Last night we enjoyed an excellent Carol Service at St Peter and St Paul's church in Olney. Certainly holding our service in church added significantly to the occasion. The Rev Claire Wood was very welcoming and gave a very poignant address about the joy of giving at Christmas time. The choir, orchestras and soloists were wonderful, performing to a very high standard. We listened to several readings from the Bible reminding us all, whatever our beliefs, to put others before ourselves.

The church was full and we enjoyed mulled wine and mince pies during the interval. We made a collection during this time and raised over £450 to be split between the school charities, Save the Children and Willen Hospice, and the church funds.

Above all a sense of community filled the air, which was made possible by: the hospitality of Claire's team, dedication of the Music and RS department, the musical talent of a large number of our students and the willingness of the congregation to join in the carols.

Pictures are available on the website and we look forward to next year's carol service which will be held in Newport Pagnell.

Do check out Ousenews where we give thanks for the life of Ghislaine Pullen and celebrate the successes of our young people in a variety of areas.

I wish you all a Happy Christmas.

Sue Carbert
Headteacher

On 7th November, Ben Dodd in Year 13 was presented with a RAF scholarship at an assembly in front of his family and other students. We asked Ben for a few words about how he came to apply for the scholarship.

In October 2010 I went up to the RAF careers office in Cambridge, I then was told about jobs in the RAF and was shown a short video on life in the RAF and how to join. After that I was invited back in November of that year for an interview with the head of careers, Flight Lieutenant Natalie Wilkinson. I went to the interview, and was quizzed on RAF bases and aircraft as well as why I wanted this scholarship and what it meant to me. She said she was very impressed with me and my interview and would be passing my application up to the next level.

After a few months I was sent a letter through the post saying that I had been provisionally awarded the scholarship. Then in July of this year I went on an adventure training week at Bramley Lakes in Norwich. This week taught me how to pass through the Officer and Aircrew Selection centre which you need to pass to get into the RAF.

They also taught you the key virtues and how you need to act to be an officer in the RAF. I attended a families day at RAF Wittering in which the Red Arrows and many other avionic displays were shown as well as the Vulcan bomber.

On Friday 11th November 2011 we held our two annual awards ceremonies. These events provide a formal opportunity to acknowledge the examination success of each student and to recognise the significant contribution many have made to the school as a whole. We were very pleased to see so many parents, teachers, sponsors and members of the governing body at each event.

Mark Lancaster MP, our guest speaker at the afternoon event, presented the GCSE awards along with Councillor Alan Richards, the Mayor of Milton Keynes, and Paul Collins, Chair of Governors. Councillor Wendy Egan, Mayor of Newport Pagnell, was also in attendance.

This year, we broke the school record for the number of students achieving 5+ A*-C and those gaining 8 or more A/A*s; 42 students were recognised in the Governors' Roll of Honour.

The audience were entertained by several musical items. I must say Mr Couldrick surpassed himself with the contribution from the Ousedale Concert Band with performances of 'Somewhere Out There' by Horner and 'The Incredibles' by Giacchino. Rebecca Harrington also gave a fantastic performance of 'On My Own' by Schönberg.

Mark Lancaster gave a very motivating and inspiring speech. The students were congratulated on their success and advised to continue to make the most of each opportunity and learn from the mistakes that we all make in life.

The A level awards ceremony was equally enjoyable with students returning from far and wide. The platform party included Judith Ayres, the Operations Manager of John Lewis Milton Keynes, Mayor of Olney Councillor Stephen Clark, Mayor of Milton Keynes Councillor Alan Richards, and Paul Collins the Chair of Governors. The Mayor of Newport Pagnell, Councillor Wendy Egan, also attended the evening event.

We are extremely grateful for all the support we received from a broad range of sponsors. This year we have to thank John Lewis in particular for their outstanding contribution. Our relationship with John Lewis is very special to us and we were delighted that Judith was able to join us. She gave a very personal and heartfelt speech about her career and the opportunities she took to enable her to rise through the ranks of John Lewis. Judith was very well received by the staff, students, parents and guests.

Entertainment was provided by Louise Howard who sang 'Warwick Avenue' by Duffy, Philippa Steel who played the piano and sang 'Turning Tables' by Adele and 'the band' - consisting of David Abrams, George Demner, Tom Moore and Jack Moore - who played and sang 'Nancy Lee' by Vintage Trouble.

We look forward to next year.

Sue Carbert
Headteacher, Ousedale School

View the photos in the gallery

This October a group of A-level Geographers went on a trip to Iceland. We had been planning this trip for ages, since the beginning of last year, and it was a surprise to finally be counting down the weeks then days to when the trip was going to begin. 

The focus of the trip was exploring the exciting Tectonic and Glacier landscapes: a Geographers’ paradise. After an early start and hours of travelling, we finally arrived in Iceland. To recover from our hectic morning of travelling we went straight to the Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa, to relax in the naturally heated water, voted the world’s best spa by Conde Naste. 

During the week, we toured around Iceland and looked at the stunning Tectonic Features which ranged from volcanoes to rift valleys and fumaroles to waterfalls. One of the most enjoyable activities we experienced was glacial walking on the second day. This involved getting equipped with crampons and ice axes and climbing up Iceland’s second biggest glacier. This experience was unforgettable and we all felt like real explorers. 

The following day we went on a boat trip to the island Heimaey and scaled Eldafell, the volcano which coated the island with ash and created the ‘Northern Pompeii.’

On our final evening some of the group tried sheep head, an Icelandic delicacy! Luckily, the rest of the food was far less extreme and very nice! We even went to a famous hotdog stand which Bill Clinton approved and a fancy burger bar where most people have to wait three weeks for a table! 

The trip was amazing and enjoyed by both students and teachers. We gained memories and friendships which we will remember for a long time. It was truly a once in a lifetime trip!

Article: Ethan Petrou 13LRP
Photographs: Liam Smith 13DB

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