Mrs E. Ahmad, Student Career and Enterprise Leader, writes:
On Monday 19th March 2018, Year 10 students embarked on their one week work experience placement. Work experience provides students with a first-hand experience of what is needed to do well in a job and time outside the classroom allows students to learn about a particular job or area of work.
During their placement, students were able to find out what skills employers look for when they’re hiring someone to fill a job vacancy. They were also given the chance to develop their self-confidence and communication skills, increase their knowledge and understanding of the world of work and find out about their strengths and how they can improve their skills and abilities.
Student Comments:
‘It was a very hands on experience. I was kept busy throughout the whole experience and really enjoyed myself.’ David Oladejo at Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue
‘It helped cement the idea of wanting to work with children in the future; I really enjoyed my experience.’ Faith Dinnage at Creswick primary and nursery school
‘I enjoyed working and talking to lots of different people, the responsibilities given to me and being able to work in different departments was great.’ Adam Richards at Waitrose Supermarket
Employer comments:
‘Can we keep Harry Dobson? If he carries on the way he does he’ll go far in life.’ Fairway tyre and Auto Service
‘Will Scott was terrific, happy to have him work with us on Saturdays.’ Grange Jaguar Ltd (Welwyn)
‘Georgie Ferguson was very professional and had an enthusiastic approach. She got engaged in all activities, lovely to work with, very pleased.’ Nuffield Health
https://stanborough.herts.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Work-Experience-2018_1.jpg300343Clare Pomfreyhttps://stanborough.herts.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/newlogo.pngClare Pomfrey2018-03-29 09:35:342018-03-29 09:35:34Stepping into Work
Mrs E. Ahmad, Student Career and Enterprise Leader, writes:
Setting the scene for the ‘Crucial Crew’ event was Steve Folland, Video & Audio Content Writer, Presenter and Editor. Steve started off the event with a motivational speech on gaining experience and the importance of gaining new skills which encouraged our students to enter the two rooms at the Fielder Centre packed with willing employers.
Representatives from a wide range of sectors were on hand to give useful information and advice on future careers, apprenticeships, healthy lifestyles, leisure and volunteering opportunities, employment and more. The emphasis was on providing students with a range of information that they will find useful both now and for the future. Students’ confidence improved as the morning progressed and they spoke with more organisations. By the end they were filled with knowledge and their bags filled with pens, water bottles, phone holders and all other freebies on offer.
“It was very helpful, it gave me lots of ideas about my future choices. Lots of engaging activities, I loved it, amazing!” Jordan Gibson, 9K
“It gave me an idea about my future option choices. The Virtual Reality experience with the army was amazing!” Jamie Wilson 9B
“I liked the different variety of exhibitors. Really engaging and having the chance to talk to lots of different employers was great.” Ruth Yeboah 9h
“This was very helpful and exciting. It gave me great opportunities to talk to lots of different people about my future.” Casey Kemp 9S
To see more pictures from the event and keep updated with Careers news, events and job/apprenticeship opportunities follow us on Twitter: @StanCareers
Miss R. Hooper, Curriculum Leader: Science, writes:
On Wednesday 14th March, over 70 Year 8s and 9s went to the NEC in Birmingham to the Big Bang Fair. The Big Bang Fair is a huge celebration of STEM subjects that happens every year. The students enjoyed hands-on activities, workshops, careers activities and shows. The students were also able to engage with major STEM companies such as Rolls Royce, RAF, GSK, BP, National Grid and the NHS to see the applications of STEM subjects outside of the curriculum. The aim of the day was not only to have a great time and get lots of freebies, but to inspire the students to consider the wide range of careers available to those who continue studying STEM subjects at GCSE and beyond. A huge success!
