Princess Diana Award - Anti-Bullying Ambassador Training 

On 27 June, the Anti-Bullying Team went to Aylesbury to attend The Princess Diana Award Training for Anti-Bullying Ambassadors.

It was a fantastic day and the students really embraced all the activities and contributed to the event.

Each member of the team received their own Anti-Bullying Ambassador Badge and are already planning events for the next academic year to raise the team's profile and earn further badges dedicated to different aspects of anti-bullying.

I look forward to updating you next term, watch this space!

Mrs A Wallace, Anti-Bullying Co-ordinator 

PS. We have now produced an information leaflet on Anti-Bullying and this can be viewed and downloaded here.  

STEM Update

We’ve had an incredibly busy year of STEM, embedding events and processes to further improve the aspirations of our students, supporting their interests and needs. 

During this term alone, we've taken two groups to visit the University of Buckingham, attended the first Milton Keynes TeenTech Festival, hosted two Festivals and an event designed to spark a discussion about the barriers women face when getting involved in STEM careers. All this was capped off with a series of STEM challenges during the school’s Enrichment Week.

I look forward to expanding what we offer in terms of STEM enrichment and helping build the links between our students and their future careers.

Ms L Townes, STEM Lead 

Two photos below from STEM Enrichment Week. 

Primary Schools Computer Science Festival

The Buckingham School hosted our Primary Schools Computer Science Festival on 25 June 2019.  The day was aimed at giving twenty Year 6 pupils from each Primary School the opportunity to work with their peers in a variety of Computer Science based activities. Tasks included two problem solving sessions, multiple mini activities based on the excellent Unplugged Computer Science Program and EV3 Robotics, all of which took place in the Computer Science suites.

TeenTech Milton Keynes 2019 

Students were invited to attend TeenTech, a brand new and powerful interactive Tech Festival aimed at helping young people understand the range of opportunities across Science and Technology and the many different entry points. Businesses and organisations such as Microsoft, Red Bull Racing, Metropolitan Police and Bletchley Park were involved with the exhibition.  Students took part in activities such as VR, Cyber Security and Engineering.  Our group was accompanied by a STEM Ambassador – who supported, inspired and provided insights into a career in Technology.  

Students had the opportunity to meet leading companies and take part in exciting challenges.

Author Visit to School

We recently invited published author, Helen Dennis to school to work with our Year 7 students.  

Helen Dennis has worked as a teacher at the largest junior school in Europe for twenty years. For many of these she was Head of English with special responsibility for Talented and Gifted provision.

Her fiction series SECRET BREAKERS – which she explored at the workshop – was launched in 2012 by Hodder Children’s Books.

As code cracking is integral to the plot of SECRET BREAKERS and symbols form the basis for discovery in RIVER OF INK, the workshop that she delivered looked at code cracking challenges throughout history and how symbols are used to hide information.

Using a range of artefacts as stimulus, as well as real stories and characters from history, Helen Dennis looked at how authors combine fact with fiction in their writing. Reference was made to the real characters and locations used in both SECRET BREAKERS and RIVER OF INK.

Dennis immersed the students in interactive activities using British Sign Language and Makaton and reference was made to symbols in art and architecture, as well as hiding information in code. It was a real ‘hands on’ session!

Buckingham School Sports Partnership County Finals 

Junior Maths Challenge Success 2019  

Students at The Buckingham School have been successful in this year’s UK Mathematics Trust Junior Maths Challenge.  There were over 270,000 entrants nationally; the top 6% receiving a gold certificate; the next 13% silver; and 21%  achieving bronze.  

Twenty students from Year 7 and 8 entered the Junior Challenge this year which resulted in five students in Year 7 receiving bronze certificates. Year 8 students saw one gold, four silver and nine bronze certificates. Seth, Year 8, who received gold, also received Best in Year, Best in School and qualified for the International Mathematical Kangaroo Challenge. The School is extremely pleased with all students who participated in both Challenges, including those who did not qualify to take part this year. 

The Junior Maths Challenge is run by the UK Mathematics Trust and supported by the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries. It is aimed at those in Years 7 and 8.

“The Maths Challenges provide material to provoke students’ mathematical thinking and test their problem solving skills in an accessible and yet challenging way. Many congratulations to The Buckingham School on their success in the Junior Maths Challenge; it is great to see achievement in mathematics recognised.” Rachel Greenhalgh, UKMT Executive Director.

Mr B Waine, Assistant Curriculum Leader for Mathematics 

Enrichment Week 2019 has been a tremendous success! We have had students participating in a whole range of activities such walking with Alpacas, Ice-Skating, trip to Harry Potter Studios, Stowe Walk, Golf Week, Map-Reading etc., in addition to activities running on-site such as Vegan Cooking, Olympics, Crime Scene Investigates, Media, Journalism, Archery and many more... Photos will be displayed in and around school early in the Autumn term, in the meantime, here's a few already sent to the Marketing team.

Geocaching in Buckingham - Enrichment Week

Have you ever tried Geocaching? It's an outdoor treasure hunt game in which the participants use GPS to hide and seek containers (called geocaches or caches) anywhere around the world.  A group of students geocached in Buckingham as part of Enrichment Week.  Not only is geocaching fun, it offers a peak into the history of the town, at the same time.

Geodesic Dome Building - Enrichment Week

A geodesic dome is a hemispherical thin-shell structure (lattice-shell) based on a geodesicpolyhedron. The triangular elements of the dome are structurally rigid and distribute the structural stress throughout the structure, making geodesic domes able to withstand heavy loads for their size.

Students followed instructions to build geodesic domes during Enrichment Week.  Amazing work! 

Journalism Week during Enrichment Week 

As part of Enrichment Week, a group of students found out what it was like to be a young reporter/journalist for the week. Students covered the various Enrichment Week activities in school. They reported on a range of activities, interviewing those taking part and taking photos, all leading up to producing a one off newsletter at the end of the week. The students were fantastic and here's one of the newsletters to share with you. 

Click here to read and/or download. 

EntFest (Peter Jones Enterprise Festival) 

Business Studies students were invited to attend a free one-day festival at the Buckingham University which brings together students, young entrepreneurs, business founders, leaders and investors, to network, learn and champion enterprise in all its forms. 

As well as the live ‘Dragon’s Den’ final of the ‘National Entrepreneur of the Year’ competition, the festival boasted an exciting agenda with opportunities for students to meet and learn from some of the UK’s best known entrepreneurs and business leaders, alongside panel debates, competitions and skills-based workshops. 

As well as planned workshops throughout the day, students were able to attend a selection of market stalls where they had the opportunity to meet and talk to Business leaders and Entrepreneurs.

This was a wonderful opportunity for students to experience the world of the entrepreneur alongside meeting well known business personnel and engaging in a variety of business challenges.  It also provided them the chance to consider their future pathways and the routes they can take.

Mr P Cunningham, Vocational/Careers Manager

An Ice Hockey Weekend by Harry, Year 10  

Please click on the link below to read the extraordinary events of one weekend back in June, in Sheffield, written by Harry, Year 10.  Huge congratulations go to Harry and the rest of the team on your success on what sounds to have been a real nail-biting weekend!

An Ice Hockey Weekend - to read the full article, click here.

East West Rail Challenge 

We have yet another fantastic achievement to shout about! Two teams of students entered the East West Rail Challenge; a county-wide event set to challenge students to develop a new sustainable settlement with eco-credentials. The teams worked independently on the project, using skills such as planning, negotiation and financial assessment to produce their final proposals. The teams then gave presentations and faced intense questioning from a visiting panel. Buckingham School Team Odley were the outright winners against older competition.

We received extensive praise about the students and their skills and we were extremely proud of them. Mrs Fullwood and Mrs Wilkinson said next time the team will be called WilkWood!!

Mrs J Wilkinson, Geography Teacher 

Willen Hospice MK Midnight Moo - Saturday 13 July 2019  

Congratulations to everyone who took part in the Willen Hospice MK Midnight Moo on Saturday 13 July. Team Buckingham raised nearly £2,000, with still more money to come! What an AMAZING effort! Well done and a massive thank you for supporting this great cause.

Mrs S Pykett, Assistant Headteacher & Sixth Form Director

Darcey Bussell Dance Fitness Competition

A team of Year 7 Dance students were selected as finalists for the Dance Fitness Competition at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, held on Saturday 22 June 2019.

Our team got the incredible opportunity to perform on stage in front of Dame Darcey Bussell, who was judging the performances as well as signing books at the end of the competition.

We are so proud of our dance team and are thrilled for them to have had this opportunity to dance on a proper theatre stage and in front Dame Darcey Bussell!

A big thumbs up to you all - you were amazing!

Ms R Curness, Curriculum Leader for Performing Arts 

Evening of Song at The University of Buckingham 

Youngsters from several local schools were singing their hearts out at An Evening of Song at The University of Buckingham recently. Well done to Charlotte for singing and to Finlay for great guitar playing - you both rocked! 

