What a glorious day…

With September well underway you can never be certain of a great day but the Bishop Luffa PFA family picnic was one of the best, with over 50 families meeting to make friends and discuss the experiences they have been sharing since their children started only two weeks ago in Year 7 at Bishop Luffa.

The families met on the school playing fields in stunning sunshine and were greeted by Andrew Dicker of the PFA and directed to their House Banners. The afternoon progressed quickly with rounders, quizzes, a Round the School Treasure Hunt and the construction of a marvellous paper bridge.

The new families teamed up with others from their house to undertake the various challenges and Ridgeway won the quizzes, Bell the Round the School Treasure Hunt and Wilson the construction challenge and all were presented with prizes.

“We found the opportunity to meet and greet other families undergoing the same worries very helpful and a great chance to make friends and share our experiences”- one parent said.

We all pulled together at the end to tidy away and headed home having made new friends who are starting the journey thought Bishop Luffa.

Andrew Dicker, PFA

We look forward to welcoming prospective parents and children to our Open Evening and Mornings in October.

The school’s Open Evening takes place on Thursday 8 October 2015 from 6.00pm until 8.30pm.

Mr Nick Taunt, the Headteacher will address parents and answer any questions at 6.00pm, 7.00pm and 8.00pm in the Bartlett Hall.  Children aged from 7-11 will receive a separate talk from the Heads of House where they will be shown slides and videos of school life.  A panel of pupils will also be available to answer the children’s questions about the school.

Sixth Form stewards will be available to direct and escort visitors around the school.  Other pupils and staff will be available to talk to you about life here at Bishop Luffa School.

Open Mornings will also take place on Tuesday 13 October and Thursday 15 October and will run from 9.00am – 11.00am.  If you would like to attend one of the Open Mornings please book a place by contacting Gill Cooper, our Admissions Secretary by telephone 01243 832702 or email admissions@bishopluffa.org.uk.

If you have any questions regarding the admissions process, please contact Gill Cooper, Admissions Secretary.

On Tuesday 22 September 13 year 8 pupils visited the fascinating ‘Dancing into Battle’ exhibition based around the events that led to the Battle of Waterloo, at Goodwood House. The trip followed on from project work undertaken last year by many of the pupils commemorating the 200^th anniversary of the battle, in particular the work done by Ethan Story (8 Story) for the national e-book “Waterloo 200”.

Pupils were taken on a fascinating tour of the house, including the grand ballroom, the unusual ‘Egyptian room’ and we were even able to spot a few secret passageways! A particular favourite artefact featured in the exhibition for all pupils involved was the lock of Wellington’s hair which had been saved for posterity! A very interesting day was had by all, and it was an excellent way to round off our work on the bicentenary of this historical battle.

If you would like to read Ethan’s work please follow the link: https://www.theonlinebookcompany.com/OnlineBooks/SchoolsWaterloo/Celebrations/WaterlooSoldiers/360

Mari Burton, Teacher of History

Pupils were greeted in another language when they attended school on Thursday… all part of our celebration of European Languages Day. We might not all have managed it perfectly, but we had a go – a useful lesson for everyone!

Pupils were able to contribute their knowledge of other languages as well, and various form groups held discussions about languages and language in general.

We enjoyed a fabulous international menu at lunchtime, and several pupils entered a quiz in the library.  A fun day was had by all!

Are you free to come and help make the green areas around our School look smart and tidy for Autumn on Saturday 3 October?  We would love to see parents and pupils of any age and gardening ability! Please bring some garden gloves and garden tools if you can.  There will be refreshments provided on the day.  Contact Mrs Hopper for more details on hopperg@bishopluffa.org.uk

We look forward to welcoming prospective parents and children to our Open Evening and Mornings in October.

The school’s Open Evening takes place on Thursday 8 October 2015 from 6.00pm until 8.30pm.

Mr Nick Taunt, the Headteacher will address parents and answer any questions at 6.00pm, 7.00pm and 8.00pm in the Bartlett Hall.  Children aged from 7-11 will receive a separate talk from the Heads of House where they will be shown slides and videos of school life.  A panel of pupils will also be available to answer the children’s questions about the school.

