On Thursday 26 and Friday 27 September, we took our Year 11 Geography students to Rushall Farm, near Bradfield. The aim of the visit was for students to collect river data to help them prepare for the Paper 3 Skills exam next summer.

After putting on our waders and listening to a briefing from the Rushall Farm staff, we all set off in groups on a tractor and trailer to different sites along the River Pang.

In July I went sailing with two goals, one to obtain my competent crew qualification, the other to get from Portsmouth to Milford Haven in 11 days. I was able to accomplish both.

There was plenty to learn for a first-time sailor like myself. The crew were organised into two watches, spending four hours on/four hours off.

Last term staff and students alike enjoyed the after school Clay Club run by our Art Technician and Potter, Lizzy McCracken. Students and staff came along for the four week two hour sessions, learning to throw on the potter’s wheel as well as slab building techniques, decorating with metal oxides and glazing. Everybody went home at the end of the course with a lovely slab built box and various wheel thrown creations.

Last Tuesday visitors to our annual Open Evening were able to see what a great school St Bart’s is, the whole school was alive and buzzing. The efforts from staff were very much appreciated and the students involved were fantastic ambassadors.

Comments from all the visitors were full of praise...

The Year 10 Living for Sport group had the opportunity to work with Olympic Rower and Tri Athlete Toby Garbett at our recent Open Evening.

Toby worked with the group introducing them to a variety of team building skills and activities which the group then shared with the visiting Year 5 and 6 students who were attending the Open Evening.

Over the summer holidays students from St Bart’s, who are in the Newbury Rangers team, trained and participated in a National Kho Kho tournament organised by the Kho Kho Federation of England or KKFE (https://www.khokho.co.uk).

Kho Kho is a traditional Indian sport that requires extreme fitness, agility and stamina.

A group of 13 year 8 students visited the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology last year where they followed a trail which took them throughout the many galleries of the museum.

In the Prehistory gallery the students tested out how the people who built Stonehenge lifted the stone blocks.

St Bart’s athletes had a fantastic 2019 summer. The Junior Boys, Inter Boys and Inter Girls all came first at Basingstoke in the Regonal B Final and the Junior Girls came 2nd at the Regional A final at Millfield. Here they are, presented with their medals.

Well done to these students who came runners-up in the Team Tennis Schools Final - narrowly losing out to Charters School in  an intensely gripping final.

Four students who have been studying Mandarin since Year 7 took their GCSE examination last year in their Year 12. They achieved amazing grades. Three 8s and one 9!