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Sicily 2023
Posted on: 26/04/2023

Sicily 2023

Amery Hill School Year 10 students returned to Sicily this year for an action packed five days of tectonics, rivers, food and culture. Setting off in darkness, 48 students and five staff flew direct to Catania Airport passing over one of the main attractions of the trip – Mount Etna, the most active volcano in Europe. It was clear from the steam  clouds being generated by “Mamma Etna” (as Sicilians call her) that she was ready to greet us! The next day, after a coach ride up the mountain, cable car and four-wheel drive vehicle we were close to the summit of Mount Etna with a special guide to inform us. Conditions were perfect as we listened to information about past eruptions and took pictures off the huge caldera. Friday was a highlight for many students. The morning was a thrilling River Trekking activity session. Students got suited and booted in wetsuits, buoyancy aids, helmets and waterproof boots and entered the chilly waters of the Alcantara River, created from snowmelt on Mount Etna itself. Scrambling over rocks, students were presented with an increasingly challenging series of waterfalls to jump off in this two-hour activity. The final water fall was estimated at seven metres high! The afternoon was more sedate with an opportunity for some retail therapy and the chance to visit an Italian pizza restaurant. The twist here was that all the students were shown how to make their own pizza, from kneading the dough through to choosing toppings, all under the watchful eye of the restaurant staff. After a late night, the final full day involved a short ferry ride to the island of Vulcano, after which all volcanoes are named. There were a few green faces, after the slightly choppy crossing, as the challenge of climbing to the volcano summit was contemplated. No cable cars here! Fortunately, due to the volcano currently being seismically too active and consequently too dangerous, a smaller summit was scaled instead with a local guide. This was challenge enough for some students and still provided some spectacular views. On our final day, we revisited the beautiful town of Taormina. Students had a last chance to enjoy some Italian food and buy souvenirs before we headed to the airport for the flight home and the chilly reception from the UK, not from the parents waiting to greet the students, but from the weather, after we had been spoiled by 20 0 C temperatures! We are hoping to return again in 2024 with next year’s Year 10 students.View Article
London Mini Marathon
Posted on: 26/04/2023

London Mini Marathon

On Saturday 22 April, 45 Amery Hill School students from Years 7 to 11 travelled to London to compete in the TCS London Mini Marathon, a 2.6km race for school aged students, which took place the day before the full London Marathon. It was an early start, leaving school at 7am, but the excitement steadily built on the way to St James’s Park where students had final drinks and warmed up. The event took place on a closed, secure route with stewards and a dedicated welfare team on the course to make sure all runners had a safe and enjoyable experience. Waves of approximately 250 runners set off at five-minute intervals with students following a fantastic route that started at Horse Guards Parade and went past St James’s Park, Buckingham Palace and Green Park before experiencing the thrill of crossing the world-famous finish line on The Mall. All of the runners received finishers medals and were exhausted but very, very happy! Speaking about the event, Head of PE, Mrs Naomi Jackson, commented, “We have a very enthusiastic and talented group of runners at Amery Hill School and they had an incredible day in London. Experiencing an event on this scale, with thousands of young runners participating, was fantastic for our students.”View Article
GCSE Results 2022
Posted on: 25/08/2022

GCSE Results 2022

On behalf of all the Staff and Trustees at Amery Hill School we would like to congratulate and state how proud we are of all our Year 11 students, the Class of 2022, for another outstanding set of GCSE results. Over the past couple of years in particular, the Class of 2022 have had to consistently demonstrate the School’s core values of independence, creativity, active learning, resilience and empathy to ensure they were in the best possible position to achieve their very best qualifications. The outstanding results included: 78% achieved grades 9-4 (standard pass) in English and Maths 55% achieved grades 9-5 (strong pass) in English and Maths 20% achieved grades 9-7 in English and Maths 107 Grade 9/Distinction grades across a range of subjects Our students' attitude and commitment, working alongside our incredibly dedicated staff, has now ensured that each and every one of them is in the very best place to take those positive next steps into college, apprenticeships or training. Mr Mann, Headteacher, said “We are incredibly proud as a school community of the achievements of the Class of 2022. Our students are exceptional, inspiring and talented young people who have yet again demonstrated all the values and qualities that Amery Hill School stands for; the resilience they have all shown under such conditions is remarkable. On behalf of the entire school we wish them all every success, health and happiness for the future.”View Article
Northanger House are Champions!
Posted on: 20/07/2022

Northanger House are Champions!

