The News Magazine of Comberton Village College
EDUCATION MATTERS
ISSUE 36, SUMMER 2014
TALKING: Stephen Munday, a fellow head teacher and Prime Minister David Cameron in discussion at No 10. Full story — Page 2
CVC student wins national Spanish Spelling Bee — Page 13
A glimpse inside No 10 news@com
Number 10 Downing Street might best be described as rather like the Tardis. It does not look especially large from the outside. However, it is remarkably big on the inside. Going up the stairs lined with former Prime Ministers, a suite of rooms presents itself. The largest of these is capable of accommodating a significant number of people. This was just as well for our function as there were perhaps 200 of us present to celebrate “Excellence in State Education”. David Cameron had invited leaders from selected state schools across the country to acknowledge excellence in the state school system. I was invited to represent Comberton Village College and the Comberton Academy Trust because both the school and the Trust were deemed to be among the very best in the country and worthy of celebration. The criteria for this were a mixture of long-standing high achievement, consistent ‘outstanding’ Ofsted inspection judgements and a significant role in contributing to
improving the performance of other schools. Comberton clearly met all the criteria. David Cameron spoke, as usual, with no notes. In essence, he confirmed the hugely positive effect that all of these factors can have on pupils and thanked all those present for their work in providing inspiration to the young people of our country. It was a fair message and it was good that Comberton’s role and excellence were appropriately acknowledged in this way. The Prime Minister followed up with a letter in which he said: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your contribution to education in this country. “State education in England is going from strength to strength, but that would not be possible without the work of people like you. “It speaks volumes that the Head Teacher of King’s College Wimbledon, a top independent school, recently pointed out tha,t for the first time in his career, independent schools are experiencing real competition from state schools.” Stephen Munday, Executive Principal
DOWNING ST: Executive Principal Stephen Munday has visited both No 10 and No 11.
Friends offer many thanks
EDINBURGH-BOUND: The Odyssey will play at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this summer after receiving help from the Friends of CVC Trust Fund. This term students have taken the musical, by teacher Geoff Page, to Melbourn Village College and The Voyager as well as performing it at the ADC Theatre in Cambridge.
Friends of CVC Trust Fund would like to thank parents, staff and students for their fantastic support throughout the year. Just over £18,500 has been raised through donations and various fund-raising events. This money has helped support The Cabin Appeal, The Odyssey goes to Edinburgh appeal, the Africa Walk and Minibus Appeal. In 2014-15 The Friends will continue to support these appeals and also make small grants throughout the year for various projects. Fund-raising in the new academic year starts with a Bag2School collection, which will take place on 23 September. Marshalling at Cambridge Triathlon,
for which we receive a donation, is on 28th September. Also, please remember to order your Christmas puddings online from September: details to follow at the start of the term. The Friends will shortly launch Easyfundraising to raise money to improve the social areas for all year groups. The existing Friends would love to hear from potential new trustees and are inviting anybody interested to attend a meeting as an observer. The trustees usually meet once a term. Contact email: friends@combertonvc.org or look on the website http://www.combertonvc.org/friends ofcvctrustfund
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Focus on Maths — Page 3 Trio Bow out after 84 years — Page 5 Variety for SA guests — Page 5 Sixth Form Round-up — Pages 6 & 7 Countdown to new Cabin — Page 8 DofE Latest — Page 9 Fantastic Finale — Page 10 Students enjoy Social Side — Page 11 Brought to Book — Page 11 Polish Teachers take in Lessons — Page 12
National Champion! — Page 13 Spanish Trip is Magic — Page 13 News@Cam — Pages 15-18 Arts Round-up — Pages 20 & 21 Comberton Academy Trust News — Pages 22 & 23 BBC News School Report — Page 24 Street Child World Cup — Page 25 Stars Share their Stories — Page 27 SCSSP round-up — Page 28 Holland Tour — Page 28
CHATER ALLAN ADVERT
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Tennis Round-Up — Page 29 On Top of the World — Page 29 Athletics News — Page 30 Sixth Formers retain Crown — Page 25 Duo win Training Grants — Page 31 Dance Head’s Disney Experience — Page 31 A Peloton of Tour-ists — Page 32 Dancers’ Right Response — Page 32 Designed and edited by Judy Czylok. Contact: publicity@comberton.cambs.sch.uk
Comberton Village College has been chosen to lead one of 32 maths hubs, part of a new government-funded initiative to improve standards, which was launched this month. The Department for Education is pumping £11 million into establishing the hubs over the next two years to enable every school and college in England from early years to Post-16 to access locally-tailored and quality support to ensure students reach the same levels as their Far Eastern peers. Executive Principal Stephen Munday was at No 11 Downing Street for the launch of the Maths Hubs programme by Education Minister Elizabeth Truss on July 2nd. Mr Munday said: "This has the potential to be a very significant development in strengthening Maths education in our school system. It is a major accolade that our exceptional Maths department has been invited, working in partnership with others, to become one of the first ever Maths hubs in the country. We will work to do our best to support and strengthen Maths education for the benefit of pupils across a very wide area." Comberton already works very closely with the other Academies in the Comberton Academy Trust but the new hub will extend its remit. They will work with the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM), who are taking a lead role in establishing the hubs. Comberton already works closely with the Faculty of Education at the University of Cambridge, NRICH, Swavesey Village College, Saffron Walden County High School, Histon and Impington Junior School and Bourn Academy and will now reach more than 600 other schools across Cambridgeshire.
