It’s been a busy couple of weeks in Forest School with students being fully engaged in all activities. Last week Mr. Woodward said, ‘“Won’t it sting my mouth?” is always the most popular question when you try to convince people to eat a hedgerow superfood which grows in abundance in the UK at this time of year. That’s right…nettles. These nasty little stingers contain vitamins A, C, K and several B vitamins, along with iron, calcium and magnesium. They’re packed with amino acids, beta-carotene and antioxidants. So, how to make them more palatable? Easy…light a campfire, mix up some self-raising flour, salt, water, curry powder and chopped nettles. Fry them in plenty of oil over the fire and you have some delicious curried nettle bhajis. Try it this weekend…I promise you you’ll be pleasantly surprised!’
And this week ‘The one thing you can rely on with May weather in Yorkshire is that you cannot rely on it. We were set up for a glorious, sunny session with bright blue skies and warm sunshine beating down as feather sticks were carved; however, within 15 minutes, the clouds were rolling in and the heavens opened! Thankfully, the students constructed adequate shelter under which they cooked their woodland pancakes.’
This week Year 9 girls were invited to a Power of Women event which was held at the Thalia waste recovery centre at Allerton Park. Power of Women aim to provide women in the North East of England with role models, inspiration, resources and information to help take control over the choices they have in life.
In the visitor centre, students explored a range of exciting career opportunities within the sector which included operations, human resources, accounting, social media, and environmental management. There was lots of interactive learning which included networking and a “Guess Who” exercise to find out the job role of each of the Thalia staff attending. Students also met one of the Thalia apprentices and learnt about how an apprenticeship works.
The visit also gave students the opportunity to see first-hand how Thalia Waste Management operates and learn more about sustainability. There was a guided tour of the facility and students saw how the waste is recovered, reduced, or recycled. Students demonstrated a good knowledge of Science in the questions they asked and showed confidence when talking to different members of staff.
Wearing their hi-vis vests and following all the safety instructions, the students were a credit to Boroughbridge High School.
Ms Mannion, Careers Adviser commented “I was very impressed to see how well our students were engaging with the Thalia staff ambassadors and they were clearly enjoying the event.”
I joined the event later in the afternoon and was so impressed with the confidence of our young people and the quality of the questions that they asked. Our thanks go to Thalia and Power of Women.
In Sporting news, you’ll remember that last week our Sports Leaders were in action being trained in Kin-Ball so that they can lead a session at the upcoming Wellbeing Festival at Dalby Forest run by North Yorkshire Sport. Here are the team who will be supporting other participating schools.
In Netball, Miss Robson reports, ‘Yesterday afternoon our Year 8 netball team travelled to Barlby High School for their final game of the season and a rematch! Our captain Amelia led by example, watching the ball closely to gain several interceptions as GK. They battled their way through a test of endurance, with 12 minute quarters! Barlby were a team not afraid to make their presence known and we felt the pressure from a few knocks in the first half. We held our own and kept turning the ball over. However, something to work on is our centre passes and delivery of our passes into our attackers’ free space. Overall a hard score line, 29-2. When isolating the second quarter the score was only 3-1 so there is potential there. Speaking with our opponents gave us insight into their training and has highlighted our need to consistently train weekly as a full team. Well done to India who was given player of the match.’
In Mr. Grierson’s assemblies this week, the theme was equality, recognising that every person deserves the same respect, the same opportunities, and the same chance to succeed, no matter who they are, where they come from, what they look like or what they believe. The students looked at individuals who had made a positive impact and changed the world including Emmeline Pankhurst and Nelson Mandela, reinforcing that one person can really make a difference.
There was a real buzz in the Hall for Year 7 Parent/Carer evening on Wednesday. It was lovely to hear positive conversations of progress made with a recognition of students’ increasing confidence confirming how well Year 7 have settled into Boroughbridge High School.
Looking ahead we have the Year 9 History trip to Beamish on Friday 5th June.
With beautiful weather forecast, have a great Bank Holiday weekend and we’ll look forward to welcoming students back into school on Monday 1st June.
As the early blossom appears at the front of school, there’s been a definite feeling of Spring in the air. In Forest School, Mr. Woodward reports, ‘Superb teamwork and communication skills were demonstrated this week in our tree-house challenge. Students learnt to tie and use a square lashing to secure horizontal beams to tree trunks before building up a sturdy platform, strong enough to hold their whole team. Later students learnt to use storm kettles safely with a 100% success rate.’
Mr. Groves reports, ‘On Tuesday, a group of 8 Year 9 students attended a Rotary Schools Technology Tournament at St Aidan’s School in Harrogate where they competed against other schools from across North Yorkshire. Each team was asked to design and build a bridge from card, wooden dowel and other materials. Both teams showed excellent construction and group working skills. Although their designs were well thought out, they didn’t come away with a prize. All of the students enjoyed the experience and should be commended for their efforts. They tell me they will be choosing DT for their GCSE’s. I was proud of all of them, well done from Mr Groves!’
