30th March 2012 - Alton Towers
Write up by Cameron Woodhouse Year 13
IT students attended a workshop at Alton Towers theme park on how IT is used in real and practical situations. The workshop lasted 45 minutes and was full of interesting information on how IT is used to help run, not just Alton Towers but the network of Merlin attractions. We found out how communication was used whilst operating the rides and how without technology, this would be impossible. It also involved useful tips on how they market their business and set up a successful website. This was a great help to us because part of our course involves creating our own website.
This trip was brilliant, not only did we experience first-hand how technology is put into use for our safety and entertainment, we also had great fun on the rides.
28th March 2012 - Battlefields Trip
Write up by Hannah Bentham Year 12
We set off at 5am on Wednesday 28th March to visit the battle sites of the First World War to help us gain a better understanding of what we have studied in our AS English Literature course. Whilst on the trip, we visited many cemeteries, including
Tyne Cot, the largest British cemetery, which brought home the true horrors of the war to all. Teachers and students paid respects during the trip. A visit to a German cemetery gave us some insight into the impact the war had upon them as a country also.
We had some trench experiences and saw craters that still exist to this day in the battlefields. Our visit to Thiepval Memorial was an eye-opening experience for us as it was the inspiration behind one of our wider reading novels, “Birdsong”. After many opportunities to experience the sacrifice these men gave for today, the long journey back began with a chance to reflect for everyone.
28th March - Social Sciences ‘Behind Bars Conference’
Students who study A-level law, Psychology, Sociology as well as year 11 Citizenship and Critical Thinking students attended the “Behind Bars Conference” run by ex-offenders. Students had the opportunity to talk to two people who were convicted of murder and another who served a total of 17 years for various stately home burglaries
All students said that the day was fantastic and helped enhance their current studies in the social sciences. Furthermore, pupils said that it really gave them an insight into the workings of prisons and their apparent and rather obvious failures, with a 70% reoffending rate. All in all, it was a fantastic and enlightening day and both students and staff came away from it with a more open mind.
Year 11 students commented that ‘the day was an incredibly interesting and thought-provoking experience’, ‘the experiences and stories of the ex-offenders have changed my views about the criminal justice’ and ‘I really enjoyed the day, it was very interesting and it’s very unlikely I will get this opportunity again’.
8th March 2012 - Maths trip to the Olympic Park
Write up by Oliver Patchett, Year 11
Forty students from Year 11 took a trip to London to visit the Olympic Park were we learnt about the importance of mathematics in the planning of the Olympic Park. We had the opportunity to walk through the site and visited the Olympic Viewing Gallery, which offered views across 
London. We never knew what effect the Olympics would have on London; mainly by helping the most deprived areas. In our first workshop, we learnt about the boroughs of Newham and Hackney and what they were like before securing the Olympic bid. They had high crime rates and low employment rates. We saw how the Olympic Legacy programme could change these areas into economic and cultural hubs and the maths behind these programmes. The spirit of the Olympics was definitely there in the venues and we encourage everyone to get involved with the Olympic spirit and hold the Olympic values, as it will be a long time before the games come to Britain once again.
6th March 2012 - Morgan Cars
Write up by Christopher Lilley, Billy Cummings, Reece Heskins and John Cappella
Morgan Cars was founded in 1910 by Harry Frederick Stanley Morgan. Generally known as "HFS", the company is based in Malvern Link, an area of Worcestershire and employs 163 people. Morgan produced 640 cars in 2007 and all the cars are assembled by hand. The waiting list for a car is approximately one to two years, although it has been as high as ten years in the past. We went to the car factory to look at the manufacturing of the only handmade sports car in the UK. We observed how the sports cars are made from the wooden frame to the leather upholstery and also the paint work. We saw how the side panels are beaten down to fit a specific car. It has changed our perception of how our subjects fit into the real world and about taking pride in a finished piece of work.
Spring Term 2012 - Theatre trips
Write up by Sian George 11H2
It has been a busy time in terms of theatre visits for our GCSE Drama and A level Theatre Studies students. On 21st February a selection of Y10 & 11 students visited the Warwick Arts Centre to watch a performance of ‘Mogadishu’, a contemporary play exploring a racial incident and how it affects all those involved. The consequences are very unexpected and the whole show was thought provoking, demonstrating how even the smallest action can impact massively on someone’s life. It was well acted and a very good performance.
