Students’ talents shine through in Arts Festival success
It was on a cold and gloomy evening in February this year that the idea for the Ridgeway Arts Festival first emerged. The summer has always been a productive time at the school: the main hall filled to the brim with fantastic art and design work, photography, and technology projects; the courtyard filled with singing and instrumental music (weather permitting); drama performances squeezed into the cramped spaces offered by A6 and A7. It was suggested that these events be bracketed together to make a Festival. It turned out that some pretty big brackets were required. And, so, to the summer … [See photo slideshow]
The Art, Photography and Technology Exhibition formed the centre-piece of the Festival. This year’s work has been exceptional. The Technology projects show an attention to detail and an imaginative approach to design which is incredibly impressive – both on the page, and in the final, three dimensional realisation of those designs. The A level art work is outstanding, a fact recognised by visiting Examiners earlier in the year. Walking around the exhibition space, you become aware of distinct, individual approaches at work. The A level photography (similarly acknowledged by visiting examiners to be superbly conceived and executed) again shows young artists at work – confident in their experiments with the tools of their trade, and gifted with the ability to execute both the making of shots and the editing processes which follow. The exhibition has been visited throughout the Festival: by students in the course of their lessons, by visitors intrigued by the promotional material they saw in the community, and by audiences on their way to attend performances.
The creation of a suitable performance space was critical to the success of the Festival. The marquee put up in the courtyard proved to be an inspired solution: it offered shelter in the case of rain, and the rain did come on the final night. It created interest throughout the daytime; it became a warmly welcoming theatre/concert hall for the dozens of young performers and their enthusiastic audiences to occupy. In the course of a few days, the Big Tent proved most versatile. It hosted a student-run event – a concert organised and performed by the BTEC Music group. It became a friendly and welcoming spot where musicians could just stand up and have a go, on the “Open Mic Night”. It proved big enough to hold the Ridgeway Choir and sufficiently intimate to support the performances of solo instrumentalists and singers. It was transformed, at different times, into the Wild West, for the Year 10 Drama production of “Macbeth”, and a host of global and off-world locations for the Year 8 sci-fi comedy drama, “Attack from Out Space”.
Now, the Festival is over. However, whilst the art has been dismantled and the audiences have gone, the spirit of the Festival is still at large. The striking images and objects that were in the exhibition live on in the mind when you walk through the now empty Main Hall. Stand in the grassed courtyard between the staff room and the LRC, and you can still see the outline of the performance area, with the grass flattened where around a hundred students at one time or another, acted, sang or played.
Important letters for Year 12 & 13 students
Post 16 leavers Dear Student, The letter available for you to download (see below) covers in detail, your A level results, help and advice, UCAS confirmation letters and an invitation to the A Level Certificate Presentation Evening at Elfordleigh Hotel. Please could you also download and complete a Leavers' form (see link below) to bring with you when you attend results' day. Post 16 leavers letter [178 KB PDF] Leavers form 2010 [183 KB PDF] |
New Year 12 and 13 students : Details of the new term start for September 2010 Dear Student, Now that you have completed your examinations we hope that you are looking forward to the next stage of your development. These letters contain important details that you need to be aware of regards your exam results and arrangements for the start of the new term. We also offer a warm welcome to new Yr 12 students from other schools: Please take time to download and read the letter below. Ridgeway Post 16 Transfer Programme [114 KB PDF] New Y13 details for Sept 2011 [172 KB PDF] New Year 12 students from other schools [109 KB PDF] Mr M Worth: Director of Post 16 Mrs H Mudge: Head of Post 16 Mr K Waters: Head of Vocational Education |
Recent news stories
Presenting awards to successful students is always a pleasure at Ridgeway School and no more so than at the Annual Celebration of Success Evening. Held at Plymouth Guildhall, this special event is much anticipated by staff and students alike. And so it was with this year’s event, where guest speaker, Gary Streeter, Conservative MP for South West Devon, presented an array of hard won awards to students in Years 7 to 10. It is a celebration of all manner of successes that recognises students’ academic achievement, conspicuous effort and significant improvement across all the subject areas taught in the school. There are also awards for individual and team triumphs, service to the school and service to the community. As Ridgeway is a Science and Maths specialist school, awards for excellence in both categories were presented to winners in Years 7 to 10. Further awards were made to a number of our Gifted and Talented students. Sports ties were awarded this year for football, rugby and rounders. Students winning these prestigious ties will be allowed to wear them instead of the normal school ties. Most had made the change before the end of the evening! [See photo slideshow] Headteacher, John