Ms Truss said: “There is no reason why children in England cannot achieve the same standards as those in Japan, Singapore and China. We put in more resources in England than in these countries and we have the best generation of teachers ever. Yet our children are two to three years behind by the age of 15.” The hubs will: lead on national innovation projects develop and support the recruitment of maths specialists into teaching support trainees and other maths teachers co-ordinate and deliver continuing professional development (CPD) and school-toschool support ensure maths leadership is developed help maths enrichment programmes to reach a large number of pupils from primary school onwards The first events of the Autumn term are now being planned. Two primary teachers will spend two weeks working in Shanghai, top in the latest international maths comparison tests, and will then share their experiences through a series of workshops and presentations. Chinese teachers will come to Cambridge on a return visit which will co-incide with a Primary Maths Conference, which will take place at the Faculty of Education, Cambridge University. Existing support networks operating in Cambridgeshire will be branching out and new opportunities will be available. This will include a variety of joined-up Maths CPD available through the Faculty of Education, the Cambridge Learning Directorate and Comberton Village College. Rachael Horsman, Maths Lead, Comberton hub
Team reach finals
Full marks: In maths challenge.
Duo shine
I was lucky enough to take part in the UKMT Team Maths Challenge. This was a whole day of competition that took place in the Cambridge University Faculty of Maths in which two Year 9s (Tom Jarvis and me) and two Year 8s (Will Zeng and William Shellard) worked as a team to complete four challenges, competing against other teams from East Anglia. It was a fun day that all four of us enjoyed, working as a team to methodically work through different challenges and puzzles and, best of all, we won! We beat teams such as Cottenham and The Perse. This meant we went to London to compete in the national Team Maths Challenge final. Many thanks to Miss Slusar for preparing the team and taking us to the London final. The Comberton team came 14th out of the 80 finalists. Across the country, 3,147 schools had entered the first round of the competition! Sam Clarke (9R)
Most of the 123 pupils from Year 7 and 8 who entered the UKMT Junior Maths Challenge this year gained a certificate. In total, 22 Gold, 37 Silver and 28 Bronze certificates were awarded — an excellent result for all their hard work. Two pupils, however, truly excelled. For only the second time in the 18 years Comberton has taken part in the Challenge, a pupil, Callum Martin of Year 7, was awarded a score of 135, maximum marks. He and Will Zeng in Year 8, were invited to take part in the next round of the Challenge, the Olympiad after being in the top 1200 of about 250,000 pupils who sat the Challenge. Here Will excelled. He achieved a top 200 place NATIONAL FINALISTS: The Comberton team. and was awarded a silver medal!
BRIAR SECURITY
TALKING MATHS: Charlie Gilderdale.
Enriching maths Last month some pupils from the top two maths sets in Year 7 and 8 and pupils from Cambourne were lucky enough to receive an interactive lecture from Charlie Gilderdale, a coordinator of the NRICH project. This is an initiative based in Cambridge that aims to “enrich the mathematical experiences of all learners”. Lasting two hours, we solved four mathematical problems such as working out how to cross a river with certain rules and my favourite called “Who can get the last biscuit?” All four were thoroughly enjoyable. I don’t know about everyone else, but my brain was scrambled after all the hard work! It was also quite cool to be seated in the lecture theatre, having a taste of what Sixth Form might be like. Mr Gilderdale was a great teacher and made the problems even more interactive than they already were. Hopefully next year the new Year 7s will also be able to receive the great opportunity that we had. Haydn Davies (8N)
DJ IRELAND
COULSON
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And then on to No 11 . . .
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TOAD’S SCHOOL OF MOTORING
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Three teachers who have clocked up more than 80 years service at Comberton Village college retire this summer. Deputy Principal Mary Martin is the longest-serving, having been at the college for 36 years, while Head of Dance Mel Edwards and Head of Food Technology and Catering Anne Jones leave after 25 and 23 years respectively. All three have worked with the children of some of the pupils they originally taught. Mrs Martin joined the school in 1978 as an English teacher, beating 70 other applicants to the job. She went on to become Head of English, Literacy Coordinator, Examinations Officer, Director of Research, Director of Teacher Training and Equal Opportunities Officer before becoming Assistant then Deputy Principal. She has two favourite memories: “Being part of the school's 50-Year History Celebrations in 2010 was a significant moment of history for me,” she said. “I enjoyed helping our community reflect on how CVC had grown and developed from the early, very sound foundations, led by a series of excellent leaders including our current Mr Munday to where we are in the 21st Century. “Another moment that was a very pleasing endorsement of the equal opportunities work I have established as PEOPLE people work was when the actor Ian McKellen visited the school and allowed pupils to discuss how we work. He commented: ‘Listening to all of you was like being in a sociology seminar. This work is extraordinary!’” Mrs Edwards’ quarter-of-a-century at Comberton has seen her three children pass through the school and she is now working alongside those she previously taught PE to. “Mrs Girling, in the main office, was in my Year 10 Netball Team in 1989 and I was certainly cheering for Mr Potter (now a PE teacher) when he ran his 200m school record which he still holds, although I’m not sure he can run as fast now,” she said. “I am very lucky to have worked with so many fantastic young people and staff in a wide range of activities such as gorge walking in Scotland, skiing in Italy and camping at Beaumanor.
“The last six years as Head of Dance I have enjoyed the most out of all my years of teaching , but I am now very excited to have the time to go travelling and pursue my hobbies and also learn some new skills too. I shall think of you all, especially on those cold January mornings, when I am enjoying a warming beverage on a sunny mountain somewhere in Austria!” Mrs Jones first taught just six lessons of Home Economics a week in what is now a language classroom. There RETIRING: Teachers (from left to right) Anne Jones, Mary Martin and was another room, which now houses Mel Edwards leave after 23, 36 and 25 years respectively. a computer suite and offices, which had a dining table, chairs, a sideboard and fireplace in hte flat, with part of the curriculum being to invite friends or staff for a meal! She became Head of Food Technology three years later and also became a Head of Year, which she said was a time-consuming but thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding job. She recalled some of the most amusing moments, commenting: “Once, when making a lemon meringue pie, I noticed a pupil grating a plastic Jif lemon. Another time I PASTURES NEW: Mark Goldring (left) and Jonathan Love head for saw a pupil squeeze a new tube of new schools. tomato purée to release the metal book! Maybe this is something I'll do in retirement! cap, not realising that if you inverted the lid it had a spike in it to pierce the metal. You have guessed, the “I have thoroughly enjoyed teaching at Comberton, for tube burst and the pupil was covered from head to toe the last 23 years. I have taught some super children with tomato purée. On another occasion I noticed a and I hope they have remembered some of the skills pupil opening a tin of golden syrup with a can opener! which I have taught them.” “Finally, when whisking egg whites the test is to turn Two other long-serving staff, Jonathan Love, a former the bowl upside down. One of my pupils turned it Head of Maths, and Assistant Principal Mark Goldring, upside down over her head, but it had not been a PE teacher, are also moving on. whisked sufficiently and it ended up over her head. Mr Love heads north to a job in Kendal, Cumbria, after She swiftly went to the girls' toilets to wash and dry her hair. However, she had not washed it thoroughly and 15 years, while Mr Goldring was due to go to Brighton, she came back to class with cooked egg in her hair but in a late change has instead accepted a role at The due to the hot air from the hand dryer. I could write a Voyager, after 13 years at Comberton.
