Colton Hills School Bulletin
19 April 2023
High Performance Learning Pathway School
Introduction by Ms McClure, Associate Assistant Headteacher KS5
Welcome back! We hope you had a restful break.
Last half term saw the triumphant return of Rewards Day, where those students who embodied our PRIDE values had a chance to experience inflatable slides, a bouncy castle, and the ever-popular inflatable football. We look forward to inviting even more hardworking students to our next event. Following this. we had a supremely successful Cultural Day on the last day before the holidays, with students and staff in cultural dress, a range of activities in the sports hall, performances from our students, a specially devised lunch menu and lessons on different cultures. It was a pleasure to see everyone get involved and a real highlight of the term. Families were also invited to watch the performances organised by our Performing Arts department.
This half term is all about High Performance Learning. As exam season begins, with some practical exams this month and external exams commencing on the 15th May, we encourage our students to practise those skills, that research tells us, improve attainment.
Lessons will focus on our revision cycle; summarising information, practising retrieving it, filling the gaps in knowledge, applying that knowledge and reviewing performance. It’s important to remember that everyone can achieve, and it is never too late (or too early) to get into good habits and improve. We look forward to working closely with Year 11 and 13, in the coming weeks, to support them to reach their goals.
Careers trip to University of Wolverhampton
Before the Easter holidays, students from Year 10, 11 and 12 visited University of Wolverhampton to explore careers in architecture, engineering, contruction and building. They engaged in many activities, including building the highest, sturdiest tower using spaghetti and marshmellows, and won that competition!
Students also got to experience virtual reality using the headsets, constructing with magnetic building tiles and interacting with a robotic dog. These taster sessions will encourage conversations about their interest & future career pathways.
Budding Boxer
Over the Easter holidays, Zidane Tazeem in Year 7 took part in a boxing tournament which he emerged victorious. Zidane is now ranked number 1 for his age group and weight class in the Midlands and has qualified to fight in the nationals. We are very proud of Zidane's achievement in the sporting arena and wish him the best of luck for future competitions.
School celebrates Reward Day
On Thursday, 30th March, we had a special treat for students who have earned their places by meeting the criteria which included obtaining 100% attendance in the stipulated period, 30+ house points and less than 3 lates. Students were treated to a session of inflatable fun in the sports hall, which included penalty shoot-out, human football table, 10ft inflatable slide, bungee run and more. Everyone had a great time and throughly enjoyed themselves, as evidenced in the photos!
Trip to Chester Zoo
Our KS5 Biologists and Applied Scientists travelled to Chester Zoo on Thursday, 23rd March for some outdoor classroom learning. From elephants bathing in a downpour to spotting the elusive jaguar, students and staff had an amazing time at the outing. Chester Zoo is also the first zoo in Europe to breed a Coquerel's Sifaka!
SEN Art Therapy
Cultural Day Celebrations
So lovely to see our students and staff sharing their cultures with their schoolmates. Students who took part in the performances were fabulous and received loud cheers from their peers. Parents and carers also dropped in to enjoy the performances before we ended the school day. Well done to everyone who took part and helped out at the event.
CCF Shooting Course
Over the first few days of the Easter break, the CCF ran our own range course. Initially cadets were taken onto the Dismounted Close Combat Trainer (DCCT). This is basically a computer run simulated range where they can work on all aspects of marksmanship from trigger pressure to breathing patterns with sensors all over the rifles. Once aims had been perfected, they then moved over to MOD Stafford to fire live for the first time on their 30m barrack range.
All cadets managed to get impressive groupings before moving on to the gallery range at Whittington Barracks. This was the particular highlight as we fired from both the 100m and 200m firing point at a host of targets from up and hold to snap.
Congratulations to all the cadets : Aidan, Nikola, Tyreese, Josef, Jeffrey, Ziggy, Darcey, Manjot, Courtney, Christian, Olex and Harvir. Special congratulations must go to Darcey who had never fired a rifle before, yet won the overall best shot on the course out of 24 cadets including the 12 we took from The Royal School.
Darcey went from complete novice to being the only Cadet to get all 20 shots on the target from 200m on the gallery range. This is a real achievement as one can barely see the target 200m away. This is down to her listening carefully during the theory lessons, then putting it all into practice on the DCCT and paying attention to the coaching she received at the firing point to perfect all 4 principles of marksmanship. Well done to everyone who took part and staff who offered their time for this excursion.
Best shooter - Darcey Elkington
Gallery range
Dismounted Close Combat Trainer (DCCT)
Summer Term Topics and Homework
Click on this link to visit the webpage or visit www.coltonhills.co.uk/supporting-your-child.
For more information, please see the video below on Maximum Learning Video 4 - Supporting your child with homework.
Ramadan Takeaway Option
IMPORTANT DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Colton Hills Community School
Email: coltonhillsschool@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Website: www.coltonhills.co.uk
Location: Jeremy Road, Wolverhampton, UK
Phone: 01902 558 420
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coltonhillscs
Twitter: @ColtonHillsCS