THE SAINT Weekly newsletter of ST BIRINUS SCHOOL T: (01235) 814444 E: st-birinus@st-birinus.oxon.sch.uk www.st-birinus-school.org.uk 8 December 2017 On Wednesday evening our Annual Awards Evening took place. It was a wonderful evening, full of celebration and rewarding the achievements and commitment of a large number of students. We were delighted to welcome our guest speaker, Mark McArthur-Christie, and also honorary guest Andrew Baker, former St Birinus student and founder of local charity Play2Give. Headteacher s Speech at Awards Evening Good evening and welcome to the St Birinus School Annual Awards Evening. This evening is about celebrating achievement across the curriculum and beyond. It is about recognising effort and endeavour and rewarding those who have demonstrated such qualities. And it is about the community which we are as a school, an inclusion community in which all students can thrive and achieve as they strive for excellence on their journey to adulthood. I am delighted to welcome our honorary guest this evening. It is an honour and a privilege to welcome Mr Mark McArthur-Christie to the school. We were introduced to Mark through an organisation called Speakers 4 Schools which was set up by television journalist Robert Peston in order to put state comprehensive schools in touch with interesting and engaging speakers who will inspire and enthuse our students. Mark visited us in February and spoke to our Year 10 cohort many of whom are sat here this evening. Without wishing to steal his thunder, his talk was brilliant and we very much look forward to hearing him speak this evening. 2017 has been another great year for the school. The A Level results for Didcot Sixth Form were very impressive. We were delighted with the student destinations of last year s Year 13 students with three of our young men including Head Boy Seth Howes - heading off to either Oxford or Cambridge and a great many other students going to prestigious Russell Group universities. The GCSE results were very pleasing with our Year 11s coping admirably with the new specifications in English and Maths in particular. I must also congratulate the current Year 11 students who took GCSE Maths a year early and achieved quite outstanding results. Overall a great year. St Birinus is not just about examination results but also the core values of Inspiring Excellence through Care, Courtesy and Commitment. We are interested in the type of young men we produce, as epitomised by the award of full school colours. The Saint remains the heartbeat of the school. I would like to offer you a snapshot of The Saint and the life of our school. During the months of October the following items were featured in the newsletter: A very well-attended Year 7 Social Evening raised over 900 for the PTA All of Year 9 experienced a day working with the Talk the Talk team focusing on oracy and presentational skills The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme group have had an expedition to the Berkshire Downs and the first walk for Year 9 students took place across the Ridgeway
The Year 11 Arkwright Scholarship applicants have been preparing for their interviews through building innovative and highly impressive projects A touring Chilean football team played A and B team matches against our Year 11 teams Year 8 students experienced a Radiation Workshop from an outside company Parent Information Evenings have been held for all year groups and have been very well-attended Year 11 students attended a production of Romeo and Juliet at the Cornerstone The Year 9 STEM Club involving students from both SBS and DGS has been making scale models of cranes The Didcot Sixth Form Mock Trial team competed in the local competition at Oxford Crown Court The St Birinus School PTA has a new Chair Caroline Dendy a new Treasurer Julie Minell and an enthusiastic influx of new members Thirty students from Years 8 and 9 spent the day at Bletchley Park learning about wartime code breaking Year 11 students held a Quiz Night to raise money for their 2018 World Challenge expedition A non-uniform day raised over 500 for local charity Play2Give and also provided a large number of prizes for the PTA stall at the Didcot Street Fair The Year 7 Football Team won the Vale Cup Tournament All of Year 11 experienced a Deep Learning Day focused on developing independent study and revision skills The annual Festival Chorus Concert featuring the St Birinus School Choir, the Didcot Festival Chorus, the Oxford Symphony Orchestra and for the first time the Didcot Choral Society was a great success Ours is a busy school, a successful school and a school in which our students experience a genuinely all-round, high quality education. We very much look forward to an excellent evening culminating in the presentation of Full School Colours and the famous blue tie. ************************************************************************** Didcot Street Fair We would like to express a huge thank you to our PTA members for running a brilliant stall last Thursday at a very cold Didcot Street Fair. Over 400 was taken on the evening a remarkable achievement which is very much appreciated by the school. John Marston, Headteacher
Wed 13 Dec Wed 20 Dec Mon 8 Jan Tue 9 Jan Wed 24 Jan Wed 7 Feb Fri 9 Feb Mon 19 Feb Wed 28 Feb Wed 21 Mar Wed 28 Mar Thurs 29 Mar Mon 16 Apr Wed 18 Apr Mon 7 May Fri 25 May Mon 4 June Mon 11 June Wed 25 July Key Dates Year 11 Parents Evening Term 2 Ends 12.30pm Inset Day School Closed to Students Term 3 Commences Year 9 Parents Evening Year 8 Parents Evening Term 3 Ends Term 4 Commences Year 8 Options Evening Year 10 Parents Evening Year 11 Parents Evening Term 4 Ends 12.30pm Term 5 Commences Year 7 Parents Evening Bank Holiday Term 5 Ends Term 6 Commences Inset Day - School Closed to Students Term 6 Ends 12.30pm DIARY: 11-15 Dec 2017 WEEK B 18-20 Dec 2017 WEEK A MON 11 MON 18 TUE 12 TUE 19 WED 13 Year 11 Parents Evening WED 20 Term 2 ends at 12.30pm THU 14 THU 21 FRI 15 FRI 22
Congratulations to the following boys who have been successful in their application to be PE Ambassadors for this year. Year 11 Harry Moreton Josh Clarke Freddie Wilkinson Jacob Dearman James Hayward Year 10 Fyn Brown Taylor Bedwell Casey Highmoor Daniel Sutton Year 9 Morgan Smith Josh Hedges Year 8 Robbie Gallagher Sebastian Lawton Harry Storey Matthew Ford Year 7 Jacob Townsend Joseph Weller
School Closure Due to Severe Weather If it is necessary to close the school due to severe weather the decision is taken by 0700 in the morning. The Local Authority and local radio stations will be informed. If possible, please listen to BBC Radio Oxford 95.2 FM or Heart FM 102.6 FM or check the school website: www.st-birinus-school.org.uk COLLECTION OF SUMMER 2017 GCSE & BTEC CERTIFICATES There will be a Certificate Tea for students who were Year 11 in the last academic year on Monday 11 th December 2017, between 4.00pm and 5.00pm, in the Bistro. Invitations will be circulated this week. Certificates may also be collected on Wednesday 13 th December, between 8:30am and 9:30am, in Room T11. The Exam Boards do not require us to keep certificates for any longer than one year. (We will keep them until December 2018.) Friends or relatives may collect certificates on behalf of a student, but they must bring with them a letter of authorisation that the student has signed. Mrs Hughes, Exams Office