THE FOX'S UPDATE February 2021 - Bishop Fox's School
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THE FOX’S UPDATE February 2021
So, we reach the end of another term and I would like to start Due to the government’s decision to cancel the GCSE and
this “Fox’s Update” by thanking all of the parents and guardians BTEC exams we will not be running our Pre–Public Exams
who have worked so hard to support our students with their (PPEs or mock exams) in Year 11 as originally planned. Instead
learning in this half term. It really has been a tremendous effort students will take part in a series of in class assessments run
to help your children take part and engage in the live lessons by their teachers at some point in their first three weeks on
and remote learning that has been provided. returning to school. Equally the Year 10 Raising Achievement
Evening on the 4th March has been postponed as we are not
Due to your support 94% of students were accessing live clear if the Year 10 internal exams can run after Easter as
lessons last week, a considerable improvement on the early originally planned. More details on our plans for assessment in
weeks of the term - so on behalf of our students, thank you all years will be made clear once we know the arrangements
for your support. for the full re-opening of the school.
We have provided over 100 students with laptops during On a different note it is World Book day on 4th March. The
lockdown and have been able to support more than 130 English team are planning a series of activities to celebrate this
students on site each day as part of the Critical Worker and day so please do all you can to support your child to help
Vulnerable Student group. Events including Year 11 Parents’ them read widely and regularly during this period of remote
Evening and Year 8 Option Evening have taken place virtually learning. As a parent/guardian, supporting your child to read
and students in Years 8-11 received their second school report for pleasure is one of the most powerful things you can do to
of the year today. So we are continuing to operate “as normal” help with their education.
within the restrictions placed upon us.
I would like to thank all of the students, both those that are
As of yet we do not know the plans for the full re-opening of working at home and those that continue to attend school,
schools. We understand that an announcement will be made for their ongoing resilience and the responsible attitude so
on the 22nd February regarding the plans from the 8th March. many of them have demonstrated towards their learning. It is
So, for the first two weeks after half term, the school will truly commendable and we look forward to welcoming them
continue to provide live lessons and remote learning. For those all back to Bishop Fox’s sometime soon.
in the Critical Worker and Vulnerable Student group, a place
at school can be booked through the usual booking system. Have a safe, relaxing and enjoyable half term.
As soon as we have more details regarding the government’s
plans for after the 8th March, we will let you know. Mr Blunsum
- DATES FOR YOUR DIARY NEXT TERM -
25th February: Year 8 Parents’ Evening
4th March: World Book Day
18th March: Year 10 Parents’ Evening
High Standards & High Expectations
ENGAGEMENT WITH REMOTE HOME LEARNING PARENTS’ EVENING
Thank you to all teachers, support staff, students and Thank you to all the parents and students who attended the virtual
parents/guardians for working together to make the roll out of live parents evening for Year 11 last month. Despite some connection
lessons a success. 75% of students surveyed last month said that issues, we are pleased to report that 82% of parents attended
live lessons is their preferred method of home learning and the which is higher than the in school parents evenings we have run
teaching staff have really enjoyed connecting with the students to previously!
provide as close to a physical classroom experience as possible.
We are pleased to report that engagement with live lessons has The next virtual parents evening is for Year 8 students, scheduled
steadily increased since the start of term and our recent reports for 25th February. Please refer to our recent letter for more
show that 94% of students have been able to access live lessons in information:
the last week. 83% of students are pleased with the level of
feedback they receive about their learning and progress as a result LAPTOPS
of live lessons so we will continue to streamline our delivering of We have deployed over 100 laptops to support students in
lessons via Microsoft Teams. Thank you again to all the accessing their remote home learning. We have also been
parents/guardians for supporting their child(ren) with remote successful in applying for a grant to purchase more lap tops to
home learning to allow students to learn together positively even further support our students so please inform us via this survey if
when they are apart. your son/daughter has limited access to IT: https://bit.ly/3jwLn5Q
YEAR 8 OPTIONS HELLO AND GOODBYE
During the school closure, Mr Summerill has been leading the Year 8 It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to Mrs Dalling as she
options process. Each week, our Curriculum Team Leaders have retires after many years at Fox’s.
posted presentations about the choices in their subjects areas via
Mrs Dalling was a member of the Maths team for many years and
Satchel One.
before becoming the Lead Teacher of our Careers department.