Mrs. Ennis reports, ‘In History, Year 7 were tasked with creating a newspaper front page reporting on either the Peasant Revolt or Black Death. They were building on their lesson knowledge about life in medieval England. The work produced by Year 7 was outstanding, there is not enough space to display all the amazing work.’ 
We’ve been thinking of others today, raising money for Comic Relief. Alongside this, we had a number of other fundraising activities including a Bake Sale and competitions where we have, so far, raised an impressive £385. Thank you for your support.
In Forest School this week, Mr. Woodward reports, ‘Spring has sprung in the Boroughbridge High Forest School Woodland! Daffodils carpet areas of the floor, there’s frog spawn in the pond, the faint sound of croaking can be heard as our resident amphibians try to impress potential mates and we’ve moved activities away from the pond to ensure ducks and moorhens aren’t disturbed. In the spirit of new beginnings, a new group of students have begun their forest school adventure, with den building, team building and communication skills activities, slackline construction, knot tying, safe siting, lighting and extinguishing of campfires as well as developing the ability to light (without matches) and maintain a fire for long enough to boil water – a fundamental survival skill. 
With Red Nose Day on the horizon (Friday 20th March) this has been the focus of assemblies led by Miss Robson and the School Council this week. You’ll have seen in the letter sent out this week that we have a number of Red Nose Day events which students can get involved in to raise money to support people in need in both the UK and across the world. These include a non-uniform day (£1 donation on Parent Pay) or students may wish to create their own Red Nose Day nose with the chance of winning a competition for the best design. We’ll also be having a bake sale along with a competition for the best Red Nose Day themes bake. (A reminder that all bakes need to be nut free.)
In Art, Year 9 have been demonstrating their skills with the completion of their dogs. They’re great, aren’t they?
Our students returned from their half term break full of conversations about what they’d been doing and it was lovely to see the school site beginning to show real signs of spring. This was particularly apparent for the Forest School students. Mr. Woodward reports,
In assemblies this week with Years 10 and 11, with Progress Exams on the horizon, I’ve been talking with students about our value of being ambitious and showing how that can be translated for them at this stage in their school lives. It was lovely to welcome parents and carers of students in Years 10 and 11 to the information evening on Wednesday where they were given information about the processes and practices of the exam season with information on how to support our young people as they move through this potentially challenging time.
In sporting news, Mr. Field reports, ‘The Yr11 Rugby squad revelled in their last opportunity to represent the school playing rugby and had high expectations of securing a coveted tournament victory. The boys were straight into action after exiting the minibus and took on Huntington and were quickly out of the blocks with some ferocious tackling and ruthless ball carries. The Huntington team were stunned by the ambition shown by Boroughbridge and were respectful in their defeat by 28-20. Boroughbridge next faced the host school Joseph Rowntree and although weary from their previous game still produced some fantastic rugby. The tactics changed slightly as fatigue started to set in, this showed another facet of the boys as they used their guile to ensure they secured a narrow 28-24 victory. The final game and the game the boys needed to secure a clean sweep was against Manor school who were already reduced to low numbers through injuries. A cobbled Manor team containing some Joseph Rowntree players tested the Boroughbridge boys as tired legs and minds caused a few errors. The game ended a 20-20 draw but importantly for the Boroughbridge team, it ensured an overall victory. The most pleasing element for the boys was that Mr Richardson upheld his word to wear the unicorn ear muffs (kindly supplied by Taylor) in the team photo. The boys were joyous in their victory and proudly rounded off their Boroughbridge rugby career in fine style. Well done boys.’
In footballing news, Mr. Field reports, ‘Thursday night saw the Year 10 boys play in the County Cup quarter final against Manor High School from York. The display by the boys was a significant improvement on the previous outing and showed great resilience in their endeavours. Despite conceding four goals in the first half the effort shown did not wane and rewards were reaped when King acrobatically flicked on a corner for Chowdhury to prove his goal poaching credentials and poke home for the Boroughbridge boys’ first goal of the season. The boys were beaten 1-7 but lots of positives were taken from the game as they look forward to more opportunities in Year 11.’
their studies to life as they explored the fascinating history of medicine, from Victorian surgical practices to modern breakthroughs in healthcare. Walking through the recreated 19th-century disease street and examining a range of interactive exhibits, students gained a deeper understanding of how medical practices have developed over time. It was clear from their enthusiasm and thoughtful questions that they thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The visit not only supported their learning prior to their exam, but also sparked genuine curiosity and discussion, making it a memorable and valuable day for everyone involved.’
Another cold week with biting winds but students warmed themselves with a new addition to our Forest School kit: Kelly Kettle storm kettles; these ingenious inventions make warming water and cooking outdoors in poor weather conditions easier, especially when dry tinder and fuel are hard to come by on a damp February afternoon!’
done to Daisy D, player of the match, playing her best quarter at C, sending strong passes. Georgina was like a whippet, driving into space. Millie worked hard playing C for the first half but her best play was at GS last quarter… with more time the goals would have come. Thank you, Daisy G for playing up and providing another option on court. 15 – 6 loss in the end but how nice it was to see goals going in. 
