Tribute to the King of Pop The JFC Dance Show took place on the 24th and 25th March 2010. It was a special occasion on two accounts – one to pay tribute to the late ‘King of Pop’ Michael Jackson and two to bid a sad farewell to the old school assembly hall. We had record numbers involved in the show this year with over 100 pupils taking part and it was excellent to see a variety of year groups as well as a mixture of both boys and girls. This is brilliant news for the future of Dance at JFC as it is now a strong part of the curriculum. It made a real difference to finally keep hold of the Year 10’s giving the audience a chance to see just how much students’ progress between Years 7-10. The last dance of the night ‘Thriller’ show-cased just how advanced the YR 10’s are becoming as the BTEC course progresses – it was certainly one of the best we have put together. As numbers were so strong and we were spoilt for choice with the amount of fantastic music we could choreograph pieces to, we decided to run the performance over two evenings. This proved a huge success – both nights full of enthusiastic parents and relatives showing their support. Students showed fantastic motivation and enthusiasm during the 3 month run up to the show, turning up for regular rehearsals and it was wonderful to see their hard work pay off during two fantastic nights – I am very proud of you all! I would like to thank everyone who took part for their commitment and to all parents/relatives who came along to watch and support the evening. Here’s to the next dance show. Miss Meek Lead Teacher of Dance Back to Home Page   19th March 2010 Dear Parent This letter is a reminder of the arrangements for moving into the new building. The staff have been working very hard packing everything, ready for the move into the new college, and some of the work will be continued during the Easter holidays. However, we have been granted the week immediately after the Easter holidays to complete the process and to allow the induction of students for the new building. The arrangements will be as follows: > Year 10 will be on work experience during the week Monday 12th - 16th April. > For those students who do not have a placement that week the college will be closed and they should return to college on Monday 19th April. The college will be closed to all students on Monday and Tuesday, April 12th and 13th. > Year 7 students only should attend on Wednesday 14th April > Year 8 students only should attend on Thursday 15th April > Year 9 students only should attend on Friday 16th April > Year 10's induction will take place the week beginning 19th April. Students will be expected to wear full college uniform on these days. On their induction day students will be met by staff and taken to their zones. During the day they will be issued with locker keys and their smartcard. The smartcard will be used for access to the John Ferneley College building, e-registration (the electronic registration system), cashless catering, printing credits and the library system. The smartcard will be provided on lanyards for students to wear round their necks. If a student loses their smartcard there will be a cost for replacement. Cashless catering - students will no longer be able to buy their lunch with money but will need to use their smartcards instead. We have cash loading machines in college which allow students to transfer money onto their cards. Students will therefore need to bring some money (no cheques) with them on their induction day when they will be shown how to put money onto their smartcard. They will need to bring enough money to cover the cost of their meal on the day and enough for at least the following Monday, or the rest of that week if they wish to. If you are interested in finding out more about the smatcard system you can view the following case studies: http://www.easytrace.co.uk/files/case_studys/thomas_deacon.pdf http://www.easytrace.co.uk/files/case_studys/kingston.pdf Could you please sign and return the reply slip below to confirm receipt of this letter. Yours sincerely Chris Robinson Principal   Back to Home Page 27th January 2010     Dear Parent/Guardian   Reorganization of Secondary Education in Melton and the Vale of Belvoir   I am writing to you on behalf of the Governing Body of John Ferneley to ask for your support.   Leicestershire’s preferred option (Option 1) in their reorganization of secondary education in Melton and the Vale of Belvoir is supported by the Governors and staff of John Ferneley.  The implementation of this option would: Ensure that every child in the Borough has access to a full range of subjects and experiences at KS4 and Post 16. Provide for seamless curriculum and pastoral support from 11 to 19. Cement partnership working between schools, colleges and other educational providers in the Borough.   To further this end, John Ferneley, building on our fully trained and qualified staff, has: Employed additional Post 16 teachers. Recruited key examination, work experience and curriculum expertise. Developed timetable structures and designed a state of the art new building to support partnership working.   John Ferneley is a college used to success, ambitious for student achievement and already well on the way to attaining aspirational GCSE targets in 2011.   So far in the Local Authority’s consultation, John Ferneley parents have remained silent believing that the real issues lie elsewhere.  You tell us that your children are happy and feel that they are making good progress.  You anticipate that the college will continue to play an important part in their education Post 16.  However, the time has come to communicate these views to the Local Authority.   In April I will have been Principal of John Ferneley for 20 years.  This has been a period of unprecedented success for the college.  Ofsted has judged us ‘good with outstanding features’ on no less than four occasions.  During this time a shortage of students in the town has produced a series of crises. We are living through yet another of these crises.  This has to stop.  The needs of students must be placed before the needs of institutions.   It is in this spirit that I urge you to support Option 1 by returning the Response Form attached to the Consultation Pamphlet sent to you before Christmas or by responding online at: www.leics.gov.uk/meltonkevii .   Thank you in anticipation of your support.     Chris Robinson Principal   Back to Home Page 18th December 2009     Dear Parents/Carers   On Tuesday 15th December, the County Council took the decision to consult on the options for the future of King Edward VII School in Melton Mowbray, the preferred option being closure.   Secondary pupil numbers have been declining in recent years and are predicted to fall further, despite planned increases in house building in the town.  We have already seen this reflected in the Year 7 intake for John Ferneley.   The numbers at King Edward VII have fallen more sharply to the point where, according to the County Council, “The school could not deliver a broad and balanced curriculum or a wide range of options for GCSE”.  If closed, some of the pupils below the current Year 10 would transfer to John Ferneley.  This will not be many as most of the pupils live in the south of the town.    Our new school due to be opened in April 2010 has been designed with some extra pupil capacity and has been divided into separate learning zones so as to preserve a small school environment.  The class sizes after transfer of the King Edward pupils will actually be smaller because the extra pupils will enable us to increase the number of classes in each year.  Consequently, more pupils will have a positive impact on John Ferneley.   In March 2007, the County Council decided to provide a new post 16 centre jointly managed by the partnership schools, including John Ferneley.  We have been planning for this transfer since then, and have already recruited staff with experience of post 16 teaching.  We are due to recruit more such staff next year.  We are confident that with the retained staff from King Edward VII the partnership will achieve a smooth transfer to the new post 16 centre when it is opened in September 2011.   This letter should reassure you about the changes proposed by the County Council.  We support the County Council’s preferred Option 1. It is the only option in the best interest of John Ferneley pupils. It also provides long term high quality education and stability for all pupils in Melton.  We will be sending out further in formation after the Christmas break.  Meanwhile if you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.     Mr Conroy Godber Chair of Governors   www.leics.gov.uk/meltonkevii for more information Back to Home Page JFC Autumn 2009 Newsletter   Melton Secondary Partnership   Meeting held at Long Field School 5pm Wednesday 26th November 2009.   Represented: Belvoir, Birch Wood, John Ferneley, King Edward VII, Long Field.   Belvoir: Malcolm Goff (apologies John Sherwin) Birch Wood: Matthew O’Callaghan, Lin Machin (apologies Kate Ball) John Ferneley: Conroy Godber, Chris Robinson, Elaine Welsh, Steve Mabbott, Rachel Roberts, Dawn O’Higgins King Edward VII: David Davies, Tony Pinnock, Pam Posnett Long Field: John Dehnel, Rob Garrett, Janet Marriott, Liza Hicks   By common consent of all, the meeting was very constructive with the active participation of all members of the Melton Partnership.  A number of options were explored with each being subject to a frank and open exchange of views.  It was agreed that this record would form the basis of a submission to the Cabinet for their meeting on the 15th December 2009.  All were agreed that further meetings should be held to continue the dialogue and to find a way forward for secondary education in the Melton Area.   The discussion that was held was informed by recent meetings held with parents at John Ferneley, King Edward VII and Long Field.   There was unanimous concern for pupils and staff currently facing uncertainty with the desire that a decision be reached by Cabinet at its meeting on 15th December on the future of secondary education.  It was agreed by all that the Post 16 Centre should remain within the Melton Partnership and not be externalised to management outside the area or partnership.   It was essential to retain the expertise of the King Edward VII school and its staff and to reassure the staff of their role in the future of Post 16 education in Melton.   What ever decision the Cabinet makes, any option selected must be realistically assessed for its long term sustainability and must be adequately resourced.  Realistic timescales must be set with minimum disruption to pupils and staff and which allow schools adequate time to plan for the future.   The following are the options considered at the Partnership Meeting which include the five options contained in the Cabinet document for their discussion on the 10th November 2009.   Option 1.  Two 11-19 schools with a jointly managed Post 16 Centre.  This would involve one of the current three secondary schools in Melton Mowbray being either closed or amalgamated with another school.  A legally binding Partnership agreement would define the arrangement for the jointly managed Post 16 Centre.  The participation of the other two Partnership Schools, Belvoir and Birch Wood, in the Centre would be at a level defined by their Governors.   (Note: This is a variation of the Cabinet Option 4: “Amalgamating with another school (Long Field or John Ferneley) with a jointly managed post-16 provision” except that the school to be closed or merged is not determined in this option).  The detailed support for this option is contained in a paper written jointly by John Ferneley and Long Field.   Option 1 had the support of John Ferneley and Long Field.  King Edward VII was not in favour of this option. Belvoir and Birch Wood have yet to consult their governors.   Option 2.  For King Edward to continue to provide 11-19 education and specialist courses for Key Stage 4 for the Melton Partnership. It will retain its designation as an 11-19 school. King Edward V11 is to be the provider for post 16 education using a governance model with involvement from all partner schools. Partner schools would be re-designated as 11-16 schools.   This is the option that King Edward submitted to the Cabinet meeting on 10th November.  The detailed support for this option is contained in that paper.   Option 2 had the support of King Edward VII John Ferneley and Long Field were not in favour of this option Belvoir and Birch Wood have yet to consult their governors. Two other options from the 10th November Cabinet paper were considered   Option 3. Maintaining the status quo with a jointly managed post-16 provision (Option 2 in the Cabinet paper)   In the final round of consultation on the delivery of secondary education, parents supported three 11-19 schools of 800 pupils each in Melton Mowbray with a jointly managed post 16 provision. This is the status quo (Option 2 in the Cabinet paper).   Whilst this may work in the short term, it was felt by all present that this was not sustainable into the long term given the numbers of secondary pupils and current configuration of schools*, the curriculum offer available to small year groups, the potential loss of good staff from KE7, the financial cost of maintaining small school protection and the competition that would still potentially remain for pupils thus putting the Partnership at risk.    *It was noted that a study of primary pupil numbers in feeder schools show a potential drop of a further 200 pupils by around 2014.  According to the Cabinet paper the cost of small school protection; ‘is projected to be £0.75 million per annum and increasing into the future unless pupil numbers recover, and would need to be met from the Schools Budget’.   Belvoir, Birch Wood, John Ferneley, King Edward and Long Field all supported this view and did not support Option 3 as viable in the long term. Changing the age range of King Edward VII School to 16-19 with a phased transfer of 11-16 pupils to other Partnership schools, to enable King Edward VII School to provide post-16 education for the Partnership.  This is Option 1, the ‘Preferred Option’ in the Cabinet paper.   This Option was rejected by Birch Wood, John Ferneley and Long Field. Belvoir was supportive of the option.  King Edward VII had reservations on this Option.   Two further options proposed in the cabinet paper were rejected by all at the meeting.   Option 5. Reducing admission numbers at the other Melton secondary schools, with a jointly managed post-16 provision (Option 3 in the Cabinet papers)   This was thought to be unworkable as any attempt to reduce the admissions number at Melton secondary schools would be resisted by parents and would go against parent’s choice, it would also be ignored by the independent admissions panel (which they did in allowing an additional 18 pupils over John Ferneley’s admissions limit last year).  Finally even if it were to be implemented it would mean less funding all round in the Melton schools and put at risk the financial viability of the partner schools.   Option 5 was rejected by Belvoir, Birch Wood, John Ferneley, King Edward and Long Field.   