Buckingham Children’s Choir will be back in the Autumn term and already has gigs in the diary. For information regarding the choir and fun and singing lessons in school, please email suzyasmith@aol.com. You can also find us on facebook, search Bittersweet Music Buckingham.

Suzy Smith, Bittersweet Music

Careers Talk from Motor Sport Media Specialist

A massive thank you to Carl McKellar, for spending time with our Year 9, 10 and 12s. He talked about his own career journey in the Motor Sport Media Industry and shared with us the fantastic opportunities that are available locally at Silverstone Park for a career in Automotive, Engineering, Media, to name a few. There are 75 businesses on-site at Silverstone Park with a further 45 companies using the Park on a part-time basis.   

His talk was engaging and immensely inspirational.  Carl spoke openly about what he does, how he got to where he is today, including the hurdles he had to overcome and any mistakes made along the way. It was an interesting session for those students wanting a career in Journalism, PR, Media as well as a STEM related career pathway. 

Carl’s background is as a trained journalist. In 1997 he became Media Officer for Renault’s motor sport activity in the UK (its Spider Sportscar, Formula Renault single-seater and Clio Cup ‘hot hatch’ championships plus teams in British Formula 3 and rallying).

He founded his company in 2013, CMC Media Ltd, a specialist PR/Communications Agency with a proven track record for loyalty and getting the job done, particularly in the highly competitive world of motor sport.

Previously, Carl, handled PR for Britain’s premier motor racing category, the British Touring Car Championship. He has also covered Formula 1 for national newspapers as well as other international motor sports for senior print and online publications.

It was fascinating to hear how he started out working on local newspapers to now running his own business.  He has worked with the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Raikkonen and Richard Hammond (who he was house mates with for two years)!

If you wish to learn more about his business, visit his website at www.cmcmedia.co.uk

Luffield Festival 2019

A number of students participated in this year's Luffield Festival at Stowe School on Monday 24 June and Tuesday 25 June 2019. The event was kindly hosted again by Stowe School.

This festival gives opportunities for students from a variety of schools, including Magdalen School, Stowe School, Thornton College, Swanbourne Prep, The Buckingham School and The Royal Latin School, to work collaboratively to develop their skills through a range of different subjects.

Students participated in dance and drama activities throughout the day, culminating in a performance they presented to parents during the evening.   

Ms R Curness, Curriculum Leader for Performing Arts 

The above photos are courtesy of student, Hannah Walker.

Below, is the photography work of Max, Year 8, who took a number of photos of Stowe House and the Estate whilst at the Luffield Festival.  The photos are all about the environment.  Stunning photos, Max!   

My day at the Luffield Science Festival - by William, Year 7

I was invited to attend the Luffield Science Festival and happily grasped at the offer. This is due to the fact that Science is one of my many favourite subjects that just go above some of the others. I arrived at school and after registering myself in form, I left to go and find Ms Curness who was the person responsible for organising the event in collaboration with The Royal Latin School and Magdalen College School. When I arrived there were no other students there as the three Year 8 students that were to also attend were in assembly, so after a short wait reading my book, I finally met the three people I would be working with. My science teacher Ms Rodrigues was also present.  To read more.......

We recently welcomed Sandy Canavan, a visiting circuit judge.

She worked with Years 10 and 12 in an extended assembly, updating our British Values knowledge and understanding of the justice system in Britain today. She also gave us an insight into her career pathway and how it has become even easier to work in law today for women.

Sandy was really inspirational!

This was a particularly important event for Law and Criminology students in Year 12 and for students in Year 10 considering studying those subjects in the Sixth Form. We always like to invite different speakers into school to give our students the opportunity to learn about different careers and the pathways into them.

Year 11 Prom

On Monday 24 June, our current Year 11s arrived at Whittlebury Hall to celebrate finishing their GCSEs.  The evening began with students arriving in style, from sports cars, limousines and even two students riding their own horses.  The students looked so grown up and dressed to impress. A big thank you to everyone involved in making the Prom such a stunning event! 

Local Community News

Local business and supplier to The Buckingham School, Brackley Butchers, has recently won the National Champion Butcher title at the Countryside Alliance Awards in the House of Lords. 

Brackley Butchers put animal welfare and their customer needs at the heart of their business. Working with local farmers they can assure the highest levels of animal welfare, sustainability and provenance, whilst promoting the importance of shopping locally. Keeping the craft of butchery alive and brimming with great ideas to encourage people to try something new this butcher not only serves you top quality meat but a side order of banter and a smile.

Congratulations Brackley Butchers.