Students receiving their GCSE results at Sponne School in Towcester today were again delighted with their outstanding results.  This pattern of exceptional performance has continued for an eighth successive year with students not only attaining highly but showing significantly greater progress than would be expected nationally from their starting points at the end of Year 6.  Despite the uncertainty with the new and more challenging 9-1 assessments being introduced for most subjects the results at Sponne have held up and  in many aspects improved for students of all abilities.

Students and staff at Sponne School in Towcester are celebrating another excellent set of A Level results this year with many individuals achieving outstanding grades. Despite new specifications and a return to the two year A Level programme, results have remained very similar to previous years and most students continue to achieve the highest grades available. Just under 50% of students gained the very highest A*-B grades with all students passing. Students did particularly well with the very highest grades of A* and A grade with more than a third of all students achieving at least one of these.

Thursday the 12^th of July the whole of Year 8 were off timetable. In tutor times we had been working on enterprise skills such as thinking about what it meant, looking at presentations and evaluating their success and brainstorming ideas. Each form was split into groups who then had to come up with a product to pitch to our Business Dragons. The teams were expected to plan, market, price and pitch for their product. I got the wonderful opportunity to go round and to talk to all of the groups about their ideas and I can honestly say I was impressed with how they worked – the creativity and ingenuity they showed was remarkable.

On the 19^th of June, a group of Year 8 girls went to the University of Northampton for a “Women in Engineering” day. It was a very successful day which started with a talk from one of the organisers. We then visited a variety of local engineers by visiting lots of stalls all showing what they do and how they use both science and engineering. This included a robot that could move on its own and even sit down. There was a man called Cosmic Chris as well as people from the Army, some engineers who look at how to stem canal banks and we got a chance to test out some virtual reality kit. We also saw a giant 3d printer on an engineering bus.

It has been yet another extremely busy end to the term for Sponne Musicians. On Friday June 22^nd the Senior Choir and Sponnaissance gave a lunchtime recital to an appreciative audience in St Lawrence Church as part of their recital series and also the first event of Towcester Midsummer Music. Yr 8 jazz and soloists performed again as part of the Midsummer Music Festival on Saturday 23^rd June in the town hall.

Year 8 and 9 Boys Hockey

It was a very warm and sunny day at Moulton College but the year 8 and 9 boys rose to the challenge of representing their district at the Level 3 School Games.
Each game was approached with determination to keep improving. The passing was good but their defence was amazing. Some fantastic saves from Lachie, the goal keeper and support from the back line. Up front we were aggressive and unlucky not to score more goals than we did. I had a great time with the team.

Archery Leaders

10 of Year 9 students took part in Archery Leadership training so they could officiate the Primary Competition at the Level 3 School Games that took part at Moulton College.  It was a glorious day and they all looked fabulous in their pink Leaders T-Shirts!

I’ve had wonderful feedback from staff and students at the event saying how lovely and kind our students are, I’m so proud of them and proud to be their teacher!

Thank you and well done!

Our last event of the year being hosted here at Sponne and what an event it was…glorious blue sky, lots of sun cream and water and lots of GOLF!

Teams from our cluster schools came to participate in Year 3/4 Tri-Golf festival.  We had over 50 students on our small field practising and then competing in 8 different skill activities which was essentially a bit like a crazy golf course.  There were tee shots, pitching, flopping, chipping and putting all going on with lots of smiles, laughter and cheering.

Our leaders, as always, were fantastic ambassadors’ for Sponne, with lots of visiting staff saying how wonderful they were: clear, encouraging, positive and spoke so nicely to the children.  One teacher even said how she would love to take some of leaders with to her classroom because they were so good!

Our overall winners were Blakesley so well done to them and we wish everyone a wonderful summer!

On Monday 25 June we hosted the Y6 Transition Rounders Tournament for our cluster schools.  The sun was out and the heat was rising but all of our fantastic leaders, competitors and spectators had a wonderful time playing and grabbing some shade when possible – some fantastic skills on display on a beautiful summers day (and only 7 balls lost over the fence!)

Over 170 students came to play and we ran 2 tournaments, 1 for the small schools and 1 for the big schools.  Our leaders umpired lots of games being fair and encouraging and it’s so lovely when visiting schools compliment me on what a wonderful job our leaders have done!

We had 2 Year 7 teams, 1 playing in each tournament and several students that joined Greens Norton to make up their 2^nd second team.  They were able to see some of their old friends and staff from their primary schools and help ease the transition for the Year 6’s as they come to the end of an era and prepare to start a new phase in secondary school.

Congratulations to Blakesley and Towcester Primary for winning their tournaments and we wish all the Year 6’s a great last few weeks at Primary school and good luck in September!

Mrs Black and Mrs Wade

We hosted the Year 3/4 Level 2 school games open tennis competition at Sponne for all the primary schools in South Northamptonshire and Daventry.

15 of our Sponne students were asked to be the Leaders for this event by the Sport Sports Manager, David Hanson as they did such a fantastic job at our Cluster Schools competition, and yet again, I was immensely proud of them all.  They warmed up and coached the primary school children before the competition started and then umpired each game being fair yet supportive and encouraging of the little ones.

Everyone had a wonderful time and it is so lovely to see so many youngest participating and competing in sport!

Well done to Caroline Chisholm Primary School for being the overall winners and we wish them the best of luck in the finals at the Level 3 School games next month!