Y8/9 Onatti Theatre Company Visit 🎭

Y8 and Y9 students who are studying French were treated to a performance in the French language. Onatti Theatre Company visited RCS again to perform their play, ‘Prendre sa revanche’. 

Students really enjoyed the performance, and some students were even invited up on stage to use their French.  Well done to Anna, Sasha, Waris, Macey, and Jenson who were brave enough to get on stage!   

The two actors, Bastian and Emilie, enjoyed working with our students. Onatti will return in June to perform to Y9 and Y10 in Spanish – we look forward to seeing them again. 

Y11 Rotherham Plate Winners ⚽

On Saturday 15th March, our Year 11 footballers were crowned Rotherham School Plate winners after a hard fought 5-3 victory against Oakwood School!

Despite twice going in front and leading 1-0 and 2-1 thanks to goals from M Wilson and S Da Cruz, the boys found themselves trailing 2-3 at half time and were made to work hard for their victory by a resolute Oakwood team. 

However, thanks to three late goals, a fantastic long range effort from A Chambers, a L Foster header, and a M Wilson one on one finish, the win was confirmed in style to bring the trophy back to Rawmarsh!

Well done to all of the boys who represented our school so well on the day, and whose level of effort and skill was fantastic throughout, not only during the final but in previous rounds as well! 

Y10 La Fiesta Visit 🥘

¡Que delicioso!

Year 10 students studying Spanish went to La Fiesta in Doncaster to practice their use of the language, and try typical Spanish dishes.

Students really got into the idea of tasting and sharing the different foods on offer, and were fantastic ambassadors for our school. This was RCS' second visit of the year, and we hope to take students from Y8 and Y9 later in the year.

Well done Y10!

Yorkshire Wildlife Park Trip 🦒

Y3 and Y4 had an amazing time at Yorkshire Wildlife Park to support their learning in Geography. They were determined to see every single animal the wildlife park had, and they also attended a great lesson on Polar Bears, to learn more about the subject of Antarctica and climate change. 

Outdoor Activities in Foundation ☀

The Foundation Stage children at Thrybergh Primary School have been busy exploring some outdoor learning activities in the sunshine. Everyone had so much fun, and did a fantastic job taking part.

Well done! 

TT Rockstar Battle in Y3 ✖

Class 3 at Thrybergh Primary School have recently taken part in a TT Rockstars battle! The battle was set by Mrs Parry McDermott, with only two days until results are in. Everyone has been working so hard, and should be super proud of themselves. 

TGA Student Donates to The Little Princess Trust 💇‍♀️

TGA student, Sofia, has kindly donated fifteen inches of her own hair to The Little Princess Trust. Sofia’s donation, alongside her other fundraising will help the charity to continue to give ‘Hair and Hope’ to children, and young people who have lost their hair through cancer treatments. This is such an amazing and selfless act of kindness. 

AMP Rose Printer Donation 🖨

Alan from AMP Rose recently came into The Gainsborough Academy to deliver a 3D printer, which they have generously donated to the school. AMP Rose support careers sessions at the academy on a regular basis, and work with a number of students each year.

Thank you for your amazing donation, and all you do to support the academy!

Y8 Football Glory 🏆

For the last football game of the season, the Y8 boys came up against a much-improved NK side. The boys were high in confidence, ready and raring to go. The game started off fairly even with some great battles within the midfield. NK scored first but Gainsborough responded instantly with Elliot scoring the equaliser after a great delivery from Liam. 

The game finished 4-2 to Gainsborough and the Man of the Match was Elliot who achieved two goals and one assist! 

What a way to end the season!

Firefighters Visit Aston Lodge 🚒

On Friday 28th February, the children at Aston Lodge were lucky to have Aston Green Watch Firefighters pay them a visit. All classes (including nursery), had the opportunity to sit inside the fire engine, see the ‘jaws of life’, try on a firefighters uniform, and even use the water hose! 

In the afternoon, the Aston Green Watch returned to talk to Sycamore and Holly Class about what is involved in a firefighting career, as part of ‘Careers Month’. They were very interested to learn, and found out that young people can join the ‘Fire Cadets’ once they reach the age of 13. 

Thank you to Aston Green Watch!

World Book Day 📚

Aston Lodge had a brilliant time celebrating World Book Day! The children looked absolutely fabulous in their costumes, some of which were homemade by themselves! Others looked comfy and cosy in their pyjamas and onesies. All classes enjoyed an afternoon of book related activities, celebrating our school’s love of books.

Fantastic work, well done everyone!

Reading for Pleasure 📖

The children at Aston Lodge have absolutely loved exploring our Book Fair, and even got to choose one free book each to take home.

 Everyone represented the school brilliantly, and should be super proud of themselves.

Great work!

World Book Day 2025 📚

On Thursday 6th March, Foljambe students had a fantastic time celebrating World Book Day. The children dressed up as their favourite character, and put such fantastic effort into their costumes. Everyone took part in a variety of World Book Day themed activities, and did lots of reading throughout the day. 

Amazing work, well done Foljambe!