Option 4. Option 6. Federating with another school or schools to increase the support to King Edward VII School with a jointly managed post-16 provision (Option 5 in the Cabinet papers)   Federation in any form was overwhelmingly rejected by parents in the first round of consultation on the review of secondary education.   Option 6 was rejected by Belvoir, Birch Wood, John Ferneley, King Edward and Long Field.   Belvoir and Birch Wood Governor Meetings   It was noted that Belvoir had yet to hold a meeting of its Governing Body.   Birch Wood likewise had yet to hold a formal meeting of its Governing Body on the issue but was able to express two concerns a) the effect that the loss of the 11-16 provision on the campus would have on inclusion and the ability of Birch Wood pupils to walk to King Edward with ease – one of the reasons for funding the build of Birch Wood on an all-age campus and b) the loss of the new partnership centre which was to be part of the new build at King Edward.  It was felt that it would be impossible to operate this in another school off the campus.   It was noted that King Edward had organised a meeting to take place on Monday evening.    It was agreed that the record of the meeting and the options discussed would be circulated to all present for correction.  Once a draft is agreed, it would be sent to the Cabinet.  Schools would be able to post the document on their website so as to inform parents and staff.  A copy would be sent to the press with the introductory comments regarding the constructive nature of the meeting, that all the secondary schools were represented and the desire of all to continue meeting to find an agreed way forward.     The following is a joint submission on behalf of the Governors of Long Field School and John Ferneley College, Melton Mowbray. Having considered the option proposed by King Edward VII School we reject it on the basis that it does not address the two issues below. i)    Surplus places in Melton will result in one, two or all of the sites becoming unviable without significant additional financial funding.  Surplus places will lead to competition rather than Partnership, a continual redundancy situation and the inability of schools properly to plan for and meet the demands of the new 14-19 Curriculum. ii) The projected size of the Post 16 Centre population will require partnership support in order to staff it to deliver the broad curriculum required.  This will necessitate all the schools providing administrative and teaching support each effectively acting as an 11-19 school.  This arrangement will be complex and expensive. Joint Proposal The current option should be maintained with a two-school solution in Melton town.  A legally binding Partnership agreement should define arrangements for a jointly managed new Post 16 Centre between the two Partnership Schools in the town.  Belvoir High School and Birchwood are to remain in the Partnership at a level to be defined by their Governors. The proposal above addresses the two main issues in the following ways.  The two-school solution would facilitate the removal of surplus school places as well as the resulting deficit with its impact on effective educational resourcing.  Approximately 200 students would need to be accommodated within the other sites and an admission number established which would ensure the long-term stability of each school.  With admission numbers of 210, two schools of approximately 1050 children would be well placed to deliver the 14-19 curriculum.  The removal of a competitive admissions environment will create two schools with sustainable budgets that could expand the curriculum in line with the needs of the town and learners. The Post 16 Centre would be run jointly by the two schools on behalf of the partnership in an administrative capacity underpinned by a legally binding partnership agreement.  The Centre would be named in line with the wishes of the local community.  Expertise needed to run the Centre would come from that already in the partnership sites, predominantly King Edward VII‘s staff.  As far as possible the Centre would have a core of staff working full time in the Centre employed by both Schools.  Some staff would be deployed across schools to facilitate a broad and adaptable curriculum. The Centre would have its own leadership and staffing structure supplemented by the minimum of staff employed on other sites.  Administration and some support staff would be arranged jointly by the two schools.  This would most likely involve a combination of bespoke appointments and increased grades for existing staff ensuring financial efficiency. The partnership agreement will be key to this model’s success into the future. The agreement will underpin the areas of school centre autonomy and partnership.  All employment, accountability and financial processes will be established ensuring stability into the future irrespective of current personnel. The success of this proposal will require early and concerted project support from county officers, in particular for the management teams considering further change to curriculum and staffing, for feasibility studies and for fully evaluated costing for additional building on the sites. In this option the complexities of a jointly managed Post 16 Centre are placed in two sites not four.  A Partnership agreement ensures succession planning and stability.  Savings are achieved from the running costs of a third site and no small school subsidy is required.  Each of the two sites has a viable budget and Post 16 staffing is supported by two sustainable school structures.  The Partnership will develop free of competition.  The expertise of staff at KEVII is retained whilst any financial or contractual impediments are not.   Back to Home Page School Food Support website click here Secondary Newsletter click here John Ferneley Needs You John Ferneley’s Enterprise Zone is on a mission. We want to make the curriculum more real and dynamic and have lots of input into each of the subjects from you real people from real businesses! And you could help? “How?” I hear you say. “Simple” we answer.  We want to get as many people who work for, manage or own organisations of any sort to be involved.  Whether it is a public sector organisation, a FTSE 100 company or the local corner shop we are interested. “Well I have not got much time” we hear you say. “No problems” we answer!  All we are asking is if you can commit to just donating 1 hour of your time (more if you want, may be half or a whole day) in any academic year.  May be you have employees and this could be part of their development and help you deliver aspects of your corporate and social responsibility strategy. “I can spare one hour, but what do I need to do?”  we hear you say. We can discuss this after you have committed your hour.  It will be something that will benefit the students (and hopefully yourself) but will be equally something you will be comfortable doing. Some ideas of the kind of things that you could get involved in could be: >  Being a guest speaker talking about your business or explaining how important a     particular topic is in real business. >  Acting as a Dragon in a John Ferneley Dragons Den Exercise >  Judging a competition so real business people give feedback to students >  Set a market research task that our students complete for you >  Become an Enterprise Mentor for a John Ferneley Enterprise group >  Assist with an Enterprise day >  Set students a task to design a new logo or a marketing campaign for you     business. The opportunities are only restricted by your and our imaginations! So what do you do next?  Simply contact Mr Monaghan on 01664 565901 or email him on monaghanm@johnferneley.org.uk We look forward to hearing from you.   Back to Home Page   John Ferneley College - New Build   Design work on the new John Ferneley building continues throughout 2009 and will be completed by Easter 2010. Planned around five Learning Zones – Communication, Culture, Discovery, Enterprise and Performance – the building is designed to engage and enthuse students.   A key aim of the building is to provide the caring and supportive environment which is at present the hallmark of John Ferneley. There are no dark corridors or concealed spaces. Instead the five zones are arranged around a single, light and airy street.   The green credentials of the building are outstanding. We are designing a sustainable structure which will be both energy efficient and carbon conscious.   Why not visit the link on the home page of our school website to see what is going on with the new build, or alternatively go to http://johnferneley.white-design.co.uk/ Back to Home Page New Uniform Smart looking John Ferneley college pupils will be really looking the business from September in their new uniforms. The blazer, shirt and tie will replace the current red sweatshirts which were introduced in 1990. Pupils, parents and school staff were all consulted about the uniform, with pupils having their say through the school’s virtual learning environment.   The embroidered school badge, designed by a Year 9 pupil, will become the school logo and will also be used on the school’s stationery. The letters JFC stand for John Ferneley College, the name the school will adopt from this September to reflect its new status.   We are changing from a high school to a really ambitious business and enterprise college. There has been a real enthusiasm amongst pupils about the new uniform and we are going to create an ethos driven by a sense of business and enterprise. It is about setting high standards in every aspect of school life. Back to Home Page Jason and the Argonauts A cast of 42 students performed 'Jason and the Argonauts' at the brand new state of the art Curve Theatre in Leicester on Friday 26th June, as part of the Leicestershire Arts in Education Schools and Youth Festival. The project has involved the students spending a day at Knighton Fields Art Centre as well as attending workshops in school, led by Advisory Teachers in Drama and Dance. This was clearly a fantastic opportunity for our students and a very exciting challenge! A large number of Ferneley students also attended the schools' Matineé performance on the 26th June with the help of 'Find Your Talent' grant. Back to Home Page Specialist School Status John Ferneley College has been given a boost from the Pera Foundation, the charitable arm of Pera, in its aim towards achieving Business and Enterprise status. The Pera Foundation is the first sponsor to donate towards a target of £50,000. It has donated £5,000 and will provide mentoring for students and staff. The status will introduce young people into the world of business and increase their employability skills. It is designed to create a businesslike culture at the school, developing high quality education and value for money. To gain the status, John Ferneley is looking for more sponsorship from local businesses to help raise the £50,000 needed to get full funding from the government. The money will go towards preparing the school for the new business and enterprise based curriculum, providing students with the right staff and equipment. Business and Enterprise status will support the teaching of business studies, economics, money management, product design, IT for business, modern languages for business, and sales, accountancy and marketing. The school’s parent teacher association, Friends of Ferneley, which kickstarted the fundraising bid with a donation of £2,500, already has pledges of £14,000 to date - including two sizeable donations from Pera and The Melton Mowbray Building Society. Back to Home Page 21st May 2009   Dear Parent   Friends of Ferneley PTA Barn Dance Saturday 6th June 2009, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.   The PTA have organised a Barn Dance here at John Ferneley on Saturday 6th June A licensed bar, serving beer, wine and soft drinks will be available.  Music will be by The James Joyce Band.   Tickets will be £6.00 for adults and £3.00 for children/concessions this includes a BBQ and these will be available from the school reception.   Please note, tickets will not be available on the night.     Yours sincerely     Kate Van Doorn Friends of Ferneley PTA --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reply Slip – To: School Office, John Ferneley High School, Melton Mowbray   Name of Pupil: __________________________________ Tutor Group: ______   I require _________ adults tickets @ £6.00 each  and ________   children/concessions tickets @ £3.00 each   I enclose £_________ Please make cheques payable to Friends of Ferneley PTA   Signed by the person with legal responsibility for the young person:……………………… Date …………………………………. Back to Home Page Normandy Trip 22nd -26th May 2009 In the early hours of Friday 22nd May the car park was full of excited students waiting to get on the coach to start our Normandy 2009 trip.  This year we took 56 pupils from Years 7, 8 and 9 and 9 adults.  All staff on the trip agreed that the group we took this year was probably the best group we have ever had.   We travelled by Fast Cat ferry from Portsmouth to Caen and this year it was a smooth crossing!  After a stop at MacDonald’s we arrived at the château in the early afternoon.  Everyone unpacked and settled in and by the evening meal everyone had made new friends and were having a great time.  It continued to be like that for the whole trip.   During the trip we visited several of the D-day landing sites, which was extra special this year as it was the 65th anniversary of D-day only a couple of weeks later.  We did the obligatory shopping trips and went bowling as well.  On one afternoon we took part in the château activities – the blind trail and archery.  We always pack a lot into the trip!   On Tuesday 26th May we all returned tired but having had a great time.  Thanks to all the students and staff who went on the trip for making it such a good experience.   