the current Year 8 students not being able to visit at all for their transition period and the current Year 7 only able to come in for half a day, we were very much looking forward to getting back to not only our usual offer, but enhancing it further. On Tuesday 05 and Wednesday 06 July, all 186 Year 6 students who had gained a place with us for September came in to experience lessons in Art, English, PE, Maths, Science and Spanish. More importantly at this stage, they also spent time getting to know their Form Tutor for September, making new friends and getting to know their way around the site. They visited the library to borrow some books and were given a copy of ‘Echo Mountain’, our school community novel, to keep.

A highlight of the visits was a specially produced piece of Drama, created by Mr Rigby and our Rep Theatre group which effectively and humorously challenged any worries new students may have by dramatising false expectations, such as teachers being very fierce, immediately followed by the reality of teachers being very kind. Members of our Sixth Form, led by Fin Nichols and Harriet Levitt, made a huge contribution to the success of the two days, supporting lessons, directing students around the school site and running activities in History, Music and Drama during the lunchtimes. Our newly trained Year 8 Buddies visited the Taster Day form rooms to introduce themselves and present ‘Welcome’ postcards to the visiting Year 6 students.

Mrs Watson

Message from the Library

We were delighted to welcome over 180 new students to the Library during the Year 6 Taster Days.  With over 4,500 titles catering for ages from 11 to adult the Library could have felt quite daunting, but the Library Team had carefully arranged table-top displays of books from the Year 7 reading list, grouped in genres.  It was a delight to see the children's excited faces as they browsed the displays, looking for their favourite genres and authors and discovering new ones! 

All the students were given their own copy of 'Echo Mountain' by Lauren Wolk. Each book bears a bookplate with the recipient's name and a message signed by the Headteacher. In addition, all the students were able to borrow two library books to read over the summer. The Library team and some of our amazing Sixth Formers were on hand to help with book choices, recommending titles or simply helping locate them! From the number of students asking if they could borrow more than two books, we clearly have a group of very enthusiastic readers joining us in September!

Mrs Timms 

On Thursday 30 June, we welcomed 179 Year 6 students to QEHS for the first time when we hosted the PE and Sport Year 6 Transition Evening. It was a fantastic evening as our incoming Year 6 students experienced a range of curriculum activities, which provided an opportunity to build confidence and meet new people. The sessions were delivered by the PE department alongside our outstanding sport leaders and ambassadors. We look forward to welcoming them to our fantastic department in September, so they can experience all that is on offer through physical education and sport at QEHS.

Mr J Burge

Head of Physical Education and Sport

On Wednesday 06 July, we were delighted to welcome the families of our new Year 7 students into school. This was an opportunity to visit form rooms, be introduced to new friends and Form Tutors and listen to some guidance from Mr Watt and Mr Eastham. We were also able to offer some words of wisdom from our current Head Boy and Head Girl and four of our current Year 7 students who allayed fears about topics such as getting lost and making new friends, and made recommendations on matters such as bus travel and homework. The Arts Faculty contributed again with a terrific Grease medley, ensuring that the speeches finished with an entertaining snapshot of the opportunities available to our students as they make their way through school. Our Library staff showcased their stock, knowledge and enthusiasm and were delighted to hear that so many of our incoming students are avid readers.

I would like to extend a huge thank you to all staff, students and parents/guardians who enabled these events to take place and made sure that they ran smoothly and successfully. We very much look forward to working with our families, new and old, in September.

Mrs Watson

Three of the four current Year 7 students who spoke to the new Year 7 students

On the Tuesday 14 June, Year 12 had the brilliant opportunity to experience a Careers Day. We had the opportunity to choose from a variety of speakers to find out more about various careers and future plans that interested us all. The speakers came from a range of industries, from civil engineering to finance to nursing to even opportunities in the Navy. The range of options meant everyone had something they were interested in and allowed us to benefit from advice about our futures.

The speakers talked all about their careers and gave us invaluable advice about how to enter an industry but also what their jobs involved, clearing up any misconceptions about certain industries, such as women in construction. We had the opportunity to ask any questions we could possibly think of, which will help us make more informed decisions about our futures. The family law session helped me to learn more about the industry, but also understand more about the reality of the career and what the day-to-day would look like. Sessions like these helped many of us to learn more about our futures and have helped us think about careers more seriously.