Varied programme for SA visitors Five students from Comberton’s partner school in South Africa spent three weeks in England, learning about school life and seeing some of the sights. The five Edendale teenagers, as well as their head teacher and his wife, returned home last week after their once-in-a-lifetime trip. It included seeing the Tour De France pass through Cambridge, but the students also saw sights that have been around for hundreds of years. These included a weekend in London, a tour of Cambridge and at evening at the Corn Exchange for the Year 11 ball. They also saw snow, some for the first time, when SONG FOR AFRICA: Visiting students, their head and his wife performed in assemblies. they went sledging at Milton Keynes Snozone — Comberton. as well as some retail therapy at Centre MK — and went They performed in assemblies, took part in geography and swimming at Parkside. Spanish lessons, had a go on the climbing wall, did some As well as the trips and visits, the students spent time at art work and spent a day at Meridian Primary School.
Still in stock Following the closure of the school shop, stationery is now available for students to purchase from the School Library. We can accept payment in cash or cheque, but unfortunately we are unable to deduct payment from cashless catering cards. Some more expensive items will be available via Wisepay. We will stock all the usual items required by students, plus A4 notepads and ring binders which are particularly useful for Sixth Form students.
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Trio bow out after 84 years
Preparing for university sixth form
An action-packed week of University preparation started with the arrival of the greenest double decker bus you’ve ever seen. This was the ARU ‘Go to Uni’ Roadshow Bus, which was full of pens, stickers, bookmarks and great advice to young people about making the right choices for the future. It marked the start of a week of opportunities for Sixth Form students to raise their awareness of life at University, which was soon followed by an excellent evening of lectures to students and parents from Dr Nick Gee, the Dean of Admissions from University of East Anglia, and Marc Rothera, the Education and Outreach Manager from Anglia Ruskin University. On Wednesday the whole of Year 12 joined all the other Sixth Form colleges in the local area at the University and Higher Education convention held in Cambridge – with more than a hundred universities represented, offering all sorts of really helpful advice and support as students try to come up with a long shortlist of places to apply to. The week culminated in a trip to Warwick University Open Day, which allowed us all to look at a typical campus university; and offered a day full of talks, tours and subject lecturers to speak to. Luckily the weather was stunning, with plenty of opportunities for ice cream and cold drinks outside the vibrant Student Union. At the end of this action-packed week, we now feel better equipped for
making some major choices and preparing our personal statements. A big thank you needs to go to Mrs Powell and Mrs Thomas for organising such a useful week. Georgia Cummings and Christian Turner (Student Presidents)
LIFE ON CAMPUS: Year 12 visiting Warwick University.
Experiencing life at Sixth Form
TOGETHER: Year 10 and Year 12.
Year 10 pupils at Comberton have started thinking about life after Year 11 and work has begun to ensure they have the all the information, advice and guidance they need to make a fully informed decision when the time comes next year. Many Year 10 students have now had their first taste of Sixth Form life, either by attending a special event at CRC, or one of many A-Level taster lessons at Comberton Sixth Form. During a two-week period, more than 150 Year 10
students have studied alongside current Year 12 students and taken part in A-Level and BTEC Level 3 lessons. They have, amongst other activities, performed in Drama, experimented in Chemistry, created in Product Design and pondered the complexities of the human mind in Psychology. This has provided them with a valuable insight into sixth form life and enabled them to appreciate the enormous differences between being a lower school pupil and a sixth form student.
Winter warmers head for SA More than 100 blankets will be handed out in South Africa to those who need them by Comberton Sixth Formers. Sixteen boxes of donated blankets have already been collected and shipped to Pretoria, thanks to Royston company, Johnson Matthey for distribution by our students when they visit Comberton’s partner school, Edendale, this summer. As well as helping at the school, the students will visit an orphanage for children who have lost their parents to HIV and Aids and will visit a shanty town, where the blankets will be given away. The students launched a blanket appeal because it is currently winter in South Africa and nights there can get quite cold. The successful appeal was further boosted by a generous donation of hand-knitted
blankets from a group of senior citizens on the Isle of Grain, in Kent, after one of their relatives read about the appeal in a local village magazine. A few of those extra blankets are pictured along with five of the students, who will be taking them to South Africa in their luggage.
LEAVERS’ PARTY: For the second cohort of Comberton Sixth Form students.
Students say farewell A sunny Thursday evening in Cambridge saw us saying goodbye and good luck to our second cohort of sixth formers. More than125 staff and students gathered in the elegant surroundings of the University Arms Hotel, looking sophisticated in cocktail dresses and suits. Following a drinks reception we moved into the gorgeous wood-panelled dining room for a two course meal and dancing to our live band, Swagger. The student presidents gave short speeches thanking the staff for the positive experience all the students have had at CSF and the evening ended with fond farewells on both sides. We wish all our departing students well as they await their A2 results in August and wish them every success in the future.
Hoops Oakington Garden Centre
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sixth form
Council is elected With Year 13 having left to complete their A-levels, it was necessary for the Sixth Form to elect a new Student Council to represent the issues raised and be the general voice of the student population at Comberton.
GLOBE-TROTTERS: Sixth Formers went to the famous Shakespeare outdoor theatre.