“I found the Big Bang fair to be educational and enjoyable. The interactive way of learning used at the big bang fair really helped to open my eyes to the different jobs, opportunities and applications opened by an education in science. I found the presence of the RAF and forensic scientists particularly interesting as they are both, in my opinion, very interesting careers that are fittingly scientifically oriented. The big bang fair is definitely an activity that I recommend anyone who has been offered the opportunity should take part in, both to have fun and to be further made aware of possibilities for their future.” Ellie-Anne Hart 9A
“I found the science fair very interesting and educational. I enjoyed being able to learn more about careers within the science field through activities and shows. I found the RAF section particularly interesting because of the aircraft, and machinery they showcased.” Kelsey Couling 9K
“I really enjoyed learning more about how engineering is put into real life, such as defence systems.” Kian Burley 9S
“I think it was a fun trip, lots of things to do and explore. It was high quality and I really enjoyed it.” Milan Bucek 8A
https://stanborough.herts.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Big-Bang-2018w.jpg536999Clare Pomfreyhttps://stanborough.herts.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/newlogo.pngClare Pomfrey2018-03-23 09:52:472018-03-23 09:52:47Fun, Learning and Freebies at the Big Bang Fair
https://stanborough.herts.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Music_School_Logo.png118126Clare Pomfreyhttps://stanborough.herts.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/newlogo.pngClare Pomfrey2018-03-21 10:45:492018-03-22 09:17:36House Music 2018, Tuesday 27th March
Leading up to the annual Year 8 trip to Paris, nerves began to increase as there was a sense of doubt as to whether the snow would postpone the trip. Luckily, the roads were clear, and the coach was able to leave at an early start of 7am on Friday 2nd March. Fully packed with excited children, the two coaches arrived at Dover, ready to make the rough crossing. Due to the wild weather, the ferry was a lot choppier than expected, resulting in many people being sea sick! Relieved to stand on still ground again, we continued our journey to the Château. Arriving at the Château, we were welcomed by the PGL staff and settled into our dorms, deciding on who was responsible for the keys! Pizza and chips was our first meal at the Château, followed by an evening activity. After re-enacting photos, counting street lamps and hugging trees, our first evening in France came to an end.
Waking up to the ‘delightful’ sound of alarms at 6:30am, it was time to prepare ourselves for the eventful day ahead. We started with a peaceful cruise along the River Seine, admiring ornate bridges, the miniature Statue Of Liberty and even a wedding ceremony! Heading off to the Louvre Art Museum where we saw the Mona Lisa, we were given a guided tour of the route we were taking. Next, we visited the Eiffel Tower, gazing up at how many stairs there were. Everyone managed to make it to the first floor and the majority hiked it all the way to the top!
On Sunday, we browsed the local market, practising our bartering skills. Then it was on to the outstanding Stade de France, where football fans were mesmerised. A guided tour of the stadium allowed fans to follow the footsteps of their idols. We were able to explore the changing rooms with the footballer’s t-shirts hanging up, congregate in their warm up room and finally enjoy the once in a life time experience of running out onto the pitch. After the tour was finished, we indulged ourselves at Montmartre, choosing souvenirs and getting caricatures painted.
Disneyland was fantastic! We were free to go to both parks, where we took photos with characters, bought souvenirs and most importantly tested our nerves with scary roller coaster rides. Tuesday morning, we were all packed and ready to go, and began the journey back to England. To our delight, we stopped off at a Chocolate factory, tasting their rich delicious chocolate. What a wonderful, adventurous trip. Thank you for all the staff that came with us and to Madame Elliott for organising such a trip.
https://stanborough.herts.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Y8-Paris-2018_14.jpg574431Clare Pomfreyhttps://stanborough.herts.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/newlogo.pngClare Pomfrey2018-03-16 11:51:362018-03-16 11:51:36Year 8 Paris Trip 2018
On Thursday 8th March, our dance students performed in this year’s Dance Production ‘Pictures in Motion’.
The production showcased the talents of a wide variety of Stanborough students not only by our BTEC dancers but this year also included a large number of dance club pieces, which have all been run by our Dance Captains. The performances included different genres of dance, including contemporary, sassy commercial and street dance. The first club piece was ‘The Greatest Show’, a Year 7 piece choreographed by Holly Milliken and Ruth Morgan in Year 10 which was the perfect opener to the production. A particular highlight of the show, and a real crowd pleaser, was ‘You will be Found’ a Year 8 and 9 club piece choreographed by the very talented Lucy Connolly, 11A. This year we also saw a Musical Theatre piece choreographed by Fran Hall, 11O, to ‘A Night to Remember’ from High School Musical. It included several sections and use of props. Steph Conder brought a real sense of fun and humour to the show with her interpretation of Shaun of the Dead danced by her Year 10 club.