Careers Day gave us all the opportunity to find out information to help inform our futures, giving us the chance to learn about different aspects of working life and this was insightful for all of us. Thank you to all the staff and speakers who made this day possible and enjoyable for everyone involved.

Neve Couchman

At the end of Term 5, Dr Day retired after 32 years at QEHS. The last two years were spent as a technician in Science. During the last STEM Society session of the term, Dr Day was presented with a plaque to thank him for all he has done to inspire pupils to pursue Science and STEM throughout the years.

Enjoy your retirement!

New Educational Visits Contact

This term we welcomed Mr Brinn to the Business Office, taking on the role of Educational Visits Administrator. Mr Brinn comes to us following a longstanding career in the Police Force, with a varied background in specialist operational command. He looks forward to supporting the many extra-curricular activities and events on offer to our students.

Mr Brinn can be contacted via email: [email protected] should you have any educational visit queries.

New Science Technicians

We welcomed two new members to the Science Technician team this term. Mr McInerney re-joined us as the Assistant Team Leader Technician, having previously worked at QEHS on a fixed-term contract supporting the Science Technician team earlier in the year. Mr McInerney is also one of our tutors supporting the School-Led Tutoring Grant Programme. Miss Williams joined us mid-July as a new Science Technician and is settling in well.

Music Staffing Changes

Welcome to Mr Shah who will be supporting the Music Department whilst Mrs Lawrence is on maternity leave. Mr Corner will be covering the Head of Department role during this time.

Welcome Back

A huge welcome back to Mrs Lia, SENDCo and Mrs Spawton, Teacher of Chemistry, who have returned from maternity leave this term.

Farewells

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

Mr Russell – Deputy Headteacher

Mrs Holland – Teacher of Psychology/Geography and former Head of House/Head of Year

Mrs Daubney – Teacher of English

Miss Bloom – Teacher of English

Mrs Eatough – Teacher of English

Mr Martin – Teacher of Computing

Ms Hardy – Temporary Teacher of Science

Mr Stainton - Caretaker

April Johnson - Assistant Catering Manager

Kyle, Oli and Sam have been working alongside our Library, Premises and Administrative teams respectively since January 2022 as part of the Department for Work and Pensions’ Kickstart Scheme. During this time, they have undertaken training in safeguarding, Prevent, health and safety, fire safety, first aid and various other training courses specific to their individual roles.

Unfortunately, their six months with us gaining work experience and training have now come to an end. We would like to wish Kyle, Oli and Sam all the very best in their future careers.

Despite the Kickstart Programme ending, each has secured a casual contract with us so they can continue to support QEHS as and when work arises. You may, therefore, still see them on occasions in and around QEHS over the coming months.

The summer of 2022 welcomes round 2 of our Science Lab Refurbishment Programme. You may recall during the Easter holidays of 2021 we started refurbishing Labs 8 and 64. The 1930s labs were replaced by new labs of a bespoke design significantly more suited to modern education and health and safety standards. The layout of both rooms was changed to facilitate high-quality Teaching and Learning. Lighter, brighter and more spacious labs with 75” interactive TVs, purpose-built teaching walls and student pods were well received.  

These first labs were funded by the Wolfson Foundation. Now, using our capital funding and a revenue contribution to capital, enabled by the 16-19 High Value Courses Premium to support STEM subjects, we are able to continue this refurbishment programme this summer, extending the refurbishment into Labs 1, 2 and 3. The same design will be replicated across each of these labs.

Works commenced on Lab 1 on 27 June, on Lab 2 two weeks later and works are due to commence on Lab 3 at the beginning of the summer holidays. All three labs are due to be complete and will be ready for use at the beginning of the 2022/23 academic year in September. We will keep you posted on the progress and look forward to welcoming both students into these labs in September and visitors during the Sixth Form Open Evening in November.

We have an increasing number of QEHS Education-Business partnerships, each sponsoring a different department within school. If you would be interested in supporting the Science Faculty (or more specifically Biology/Chemistry/Physics) by sponsoring one of our labs, please contact [email protected]

We offer free advertising to all of our partners on our website, in our student planners and within the sponsored department and their publications. If you would like one of our labs named after you or your business, please do get in touch.

Due to increased numbers within the Sixth Form, the Lower School Hall became a designated Sixth Form social space during the pandemic and has remained as such for the 2021/22 academic year. This has allowed the former Common Rooms within College House to become quiet study rooms.

