This week has seen national Apprenticeship Week. As part of this, students have watched videos looking at different apprenticeship routes and have submitted questions to employers that they would like to be answered during our Careers week. 

The videos have included:

Extra-curricular

Sport

Sporting fixtures have continued this week and included home football matches last night. Well done to all!

Freddie, in Year 10, has written this report for you on last week's futsal tournament.

On Tuesday 21 January the year 10 Notley futsal team took part in a district tournament in the sports hall against 5 other schools. The schools which took part were Notley, Tabor, Alec Hunter, Hedingham, New Rickstones and Maltings. The 6 schools were placed into two groups with three schools in each, the top two teams proceeding to semi-finals and then a final. Notley's group consisted of Notley, New Rickstones and Hedingham.

Notley played against Hedingham in their first game and a true dominant display saw the team win 3-0. This wasn't the only 3-0 victory as Euan McPherson and Thomas Miller both stood out in another 3-0 victory against New Rickstones. Due to the unexpected lack of teams arriving, the choice was made to play the two teams again, a 5-0 victory with Jamie Sherwin scoring a powerful finish past the keeper who was left with no time to react and Ronnie Ryman scoring a wonderful flick at the front post from a corner.

The last group game was an absolute goal fest, a 6-0 win over New Rickstones with Harry Page getting 2 assists leading Buddy Murphy to finish the entire group stage with no goals conceded. Notley topped the group with professionalism, being followed up by Hedingham in second. The other group had Maltings in first and Alec Hunter in second. This leads to Notley playing against Alec Hunter in one semi-final, without key player Thomas Miller, with Maltings against Hedingham in the other.

Notley's semi-final was first, and it was a very tight game until Freddie Smith broke the deadlock making it 1-0 to Notley with a volley past the keeper and into the corner. However, with not long left disaster stuck as Notley were very unlucky to concede a goal with around a minute and a half left on the clock. Notley kicked off and kept the ball safe until a pass was made to Archie Harrop who went on an incredible solo run taking on the entirety of the Alec Hunter team including the goalkeeper and simply slotted it into the back of the net to make it 2-1 in the dying seconds of the game. The game had finished 2-1 to Notley and after Hedingham had beaten Maltings in the other semi-final, the stage was set for the final, Notley vs Hedingham. They had faced off twice before this, Notley winning convincingly both times.

Notley had started the game with heavy pressure leading to Hedingham to crumble and simply kick it away as hard as they can to drain the time until penalties. It was clear what they were playing for, and in all fairness it worked. The game finished 0-0 meaning a nerve-wracking penalty shootout was on its way. There were three designated takers and those were the three meaning that if a fourth was to be taken it would be taken by the first taker instead of another player. The three takers were Euan, Archie and Jamie all very composed players and scored their penalties, but so did Hedingham. It was 3-3 on penalties when the Hedingham player steps up to take the teams fourth penalty, which is tremendously saved onto the post and out from Buddy Murphy, meaning that if Euan scored this penalty Notley would be futsal champions. He sends the goalkeeper the wrong way, rolling it into the corner as composed as can be. A perfect road to champions as celebrations carried on in the changing rooms with the Player Of The Tournament award going to Euan and rightfully so.

Music

On Wednesday 19 March we will be running our first ever Spring Concert. This will include individual performances as well as performances from our newly formed choir. Mrs Swan runs weekly lunchtime rehearsals and it was pleasure to drop in on them again this week. We will write to you again with more details.

Other extra-curricular activities on offer this week have included:

Also, Year 10 students have had this reminder from Mrs Robb:

Vaping Assemblies

This coming Tuesday, 4 February, we will welcome Anthony Daulphin from the Standing Ovation Project as he returns to the school to deliver assemblies to students in all years from Years 7 to 11 about vaping, exploring myths and misconceptions and with a focus on prevention and discouraging vaping behaviours.

Uniform

Thank you again to parent/carers for their support with our continued drive to raise and maintain high standards of uniform and pride in our community.

 A reminder that:

• Where a student is found to be wearing incorrect uniform before 10.30, a message will be sent via Arbor, informing parent/carers that they have a detention after school on the same day for 20 minutes.
• After 10.30, a message will be sent via Arbor informing parent/carers that they have a detention after the school the following day.

Details of our uniform policy are available on our website: Uniform Policy - Notley High School & Sixth Form. This image also reinforces the standard that we are expecting all students to meet, including the type of trouser that is permissible.