Sixth Formers return from a thought provoking trip to Berlin and get the latest Socks the Fox news in this week’s BartholoNews.
“From 2-5 April 2025, Year 12 and 13 History and German students went to Berlin, where every day we learned and consolidated our knowledge from lessons.
We did so much in just four days, but my personal favourite day was the Thursday. The first thing we did was go to Sachsenhausen concentration camp. The whole time I was there it was quite difficult, emotionally, to see everything in person and know it didn’t happen that long ago. But afterwards many of us talked about how we felt in smaller groups, which made the whole day easier. After lunch we went to the Berlin Wall memorial and museum. Later in the afternoon we went to another museum, which focused on the Palace of Tears (a former border crossing point between East and West Berlin, at Berlin Friedrichstraße station). We finished the day with a river cruise, which allowed us to be touristy and relax.
The other days were just as action-packed; on our first day after reaching the hostel we went to go see the Bundestag and the Holocaust memorial. Another day we went to the Stasi museum and prison, before going to the DDR museum, getting ice cream and seeing the East Side Gallery along the Berlin Wall. On the last day we went to Check Point Charlie and the museum there, followed by the ‘Typography of Terror’ exhibition, which focused on the Gestapo.
I am so glad I went on the trip, and even now I am still thinking about all that happened. I’m sure the others that went are feeling the same.”
Gwen Wharry (12E3)
We’re excited to share that our resident, Socks the Fox, appears to be a new mum! In a recent photo she can be seen drinking from our pond—looking a little tired, no doubt from the demands of caring for her cubs. If you look closely at the image, you can just make out her teats, a clear sign that she’s currently lactating. While we haven’t spotted the cubs yet, this is a strong indication they’re nearby, and it’s heartening to know that our site is providing a safe space for local wildlife to raise their young. We’ll be keeping a respectful distance and continuing to observe with care, and we’ll share any further updates as they unfold.
Year 11 – Friday 21 March
Year 11 Navy cadets travelled for an action packed day at the Historic Dockyard in Portsmouth ahead of their public exams. The enjoyed some sea air on a harbour tour of the Royal Navy dockyard, where they were able to see the two aircraft carriers up close. They also visited two significant ships in the history of the Royal Navy, HMS Victory and Warrior. The highlight was then three intense games of Lazer Quest in the cargo ship reconstruction in the Royal Marine museum. Fun was had by all!
Year 10 – Friday 28 March
Our Year 10 CCF Navy Cadets visited the Royal Navy headquarters at HMS Excellent on Whale Island in Portsmouth for their field day.
In the morning, they were given some Maritime Compartment Clearance (MCC) training. In the morning they were given a talk by a Chief Petty Officer who was involved in anti-piracy operations and interceptions, He gave the cadets training in how to intercept and board a vessel with potential hostiles. The cadets then put this training into practice by storming a physical mock-up of a ship, looking for potential contraband items, hostages and potential hostiles using nerf guns. Miss Maunders played a particularly bravura performance as “hostile B” who ambushed our cadets from behind a pile of cardboard boxes.
The afternoon was then spent enjoying the sea breeze with some land sailing. The cadets had to assemble and then put their sailing skills to the test using BloKarts. Some impressive speeds and manoeuvres were achieved, along with a few capsizes.
St Bart’s would like to extend a huge thank you to Roc Technologies, who have recently donated 21 phones to the school for staff to use both on trips and in school to record work and activities. The new phones will be easier to transport and have far better picture quality than the current school devices that we have available for these purposes. The donation will support sharing news, achievements and essential recording of exam work.
Roc Technologies, based near Newbury, provide expertise in IT Operations. They work with clients on a variety of projects from short term IT fixes to wholesale digital transformations and ongoing managed services in areas such as automation and data analytics, cloud solutions, secure networks and specialist capabilities. CEO Simon Furber said: “Roc Technologies is a proud champion of young people in our community. We understand the many challenges schools are facing and are delighted to be able to support St Bartholomew’s School through this donation.”
