Detached Playing Field - update - 21 December 2021
Governors have now met to consider the feedback from the public consultation with regards to the 3.4Ha detached playing field adjacent to the school. It is land owned by the school which has been used for PE and Sports. However, the school is keen to explore a variety of development options to improve its use and effectiveness. A sub-committee of Governors has been set up to lead with this project and their Terms of Reference and minutes from their initial meeting can be found here:
- Detached Playing Field Sub-committee Terms of Reference
- Detached Playing Field Sub-committee Meeting 12-11-2021
London Spanish Film Festival
Spanish A level and Year 11 students recently attended the London Spanish Film Festival, which took place at the Ciné Lumière in South Kensington.
We met at Bishop’s Stortford train Station at 3.35pm and travelled into London via train and the tube. We arrived in plenty of time to be able to grab a bite to eat before making our way to the cinema on foot. It was so great to be in London again after so long!
We chose the film “La Isla de las Mentiras” (Island of Lies) which had a very unusual but interesting storyline. It was about a shipwreck off the coast of a small Galician island and how the people dealt with the incident, with lots of twists and turns.
I enjoyed the whole experience of watching the film in Spanish; it made me think about the cultural aspects involved and how the film was made (we study a film as part of our course). This trip was also very helpful in terms of developing my listening skills, and being totally absorbed in something different. I would recommend this trip to any Spanish student as it was beneficial and an enjoyable experience. We will look forward to the next one!
Alice Peacock, Year 13
Birchwood “Unsung Heroes” receive their highly commended certificate at the Indies
On Thursday 18 November, Miss Munro, Mr Osborne and myself went to the annual Indie awards at the South Mill Arts Centre. Our PPE manufacturing team had been nominated for the unsung hero award by readers of the Bishop’s Stortford Independent. It was a fantastic evening with a red carpet and meal laid on by a local caterer. We were at a table with the other nominee; Dr Sian Stanley. It was great to put a face to a name as during our time manufacturing we were in contact on several occasions to ensure the PPE went out to where it was needed locally. We were so proud to be awarded the highly commended certificate in
recognition of our work over that challenging time.
Mr Stephens, Technology
Birchwood wins the immediate level at the annual Rotary young engineer challenge
On Tuesday 16 November we hosted the annual Rotary young engineer challenge. Teams from TBSHS, Leventhorpe and the Bishops Stortford College came to compete at three different levels. It was a really tricky task for all but our intermediate team of Lucy Moorfield, Rosie Thorpe and Severin Fleet took first place with our other two teams taking a close second in their
respective categories. Birchwood won the immediate level.
Students meet Olympian
On Thursday 21 October, four of our Year 9 students were invited to Hertfordshire Sports Village to become part of the Inclusion Champions Academy. Birchwood students, along with 60 other Year 9 students across Hertfordshire, took part in a two hour workshop where they had the opportunity to learn new skills and practise ideas, with a view to offering clubs for targeted groups of Birchwood students. Double Olympian and two times world champion rower, Tony Garbett was on hand to offer guidance and support. Even helping the Birchwood team when they were a member short in the sitting Volleyball event.
All of the students were amazing, Olympian Tony picking out the Birchwood students as being really pro-active and stand-out performers on the day.
Look out for the inaugural Inclusion Champions Clubs which will pop up at lunchtimes after half term. They will consist of a range of fun activities in a supportive environment.
House Staff Bake
Thank you to everybody who got involved with the Staff Bake Off this year.
A special thank you to everyone who baked, judged or donated.
The winners are listed below:
1st place is Miss Cuddington with her Reindeer mint chocolate cake
2nd Place is Mrs De Graaf with her orange and almond cake
3rd Place is Miss Long with her Kinder Beuno cookies
Gardening Club wins third prize
As it reaches the end of this year’s very successful growing season the students entered some of their wonderful produce into the local Sawbridgeworth Garden and Allotment Show, which takes place every year (the first Saturday in September). They came third in their section for their Rainbow Chard. We are currently looking for some new glass for our greenhouse so we can continue with projects over the winter months including making some bug and bird houses.
Mrs Homer
National Poetry Day
National Poetry Day is a UK wide celebration of poetry, and the theme this year was Choice. To celebrate National Poetry Day form tutors read a poem to their tutees during form time. All staff were invited to choose their favourite poem and students were asked to guess which member of staff had submitted each verse. Congratulations to 7CHT and 11MAS who both guessed correctly. Both forms have been awarded House points.
Mrs Gibson,
Library Resource Manager
PSFA Photo Competition - "What Makes You Happy?"
Win a £25 Amazon voucher!
Email your photos of what makes you happy to ticketspsfa@gmail.com by 16 September 2021
Entrance fee is £2 per photo; payment by PayPal: treasurerbwpsfa@gmail.com
The 12 best photos will be used in our 2022 calendar
The competition will be judged by award-winning photographer Sophia Spurgin, ARPS
Please download:
