Sleuths solve school ‘crime’

Reporter: Catherine Smyth
Date online: 07 July 2010

PUPILS turned amateur detectives at Fearns Community Sports College.
They had to read, deduce, interview and decipher a code to determine who was the ‘thief’ who had stolen the Fearns’ jewels. 

That was just one of a variety of fun activities held on Leadership Day at the Fearns Moss school in Stacksteads. 

Leadership co-ordinator Kimberley Blundell said: “It was an excellent exercise for the Year 9 and 10 leaders to show their leadership, organisational and inter-personal skills. “It was also interesting for Year 7s to be off-timetable and experience someone different leading them. Hopefully it will inspire them to become subject leaders when they reach Years 9 and 10.” 

The school appoints student leaders in literacy, sport, language and art. 

English teacher Rebecca Roach and head of English Sam Stevenson devised the theft and one of the literacy leaders Nicole Taylor-Lyons wrote a newspaper-style article. Around the theatre there was evidence, witness statements and clues. 

In art, pupils created pop-up cards, felt monsters and also made their own Wallace and Gromit-style figures and filmed a short animation.
Head of languages Julie Duffell headed to China Town to get suitable items to decorate her classroom. She said: “The school now has links with China and I have been learning Chinese on a night course. The pupils learned some language, how to count and ask basic questions, how to make an origami swan, a little about the culture and then used the computers to learn how to draw letters.” 

Sporting leaders held practise sessions on basketball and rounders before a mini tournament when they refereed, scored and coached their individual teams.
Miss Blundell added: “It was a fantastic success.”