FS1/2 Animal Activities 🐶

A couple of weeks ago, we had some very exciting visitors! Maggie the dog came to Foljambe and the children were lovely and calm around her. The children that wanted to stroke Maggie practiced asking permission first and we talked about safety around dogs that we don't know, plus lots more! 

After this, Mrs Heydon brought in her pet tortoises - Gizmo, Salt and Pepper!

Y5/6 History 📜

In History, Y5/6 have been looking at how the transport, and transport networks changed across Britain during the Industrial Revolution, and how this impacted the country. They worked in groups to create a timeline of the developments, and did a fantastic job.

Well done everyone!

Police Visit Y1 🚔

Y1 had some special visitors - the police - who kindly invited the children to look around the police car! 

Everyone had so much fun turning on the siren, and learnt lots about what it's like to be a Police Officer.

Well done Y1 - you represented Brinsworth fantastically!

Yorkshire Wildlife Park 🦒

Chestnut and Holly Class had an amazing day at Yorkshire Wildlife Park recently. They explored the park and saw lots of exciting animals. They also displayed fabulous subject knowledge on the polar bears during their Polar Bears and the Arctic workshop. They represented the school fantastically, and all learnt lots.

Well done everyone!

Red Nose Day 🔴

On Friday 21st March, the children at Brinsworth Whitehill wore red in support of Comic Relief. 

Everyone learnt why this event is important, and the different ways they could fundraise in the community. The children also completed some fun, Red Nose Day themed activities.

Gymnastics Champions 🤸‍♀️

We are extremely pleased to report that WSSC students, Ava and Abigail, took part in the Yorkshire School’s Gymnastics Championships, hosted at Barnsley Metrodome. The pair brought home the gold medal, making them U19 Yorkshire Champions. They performed flawlessly and were a credit to the school and their club, Rotherham Acro. They now progress to the National Championships in May.

Amazing work, well done!

Mock Interviews 🤝

On Monday 10th and Tuesday 11th March, our Y11 and Sixth Form students had the opportunity to experience mock interviews, that were conducted by employers from the local area. Students experienced questions they might encounter in a real world interview, allowing them to gain confidence for any future interviews.

Wickersley School and Sports College would like to thank the employers who volunteered their time to assist with our mock interview programme!

Christopher's Wonderful Achievements 👏

One of our Y11 students, Christopher, has achieved some fantastic things over the last few months!

He has been performing at Rotherham Civic Theatre in Rotherham Rep's stage production of Kes, playing the iconic role of Billy Casper (and working with a real kestrel on stage!).

He has also played the lead role in Wickersley Youngstars' musical production of Rock of Ages!

Not only this, but Christopher has recently taken part in a sky dive, where he jumped out of a plane at 13,000 feed to raise money for the Sick Children's Trust - he raised over £500!

We are extremely proud of Christopher for exploring his passions and never giving up.

British Sign Language Week 🖐

As part of British Sign Language week, Y4 took part in an online Sign Language lesson. The children discussed why sign language is used, and how important it is to the deaf community. During the session, everyone learnt to sign their names, and did such a fantastic job.

Well done!

Reading Celebration 📚

This term, we have relaunched our Bug Club learning programme at home, sharing the new resources the children can access at home with parents. We have also been celebrating reading in school. The children in Y1 and FS have their own accounts for their own Bug Club worlds, where they can access a range of wonderful online books and phonics games, which class teachers have uploaded to the children’s accounts. 

Y5 Engineering Workshop ⚙

On Tuesday 4th March, Y3 girls took part in the #LetGirlsPlay initiative, and were invited to Wath Academy to develop their football skills. The children worked really hard on developing team work skills, alongside children from other schools. They were actively engaged and inspired!

Everyone showed some fantastic resilience - well done Y3!

Y6 Student Donates to The Little Princess Trust 💇‍♀️

We are so proud of Y5/6 student, Ashleigh, from Miss Ellis’ class. For the second time, she has had her long hair cut off, to donate to The Little Princess Trust which is a fantastic charity that supports childhood cancer research, and provides free wigs made from real hair for children and young adults who have lost their hair through cancer treatment.

So far, as well as donating her hair, she has raised more than £700 for The Little Princess Trust. What a fantastic achievement, well done Ashleigh!

Aston Hall Students Take Part in the Biggest Ever Football Session ⚽

Earlier this month, all the students at Aston Hall took part in the England Football event, Biggest Ever Football Session. They had an incredible time enjoying a variety of football activities, and showcasing fantastic skills, teamwork and encouragement for one another. 

We would also like to say a massive thank you to Mrs Rodgers, who coached all day!

Children's Capital of Culture and Firma Kodde Productions Visit 📣

On Wednesday 12th February, Aston Hall J&I hosted a school and community event as part of Rotherham Children’s Capital of Culture 2025.

We welcomed all the way from the Netherlands, Firma Kodde Productions, who hosted their famous ‘Roar Race’ at our school. During the day, our playground was transformed into a race track, for the children to engage in activities with the actors from Firma Kodde. This continued after school, so parents could spectate and see the event in action too. The Roar Race features special tricycles that react to sound. The louder you scream, the faster you go.

