Dear Parents and Carers,
As I write my last Blog, so much has happened since the very first one sent out to parents in May 2015, before the school had even opened. What both have in common and what has remained a recurrent theme throughout is our desire to; share the enjoyment of daily aspects of school life whether large or small, demonstrate how we respect and support the diversity of our community, celebrate achievements across the full spectrum of the lived experience at BSW.
Opening Bohunt School Worthing and the subsequent seven years has been the highlight of my career. We had a vision to be a dynamic, innovative learning environment that delivered a creative, personalised curriculum and ethos which would develop high achieving, confident young people not afraid to speak up or throw themselves into something new. I leave happy in the knowledge that our culture and ethos continually provides the opportunities for that vision to become a reality and proud of the three-year groups (soon to be four) who have already graduated from the school well equipped to realise their full potential as young adults.
Of course, none of this would have been possible without the incredible staff, wisdom of governors, the support of parents and the willing engagement of students. I have been immensely fortunate and am hugely thankful to have led a community that is so mutually supportive. Not getting it right all the time is a fact of life and being able to acknowledge and address shortcomings has been as critical as celebrating the many and varied successes. This has helped establish a whole school mindset that is not complacent and continually strives for improvement in all that we do.
Paul Collin, our new Headteacher, visited for three days last week and began the process of getting to know the school and its people. I am 100% confident that he will lift the school to even greater success. Leaving will be bittersweet, but I am very glad to still be working within the Trust and will therefore still be connected with the BSW community. There are so many highlights to celebrate since we opened that I am reluctant to pick out any single one. I would rather you enjoy some highlights from recent weeks and accept my gratitude for your support and participation in what has been a truly amazing seven years.
Best wishes
Adam Whitehead
Wednesday March 23rd was BSW’s Spring Term ERA Day, and as always there was an exciting variety of activities, challenges and workshops for pupils to take part in. Year 7 headed to London for a day at the Science Museum, exploring the galleries and hands-on displays. Coaches left early in the bright spring sunshine, taking an excited cohort off to the capital. A highlight of the visit was the amazing Wonderlab with its brilliant interactive exhibits.
Year 8 students put their linguistic skills to the test with a day of languages-themed sessions in school. Looking at the importance of learning other languages including Mandarin, French, Spanish and Italian, students looked at the cultures of countries where those languages are spoken and produced some excellent research projects.
Year 9 were in school focussing on life skills and careers. We had some brilliant guest speakers leading some of the sessions, including Building for Success, University Awareness and Making Smart Purchases. Students engaged many of their skills, including team work during a session in which they created balloon towers!
Year 10 were encouraged to Try Something New with a series of activities that pushed them a little outside of their comfort zones. From yoga to robotics, there was an eclectic mix of challenges for pupils to enjoy.
With their final exams edging ever closer, our Year 11 pupils took part in some useful session to prepare them for their Maths GCSE, with revision tips, practice exam questions and calculator techniques.
Thursday 3rd March was World Book Day. As always, we celebrated in style here at BSW with a big celebration of all things book related. This year’s competition was a World Book Day bake off, with students crafting cakes inspired by their favourite reads. We had some amazing entries, with Evie Carter taking top prize for her Winnie the Pooh chocolate sponge. Our wonderful English department dressed up as some characters from the classics.
After a two year hiatus it was time once again for the annual February half term BSW Ski Trip! This year students headed off to the Austrian Alps for a week of snowy downhill action. From beginners to not-quite-pros, all abilities were welcome and everyone had the chance to learn new skills against a backdrop of incredible alpine scenery. After long days on the slopes, students relaxed in the evenings with delicious food, quizzes and film nights. Pupils and staff on the trip had an excellent time and we’re already looking forward to Ski 2023!
On Friday 18th March the BSW Science department held its first ever Science Fair in the main hall. Students worked with the theme of ‘growth’ to create some fantastic project, all of which were on display throughout the morning and lunch breaks. The theme was interpreted in some really original and interesting ways, with everything from the growth of the universe to the growth of Alfie Slater!