Jenny Oliver Back to Home Page RED NOSE DAY 2009 An unbelievable effort from the staff and Pupils at John Ferneley meant that £1,925 was raised by the school for Red Nose Day. The money was raised in a variety of ways: 240 red noses were sold; 2v2 Basketball against the staff; charity dodgeball competition; sponge throwing at the teachers and for extra money you could tip a bucket over;  cake sale; non uniform day. In the afternoon there was a red nose show where pupils and staff provided a fun packed programme of entertainment. Back to Home Page John Ferneley Dance Show 2009 LEGENDS Over 70 pupils 'strutted their stuff' in this year's annual dance show which took place on Tuesday 31st March. Pupils performed to both old and new hits from well known music legends such as the 'Jackson 5', 'Pink Floyd', 'Madonna' and 'Kylie Minogue' to name a few. Work from KS4 preparation was also showcased during the evening. After two months of dedication and hard work during rehearsals the pupils should be very proud of such a fabulous evening - well done to all who took part! It was also wonderful to see over 200 people in the audience who came to watch, clap and sing along! Thanks you very much to all who supported the event and we hope to see everyone again next year. Miss L Meek Co-ordinator of Girls' PE & Dance Back to Home Page UNICEF's 2009 Day for Change appeal Your donation will be used to support UNICEF's health and well-being programmes in Papua New Guinea. Thank you to everyone for joining in and raising this fantastic donation of £793.40. Across Papua New Guinea, UNICEF is supporting health centers that make sure children are born and grow up safely and setting up child friendly schools mean that girls and boys can enjoy their right to education and be safe at school. Back to Home Page Ski Trip Tignes, France - Sunday 4th - Sunday 11th January 2009 The New Year started off with a bang as 38 pupils and 5 members of staff descended upon the French ski resort of Tignes. Our days were spent having breakfast in the morning followed by two hours of ski school, lunch and then another 2 hours of skiing. The ski school was run by a group of accredited French instructors who nurtured the novice skiers and extended the ability of the more experienced. Skiing proved to be a wonderful experience for both staff and pupils with École Ski Francais being very complimentary about our pupils. At the awards ceremony at the end of the week certificates were in abundance with every pupil receiving an award. In the evenings there were a variety of activities including a quiz - won by the staff who were then disqualified for cheating!!, a DVD evening, a games night and of course, everyone's favourite 'Bumboarding'. This was our 15th successful ski trip and will no doubt be remembered by staff and pupils alike not just for the superb skiing, but also for landing at Leeds Bradford, which due to high winds took two attempts. Needless to say, when the pilot landed safely at the second attempt it was greeted by a round of applause from all of us! Next year's ski trip to Austria is due out soon. Back to Home Page Christmas Card Recycling past the LA has been involved in recycling Christmas cards for various charities. Unfortunately they are not running a similar scheme this year.   However, The Woodland Trust is running a national campaign from 2nd - 31st January 2009. Please take your used cards to WH Smiths, Tesco’s or M&S who have official recycle bins. Money raised from recycling your old cards will be used to plant new trees. Last year 73.6 million Christmas cards were recycled nationwide through this scheme which enabled 17,000 trees to be planted across the UK.   Please support this good cause. Back to Home Page Master Chef Final This took place on Sat 6th Dec at King Edward V11 School and follows on from the previous report!   The competition attracted many entrants from surrounding schools, who went through a series of eliminating rounds.   The competition was judged by qualified chefs, who were amazed at the skills and very high standards attained.   John Ferneley High School is delighted to announce that the first three places were awarded to its pupils.   1st Esme Keyworth - 9JMM 2nd Bethany Warner - 7JRV 3rd Jess Greaves - 9JSR   This is a wonderful achievement by our students, who worked extremely hard, creating their own menus which resulted in them producing top quality and attractively presented food.   Special thanks go to our Food Technology Teacher, Mrs M Matare, for her ability to encourage the students to have the confidence to produce standards above their years.   Well done to you all. Well done John Ferneley High School. Back to Home Page   Young Rotary Master Chefs Hit Another Target This Year The Melton Mowbray Rotary Club, who sponsors this competition, was yet again amazed at the high standards of work produced by the participants. Having made it into the District's competition last year and coming up third, an attempt is being made again this year to tackle the challenge in the Rotary Young Master Chef competition. On Thursday the 13th November 2008, 7 budding chefs put their final touches to the dishes they hoped would secure the title of the Best John Ferneley Young Master Chef. The participants who ranged from years 7 to 9 fought off stiff competition to qualify for the Melton Mowbray finals scheduled for the 6th December 2008. This was a close fought event because the students prepared outstanding professional dishes which made it very difficult for the judges to emerge with a winner. However, Esme Keyworth clenched this year's final, flanked by Bethany Warner and Jess Greaves who jointly shared second position. The three young chefs will now cook two more dishes and battle it out with 6 other finalists from Melton Mowbray schools. The competition centred on healthy eating, initiative and skill. They each produced a two course meal comprising of a main dish and a desert. The 7 students who were vying for the title were:- Bethany Warner - Year 7, Ben Sayers - Year 8, Jordan Forrester - Year 8, Esme Keyworth, Jess Greaves, Paul Tkazcuk and Leanna Hampson all Year 9s. However next term we have yet another challenge which will be judged by a renowned Master chef, Darren Tinkler and the vetting process will be starting shortly. A big thank you to Mrs Guy who has helped with the organisation of this event. Mrs Matare Food Technology Teacher Back to Home Page   Shoe Box Appeal 2008   What wonderfully generous pupils, parents and staff we have here at John Ferneley! This is the second year we have supported the Shoe Box Appeal and  we have managed to fill 66 boxes in total. What a super response, it shows that the people connected to this school really do care about the wider world. The boxes are now on their way to Serbia. To everyone who took part and gave so much, a big thank you and a very merry Christmas. Julie Glynn Head of ADT Shoe Box Appeal Coordinator Back to Home Page   1st December 2008     Snowfall and Emergency Closure of School   I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the Local Education Authority procedure, in the event of an emergency closure of the school, should we be faced with snow. If I take this decision I will inform the local radio stations named below.   If you have reason to think that John Ferneley may be closed please do not phone the school or the radio stations involved. This creates congestion and prevents essential communication.   I will phone the named radio stations which will give details of any school closures including further information about re-opening.   If you think the school may be closed the following radio stations will broadcast on these frequencies.   Radio Leicester – 104.9 FM Leicester Sound – 105.4 FM Radio Nottingham – 103.8 FM   In exceptional circumstances, when heavy snowfall occurs during the day, we may have to send the children home before 3.30 pm. If the weather conditions make this necessary you will need to make suitable provision for your child. There will be a closure notice on the homepage of our website which can be found at www.johnferneley.org.uk if it becomes necessary to shut the school during the day. Obviously, the safety and welfare of our pupils is important at all times. Thanking you for your co-operation.     Chris Robinson Headteacher  Back to Home Page Poppy Appeal 2008 The school has received a thank you from the Royal British Legion for the £96.46 raised through the sale of poppies this November. This was a fantastic amount and the most we have ever raised for the British Legion. A big thank you to Dr Suart and her team of helpers who again organised the sales. Back to Home Page Enterprise and Key Skills at Work Year nine students at John Ferneley High School experienced the ‘world of work’ this week as they took part in an Enterprise Day organised with Business Dynamics. The aim of the day was to bring ‘business to life’ for the students and allow them to experience working as a team in ‘non-friendship groups’. They had opportunities to develop their communication skills, make decisions under pressure and think about marketing and designing a product. Each team was given an hour and fifteen minutes to design and build a model theme park ride using a marble, sellotape and sheets of paper. In the final part of the day the pupils presented their models and the winning team were awarded with prizes. All students thoroughly enjoyed the day and many of them took the opportunity to dress as if they were attending an interview, to emphasise that they were taking part in a different and special event. Congratulations to all the students who demonstrated a very positive approach to the day. They thoroughly impressed the organisers and were a credit to the school. Alison Dalby Deputy Head   Back to Home Page   John Ferneley Health & Safety Competition A group of foreign exchange students will be visiting John Ferneley for a 3 day visit and it is important they are informed of what is happeining on the building site next door to the school and about the dangers of being so close to a live construction site. All students are invited to prepare a safety brief that can be given to the foreign exchanged students on their arrival outlining what the main dangers are and what rules should be followed to ensure their safety. The brief could be a poster, a newsletter or whatever you think may be the best method to inform the foreign exchange students of the dangers of the construction site. The deadline for handing in the safety briefs will be Friday 5th December, with prizes being handed out to the winners in prize giving assemblies in the last week of term (Monday 15th - Friday 16th December). There will be 6 prizes in total - ipods or ipod vouchers. The winning designs, posters, newsletters will also be featured on Willmott Dixon hoardings.   Just as important, amongst all the new developments and potential distractions, our large Year 7 new intake of 2000 are adapting well. Recent tracking and progress reports to parents indicate no underachievement. Long may it continue!”   Back to Home Page DRAMA A cast of 30 pupils from John Ferneley are rehearsing hard for their performance of 'Romeo and Juliet' at Melton Theatre, on Friday 10th October. Tickets are available from the Box Office on 01664 851111. The performance starts at 7.00 pm. The pupils will be performing along with students from other Leicestershire schools and colleges, as part of the Shakespeare Schools' Festival. The cast members have already taken part in a workshop on the stage, led by members of the Natiional Youth Theatre. This is a fantastic opportunity for the young cast to experience working in a professional theatre. Back to Home Page John Ferneley's future is bright - and green   The construction of Melton's new £15m John Ferneley High School is officially under way, and the future will be a successful and green one. The first sod was cut by county council chairman Tony Kershaw, watched by council leader David Parsons, staff, pupils and governors, signalling another important milestone in the £45m reorganisation of secondary education in Melton and the Vale of Belvoir. The new school, being built to the north of the current site, is planned around five learning zones - Discovery, Communication, Enterprise, Culture and Performance - designed to engage and excite students. It will also incorporate the latest environmental features including a wind turbine, a rainwater recycling system and energy efficient heating and lighting. The design will also maximise daylight and ventilation while the school grounds will encourage biodiversity by using recycling schemes. Work is due to be completed by spring 2010.   Back to Home Page     Governors, staff and pupils have much pleasure in inviting prospective parents and pupils to our   OPEN EVENING on Wednesday 1st October 2008 6:00 - 8:00 pm   OPEN WEEK Monday 29th September, Wednesday 1st & Friday 3rd October Daily tours will start at 9:15 am and finish at 12.15 pm   OPEN MORNING Saturday 4th October 2008 10:00 am - 12:00 mid-day Activities and tours available   Governors, staff and pupils will be available to answer any questions you may have during these sessions.   For details of the other Melton Partnership schools’ open events (Belvoir, KEVII and Longfield), please contact them direct.   Back to Home Page Normandy Trip 19th - 23rd August 2008 Diary of Events Normandy Day 1 - Tuesday 19th August   The coaches set off for Portsmouth just after 1.00 a.m. happily, with everyone accounted for.   Although the rain had dampened the occasion nothing could have prepared us for the channel crossing which was to follow. The wind had sharpened from the North East which was whipping across Portsmouth sound in a crescendo of stomach churning waves. The Ferneley staff and the Brittany staff were superb, wielding tissues and sac a mal de mer or sick bags for those without much French. Many were quickly separated from their breakfast and spent much of the remainder of the journey feeling very sorry for themselves.   Finally Cherbourg hove into view. What joy! We were quickly reunited with our coaches and soon we were speeding towards MacDonalds at Isigny Sur Mer.   I had expected that after the near encounter with a briny grave, our students would be unable to face a Super Mega Big Mac with quadruple fries and a humungus cola, but I was mistaken. These boys and girls did us proud and completely finished the entire stock of Big Macs, Big Fries and Mega Cokes to leave the manager with a severe food shortage. Well done the Ferneley.   We arrived at the Chateau just before 4.00pm. Quickly removing baggage from the coach and placing it in our rooms we were called to the red room or the TV room to have instructions on fire evacuation. There was the highlight of the day, a swim at 6.00 pm. followed by dinner at 7.30 pm. Almost all of the staff at the Chateau are English but we are encouraged to practice speaking in French. For dinner tonight we are having vegetable soup, escalope of pork with vegetables and mash followed by crème brulee. The evening activity tonight is “It's a knockout”.   During our stay there is excellent coverage of the Olympic games from China and so we can share in the sporting achievements of our athletes.   Normandy Day 2 - Wednesday 20th August   This morning at 7.00 am we had a fire drill which did not impress the children who were mostly still in bed, however they responded well and we were soon getting showered and ready for our first trip.   We set off for Pointe Du Hoc under a grey sky that threatened rain and we had a few spots on the way but this did nothing to spoil the exploration of the gun emplacements and observation points. Point Du Hoc offers excellent views of the beaches where a likely invasion of Normandy might take place and so the German guns were located here for maximum effect. There are many tunnels and rooms located below the surface which are ideal for the children to explore.   After much enjoyment which is unusual for a history lesson the buses took us to a recently discovered emplacement at Maisy Battery. These emplacements support hospitals, munitions stores and living accommodation which have until the last two years remained buried and hidden from view.   It is thought that this location was deliberately buried to prevent negative wartime propaganda. I am quite sure that a book will appear which disputes the accuracy of events recorded of the D Day Invasion by the allied forces. After Maisy we headed for Longues Sur Mer where we were due for a picnic lunch.   We moved on from Longues Sur Mer towards Arromanches, the centre of the invasion of the battle of Normandy. This was a recreational visit as we have previously visited the museum and although there is a great deal to see, we wanted to enjoy the sunshine and explore the shops and the beach front.   