The following night, 15 A Level students watched ‘Measure for Measure’ by the RSC, Stratford-upon-Avon. On Wednesday 29th February 7a1 took a trip to the Theatre Severn in Shrewsbury, to see Macbeth performed by the Icarus Theatre Company and directed by Max Lewendel. Soon after both GCSE Drama and A level Theatre Studies students watched ‘Gravity’ at The Artrix Centre, Bromsgrove. A great opportunity for us all.
25th January 2012 - Cryptography
Write up by James Wakerley 12EDO
On Wednesday 25th January, several students undertaking the AS course in Further Maths visited the University of Birmingham to partake in an activity filled afternoon based on the concept of cryptography, the study of techniques of secret and secure communication.
We learnt of several attempts in history to conceal private messages, and were given the opportunity to try to replicate some of these methods. It was a fascinating afternoon, which went as far as describing modern day security algorithms used with online banking methods to ensure our protection against even the most expert software specialist.
December 2011 - CERN, Switzerland
Write up by Mr Walker
Over the Christmas break ten of our A-level students travelled to CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research) in Geneva, Switzerland, to gather some hands on experience at the world’s largest and most famous particle physics experiment.
The facilities at CERN make it a mecca for over 2400 international scientists, engineers, research staff, IT professionals, technicians and many more. It truly is an international endeavour. One student, Matthew Penn said “the sheer size and mechanics behind the site was mindblowing”.
CERN itself consists of a 27km ring of superconducting magnets used to control a beam of particles so that they collide at close to the speed of light. The most incredible accurate detectors in the world are then used to electronically track the particles produced in the aftermath. It is hoped CERN will provide many answers to some of the most important questions in physics today. We were there just 7 days after scientists announced to the world that the Higgs particle (particle that is hypothesised to give things mass) may have been glimpsed.
This trip inspired, captivated and interested students – one of them exclaiming that it “was a place for scientists as magical as Disney land is for kids”!
October 2011 - Trip to Le Touquet, France
Write up by Miss Parachini.
For the third year running, the trip to Le Touquet was a huge success. All 25 students were a credit to themselves and the school. They all enjoyed learning how to make croissants and pains au chocolat, they listened attentively to amazing facts about snails then devoured tasty snails cooked in garlic, Roquefort cheese and walnut and last but not least raspberry vinegar! Miam,miam! The lunches and walks on the beach enabled all of us to relax and all the students got to know Le Touquet by completing a trail activity (and a little shopping)!
On Sunday we went to the Agincourt museum where we all learned some amazing facts about the famous battle in 1415. We then drove around the field where the battle took place. The history lesson carried on when we visited the WW1 Commonwealth Cemetery in Etaples.
Brainteasers kept us active in the evenings and who could forget the amazing dancing routines in the Channel tunnel on our way back, to the amusement of the Channel tunnel staff who were watching on the CCTV screens!!
A big personal thank you to all the students, Miss Bureau and Mr Haywood for making this trip an enjoyable experience.
6th October 2011 - Journey's End
Write up by Miss Talbot.
On Thursday 6th October, 116 students from years 10 & 12 went to the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre to see the evening production of Journey's End. They were accompanied by 11 teachers, and enjoyed the play which depicts what life was like in the trenches during the First World War.
Year 10 students have an exam on the play in January and Year 12 will need to refer to it in their wider reading question, so seeing the performance on the stage was hugely beneficial to the students. A big thank you to everyone who came and represented the school so well!
14th - 16th September 2011 - Geography trip to Bangor
Write up by Elinor Cole
Our Year 11 GCSE Geography group went to Bangor, North Wales. We stayed at accommodation at Bangor University, and during the days, went out to different locations to collect results and study the geography of the area.
Once we had arrived on the Wednesday, we went to Newborough beach on Anglesey, and saw how sediment changes up a beach, collecting results. We also studied the sand dunes and walked up onto the headland. That night, we went out to the cinema.
The next morning we got up very early to go to Snowdon, starting at Pen-y-Pas and walking down a V-shaped valley, alongside a river. We collected results at five different sites, including width, depth, load size and velocity. Walking up through a marsh was difficult, and some people fell in, but we made it in the end. We returned to a lecture theatre at Bangor University to write up our findings, and then had the choice of sports or going down to the pier. Though we were tired, the teachers dragged us into doing a quiz before bed!
Friday morning, we packed up our things and left the University, stopping once more at Llanfairfechan beach to look at the sea defences, and to have a drink in the cafe. We then loaded back into the minibuses and headed home.
The trip was great fun and everyone had a really good time. The experience of geography out of the classroom was definitely helpful for our understanding, and was a change from looking in textbooks. Anyone who gets the chance to go next year should go forward – it’s great!