The support from Roc Technologies was initiated by contact made through our brilliant Parents’ Association – another way in which they are able to the support the school.
Dr Fitter, who met with Simon and discussed other ways in which Roc Technologies might support events in our Careers Programme, said: “St Bart’s is at the heart of our fantastic local community and we are so grateful for the many ways in which we receive support from the community – whether from families, volunteers, local businesses or local organisations – this is another example of a local organisation stepping in to help us provide the best experience for our staff and students. There are many challenges facing the education sector but we remain ambitious in the many opportunities we provide for students to enjoy their learning and grow in confidence, so that they thrive in the ever-changing world beyond school. There is no doubt that organisations such as Roc Technologies, who give time and donations to support school initiatives, are helping us achieve that aim.”
A huge thank you to both Roc Technologies and the PA!
We are delighted to formally announce our new Head Student Team. After a rigorous selection process, Charlie Gale and Katya Burgess were appointed Head Boy and Head Girl, with Jacob Khan, Swathi Sivabalan and Ellie Shears being appointed as Deputies.
The interview panel made up of Dr Fitter, Mr Owen and Mr Wilder were incredibly impressed by the effort and commitment of all of those who applied to become a Head Student. Applicants were required to complete a team task, which focused on improving the school’s approach to sustainability. This required students to work in teams to plan and formulate a solution, which they then presented back to their fellow peers. Applicants were then required to present their ideas for change to the entire Y12 cohort, along with staff members and the interview panel. After deliberation, 11 applicants were then brought forward to interview, which was led by our current Head Boy (Sam White) and Head Girl (Charlotte Lethaby), further supported by Dr Fitter, Mr Owen and Mr Wilder. Our final Head Students performed exceptionally well across all parts of the interview process, demonstrating excellent communication and leadership skills.
Co-Head of Sixth Form, Mr Owen, said: “We are incredibly grateful and proud of all students who applied to become part of the student leadership team. It was immensely rewarding to observe their confidence throughout the process and their eagerness to lead the school community”.
Just before the Easter holidays we were treated to the dramatic feast that is the House Drama Competition. Year 12 Drama students wrote, organised and directed a cast of Year 8 and 10 students in their own plays to compete for important House Championship points.
Evers kicked off the evening with the star studded “Restoront From Hell” by Eleanor Peake, Ella Plowman, Eish Mahajan and Ruby Roots. From Curnock we were presented with the haunting “Platform 13” by Daniel Ledwith and Sophie Warner. Davis gave us the hilarious “The Respledent Runway” by Daisy Shaw, Georgina Sheffield, Harry Godwin and Niamh Breslin. Finally Patterson delighted us with the hysterical “The Kardashians” by Macey Seamons.
Huge thanks to all those who put in so much work, to those who came to support in the evening and especially to judge Nick Sutton (Head of Drama from Park House) who declared Patterson as the worthy winners. Congratulations!
20 cadets from Y11-13 headed out at lunchtime on Friday 21 March to Longmoor Training Area for what would be for many of them their final night exercise with us before leaving school. They were all excellent cadets who met every challenge with enthusiasm, competence, and excellent teamwork and leadership skills.
The first activity after arrival was to carry all their kit to the harbour area where they strategically set out their sleeping spots for the night. Despite the rain that came later in the evening, all of the sheet shelters were well built and stood up to the weather. We then patrolled off to attempt to locate the enemy.
We found him darting about on top of a hill and each section completed an excellent withdrawal from contact as trained, giving each other covering fire to supress the enemy whilst everyone made it back to safety.
With the enemy suppressed for the time being, we made our way back to the harbour to cook up our rations for the evening. Despite a couple of the stoves looking a bit wobbly, and an NCO cheating by using a gas stove, everyone enjoyed a good meal, including some surprises in the recently updated ration packs. We then set up a sentry rotation for the evening and headed out section by section on patrol to try and find the enemy in the dark. There was a dubious light hanging from a tree, which after investigation appeared to be the enemy camp – we know this because they jumped out screaming war cries and caused us to execute a speedy retreat. Different sections tried sneaking around from other directions as we narrowed down the likely final location.
