Virtual Open Evening – 2020

We teased you recently on social media that our Year 6 Open Evening was going to be a little bit different this year given the restrictions of lockdown and social distancing. Here, in our first video, Mr Henderson will give you a little more information about the event.

In the past we’ve wowed visitors by making the school a gigantic playground, sending them on a mission to track down clues in each faculty while learning what they have to offer. Families worked as a team to solve puzzles and everyone came away with big smiles, a better understanding of why we believe we are the best choice for your children, and the chance to win a top of the line gadget thrown in.

We were determined to carry on this tradition this year, with a twist that only social distancing can provide. Mr Henderson has all of the details as we would like to ‘virtually’ throw open our doors and show off the best we have to offer.

Seaham High School has seen Year 7 oversubscribed the last few years, and with a winning combination of the brightest teaching and best facilities, we expect this year to be no different. So please, don’t miss the opportunity to make SHS your number one choice for transitioning from Year six in 2021.

Over to you Mr Henderson…

Introduction Video 1 – Mr Henderson

Video 2 – Geography

Here we present the first of our Year 6 Open Evening videos, with a glimpse at our daring Geography Department!

If you’re afraid of heights, you might want to look away now, as the Head of Geography Miss Murray shouts her love of teaching from the rooftops – before throwing herself off the edge!

We don’t want to give anything away, but she makes it safely to the bottom, where she has a reminder about our Open Evening competition ‘Guess Who’.

Keep your eyes peeled for a card featuring a member of staff, and one of the 6Rs icons, and when you’ve collected the full set email your answers to;

competition@seahamhighschool.com for the chance to win a spectacular prize!

We’ll be adding one video a day for the next couple of weeks, to give you a flavour of what the school has to offer. Watch out though, there may be a red herring lurking in the pack…

Video 3 – Science

This Open Evening video gives our prospective Year 6 students a peek at the explosive fun we have in our Science Faculty.

The labs of the East wing of our school are a place like no other, the corridors often echo with strange sounds, flashing lights, a burst of colour or a flash of flame as our nutty professors set about teaching the core sciences to their spellbound students.

Enjoy this quick tour and remember to look out for a hidden Guess Who card, and one of our 6Rs icons if you intend to enter our fabulous competition. Jot down any you see and be ready to collect them all over the next two weeks.

Be careful though, if you’re watching this on your phone it may be about to get HOT!”

Video 4 – English

In the third of our Year 6 Open Evening subject videos we spend a frantic 60 seconds with our English Faculty as they transport us to worlds beyond imagination!

Watch as the power of reading can transform an overcast afternoon on the grey North East coast to a fantastic adventure in Wonderland, somewhere over the rainbow in Oz or searching for treasure on a deserted island! You can travel to Victorian times with Dickens, gasp in horror at the defiance of nature of Frankenstein or tread the musty corridors of Hogwarts with Harry Potter and the gang.

Studies have shown that reading for pleasure can have a direct link to improved attainment at GCSE level, and our passionate English Faculty are keen to support this, alongside a dedicated Literacy programme and a well-stocked and fantastically staffed school library.

Where’s Wally isn’t the only character to look out for however, don’t forget to keep an eye out for a member of staff on a ‘Guess Who’ card, as well as one of our 6Rs hidden somewhere in the video. Another piece of the puzzle which could win your family a games console.

We’ve been oversubscribed at Year 7 for the last three years, and anticipate demand will be high again next September, so please, don’t hesitate when it comes to making us your first choice for starting Key Stage 3.

Video 5 – Art

If a picture is worth a thousand words, what value a video filled with thousands of frames of images? Find out as we throw the spotlight on our dynamic Art Faculty as they paint a picture of life at Seaham High School.

Our Art faculty covers everything from drawing and painting, through photography and the digital arts, to dance, drama, music and P.E. It is an area of the school that is awash with colour, alive with movement and always a hive of activity and expression.

Results have been exceptional down the years, as the staff strive to bring out the very best in the students they teach. We look to unlock the power to create within each and every one student – whether that creativity is expressed through the flick of a paintbrush, a Shakespeare monologue or the winning point in a basketball game. Our Art Faculty can find the talent within you and push you to be the best version of yourself!

Keep watching for another ‘Guess Who’ card, and another of our 6Rs if you want to enter our fantastic contest. There’ll be more to come next week.

Don’t forget, we’re expecting another huge uptake with our students transitioning from Year 6 to Year 7 next September, so don’t miss out if you want to make Seaham High your child’s number one choice!

Video 6 – Maths

We’re continuing our virtual Open Evening with a visit to the Maths Faculty, where they intend to beguile you with the magic of Maths! In 60 seconds they’ll present five potential destinations for your next course of study, including such familiar locations as Hogwarts and Springfield, and if you follow their instructions you’ll see where your perfect choice for secondary education will be. Along the way, you’ll meet a few of our maths wizards, get a glimpse of their personality and have a name to put to a friendly face when you join us next year.

Don’t forget to keep your eyes peeled for one of our 6Rs icons, and a guess who card featuring a member of staff or a dastardly red herring. Jot them down and when you have a full set, email us at; competition@seahamhighschool.com with the names of staff, our 6Rs and the name of your child and the Primary School they attend, and all the correct answers will go into a draw to win a fantastic games console. You’ll see that a touch of creativity, a bundle of passionate teaching and a dash of magic adds up to make Seaham High School your number one choice for Year 7!

