Pocklington School Newsletter Michaelmas Term 2018 | Page 3

Michaelmas Term Roundup
Lower School
Sports Tour of
South Africa
What a busy first term it has been in the Lower School! Sixty Four 1st Years joined us in September,
along with two pupils new into the 2nd Year and they have very quickly settled in to their new
surroundings. Within weeks, many of them were taking part in House Drama, with some taking on
leading roles for their houses. With sports fixtures, music rehearsals and a great number of activities
keeping them busy during the week, I am sure they are now more than ready for their well-deserved
Christmas break. The First years must be congratulated for their stunning performance in the
Autumn Concert. They brought Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat to life. As
Michaelmas Term reports are collected, I would encourage our pupils to carefully reflect on all they
have achieved this term. Please give them a great big pat on the back and importantly, look for a
few key areas on which they can improve next term. I wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and a
Happy New Year.
Middle School
This year we welcomed an outstanding group of new 3rd Years into the Middle School and they are
already collecting Merits and Distinctions with gratifying frequency. The 4th Year have been getting
used to their new, smaller tutor groups, and throwing themselves into House Sports and House
Drama competitions.
Middle School is the perfect time to grasp co-curricular opportunities, to learn how to work
together as a team and how to take the lead. House competitions have been a particularly
successful example of this because win or lose, everyone’s had fun and learned a great deal.
Middle School pupils contribute to every aspect of the School, and this term we’ve enjoyed lots of
individual success in sports, music and drama. A special mention must go to the 4th Year HPQ
students who worked so hard in the build-up up to their impressive presentations in the library.
Some stars for the future already shining a little more brightly.
Next term our focus moves on to House charity fundraising. Pupils have already chosen some
excellent and worthwhile causes; we look forward to watching them come up with ingenious
fundraising ideas and applying their spirit and drive to put them into practice.
Pupils gained an insight into the joys and
challenges of growing up in South Africa during
a hugely successful sports tour of the country
during the summer.
The 71 4th Year to Lower Sixth pupils saw at first
hand the poverty which besets many people in
rural areas and townships, beginning with a visit
to the Goedgedacht Trust, which promotes
community development in rural areas by
working to help children break out of poverty.
They enjoyed a surf lesson with eight times
South African Surfing Champion Roxy Davis in
Durbanville and spent three nights in Cape
Town, including a visit to Nelson Mandela’s
former prison cell on Robben Island, and a
helicopter trip over Table Mountain and Cape
Town beneath. Pupils also went shark cage
diving, watched endangered African penguins
at Boulders Beach and fed elephants at the
Knysna Sanctuary.
The tour included several rugby and hockey
matches against local schools, which were
fought fiercely but in good spirit by both sides.
Academic Update
This term we redefined and re-launched the
Pocklington School values of Courage, Truth
and Trust, making it easier for staff and pupils to
apply them within our community.
Academic successes and special achievements
include our first cohort of Sixth Form Sports
Leaders successfully completing their Level 3
qualifications and our Home Cooking Skills
students achieving a 100% pass rate.
Our Senior Team won the regional final of the
UKMT Senior Team Maths Challenge and now
progress to the national finals in London in
February.
Newly-introduced ICT/Computing courses have
started well, with 4th Years following the
Cambridge National in ICT (equivalent to a
GCSE), and Lower Sixth Formers studying the
BTEC Extended Certificate in ICT (equivalent to
one A level).
Upper Sixth students have successfully
completed
their
Extended
Project
Qualifications, and this year twelve 4th Year
pupils submitted artefacts, essays and gave
impressive talks to complete a Higher Project
Qualification (worth half a GCSE).
Ellie described the trip as "a real eye opener
into how fortunate we really are," and Verity
added: "I felt really inspired to make a
difference to the children we had the privilege
of meeting at the Goedgedacht Trust."
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