These community performances allow the Children’s Capital of Culture to reach new audiences, share their new highlights guide for the first quarter of their programme this year, and allow children, young people, and their families to experience a creative spectacle in the cold months of the year!

CCS Awarded Quality in Careers Standard 💼

Clifton Community School (CCS) has been awarded the national Quality in Careers Standard using the Career Mark approach. 

The Quality in Careers Standard is the national quality award for overall careers education and guidance provision in secondary schools, colleges and Independent Training Providers. 

In order to gain the award, a full audit and assessment of the careers programme was conducted, looking at how it supports students throughout their time at schools, ensuring they are ready to make their all important post-16 decisions in Year 11. 

Students from all year groups were interviewed about their careers education, and the students were able to explain this confidently to the assessors. They were a true credit to CCS and WPT. 

CCS Kindness Initiative 💌

At the start of term, we launched our Kindness Initiative, where students receive a golden ticket for displaying any act of kindness or good manners. They post their golden ticket in the golden ticket box, with one ticket drawn out each week by Mrs Leng, and the winner receives a £20 voucher.

We also have an end of half term bonus week, where a golden ticket is drawn out for each year group, alongside one final draw for a half term big prize, which this half term, is Apple Airpods.

Knife Crime Workshop 🚨

At Clifton, we make it a priority to keep our students safe, we therefore felt it was important to educate and spread awareness on the issues surrounding knife crime. On Wednesday 12th March, we invited Ant from the Always an Alternative charity, created with the aim of challenging the mindset of young people, and supporting them to make well informed, positive life choices, both in the short term and empowering them to maintain these skills for life. Always an Alternative aims to spread awareness around reducing knife crime, gun crime, gangs culture and anti-social behaviour.  

Medical Mavericks Event

This term, we welcomed Medical Mavericks to the Trust. We identified Y9 students with an interest in working in the medical and care sectors, and they were able to try out small medical procedures such as taking blood pressure, doing an ECG, performing keyhole surgery, and even taking blood from a phlebotomy training arm. The students took part in all the activities on offer, and they really enjoyed the sessions, with one student commenting that it had ‘secured his ambition of becoming a doctor.’

We are looking forward to working with these students further in the future to support them in their medical careers. We would also like to say a massive thank you to the South Yorkshire Careers Hub, for their support in funding this fantastic event. 

WPT Careers Fair 

At the beginning of March, Y10 students attended their Careers Fair. This was an opportunity for students to learn about the options they have after they leave school in Y11. Students spent time learning about the different options in more detail, learning how to use the careers platform Unifrog, and finally, a session on preparing for their upcoming work experience.

As part of the day, all students were invited to Cranworth Road to meet approximately 40 post 16 employers and apprenticeship providers, which was a real highlight of the day. It was great to see the students speaking to our visitors, and asking some brilliant questions about career pathways. Thank you so much to all our local businesses and colleges for their continued support, and to our students for really making the most of the day.  

Don Valley Festival 2025

Class 15 Rotherham Alcohol and Drugs Awareness Workshop 🍺

In a recent session with Rotherham Alcohol and Drugs Services, Class 15 explored various illegal drugs, their associated risks, and the penalties for possession or distribution. In our next session, we will focus on strategies to resist peer pressure related to drug use.  

Well done everyone!

Animal Therapy at Woodland View 🐰

The children at Woodland View had a visit from the wonderful Animal Assisted Therapy rabbits last week. The children explored the sensory tray with the food, bedding, and objects rabbits need to live. They also had a go at petting the rabbits to see how they feel, watch how they move, and listen for the sounds they make. 

We are super proud of everyone for having a go, and taking a risk!

Y6 Learn Strategies to Handle Peer Pressure 🛑

In their final session with Rotherham Alcohol and Drugs Service, Y6 explored various scenarios involving peer pressure and influence, and how this may come up in the future. They also learned some effective strategies, in order to handle situations where they feel uncomfortable.  

Amazing work, well done!

Thrybergh Litter Pick 🚮

On Tuesday 11th March, a few students at Thrybergh Academy took part in a litter picking session, and they absolutely loved it. They filled an incredible 15 bags of litter from the local area. 

Amazing work, well done!

Yorkshire Sculpture Park Trip 🗿

On Friday 28th February, a group of Y10 students attended an Art trip to Yorkshire Sculpture Park. The students took part in an artist workshop, creating art inspired by their surroundings, and trying new techniques and ways of working. They then explored the huge variety of sculptures and artworks in the grounds, and galleries.

The students represented Thrybergh fantastically and showed maturity, enthusiasm, and creativity!

World Down Syndrome Day 2025 🧦

On Friday 21st March, Thrybergh Academy celebrated World Down Syndrome Day 2025, and encouraged staff and students to wear colourful and funky socks as part of the #LotsOfSocks campaign. 

We joined the conversation and learnt more about how we can be supportive of those around us, and celebrate the diversity in our community.