Drawn in at The Globe Tuesday at the Globe: what a fantastic day it was. After arriving at Cambridge railway station and meeting the rest of the group, our expectations ran high on what was to come, in London. Once we stepped out of St Paul’s tube station, we ambled along past St Paul’s Cathedral and as we looked over the Millennium Bridge, that spans the River Thames, toward the South Bank, we were struck by the sharp contrast of the modern and iconic Shard against the archaic Globe, a venue that is the exact replica of the original theatre where many of the first performances of Shakespeare’s plays were enacted. After a bite to eat, we entered the Globe and stood to watch a brilliant performance of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. It would be an understatement to say that its being at the Globe was very special and particularly atmospheric, especially as the design of the place is unique. As a member of the audience, you almost felt involved in the actions of the play, whilst members of the cast would, from time to time, run through, shouting and gesticulating wildly, which had the effect of hooking us in closer: to say the least, it was certainly a gripping performance. To add to this, the music and costumes of the renaissance period were really rather spectacular, as they complemented the architecture of the theatre and enhanced the whole event. Although our feet were in bad shape after two-and-a-half hours of standing, the fantastically charismatic actors made the overall experience more than worthwhile. There was time for a group photo before making our way back across the river, in the evening sunlight, and the experience of travelling on the London Underground during the rush hour. As you might imagine, that had an atmosphere all of its own, too!
With the expansion to the Academy Trust now incorporating five educational establishments, the roles that the newly elected students have taken on will not only have an impact across Comberton Village College but also across the Academy Trust as a whole. Ably led by Georgia Cummings and Christian Turner, as the Student Presidents elect, they have already contributed hugely to the end-of-year events and the preparations for the start of the next academic year. The other successful students elected were Adam Roberts-Taira (Student VicePresident: Academic), Joely Sockett (Student Vice-President: Welfare), Izzy Brunsting (Student Vice-President: Communication); Ciara Tierney & Sarah Sanderson (Student Vice-Presidents: Sports/Social), Marcus Danvers (Student Vice-President: Environment), Luke Hebditch & Josh Hebditch (Student VicePresidents: Trust Liaison).
LEADING THE WAY: New presidents of the Student Council.
Producing revision materials provide marketing challenge To mark World Book Day, Cambridge University Press opened its doors to Sixth However, we had the opportunity to talk to experts from different business functions who gave us practical advice.This included professionals from marketing, formers from around the county, to get involved in a marketing competition. Forming a team with Parkside College, we were given a brief to technology, development and design. Afterwards we develop GCSE computing revision materials. had to present our ideas to the whole room of CUP In just two hours, we had to devise, develop, cost out staff and the other students and we got to hear the and create ideas that could be sold to schools across ideas of the other colleges. It was impressive how the country. many different sorts of ideas had been developed. Thankfully, it wasn’t all about winning (that was done Our group decided to create a Study App aimed at students rather than using text books, as we thought it by Long Road), but the day was genuinely very interesting; we enjoyed working with students we’d could make revision little less boring! We had to never met before and it left us feeling ambitious and consider the cost of producing our app, the target market, how it would be advertised and sold. motivated about getting to work in the marketing world Competition was fierce against other college groups — one day. PRESENTING: At Cambridge University Press. including The Perse, Hills Road and Long Road. Jocelyn Davies, (U6-EW)
Make it Yummy
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Countdown to new Cabin news@com
Work to replace The Cabin’s delapidated Portakabins gets under way this summer and should be ready for next March. The new Cabin will be purpose-built and will allow many more children with Asperger’s and high-functioning autism to attend CVC and study a full curriculum alongside their peers, accessing the same education and opportunities as every other child. Staff and students have already moved out of the leaking, run-down temporary classrooms that have housed the Cabin for the past eight years and will be based in the Lecture Room until their new home is completed. The Cabin was established to meet better the needs of young autistic people in Cambridgeshire to give all students the opportunity to learn in a place where they feel safe and free from anxiety. The Cabin provides an environment of stimulation and challenge, while giving its students the support they need to engage in their interests, develop and succeed. It started with just a handful of pupils based in one second-hand Portakabin and has grown to directly support 23 students and extend a vital umbrella of care to the wider BEYOND REPAIR: Cabin students outside one of their delapidated Portakabins. school community. The Cabin relies on having a dedicated building, next to the The Friends of Comberton Village College’s held an Auction of Promises with main school to provide a safe zone where pupils can go for quiet time and donations from school staff and parents, shops, restaurants and businesses in our reassurance; help with organisation and study; and provision of specialist support community. A large proportion of the takings went to ‘The Cabin Appeal’. from teachers, therapists and counsellors. As the number of pupils being supported A teaching assistant and her husband were sponsored to complete ‘Tough Mudder’, by the Cabin has grown, the state of the two antiquated Portakabins deteriorated. a 12-mile cross-country obstacle course involving diving into ice, crawling through Carpets are threadbare, radiators broken, insulation is non-existent and the rainwater mud and being electrocuted. They raised more than £2,500. seeps in. The Cabin was chosen by Cambridge Building Society as one of its dedicated It was clear something drastic had to be done to save the Cabin environment and charities in their Cash for the Community Appeal and won a share of £10,000. support the pupils and their needs. The new build, which will cater for up to 40 students, will have classrooms as well as The first bold step was to make an application to the Academies Capital specific areas set aside for study, meetings or quiet time. There will be a kitchen, to Maintenance Fund for an entire rebuild and extension of the existing buildings. This help pupils learn life skills, and changing rooms and toilets so that autistic pupils do application won backing against more than 3,000 other applications, which means not have to navigate through crowded, noisy corridors at break times. funds raised to support the bid can now be used to kit out the new Cabin. The Cabin at Comberton Village College can now grow and benefit a widening Staff and parents fundraising activities included the following: community directly and indirectly and we cannot thank our supporters enough.
Thomson Webb & Corfield
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Melbourn Flooring
news@com ROYAL HANDSHAKE: Leigh Bellis meets the Duke of Edinburgh.