Sixth Form stewards will be available to direct and escort visitors around the school.  Other pupils and staff will be available to talk to you about life here at Bishop Luffa School.

Open Mornings will also take place on Tuesday 13 October and Thursday 15 October and will run from 9.00am – 11.00am.  If you would like to attend one of the Open Mornings please book a place by contacting Gill Cooper, our Admissions Secretary by telephone 01243 832702 or email admissions@bishopluffa.org.uk.

If you have any questions regarding the admissions process, please contact Gill Cooper, Admissions Secretary.

Ancient Greek is on the menu on a Tuesday lunchtime.  Pupils from Years 9, the Sixth Form and even some brave staff members meet together with Miss Barnett to learn this ancient language over their sandwiches.  Apart from appreciating the beauty and precision of the language and culture that gave birth to Western Civilisation, modern philosophy and many art forms, pupils can enjoy exploring the riches of the English language derived from it and gain real benefits when going on to study medicine, theology and the Classical World.

The club is particularly helpful for those wanting to study Theology, Classics, human sciences and medicine.  Details of all the clubs and activities available can be found be following the link http://www.bishopluffa.org.uk/parents/extra-curricular-activities-and-clubs/

We look forward to welcoming prospective parents and children to our Open Evening and Mornings in October.

The school’s Open Evening takes place on Thursday 8 October 2015 from 6.00pm until 8.30pm.

Mr Nick Taunt, the Headteacher will address parents and answer any questions at 6.00pm, 7.00pm and 8.00pm in the Bartlett Hall.  Children aged from 7-11 will receive a separate talk from the Heads of House where they will be shown slides and videos of school life.  A panel of pupils will also be available to answer the children’s questions about the school.

Sixth Form stewards will be available to direct and escort visitors around the school.  Other pupils and staff will be available to talk to you about life here at Bishop Luffa School.

Open Mornings will also take place on Tuesday 13 October and Thursday 15 October and will run from 9.00am – 11.00am.  If you would like to attend one of the Open Mornings please book a place by contacting Gill Cooper, our Admissions Secretary by telephone 01243 832702 or email admissions@bishopluffa.org.uk.

If you have any questions regarding the admissions process, please contact Gill Cooper, Admissions Secretary.

As many of you will be aware from media reports there have been many casualties as well as families affected by the crisis in Syria. Many people have had to leave their homes and are now refugees seeking the support of other nations. Many pupils have shown concern for these refugees and wanted to know how we might respond as a school. We remember that as a baby, Jesus himself was a refugee and called upon his disciples to look after strangers.

To show our awareness and offer our support for refugees we are supporting the Christian Aid refugee crisis appeal, of which further details are on the link below: https://donate.christianaid.org.uk/refugees

During the coming days pupils will be able to make a hand print that, combined with everyone else’s, will make up a Syrian flag as a gesture of their support for these people who have fled from Syria and other war-torn countries. Pupils will be offered the opportunity to make a donation as they make their handprints.  At a non-uniform day on Thursday 8 October pupils will be asked to donate £1 for the Christian Aid appeal. We hope to raise at least £1500 for the appeal.

Thank you in advance for your support.

Nick Taunt, Headteacher

We look forward to welcoming prospective parents and children to our Open Evening and Mornings in October.

The school’s Open Evening takes place on Thursday 8 October 2015 from 6.00pm until 8.30pm.

Mr Nick Taunt, the Headteacher will address parents and answer any questions at 6.00pm, 7.00pm and 8.00pm in the Bartlett Hall.  Children aged from 7-11 will receive a separate talk from the Heads of House where they will be shown slides and videos of school life.  A panel of pupils will also be available to answer the children’s questions about the school.

Sixth Form stewards will be available to direct and escort visitors around the school.  Other pupils and staff will be available to talk to you about life here at Bishop Luffa School.

Open Mornings will also take place on Tuesday 13 October and Thursday 15 October and will run from 9.00am – 11.00am.  If you would like to attend one of the Open Mornings please book a place by contacting Gill Cooper, our Admissions Secretary by telephone 01243 832702 or email admissions@bishopluffa.org.uk.

