Page 39 - Hunstanton Town & Around - October 2014

Tel: 01485 533422 email: editor@townandaround.net Hunstanton Town & Around October 2014 39
hunt, make knives etc (at least, I think it was bushcraft although you know Hunstanton Primary School: This year will also be particularly excit-
I’m not the world’s best guesser!) When we had finished our den, Louis ing as amalgamation gets closer. We are planning to open as Hunstanton
poured a bottle of water over to see if it was waterproof and, guess what, Primary School on the Redgate Junior School site in September 2015.
we got soaked!! We had other activities like caving, Jacob’s ladder, This term, pupils at both schools will also be invited to submit logo de-
climbing, go karts, aeroball and mini olympics. signs for a new school badge.
The last night was terrible. Everyone was talking and shining torches. If Nigel Harvey, Headteacher
you think that was and enough, think again, because at 5am….the fire alarm
went off twice. Luckily it wasn’t our building so we were safe. Plus it wasn’t Smithdon celebrates success
a real fire after all!” (Guess which was the teachers’ least favourite bit of
the trip?!) Parents, guests, governors and staff applauded the outstanding successes
of Smithdon students in the School’s Celebration of Achievement and
Prizegiving on 11th September.
As the banner on the school fence says ‘this is a Good school’ and the
students’ achievements were presented with pride by staff and
representatives of local organisations.
Introducing himself, new Head, Paul Marsh was keen to chart Smithdon
School’s progress and achievements to date and compared the school’s
performance with schools in Lincolnshire. The bar chart showed Smithdon
School at about the half way mark. “Perhaps that doesn’t seem impressive”
he said “until I tell you that the other schools in this graph are all selective
Grammer Schools.”
Following the Attainment and Progress Awards for each year group, the
Rotary Young Citizen Award was presented to Lauren Lee and Joe Eglen
by the President of the Hunstanton & District Rotary Club Peter Atterbury.
Presenting the prize for the best work experience student to Lucy Pickup,
As well as that, we are doing Harvest Festival Practices, and on – road her supervisor, Stella Gooch’s words were repeated: “I hadn’t expected her
cycling. We are also looking forward to our library opening. to be so good.”
Our topic in Samphire Class is World War 1 and we will be doing Noting her outstanding work for the school and RNLI, The Hunstanton
performances of a World War 1 show and putting up a display in our Village Lions Prize for Service to the School and its Community went to Emily
hall on 7th November and (hopefully) at Hunstanton Town Hall, too. Darby, and the George Raines Memorial Award for Sport was awarded to
Our new teachers and children are all doing well and we are having a Daniel Bullen who has represented the country for wheelchair table tennis.
good time. We hope we see you at one of our events. GCSE awards and subject prizes along with Sixth Form awards were
From all the children at Brancaster CEVAP School presented, and amongst them this year there were four Norfolk Scholars
each achieving outstanding grades: Billie Watts, Imogen Woode-Wallace,
Hunstanton Infant School and Redgate George Ashwell and Daniel Warburton.
Mr Marsh said: “It is always gratifying to see the hard work and
Junior School perseverance of so many youngsters culminate in award-winning
performance. In recent times we have heard much in the national media of
New Term: Each new term is exciting at our two schools, but the Au- unemployment amongst 16 to 24 year-olds, a lack of graduate opportunities,
tumn Term is always special as we welcome a new Foundation Stage anxieties over the number of ‘NEETs’ (‘Not in Employment, Education or
class into Hunstanton Infant School and as we see the new Y3 children Training’) and worries over Britain’s position in the global education league
arrive at Redgate Junior School. tables, so it is a timely reminder that Smithdon High School has able,
This year we have also welcomed 6 children into other classes after the talented and impressive young people passing through its corridors on their
Summer break and we hope that all of our children enjoy this new term. way to making very positive contributions to the world. With over half of
We have lots of exciting activities planned for the children and our all A Levels grades awarded at A*- B to our departing students back in
families at school. August, the future looks very promising.”
We have Vikings in school this term, children are heading out to Norwich Taking the stage to present the Queen’s Prize for the best A level results
and Walsingham on educational visits and our oldest children will soon be to Daniel Warburton for attaining four A stars, former Head Jon Goodchild
getting letters about exciting residential visits too. explained that he had shared Daniel’s journey as his tutor and had learned
Sports: We are hosting the Croydon Cup football tournament at Redgate a lot of Chemistry throughout the year! Daniel continues his academic
Junior School this term and some of our children are already in training career at Cambridge University later this month.
for a cluster cross country event coming up in October.
Clubs: We have a large number of clubs taking place across both schools
this term. Children at Redgate are collecting hours towards Children’s
University Passports. Last year 33 children ‘graduated’ at the University
of East Anglia. This year we are hoping for even more.
Activity Wall: I would like to thank the many local groups who have
made donations to the P.T.A. towards the activity wall. The first part of
this new playground feature was installed during the Summer Holidays
and looks great. We shall shortly be having an official opening ceremony
for this new feature.
Sea Life Centre: I know many of our children are looking forward to
the Sea Life Centre opening again and our Young Conservation Panel are
raring to get involved with staff this term. Prizewinning students with new Head, Paul Marsh