After returning to the buses, we were on our way back to the Chateau du Molay and a swim time for the children.   Tonight for dinner we have snails in garlic and frogs' legs. The children have an opportunity to try these French favourites. There is a quiche for starter and the frogs' legs and snails are brought on as an intermediate course. Then the main which is chicken and rice followed by a lemon cheesecake. The planned activity for tonight is karaoke.     Normandy Day 3 - Thursday 21st August   After breakfast we set off for the market at Molay Littry which is a typical rural French market not unlike Melton Mowbray in size.   The produce on sale varies from all types of fish, poultry and meat to handbags, shoes and clothes. There were among the live animals, ferrets, ducks, rabbits and chicks. The children found it cheaper to buy Coke than in the chateau, also biscuits were very popular. We returned to the chateau for a picnic lunch at 12.45 p.m.   The afternoon began with activities at 2.00 p.m. Coach 1 were first up with archery. We were each given some basic instruction in how to shoot an arrow with a bow. The children were eager to try this and quick to learn. Robin Hood should be very afraid, Melton has produced some of England's finest archers and they were out today. There was a contest to award each archer with an item of cutlery with which to eat their dinner tonight, and many of us will be eating our soup with our fingers!   After producing stunning results in the archery we swapped activities with coach 2 and moved on to team building games where original thinking was needed and thinking outside the box. Removing the TNT using only a rope and a large measure of skill, plus arranging students in date of birth order on a narrow beam or in order of height.   Moving 5 tyres from a pole and getting them in the correct order on a second pole whilst using a third one, this one appealed to the mathematicians. Also posting students through a rope lattice whilst observing an obscure ritual of etiquette was most enjoyable.   Saving the drop bears and removing aliens from the planet were just two of the many challenges that John Ferneley was able to successfully claim. The sun shone and we all enjoyed this time of fun and games that the leaders had provided. Thank you guys!   However a cautionary warning that there is a kidnapper at large in the chateau! After a fish and chip dinner we have an activity planned and tonight we are playing cluedo.   Normandy Day 4 - Friday 22nd August   This morning we were hoping to go to the beach, however we had a number of problems with poor weather and children not well, so we turned back and delayed our visit to a large Carrefour at Caen. We arrived at Carrefour at Mondeville at 12.00 in the rain and after having a picnic lunch in the car park it was time for shopping. Children were seen with shopping bags loaded with goodies, and once everyone had returned to the coach we set off for the bowling alley.   This bowling alley has hosted visits from John Ferneley pupils for a number of years and is always a successful activity. Pupils and staff alike enjoyed trying to flatten those ten pins! Mrs Dalby was the top scorer on the staff team.   After returning to the buses, we were on our way back to the Chateau du Molay and our final swim time for the children. The weather held out to allow a barbecue in the grounds before the rush back to rooms to spend some considerable time preening in readiness for the evening disco. Disco music boomed and much energy was spent dancing the night away. The evening was rounded off with two extra activities; the first being fun presentations in the TV room to celebrate the friendships and camaraderie which had taken place during the week. Awards were presented for the best buddy, speaking in French, the best dive in the pool and many more.   The evening ended with the Great Fire Extravaganza. All staff and pupils sat on the steps at the entrance of the Chateau du Molay overlooking the grounds in the dark when the disco music started up and a member of the Chateau staff performed a circus act with swinging fire lanterns. Huge cheers from the pupils rang out in the night air, a perfect end to a successful trip.   Back to Home Page   UKIERI Visit to India   Deputy Head, Trevor Wright and head of science at Rushey Mead School, Vanita Patel, have recently returned from a British Council visit to India where they were able to develop the links between the schools. The purpose of the international link is for pupils of both countries to have a better understanding of each other's lives. Presents have been exchanged, there are internet links including a blog website, visits have taken place to the "Jawahar Navoaya Vidyalaya" (name of the school) and future plans include shared projects in sport and healthy lifestyles. One of the ultimate aims is for a student exchange in the future.    Trevor Wright Deputy Head For more information visit: www.ukierijohnferneley.blogspot.com Back to Home Page   Teachers’ International Professional Development Programme  -  Short Term study Visits Programme   Through the Teachers’ International Professional Development programme I was invited to visit Stockholm to see how Swedish schools look at Citizenship. I travelled with five primary teachers, four other secondary teachers all from Leicestershire schools, and our Team Leader, a member of the Advice and Inspection team at County Hall. On our first day we were given a presentation at their Department of Education on the Swedish system of education. The next three days were spent visiting three different schools. Firstly a sixth form college or Upper Secondary school as they called it, where the students chose it because they were interested in global issues. The students we observed were preparing a presentation on global warming which had to be written and delivered in English. The second school was a school for pupils aged 6-13 and the final school was for students aged 6-16. The core subjects we teach in England that all students must study are Science, Maths and English. In Sweden all students have to study Swedish, Maths and English which they learn from the age of six and we were extremely impressed at the confident way even the very young pupils could talk in English. All the schools encouraged a strong belief in Democracy with the students being involved in School Councils alongside parents and teachers to discuss the running of the school. The final day of the visit we returned to the Department of education in Stockholm to deliver a presentation on our system of education and how we assess our students. All of this was an extremely interesting experience and I was very grateful for the opportunity to witness the system of education and methods in another country.   Alison Dalby   Back to Home Page   John Fernely High School cordially invites you to attend a Public Meeting on Wednesday 23rd April 2008 from 4-6pm in the school This is an opportunity for the archtects, the builders and the Local Authority to: - share with you the plans for the new John Ferneley school building - receive feedback and answer any queries prior to planning submission Followed by a Parents' Meeting from 6 - 7pm This will be an opportunity for parents to discuss curriculum and partnership issues with Chris Robinson, the Headteacher.   Back to Home Page Dear Parents The National Union of Teachers (NUT) is striking on the 24th April. This strike will affect John Ferneley High School. Following a risk assessment I have decided to keep the school open on the 24th April but only for Year 7. As a consequence Year 8 and Year 9 should not come to school on that day. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. Chris Robinson Headteacher Back to Home Page John Ferneley High School makes the news with help from the BBC   On Thursday, 13th March, 18 pupils from John Ferneley High school joined up with 250 schools around the UK to make the news.   The pupils took part in BBC News School Report, a BBC project to engage 11-14 year-olds in the news.   Ex-teacher and BBC News presenter, Huw Edwards, lent his support to the project.   He says: "Having been a teacher and run many journalism workshops in schools, I've seen how much fun it can be and how much can be learnt when there are real deadlines, real audiences and real standards to meet."   Over the past few months the students at John Ferneley have been working hard, training to be top journalists, carrying out interviews and producing reports.   Lead teacher, Miss Barnes said: ‘The students have worked so hard, researching, writing and interviewing in their own free time. They have come up with some great stories and should be really proud of themselves.’   The students broadcast their news on Thursday 13th March, covering the stories of the day as well as their special reports on John Ferneley’s £15million new school build and Internet Safety for teenagers.   One pupil involved says: ‘It’s been great fun and I have learnt so much. My favourite bit so far has been when BBC Radio came to our school and taught us the skills of a real journalist.’   You can find John Ferneley’s School News Reports on the BBC website www.bbc.co.uk/schoolreport or on John Ferneley’s website www.johnferneley.org.uk   Back to Home Page Drama On Friday 8th February 2008, four pupils from John Ferneley performed sketches as part of the Leicester Comedy Festival at the Knighton Fields Arts Centre, alongside pupils from other schools. Well done to Hannah Layton, Alice Wootton, Graham Rose and Nathan Hutchinson.   Back to Home Page   John Ferneley High School cordially invites you to attend a Parents’ & Local Residents’ Meeting on Wednesday 30th January 2008 at 7.15 pm in the school hall This is an opportunity for Chris Robinson, the Headteacher supported by the architects, builders and the Local Authority to:             > share with you the plans for the new John Ferneley school building             > give you an opportunity to express your views             > offer local residents the chance to voice any concerns they may have                prior to the next stage of the process If you would like to reserve a seat please telephone the Headteachers’ PA, Tracy Feekins on 01664 565901 Back to Home Page Drama - Pantomime 'Sleeping Beauty' On January 17th & 18th 2008, staff and pupils at John Ferneley performed the pantomime 'Sleeping Beauty' to sell out audiences. Many thanks and congratulations to all involved for their hard work.   Back to Home Page La Plagne 5th-12th January 2008 The New Year started off with a bang as 59 pupils and 6 members of staff descended upon the French ski resort of La Plagne.  Having been deprived of snow over the festive period, we were anxious to reach our destination.  A short flight from Coventry airport, followed by a three hour coach ride and we arrived at our destination.  The resort was picturesque and recent snowfall meant the snow was knee high.  The chalet we were staying at was situated on the piste (slope) itself, and the prospect of being able to ski to the front door of the chalet proved very exciting.  Later we discovered our rooms even overlooked the piste.  We were prepared for the slopes in no time at all, and split into groups of varying ability.  Our days were then spent having breakfast in the morning followed by two hours of ski school, lunch and then another 2 hours of skiing.  The ski school was run by a group of accredited French instructors who nurtured the novice skiers and extended the ability of the more experienced. Skiing proved to be a wonderful experience for both staff and pupils.  Falls were aplenty.  Faceplants (going head first into the snow) were a common sight and drew the most laughs.  Snow ball fights were inevitable, with myself and Mr Page facing the repercussions of being in the line of fire.  It was not until meal times that it become evident as to how well mannered the pupils of John Ferneley are.  Staff and pupils ate together in a very relaxed and civilised manner.  It was at this point when we received various positive comments, from both staff at the resort and other residents, regarding the behaviour and general mature approach of our pupils to skiing. The ski trip from John Ferneley High School has been running for 14 years and it was made clear to pupils and staff that this trip was the best so far.  There is no doubt that the continued positive attitude of staff and pupils alike will mean next year’s trip to Val d'Isère will prove even more successful.   Mr S. Amli   Back to Home Page INVESTORS IN PEOPLE ACCREDITATION - January 2008 INTERVIEW CRITERIA   The school achieved Investors in People accreditation six years ago and this is the second review against the standard. 17 members of staff including a governor were interviewed this represented a sample size of 30%.    KEY DOCUMENTS REVIEWED   Development plan 2007/2008 Ofsted report 2007   John Ferneley High School clearly has procedures in place which create an environment where everyone is encouraged to contribute their ideas for improving their own and other people’s performance. This is done through the regular staff meetings and performance reviews   Training and development is seen as being paramount to the continued success of the school and through effective management and forward planning this is playing a major part in the school achieving excellent results and having a first class reputation in the area.   Management are constantly evaluating the effectiveness of the school through both internal assessments and outside audits. They are constantly striving to maintain its success and provide successful pathways to learning with an experience that all value.   People interviewed were positive that John Ferneley High School operates within a culture of continuous improvement. The strong teamwork, as well as formal communication, ensures that any required changes in training are taken into account.   AREAS OF GOOD PRACTICE   Excellent lines of communication with all staff stating that if any issues arise they are discussed and, where possible, resolved.   The support that staff receive from management, not only in work related issues but also in their personal/family life.   The feeling of ownership, with staff ideas and opinions for improvements being sought.   The use of an independent organisation to carry out perception monitoring with parents, staff and pupils.   A very strong feeling of teamwork most of the interviewees referred to colleagues as family.   