If you have any questions regarding the admissions process, please contact Gill Cooper, Admissions Secretary.

A group of Parents, Pupils and Staff came to help tidy up the school gardens in preparation for winter. We were blessed with good weather, and everybody worked incredibly hard together.

We tidied up the front of school and the Cage,  and planted Autumn flowers. A big Thank You to all participants.  I look forward to an even bigger Garden morning next Spring. Many thanks to Mrs Greet Hopper (Data Manager) who organised the morning.

Open Mornings will also take place on Tuesday 13 October and Thursday 15 October and will run from 9.00am – 11.00am.  If you would like to attend one of the Open Mornings please book a place by contacting Gill Cooper, our Admissions Secretary by telephone 01243 832702 or email admissions@bishopluffa.org.uk.

If you have any questions regarding the admissions process, please contact Gill Cooper, Admissions Secretary.

Two teachers from Shanghai have been spending a fortnight at Bishop Luffa, observing the way we work, both learning and teaching. Thursday 8 October was their last day. Shen Minfeng and Cai Chenling, whose English names are Bill and Apple, joined the Maths and Science Faculties.  They were enormously impressed by both the styles of teaching and pupils’ enthusiasm to learn.  Bill, a leading Maths teacher, wrote:

“I enjoyed the stay in Bishop Luffa very much. The school is well-organized.  Teachers love students and love teaching.  Teachers are energetic, kind and skillful.  Students are well-behaved.  They like study.  They like to ask questions.  They like to solve the problems.

“It’s good that teachers believe students can improve and help them to improve.  It’s good that students know how to solve problems. They ask questions when they don’t understand. They like to express their own ideas.  It’s good that teachers use all kinds of activities and assessment to help students improve.

“I’m glad to see all students like to study maths, even less able students.  Teachers don’t give answers to students, they let students find out the answer by themselves.

“It’s an amazing and outstanding school.”

You have to understand,
No one puts their children in a boat
Unless the water is safer than the land.

from ‘Home’ by Warsan Shire  (British-Somali poet)

We have been holding an appeal for Syrian refugees this week.

Why?

Syria has been at war for four years.  War has destroyed many people’s lives. Half of Syria’s population have lost their homes.  More than 200,000 people have been killed. Over 4 million people have become refugees

Jesus was a refugee as a baby, escaping with his family the violence of King Herod.

Jesus said about welcoming the stranger: ‘Just as you did to one of the least of these… you did it to me’.

How do we respond?

Pupils gave their ideas about how we could help. We have made a Syrian flag with the hand prints of pupils and staff. A flag stands for ‘home’: the place where we were born and grew up, where we belong. Each hand represents a refugee, forced to flee their home. It reminds us that each person is made in God’s image, as we are.

Our aim was to raise at least £1500 – one pound for each member of the school community – for Christian Aid’s Syria Crisis Appeal.  We are delighted to announce that we have exceeded our target and to date have raised a total of £1,745.  This includes £250 from the sale of refreshments at our Open Evening yesterday.

This has been a community project. As well as the school staff, pupils and Sixth Formers stamping their handprints and donating £1 each on Thursday’s non-uniform day, we thank Falcon Fabrics for donating the material for the flag, and Costa Coffee for donating all the proceeds from their coffee sales at Café Europa.

Thank you to pupils, students, staff and parents for all their support.

The School was packed with prospective parents and their children as they joined in a range of activities including Towers of Hanoi and pancake flipping in the Maths department; activities linked to National Poetry Day in English and the Library; and stimulate the senses with Science experiments.

Sixth Form students were exceptionally busy giving guided tours of the school, and several hundred pupils demonstrated their skills and interests in the different subject areas. Year 6 children were also treated to a slideshow and question-and-answer session about the school with Year 7 pupils and Heads of House, while, next door in the Bartlett Hall, their parents listened to a more formal presentation.   The photos, taken towards the end of the evening, give a sense of the occasion.