As with previous years, the Year 5 and 6 Gifted and Talented students from our local primary schools also performed a number. This year we saw them as characters from the film Trolls. This was a real crowd pleaser and was choreographed and led by Jess Elsley and Abby Mortimer in Year 12.
Several students also took advantage of our audition process and there was a particularly memorable duet by Belle Awad, 9B, and Tilly North, 9A, in their interpretation of the film Twilight. Ciara Keenan, 7BM, and Amelie Ware, 7H, also impressed the audience with their confident duet debut ‘Tale as Old as Time’ and Anasteija Armani performed a confident solo to ‘Listen’ from Dreamgirls.
Other highlights of the show were the Year 10 and 11 BTEC assessment pieces. The Year 10s performed ‘Emancipation of Expression’, an original repertoire from the dance company Boy Blue. The piece is in response to Kung Fu films and looks at abstracting Hip Hop movements in a contemporary way. Both Year 10 groups worked tirelessly in rehearsals and I must congratulate them on their phenomenal performance of the professional work, their efforts truly paid off. This was the Year 11’s final production and it is fair to say that they went out in style. Their first piece was a horror piece in response to the film Annabelle, in which their clever use of motif and development saw a creative and innovative work. The audience were sufficiently scared as the dancers performed amongst them during the piece and demonstrated excellent characterisation throughout. The second whole class piece from Year 11 was a montage of all their work to date since Year 9 and it perfectly displayed their journey and talents over the three years… a bit emotional if I’m being honest!
Our Year 13 dancers performed a work in progress based on Dali’s artwork ‘The Persistence of Memory’. They have created a sophisticated work so far including a dance film combined with live dance and this piece was very well received by the audience. Year 12 dancers performed ‘Steam Heat’ from The Pyjama Game and all students managed to perfect and execute the ‘Hat Trick’ –well done! Year 12s also performed a piece based on Austin Powers with the man himself! However, you may know him better as Mr Moore.
Another piece perhaps worth a mention is ‘Jurassic Teachers’ in which Miss McLean and Miss Bowen portrayed scientists looking through a Jurassic world before the dinosaurs invaded the space. Mr ‘T-Rex’ Harris made a grand entrance to the stage as the scariest dinosaur of them all but as it turns out, a bit of dinosaur ballet was all that was needed to save the day!
Lily O’Keeffe and James Atkins narrated the show adding their usual sense of fun and humor to the production. As usual, their duet in the finale was also very well received! They will certainly be missed next year.
Our dance students took full advantage of performing on a professional stage at the Weston Auditorium with professional lighting and sound facilities, this truly enhanced their overall performance and helped make this production a memorable one.
All our dance students were a credit to themselves and the school throughout the day and during the evening’s performance. They worked extremely hard and should be very proud of all they have achieved. I couldn’t be prouder of them all and am delighted with their continued commitment to dance and all our shows.
Well done to you all.
https://stanborough.herts.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Dance-2018_1.jpg5351001Clare Pomfreyhttps://stanborough.herts.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/newlogo.pngClare Pomfrey2018-03-16 11:49:002018-03-16 11:49:00Dance Production: Pictures in Motion
Miss R. Hooper, Curriculum Leader: Science, writes:
On Thursday 8th March, Stanborough was a host school of the IET Faraday Challenge. The Faraday Challenge is a national competition where teams of Year 8s from schools across the country compete to solve an Engineering problem. Unfortunately, the details of the challenge are currently a secret (other schools across the country are yet to participate and any clues may give them an advantage!) But what we can share is that we were joined by teams from Monk’s Walk School and Sherradswood. The groups across all schools did a fantastic job working in teams and utilising their STEM knowledge. We would like to congratulate the team from Sherrardswood who won the event on the day but would like to congratulate all teams for their hard work and creativity.