Once back in camp there was an excellent field map made from sticks in the centre of the harbour. After an in-depth discussion of what we’d found, led by our sixth form NCOs, we came up with a plan for how to attack the enemy in the morning, then headed to bed, ready to rise at 6.00am.
After a chilly night’s sleep we breakfasted, then patrolled back out to execute our planned section attacks. All three sections made excellent attacks with each fire team led very well. We forced the enemy to retreat further and further from their camp, executing some impressive flanking manoeuvres and very consistent suppressive fire until they eventually ran off into the distance.
The exercise ended, as always, with cleaning our weapons and then napping on the coach home. This was an excellent exercise led by our very experienced Y13 NCOs handing the baton over to the Y12s who will lead next year. Everyone who participated demonstrated admirable teamwork and their learned military skills.
On Saturday 5 April 2025 our school was transformed into a vibrant hub of sustainability and community spirit as we hosted the much-anticipated GreenFest 2025. With over a thousand members of the public in attendance from 10.30am to 3.30pm, the event exceeded all expectations and showcased our school’s commitment to environmental initiatives.
The Heritage Garden provided a picturesque setting for welcoming dignitaries including Mr Billy Drummond, Chair of West Berkshire Council, who officially opened the event, and Olivia Bailey, MP for Reading West and Mid Berkshire. Our school grounds drew admiration from all visitors as they explored over 60 stalls run by local environmental organisations and businesses, all promoting sustainability and eco-friendly practices.
We’re particularly proud of our Young Enterprise team, Clean-Cut, who, during the event, won the award for “Most Sustainable and Engaging Outlook”. Team members, Charlie and Cora, represented Clean-Cut at the event, showcasing their up-cycled glassware and coasters. Their stall highlighted how sustainability is at the heart of their business – from their sourcing and production to packaging and presentation. As a result of their win, the team received a £50 prize to invest back into their business, as well as making many sales to customers throughout the day.
Cora, Young Enterprise Team Member, said: “Winning this award means a lot to us. We’ve worked so hard to ensure that our enterprise reflects our commitment to sustainability, so it is amazing to see that effort recognised. GreenFest was a great event and we were thrilled to be a part of it”
Mrs Seward, Head of Business, added, “Following their success at the Young Enterprise trade fair, it is a fantastic achievement for ‘Clean Cut’ to win this award at GreenFest. I am proud of the hard work they have put in to developing this company and achieving their goals. We will now get to work on preparing for the area final on 6 May, a good result at this event would mean progressing to the Young Enterprise Regional Final.”
Our Kintsugi Club showcased their artistic talents by selling beautiful repaired pottery, demonstrating the Japanese art of embracing flaws and imperfections. Additionally, our Guardians of the Living Realm Club ran a popular stall selling badges depicting our charismatic wildlife: Socks the Fox, Brian the Badger, Owlivia Hooton John the Owl, and Philip the Hedgehog. Their enthusiasm for conservation was evident as they shared information about our biodiversity initiatives with visitors, and the money raised will go towards our Nature Reserve Restoration project. Our school’s Sustainability Lead, Miss Barrett, also gave a talk on the ways we are making St Bart’s more sustainable, sharing our journey and inspiring other organisations to join in.
The success of GreenFest wouldn’t have been possible without the extraordinary efforts of our Facilities and Lettings teams. Their attention to detail and hard work ensured that all aspects of the event ran smoothly, from set-up to clean-up, allowing everyone to focus on enjoying the festivities.
As Ken Neal, Chair of West Berkshire Green Exchange, noted during the event, “Our thanks go to Dr David Fitter, Headteacher of St Bartholomew’s School, and his staff for welcoming us in and allowing the use of these wonderful facilities.”
We’re proud to have partnered with West Berkshire Green Exchange for this impactful community event that has sparked meaningful conversations about sustainability that will continue long after the festival.
Students embrace sustainability at Greenfest and the CCF report back on their March field days in this week’s BartholoNews.