The sense of pride in working for a progressive school that is achieving good results. Back to Home Page   Behaviour Management Course for Parents ADHD Solutions is working with Parent Carers' Council and will be providing parent courses on the 1,2,3 Magic Steps Behaviour Management Programme. Below is a schedule of the dates and venues which will be covered. This course has just been run at Birch Wood which has proved to be very successful. Children do not have to have a diagnosis of ASD/ADHD. All parents who are experiencing behavioural difficulties will benefit from this course. Any parents who wish to access these courses can contact Christine Jarvis direct to secure a place (0794 7047573) Shelthorpe Childrens' Centre, Woodthorpe Road, Loughborough 18th January - 9:30 am - 3:00 pm 25th January & 8th February - 9:30 am - 12 noon. Syston Community Centre, School Street, Syston 6th February - 9:30 am - 3:00 pm 20th & 27th February - 9:30 am - 12 noon. Marlene Reid Centre, Belvoir Road, Coalville 26th February - 9:30 am - 3:00 pm 4th & 18th March - 9:30 am - 12:00 noon. Menphys Nursery, Launceston Road, Wigston 14th April - 9:30 am - 3:00 pm 21st & 28th April - 9:30 am - 12:00 noon. Voluntary Action Melton, Asfordby Road, Melton 3rd March - 9:30 am - 3:00 pm 10th & 17th March - 9:30 am - 12:00 noon. Back to Home Page   Sleeping Beauty   We are putting on a Panto …. Oh no we’re not….. oh yes we are !   The staff and pupils have been working hard all this term under the guidance of Mrs Keith to put together a performance of Sleeping Beauty.   On January 17th & 18th the curtain raises at 7pm. The PTA will be organising a licensed bar and interval refreshments. Tickets will be available from school £5 for adults and £3 for children and concessions.   Come along and join the festive fun.   Mrs Cooley Back to Home Page   Snowfall and Emergency Closure of School I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the procedure should we be faced with snow, set down by the Local Education Authority, in the event of an emergency closure of the school. If I take this decisiion I will inform the local radio stations named below. If you have reason to think that John Ferneley may be closed please do not phone the school or the radio stations involved. This creates congestion and prevents essential communication. I will phone the named radio stations which will give details of any school closures including further information about re-opening. If you think the school may be closed please check these stations on these frequencies: Radio Leicester 104.9 FM Leicester Sound 105.4 FM Radio Nottingham 103.8 FM In exceptional circumstances, when heavy snowfall occurs during the day, we may have to send the children home before 3.30 pm. If the weather conditions make this necessary you will need to make suitable provision for your child. There will be a closure notice on the homepage of our website which can be found at www.johnferneley.org.uk if it becomes necessary to shut the school during the day. Obviously, the safety and welfare of our pupils is important at all times. Thanking you for your co-operation. Yours sincerely Chris Robinson Headteacher Back to Home Page   John Ferneley Shoe Box Appeal What wonderfully generous pupils, parents and staff we have here at John Ferneley! When we started the Shoe Box Appeal we though we would get one or two shoe boxes per tutor group but we have received 90 in total.   What a super response, it shows that the people connected to this school really do care about the wider world. The boxes are now on their way to Belarus.   To everyone who took part and gave so much, a big thank you and a very merry Christmas.     Julie Glynn Head of ADT Shoe Box Appeal Coordinator     Back to Home Page   Friends of Ferneley PTA invite you to a Fish and Chip supper and Race Night Friday 9th November Bar opens 7:00 pm First Race 7:30 pm Tickets £5.00 (includes supper) Tickets available from John Ferneley High School reception The second draw of the 100 Club will take place at this event. Winners of the Friends of Ferneley 100 Club October draw: 1st  Mrs D O'Higgins 2nd Mr C Jeffcote 3rd Mrs J Oliver Back to Home Page   John Ferneley Enterprise Days: Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 7th November The normal timetable  for year 9 pupils was abandoned on either Tuesday or Wednesday to allow them to experience the real world of work for the day. In conjunction with Business Dynamics and UPS (the transportation company) pupils embarked on a range of (group orientated) activities which included making (and selling) egg cup holders and designing and building a scale model theme park (with 12 sheets of paper)!   The pupils thoroughly enjoyed the day, learning some key points about the world of employment. These included; timekeeping, working to deadlines, working in “non-friendship” groups, managing (and making) money and that working in a competitive environment is not always easy!   The companies, and the school staff, were exceptionally impressed with the pupils’ mature attitude and behaviour during the day, even commenting that some year 11 pupils could learn something from our year 9s!   The day finished off with presentations and prizes, and I can honestly say every single year 9 pupil took an active role in the day and was a credit to the school.   Well done to all involved.   Jon Beaver 9J Head of Year   Back to Home Page   To view the 'Building A Vision' presentation please click here JOHN FERNELEY cordially invites you to attend a PARENTS' EVENING on Wednesday 19th September at 7.00 pm in the school hall This is an opportunity for Chirs Robinson, the Headteacher to share with you: > the vision for the future; > the change of age range from 11-14 to 11-19 from September 2009, and > the £14 million new school building due to open at the same time If you would like to reserve a seat please telephone the Headteacher's PA, Tracy Feekins on 01664 565901. Back to Home Page   The Governors, Staff and Pupils of                                   John Ferneley High School                  have much pleasure in inviting prospective parents to our                                              OPEN EVENING                          on Wednesday 26th September 6:00 - 8:00 pm                                     and to view the school during                                                OPEN WEEK                          Monday 24th - Friday 28th September inclusive                     Daily tours will start at 9:30 am and finish at 11:00 am                                             OPEN MORNING                                     on Saturday 29th September                   10:00 am - 12:00 mid-day - activities and tours available          Governors, Staff and Pupils will be available to answer any questions                               you may have during these sessions.   Back to Home Page   ‘Ernie’s Incredible Illucinations’   On Tuesday 3rd and Wednesday 4th July 2007, pupils from Years 7, 8 and 9 performed ‘Ernie’s Incredible Illucinations’ by Alan Ayckbourn. Congratulations to the whole cast and crew who worked extremely hard to convey the humour of the play. They clearly succeeded judging by the laughter of the audience. Thank you to all those who helped in any way but especially to Mrs Glynn and Miss Rowell and the ADT Department for creating, with the pupils, the fantastic sets, props, puppets, masks etc etc, not only for this production but also for the Primary School Tour last October and for our performance of ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ at the Melton Theatre in February. Congratulations to Fiona Primrose who was awarded ‘The Ernest Howe Memorial Shield’ for her contribution to drama during her three years at John Ferneley. She is just one of a large number of talented Year 9 pupils who have shown dedication and commitment to extra-curricular drama during their time here. They will all be missed! Next term, rehearsals will commence for a ‘pantomime’ involving both staff and pupils. Should be fun!! Hope to see you all there! Mrs Keith Drama Teacher Back to Home Page     John Ferneley Celebrates an Outstanding Ofsted A good school with outstanding features Good: √   Overall effectiveness √   Achievements and standards √   Personal development and well-being √   Teaching and Learning √  Curriculum and other activities √   Care and guidance √   Leadership and management Outstanding: √   English √   Modern Foreign Languages √   Physical Education √   Special Educational Needs √   Extra-curricular activities √   Students contribution to the community Progress towards reorganisation "The school is well on the way to ensuring that the changeover to becoming an 11-18 school is smooth" (Ofsted) Head's comment: "It is our fourth highly successful Ofsted inspection in the last eighteen years and confirms John Ferneley as a flagship school within Leicestershire." (Chris Robinson) Back to Home Page   JOHN FERNELEY GOES CHANNEL HOPPING with its World Culture Day   Following this year’s SATS Year Nines were given a day off from normal lessons on Thursday 21 June - with a view to broadening pupils’ horizons, whilst having a bit of fun.   Channel Hopping Day aimed to celebrate the diversity of our communities by involving pupils in practical activities in the morning and learning new languages in the afternoon.   In ADT pupils tried their hands at making ocarinas, constructing gliders and forging masterpieces by famous painters such as Matisse. In Expressive Arts one group composed Rap and Reggae music whilst others explored through drama the conflicts facing immigrants. In one PE session pupils had the opportunity to learn Hungarian stick-dancing. In another pupils learned to master new sports such as Aussie Rules Football.   Not only was much of the morning work different and fun, but this style of work helped develop collaborative skills through working together to complete projects.   In the afternoon pupils learned basic phrases such as names, greetings and numbers in a circus of short language sessions including Chinese, Irish, Italian, Latin, Portuguese, Russian, Signing, Spanish and Welsh!   We hope to encourage pupils to value diversity through this venture and to view elements of other cultures as an enrichment rather than a threat.   We are grateful to the following local businesses for sponsoring our event:   China Rose Restaurant Wok This Way Take-away Restaurant Masterfoods McDonalds Morrisons Tesco   Mr Luetkeneier Head of MFL Department                                       Back to Home Page   Year 8 Opportunities Fair   On Friday 15th June all year 8 pupils in Melton and Belvoir were invited to a careers exhibition which was held at PERA Innovation Park.   You may already be aware that from September 2008 the curriculum for secondary school students is changing. Alongside GCSEs, all students from the age of 14 will be given the opportunity to study either a general academic route or to choose from a wide range of brand new Specialist Diplomas.   The Opportunities Fair was designed as a practical and interactive experience, allowing students the opportunity to learn more about the courses available to them and the careers they can lead to. The exhibition included staff from King Edward VII, Brooksby Melton College, Connexions and a range of employers.   The year 8 pupils from John Ferneley visited the exhibition in the afternoon and all thoroughly enjoyed the ‘hands-on’ experiences available.   All year 8 tutors prepared the pupils so that they could gain the most from the experience and four of our pupils (Samantha Crichton, Neil Burke, James Hall and Charlotte Croxall) were involved in several planning meetings with pupils from the other schools to make it a worthwhile experience for all.   When we arrived we got interviewed by a journalist from the Melton Times. He asked us what we thought about PERA. We said it looked good, we thought it was a good idea and that it makes you think about the future. There were exhibitions for Health & Child Care, Media Studies, Business, Law, Retail, Languages & IT, Beauty, Agriculture, Science & Technology, Public Services etc.   We all enjoyed the event and most of us now have an idea of what we want to do when we are older. We went round the stalls, there was lots to do. We picked up lots of leaflets about jobs. We all thoroughly enjoyed the day, it was good fun and we learnt loads. PERA was a great idea.   Thank you to all the people that helped make the day possible. (John Ferneley pupils) Back to Home Page   John Ferneley Summer Art Exhibition 2007 On Tuesday 12th June the pupils of John Ferneley High School gave their parents an evening to remember. They put on a display of art work that Ofsted agreed had examples of work that were of GCSE standard. All age groups and ability groups were represented. There were painting and ceramics in the style of Islamic, European and African arts. Examples of the range of subjects that pupils explore through any media including drawing and some sketchbooks. A truly outstanding exhibition. Well done to all the artists who took part. On the same evening we hosted the grand final of our ‘Master Chef’ competition. This has been hotly contested over the last two months, with several rounds, to get us down to the 8 talented finalists. You could have cut the atmosphere in the kitchen with a knife as the event got underway. Original recipes, fresh ingredients and a very high standard of cooking and presentation were the order of the day. Once the dishes were presented, the Judges took a while to decide the winner due to the high standards. Conroy Godber, the Chair of Governors, was heard to comment that it was as good as the food on the QEII (he has just returned from his holidays). The eventual winner was Samantha Crichton, winning £50 worth of vouchers. Jenny Davies was runner-up, winning £20 worth of vouchers. All the competitors did a magnificent job though, and a big thank you goes to Darren Tinkler, our Chef, and also Tylers of Loughborough (www.tylersfurnishing.com) who donated the prizes. Thanks also to parents for supporting us, we hope to repeat these events next year. If you are interested in looking at the food dishes or art work then visit our website on www.johnferneley.org.uk   Back to Home Page   Anglo – French Partnerships   John Ferneley High School establish partnership with Collège Kléber, Strasbourg.   Links with Strasbourg    As part of the education agreement between Leicestershire County Council and the Académie de Strasbourg, a contact seminar was organised in order to set up partnerships between secondary schools. A teacher from ten Leicestershire schools and ten Strasbourg schools attended the residential weekend and all were successfully “married” by the conclusion of the seminar.   John Ferneley is no stranger to Collège Kléber, as our own pupils spent an entire morning attending classes there during the immersion course in February. An auspicious beginning to what we hope will be a long partnership !   The partnership work will begin in September 2007 with e-mail exchanges between our pupils and Collège Kréber pupils. It is envisaged that a two way exchange visit could take place once the partnership is firmly established.   Our partnership with Collège Kréber provides a very exciting opportunity for pupils and teachers alike as it brings an international dimension to school life .       Mrs Loftus MFL Department     Back to Home Page   ‘Summer Nights’   Pupils performed a dazzling variety of music on a gloriously warm summer evening.   The band opened the concert playing ‘Summer Holiday’ in anticipation of their own summer break. This was followed by other high performing groups and solo items.   The new ‘Pop Music Workshop’ pupils made their debut playing in their bands and after four sessions.   The samba group excelled themselves and were full of their usual vitality and enthusiasm. Steel pan players made the audience think of even warmer countries and in contrast, the flute group performed a waltz for a ‘Wet Weekend’!   