NAILSEA
PEOPLE
2023
Two Nailsea School pupils were the winners in the Rotary’s Young Photographer Competition.
From a bumper entry teacher Rachel Davies selected the best images submitted from KS3, 4 and 5 students.
Of the 20 shortlisted the photographs were then whittled down further by a small panel made up of Rotarians and a member of Backwell Camera Club.
The standard was very high and eventually the KS 4/5 winner was declared to be Harrison, aged 15, and in K3, Erin,13, who both live in Yatton.
The winners were presented with a Certificate of Achievement and an Amazon voucher by the current Rotary Club of Nailsea and Backwell president Andrew Bale..
The entries by the two winners now go forward to the next stage of the competition, which is a district-wide heat with up to 60 clubs submitting their local winners.
Our photos by Rotarian Roy Ackrill shows Harrison with his winning picture to the right of his certificate and Erin with hers to the right of her head
Winning young Nailsea School photographers
EXTRA EXTRA: Nailsea School has published an extra curricular directory featuring all the fun and more serious things that go on at lunchtime and after school at the Mizzymead Road campus and beyond. It lists details under the headings of sport, global citizen, support, Stem and wilderness as well as The Link external clubs and hirers. Academic pursuits are listed along with angling and wind band workshops, DofE award scheme and much, much more. Download your copy HERE
OPEN EVENING:Nailsea School is on Thursday, September 28, 5-8pm book online here https://www.nailseaschool.com/join-us/open-evening/
2024
Nailsea School
Our Westminster school visit by politic students
Two Nailsea School A-level politic students were able to attend Prime Minister's Questions after receiving tickets from the office of North Somerset MP Liam Fox.
Toby and Tom accompanied by politics teacher Ian Jones, who is head of humanities faculty, spent the afternoon at Westminster..
As well as listening to PM questions, Tom and Toby toured the Parliamentary Estate and were given a personal tour of the House of Lords by Baroness Willcox, of Newport, a former drama teacher turned politician.
Tom said: "It was fascinating to be in the heart of Westminster, being in the House of Commons, watching PMQs in person and experiencing the electric political tension in the Commons chamber.
"It really brought the textbook to life.
"I am hoping for an exam question this summer on the House of Commons as I feel the day really did open my eyes to how Parliament works in practice,
"Baroness Willcox's tour of the Lords was fascinating and her story of how she went from a drama teacher, to a local councillor, to council leader and then to the Lords was inspiring.
"A great example of the possibility of ordinary people ending up in the 'mother of all parliaments'."
Toby said: "Being in the Commons rubbing shoulders with the Ambassadors of Panama and Costa Rica, and seeing familiar political faces like Lee Anderson, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Caroline Lucas, Lord Mandelson and Sir Lindsay Hoyle was an experience I will never forget. "However, the highlight of my day was seeing Prue Leith, of Great British Bake Off meeting her Tory MP son Danny Kruger in the lobby."
The Houses of Parliament welcomes students in to learn about democracy in action and this was a great opportunity for the politics students to see the place and procedures of how the country is run.
School places
More than 97 per cent of young people in North Somerset on Friday, March 1, will be offered a place to attend one of their top three preferred secondary schools from this September.
2,561 secondary school applications were received in total for the academic year ahead, and of these 91.57 per cent (2,345 students) will be offered a place at their first-choice school.
A further 5.19 per cent (133 students) will be offered their second preference, while 1.13 per cent (29 students) will receive an offer for their third-preference school.
Only 54 students out of 2,561 will be offered a place at a school outside of their first three preferences.
Parents who have applied for places for children starting school in September 2024, or moving from Infant to Junior or First to Middle school, will receive their outcomes in April.
Nailsea School student Erin Roberts has won a Rotary regional photography competition.
And classmate Harrison Poynter was runner up in the same competition.
The images by the young people had been chosen at a local heat organised by Nailsea & Backwell Rotary Club at Nailsea School late last year.
The 2023 theme was Re-building.
This saw them through to the district leg with finalists from schools all over the West Country and south Wales.
Erin’s unusual angle of The Monument built in the 17th century to commemorate the Great Fire of London won first in the intermediate class.
Harrison chose a beach sunset and he was runner-up.Rotarian community team leader Graham Cannon presented winners certificates and gift tokens to the young people.
Capital success for Nailsea School student
Schools or youth organisations who would like to enter this competition next year, please email Graham at cannongraham0@gmail.com.
He is also the contact for any other community activity for Rotary in Nailsea and Backwell.
Nailsea School sixth form has been rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted inspectors.
Nailsea School overall is rated 'good' replacing a 2020 report from the Covid years which said, ‘requires improvement’.
HM inspection team went to the school for two days in mid-March this year and the school has issued a statement although the full report still has to be posted on the Government Ofsted website.
The school’s leadership and the Wessex Learning Trust central team were eager to share the improvements they had made since the last Ofsted visit which took place at the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020.
Ofsted waxed lyrically about the school: “Nailsea School is a welcoming and inclusive community. Pupils are proud of their school and behave well in lessons and around the school site.”
The inspection team commented on the work that been achieved academically in terms of student progress:
It said: “The school’s curriculum is designed well in all areas. The school has identified precisely what pupils should know and in which order... Teachers are experts in their subjects...Activities enable pupils to build on prior learning and apply their knowledge in new contexts. As a result, most pupils achieve well, and the school’s published outcomes have improved over time.”
The school prides itself on its core values and ethos, which not only encourages aspiration, but inclusivity and community too, so it was of particular delight that the inspection team commented on these areas in several areas of the report.
It said: “The relationships that exist between staff and pupils underpin the culture of respect that is evident in classrooms and corridors. Low level disruption and bullying are rare. Pupils attend well because they feel safe and well cared for. Pastoral care is a strength of the school in all key stages.”
Reflecting on students with special educational needs the report comments: “The school effectively supports a high number of pupils with educational, health and care plans, including pupils who attend the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND. Additional adults support pupils well in lessons.The school monitors these pupils’ progress and ensures that all pupils are included in the wider life of the school”
Nailsea School is great, Ofsted
The sixth form at Nailsea School which since September 2022 been redeveloped by a phenomenal team, who have worked tirelessly to achieve outstanding success in just over a year.
Ofsted said: “Students in the sixth form develop confidence and independence. They have exemplary attitudes to their work and contribute meaningfully to the life of the school and wider society.”
Nailsea School headteacher Dee Elliott said: “I’m pleased that the Ofsted team were able to see the improvements that have been made within the school and sixth form.
“I have always believed in our staff and students, and I am proud that the team’s hard work has been recognised – not only in the improvement of academic outcomes, but in the development of our pastoral care and the strong sense of community, kindness and respect that brings”.
And in a letter home to families Mrs Elliot added that former chair of governors Joanna Hopkinson who sadly died last year 'would have been so proud'.