One year ago, we launched the House Championship with great excitement and some trepidation on how the House system and accompanying House Championship would unfold. It is with great delight that I reflect back on the events of the year, and share how each House has started to form its own identity, and carved out success in its own way through the year. In addition, I would like to share with you (if you haven’t heard already) the details of the incredibly close battle to claim the title of first winners of the Amery Hill House Championship.   Our student leaders of House Captains, Vice House Captains and House Representatives, have been instrumental in fostering the pastoral side of our House system, in the creation of content for the virtual common rooms on Google Classrooms, as well as helping lead their House in competitions and big events like Sports Day. We are always proud of our students at Amery Hill School, and these young leaders have been exceptional pioneers in the House system.   Last year, with our four great Houses set out in front of us, we pondered what would be inside - and I am delighted to report each House is bursting to the rafters with talent and success.   Hartfield and Pemberley hold the record for the most ICARE points, with Hartfield just taking the lead at the end of the year by just seven House points. The friendly rivalry between Hartfield and Pemberley continued on Sports Day with Hartfield taking the top position.   Pemberley holds the inter house sports record for autumn and spring, only to be beaten by Northanger in the summer rounders series, and Pemberley were second in Sports Day - an all round great sporting achievement from this House.   Mansfield has the greatest musician representation with many members contributing to the amazing music concerts and performances throughout the year. They won the House noticeboard competition, and the Year 7 bake off technical challenge - an innovative house certainly! This creativity was put to good use, as Mansfield won the second gold event for the parade on Sports Day. Northanger have proved to be quiz whizzes, winning every inter house Blooket battle, raising the most for charity - be it cash for Hello Yellow or donations for the Alton Food Bank, and performed particularly well in the science challenges set in class through the year.   The final standings were incredibly close. Northanger entered the final few weeks of term with an imposing lead, but the other Houses were not deterred, and the difference between first and second place was just 193 points, and between second and third, 304 points. Ultimately Northanger prevailed, despite Hartfield giving them a run for their money!   A huge congratulations to Northanger House with a very well-deserved victory - they certainly found the key to success, just like their House motto. After a special assembly where Northanger were able to raise the House Cup, hear congratulatory messages from their Head of House, Mr J Eacott, and the House Captains, all the Northanger students enjoyed Period 6 off timetable with some treats and time to relax and enjoy each other’s company as a House team.   The whole student body has been a great sport this year, and whilst there inevitably is some disappointment when success is not as forthcoming as hoped, September brings us a reset of the points, we welcome new Year 7 students into the fold and the adventure begins all over again. Dr Rigg, House Championship Co-ordinatorView Article
Prom 2022
Posted on: 30/06/2022

Prom 2022

Amery Hill’s Year 11 students recently celebrated the end of their secondary school education at Prom 2022 with an evening of enjoyable entertainment. There are some key moments in a school year which create a variety of emotions and the Year 11 leavers’ event is one such occasion. Having worked so hard over the past few months for their GCSE exams, it was lovely that the students could celebrate together. Everything was perfectly in place. The school was transformed for a memorable evening by staff and with a red carpet arrival (kindly facilitated by the Alton House Hotel, thank you), the scene was set for the students’ arrival. What a spectacle it was! From the suits, the bow ties and the beautifully elegant prom dresses, the students looked fab-u-lous and arrived in style! Being the first year group to sit formal exams after a global pandemic was never going to be easy. However, Year 11 have shown huge amounts of resilience and commitment to their studies and their Prom celebration was well deserved. Progress Leader, Mr James White, added “I am so proud of all of Year 11. The way in which they have tackled the last three years head on has been admirable. Prom 2022 was such a lovely evening and they all looked so smart and grown up. A highlight for me was seeing the whole year group linking arms in a big circle dancing together. What a proud moment that was.” Students enjoyed an evening of mocktails, an excellent disco, dancing, street food and entertainment from a professional magician. They had a fantastic evening which was rounded off with emotional goodbyes. Mr White added, “I wish every one connected to the Class of 2022 the very best for the future. These students have been a credit to the school and I know they will all go on to achieve amazing things.” Prom 2022 Galleries - Click HereView Article
Rights Respecting School Award
Posted on: 9/04/2022

Rights Respecting School Award

In December we announced that we had begun our journey to become a school which is committed to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and were working towards the first stage of the RRSA accreditation with Unicef UK.  I am excited to announce that since then, we have achieved our Bronze Award which means that we are a ‘Rights Committed’ school.  This means that we have demonstrated our school’s commitment and shown how we intend to become rights respecting. The next step is working towards the Silver Award and being ‘Rights Aware’, which will involve the school’s activities and work on rights respecting being inspected by a UNICEF RRSA Professional Adviser. Our initial survey of students and staff last term appraised our strengths and current position and helped with our action plan for the Silver ‘Rights Aware’ Award which has been developed in consultation with our Student Voice Ambassadors and other staff members. We have also introduced the Rights of the Child in assemblies across all year groups explaining how and why our decision to becoming a Rights Respecting School is so important. A summary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child can be found here. Sharing knowledge with our students  to help them learn about their rights and putting them into practice every day is fundamental to the award. As a school we already arrange events and facilitate discussions relating to the Convention, and will continue to raise the awareness of this within lessons, tutor time and in the day-to-day life of our school.  The crisis which has unfolded in Ukraine, with devastating outcomes for so many people, including children, who have been forced to uproot their lives, make dangerous journeys and seek safety where they can, has been one topic discussed with students and incorporated into assemblies for all year groups. Article 38 (War and Armed Conflicts) of the Convention states that “Governments must not allow children under the age of 15 to take part in war or join the armed forces. Governments must do everything they can to protect and care for children affected by war and armed conflicts.”  This, and the war in Ukraine, has been discussed in a variety of supportive ways with students as part of our RRSA and EfL activities. Students have also been able to contribute to a campaign promoted by the English Department which involves providing support for children displaced as a result of the conflict.  View Article
Stubbs Farm 40th Year
Posted on: 8/04/2022