An entertaining evening culminated in the choir singing a variety of songs including ‘Summer Lovin’ from Grease.   Congratulations to everyone who took part and in particular, a huge ‘thank you’ to our Year 9 pupils who have contributed so much to the music department not only involving themselves in the wide selection of activities but by helping and running music activities for the benefit of the younger pupils.   The music staff have all enjoyed working with you and wish you well for the future – we may even see you in the VI th form!!   Radio 103 The Eye   Radio 103 came to school to record rehearsals and interview pupils Kay Clarke & Vicky Keep (Year 9), James Hall & Luke Day (Year 8) and Jodie Griffin (Year 7).   They spoke with much confidence about the concert programme and their involvement in music activities at John Ferneley. Some great ideas for facilities in the new school included a recording studio and lots of practice rooms! Back to Home Page   London Theatre Trip to see 'Evita' & ‘Wicked’ Tuesday 15th May and Wednesday 16th May 2007 This very successful venture has been running for fourteen years now and is still a big hit with staff and pupils alike. We all set off early on Tuesday morning with a very exciting (but hectic) two day schedule ahead of us. We were greeted with rainy weather at our first stop at Windsor, but this didn’t seem to deter pupils from making the most of their time exploring the shops. We continued our journey to the Wembley Plaza Hotel where everybody had time to relax and prepare for the evening ahead. We were all very hungry by now and the ‘Pizza Express Dinner’ was very well received. The evening performance of ‘Evita’ at the Adelphi Theatre  was absolutely first class and the excellent pupils’ behaviour once again brought very positive comments from members of the public. Wednesday morning started with a full English breakfast, a quick room check and down to collect our packed lunches. Groups were split between a visit to the Houses of Parliament, the Tower of London and a flight on the London Eye. Next stop was Covent Gardens for lunch and an opportunity to browse the market stalls and shops. Last on our agenda was the matinee performance at the Apollo Victoria Theatre of ‘Wicked’ a show which truly lived up to its name! Back to Home Page Sports Presentation Evening The seventh annual John Ferneley Winter Sports Presentation Evening took place on Thursday 26th April at John Ferneley High School.  There were three main guests of honour, firstly Kevin Ross and former student Jonny McGrady who are co presenters of the Sunday lunch time show on ‘The EYE’ community radio station.  Jonny and Kevin were able to present certificates and trophies to various members of the John Ferneley sporting squads.    The third guest of honour was Michael Harris who presented the Stephen Harris Memorial award to Nick Pattison for his hard work and positive attitude throughout the recent football season. Over 200 people attended this very successful evening. The highlights of the recent season were: > The Year 7 and 9 netball teams winning the Melton    and Rutland League > The Year 9 team were unbeaten throughout their    time at John Ferneley > The Year 9 and Year 7 Girls' 5 a side Football Team     becoming County Champions > The U-14 Girls' Football Team - county semi finalists   > The Junior Girls' Cross Country Team - third in the    County League > The Junior Boys' Cross Country Team - third in the    county league third in the County Championships and    second in the county relays > The Year 7 Boys' Cross Country Team were third in    the county league > The Year 7 Girls' Cross Country Team won the    county league were second in the county    championship and third in the county relays > The Year 7 Girls' Basketball Team - county runners    up > The Year 8 Boys’ Basketball Team were Melton and    Rutland champions Mr Jacobs Head of PE Back to Home Page Easter Break 2008   The dates for the Easter break 2008 are as follows: School closes - Thursday evening 20th March 2008 (Maundy Thursday). School opens - Monday morning 7th April 2008. It is important if you are planning to book a holiday next Easter that although we still have a two week break, the holiday does not begin until Good Friday. Back to Home Page   SATs REVISION I am sure there is no need to remind Year 9s that their Key Stage 3 SATs are coming up in the new term, starting on the 7th May 2007.   Use your time wisely over the Easter break to continue with your revision programme.  Don’t forget the on-line sites like BBC Bitesize Key Stage 3 Revision to help you along.   REVISION TIPS 1. Never revise for longer than 30-45 minutes without taking a break. 2. Make sure you have a quiet area to revise, away from distractions. 3. Revise in an area that is well lit, and comfortable. 4. Have all the work and materials you need near at hand. 5. Take a drink and a snack with you, so you won’t have to get up and get one. 6. Finally, relax! As long as you do your best everyone will be happy.   For more specific revision support click on ‘Learning’, ‘Subjects’ and select the English, maths and science links. Back to Home Page ‘HITS FROM THE FLICKS’ This year's annual dance show took place on Tuesday the 27th March; the theme of the show was 'Hits From The Flicks'. Over 60 pupils, including a mix of boys and girls, performed a variety of  dance routines each choreographed to music from well known movies. The show was opened by a very strong performance of War of the Worlds, and followed with Rocky, Dukes of Hazzard, Men in Black, Dirty Dancing, Ghostbusters and Inspector Gadjet to name a few. The pupils showed fantastic commitment and enthusiasm in the four weeks leading up to the show and they all performed brilliantly on the night - they should be very proud of themselves. It was wonderful to see over 200 people in the audience who came along to watch, clap and sing along! Thank you very much to all who supported the evening and we hope to see everyone again next year!   Miss Meek PE Department Back to Home Page Two Day School Closure    I am sorry to have to inform you that the school will be closed for the next two days (Tuesday 6th & Wednesday 7th) because the  boiler has broken down. As a result there is no heating in the school and the temperature has fallen below an acceptable level for both students and staff.   Work has already begun on a temporary repair to the boiler and we will reopen with a rejuvenated boiler on Thursday morning, the 8th March.     Yours sincerely      Chris Robinson Headteacher Back to Home Page   Going Solo Concert On Wednesday 14th March 2007, over 60 pupils took part in this concert and performed on a wide range of instruments and in a wide variety of styles. It was particularly pleasing to see equal numbers of boys and girls prepared to put themselves in the limelight.   The concert began with a musical performance of “Son of a Preacher Man”, by Jodie Griffin in Year 7. The programme culminated in Free Improvisation by the music departments very own “Ant and Dec” (Jason Greaves and James Hall) on two drum kits together with music staff who exchanged instruments for this item.  Congratulations and thanks to all who worked so hard to make this evening such a success.   Mr & Mrs Wollacott           Music Department Back to Home Page   Much Ado About Nothing   On Tuesday 6th February, 30 pupils from John Ferneley performed ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ at The Melton Theatre. This was part of the nationally organised Shakespeare Schools Festival. The pupils involved worked extremely hard and their performance was very well received.   Well done to the cast! Many thanks to Mrs Brown for costume, Mrs Glynn and Miss Rowell for the fantastic masks, Mr Thomas for the swords and  Mrs Glynn’s mum for the boughs!   Thanks also to the PTA who assisted with the financing of this project. All involved are most grateful for their support.   Mandy Keith Feb 2007 Back to Home Page French Immersion Course in Strasbourg   Eight pupils from John Ferneley High School along with pupils from another three Leicestershire schools participated in an Immersion Course in French from February 7th to February 18th, in the beautiful city of Strasbourg. The purpose of the trip was to improve pupils’ linguistic skills in speaking and listening and whilst so doing to experience a wide range of cultural activities. These included a guided visit inside the council of Europe, a treasure hunt around the European Parliament building, a visit to the Kronenbourg brewery, making ‘Kougelhopf’ under the guidance of a French chef followed by a ‘dégustation’ session of Alsatian specialities.   On a crispy bright sunny day we went snow walking high in the Black Forest Mountains. We donned our ‘raquettes’ and our guide put us through our paces before leading us to a mountain restaurant where fondue awaited us. C’était délicieux!!   We travelled into Alsace to see and discover the Maginot Line at the Schoenenbourg major fortress, we descended thirty metres underground.   On this and all our trips we had guided tours, sometimes in French, sometimes in English. Our pupils showed excellent listening skills.   Indeed all the pupils showed 100% commitment to language learning throughout the trip. Pupils attended three hours of French lessons each day and were taught by French teachers. They spent an entire morning in two different French schools and attended lessons in various subjects.   We stayed at the Centre Européen de la Jeunesse, situated a short walk from the European Parliament buildings. It has links with the Council of Europe through the hundreds of young people who stay there each year.   The immersion course was sponsored and organised by the British Council who believe in “improving pupils’ linguistic competence, especially in oral skills, in order to increase their chances in higher education and raise their employability levels in a European and international context.”   Our pupils benefited greatly – according to their French teachers they made incredible progress. They worked hard – each evening they met in a purpose built conference room to write their diaries – in French! As one of our pupils, Annabelle Saxby, put it “It was such fun, but we learnt something too. C’était vraiment intéressant et super!”   As the Alsatians would say ‘ça marche’. Back to Home Page   Review of Schools in Melton Mowbray   Following the successful consultation meetings in Melton’s three secondary schools during January, the Local Authority have produced a leaflet to further assure and inform parents. This leaflet accompanied my letter to parents on 23rd January and is in my opinion an excellent document.   As you will know the governors of John Ferneley support the Authority’s preferred option of three 11- 16 schools in the town and a jointly managed 6th Form Centre. I fully support this recommendation and believe that all students in the town, not simply John Ferneley pupils, will benefit from this reorganisation of secondary education.   Having three small, locally focused secondary schools working in partnership, building on an outstanding record at Key Stage 3, will provide excellent opportunities and results for students at Key Stage 4. The 6th Form Centre, quite rightly described as the jewel in Melton’s educational system, will be able to build on its reputation for excellence.   I urge you, therefore, to respond positively to the Local Authority’s preferred option and return your contribution to the consultation process before the deadline date of the 26th January. This will be your final opportunity to help shape the education opportunities that your children will be offered in the years to come. If you wish to make comment on the preferred option described in the consultation booklet or any or the other options considered by the County Council, you may do so by either: Returning the response form provided within the consultation document, or writing to Melton Mowbray and the Vale of Belvoir Review, Have Your Say, FREEPOST NAT18685, Leicester LE3 8XR or; Responding online via the dedicated web page for the Review, www.leics.gov.uk/meltonvob Back to Home Page   Dear Parents SNOWFALL AND EMERGENCY CLOSURE OF SCHOOL I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the procedure should we be faced with snow, set down by the Local Education Authority, in the event of an emergency closure of the school. If I take this decisiion I will inform the local radio stations named below. If you have reason to think that John Ferneley may be closed please do not phone the school or the radio stations involved. This creates congestion and prevents essential communication. I will phone the named radio stations which will give details of any school closures including further information about re-opening. If you think the school may be closed please check these stations on these frequencies: Radio Leicester 104.9 FM Leicester Sound 105.4 FM Radio Nottingham 103.8 FM  Please keep this letter for future reference. In exceptional circumstances, when heavy snowfall occurs during the day, we may have to send the children home before 3.30 pm. If the weather conditions make this necessary you will need to make suitable provision for your child. There will be a closure notice on the homepage of our website which can be found at www.johnferneley.org.uk if it becomes necessary to shut the school during the day. Obviously, the safety and welfare of our pupils is important at all times. Thanking you for your co-operation. Yours sincerely Chris Robinson Headteacher Back to Home Page   Trip to America - 16th-23rd December 2006 Washington and New York, the week before Christmas; a dream comes true for forty two children. Twenty four pupils from John Ferneley and eighteen from the Nottinghamshire independent school Trent College travelled Virgin Atlantic on the 16th of December to see the sites of two of the most impressive cities in the world.  The student party with an age range of 12 to 16 gelled together from the start.  They needed to do in order survive the chaos of Heathrow airport and the loss of bags on arrival in Washington.  However, this did not diminish the mood of anticipation and excitement. Each day was a whirlwind of new experiences and visual delights: the White House; Arlington Cemetery and the tomb of President John F. Kennedy; George Washington’s home, Mount Vernon, on the Potomac River; the Smithsonian Air and Space, and Natural History Museums; the President Lincoln and Vietnam memorials; and, a floodlit night tour of Washington’s historic centre.  The trip to New York by coach via Philadelphia only added to the party’s enjoyment: ascending the ‘Rocky’ steps; touring Independence Hall; and, playing touch football in the shadow of the world famous Liberty Bell (an honourable draw between the two schools). But all these delights merely acted as a hors d’oeuvre for the main treat – New York.  