The event was sponsored by Arconic, an Engineering company in Welwyn who produce aerospace and defence parts. We were very fortunate to have three engineers from Arconic volunteer their time as STEM Ambassadors to support the teams and passing on their expertise and enthusiasm for engineering.
‘I enjoyed having the chance to do engineer’s work and work with successful engineers.’ Hanif Chowdhury, 8K
‘I enjoyed being able to work as a team and enjoyed putting our scientific minds together to accomplish great things.’ Laura Wells, 8K
https://stanborough.herts.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/IET-Faraday-Challenge.jpg326410Clare Pomfreyhttps://stanborough.herts.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/newlogo.pngClare Pomfrey2018-03-16 11:19:112018-03-16 11:19:11The Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) Faraday Challenge
Unfortunately, the scheduled FOSS quiz night became a victim of the Beast from the East and had to be cancelled. The good news is that it will now be held on Friday 20 April.
If you had already booked a table, Elaine Fisher, FOSS Treasurer, will be in touch with you directly to reconfirm your booking so no need to resubmit.
If you hadn’t been able to book a table then be assured we still had a handful of tables available so you are more than welcome to come on 20 April.
The Design and Technology department took three teams to Onslow St Audrey’s School to participate in the annual Rotary Technology Tournament. Students in the teams were from Year 8, Year 9 and Year 13. The task set was to fire a plastic ball three metres vertically in a plastic cup by building a wooden frame and using only rubber bands for propulsion. They had to design a release system and present a design portfolio. The Year 9 and 13 students also had to incorporate a parachute into their design.
The Year 8 team worked quickly and had built and tested their design before any of the other 20 teams. Further testing resulted in a working design. Overall they came second in the competition, losing out on first place by two points. The Year 9 and Year 13 teams faced a more difficult task and both managed finished designs but lacked consistency when trying to deploy the parachute.
It was a very challenging day and all students worked well as a team and enjoyed the competitive experience.
Whilst the Beast from the East was fighting Storm Emma, last weekend saw Stanborough’s own Shark Robotics do battle with the country’s top robotics teams at the two day VEX UK National 2018 Championships.
Following on from previous year’s successes, the newly formed team of Alex Wright (10A) and Charlie Earnshaw (10A) had managed to secure entry to the prestigious end of year finale by winning their previous regional qualifying event. The qualified teams were due to fight it out at the renowned Telford International Centre, However, the snowy conditions meant that only 34 out of the 60 scheduled participating teams actually managed to arrive.
After leaving Stanborough at 5.15am, the team, along with mentors Alex Baxter (12B) and Matt Schofield arrived in good spirits ready to perform in the day’s qualifying matches. It was the first time this team had competed at such a high level; regardless of their lack of experience the Shark’s fought bravely, managing to win four of their matches and were on the brink of qualifying for the knockout stages. Unfortunately, they were hampered by technical issues which meant they didn’t finish as high as they would have liked.
At the end of the day the team finally managed to get through the snow and find their hotel. After seeing the technical difficulties that they had during the day, the team worked through the night to successfully rebuild their robot and get it working again.
The final day saw the all important “alliance selection” process whereby the Sharks would find out if they had progressed to the final knockout stages of the competition. After some tense negotiations they were joined with two other teams and selected to play in the quarter finals.
After two tense games and some unfortunate malfunctions with the robots, the team was unfortunately knocked out in the quarter finals. However, huge congratulations to the team who have achieved a great deal in getting that far in their first year of competing.
A big thank you needs to go to Matt Schofield and Mr Benzid for all their help and support throughout the year. As well as this, we would also like to thank OCADO TECHNOLOGY for sponsoring the team during the season.
https://stanborough.herts.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/VEX-Robotics-2018-National-Championship_March2018_a.jpg329492Clare Pomfreyhttps://stanborough.herts.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/newlogo.pngClare Pomfrey2018-03-09 09:19:422018-03-09 09:22:00VEX Robotics 2018 National Championship