Two more goals from QE ensured they took a 4-2 lead into the half time break, the Boroughbridge squad listened well to the feedback and showed great resilience and true Yorkshire grit as they competed well in the early exchanges of the second half. Boroughbridge conceded once more against the run of play but their tremendous mindset was undeterred. Farnworth, revelling in his more attacking role, struck again with a well taken poacher’s goal inside of the six yard box. Boroughbridge continued to apply pressure in attack and the substitutions and positional changes worked well. Farnworth was on hand to expertly dispatch a laser guided freekick into the far top corner from 25 metres out, the view from the sideline was perfect to witness the spectacle and Mr Richardson was mightily impressed with the technique used to complete his hat-trick. With Boroughbridge enjoying a good spell of possession, nerves in the QE team were jangling as the scores crept close to a draw. QE pounced on a rare error in defence to maintain the two goal lead but Boroughbridge hadn’t finished yet. Another excellent delivery from Farnworth into the box from a freekick created the perfect opportunity for Godley to attempt an audacious flick on ‘martial arts’ style which found itself outwitting the goalkeeper and nestling in the back of the net. The comeback seemed on for the Boroughbridge boys but another QE break resulted in another goal to seal the tie in favour of the home team. The level of performance from the Boroughbridge squad was fantastic, great preparation for the upcoming ESFA semi final against St Mary’s College.’ 
Over the last few weeks, we’ve had a number of activities to support students with their thoughts around possible futures as part of our CEIAG programme. Last week, Matt, Julia and JayJay from Ardent, a local company based near Roecliffe, visited Boroughbridge High School to deliver an assembly to the Year 9 students. They spoke about Ardent and the work the engineering company does, alongside sharing their own career journeys and the different routes that led them to their current roles.
In sporting news, Miss Robson reports, ‘Last Thursday we ventured over to Barlby High School for a friendly Year 8 netball fixture. I’m not sure what the girls enjoyed more, the game or the minibus karaoke. 9 players meant we had options allowing players to come on and make an impact on court. The first quarter was hotly contested with Barlby narrowly leading 5-4. We became a little unsettled with a few offside calls and a couple of ‘not received in the centre third’ when taking the centre pass. This was a result of making decisions under pressure, a feeling completely different to when we play in lessons and club. Having said that, the girls couldn’t have worked any harder. I was astonished at how well they caught hard passes being fired at them by their team. The final score was 15-8 to Barlby. This is the most we have ever scored in a game so credit does go to the shooters, India and Eliora, as well as the whole team. Well done, Rova, player of the match and Amelia, Barlby’s PE Teacher’s player of the match. Rematch incoming…’
There was an air of eager anticipation as the Year 9 football set off in torrential rain on Tuesday. Mr. Field reports, ’The Yr9 boys continued their ESFA Small Schools Cup journey this week with a quarter final clash against The Priory Belvoir Academy from Nottinghamshire. The weather posed challenges for the hosting of the fixture with the decision made to relocate the game from Boroughbridge to York St. John University Sports Fields complex. A special mention to the help and support from staff at Boroughbridge and York St John University for making this possible for the boys. The facility was a fitting venue for the quarter final and the boys rose to the challenge of this important fixture. The focus of the team was evident from the kick off, a driven, resilient mindset was shared by the Boroughbridge boys and the team started to control the game in the early exchanges. As both teams weighed each other up, confidence grew in the Boroughbridge ranks as they peppered the Priory Belvoir goal. ‘Hatrick Patrick’ opened the Boroughbridge account with a fine poacher’s goal, prodding in from close range after the goalkeeper spilled another shot on his goal. Shortly after Priory Belvior equalised through a quick break catching out the Boroughbridge defence. At half time, refuelling on Mrs Godsell-Wright’s Jelly Babies, the team talked through the game plan to secure the tie. The plan was executed expertly and soon into the second half Farnworth added a smartly dispatched goal to the tally. Boroughbridge continued to dominate possession and the wave of attacks continued to ask questions of the opposition defence. The added pressure paid dividends as the game was drawing towards its conclusion, ‘Hatrick Patrick’ evaded the opposition defenders and calmly slotted home past an advancing goalkeeper. The Boroughbridge team saw out the remaining minutes still pushing forwards to further extend their lead, not allowing even a hint of complacency to set in. At the final whistle both teams congratulated each other on a fittingly competitive quarter final, staff from Priory Belvoir were very complimentary about both the performance and conduct of the boys who fully deserved the accolades. Boroughbridge now progress to the semi-final stage of this national competition, we await the draw to find out our next challenge.’ We are all very proud of both the team’s achievement and their approach. We’ll be wishing them well for the next round.
In Forest School this week, Mr. Woodward reports, ‘It’s January, it’s cold and you have hours ahead of you outside with a biting wind chilling you to the bone. What is your priority? Shelter.