With the support of a Sixth Form working party, the School Business Director has been coordinating refurbishment of this area to ensure the school hall atmosphere is gradually replaced by that of a welcoming social space suitable for the young adults in our Sixth Form. Following a number of delays, the carpet is now in place, the blue walls have been redecorated in the signature Sixth Form grey and the furniture has started to arrive. There is more furniture due to arrive over the summer holidays ready for the new academic year.

We hope the Sixth Form of 2022/23 will enjoy being the first to make use of this newly refurbished space!

Mapping the curriculum is a key component of our Heads of Departments’ work. It ensures that our students make the very best progress via an ambitious, broad and knowledge based curriculum. It is a complex task and it takes an enormous amount of professional skill to get it right. A well-sequenced curriculum maps out the skills (procedural knowledge) and knowledge (declarative knowledge) and content across the school curriculum, so that what children learn builds on what they’ve learned before. Heads of Department start the process by identifying what the key or larger concepts are that they want to teach within each curriculum subject. They then need to break those down into smaller component parts so that the learning is manageable for students. And then, they need to sequence them correctly so that children can gradually build their knowledge and understanding over time of those larger concepts.

We have spent the past year reviewing our curriculum at QEHS and have ensured that it has the right level of challenge for students while, at the same time, allowing them to make progress and gain confidence. We have produced a series of curriculum maps for students and parents which present both the Learning Journey (ie the sequence of topics) that students will follow and the key themes that run through the curriculum. The curriculum maps may be found in your child’s planner and in the curriculum section of the school website. You will also see examples displayed around the school.

Examples of the curriculum maps: 

QEHS is an academic institution and our core business is to educate our young people to the very highest standard. We achieve that through our curriculum, which is broad, ambitious and knowledge based and which has the following components: 

QEHS is an academic institution and our core business is to educate our young people to the very highest standard. We achieve that through our curriculum, which is broad, ambitious and knowledge based and which has the following components: 

• The Academic Curriculum - which sequences knowledge, understanding and skills in order to promote superb progress. It includes:
  • 30 lessons per week
  • Cross Curricular Links
  • Catch up, subject mentoring and intervention
  • Revision masterclasses
  • Extended learning
  • On-line learning programs e.g. Seneca Premium, My Maths, Accelerated Reader, Unifrog
  • Examination skills
  • Key themes including: problem solving; critical thinking; confidence; decision making skills and teamwork

• The Intrinsic Curriculum - which builds our inclusive and supportive culture and ethos in order to maximise progress of all groups of students. This includes:
  • Learning skills
  • Behaviour for Learning
  • Leadership for Learning
  • High Expectations
  • Inclusivity

• The Enhancement Curriculum - which fosters personal development, soft skills and cultural capital. This includes:
  • Assertive and subject mentoring programmes
  • Assemblies
  • Careers information, advice and guidance
  • A comprehensive and consistently delivered scheme of PSHE
  • Mental wellbeing via our pastoral system and school counsellor
  • A well-developed system of praise, rewards and sanctions
  • Celebration
  • Remembrance

• Elective Curriculum - which offers enriching opportunities and experiences for all, promoting academic progress and developing soft skills and cultural capital. It includes:
  • Trips & Visits
  • A fully integrated programme of house competitions, events and performances
  • Student leadership including a prefect system, house system and school council
  • A full programme of clubs and societies
  • International Schools programme
  • Duke of Edinburgh Award
  • Camps International programme
  • STEM programme
  • Student voice
  • Student Ambassadors
  • Peer mentors
  • Sports leaders
  • Student marketing team
  • Youth Stars
  • Year 8 buddies
  • Charity fundraising
  • School presentation evening programme

But learning isn’t simply about learning facts and figures; it’s so much more than that. We want our young people to love learning, to have skills for life and of course, to enjoy academic success. At QEHS we have developed a number of tools to help them to navigate their individual Learning Journey.