We toured the newly regenerated Harlem seeing the famous Apollo Theatre, visited Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, walked through Wall Street and spent a few quiet moments at Ground Zero, experienced the incomparable Museum of Modern Art, ate ‘the best hot dogs in New York’, and strolled through Central Park visiting the John Lenin memorial, Strawberry Fields. On the final evening of our trip we walked Broadway between 52nd and 44th Street and stared with awe at the neon lights and crowds in Times Square before being entertained by the cast of Hairspray in a smash hit Broadway Show. On the final day we climbed the Empire State Building and hit 5th Avenue for a ‘New York’ shopping experience; boy do they know how to sell!  Arriving back in London the day before Christmas Eve we were exhausted but thrilled; it had truly been the trip of a lifetime. Chris Robinson Head Teacher        Back to Home Page   REVIEW OF SECONDARY EDUCATION IN MELTON    We have finally reached the last hurdle of this important Review. On Thursday 18th January in the school hall you will have the opportunity to listen to and question the Director of Child Services and his team on the proposed Local Authority preference. Please take this opportunity to have your final say. The meeting starts at 7.30 p.m. and should last about an hour.   The position of the governing body remains the same as last time; we support the Local Authority’s option of three 11 – 19 schools working in partnership and a jointly managed a sixth form.   Though we support this option we are acutely aware that many questions still need to be resolved. These include curriculum provision, catchment areas, new buildings and the transitional process. We feel that it is important that parents raise these and other issues to fully engage in the Review process. The Local Authority are keen that this happens. They want to be fully informed of parental views before making a final decision about Secondary Education in Melton.   We are living in exciting times and the future for your children in Melton is bright. Join with us on the 18th January to ensure that the best solution is found for Secondary Education in Melton. Back to Home Page   Christmas Tree Festival at St Mary's Church For this year's tree at St Mary's Christmas Tree Festival Dr Suart's tutor group were asked to draw pictures and write information about endangered species. The idea was to highlight the plight of these animals and many other animals that are in danger of extinction. A lot of the problems are caused by man. This is mainly due to the destruction of their habitat or by man's greed to make money from animal body  parts. We were donated a real 6ft tree to decorate by a local farmer. The tree has now been replanted as this is far more environmentally friendly. Back to Home Page   Anti Bullying Week - 20th - 24th November 2006 At John Ferneley High School we are committed to try and combat bullying, as you can see from our anti-bullying policy which can be viewed on our school website. As part of the national anti-bullying week the school took part in several activities during the week. The MFL department looked at the translation of different bullying words, the maths department looked at bullying statistics and the ADT department created anti-bullying posters, to name just a few of the activities. The whole theme behind the week was "See it. Get help. Stop it." The week ended with a blue headwear day on Friday the 24th November to raise awareness of bullying. This was a great success with both pupils and staff taking part. Various different items were worn on heads from caps, ribbons, wigs and scarves! Thank you to all staff and pupils that took part. Hopefully we have raised awareness that bullying does happen and if anyone sees it then it is best to report it. Remember: Bullying - See it. Get help. Stop it. Mrs Varley Maths Department Back to Home Page   Year 9 Enterprise Day - Wednesday 1st November 2006     For the second year running, Year 9 students were involved in an Enterprise Day organised in conjunction with Leicestershire Education Business Company (LEBC). The aim of the day was to encourage students to think about preparing themselves for their working life and to understand the skills they would need to develop in order to work with other people.     The students spent a whole day working in tutor groups with their tutor and a volunteer from local business on various activities. Working in teams, they had to develop their skills in communication, making decisions under pressure, market and competition understanding, budgeting, design and making skills and presentational skills. The task was to set up a "Duck Production" company and a huge variety of ducks of all shapes and sizes were created during the day.     The students really enjoyed the day and found the experience very worthwhile and some healthy competition developed as the day went on. The volunteers from the world of work enjoyed the experience too and the representative from Masterfoods said in a letter of thanks to the school, "It was my first visit to the school and the children were a credit to you, they were enthusiastic, helpful and polite........the whole day was a pleasure to be part of."   Back to Home Page   HAVE YOUR SAY - Review of Secondary Education in Melton Second stage of consultation on the options for change to schools in Melton Mowbray and the Vale of Belvoir. Last day to vote Friday 3rd November. Vote online at www.leics.gov.uk/meltonvob   Parents have 3 options to choose from:   Option A Two schools of age range 11 to 16 plus a sixth form centre.  The two 11 to 16 schools will each be 1,200 pupils in size.  This option will mean the closure of one of the existing schools in Melton.   Option B John Ferneley, Longfield and King Edward V11 will all remain open, each school catering for students from age 11 to 18.  Each school will be 800 pupils in size and all 16 to 18 students will be taught on one sixth form site jointly run by all three schools in partnership.   Option C All three schools will be closed and a new school with some 3,000 students in size would be created.  The sixth form would be split between three sites necessitating movement of students about the town.   The governors of John Ferneley High School believe that Option B is by far the best way forward.  This option provides small, neighbourhood schools and reduces the movement of students around the town.  It is also an option which builds on the strengths of the existing schools in the town.   Please attend the parents meeting on Tuesday 17th of October at John Ferneley School to have your say.  This important meeting starts at 7.30 in the school hall.     Back to Home Page   To all Year 6 Parents The Governors, Staff and Pupils of John Ferneley High School have much pleasure in inviting you to our OPEN EVENING on Wednesday 4th October 6:00 - 8:00 pm and the view the 'School in Action' during OPEN WEEK on Monday 25th, Wednesday 27th and Friday 29th September 2006. The tour will commence at 9.30 am and finish at 11.00. Please feel free to bring your child with you. Back to Home Page   Year 9 ‘Leavers' Evening’ – Friday 7th July 2006     The Year 9 Leavers’ Evening which is in its sixth year has become a hugely popular annual event and is held at Brooksby Hall, Brooksby College, Melton Mowbray.   The evening is held in celebration of the time pupils have spent at John Ferneley and is attended by the year 9 pupils, their tutors and year heads, together with other members of staff.   The girls looked very glamorous in their evening gowns and the boys very stylish in their dinner suits as they stepped out of their stretch limousines, pink Cadillac and even a red Ferrari! There was much excitement as friends greeted one another and photos were taken.   Inside tables were set with balloons and party poppers and a lively disco set the scene for a good evening. Later a barbecue was served and pupils were able to refuel before returning to the dance floor. A good time was had by all.   The evening slipped by all too quickly and it was soon time for fond farewells and some tears from the girls. Goodbye and good luck for the future  to our Year 9s.   Back to Home Page   'The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13¾' On Tuesday 4th and Thursday 6th July 2006, pupils from John Ferneley presented 'The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13¾'. Sue Townsend's play, based on her book, was created for the Phoenix Arts Centre in Leicester, where it received its first production in September 1984, before moving to the West End. Congratulations to the cast and well done for all their hard work! A huge thank you also, to all the pupils and staff who helped and gave their support. We are now looking forward to next year! There are plans to perform young children's stories on a tour of local primary schools in October and in February 2007 we will again be taking part in the Shakespeare School Festival, performing at the Melton Theatre! Mrs Keith Drama Teacher The production was dedicated to the memory of Private Adam Morris killed in Iraq, May 2006, a former pupil and one of my leading actors at Newbridge High School, Coalville. Back to Home Page   Applying for a European Health Insurance Card When pupils travel abroad with a school on a trip, they will need to have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which has replaced the E111.   These are issued FREE by the NHS and can be applied for either through the Post Office, or online through the following website  www.ehic.org.uk    Be careful, it has recently been brought to our attention that some websites are offering to process your application and charging a fee to do so. Back to Home Page 'The Noise' Music Concert held on Wednesday 7th June 2006 The concert entitled 'The Noise' organised by Year 9 pupils was always going to be lively and there was no disappointment! Year 9 have been learning about the Music Business in class and highlighted this event as the 'Concert Of The Year'. The standard of permance and variety of items was excellent. Particular congratulations go to Anthony Thomas, Sarah Statham, Mark Brown, Callum Wheatley, Kirsty Gasson, Rachael O'Gorman and Thomas Hazeldine who were the Year 9 Management Team. A Brass Fanfare written especially by Mr Blakeson heralded the proceedings. The Band experienced playing jazz items and improved improvisation skills with the help of Mr Hinson. Both Year 7 and Year 8 Steelbands played with increased confidence and numerous electric guitar pupils entertained with an arrangement of 'Apache' with Mr Fretwell. With the World Cup at the forefront of the minds of many people, the Samba Band gave a lively performance of 'La Charisma La Football' lead by Mr Chambers. A class composition by Year 8 pupils entitled 'The Stream' by Oliver Hall, Tim Smallridge, Toby Driver and Leah Radford and Year 9's Space composition 'Xenon' by Matt Oliver and Martyn Whittaker gave an added dimension. Individual effords were greatly appreciated by the audience and congratulations go to Katie Allen, Mark Ingle, Jonathon Appleby, Chloe Davies, Holly Farmer, Rebecca Richardson, Holly Williamson and Sara Hall. A vocal duet with hand signing was a first for John Ferneley, sung by Vicky Keep and Annabelle Stokes. Research done by Year 9 into favourites of John Ferneley pupils culminated in a selection of songs including - 'Hero', 'Angels' and 'Let Me Entertain You', sung by the Gospel Choir and lead by Mr Kofi. Thank you to Mr Oliver and Miss Oliver for all the behind scenes help and thank you to all parents and friends who came to support this event, particularly Mr Gresley-Jones for all the time and effort with the sound system. Well done to everyone who participated. Mr & Mrs Wollacott Back to Home Page   HAVE YOUR SAY - Review of Secondary Education in Melton REMINDER: Your response should be received at County Hall by Friday 26th May 2006. How do I respond? You can fill in the 'Consultation Response Form' at the back of the Leicestershire County Council consultation document already sent to you. Your response will not require a stamp, but needs to be sent to: Melton Mowbray and Vale of Belvoir Review, Have Your Say, FREEPOST NAT18685, Leicester LE3 8XR. OR You can respond online at: www.leics.gov.uk/meltonvob Back to Home Page Ferneley's meeting attracts top turnout About 130 parents made the most of an opportunity to help shape the future of secondary education in Melton. The final of the four schools review public meetings - to debate the biggest shake-up in education for 40 years - at John Ferneley on Thursday was the best attended and the response was overwhelmingly in favour of option two - two schools for 11 to 18 year olds. Headteacher Chris Robinson said this option would offer choice and create healthy competition. He said: "We had the best turn-out of any of the schools review public meetings with about 120 to 130 parents. Three main points came out of the debate. The first was that parents favour one secondary school in the north of the town and one in the south. Safety of the children is paramount. Secondly, while parents like the concept of smaller schools, they understand they could not offer the broader curriculum. Thirdly, parents were keen for schools to work in partnership, but not to be part of a federation which could see pupils criss-crossing the town for lessons." Mr Robinson went on to say that he and the school's governing body feel the 11 to 18 schools would be best for Melton. "It would give parents choice and create some healthy competition. The two schools would be of the optimum size, with a roll of about 1,200 each." Parent and governor Sue Mayhew feels passionately that changes must be made in the interest of pupils. "The system in Melton at the moment has to change. I don't think it's suitable for children to move schools at 14. Having a son at King Edward VII and another moving up this September, I would prefer they stayed at one school for continuity at 14. Also for continuity for the staff, it's good for their professional development if they can keep pupils until they are 16 or 18. Attainment levels at key stage 3 are not as good as they could be because children are moving schools. They start exams quickly at King Edward and they are only just settling in. Location is also important for safety reasons." County councillor and governor, Dr Matthew O'Callagham agreed there needs to be a shake-up. "The meeting at John Ferneley was very well attended and parents seem to be very engaged and concerned as to the location. They believe change is necessary and that age range in secondary schools should increase. I've not made my mind up, but my fear on the 11 to 16 option is we could lose sixth form provision." Parents have until Friday, May 26 to make their views known to County Hall. After they have taken on board the views of parents, they are due to put forward a preferred option for a second round of consultation after half-term. A final decision is expected to be made in September by the ruling cabinet and then bids will be made to the Department for Education and Science. Back to Home Page London Theatre Trip to see 'Billy Elliott' & 'Guys and Dolls' Tuesday 9th May and Wednesday 10th May 2006 This very successful venture has been running for thirteen years now and is still a big hit with staff and pupils alike. We all set off early on Tuesday morning with a very exciting (but hectic) two day schedule ahead of us. We were greeted at our first stop at Windsor with very sunny weather conditions and pupils were able to picnic in the park before spending time exploring the shops. We then continued our journey to the Custom House Hotel, Victoria Docks where everybody had time to relax and prepare for the evening ahead. We were all very hungry by now and the  ‘Deep Pan Pizza Dinner’ was very well received. The performance of ‘Billy Elliott’ at the Victoria Palace Theatre that evening was absolutely brilliant and certainly lived up to its reputation of ‘Best Show 2006’. Back at the hotel we were all able to get our heads down for a good night’s sleep ready for day two. Wednesday morning started with a full English breakfast, a quick room check and down to collect our packed lunches. Groups were split between a visit to the Houses of Parliament, to backstage at DruryLaneTheatre, a Thames River Cruise or a flight on the London Eye. We all arrived at CoventGardens for lunchtime and had plenty of time to absorb the brilliant sunshine whilst browsing the market stalls and shops. In the afternoon we made our way to the Piccadilly Theatre to see the matinee performance of ‘Guys and Dolls’ before embarking on our journey back to John Ferneley. The behaviour of the pupils was excellent throughout. A wonderful trip! Back to Home Page     Sports Presentation Evening The sixth annual John Ferneley Winter Sports Presentation Evening took place on Wednesday 26th April at John Ferneley High School.  