Didymus, began the evening by paying tribute to the staunch support that Gary Streeter has given to the school over a number of years. He went on to congratulate all the students on their achievements and to acknowledge the support given by parents to their children and to the school thus enabling this success to take place. Gary Streeter took as the theme of his address, positive choices in changing times. In an engaging, and often humorous, speech, he outlined some of the political, technological and cultural features of the world of 1992, when he first went into politics, and compared them with the world of today. He urged the students to prepare themselves thoroughly for their future because the nature of that future was uncertain and could not be predicted. Telling the students it was a future which was theirs to shape. He added, ‘You get out of life what you put in to it’, and stated, ‘the harder you work, the luckier you get’. The evening began and ended with vibrant performances by some of Ridgeway’s massively successful dancers. The programme was interspersed with a colourful and exciting presentation of ‘Fame’ by the school’s Steel Band and a moving medley of songs from ‘Wicked’ dramatically and dynamically presented by the Ridgeway School Choir. |
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The end of GCSEs can only mean the Year 11 Prom, an event that is always keenly anticipated and thoroughly prepared for well in advance. There was certainly plenty of evidence of that preparation as the students arrived in an array of hired transport looking their catwalk best. As in previous years, the Elfordleigh Hotel played host to this year’s prom and again the beautiful weather played its part. The difference this time was, perhaps, the ever increasing number of family members who turned out to see their sons and daughters arrive in style and to take the obligatory photos of them dressed in all their finery. [See photo slideshow] The girls looked stunning in their magnificent ball gowns or evening dresses and the boys, in their suits and dinner jackets, were transformed into James Bond lookalikes. Limousines, classic cars and a pink bus was largely the transport of choice but arriving on a classic motor bike with more as a noisy escort certainly provided the unusual entrance of the evening. It wasn’t long before the evening got into full swing with the DJ getting most of the students and even some of the staff on the dance floor. Head of Year 11 and organiser, Mr Tinkler, said, ‘They have been a great year group and this was seen in the way they joined together to celebrate the five years they have enjoyed at Ridgeway School. We look forward to seeing them back in next year’s Post 16’. The evening was a roaring success and a fantastic time was had by all. |
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The media reporting of the recent national election emphasised the cut, thrust and arguing that we have all come to recognise as modern politics: Now a hung parliament is in office, it still highlights the negative aspects of cross party agendas rather than showing MPs working together for the future, however, politics in Plympton are different. The competitive edge still exists but there is also agreement that working with young people to encourage engagement with politics has to be taken seriously. Over the last couple of months students in the post 16 Politics Club at Ridgeway School have had visits from all three candidates. Luke Pollard, Anna Pascoe and Gary Streeter have all visited the lunch time meetings to provide their support for the first student run Mock Election at the school, organised by Kirsty Kellet, Ryan Moore, Liam Moore Tanya Flower, Matylda Maciejewska and Lewis Condron-Farnos. The team organised “hustings” events during the lower school IAG (Information, Advice & Guidance) lessons on behalf of the three main parties and helped Martin Tinkler (Head of Citizenship) with the organisation of the poll. Anna Pascoe and Gary Streeter attended the election and spoke to voters outside the polling station after they had voted. Martin Tinkler said, “It is important that we stick as closely as possible to the way that a proper election is organised“. Results have shown Tanya Flower as the clear winner for the Conservative Party. |
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Falconer Ben Potter travelled down from Yorkshire earlier in the year with his birds of prey to put on a flying display with vultures and eagles; just one of the many activities that took place during National Science Week at Ridgeway. Don't be alarmed by photos 14 and 17 of the slideshow... no students were hurt! [See it here] |
Students’ success brings pride to Ridgeway awards’ evening
Oh! What a night
Ridgeway School mock election: Working together to make a difference
Two amazing Ridgeway students
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Community news: PCs on PCs
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Ofsted inspection team heap praise on staff and students |