Stubbs Farm 40th Year

The traditional annual Year 7 Geography visit to Stubbs Farm returned this March with the latest group of students doing a half-day tour of the farm. The last time Amery had visited was March 2020 and only days before the first national Covid lockdown was announced. Returning this time Mr. Stephens was reminiscing about how long Amery Hill had been visiting his family farm and let it slip that this was our 40th year! A long tradition that we hope to keep going. As usual Mr. Stephens was very generous with his time, meeting every group in the winter cattle sheds where he patiently explained to the children about the beef cattle kept on the farm, their feeding, conditions, age, weight, breeds and even how much they can sell for. With our school being in such a rural setting the students were very keen to listen to how our food is produced even if a few admitted that they were not meat eaters. The walk around the rest of the farm really showed of its size and organisation plus stunning views of the beautiful Hampshire countryside. The wooded area was made more interesting this year with a few extra trees down after Storm Eunice and a few startled pheasants! The students will be using the notes that they made on the day to write this up as their next assessed piece of Year 7 work.View Article
Bar Mock Trials
Posted on: 7/04/2022

Bar Mock Trials

Members of the Jury, I stand before you to deliver the closing statement for the prosecution, my name is Mrs Pretsell and I represent the Crown in the case against Amery Hill.  The charge is that the students of Amery Hill performed brilliantly at the Southern Region Mock Trials Competition, and brought prestige and honour to both themselves and the school.  Members of the Jury, this is an occasion when the only credible verdict you will be able to return is guilty:  they were brilliant. Let me remind you of the facts of the case; our barristers:  Lucy D, Albie P, Isabel P and Chloe S were dedicated and clever lawyers who prepared their cases meticulously and questioned with an unerring dedication to clarity and precision.  They were brutal - woe betide anyone who ever wants to take them on in an argument.  Supporting the barristers were the four witnesses who were questioned in these cases.  The Amery witnesses: Max J, Griff P, Aleya S and Orla T were guilty of knowing all the facts of their stories, conveying their testimony with great confidence and standing stalwart against fierce questioning. Running the court were another two students guilty of brilliance and coolness in the demanding courtroom drama.  Anya F, our court clerk, was peerless and Sophie J (usher) was as cool as a very cool cucumber.  Finally, other schools were kept on their toes by the brilliant and incisive services of jury members Sian L and Hazel R - nothing was going to get past them as they exercised their civic duty with true professionalism. Admittedly, the Amery Hill Team did not win the competition but in mitigation it must be noted that they were Year 10 students and they were challenging teams from 6th Form Colleges.  They are David facing very many Goliaths.  They might not have defeated Goliath but they gave him bruised shins, broken fingers and a nasty suspected concussion. So finally, members of the Jury, as you decide if this team from Amery is indeed guilty of being brilliant, I charge you to remember that these students worked so hard for five months preparing this case, they conducted themselves perfectly and they made Mrs Smith and me feel so incredibly proud to be their teachers.  You must return a unanimous verdict of guilty.View Article
Quiz Night Success
Posted on: 6/04/2022

Quiz Night Success

On Friday 1st April, Friends of Amery Hill held their first fundraising event in a long time with a well supported Quiz Night raising funds for the school; it was a great success in so many ways. It was wonderful to see the hall so busy and everyone really enjoying themselves. We had over 100 attendees, comprising of 14 teams. The cash bar, offering a selection of Prosecco, red and white wine, ale, lager, water and soft drinks was well supported and the picnics brought by individuals looked delicious. A very special thank you to our quiz master, Hannah Fry.  Hannah was amazing and kept the noisy hall of people under control, whilst testing their knowledge with a great selection of questions, some of which had the teams stumped. Many congratulations to the winners, ‘Where’s Graeme and Liz?’ who received a trophy and a small box of Easter Eggs!  The losers, ‘Govs and the Old Govs’, were awarded a very appropriate wooden spoon, carved with an upside-down smile. During the interval, the £1 coin roll brought out everyone’s competitive streak.  After the throwing of many coins, the winner was Fiona Pearce who won a lovely bottle of champagne.  Many  congratulations Fiona! A fabulous £1,106 was raised from ticket sales, proceeds from the bar and the coin roll, which will go a long way to buying additional equipment for the school. We have recently been able to purchase a new PA System for the hall, with remote microphone, sound system and speakers - it certainly proved its worth on Friday night. A big thank you to the parents and staff who helped at the event. We really do appreciate all of your support and this could not take place without you. We do have a few more events planned for the summer term.  Do keep a look out in the weekly parental bulletin for updates. If you would like to become involved with helping at these events please email us at friendsofameryhill@gmail.comView Article

30 Blog Posts found - Showing 1-9

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