We have now set the Year 7 English and Maths groups, in what we hope will be permanent classes for this year. We feel confident that each child is placed in a group that suits their ability and needs, and must give our thanks to all our students for their exemplary attitude and behaviour during this process. We will, of course, move a child at any stage if we feel they have developed beyond the scope of their group.

All students have made a good start to Year 7. They have settled into our routines very quickly and learned their way around.

Many thanks go to all parents for their part in the settling-in process. We ask that parents continue to support us by naming all equipment, checking and signing the Planner regularly and ensuring students complete and hand in homework on time. We regularly reward exemplary students, for example our weekly 'smarties' selected by the Year Tutors. We shall soon be introducing 'class of the month' and throughout the term other examples of considerate behaviour will be rewarded. If anyone is able to assist with the provision of awards and prizes please do get in touch with us.

Many Year 7 students are taking advantage of the variety of extra-curricular activities offered at Priesthorpe and I hope they will all find something to interest them over the coming year. As a Sports College there is an ever-growing number of PE activities, but we run a range of other subject opportunities too.
Mrs Ineson
Head of Year 7

TRIPS AND EVENTS
Bombay Dreams
A return trip to see 'Bombay Dreams' in London will be organised for later in the year. Back by popular demand!
Punjab Exchange
The year 12 students going to India on our return Exchange leave on 17th October for two weeks. The SAS Academy in Punjab, which is hosting us, has arranged a magnificent programme of events for our students, including a visit to the Golden Temple at Amritsar as well as the Taj Mahal and other famous tourist sites. We will email the school while we are away to keep everyone in touch with our adventures.

Mr Saimbhi
EMAG Co-ordinator

SKI-ING
Following our extremely enjoyable trip to Aprica in 2003 two ski holidays are planned for 2004 to take account of all those students expressing a wish to go.

A party of 40 Year 10 students are travelling to Zell Am See, an attractive Austrian resort, at the February half-term break. A group of 38 Year 11 and 12 students travel to Risoul in France at the beginning of the Easter break.

ANNUAL PLANT SALE
Each year Mr Pickles raises over £1000 from his annual Plant Sale. The monies raised fund prizes and rewards for students who excel. If any parents have small plant pots, seed trays or section trays they can spare, he would be extremely grateful. Any keen gardeners who have 'spare' perennials they would be most gratefully received.

YEAR 10 SCIENCE AND MATHS EXTERNAL EXAMS

All students sit Science modules on
Thursday 27th November
Wednesday 3rd March
Tuesday 29th June

Some students sit Maths modules on
Monday 1st March
Wednesday 30th June

It is very important that all students and parents are aware of the above and that students are in school on those dates. Medical notes are required by the examination boards for any absentees.

Mrs Hardaker
Examinations Officer

EXCELLENCE AT PRIESTHORPE
DRAMA: NATIONAL SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL

The most recent Excellence at Priesthorpe initiative gave twenty two enthusiastic Year 9 students the opportunity to take the stage at the West Yorkshire Playhouse on Tuesday 30th September. One of twenty groups to perform during the week, our contribution to this nationwide festival was a half-hour adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth, based on "Shakespeare - the Animated Tales".
Mr Leggott and Miss Morley worked tirelessly with the group; the result was a dark and brooding interpretation of this classic tale of ambition and murder. Well-received by a full house on the night, the repeat performance at school made a considerable impact on the rest of Year 9 when they watched it as part of their English SATs preparation.

Congratulations to everyone involved for such high quality work, and many thanks for the time and effort put in to achieve this.

Miss Gibbens
Head of Expressive Arts
Co-ordinator Excellence at Priesthorpe

OTHER NEWS

HOMEWORK - HELP?
The Support Department runs pre-school Workshops from 8.00 a.m. onwards for Homework Help. Also, every lunchtime (except Wednesdays) we are open from 12.45 p.m. onwards. All are welcome.

Mr Coyne
Head of Support Department

READING BUDDIES
We will shortly be asking the new Sixth-Formers if they wish to become a Reading Buddy. This is our long-running scheme to pair up students from year 12 who wish to mentor students from year 7 who need a little bit of extra help with getting their reading skills up to speed. As we all know, getting reading right is a good foundation for coping with resources across the curriculum, and our Sixth-Formers do their bit to help.

Ms Stein
Literacy Co-ordinator

FOOTBALL FANS
I regularly receive tickets for Leeds United fixtures, which are used to reward excellent behaviour and attitude in all areas of school life. If you are a football fan and would like to be considered, perhaps you need your Head of Year or Head of Department to nominate you.

Mr Hardaker,
Deputy for Pastoral Issues

WHAT'S NEW ON THE TIMETABLE?
We are continuing to develop our curriculum. We now have two top ICT groups in each of Years 8 and 9 who have the potential to be the website designers of the future and advanced courses in the sixth form.

At Key Stage 4 we now have around 15 students who attend college one day per week as part of their studies, and have around 7 who also have one day a week throughout the year on extended work experience. We are always keen to hear from anyone who is willing to offer a work placement, though of course it has to be checked by Education Leeds for health and safety implications. Nevertheless, we are determined to give as many of our students as we can the skills they need to join the real world of work, hopefully after they have gained the highest level of qualifications that they can achieve.

We have a broad curriculum that offers variety and interest, whatever a student's abilities and aspirations. As well as our expanded programme of vocational GCSEs in Manufacturing, Leisure and Tourism and Applied ICT, we have Textiles, Product Design, Media Studies and Sociology - subjects that are not always on offer at this level.

Our Sixth-Form programme is broad too, with advanced courses in Film Studies, ICT, Business and Economics and PE all fairly recent and highly popular developments that recruit large numbers. We offer enrichment courses in Panjabi, Sports Leadership and Asdan Universities Award, all enabling our students to make the most of their talents and abilities. I think that's called education!

Mrs Bavage
Deputy for Curriculum

CHESS CLUB
The School Chess club will be re-starting in November. Students play each other to qualify for the National Championships (nearly 70,000 students from all over the country take part). Last year one of our students, Jeremy Palfreeman, reached the semi-final of the competition where 1,000 played each other for 50 places in the final. Well done!

Mr Solowka
Science Department

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