Two Open Mornings take place on Tuesday and Thursday, 13 and 15 October.  The Mornings run from 9-11am. If you would like to come, please contact Mrs Gill Cooper, Admissions Secretary, to book a place. If you are unable to come at the start (perhaps due to dropping off your child at primary school) please let Mrs Cooper know and we can make arrangements accordingly.

In the first round of the National Schools Cross Country Cup Bishop Luffa travelled to Roedean College in Brighton. This year the entry for the National Cup has gone through the roof and the South East Region which consists of Hampshire, Sussex, Surrey, Kent and London has had to host five first rounds instead of the usual three. Traditionally the strength of this regional has dominated the National standings with a number of schools winning the National titles in the four age group categories. In recent years Bishop Luffa has managed to qualify at least one team through to the Regional final in each of the last five years and its strength in depth showed last year when it was one of only three schools across the region to qualify three teams.

In glorious weather conditions and with the spectacular backdrop of Brighton Marina and the sea behind the runners, the first race up was the junior girls (Year 7 and 8). The event involves six runners competing for each team with the first four runners scoring. Led by Maggie King the Bishop Luffa runners packed well to take 11^th, 13^th, 14^th and 16^th positions. Debutants, Nina Moranne and Grace Bradley Roberts did very well to be the second and fourth runner’s home with Rebecca Mann the third scorer. Good support running from Leila Karim 33^rd and Annie Shergold 40^th meant that all the Chichester based schools competitors had finished before 2/3rds of the total field had come through the line. A combined total of 54 points was outstanding and saw the girls finish in 2^nd position behind host school Roedean and automatically qualify for South of England finals.

Buoyed by the first result the junior boys started well with lead runner James Gardam heading out with the leading pack closely followed by Tom Davy. Joe Careswell and Seth Burgess provided great support with Year 7 runners Douglas Smith and James Smith working their way through the field. Unable to maintain the hot pace at the front, James Gardam found himself isolated from the leading pack but solid running saw him finish in 9^th position, Tom Davy produced a quick finish to claim 10^th with Joe Careswell picking up 11^th position. A great run from Seth Burgess to pick up 16^th meant that all the scorers had finished with a team total of 46 points. Douglas Smith and James Smith finished in 21^st and 23^rd places before half of the field had crossed the line and even more significantly before the first runner from local rivals Chichester High School for boys had even finished. The team result saw Bishop Luffa finish 2^nd behind Surrey based school Rodborough Technology College, claim the Sussex title and also qualify for the regional finals.

Beset by last minute withdrawals both intermediate teams (Year 9 and 10) were reduced to only four runners meaning that no-one could afford to have a bad day. Olivia Wiseman took the lead early on closely followed by Brighton’s Almi Nureka, daughter of former Olympian Richard Nureka. With Steyning’s Niamh Halloren also clinging onto the lead runner’s coat-tails. Millie Rodwell provided great support with Alice Cox Rusbridge and Amber Dodd packing well behind. As the 2^nd loop began Wiseman and Nureka were able to break clear and a sprint finish awaited the two young athletes. Dodd and Cox Rusbridge started to look stronger and both targeted the top ten places. As the girls finished, Year 9 athlete Wiseman had to concede to her older rival but must take heart from the fact that she got within two metres of beating a nationally renowned athlete. Rodwell finished 7^th with Cox Rusbridge 10^th and Dodd 11^th. The total team score of 30 points narrowly took the team title from Steyning Grammar who also finished with 30 points but who’s fourth place finisher completed the course in 16^th position. This meant that Bishop Luffa had qualified three teams to match last year’s feat.