All of these presentations are now uploaded on to the school website
Mrs Dalling has been a loyal, devoted part of Bishop Fox’s and we
under the ‘Curriculum - Options’ tab. The presentation that Mr
will all miss her greatly.
Summerill made to all Year 8 and their parents on Thursday 4th
February is also available to view, along with FAQs. We say a fond bon voyage to Miss McCann who leaves us at half
term on maternity leave, we wish her the best luck for her and her
Students are now making their choices using the options pack that second child.
has been sent to all students. The deadline is 12th March.
Congratulati
ons
to the winner
This week our AQA Unitary Award Scheme students have been listening and responding to our of
our Science
class book The Gruffalo. We have had lots of fun sequencing and re-telling the story, identifying
competition...
adjectives in the story to describe the Gruffalo’s appearance and acting out events from the narrative.
Teagan (7SL)
has
The students have worked very hard and have achieved one full AQA unit certificate for English won a telesc
ope!
and are well on the way to achieving their second!
High Standards & High Expectations
SCHOOL NURSE: Our school nurse, Maria Thomas, who was
WELLBEING appointed during lockdown to provide the school with a clinic. She
will be in school on Mondays – see details below.
WORKSHOPS
Free family wellbeing workshops are being run through Young
Somerset. The courses are free if you are a resident in Somerset
and over 19. The next 2 courses are listed below:
15/02/21 - How to Make Physical Activity Fun for the Whole Family
in Lockdown.
22/02/21 - Making a Wellbeing Plan for Me and My Family and
Sticking to it.
To sign up, please visit their website: https://bit.ly/2Z1r5rq
STARTING A CONVERSATION
Starting a conversation can be difficult, especially if you’re worried
that your child is having a hard time. It doesn’t matter what topic
the conversation starts with – it’s about the opportunity it gives you
both to talk about feelings and to provide comfort. Youngminds
have come up with a handy list of ways to embrace these
conversations: https://youngminds.org.uk/media/1712/young-minds-
conversation-starters_final-003.pdf
OLLEE
Ollee is a digital friend for children aged 8-11, created by Parent
Zone and funded by BBC Children in Need’s A Million & Me
initiative, which aims to make a difference to children’s emotional
wellbeing.
CONSENT
It’s designed to help children reflect on how they feel and to process Consent is like being ruler of your own country, population = YOU.
their experiences with the support and help of their parents and The book ‘Respect: Consent, Boundaries and Being in Charge of
guardians - and it does this by offering them advice about a range YOU’ is a smart, playful guide to consent and bodily autonomy.
of subjects: school, family, friends, their body, the internet and the There is an upcoming book, based on this video that’s packed with
world. bright and energetic illustrations.
For each of these subjects, children can choose an emotion that Readers will learn about boundaries and how to set them; signs of
matches how they feel about it: happy, angry, sad, confused, healthy (and unhealthy) relationships; ways to respect themselves
frustrated, stressed or worried. and others; how to spot grooming behaviours; what to do if
someone makes them feel uncomfortable or unsafe; and much
Next, they can choose from a list of topics - for instance, a child more.
who was worried about school might be able to select ‘I haven’t
done my homework’ as the cause of their worry. Finally, they’ll see Along the way, they’ll be encouraged to reflect on (and improve!)
a page of advice about the topic, presented in child-friendly bite- their own behaviour and to practice consent in their daily lives. If
sized chunks they can read then or save for later. you’re searching for
a way to talk to your
To download it for free, simply register using the link below: child about what it
https://parentzone.org.uk/introducing-ollee means to be in
control of their own
body and respect
others’, look no
further!
This humorous and
insightful book from
the co-creator of
the viral “Tea
Consent” video is
the perfect teaching
tool, conversation
starter, and insightful,
empowering
resource for families
everywhere.
