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UTC Swindon
Newsletter – 16th March 2023
Dear all,
Another busy week here with some fantastic trips and employer activities. The week ends on a high tomorrow as we are fundraising for Comic Relief. It is a non-uniform day with minimum contributions of £1 to this worthy cause. The student Leadership Board will also be holding a cake sale during break and lunch so please encourage students to stop by for a snack.
Williams F1 Stem Experience
Earlier in the month some of our students were invited to Williams F1 for a STEM Day. It was a day of team activities involving a robotic STEM activity, focusing on employability skills such as leadership, speaking, listening, creativity, problem solving, aiming high, staying positive and teamwork.
We then had a tour of the Williams F1 museum and some racing on the e-sports simulators.
It was a fantastic day for all involved.
Amazon challenge day
On Wednesday 8th March year 10 and 11 students competed in the Amazon challenge which included 3 other UTC’s around the country. Students had to work together to design and build a new amazon locker and delivery drone interface. Amazon apprentices were attached to each group for guidance. Each team then had to present their designs to a judging panel form Amazon. The students came up with many innovative ideas which really impressed the judges. The winning team will now have the opportunity to present their ideas to Amazon in London for the national final. Well done the winning team of Mia, Jess, Stefan, Riley and Josh.
Maths trip
Last week 20 students attend the maths trip to the Maths Inspiration show at ‘The Hexagon’ in Reading.
Maths Inspiration is a national programme of interactive maths lectures. Our students had an opportunity to experience the UK's most inspiring maths speakers presenting mathematics live in the context of exciting, real-world applications.
- Host: Matt Parker
- Sammie Buzzard: A Slippery Situation
- Hugh Hunt: Maths in a Spin
- Ben Sparks: The Sacred Geometry of Chance
The show was exceptional and was fully funded!
Employer Engagement – Atkins
We were delighted to welcome Atkins, the world-leading design, engineering and project-management consultancy into school last week. They hosted a careers stand at lunchtime, gave a careers assembly for all students and then ran an interactive activity session in P5 for Year 10's. it was a really valuable session for all.
Employer Engagement – Army Air Corp
On Wednesday we welcomed the Army and the Army Air Corp in to school to give a careers presentation and deliver some team building activities with our year 11 students.
World Sleep Day 17th March
Sleep is essential for Health — just like eating well and exercising, sleep is a behaviour that underpins our physical, mental, and social well-being.
Three elements of good quality sleep are:
- Duration: The length of sleep should be sufficient for the sleeper to be rested and alert the following day.
- Continuity: Sleep periods should be seamless without fragmentation.
- Depth: Sleep should be deep enough to be restorative
Sleep is essential to health. It is a critical aspect of health, like nutrition and physical activity.
Sleep helps:
- support memory and learning.
- clear waste from the brain and promote brain health.
- brain health, and brain health supports sleep.
- immune health, and immune health supports sleep.
- the immune system to clear bacteria and viruses.
- to recycle old cells and maintain our bodies and energy levels.
Poor sleep health can have multiple significant impacts on physical health. Want to know more along with some tips on how you can improve your sleep? Visit the Teen Sleep Hub or check out the information here.
Extra-Curricular Opportunities
Y12 Career Placement Opportunity
A widely recognised programme, Nuffield Research Placements, offer students the opportunity to be matched to a placement in line with their subject interests and future career. Find out more about the programme at https://www.stem.org.uk/nuffield-research-placements
Fully funded placements take place during the school summer holidays before Year 13, offering students the chance to gain real-life career experience, networking opportunities and receive accreditation to add to their personal statement/UCAS/etc.
With a 31st March deadline, now is a great time for students to apply: https://www.nuffieldresearchplacements.org/
RAF Logistics webinar, Wednesday 29th March between 3pm - 4pm
Join apprentices & colleagues from the RAF Logistics team on to find out more about the different roles available, how to apply and what it's like to be an apprentice with the RAF. Register here: Webinar Registration or visit their website: Logistics apprenticeships within the RAF
Specsavers Apprenticeships
Specsavers offer a range of apprenticeship options leading to careers in Optometry and Audiology. Fields that are dynamic, rewarding and constantly evolving. Find out more here: https://join.specsavers.com/uk/about-specsavers-apprenticeships/
Work Experience
Deloitte Year 12
Aspire Work Experience Programme
Virtual: 26th-28th June 2023
Birmingham: 3rd-5th July 2023
Apply: https://pathwayctm.com/opportunity/aspire-programme-deloitte/
Deadline 31st March
University of Surrey Summer School Programmes
June – July
The summer schools are a chance for Year 12 students to experience University life:
Virtual Summer School: https://pathwayctm.com/opportunity/university-of-surrey-year-12-summer-school-programme/
Residential Summer School (Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences): https://pathwayctm.com/opportunity/university-of-surrey-year-12-residential-summer-school-faculty-of-arts-social-sciences/
Residential Summer School (Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences): https://pathwayctm.com/opportunity/77757/
Residential Summer School (Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences):https://pathwayctm.com/opportunity/university-of-surrey-year-12-residential-summer-school-faculty-of-health-medical-sciences/
Deadline 2nd April
University of Bath
July – August
The summer school is a chance for Year 12 students to experience University life:
Discover Bath Residential Summer School
Apply: https://pathwayctm.com/opportunity/year-12-discover-bath-programme/
Deadline 17th April
Maths interventions - Year 11
Based on PPE results, the maths department have developed some intervention sessions to support our year 11 students. The sessions will focus on exam techniques, how to approach exam questions to minimise misconceptions, and further enhance students' problem-solving thinking.
The maths interventions are after school from 15:40 - 16:10, Year 11 set 1 is on Wednesdays and Year 11 set 2 is now on Thursdays. If you would like your student to have this opportunity, please follow the link to give your parental consent: Maths Intervention Consent form.
Enrichment clubs
The Student Leadership Board is providing a variety of enrichment activities to those in the
school community so that students can socially engage in non-curricular activities and have some fun. The timetable for the clubs is as follows:
Each club has a designated leader and room. Equipment is not provided for some of the clubs, such as music and DnD, so participants need to make sure they bring their own items when needed.
Please ask your student to contact any of the Student Board Leaders or Dani for more information
If your student intends to join the DND club, please can you give consent for them to stay after school hours: Parental Consent
Chess Club
Thursdays after school - 3:40 to 4:40. Please contact Dani for more information: damorim@utcswindon.co.uk
Social Media
Please do join our Parent Facebook Group, this is a community page, giving you the opportunity to meet, help each other and discuss anything related to UTC Swindon. Please be aware that this should not be used to liaise directly with the school. You can join the group here: UTC Swindon Parents Group
Please also remember to follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook as this helps with our marketing and publicity.
Café Menu
Dates for the diary
- Monday 17th and Tuesday 18th April are INSET days. Students return to school on Wednesday 19th April.
- Monday 8th May 2023 has been confirmed as a Bank Holiday in celebration of the coronation of King Charles
- Monday 15th May up to and including Wednesday 28th June 2023 - Year 11 and Year 13 Exam Period
Term dates for 2022 to 2023
- Spring Term 2: Monday 20th February 2023 – Friday 31st March 2023
- Summer Term 1: Wednesday 19th April 2023 – Friday 26th May 2023 – Reflects the INSET days planned on 17th and 18th April.
- Summer Term 2: Monday 5 June 2023 – Friday 21 July 2023
Further details can be found on our website: Term Dates
Have a good weekend
With good wishes
Neil