The last race to go was the Intermediate boys. Bishop Luffa knew that this would be very close with Chichester High school bringing a very strong team led by Ben Collins also in attendance was last year’s National Champion Luke van Oudtshoorm from St Edmunds School, Surrey. Collins from the high school took an early lead that would never be surpassed and showed his class out on the course. Meanwhile, Will Broom was leading the Bishop Luffa team battling it out with van Oudtshoorm for 2^nd position 200m behind the leader. A great last hill climb from Broom saw him break well clear from Oudtshoorm to claim the 2^nd place. Chichester High schools Alex Halfacree finished 6^th and Luffa’s Leo Stallard in 7^th, just 2 points separated the Chichester schools. A superb 2^nd lap from Bishop Luffa Year 9 runner Ned Potter in 10^th place surpassed Hayden Overington’s 13^th for the high school and meant that after three team runners finishing Luffa had gained a 1 point advantage over their great rivals and Patcham high school were a further 4 points adrift. With Patcham’s fourth runner finishing 12^th it all came down to the last scorers for both the High School and Bishop Luffa. James Young battled hard to finish 19^th leaving Bishop Luffa in 2^nd place just two points adrift and meaning that all four teams had qualified for the South of England finals on the 14^th November, whilst high school runner George Matthew Smith finished 26^th to leave the high school in 3^rd position.

The South of England finals will take place on the 14^th November at Beth’s Grammar School in Bexley. Bishop Luffa will be that only independent or state school in attendance with all four teams having qualified for this prestigious event.

Mr Tim Brown, Team Leader PE

A giant 100-ton crane lifted two sizeable portacabins into the courtyard earlier this week.  They are the first visible sign of a major building project that will bring enlarged classrooms up to 21^st century standard.

We have been awarded a substantial grant to improve a major area of the school.  The £2.5m grant will help us refurbish K Block, bring Faculties closer together and improve other areas of the school.

The work takes place in three main stages:

November 2015 – February 2016

• A new staffroom is opened in the old Room 45
• Administration staff move into portacabins in the Courtyard
• Three classrooms and a new Support Centre are built in the area vacated by the ‘old’ staffroom and administration offices

February – September 2016

• The western end of K Block is refurbished
• Classes are moved to the three new classrooms and temporary classrooms

September 2016 – January 2017

• The eastern end of K Block is refurbished, including a new entrance and administration offices

January 2017

• Grand opening of the completed buildings.

The PFA are again holding the ever popular Family Quiz Night on Saturday 14 November, so it’s time to dust off those thinking caps, brush up on your Geography and Sport (amongst other things) and prepare yourself for the mind-blowing questions set by the Quiz Master.  Anyone over the age of 10 is welcome, for what promises to be another fun night.

Make up your own team of 4-6 people, or alternatively come along as a couple/individual and we will put you into a team, based on your child’s House.  Friends from outside the school are more than welcome to take part.  The cost is £10 per head which includes supper.  There will also be a bar and raffle.

The quiz will start promptly at 7.30pm.   Things should come to a close at about 9.30 p.m. with prizes and of course the statutory wooden spoon being awarded!!

If you would like to come along then please complete and return the slip at the bottom of the attached flyer.

In this final week of their first half term at Bishop Luffa, Year 7 pupils go on a residential to the Isle of Wight. 7 Ridgeway and Sherborne, Story and Wilson are out for the first three days, while 7 Bell and Burrows, King and Otter  leave on Wednesday for the last three days of the week.

The purpose of the trip is to challenge pupils with new experiences while working together with their peers in their partner House, and to help instil the importance of taking charge of their own learning.

We wish them well!

Nick Taunt, Headteacher

There is a national shortage of qualified Maths teachers in the country.  As lead school of the Blue Flag Teaching School Alliance we are offering specific training for non-specialist teachers to retrain as mathematics teachers.

The training, which includes three different courses, is open to qualified teachers of any specialism, whether they are currently teaching or not.

There are teachers who have taken time out to raise their families. They are now ready to return to the classroom, but feel a bit rusty.  The  Alliance has got just the course for this.  Other courses offer retraining in Maths and Physics for teachers of other specialist subjects and for teachers wanting to increase their confidence in Maths or Physics as a second subject.

The training is delivered free of cost to participants and is provided to improve the maths and subject knowledge of non-specialist teachers through school-led teacher subject specialism training opportunities.  The link below will give you information about the course.

Teaching Maths Information Leaflet

If you’re interested in discussing the opportunities this training will present, then contact Derek Robinson (robinsond@bishopluffa.org.uk) for further details.