Video 7 – History

As we race through the 21st Century, our rapidly growing town is uniquely poised with one foot rooted in history and the other firmly planted toward a bright future. The signs of those who went before us are everywhere, and their influence shapes who we, as a community, will become.

The history Department at Seaham High School are passionate about bringing the subject to life, showing their students a glimpse of the past while always remaining aware of the impact on the present and possibilities for the future. We are lucky to live in a place so steeped in history. This beautiful stretch of North Eastern coastline has seen plenty of action from Viking and Norman conquest, through bombing runs by the Luftwaffe in World War 2 and a post war expansion built upon the backs of hard working coal miners. The past is alive in everything we see around us, and our History Department are the perfect people to lead you toward your own bright future. See what they have to offer in another of our Seaham High in 60 seconds videos…

Video 8 – RE

The R.E Department at Seaham High School focus on the big questions, as befits the study of Belief Systems and Faith, but in a way that has practical application in the day to day of modern life.

Students learn through lively debate and engaging discussion through a range of subjects that succeed in capturing the essence of our school motto – Engaging Minds and Broadening Horizons. Through learning about the wider world beyond their doorstep, our students are better equipped to deal with a broad spectrum of topics, and apply their understanding to other areas of their lives.

Our students learn to be thoughtful, tolerant and respectful of others. They are able to explore complex moral and theological issues with empathy, thoughtfulness and critical analysis. They will encourage and support others in their exploration of these issues.

This applied knowledge fits in with our school values, of kindness, integrity and pride, and equips them to go out into the world with a broad view of where life can take them.

Don’t take our word for it though, meet Hannah Griffiths, one of our students, and hear what she has to say.

Remember if you’re playing along with our ‘Guess Who’ contest, there’s a staff member or red herring lurking in the video, as well as one of our 6Rs.

Video 9 – MFL

The next of our Year 6 Open Evening videos whisks you from the cold grey of the North Sea to the deep azure of the Mediterranean, with a Spanish adventure presented by our two junior linguists Amber Hubbard and Harry Beston.

The pair host a special news report on the benefits of Seaham High School, entirely presented in Spanish that they have learned during their time with us. Our MFL Department have a flair for bringing words alive, unlocking the potential within their students with a range of approaches to make learning another language something to shout about!

Don’t take our word for it though, let Amber and Harry school you on a range of themes, from travel to the tastiness of school dinners! Don’t forget to look out for a hidden Guess Who character somewhere in the video, and one of our 6R’s if you want to enter our fantastic competition.

Video 10 – Technology

Our Technology Faculty is a creative space and there are always the sights, sounds and smells of something being made as you travel from room to room.

Heavy machinery buzzes away as students learn about manufacturing items in both traditional and modern ways, using a range of materials. There’s sawdust in the air in one corner, while in another part of the faculty laser cutters are running or 3D printers are literally making something from nothing.

Outside, construction goes on as our students are taught practical skills of bricklaying or painting and decorating. Nearby a catering class fills the air with the delicious smells of exotic cuisine, and everyone wants a taste.

There’s a computer Science lab nearby and the programmers of tomorrow are being put through their paces. Next door, our young entrepreneurs are giving a business presentation, pitching an idea that could make them rich before they’re out of their teens.

The parents and carers of the future are catered for too as child’s play teaches our young people how to look after others, whether their own children, professionally as a career, or as a stepping stone for those who want to progress in Care in further Education.

Whatever your interest, Our Tech Faculty will help make you, better!

Video 11 – Support

Our Support Faculty provides tailor made tutorage to some of our more vulnerable students, and allows everyone who comes through our doors to maximise their potential.

The staff are dedicated to providing the highest levels of care and strive to apply a range of techniques to bring out the best in the students in their lessons, with theme based learning bring topics to life. The staff use multisensory learning, which is designed to suit all learning styles and there is a hands on approach which makes learning more fun and engaging for pupils.

The stars of the show in this video are Adam Bate, Jake Quinnell and Emmie Sivier, who are demonstrating some of the techniques we apply through the School Competency Curriculum.

Video 12 – Headteacher – Mr Lumsdon

Hopefully you’ve had a chance to watch all of the videos we’ve shared over the last fortnight, and had a virtual glimpse of what we have to offer. Obviously it’s impossible to show off an entire faculty in 60 seconds, but they’re designed to give you a tiny flavour of the school, and help both children and parents get an idea what’s on offer and meet some of the staff who will be teaching in Year 7.

We’re now handing over to the Headmaster himself, Mr Lumsdon, who has a few words of advice on choosing a school, both from a professional point of view and from his position as a father. He’s joined by Jamie, Thomas, Lennon and Rebecca who are all current Year 7s who joined us in September and are sharing their first impressions after half a term in their new school. Keep your eyes peeled today for a virtual tour of the school to give you another look around our fantastic facilities.

Don’t forget our competition, if you’ve watched all of the videos you should be able to name our 6Rs and should have spotted 5 members of staff hidden throughout. If you did, and would like the chance to win a fantastic games console, then email: competition@seahamhighschool.com Stating the individual 6Rs, the 5 members of staff, your name, your child’s name and the name of the Primary school your child currently attends Year 6. Good luck!

Open Evening 2020