High Standards & High Expectations
MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES
LA CHANDELEUR COMPETITION HOME LEARNING - MRS POTTER
Year 7, 8 & 9 French students have been learning about ‘La Unfortunately, Mrs Potter is currently absent from school. The MFL
Chandeleur’ (Candlemass). This is a French festival similar to department will provide home learning tasks on Satchel One/ Show
pancake day, celebrated on 2nd February. Students and staff have My Homework, and will endeavour to provide recordings of live
been invited to take part in a culinary competition, following a lessons in Teams files where possible, so that students are able to
recipe and method – available on Show My Homework - in order access their usual curriculum. This will also mean that students will
to make galettes. To enter, students should take a photo of their not receive a report this term from Mrs Potter.
creations, and upload them to Show My Homework by 22nd
February. If you have specific questions about the progress your son/ daughter
is making, please feel free to contact Miss Ringwood via the school
email address (office@bishopfoxs.co.uk).
Apologies for the inconvenience caused, however please be assured
we will do our utmost to provide a regular language experience for
your son/ daughter.
MFL LANGUAGE EXCELLENCE
If students are looking to expand their knowledge of French or
Spanish language and culture, then look no further than the Language
Excellence projects - these have been shared with students on Show
My Homework, and should reflect a Half Term’s work.There are lots
of different suggestions of how to go about this - students may also
choose to learn a new language, or teach a language to a friend.
Contact your Miss Ringwood or Mrs Piper if you have any questions.
YEAR 8 - which language should I choose for GCSE?
For those of you unsure which language might be the best fit for you
in KS4, then here are some handy questions to ask yourself which
may help you to decide:
1. Which one might I use more in the job/ career I'd like to do in
the future?
2. Which one do I feel more confident speaking out loud? (You'll have
to do a speaking exam and speaking activities in lessons so this is quite
important)
3. Which one do I feel I'm better at, at the moment?
4. And finally, where do I see myself wanting to travel in the future?
Although some students think that French is easier as they've been
MUSIC
doing it for longer, others think Spanish is easier as it's new and
they're picking it up quickly. They end up being as difficult as each
other by the time you get to GCSE, so it's better to think about your
In KS3 lessons this half term we have been studying lots of music. future plans, and your own personal preference.
YEAR 11
Due to no practical music, we have been exploring this through
live lessons including using
interactive pianos, backing tracks,
composition programmes and Despite an unusual start to our Spring Term following the Government
online lesson programmes. All of announcement for schools to remain closed until 8th March (at the
these are new and different ways earliest),Year 11 have maintained an outstanding attitude in “live lessons”.
to access practical music learning.
We have also been listening to The following students had the most minutes in Microsoft Teams “live
different styles of music. lessons”:
Well done to those students who 11LEN - Annabel Johns 11SMW - James Grant
are continuing with their 11MDG - Kai Charlton 11APP - Bradley Richings
instrumental / vocal lessons online! 11JPO - Emily Uff 11ALM - Sarah Perks
11AM - Al Rigden
Coming soon - KS3 musical
instrument competition... check A huge congratulations and well done! Now relax,
SMHW for further details. recharge those batteries and enjoy your half term break!
Mr Contreras (Head of Year 11)
High Standards & High Expectations
ENGLISH
We want to thank everyone, students and parents, for doing all they can to be successful during this term. It’s not been easy! We want to
remind you, that if you feel the screen-time is getting too much, reading a book is a fantastic way to wind-down and relax. Check out the
school website for the KS3 and KS4 reading lists.
English Home - Learning Stars!
These are students who are doing an exceptional job; attending lessons, contributing and engaging with all aspects of English.
