Students enjoy a visit from their exchange partners and congratulations to Davis on winning House Dance in this week’s BartholoNews.
On Monday afternoon, we were delighted to welcome parents, friends, and members of the wider community to our annual End-of-Year Art and Design Exhibition.
The event showcased an impressive range of work from our A-level and GCSE students, including fine art, graphics, photography, textiles, and 3D design. We were thrilled with the excellent turnout and the enthusiastic response from all who attended.
The exhibition will remain open to St Bart’s students throughout the rest of the week, giving them the opportunity to enjoy and celebrate each other’s creative achievements.
Congratulations to Klenam (9P1) and Mabel (8P2), who are our latest students to complete the St Bart’s Reading Challenge.
In order to achieve the final Rhodium Award in the challenge, Klenam and Mabel had to read at least 57 books across the five levels. This is a great achievement and they now join our Reading Challenge Champions honour roll!
Klenam and Mabel were congratulated by Dr Fitter (Headteacher), Mr Matthias (English Teacher) and Mrs Hewetson (St Bart’s Librarian). In recognition of this impressive dedication to reading, both the girls received a hamper of goodies including books, stationery, treats and the rare Rhodium Badge to be worn with pride. We hope they enjoy their hampers. Well done girls and keep on reading!
One of our key staff members from Personalised Leaning retired on Friday 27 June, after five years of dedication to supporting the wellbeing of St Bart’s students. Students in Personalised Learning presented Smokey with a custom-made long service award, certificate and card. A crowd of well-wishers gathered in Personalised Learning to say farewell, as Smokey retires from life in the classroom and his successful role as Rt Hon CTGP (Chief Therapy Guinea Pig).
Smokey was delighted to receive an edible bouquet delicately adorned with cabbage leaves, purple ‘flowering’ broccoli, with sliced carrot to add a splash of colour to his gift. We wish him many happy guinea pig years of retirement at Mrs Sutton’s home and garden. Smokey will keep us updated with his busy retirement activities, and plans to pop in and visit us from time to time. We will miss him in the classroom, but are fortunate still to have Salt and Pepper, who have now fully qualified as CTGPs under Smokey’s astute guidance and care.
The Year 9 Cricket team played against The Downs School in their most recent league game. A thoroughly enjoyable game for all involved in very hot conditions! St Bart’s kept the unbeaten league record intact in a close fought victory. Players of the match went to Daisy Wallis on debut and Wilf Busby.
On a scenic hilltop plateau overlooking where The Great British Bake-Off is filmed, star bowler of this exceedingly good-natured ONA fixture was returnee Will Freer, playing his first cricket since Y11. Still the poster boy of a display board in the hub, Will tucked into the school’s top six with an almost greedy 4 for 8, proving there was nothing stale about his skills or enthusiasm. Only local hero, Archie, (a current Y11), could cook up much resistance to an unrelentingly stingy diet of ONA bowling – finishing on an enterprising 29 that included one show-stopper of a straight six. The icing on the cake for the ONA was George Shakespeare having a valiant Mr Robbins, who had earlier roamed the boundary with the brooding intensity of a Byronic hero, stumped as the coup de grace.
In the first innings of the game, Y13 Poppy (guesting for the ONA again) recorded a composed 20 before Elliot Crouch got going with a crunchy 52 (retired out). Ever-reliable run-baker Matt Richardson chipped in with 32 as the next highest scorer. Y9 James was the pick of a mixed St Bart’s bowling effort, extracting sharp bounce from his disciplined lines. Yet the ONA’s total of 157 was always likely to be a tricky chase, even without Mr Clayton deeming Y11 Leo lbw for nought. No bat involved? The umpire thought so.
It was great to see so many recent alumni in the victorious ONA side, capably organised by Captain Edan Camplin, but all present were grateful to the triumvirate of teachers who helped staff the school team. Mr Robbins is already mentioned in dispatches, but Mr Weekes can dine out for months on a leg glance redolent of a Richie Richardson highlights reel (that’s what YouTube is for, kids!), while Mr Horn fielded with the ardour of a Roman gladiator (if only he’d worn his plumed helmet!) and was millimetres from skewering a wicket. Final thanks to Ian Herrington for use of the Welford Park’s ground and the Lawsons for scoring en famille.
The PE Department are delighted to announce that St Bart’s have achieved the School Games Mark Gold Award for the third year in a row.
The School Games Mark is a government-led award scheme, which aims to celebrate keeping young people active and recognises a schools’ sports engagement, provision and uptake against a national benchmark. The scheme considers ‘active minutes’ across KS3 and KS4, wide PE curriculum, physical literacy in students, equal opportunities, the schools’ sports culture, opportunities for participation, celebration and leadership, as well as the experience of students.
We are so delighted that the PE Department have been recognised in this way. This is an excellent achievement and acknowledgement of all the work that goes into providing an extensive and inclusive PE programme here at St Bart’s.
On Tuesday 24 June, we took 11 of our Young Carers on a trip to The Waterside Centre in Newbury to enjoy an afternoon of rock climbing and water sports. The afternoon was a huge success and was enjoyed by all. It was great to see this wonderful group of students come together, work together and share new experiences, but most importantly have lots of fun! Over the past academic year, we have held meetings with the Berkshire Youth Team and our young carers, we have done some festive baking and now to end the year an exciting school trip. It has been a pleasure to work with this group of students.
Kira-Mae (10E2) said, “We went to Waterside on a young carers trip and we did rock climbing, paddle boarding and kayaking. My favourite part was the paddle boarding because it was a new experience and we really enjoyed ourselves. Thanks to Mr Bastable and Mrs Siddon for taking us”.
Year 11 round off lower school in style with their prom and a successful DofE Silver expedition, plus we announce the House Art results in this week’s BartholoNews.
27 Duke of Edinburgh’s Award students in Year 11, successfully participated in their three-day Silver DofE Assessed Canoeing Expedition. The students started south of Oxford and finished in Henley on Thames. The students had the most gorgeous weather for their expedition and were so grateful that they were canoeing, and not carrying those heavy rucksacks for three days! The students said it was a fantastic way to finish Year 11 with, especially after all their exams.
Florence Hatton (11C1) added, “I had so much fun this weekend doing my Silver DofE and may be planning to do Gold in the future. I especially enjoyed cooking different meals after a long day of canoeing. As groups, we all helped each other taking the canoes out of and in the water every time we met a lock. Even though the weather was so hot, we managed to keep cool and even jumped into the river once we arrived at the second campsite!”