BSW marked Red Nose Day on Friday 18th March with some great fundraising activities throughout the day. As well as a non-uniform day for all students and staff, there was a series of challenges that students could get stuck into. Taking inspiration from Red Nose Days across the years, the Red Nose Treasure Hunt involved collecting images of historic red noses hidden across the school grounds. Pupils could also take on their teachers in the beat-the-teacher games, with everything from Keepy-Ups and Mario Kart to Sweets in a Jar and Staring Contests. Overall the school managed to raise an amazing £761!
International Women’s Day took place on Tuesday 8th March. Students were invited to find out about the many experiences and achievements of the inspiring women who work in our school during tutor time, reflected on the historical achievements, and challenged faced by women in their History lessons.
Ms Farr and Mr Pearson delivered a powerful assembly on the topic of sexism, addressing issues of misogyny and sexist behaviour in school. To ensure that students are able to easily report inappropriate language or behaviour we have asked students to vote for a new email address that can be discretely contacted. We hope that this will help students feel more comfortable in coming forward with information.
On Tuesday 9th March, students in Year 9 took part in a Dare to Dream day, encouraging them to think about their futures and to have the confidence to pursue excellence in whatever field they choose. All pupils received an inspiring talk from Jack Hayes, AKA ‘Jack the Lad’, best known for his work on Radio Heart Sussex and More Radio. Following this, groups of students took part in 1:1 mentoring sessions in the LRC, aimed at building confidence and helping students make sense of their futures.
On Saturday 12th March the BSW Debating Teams competed in the Intermediate and Senior sections of the local Rotary Youth Debate competition. The intermediate team, Eddie Argent, Jozef Miller and Purdy Morris-Dodd sadly didn’t win their section against SGS and Sion school, but put in a very strong effort nonetheless. However, our senior team, Cleo Sharp, Phoebe Deutsch and Madeleine Wilson secured a victory against a strong Sion team. A big well done to all students who took place.
We have some incredible musicians here at BSW and it is always a pleasure to report on their successes both in and out of school. Not only did Nathan Chan (Year 8) get into the finals for the ‘Young Pianist of the Year award 2022’ at the Worthing Music and Arts Festival, but he came second overall. An amazing achievement. Well done Nathan!
We’re delighted to present a rundown of the following recent sports results. With a mixture of victories, ties and losses our pupils consistently demonstrated amazing teamwork and resilience and while not every game ends in a win for BSW we’re always immensely proud of the commitment and tenacity shown by every student who engages with sport at BSW.
Wednesday 2nd
Y10 Boys Football vs Angmering (Lost), Y7 Indoor Athletics (Boys 4th, Girls 10th)
Monday 7th
KS3 School Games Badminton @ Angmering (boys 3rd, girls 4th)
Wednesday 9th
Y8 BET Cup Girls Netball @ Wokingham (4th)
Thursday 10th
Y11 District League Football vs Steyning B (Away) (won 4-0)
Monday 14th
Y7 boys Rugby vs St. Andrews and Durrington (Lost)
Y7 Girls Netball vs Worthing High and Angmering (Lost both. To Worthing High by 1 goal)
Tuesday 15th
KS4 School Games Badminton (Boys 1st – Through to represent area in County Finals, Girls 2nd)
Wednesday 16th
Y8 Netball vs Davidsons (Lost)
Y10 Football vs Sir Robert Woodard (Lost 6-1)
Thursday 17th
Y10 Netball Tournament (Away)
Y11 Football vs St. Oscar Romero (Won 3-2)
We have a number of positions available to join our school. They are all advertised on our vacancies page, if you or someone you know is interested, please read the details and apply by the specified deadlines.
| w/c 28 March | Y7 Reports home |
| Wednesday 30 March | Group photographs for Y7 and Y11 |
| Friday 8 April | Mr Whitehead’s last day |
| Monday 11 – Friday 22 April | Easter holiday |
| Monday 25 April | Start of summer term |
