Science Videos

Photosynthesis with 4CM – This is a clip made with a very wide ability group of youngsters. It engaged interest at National Curriculum Levels 1 to 6. Chris Hughes AST No pupils were harmed in the production of this film.

Respiration with 6CD 4CM – This is a clip made with a very wide ability group of youngsters. It engaged interest at National Curriculum Levels 1 to 6.

Zinc Sulphide – Made to encourage exciting practical demonstrations and aimed at novice or non-specialist teachers who want to engage and inspire their pupils.

Sodium, Lithium, Potassium – Made to encourage exciting practical demonstrations and aimed at novice or non-specialist teachers who want to engage and inspire their pupils.

Newton and a Rokit – Here a proprietary compressed air rocket (rokit) is used to inspire a group of youngsters to start investigating forces and motion. The questions and investigations that can be developed from this can be tailored to fit abilities from those of typical primary children, pupils with special needs, through to Advanced Level GCSE and beyond. It is also fun.

 Chris Hughes AST

Dance Sharing Afternoon 15th March 2010

Throughout the Spring term KS3 classes and one class from the Coppice site have been developing dances based on ‘emotions and creative ideas’ during their physical education lessons. The lessons were linked in planning to other areas of the curriculum, for example Literacy, Art or Numeracy. Music, props and the development ideas came from the pupils themselves and culminated in a Dance Sharing Afternoon. Two dance areas were marked, one being a performance floor and the other a performance mat square. All key stage 3 pupils watched each other perform the dance that they had been working on. 8CH Sports Leaders took on various roles to ensure that the afternoon was supported with refreshments, props placement and removal and enough seating. Special thanks to Phil Hurst for bringing over the extra chairs too. The response following the afternoon from both the pupils themselves and the staff watching was extremely positive; one pupil said, ‘I loved every minute of it; loved it and want to do it again’. A visiting member of staff was ‘extremely moved’ by the performances of the pupils … so definitely a worthwhile event. This is the second time that this has happened and will more than likely become a bi annual event.

Carol Palin

Blackfriars / Coppice Federation Bench Ball Competition

Two Y11 Coppice teams and two Y12 Blackfriars teams arrived at Blackfriars Newcastle to play a Bench Ball Competition organised by 8CH Sports Leaders group.

They had planned the tournament over the last three weeks, everyone knew what they had to do and got on with it very well. Roles were varied, ranging from collecting the score card from the ref at the end of each game and taking it to the scorers table to keeping sole control and order of the scoring (a very big responsibility and one carried out by with tremendous professionalism).

The atmosphere was tremendous, with everyone playing in a friendly way, win or lose!

One member of staff commented that he was very impressed with the efficiency of the Sports Leaders and our neutral referee, Alex Morris, said that he, ‘really enjoyed the afternoon’

Our Headteacher, Clive Lilley, came over to present the cup to the wining team, Coppice White, who actually drew on points with Coppice Blue team, but won overall on number of goals scored in all of their games.

Many, many thanks to everyone who took part, helped with the organisation of the event in any way or who cheered the players on.

Carol Palin
Blackfriars, Newcastle

8CH London Trip

Stoke station hasn’t seen anything like it for a long time: Eleven teenagers from 8CH descended on the Station Café from 8 a.m. ready to invade the Big Smoke. By 8.30 most had already eaten their packed lunches and were raring to go. When the train arrived two assistants from Travelcare helped us with ramps and within a minute we were safely on board and settling into our seats.
The journey was brilliant, the café on the train served drinks and it didn’t take long before other passengers were chatting away with us. A few of the youngsters had never travelled on a train before and they were very impressed by the speed and comfort even when the train tilted as it travelled round some of the bends. It was smooth and quiet.
Once at Euston Travelcare helped us off and we walked to the concourse ready to begin our trek to the British Museum. The group stuck tightly together through the heavy rain, crossing the six lanes of Euston Road in two groups (The pedestrian refuge in the middle of the road was too small for all of us together.). We traversed Southampton Row and Tavistock Square without ropes but totally saturated as the heavens opened while we passed the sad location of the 2007 bus bomb.
Five minutes later we sailed into the Montague Street entrance. It was a pity we never got to enter via the Grand Façade at the front of the British Museum but cold, wet and hunger is a powerful force for common sense. We quickly reassembled in the Great Court café and bought soup and hot drinks, cakes and sandwiches, as one pupil was heard to say; “this place is awesome”
The Ancient Egyptian gallery was packed as our steaming party pondered the vastness of time since the mummies breathed and walked in the sunshine. We marvelled at the ancient craftsmanship and artistry. Around us a whole Babel of languages filled the galleries: English, French, German, Spanish, Arabic, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Hungarian, and a dozen others. Where had all these people come from? We knew why.
The next stage of the trip was the shopping phase. The museum shops have some fantastic items that are unique and excellent quality but some of the prices gave us interesting conversations, would you eat off a £200 plate? Or buy a handbag for £600?
Once the shopping urge had been sated 8CH circulated the ground floor, Josh posing next to a giant carved fist from 2000 BC, and everyone awed by the scale, the antiquity and the grandeur.
The weather was kinder on our walk back to Euston in the dark but the rush hour bustle kept our little group tight knit and wary.
Inside the station more food and drink was bought, the youngsters going themselves to order and pay for their choices, scattered in groups of three or four. All within sight of each other inside the café atrium and assisted where necessary by Blackfriars staff.
At 7.00 p.m we had boarded the train to go home only to find that all our reserved seating and wheelchair places were occupied. Our youngsters bravely and politely asked people to relinquish their places and apart from a couple of grumps they did so with good grace and humour.
Soon it was 8.30 and with Travelcare and parents waiting we alighted the train in under a minute. What a brilliant day.

Chris Hughes Form Teacher

Blackfriars Remembers

On the eleventh day of the eleventh month at the eleventh hour Students, Staff and guests sat in silence for two minutes as images of soldiers from around the world, War graves, and First World War were displayed to remind us all of the need to remember.
The ‘Drum Head’ Ceremony was led by Mrs Emmens. Wreaths were laid by a School Council representative from each class, representative from the schools management team and colleagues representing the kitchen staff, lunchtime supervisors as well as a Community Police Officer, the Taxi services who
bring pupils to school and the Paediatric Physiotherapists who work within school. Our local community was represented by a mother and her children. Her three year old daughter laid a wreath at the cenotaph symbolising the breadth of community who came together on the day.
Mr Gilbert closed the ceremony by reading Binyon’s ‘We Will Remember Them’:

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.