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03 February 2023

Maths Student of the Week

 

Isma 8M - For amazing work on percentage change!

Well Done!


Year 9 Reviews of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Annabella 9R
When my English teacher first announced we were to read Jane Eyre, everyone sighed and were not in the least excited. Reader, I was wrong. Strong, independent, and fiery characters such as Jane are ones that live in your mind throughout life; she had lived through neglect and abuse but learnt admirable qualities like forgiveness and rationality. The novel itself is vivacious and beautifully written, and explores themes of trauma, love, mystery and independence. Even if you don’t agree with all the choices the characters make, you can enjoy and appreciate the questions the book raises and the emotions it makes you feel. ‘I am no bird, and no net ensnares me’, is just one example of a quote that shows Jane’s unique persona, especially considering the harsher conditions women were condemned to; Jane Eyre is an icon, bold and not afraid to voice her opinions - something I believe we should all aspire to be.

 

Melissa 9R
I recall my first moments reading Jane Eyre, thinking ‘Well this is just another long classic, it’ll be the same as all the other classic books’. But, I was proved to be wrong. Jane Eyre is a book that covers almost all the themes in it; love, mystery, death and independence. The book had peaks and downfalls, especially with Jane and Mr Rochester’s relationship, but that’s what made it intriguing - a voice urging you to flick through the next chapters. In this book Jane gains her independence by being outspoken and quick-witted. I especially liked the part where Jane leaves Thornfield Hall, after Mr Rochester asks her to be his mistress. This was a powerful move, stating that Jane didn't rely on a man and that she made her own decisions. The ending, however, was a bit disappointing. Jane runs back to Ferndean Manor, where Mr Rochester is staying. They end up reuniting and getting married, even having a child a few years later. I thought the ending was cliche for a story that promotes feminism and independence.

 

Willow 9C
1848, that was 175 years ago. Furthermore, it was the date the novel Jane Eyre was released. Though written so long ago, in a different era, this novel still resonates with so many people today. Jane’s story, although slightly dated - no one has governesses anymore, has lasted the gruelling test of time. That on its own shows the outstanding quality of Bronte’s words. Jane - the narrator and main character, whom the story follows - grew up a poor orphan and was eventually given her happy ending. The hope in her storyline allows readers to dream about how their life will be and actually believe those dreams may come true, and that there is a brighter future ahead. Everyone needs a little hope sometimes, and that’s what the novel gives to the reader.

 

Kitty 9C
The one thing I feel I must give Bronte credit for is the exquisite and expressive writing style in which she tells the questionable story with. Her beautiful long metaphors and descriptive paragraphs are dream-like, imaginative, and symbolic, which makes the perfect book to some. However, in my eyes, the plot ruins all of that. No matter how hard I try, I cannot look past the cliched encounters and predictable ending. From the moment Jane helps Mr Rochester after he falls off his horse, one can easily and surely predict that he will be the one she is to marry, and be correct. Watching Jane through the pages, once again being manipulated by Mr Rochester, is more suffering than I have ever experienced when reading any other book. Mr Rochester is not some tormented soul ,who has realised the error of his ways, no - he is a  manipulative man, who, as Jane fully knows, has had multiple affairs, abandoned his child, and locked his wife in an attic for 15 years! Jane’s character arc made it seem as though she would amount to more than this man’s wife.


Poetry Competition 

Creativity is one of the strengths of our students and something we in the English Department appreciate and nurture.

This year’s winning poets have produced some stunning poems. It was a privilege to read their work and the many others who wrote an amazing array of responses to this year’s theme: The Environment 

Winners of the Poetry Competition


Angie Fearnside
Head of English


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Assembly Speaker, 23 January
Dr Chris Brignell (University of Nottingham)

This week we had a talk from Dr Chris Brignell, the associate director of the natural sciences programme at the University of Nottingham. Dr Brignell talked about the way we can use STEM to create a sustainable future and encouraged students to study this topic. ‘Sustainability’ is a topic which is gaining more and more attention as we are beginning to really consider the problems we are causing for future generations.

Dr Brignell began with a quotation from the former Norwegian Prime Minister, Gro Harlem Brundtland, to explain to us what ‘sustainability’ really means: ‘development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.’ He then explained the three pillars of sustainability: environmental, social and economic, and taught us that, despite humans wanting to live sustainably, we aren’t working together to create a better future. He compared our current system to that of a motorway where we are all trying to reach the same destination as quickly as possible without dedicating much time to really understanding it - this is the sort of problem which causes difficulty when trying to create a more sustainable lifestyle.

 

Dr Brignell went on to strongly encourage the sixth form students to consider studying sustainability at university, since it is a subject which covers so many different areas, uses all sorts of different skills, and is of course very important for helping to find real solutions for the future. We saw some examples of the work his course at the University of Nottingham is doing globally - one of their projects has been focused on the issue of deforestation in order to produce palm oil, reducing biodiversity in rainforests and causing the emission of greenhouse gases to rise. Another interesting project which we learnt about was on parasites in the ocean which are causing diseases in fish. The number of these parasites has increased because of the rise in sea temperatures. Therefore, it is very important that we find solutions to this and many other issues within the diverse field of sustainability and natural sciences.

This talk inspired many questions from the students. One student asked Dr Brignell his opinion on the use of nuclear energy and whether he thinks that this is a sustainable energy source. To this he answered that he doesn’t believe that it is the perfect solution, but it is still one to consider. Nuclear energy is, however, only a short-term solution therefore there are other alternatives that we should try to find. Another student asked whether Dr Brignell whether he thought that the UN goal to reach net zero emissions by 2050 was plausible. He replied that it was unfortunately probably not realistic, however having some sort of target is important to motivate us to make a difference.

Dr Brignell’s talk felt very relevant and was really thought provoking.

Zsa Zsa
Sixth Form Senior Prefect


Year 11 Careers News -
Bsix Taster Day 

‘I really enjoyed the Bsix Taster Day trip, there were only five of us who went, which meant that we were able to look at everything!

They have really cool art rooms which are filled with loads of artwork made by the students. We spoke with art, music and health and social care teachers who were very friendly. The health and social care classroom was one of my favourites because it was basically a classroom for primary children: parents bring their children there and leave them with the students so they can experience working with children. We had a tour of the whole building which was huge!

The 6th form is teamed up with West Ham and they have their own gym too. We met a couple of student ambassadors who spoke about their experience and we spoke with some other teachers who explained events that had previously occurred with celebrities such as Big Narstie and Shaun Wallace.

Overall we had a fun time and I'm applying to go there.’ 

Sophie 11T 


National Apprenticeship Week 2023

National Apprenticeship Week 2023 is the 16th annual week-long celebration of apprenticeships.

The week brings together businesses and apprentices across the country to shine a light on the positive impact that apprenticeships make to individuals, businesses and the wider economy.

The theme for National Apprenticeship Week 2023 is 'skills for life'; reflecting on how apprenticeships can help individuals to develop the skills and knowledge required for a rewarding career.

There will be a number of events happening in the week. They are free of charge to attend and cover a variety of topics.

 

Tuesday 7 February 11:10am - 11.40am

The Big Assembly Broadcast - Discover apprenticeships from a variety of angles, hearing from apprenticeships and employers. Register using this link https://bigassembly.org/

Wednesday 8 February 3.30pm - 4pm

How to impress employers Webinar. Register here using this link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_sK31JihrQ4OLJv--W5SsKg