7th - 9th September 2011 - Y12 PGL Residential
Write up by Mr S Knott
On September 7th to 9th members of the new Year 12 cohort attended a residential trip to the PGL Centre at Liddington, Swindon. The trip is a fantastic opportunity for new students to get to know each other and find out more about the day to day running of the Sixth Form, before actually starting their courses.
The year group is made up of students who have joined us from Windsor and other surrounding schools. By the end of the trip new friendships had been made and students were raring to get started with their studies.
“PGL was a fantastic opportunity to make new friends and gain great memories. We all thoroughly enjoyed it”- Jodie Banks and Ellie Jones
July 2011 - Business Studies Trip to Coventry University
Write up by Ethan Yates & Cameron Woodhouse - Year 12
We went to Coventry University as part of a business challenge focused around the Olympics. Eight of us took part and soon we were divided into two teams to compete for a prize. We had to create a business idea based around an Olympic design brief which revolved around the Olympic theme using Food and Refreshment, Merchandise, Media and Technology or the Athlete Experience.
We firstly did some mind mapping around the theme and when we had our idea we allocated roles such as market research, finance and project manager. The market research students had to do some primary research in the local sports centre whilst the remaining students located evidence for secondary research on funding, costs, existing competition and target audience. This then gave us some knowledge on how to develop our idea further, and then had to produce a presentation, explaining our idea and how it would work in London 2012.
At the end of the day we had to present our business plan to a judging panel from the University Staff where they then questioned us and announced the overall winners. The day was fun and challenging and gave us a real life experience of the Apprentice!
11th – 12th July - Excellence in Art
Write up by Miss R Jukes
On the evenings of 11th and 12th July Windsor Art Department celebrated the success of someof our GCSE and AS Level students by displaying examples of their excellent work in our Art exhibition. The exhibition was held in the impressive Sixth Form foyer, which proved to be a perfect space for students and their parents to view the show. The Art Department are very proud of the diverse range of work that our students have produced this year and are already looking forward to working with our new GCSE and Year 12 students in September!
A big ‘thank you’ to all students and parents and visitors who came to view the show.
27th June 2011 – ‘Specroscopy in a Suitcase’
Write up by James Bayley 12JPI
Windsor played host to ‘Spectroscopy in a Suitcase’, a Year 12-13 Chemistry transition programme helping to bridge the gap between AS and A2. Representatives from Leicester University, Bob Blake and Tracey McGhie, arrived at Windsor transporting specialised equipment, which came to an overall cost of approximately £65,000. A ‘Mass Spectrometer’ (£35,000 second-hand) was demonstrated by Bob Blake, a specialist in atmospheric chemistry. He explained the various stages of Mass Spectrometry, before putting his machine to action to analyse a compound.
The ‘Infra-red Spectrometer’ (£30,000) was available for use by all of the students in the class and, with the expert guidance of Tracey McGhie, every individual had the opportunity to scan and analyse several unknown chemicals in order to uncover their identity. The workshop proved invaluable in highlighting to students the vast number of techniques utilised by Chemists globally and for many students effectively evidenced that this central science is far more than just Bunsen Burners and calculations.
A huge thank you to both Ms. Kaur and Ms. Harper for organising the event itself, but also for their continued support given throughout the past year at AS.
24th June 2011 - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Write up by Ellen Thomas 7H1.
On Friday 24th June, Gifted and Talented English students from Year 7 went to the Black Country Museum to see the Shakespeare play A Midsummer Night's Dream. After studying the play earlier in the year, we found that the play was funny and easy to understand and really brought the text to life.
Being at the Black Country museum made the experience that much more enjoyable as we were also able to spend some time exploring the museum. Proving the most popular was the Waltzers ride which most of us went on closely followed by the fish and chip and sweet shops. They were delicious! To sum the day up in word would be 'fantastic', or as Shakespeare may have described it 'me thinks twas as wondrous as a star lit sky".
15th June 2011 - Publishing House Me
Write up by Katie Potter.
On 15th June Miss Talbot took eight gifted writers from Years 7 & 8 to the Molineux stadium in Wolverhampton, to hear talks and take part in workshops given by Publishing House Me. These people included Bill Tuckey, the editor of a magazine; Matthew Rudd, a radio journalist; Lena Corner, a freelance writer and Charlie Jordan, a poet. Each person gave tips to us budding writers and answered any questions that we had. They even laid on a buffet at lunchtime!
All the students who attended the day said how much they had learnt, and that it was enjoyable and worthwhile.