Demonstrating Resilience

 Well Done Winston!

On Tuesday 22^nd February Year 7 and Year 8 went to Hoe Valley and took part in some netball matches. The teams were both ready to get going as soon as we were there and show how hard they have been working in training. Winston were off to a flying start by scoring very quickly into the first quarter, in both games and kept up the high score rate throughout. They all worked so hard as a team and were encouraging throughout the game. 

Players of the match went to Lucas from Year 7 and Holly from Year 8. 

Year 7 won 14:2 and Year 8 won 22:2. 

Well done to both teams and we look forward to the upcoming fixtures later in the term. 

Presenting in a Positive Way 

On the Friday before half term groups of students in Years 7, 8 & 9 got the chance to present the social actions plans, that they had been working on, to a panel of judges, to determine a school winner.

We are very lucky to be working with the Chelsea FC Foundation and their Premier League Inspires Challenge. Over the past 6 weeks each group have been working on their chosen social action plan and how they would like to positively contribute to our environment in a sustainable and collaborative way.

Each group made a pledge to create a social impact towards climate change and to reduce the damage that we are making on our world.

The CFC Foundation have been working with schools in London and Surrey to determine which school is going to represent Chelsea FC and compete against all the other Premier League football teams in this National challenge.

Firstly, we had to determine which team, in which year group, was going to represent The Winston Churchill School. Here are all of our groups who presented their plans which ranged from cycling challenges to help to reduce our carbon footprint; to recycling projects using art and working with our kitchen staff and business manager.

It was a very tough decision, but we could only have one team to take forward to the next stage and represent the school. This team was Year 9.

                                          

On Wednesday 23^rd February the Year 9 team travelled to Chelsea FC’s football ground where they had to present against another 4 schools. They were given the VIP treatment as the day was hosted in the Vialli Suite overlooking Stamford Bridge’s football pitch. The students got the opportunity to meet representatives from the Premier League and Future Foundations who were judging all of the presentations. They were also given an insight into future career paths and how they can utilise the skills they have learnt from working on this project in their future employment.

All the presentations were amazing and all very different. The judges had a very tough decision. However, a decision had to be made and the overall winning school was Fulham Cross Girls’ and we would like to wish them the best of luck as they now compete with all the other football clubs.

The judges gave our Year 9 team such positive feedback about their presentation and some ideas and guidance to support their project as they begin to roll this out within the school.

 

The Chelsea FC judge commented, “I thought it went superbly and everyone delivered a fantastic presentation and were a credit to the school!”

We are extremely proud of them and how they demonstrated a level of maturity, confidence and connectivity with their audience to be able to effectively present and get their message across. These skills can now be put to the test as they next will present their project to our Senior Leadership Team so they can implement their community cycling project to help the environment and collectively reduce our carbon footprint. Watch this space……………

Making Music

 Year 9 West African Drumming 

The Year 9 were finishing their West-African Drumming pieces at the end of half term, which they then performed to other members of their class. The performances included key features such as a call and response, polyrhythms and solos and they all did an excellent job. 

The Ukulele 

The Year 7 have been learning to play the Ukulele this term and in their final few lessons of the half term 7WS formed 'mini-bands' including Ukulele playing and singing, whilst 7CM made a Ukulele orchestra (!) combining chords with picking to produce impressive performances.

 

 

 

Memorable Science

 Key Stage 3 Science Club

 Every Thursday afternoon we hold a science club for our KS3 students . Here, they are able to explore a different side to the curriculum in more depth with some fun injected into the process. Recently, Mr Spain has been dying clothes with them using red and common onion skins. 

Students explored how natural chemicals like tannin, which is found in onion skin,  help colours bind to fabric.They have also created snowy crystal scenes from brine and potassium ferricyanide and learnt about ionic structures and saturation at the same time. 

Astronomy

Year 8 performed enthusiastically in the discovery space this morning during their astronomy lesson. Mr Rose`s lesson guided them to re-enact some mythological stories about the birth of stars. The children were very inventive and even attempted to "reach for " Beta and Zeta Tauri - these two stars form the horns of the bull in the constellations of Taurus.

 Big Bubbles!

Year 7 students were engaged, on Thursday afternoon is planning and carrying out an investigation into and then making big bubbles.  Students gained a better understanding of surface tension.

Well Done Winston

⚽ Winston Victory ⚽

This week has been a huge week for girls football at Winston, firstly with the success of the tournaments and this week with two back to back wins at fixtures!

Monday 7^th saw the Year 8 & 9 girls go to Chertsey High for a league fixture, with the girls managed by Mr Jones and Mr Raby. The girls went 1-0 down at half time but showed great resilience coming back to win 2-1! This league game win gets them one step closer to the league finals day! 