A meeting with royalty Duke of Edinburgh Co-Ordinator Leigh Bellis had a date at the Palace to celebrate Comberton’s continued success with the award. He and DofE administrator Lee Protheroe went to St James’s Palace to attend a Gold Award Ceremony as VIP guests of Cambridgeshire and were introduced to Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, himself. The invitation was in recognition of the large numbers of DofE participants that have consistently come from Comberton over a number of years.
Mr Bellis said: “It was a fabulous day, starting with a tour of the Palace, a bucks fizz reception with the celebrity guest speakers (Darcey Bussell, Benedict Cumberbatch, Larry Lamb) and then the presentation itself where I was introduced to the Duke of Edinburgh. “Despite the other VIP guests, royalty and celebrities, what made the ceremony special was the complete focus on the participants and their achievements, some having to overcome huge physical or health issues to complete their Gold award. “And this is what makes the DofE such a worthwhile and respected scheme. The Award will always be
about the achievement of the participants themselves, but what must never be forgotten is the hours that staff of Comberton Academy Trust and volunteers from the community willingly give up to ensure our young people can take part in a scheme that has the potential to have such a positive impact on their lives. “It may have been me invited to the Palace, but I was only a representative for all the students of Comberton who have completed any level of DofE Award and all the volunteers who have given their time to make this possible.”
Out and about on expeditions Eight silver award groups this month completed their practice expedition in the beautiful Dark Peak aread of the Peak District. This included a seven-hour hike from Edale to Bamford with up to 1000m of climbing over the course of the day. This followed eight hours of walking the previous day when participants were out until after midnight practising navigating around open moorland in the dark. That was the most recent expedition but won’t be the last this year as Year 13 head for the Swiss Alps at the end of July for their assessed Gold expedition, following their practice in the Lake District at Easter. In March and April, the Year 10 Bronze participants took part in their practice expeditions in the stunning Chiltern Hills, the first step in their journey through the DofE levels, learning the skills of campcraft,
navigation and teamwork. And Year 9s are hard at work putting in the hours required for the other three sections: Physical, Skill and Volunteering. All in all this is a very exciting time for participants and volunteers with so many opportunities to learns skills, help others, improve fitness, and enjoy the wonderful outdoors.
Custom Flooring
IN THE FIELD: A bronze group routeplanning (top) and a silver one hiking.
Apex Roofing
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PARTY TIME: Year 11 students at the Ball (left) and getting shirts signed at Celebration Day (below).
Fantastic finale Year 11 students celebrated the end of Key Stage 4 and their GCSE exams with two fabulous occasions. First was the Celebration Day. The sun was shining and the BBQ sizzled, fun and laughter were the order of the day! The weather held out for us while we had a memorable day, with a range of activities and treats including a bucking bronco, photo booth, giant bouncy castle with slide, an ice cream van and popcorn and candy floss stall. Mr Munday, the Year 11 Tutor Team and several other staff joined in. It was over all too quickly! Everyone had a fantastic time! Just five days later, students brought the streets round the Corn Exchange to a standstill as they arrived for the Year 11 Ball. Excitement had been building throughout the day as hair, make-up dresses and suits were sorted out. The weather was again perfect and crowds of parents, friends and students from other years packed the route to see students arrive in a range of vehicles including buses, bicycles and Bentleys. Inside students and staff danced the night away — a year group Conga was a must! A fabulous time was had by all! Having had two great events in a week to mark our time at Comberton, we would like to thank the staff, particularly the Year 11 Tutor Team, at the college for their help and support over the years.
Tutor Doctor Irena Spence
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Students enjoy social side RARING TO GO: Year 9 students ready to leave for Chessington.
Chessington has a great mix of big rides and animals Year 9s went on a trip to Chessington World of Adventures last month. We set off at 8:30 in the morning and watched Frozen on our two-hour coach journey there (this went down pretty well on coach 2). Once we arrived we were given our tickets and all separated off into our groups; some went straight for the big rides and some to the animals. The animals
ranged from lions to reindeers to the smallest of insects, and they entertained many throughout the day. Others, on the rides, queued up over and over again in excitement for their favourite attractions. These included Vampire, The Scorpion Express and Rattlesnake. Meanwhile, teachers kicked back in The Market Square sipping Slushies and enjoying the sun that
shone all day long. It was a great day and everyone had a really brilliant time enjoying the weather and the wide variety of things to do over at Chessington. We would like to thank all the staff involved in the organising of the day and for staff who gave up their Sunday to give us a great day out with our friends. Danielle Richardson (9V)
Lazy river . . .
ALL ABOARD: Year 8 students get settled in their punts and (right) enjoy a picnic.
Year 8 students rounded off their year with a novel social — punting on the River Cam. The 170 students were chauffeured along The Backs, relaxing and taking in the sights while those who wanted to were able to have a go at punting. That followed a fantastic picnic organised by a group lf girls and lots of games on Jesus Green.
Great day out for all Eighty pupils in Year 10 went to Thorpe Park as our final social event for the year. The pupils were accompanied by several members of staff (some less keen to go on the rides than others!) and a lot of fun was had by all. The weather was brilliant, the queues were not that long and the rides were fantastic, of course! A big thank you to Mr Beamish for organising the trip and to all the staff who went along. We are now looking forward to our next social event, which will be the grand Christmas lunch at THEME PARK FUN: For Year 10 students on the trip to Thorpe Park. the school when we are in Year 11!
Traditional flooring
Smiles bouncy castles
Redmayne Arnold & Harris
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Brought to book . . . Nine Year 9 students joined pupils from other schools at Bassingbourn Village College to discuss the shortlisted books we have been reading in our Carnegie Reading Group and the beautifully illustrated Kate Greenaway finalists. Armed with a set of each of the finalist books and several packages of cakes we set off for Bassingbourn for what turned out to be a controversial outcome. On arrival our students were allocated seats on various tables with pupils from St Bede’s, Bassingbourn and Melbourn. They quickly made friends and got down to the task of discussing their favourite books. These chats were lively, entertaining and insightful.
