Transition at Chailey showcased at Sussex University

Angus Yorke, Head Boy writes:

Last Friday, 24th January,  Chloe Tyler, Head Girl, and I accompanied ten Year 7 students, Mrs Hickman (Year 7 Student Support and Transitions Manager) and Mrs Scott-Smith (STEM Co-ordinator and Science teacher) to Sussex University to talk to 180 trainee teachers on the subject of transition from primary to secondary school.  When we first arrived, eight of the Year 7 students set up an exhibition of their work.  A big part of the day was to showcase the levels of work achieved by Year 6 and 7 students and to highlight the differences between these two years.  The Year 7 students were then taken on a guided tour of the university campus. Meanwhile, Mrs Hickman, Chloe and I went with Billy and Scarlett, the other Year 7 students, to deliver a presentation on the ways that Chailey School supports students through the transition process from primary to secondary school.

The talk went really well, and the teaching students rounded off the event by singing a rousing happy birthday to Billy, who was celebrating his 12th birthday!  It was a day Billy will never forget - it is not every day that you have a whole lecture theatre full of trainee teachers singing to you!

Following our 30 minute presentation, the trainee teachers were keen to view the work of the year 7 students and to ask them questions about their experience at Chailey. 

The event gave me a really good experience of public speaking, and it was nice to be able to showcase our school and some of our Year 7 students and their work. 

Visit by Holocaust survivor

We were privileged to receive a visit yesterday by Professor Ladislaus Lob who spoke to our Year 9 students about his experiences as a Holocaust survivor after being sent to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp at the age of 11.  The visit was organised by Ms Michica and Ms Jones in the school's Humanities faculty  with the Holocaust Educational Trust.  He described his childhood in Hungary during the German occupation and his deportation to Bergen-Belsen where he spent five months with his father before being sent to Switzerland.  He remained in Zurich and eventually came to the UK in 1963 where he became professor of German at the University of Sussex.  He retired in 1998 and now visits schools and colleges across the country to talk about his experiences during the Holocaust.

His book ‘Rezso Kasztner- The Daring Rescue of Hungarian Jews: A Survivor’s Account’ can be found in the school library.  For more details about Professor Lob, please see his website ladislauslob.co.uk and for information about the Holocaust Educational trust visit www.het.org.uk

His talk was followed by a questions and answers session and here are some comments by our Year 9 students:

Tania Hemsley:  I thought it was very interesting and it was different to what I learned about in primary school about the camps and the war.  He described the concentration camps and what they were like and his personal experience of living in one.  He told us about what happened to all the other members of his family during the war as well as what happened to him.  He then told us about what he did after the war and what he does now.

Abigail Hollingsworth: I thought it was really intriguing and I enjoyed the way he could remember everything and described it in so much detail that I could imagine it.

Sasha Mitchell:  I really enjoyed the talk because I thought it was very factual and interesting.  I especially enjoyed the fact that Professor Lob was extremely positive even though he has been through so much.

Kess Rowe:  He was very factual and spoke more about the events than the feelings, which was surprising because lots of students thought they would cry.  He started by making us laugh when he told us to say “ice cream” if we couldn’t hear him if, by mistake, he lowered the microphone and this lightened the mood.  

Katy Saunders:  I thought it was fascinating because he was very open about such a traumatic subject.  I think that might have been because he has given so many talks and all the little anecdotes put the audience at ease to make him see a lot less intimidating than you would expect.

Interform Competition Year 11

Interform Competition – Year 11

Year 11 have been working really hard throughout this year and are now moving into the latter phase of their time at Chailey School. To reward their hard work the highest scoring tutor group each half term is given a tub of chocolates. 11 Ashdown leap-frogged the rest of the year group, to go from last position in September/October, to first position in November/December. Key to their success was having the highest number of postcard points and the best punctuality. A pat on the back goes to all tutor groups in Year 11 though, who all improved in almost every category. The competition continues this half term with an additional quiz challenge.

Chailey students compete in the Sussex Schools Cross Country

A select group of Chailey School pupils recently competed in the Sussex Schools Cross Country at Waterhall, Brighton. All did brilliantly and finished a very tough course. Hundreds of runners were in attendance, with many being at elite level. The top twenty in each race qualified for the regional championships but unfortunately none of the Chailey team made it. Sam Jackson came closest in the Inter boys category, however, finishing in a respectable 24th. Well done to all runners who were a credit to the school.

Southern Schools Book Award Presentation Evening at Roedean

On Friday 10th January, a group of Year 9 students visited Roedean School's theatre for the presentation evening of the Southern Schools Book Award prize. For the ninth consecutive year, Chailey students have been judging the five short-listed books, and voting for their favourite of the five novels chosen to represent the best of young adult fiction.

Our students were given a book token for their participation, and were able to spend them on copies of other novels by the nominated authors, and had the opportunity to have them signed, too. Several of our students can be seen pictured after having their books signed by this year's winner, Kevin Brooks.

Brooks' controversial novel for KS4 readers, 'The Bunker Diary', won the vote this year; however, our Chailey judges voted 'Unrest' by Michelle Harrison as our favourite (after some disagreement)!  All five books from this year and past years, including last year's winning novel by Malorie Blackman, 'Boys Don't Cry', are available to be borrowed from Mrs. Duck in the Library.

 

The trophies awarded to the short-listed authors

Year 11 receive their Trial Exam results

Year 11 receive their Trial Exam results

Phoebe selected for England football camp

Chailey School and the PE Department are delighted to announce that Phoebe Leitch has been selected to attend an Under 17 football camp for the England international squad. The camp will take place over 3 days and is situated at England FA training ground at St Georges Park. Phoebe was selected out of hundreds of girls who play at club level and is one of two girls selected from the Brighton Team. We wish Phoebe the best of luck whilst training with the England Team.