There were two main guests of honour, firstly Jo Sarjant a member of the England Women’s Basketball Team who were Bronze medallists at the recent Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.  Jo was able to present certificates and trophies to various members of the John Ferneley sporting squads.  She was also able to sign autographs and have her photo taken with all trophy winners.  The second guest of honour was Michael Harris who presented the Stephen Harris Memorial award to Will Ward for his hard work and positive attitude throughout the recent football season. Over 200 people attended this very successful evening.  The highlights of the recent season were: >  All the John Ferneley Netball teams winning their respective leagues >  The Year 9 Girls’ 5 a side Football Team becoming County Champions >  The U-14 Girls’ Football Team - county runners up >  The Junior Girls’ Cross Country Team - runners up in the County League and     County Championship >  The Junior Boys’ Cross Country Team - runners up in the County     Championships >  The Year 9 Boys’ Basketball Team - county runners up.   Back to Home Page Review of Secondary Education in Melton   Melton Mowbray and Vale of Belvoir Education Review Meeting Thursday 11th May 2006 - 7.30 p.m.     On the 26th April all parents will have received the Leicestershire County Council consultation document outlining the options for change to the schools in Melton and the Vale of Belvoir. The Education Authority are holding a meeting at John Ferneley on the above date and time where you as parents can put forward your views on the future of education in the Melton area.   I cannot stress enough just how important it is that you as parents attend this meeting so you can put your views across. In addition, there is a form at the back of the enclosed booklet for you to express your views. You don’t need to write a lengthy response. You may simply wish to express a preference for one of the options.   Your response can be sent Freepost to: Melton Mowbray and Vale of Belvoir Review, Have Your Say, FREEPOST NAT18685, Leicester, LE3 8XR or can be completed online at: www.leics.gov.uk/meltonvob   I believe that the options contained in this document offer a real chance of further improving education in the town. Please take some timeout out to express your views.   Thank you for your support and please do hesitate me about any further questions.    Yours sincerely   Chris Robinson Headteacher   Back to Home Page John Ferneley Website Update   Do you always receive letters from school or do they sometimes go astray on their journey home with your child?   This term we have launched a new ‘Letters to Parents’ web page to help you keep up to date with school communications. The ‘Letters to Parents’ page can be viewed or printed off from the ‘Contacts’ drop down list.     Latest communications relating to school trips can be located by selecting ‘Residential Trips’ from the ‘Extra Curricular’ drop down list and clicking on the relevant ‘Latest Letters’ hyperlink.   A ‘Photo Archive’ is currently under development and will be available shortly. This can also be accessed from the ‘Extra Curricular’ drop down list. Back to Home Page Review of Secondary Education in Melton You will be aware that the local authority is reviewing secondary education in Melton. The first round of consultation with parents identified that the great majority of parents: * Dislike the break at 14 * Want a choice of schools post 14 * Dislike large schools The second round of consultation involves parental meetings. The John Ferneley meeting will be held on Thursday 11th May at 7.30 pm in the school hall. Sharon Scott, Acting Director of Education, will be leading the meeting. In preparation for the meeting, you, as parents, will be receiving a document outlining the possible options for change. This document will be sent home, via your child, the week after Easter. This is your chance to express your views about secondary education in Melton. It is an opportunity to shape the future of education in this town. I and my Govenors fully support the Review and are looking forward to being part of a new structure for education in Melton from September 2009.        Chris Robinson Head Back to Home Page 'Soundbytes' On Wednesday 5th April 2006 a Music Concert was held at John Ferneley to offer the opportunity for soloists and small groups of pupils to gain experience and confidence in performance before an audience in an informal setting. Congratulations to all those pupils who took part in this enjoyable evening which highlighted approximately one third of those pupils now having music tuition. Pupils volunteered to take part representing the wide variety of lessons on offer at John Ferneley. This involvement in music is fantastic. Beth Perez’s performance on a fife was really unusual but traditional orchestral instruments were heard alongside contemporary singing, samba, drum-kit, keyboard and electric guitar playing.   Pupils of all abilities and musical experience were encouraged to participate. Some pupils were very experienced and advanced players e.g. Jonathan Appleby and Sara Hall whilst others such as Kirk Bryers and Lauren Colley who have been learning only a few weeks were equally impressive. The evening was rounded off by a performance by Victoria Keep of ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’ and as the audience left there was an impromptu performance of free form jazz by the staff.   Behind the scenes Anthony Thomas as usual managed the sound production team, lighting display etc. Thank you to all the music staff who have worked so hard with the pupils, the pupils themselves who impressed everyone with their confidence determination, enthusiasm and support for one another, and lastly not forgetting the support from parents. Back to Home Page 'Dancing Through The Decades' - Dance Show 2006 This year's annual dance show took place on Thursday the 30th March; the theme of the show was 'Dancing through the Decades'. Over 60 pupils, including a mix of boys and girls, performed a variety of different dance styles each taken from a particular era. The show was opened by a very strong performance of Hakka (pre 1900) by the Year 9 boys who tried not to scare too many people in the audience with their warrior display! Other dances included Indian (pre 1900), Martial Arts (pre 1900), Tango (1910), Charleston (1920), Latin (1930), Rock 'n Roll (1960), Disco (1990) and futuristic (2010) to name a few. The pupils showed fantastic commitment and enthusiasm in the four weeks leading up to the show and they all performed brilliantly on the night - they should be very proud of themselves. It was wonderful to see over 200 people in the audience who came along to watch, clap and sing along! Thank you very much to all who supported the evening and we hope to see everyone again next year! Miss Meek PE Department Back to Home Page      Education Review in Melton Mowbray Area You may recall in December last year, all parents/carers of pupils attending schools in the Melton Mowbray area were consulted concerning the current organisation of educational provision. This followed an earlier consultation with parents/carers of pupils attending schools in the Vale of Belvoir, and which posed similar questions. The purpose of the consultation was to seek your views on the current organisation of the schools, to establish the levels of support for change, and how this might be achieved. By the close of the consultation at the end of December, over 1,700 responses had been received. My thanks go to those parents/carers who took the time to return the questionnaire, your views are most important to us. Overall the results of the consultation were very positive. Below you will find a table summarising the response to each of the five questions asked. The findings of the consultation have subsequently been reported to Members of the County Council's Cabinet. A copy of the cabinet report may be accessed via the Council's website http://www.leics.gov.uk/meltonvob then click on Item 145 of the minutes "Review of Education Provision...." It is proposed that a further round of consultation regarding the options for change and improvement to the current schools organisation will now be undertaken in early May, supported by a number of public open meetings. More details will be provided nearer the time. Once again thank you for taking the time to respond. Yours sincerely Sharon Scott Assistant Director Education Services Summary of Response to Questions   Strongly Agree Agree No Strong Views Disagree Strongly Disagree No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % I like the current arrangements for Primary education in the Melton Mowbray area.   771   45   731   43   130   3   46   2   37   8 I like the current arrangements for Secondary education in Melton Mowbray area.   213   12   490   29   221   13   400   23   391   23 I would prefer my child to remain at John Ferneley or Longfield until he/she is 16.   882   51   334   19   257   15   148   9   94   5 I intend to move my child out of local provision at some stage to avoid transfer at 11 or 14.   114   7   158   9   576   34   599   35   268   16 If there were fewer subject options at 11- 16 in John Ferneley or Longfield than are currently available at King Edward VII, I would still prefer to send my child to John Ferneley or Longfield.   523   30   369   22   332   19   285   17   206   12 Back to Home Page Alpe d'Huez 2006 Well, where do I start! The ski trip has been the best experience I've ever had. We left Ferneley in the early hours of Sunday with a coach full of loud and extremely excited kids. We arrived at the airport with enough time to get on the plane and then we were off to Alpe d'Huez. The plane journey was great. When we were at the airport in France we were greeted by a lady from Skibound who showed us to our coaches which took us to our hotel. We arrived at the hotel a few hours later and we were sent to the restuarant to have our lunch. The meals there were superb, they were like eating in a posh restuarant every night. Later on in the afternoon everybody got their skis and ski boots which were all in superb condition. At about 3.00 pm we were shown to our rooms which were top class. They all had their own balcony and ensuite facilities. Now on to the skiing. Every day we had to go and meet with our instructors. We had a two hour session in the morning, then we would stop for lunch and then another two hour session in the afternoon. The instructors were amazing. They taught us loads of new skiing techniques and how to ski. We were all split into ability groups which was good. Everybody who went skiing is now able to ski at least a blue slope and some even red slopes. It was a bumpy ride for everybody as we all fell over more than once, including Mr Robinson! Everydoby who went did really well at skiing. By the end of the week everyone got the chance to ski back to the hotel and have extra skiing sessions with Mr Robinson or Mr Raisen. The photo on the home page shows me with a friend having our photo taken at the top of a red slope while we were having extra skiing sessions with Mr Robinson. After skiing had finished we were able to go shopping in the town. Some nights we got to go swimming in the heated outdoor swimming pool and one night we got to go ice skating. The activities after skiing were great as they kept us entertained for the rest of the evening. Some other activities were also arranged by the people at the hotel. The week went flying by as it was so good. Guess what, it seemed like we were back at school within a flash! Adam Mabbott Year 8 pupil Back to Home Page Review of Secondary Education in Melton Mowbray   Leicestershire County Council is undertaking a review of the structure of educational provision in Melton Mowbray.  As part of this review process a questionnaire has been sent home to all parents via the children.  Parents might need to check their child’s bag.  It is probably underneath the PE kit! This is a chance for parents to have their say in shaping the future of educational provision in the town.  Please return the completed questionnaire using the prepaid envelope provided. The Local Authority will be contacting parents early next year to arrange an evening meeting to follow up the questionnaire and specific proposals for consultation will be published before Easter. John Ferneley High School welcomes these developments and looks forward to participating in a process which will further improve the education on offer in the town.   Back to Home Page SNOWFALL AND EMERGENCY CLOSURE OF SCHOOL If we experience a heavy snowfall it is possible that I will close the school for a period. If I take this decision I will inform the local radio stations named below. If you have reason to think that John Ferneley may be closed please do not phone the school or the radio stations involved. This creates congestion and prevents essential communication. I will phone the named radio stations which will give details of any school closures including further information about re-opening. If you think the school may be closed please check these stations on these frequencies.    Radio Leicester      :   104.9 FM Leicester Sound     :   105.4 FM Radio Nottingham  :   103.8 FM Please keep this letter for future reference. In exceptional circumstances, when heavy snowfall occurs during the day, we may have to send the children home before 3.30 pm. If the weather conditions make this necessary you will need to make suitable provision for your child. There will be a closure notice on the homepage of our website which can be found at www.johnferneley.org.uk if it becomes necessary to shut the school during the day. Obviously, the safety and welfare of our pupils is important at all times. Thanking you for your co-operation. Chris Robinson Headteacher Back to Home Page

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