Year 11 boys progress to the next round of the cup

The Year 11 boys took to the field for the first round of the District cup competition in a home fixture against John Warner.

The squad featured 3 year 10 students, Danny, PJ and Jesse. Following on from their strong performances in the last game, they were looking to impress amongst their older peers. St Mary’s started well and Danyal had a lot of success down the left hand side of the pitch creating a number of chances. The deadlock was broken by Caleb who fired the ball from distance, lobbing the keeper and sending the ball in to the top right hand corner from a free kick. The fast pace of play continued to draw fouls from the opposition and saw one of their players sent off after receiving two yellow cards. Danyal’s continued efforts were rewarded with a goal that put the team two goals up heading in to half time. St Mary’s looked settled early in the second half. The pairing of Kayden and Kye at centre back was solid and their composure on the ball allowed the team to dictate the pace of the game. Danyal managed to bag another goal in the second half following a powerful run forward from Austin that led to him rolling the ball across goal for Danyal to tap in. Late in the half, St Mary’s were awarded a penalty after PJ was brought down in the area. PJ stepped up and confidently slotted the ball past the keeper. Kye was substituted due to injury with 10 minutes left to play and this un-settled the back line. Credit to the opposition who continued to put pressure on right until the final whistle. Following a rash challenge in the box, the boys conceded a penalty late on that left the scoreline to finish 4-1. The boys face a tough test in the next round at home to Freman college.

Mr Hunt

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Royal Academy of Art

Such a fantastic day out in London with our GCSE fine art students. The weather was glorious as was the Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael exhibition at the Royal Academy in Piccadilly. Our students were hugely impressed by the beautiful period architecture of the building as well as the stunning renaissance art on display.

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Futures Day for Year 11 at St Mary’s

This week, our Year 11 students had an inspiring ‘Futures Day’ packed with opportunities to explore their next steps. They kicked off with a keynote from Jeremy at @MaximizeYP, focusing on exam and revision techniques, preparing them for the January PPEs. They then heard from Mrs Mathews, our Director of Sixth Form, who gave a detailed presentation on what life in sixth form is like, highlighting the variety of subjects and enrichment opportunities available. The University of Hertfordshire followed up with an insightful talk on what university life entails, from the academic challenges to the social and personal development it offers. Alongside this, students engaged in careers lessons and a decision-making session to help them shape their post-16 and 18 choices with confidence!

 

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GCSE Textiles Design work from Year 11

Here is a small sample of the fabulous work from GCSE Textiles Design student Lois in Year 11.

In GCSE Textiles Design, students complete three different projects including Natural Forms, Textures and an exam paper.

As part of each project, pupils are required to complete coursework based on developing ideas, refining samples and designs, recording work and producing a final outcome reflecting the work they have produce

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Theatre Trip to Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

Year 11 students enjoyed an evening trip to Aylesbury Waterside Theatre where they were were treated to a revision performance of their GCSE English Literature set text Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

Actors brought the characters and plot to life whilst emphasising key quotations and contextual links which will be essential for the GCSE exam in May.

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Football team progress to the semi finals

The Year 11 football team have progressed to the semi final of the district cup by winning two games in a week. The first game, a comprehensive 6-2 victory over Robert Barclay, goals coming from Luca, Josh, Blessing, Harrison and a brace from Hassan.

The quarter final was a much sterner test for the team against a strong Simon Balle side. In challenging conditions, they had to battle through wind, rain and a boggy pitch. They quickly realised that their free flowing football was not going to work and set plays were the way to succeed. St Mary’s took an early lead with a long throw from Cinar, Harrison flicked the ball on and Blessing timed his run perfectly to tap the ball in. St Mary’s defense were up against it in the second half,  Simon Balle managed to equalise as a deflected effort found a way past Jake, and the sides were level with 10 minutes left to play. With penalties looming, Cinar’s long throw came into effect again, in what felt like de ja vu a long throw flicked on by Harrison and Blessing snuck round the back post and headed into an empty net. St Mary’s held on to win 2-1. A home semi final awaits after half term.

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