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Ridgeway School was the first Plymouth secondary school to be inspected by Ofsted using the tough new testing measures put in place in September this year. This much more rigorous inspection process identified ‘a number of strong features that make Ridgeway School popular with parents and students’. The report also commented that the care, guidance and support received by the students was ‘fantastic’ and helped them develop as well-rounded people who behave well and value the relationships with teachers and each other. In his opening comment, HMI Jonathan Palk, was eager to point out that the inspection team enjoyed being in lessons, meeting students and he emphasised that they were particularly impressed by the behaviour of students around the school and in lessons. Identifying the curriculum as offering ‘some outstanding academic, vocational and social experiences,’ he went on to say that, ‘As a consequence, students from a wide range of backgrounds enjoy their time at school, develop strong bonds with each other and the adults that work with them, and develop positive values’. The report also recognises that, ‘students are impeccably supported and nurtured through a range of integrated studies’ which have been part of an upward shift in teachers’ expectations leading to standards that have risen on most measures including the important five or more grades A* to C including English and mathematics. The inspectors identified the curriculum as ‘personalised extensively and there is a real sense of the school finding and delivering the right courses for the right students’. |
Identifying teaching as good, Mr Palk said, ‘it is this that motivates students’. He added, ‘Any identified underachievement is tackled quickly through a combination of targeted intervention, departmental initiatives and changes to the curriculum’. As a consequence the inspection team believed that, ‘the majority of students are on track to reach their expected targets and the more able students make good progress to reach their challenging targets’. In identifying, ‘strong features of teaching throughout the school’ the inspection team were impressed by ‘a clear focus on the learning at the start of the lessons and the use of the final part of the lesson to help students draw this together’. They also said, ‘Lessons are engaging with a good balance of practical activities, discussion and group working’ adding, ‘learning is fast paced’. Commenting on care, guidance and support, the inspection team said, ‘The promotion of respect and valuing others is at the heart of the school’s ethos’. As a consequence, they reported, ‘Any rare bullying incidents are dealt with effectively and promptly’ They were unequivocal in stating, ‘Ridgeway School offers a safe environment’. Parents gave the school overwhelming praise in the Ofsted questionnaire where responses showed, ’very high levels of satisfaction with the work of the school’. The parents responded particularly strongly to praise the impact of the curriculum and are confident that the teaching is good and that their children are making enough progress. A copy of the Ofsted report is available here [518 KB pdf]. |
Ridgeway School PTA |
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Minutes of our last AGM on 29th September 2009 are available to download here [17.4 KB pdf]. |
The PTA always welcomes new members interested in supporting the school. Have you thought of joining us or do you know of anyone who would be interested? Minutes from past meetings are available below, followed by the date of the next scheduled meeting: 11th June 2009 [21.7 KB PDF] 23rd March 2010 [17 KB PDF] 4th May 2010 [22 KB PDF] 8th June 2010 [18 KB PDF] Next scheduled meeting: AGM on 28th September in the LRC at 7pm |
University & college open days |
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Ridgeway student voice survey: PE 2009 As part of our commitment to giving you - our students, the best possible lessons, choice of clubs and facilities we'd be grateful if you could spend a few minutes of your time letting us know your views by filling in a short survey. You don't have to give your name and your opinions will enable us to shape the schools PE curriculum to suit you and meet the requirements of the National Curriculum. Thank you! |
Plymstock SSP  Plymstock SSP is a community of primary and secondary schools from Plymouth in South Devon, who work together to help young people take part in sport. |
An animated view of climate issues and ocean acidification
Ridgeway students have made a short animated film [See it here] which is being used internationally to highlight the acidification of the world's seas. Called 'The Other CO2 Problem', the film was commissioned by Dr Carol Turley from Plymouth Marine Laboratory, a leading authority on ocean acidification who had seen a previous film (which won a Europe wide film making competition held by Euroceans) made by the students which highlighted the problem of pollution in the seas.
Sixteen students drew up the storyline, designed and made the starring characters from plasticine then filmed the stop frame animation. Seventy other students composed and played the accompanying music. [Read more on the BBC Devon website]
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ITV Westcountry covered this local news story on Tuesday 17th June: Watch it again here |
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Watch the winning film 
Highlighting the work of the School Council
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At The Eden Project: Researching Sustainable Development. Last year, four members of the School Council paid a visit to the Eden Project to interview the Development Director there, in order to gather ideas for sustainable development for future building at Ridgeway and prior to installing a rainwater harvesting & recycling system at a local primary school 
Get fit in 2009
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Language faculty news
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This week 17 students (and two teachers) from our link school in Cádiz “IES Sidón”
Making Primary Languages Our Business” is a 
The award winning Ridgeway School Canteen
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