Personal Development

Students have taken part in a number of activities since September which have contributed towards their personal development including the following:

• In September some of our Year 8 students tackled the online safety escape room delivered by Durham Constabulary. There were some great detective skills on show!
• In October some of our student leaders visited Dene Academy to take part in several leadership workshops. They were exceptional across the day and even won some prizes!
• On Tuesday 15^th October, our Year 7 students got involved in our annual house tug of war competition on Tuesday which was supported by our newly appointed house captains.
  1st place – Fell, 2nd place – Wear, 3rd place – Moor, 4th place – Dale. Well done!
• The Equality Team hosted their first ‘Equalitea’ event of the year on Friday 25^th October – a great opportunity for students to hear more about what the Equality Team do with a cuppa and a biscuit.
• Students and staff participated in Odd Socks Day on 12^th November to celebrate what makes us all unique in support of Anti Bullying Week 2024. We also marked the end of Anti Bullying Week by presenting our Anti-bullying Ambassadors with their new pin badges.
• Over 50 Year 7 Student Leaders took part in a First Aid Course led by St John Ambulance in early November.
• The Year 7 House Dodgeball Competition took place this week. Well done to all students who got involved.
  1^st = Dale, 2^nd = Wear, 3^rd = Moor, 4^th = Fell.

Miss L Gibbon
Assistant Headteacher

Travel & Tourism Trip to Edinburgh

Year 10 Travel & Tourism students travelled to Edinburgh on Tuesday to help prepare for their Unit 1 Assignment accompanied by Mr Cosgrave and Ms Gaughey. Part of their studies includes LNER as well as attractions in Edinburgh and how they link.

Students saw Edinburgh Castle, climbed Calton Hill and visited St Giles’ Cathedral, St James Quarter and the National Museum of Scotland in which pupils enjoyed various interactive displays

Mr K Cosgrave
Teacher of Travel & Tourism

Memorial Oaks Service

Wolsingham School hosted our Remembrance Day Service in November to re-dedicate the 59 oak trees planted in memory of those who died during World War I, World War II and the Iraq conflict. We took the opportunity to remember past students of all schools, at home and abroad, who have died as a result of armed conflict.

Deputy Lieutenant Commander Ian Berry MBE attended the service to lay a wreath and said “It‘s always a pleasure to come back to Wolsingham School and see the effort that has been put into organising this very poignant service. The event cements Wolsingham School as part of the fabric of the Dales and the students involved were wonderful and a credit to the school.”

A huge thank you to everyone who attended the service and to all staff and students involved in organising the event.

“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.”

Extract from ‘For the Fallen‘ by Laurence Binyon published in the Times newspaper on 21st September 1914.

STEM Activity Day

Some of our Year 9 students visited Consett Academy on Friday 6^th December to take part in a STEM themed activity day. The students had to work together as a team to complete various challenges such as building an aerodynamic rocket and a buggy powered only by wind. The students showed great determination and innovation throughout the challenges. Well done to all students involved, who also come away from the day having achieved a CREST discovery award.

Mrs A Raine
Teacher of Science

Character Day

Students participated in Character Day on Friday 8^th November where all students are off timetable for the day and take part in a range of informative sessions. 50 Year 7 students were out of school at Weardale House for an overnight residential (see next article) and the remaining Year 7 students took part in an enterprise activity called The Food Challenge. Year 8 students took part in sessions on Green Careers Week, Workplace Behaviours, Rules of War, Anti-Bullying and Consent. Year 9 students enjoyed sessions on Green Careers Week, Law and Order with Newcastle University, Road Safety, Child Exploitation and Fake News.  Year 10 students participated in sessions with Future Me about Work Experience, Technical Education Options, Road Safety, Renewable Energy with Newcastle University and sessions with St John Ambulance. Year 11’s focused on the world of work and enjoyed sessions looking at Career Consequences, Post 16 Options and CV Writing and the Future of Farming with Newcastle University. We’re already looking forward to the next Character Day.

Miss L Chambers
Faculty Leader of CVOC and Careers Lead

Northumberland Zoo

Year 7 students visited Northumberland Zoo over two days on Monday 2^nd and Wednesday 4^th December. The trip was designed to celebrate the students’ hard work and commitment to their Geography studies this year.

The rewards trip aimed to compliment classroom learning about ecosystems – animals adaptions, how change can affect ecosystems and conservation efforts. There are over 80 species at the zoo including the arctic fox and snow leopard.

Students enjoyed a walking tour of the tropical rainforest enclosure as well as participating in a workshop to help identify a range of animals which included a giant stick insect and a hissing cockroach.

Both groups really enjoyed their visit and the trip has helped support their understanding and work in the classroom.

Mrs C Turnbull
Faculty Leader of Geography

Christmas Card Competition

Students were invited to submit a design for a Christmas Card in November with the winning design being chosen as our Official Christmas Card for 2024. Thank you to everyone who submitted entries. The winning design was Ava Stone in Year 8. Well done!

Miss J Buck
Faculty Leader of Art & Design Technology

Year 10 Medicine Taster Day

On Wednesday 18^th December a group of Year 10 students visited Middlesbrough college to take part in a medicine taster day. They took part in first aid training including CPR, medical analysis and a discussion on medical ethics. All students where impeccably behaved and engaged in all tasks.

Miss G Dunbar
Head of Year 10