After much debate they finally came up with the book the judges were most likely to choose because it was so very different from the others and the book the students thought should win. As you can imagine the debate was fierce but finally ‘Bunker Diaries’ was heralded as the judges’ choice and ‘Blood Family’ or ‘All the Truth that’s in me’ as the students’ choice. At lunchtime the Carnegie Award announcement was made and… yes! ‘Bunker Diaries’ won. This book choice caused various reactions as the storyline included abduction and death.
DECISION TIME: Staff and students with the books they had to choose from. ‘This Is Not My Hat’ was the Kate Greenaway winner, and deservedly so with its thought provoking story and simple but elegant illustrations. All in all it was a fun day and as one of the students said: ‘I thought I wasn’t going to enjoy it, but it was good, wasn’t it?’ And so we returned to Comberton full of cake, new ideas and thinking about the new friends we had made.
Polish teachers take in lessons
LEARNING: Polish teachers on a fact-finding mission to Comberton.
Anglian High Access
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Earlier this month a party of 12 teachers from the same school in Gdansk, Poland, visited CVC. They toured the school with Year 7 and Year 8 Pupils and were very impressed by their enthusiasm and pride in the school. They were then were hosted by English, Mathematics, Science and Geography Departments. They were interested in looking at teaching and learning delivery and enjoyed the lessons they observed. Their school psychologist was interested in exploring all facilities connected with catering for different kinds of pupil special
needs. In a seminar following the observations, our Eastern European colleagues were keen to find out about all our Assessment and Monitoring processes both of which they found to be rigorous and an area for development for them. We hope we may be able to maintain some contact with them and possibly make connections with their pupils in Gdansk. This is something for us to think about in the future. For now though, their visit was judged by them to be a marvellous success. Mary Martin
Les Mis
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National champion! Comberton has the national Spelling Bee champion in Spanish. Daniel Vlasits won the overall competition after beating regional champions from around the country to take top honours in Spanish, having edged into the final stage with a suddendeath success in the regional finals earlier in the term. The 7B pupil was thrilled not just about winning, but also because his prize included a year’s free Vocab Express for Comberton. It was Daniel’s fourth round in the competition and each WINNER: Daniel Vlasits with members one saw him given of the MFL department at ARU. an addional 50 Spanish words to learn, with the help of dedicated Spelling Bee leaders. He first beat off his classmates, then saw off the challenge from all the other tutor group champions to reach the regional final, held at Comberton. The top four in the region in Spanish, French and German went through to the national finals at Anglia Ruskin University earlier this month.
CREATIVE INFLATIONS
TOP TRIP: Year 7 students on the Spanish trip to Comillas.
Spanish trip is just magic The Year 7 Spanish trip to Comillas was a truly stunning and unforgettable experience. It was certainly a once in a lifetime opportunity, which very lucky Year 7s took part in. Firstly, we would like to thank the teachers. Mrs Collado, Ms Hack, Miss Vazquez and Mr Southcoat, who all did a brilliant job at keeping us all in order. Activities ranged from observing amazing animals at the zoos we visited to shopping at the mall. We socialised with Spanish children, and made lots of new friends. At the school where we met with the children we had a choice of flamenco or football. We visited two zoos. Both were fantastic. From orang-utans to falcons, the animals never failed to entertain. We also had a historical quiz at the replica Cantabrian Roman Time’s village. We would also like to thank the Hotel Abba staff, who gave us delicious meals every day and provided us with luxury rooms. Even the scenery itself was amazing with soaring peaks and azure blue skies. We couldn’t help but bombard the surroundings with photographs. We had three hours of Spanish lessons most days. That may not sound so thrilling, but the teachers that we had made it fun. To some up; the best school trip I have ever been on. From mountains to football, a truly unforgettable experience. Alex Bentley (7M)
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The News Magazine of Cambourne Village College
ISSUE 3, SUMMER 2014
SHOW-STOPPERS: The cast, director and musical director of Oliver! Picture: Charles Rayner
A GREAT TWIST! Cambourne’s first production was a riproaring success. From the premiere of Oliver! in front of 200 youngsters from Cambourne’s primary schools to its final showing to an adoring public of family, friends and staff, this show had hit written all over it. Around two-thirds of the college’s students were directly involved in one way or another, but the whole school pulled out all the stops for their debut show. The characters for Lionel Bart’s classic 1960 musical included Orlando James playing a heavenly Oliver Twist, a sinister Erik Valance as Fagin and a cheeky Will Racher as The Artful Dodger. Poppy Pennington was the tragic heroine Nancy and Jack Walker was the epitome of nasty villainy with his rendition of Bill Sykes. The Cambourne cast was also joined by Comberton’s Heinrich Verwoerd, whose booming voice and surly stage presence fitted the part of Mr Bumble to perfection. Alongside the talented principals was a chorus of singers and dancers playing workhouse orphans, Fagin’s pickpockets and well-to-do Londoners. They were all very ably supported by a fantastic crew,
including Comberton veterans Liam Clark, Russ Challis and Max Prince, and a whole host of new tech enthusiasts from Cambourne. Leading actor Orlando said: “Oliver was a great success. “The performance of Oliver took about 20-30 people to be characters, another 50 to be the singers, and about 20 others to help with setting up the lighting and stage (thanks to those who took part). “The play took about five months to re-enact and, as a main character, I know that we had both good times and bad times, and that we fought through each problem. “It was an honour to be Oliver Twist in the play and I must say well done to everybody. You were absolutely great!” Arthur Noreika, a member of the technical team, said: “The mission of making Oliver at Cambourne Village College into a West End show was not easy. “It took strength, sweat and an amazing team of volunteers working weekends and weekdays. “From making the props to moving the lights, we all helped in one way or another. “Everyone was doing something, but with our minds full of information some things were forgotten.