Students in Years 7 to 11 are guided by the QEHS Learner Standards.  Their teachers model and emphasise learning techniques to help the students understand how to learn and to identify the methods that suit them best. Staff also nurture a love of learning and encourage students to behave in a way that facilitates a scholarly, academic atmosphere. Lessons are planned around learning techniques and students are rewarded for meeting these standards:

Staff assess students’ progress and use the QEHS Learner Standards to inform both students and parents as to how well students are doing in using the standards to make progress:

Students are given plenty of guidance in how to improve their progress. The table below is found in the student planner:

 

Mr Kingdom

This has been an exciting academic year for the Physics Department at QEHS. The Physics Department has been working tirelessly for a number of years to raise the profile of Physics within the school through its talent development programme. This includes visits from external lecturers for Sixth Form students as well as students enrolling and training for competitive exams such as the Physics Bowl and the British Physic Olympiad. After the success of these initiatives, the department felt it was time to use their unique skill-set to give all students in Gainsborough an opportunity to develop as young Physicists.

Early this year, the department submitted two action plans to the Ogden Trust as part of a bid to promote physics and were thrilled when they received news that the panel was impressed with both plans which had a clear focus on activities to develop transition, and to build science capital. The trust subsequently approved a generous amount of funding to be invested in physics education for Gainsborough children.

The first funding award will be used to deliver practical STEM activities for 200 primary school students. At the end of the practical activities each student will be rewarded the STEM Crest award. Through this award, students will be able to experience the excitement and magic of Science. The activities are designed to promote childrens’ communication and leadership skills through working collaboratively and applying Science concepts to situations they may encounter on a daily basis.

The second award will fund a partnership comprising a number of local schools in Gainsborough. The funding will be allocated every year over a 5 year period and through this funding, the schools will be organising stimulating practical activities, careers talks, support for schools to start STEM clubs, teacher development and lots more. Through the partnership, the Physics Department will work closely with external charitable organisations and companies to ensure that the students of Gainsborough receive all the opportunities they need to thrive in STEM careers as they develop into young adults. 

If you or your company would like to be involved in enabling our young people to flourish in STEM related fields, please get in touch as we would love to hear from you.

Dr Carvalho

A number of our students have been put forward for the School Scientist of the Year Awards with The University of Lincoln. 

The students we are nominating to be presented in September are:

Y10 Biology - Ethan E

Y10 Chemistry - Tom B-R

Y10 Physics - Jana A

Y10 Computer Science - Mali P

Y12 Biology - Leonie A

Y12 Chemistry - Evie C

Y12 Physics - Cian V

Y12 Computer Science - Jamie C

I hope that you will join us in wishing these students the best of luck! 

This year, 145 Year 10 and Year 12 students secured and were able to carry out their work experience placements week commencing 04 July. Covid has still made it very difficult for those wanting to undertake healthcare placements or to join with professional services employers, where staff are still working from home. Hopefully, however, those students in Year 10 who were not successful in finding their chosen placement this year, will be able to undertake their work experience in Year 12 when the world of work experience is back to “normal”.

The students chosen activities varied from catering to engineering and from cyber security to fruit farming, with many more in between. The students organized their own placements, sorted out their transport arrangements and suitable attire for their job description, and in many cases arrived early each day for their allotted duties.

The feedback from the employers, many of whom were new to us this year, has been nothing short of fantastic and I am very proud of what our students have achieved over this week. Below is some of the feedback received from our placement providers:-

“She has been a joy to have in the team, her attitude was exemplary and she was so helpful - she is a credit to your school”

“A great ambassador for the school and very talented”

“He is the best work experience student we have ever had and if he had been a year older we would have offered him a job”

“She was wonderful- happy, keen to learn about the business and has taken everything in her stride- she can come back any time”

“He has shown himself to be highly conscientious and professional”

“Fantastic- has been an absolute star”

Many more employers commented how pleased they were with the punctuality, engagement and enthusiasm to learn, demonstrated by our students across the board.

I am sure the skills the students have acquired and the experiences they have had, will help them as they move into Year 11 and look at making decisions regarding post-16 options.

Well done to all of you and thank you to all our employers, some of whom are parents of students at QEHS.

Mrs J C Thorpe

Work Related Learning Co-ordinator

Self-care is incredibly important.  It is about things we can do to look after our own mental health and well-being.

These are evidence-based steps everyone can take to support their well-being for example:

• Connect with others – talk to sympathetic people about how you are feeling now
• Be active – exercise changes our emotional state
• Find something that calms you or makes you feel happy and do it everyday
• Do something that helps someone else – this could include volunteering
• Keep learning – remembering that we can develop and grow changes our outlook on life