- Ben Wyrwoll - Alfie Conroy - Libby Johns - Nikola Saladiak - Peter Watson-Pettitt - Michael Jolley - Tristan Benson -
- Jaydn Naylor - Harvey Williams - Amelia Douglas - Molly Loveday - Owen Limerick - Anvika Biju - Josh Priestman -
- Victoria Wisniewska - Ryan Monsey - Amelia Khan - Josie Cohen - Dolly Edwards - Nadine Matull -
- Kayleigh Lee - Brandon Rowe - Molly Coles - Charisse Agsam - Yanni Roach - Ryan Shaju -
- Paige Perring - Layal Al-Roubaie - Connie Tomkins - Will McLean - Macayle Manatad -
- Imogen Webber - Amara Webber - Ellie Richards - Reece McBride -
CYBERFIRST COMPETITION
Well done to all of the girls who
have taken part in the
A big well done to our Year 8 Girls who have competed in the National competition:
CyberFirst Competition 2021.
Layal Al-Roubaie
The competition, which is run by the National Cyber Security Centre
(NCSC) - a part of Government Communications Headquarters Imogen Bale
Cia Barraclough
(GCHQ) - officially got underway in January. This year’s online qualifying
round ran until 1pm on Wednesday 3rd February.
Amelia Barrett
The CyberFirst Girls Competition sees girls aged 12 to 13 working in
teams of 4.They put their cyber security skills to the test through a series of fun and challenging Cerys Blinco
online puzzles covering topics including Logic & Coding, Cyber Security, Networking and
Cryptography.
Holly Boyland
Megan Curry
Amelia Douglas
The CyberFirst Girls Competition is the NCSC’s flagship cyber security event for schools and
Bishop Fox’s school has proudly been a part of CyberFirst since its launch in 2017.
Wiktoria Draus
Just being part of this competition is a fantastic achievement and we are very proud of the
girls who have taken time to do it. Evie Edwards
Dolly Edwards
AND WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE...
One of our Year 8 Girls Teams have qualified for the Semi-Finals! The ‘Female Fox’s’ team is Daisy Ford
made up of Evie Edwards, Layal Al-Roubaie, Lucia Jakubec and Amelia Douglas. Rihanna Foweraker
The semi-final will take place on Friday 19th March 2021. We will let you know how they got Niamh Halliday
on in the next ‘Fox’s Update’.
Millie Helyar
Good luck girls, and huge congratulations, from Mrs Ryder and everyone at Bishop Fox’s. Fianna Long
Valerie Ng
Paige Perring
Jessica Talarek
Evelyn Tudor
Lucia Velarde Jakubec
HALF TERM
A reminder that there will be no in school provision for Critical Worker / Vulnerable Children during February Half Term. School
will return both online and in school for Critical Worker / Vulnerable children on Monday 22nd February. Have a restful break.
High Standards & High Expectations
SEND A VIRTUAL HUG!
Ms Trigg has set an optional task on Satchel One today which we would love to see as many of you as possible get involved with. The
challenge is to make a paper life-sized hug! The task shows a step-by-step guide of how to put this together. Colour / decorate one side
of the hug and write a special message or a poem on the other side. Then pop it in an envelope and send to a friend or family member
to let them know you’re thinking of them.
DANCING STARS
Well done to this half terms dancing stars. The Dancing Star Award is given to students for
hard work and achievement throughout the term.
Erin Yard (Year 7) - Sam Rosser (Year 7)
Isabel Corrie (Year 8) - Dennis Ivanov (Year 8)
Ellie Richards (Year 9)
Draw around your hands on a piece of paper and cut them out.
Georgia Merrell (Year 10)
Francesca Sandy (Year 11)
SOFA DANCE - LOCKDOWN PROJECT
Cut strips of paper to connect to the hands. We recommend 3 strips but you can
a
We are bringing the whole Bishop Fox’s community together with a sofa dance film! This is a great opportunity to let your hair down and
express what lockdown has been like for you by performing your own moves on your sofa. For more information see the task set on
Satchel One 'Lockdown Dance Project'. Have you submitted your video clip yet? If not, there’s still time - the deadline has been extended
to Monday 22nd February! If you need any further assistance, contact Mrs Everitt on Satchel One. Look out for the finished film which
will be debuting on our website and social media next term!
High Standards & High Expectations
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