The News Magazine of Comberton Village College
THIRD STATUS IN PIPELINE A Leading Edge Partnership School
ISSUE 16, WINTER 2006
DfES offer Comberton an unexpected opportunity
COMBERTON is poised to become one of only nine schools in the country to have three specialisms.
Ski trip stands the test of time
And it could be the only one nationally with five specialist statuses when Leading Edge and Training School are included, depending on the latest round of designations. The school was invited earlier this term to submit an interest in taking on a third specialism, alongside Sports and Languages college status. The Department for Education and Skills approached the school and asked if we would consider taking on a vocational specialism in addition to our current remits. This was an unexpected opportunity as the usual process is only to be allowed such possibilities when re-designating for the first specialism (a process that Comberton went through a year ago). After some careful reflection, everyone at the school felt that this would be an excellent opportunity that should be seized. It allows the development of a greater range of courses for our pupils at KS4 that have the equivalent of GCSE status and provides the school with additional funding. The paperwork has been submitted and we are due to receive final, official confirmation at any moment that we are able to take on our new specialism This new designation will start from April 2007. Principal Stephen Munday said: “This really is an excellent, and somewhat unexpected, opportunity for the school and for our pupils. “It shows that the DfES is clear that we are perfoming at the very high level
HIGH IN THE ITALIAN ALPS: Comberton pupils have been going to the same resort since 1987. l Anniversary Special — Page 7
required to be able to take on such a further designation. “It really does offer an exciting further education possibility for our pupils. We want to try to provide as broad a range of courses as is sensibly possible for our pupils in order to allow everyone to achieve their very best. This gives a real chance for us to broaden the possibility and choice beyond what we currently do. That must be in the best interests of all our pupils.”