“Nevertheless we stayed on track, and no matter what, all the backstage crew had a good time while working. To summarise Oliver, it was like a rollercoaster ride full of songs!” Sabin John commented: “I was Mr. Brownlow who took Oliver in and I was his ‘Grandfather’. Being in the ‘Oliver!’ performance meant that I had to give up my free time and commit my time to rehearsals, but it was all worth it. “I was very nervous about performing in front of my parents and other parents, and about my parts since I was not just Mr. Brownlow, but also a workhouse boy and one of Fagin’s boys. “That was the least of my worries, since I had to remember all my lines and when to say them, but luckily on the night I somehow managed to remember them! “We all had a lot of fun performing and showcasing our talents to parents and other people, and to show them how great our singing and acting skills were.” We look forward to many more Cambourne musicals and theatrical productions in the years to come, and plans are already well under way for next year’s show! Charlotte Fenn-Goode, Director, and Geoff Page, Musical Director.
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Surprise visitors drop in Students at Cambourne were shocked to emerge from assembly to find a hot air balloon coming down on their playing fields. The appropriately named Virgin balloon landed unexpectedly on the fields — which were only laid last year and have yet to be used by the students — after an abrupt ending to an early morning flight earlier this term. The balloon was heading for the Gransdens but was
running out of fuel when the pilot spotted the playing field. The basket clipped a fence on the descent, causing some damage, but none of the passengers on board was injured. Now the school, which only opened last September and has 150 Year 7 pupils, is celebrating. As a thank you for the help received from Deputy Head Sean Sumner and Form Tutor Warren Patrick, who helped pack up the balloon and load it on to the transporter, the school has been given a bottle of champagne and free balloon flight tickets. These will be raffled or
auctioned to help fund-raise for the fledgling college. Mr Patrick said: “It was a bit of challenge to get the students concentrating again when there was all this drama on the school field.” Cambourne head of school Claire Coates added: “Life is never dull at CamVC, but this was really unexpected.” Student Ella Fox commented: “I couldn't believe it! We came out of assembly and a huge red balloon was right there on our playing field. Even we haven't had a chance to go on it yet! “
AERIAL ASSAULT: THe balloon comes down at Cambourne (left) and the balloonists view of the college.
High praise for DT ideas Six students from Cambourne Village College and four students from Neale Wade College travelled to a conference about Design and Technology at Homerton College in Cambridge. The meeting was designed to tell teachers and engineers about the way DT is taught at secondary school. First there was an activity to tell each set of students about what the other had been learning about, with the Camborne students experiencing the effects of arthritis and visual impairment and the Neale Wade students learning about electronics and soldering. After a short break, the students presented their ideas for potential products made to solve real-life everyday problems. The students took a few questions, but soon the time was up and the conference concluded with some praise for the future engineers. In a letter from Bill Nicholl, lecturer in DT at Cambridge University, students were praised for their achievements: “Not only did they engage in the various tasks, but they presented the ideas they had been working on in school as part of this research to an invited audience of teachers, engineers from international companies and other representatives i.e. Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng). “Their presentations were superb. In all sincerity, their ideas were exceptional, showing an originality of thinking that one might expect of graduate/practising design engineers. “They fielded questions from members of the audience, which revealed a
EXPERIMENTING: Cambourne students at work. sophisticated level of understanding of the design challenges they had undertaken as well as articulating clearly their motives for wanting to engage in such tasks. “I am glad to say, they rose to the occasion and stole the day.” It was a very enjoyable experience for the children who went, and it was a very good opportunity to develop ideas and practise presenting skills. Ivan Kudryavtsev (7M)
All the fun of the fair!
Coming together
Cambourne students visited the NEC in Birmingham where the biggest science fair for young people in the UK was being held. At the fair, different experiments and demonstrations were going on. Some showed physics, some chemistry and some showed biology. Two halls contained 10 different categories of sciences. A few that everyone visited were the immunology and the psychology. At the psychology stand, there were optical illusions, tricks being played on your mind and mirroring glasses (you had to draw the outline of a shape in them). At the immunology stand, you could make a material that felt a lot like snot. There was a variety of colours. Some stalls were doing research, like whether the hand you wrote with affected the time you could stay balanced on the tiptoes of one foot (very hard). Others were demonstrating experiments that had already taken place. An example is the accelerator, which makes you run faster. “My favourite bit was making the snot,” said Haleema (70). “I liked everything.” said Sherene (7U). DAY OUT: At the Science Fair. Everyone enjoyed the fair and had a great time.
Cambourne students shared their new school with the older generation, inviting grandparents into the college to entertain them. They prepared food during Food Technology lessons and performed on a variety of instruments as well as chatting and sharing stories. The Friends of CamVC arranged the tables and hall for the event which was enjoyed by everyone.
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SHARING: Students and their guests.
news@cam FIRST RESIDENTIAL: Year 7 enjoy their activities at Beaumanor Hall in Leicestershire.
Brilliant Beaumanor . . . On Monday 7 July, Year 7 and a set of brave staff set off on our first ever residential visit to Beaumanor Hall. After arriving and setting up our tents, we were off on our first adventures. During the week, everyone took part in a whole range of activities. The high ropes session was the most challenging for lots of children and staff, and it was great to see so many people feeling so pleased with
themselves afterwards. Everyone supported each other really well and lots of people made new friends as they queued up nervously for their turn at whizzing down on the zip wire over the Beaumanor fields. Some students even turned upside down! Canoeing on the lake was great fun and lots of people jumped in. On the walking and orienteering days, some of the teachers’ map reading skills were a bit dodgy and Mr
Page’s group claimed they’d walked miles extra! We had a great talent show lasting over three evenings, fun in the dark in the cellars, and the food was great – especially the pizza. We even got to watch some of the World Cup. Mrs Taylor said that the best thing about the week was how everyone overcame fears and met challenges. Year 7 would like to thank all the staff and especially Mr Sumner for organising this for us.
Fiesta time in Cambourne Youngsters from Cambourne primary schools were invited to join Year 7 pupils at the college for a Spanish Fiesta. This was a series of Spanish events including flamenco dances, art, playing Spanish music in an orchestra and singing along with Mr Fernandez, who impressed everyone with his amazing guitar-playing.