Then, on Tuesday 8^th February the Year 7 & 8s travelled to Weydon for the quarter finals of the county cup. This was an extremely tight game, ending 0-0 at full time, and 0-0 still after extra time! A penalty shootout was the difference between the two sides. The shoot out ended 3-2 to Winston, resulting in a Winston victory! 

Absolutely outstanding achievement under pressure to come out the better team. Amelie  bagged player of the match, and deservedly so- saving a penalty that was all the difference! The semi finals will be played after half term. 

Well Done!

Performance Space

 

Updated time lapse video  of the performance space building

We are now waiting for the roof to arrive, so the contractors are ensuring that the existing structure of the Churchill Suite is secure and to enable one seamless space to be created.

Learning Takes Many Forms!

 Year 10 Excel

Since their return in September, year 10 have decided to continue in their capacity as Peer Mentors, remaining with year 8 as they strive to create an entirely original programme. 

Traditionally, the peer mentors at Winston are comprised of year 9 students who apply to be attached to a new cohort of year sevens in the autumn term. Their aim is to assist the new students with transition to secondary school life. 

Following a remarkably successful year from this group of exceptionally resourceful students, year 10 decided to stay with their assigned year group. Creating the new role of Senior Peer Mentor. 

Throughout the year, year 10 have held meetings, discussed practice and pioneered a new paradigm for peer mentors at Winston. The small group of 35 pupils decided that they wanted to help year 8 with their academic studies and felt as though their own skills could be developed by helping younger students with learning across the curriculum at Winston. 

In the autumn term they broke into small teams to plan and teach lessons in each of the core subjects to the whole of year 8! Their next planned step is to collaborate with subject leaders across the school and offer 1 to 1 mentoring for younger students in their specialised fields. 

I am very proud to have worked with each of these students, who continue to prove how remarkable they are in helping younger peers thrive at school. I look forward to seeing what they can do for the remainder of the academic year. 

Todd Harrington-Tucker

English and Drama Teacher

Deputy Year Leader (Year 8)

Senior Girls' Football Team First Place

On Thursday 3^rd February, the last of the district 6-a-side tournaments took place, our Year 10&11 girls facing 3 opponents in the district for the second round. The games were intense 16 minute long endeavours against strong opponents against two Heathside teams and Chertsey High. 

Outstanding performances from all players meant that Winston came out second in this round but combined points put them in first place overall, beating 7 other teams from local schools!

Huge thank you and well done also to the year 11 students who came to help referee and run the tournaments across all 3 nights!

Year 8 Science

Our science technicians always looking to improve practicals for our students and make existing ones more exiting and beneficial for their studies.  Miss Holtom used a 50 % dilution of Actimel as a live yoghurt culture for agar plates instead of our usual  E.Coli bacteria. 8WG and 8WT used this lactobacillus mixture (good bacteria found in yoghurt) to determine which sanitiser was more effective in destroying the bacteria. The results are interesting to say the least.

Year 7 Science

This week 7CM  investigated plant reproduction with Mr Spain. The students presented some beautiful work, identifying the petals, stigma and sepal as part of the flower's reproductive organs.

Inspiration at Winston

 Year 7 Football

At our Year 7 football club, there is an average attendance of 50 boys each week. This has meant choosing a team for each fixture has been difficult. However, the squad of players that have represented the B team this year had a great run in the ESFA National B Team Cup. After wins which included a 10-0 result away in Wiltshire and a penalty shoot-out success in an early round, the team reached the last 16 (out of the 250 that entered) in the country.  

A journey to Plymouth was the teams reward to play against Ivybridge Community College at the Devon FA Headquarters. Here the team had a great experience, using their own designated changing room and playing at a venue with a stand. However, Ivybridge proved to have too much quality on the day and deservedly went through.  

The boys have represented Winston superbly, showing respect and teamwork throughout, always with smiles on their faces. We look forward to working with these boys as they progress through Winston!  

Making Further Progress

The contractors have been adding to the steel structure so that it is ready to take the weight of the patterned brick work.  The frame for the new canopy is in place and the three poles that are designed to display some banners are now in the right location.

Work is underway to connect the new build with the Churchill Suite.

 And in Science...

Mr Philcox's Year 8 and Year 9 classes had a treat in the form of  demonstrating the change of state of  iodine. This  sublimation practical involves heating the black iodine crystals in a test tube inside a second one loaded with crushed ice.  Heavy purple vapour is produced as the iodine crystals begin to deposit shiny, silvery crystals at the base of the "finger". This is a perfect example of the volatility and colours of halogens.