SHOW TIME: Staff and students after the Birds of Prey show.
Spanish trip is action-packed Day 1: We were in school till 2:10pm, but it was then that our journey began! Once we got to the airport we had 40 minutes of shopping (mostly for snacks for the flight)! After some amazing views from the plane, we were finally in Spain! But the journey didn't end there because there was still another hour of driving on a bus to get to our amazing hotel. Everybody had an amazing sleep that night. Day 2: We went to a three-hour Spanish lesson and made up some questions for some Spanish children that we were going to see later that day. When we got to the Spanish school, all of the Year 7 children at that school got into a big circle and we made a smaller circle inside, then we had mini conversations where we talked to the Spanish children in Spanish and Spanish children talked to us in English. We had lunch with them and tried to communicate as best as we could! After that, there was a choice of flamenco dancing, football or designing computer games. Then we went back to the hotel and ate some delicious dinner. That night six children went to the beach including me and it was amazing. Day 3: We went to a really nice house that was designed by Gaudí, a very famous Spanish architect. He makes amazing buildings. There were some fascinating ideas that you would never think of such as windows that make music when you open and close them or the bird in the window playing the piano. After visiting El Capricho de Gaudí we went to the biggest shopping centre I have ever seen. With only 90 minutes everyone was rushing round – it was a great opportunity to put our Spanish to the test! Day 4: We had a treasure hunt in a shopping square. It was fun and quite challenging with the winning group getting free ice-creams. Day 5 We tried to make the most of our last day. We went to a big safari park and it was amazing. There were so many animals, but not just that; there was lots of space for them to run around. There was a Bird of Prey show, some sea lions performing and lots of other animals! Natalie Walpole (7R)
SPANISH ACTIVITIES: Included singing and art.
LIVE: Students take part in the Anthony Horowitz event.
Streaming Horowitz live The library made use of streaming technology to give Anthony Horowitz fans a chance to get their questions answered. The show was projected on to the board and questions were tweeted from the Cambourne VC Book Group Twitter page. Here is what Timothee thought about the event. Student Timothee Pardigon (7A) said: “Members of the school attended a virtual Anthony Horowitz event. It was a live event in which Anthony Horowitz answered live questions in London from 500 schools in England. It was a funny, interesting and helpful. Then, he read a part of his book, Russian Roulette. “At the end he dropped a few hints about the new series he was going to write. It is going to be called ‘The Machine ‘and will be a trilogy. He also said it will take place around this time. If you haven't read any books by Anthony Horowitz yet, then I strongly recommend them to you.”
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Community provides boost During the first year at Cambourne Village College, there has been lots of support for the PE department from the local community to provide a high quality and varied PE programme to students at the school. Volunteers from the local community have provided a range of after-school sports clubs, including gymnastics, football, dance, athletics and volleyball.
Without the generosity and experience of our volunteers, we could not have offered such a successful extra-curricular programme to our Year 7 students. We look forward to these links growing over the coming years so that we can continue to offer high quality experiences. This term, Cambourne VC linked up with the Bodyworks, Cambourne Comets and Cambourne Tennis Club to provide coaching during their Sports Day this month.
Students experienced taster sessions led by club coaches to allow them to get a flavour of what is on offer in the local community. The school also received support from Cambourne Netball Club and Cambourne FC, who we are currently developing links with, as well as getting involved in local events. We hope to be able to support the Bourn2Run event in September. Jo Dawson, Subject Leader for PE
Athletes’ debut delight Cambourne VC made their athletics debut at Bassingbourn VC in May. Despite completing most of their training indoors, the students performed exceptionally well on the day against local schools. The girls’ squad produced a solid performance and came sixth ahead of Bassingbourn VC and Melbourn VC. Notable performances on the day came from Molly Wales (800m), Abigail Berritt (Discus) and Julia Gacek (1500m), who all finished on the podium for their events. The boys’ squad also finished sixth ahead of Comberton and Bassingbourn. Top performances from the team came from Callum Reed (Javelin and Discus), Daniel Wood (Shot) and Tom Smith (1500m), all producing excellent results on the day. Unfortunately, students were unable to attend the following event. However, the team will be back in action in Summer 2015 to improve on their positions this year.
VARIETY: Pupils tried trampolining as well as the traditional sports day fare of running, jumping and throwing.
Fun at first sports day For the second half of the day, students competed in three athletic disciplines to gain points for their tutor group. Miss Boyns led the high jump session in the Sports Hall where students attempting to jump over heights of up to 1.20m. Outside in the sunshine, Mr Patrick led the javelin throwing competition, which saw FIRST OUTING: Cambourne make their athletics debut. many students throw in excess of 10.50m to gain maximum points. For the running competition, students completed an 800m run around a small track to test their speed against the clock, with football coach Darren Wood and Comberton Sixth Former Harmony Hennessy offering their skills and time. Many tutor groups also CHARITY RUN: took part in a relay during their running Pupils and competition, where the girls showed the staff complete boys how it was done! the Sport In the end R won with C second and U Relief Mile. third. M won the endeavour prize. With any opportunity for dressing-up always seized upon, the Sport Relief As part of the new intake programme, students tried a variety of sports to Mile was an ideal excuse for everyone to come to school in sports kit and introduce them to life at Cambourne VC. sprint, jog or walk many loops around the hard courts and adjacent grass Sessions were delivered by staff and area. The entire school took part, students and staff alike, with quite a few volunteers who have been involved with of the latter deciding afterwards that they might need to exercise more the curriculum and extra-curricular regularly. In all £92.90 was raised for Sport Relief and it was good to be programme this year, and who will part in this national event. continue to deliver sessions next year. Activities included dance, training from September 11 in the college sports hall. Cambourne Netball Club, one of the community clubs with close links football, table tennis, to the college, is holding a series of junior sessions this summer. For those starting Year 7 in September this takes place on Thursday athletics, rowing and These are aimed at girls who are just finishing Year 6, 7 and 8 and unihoc. These sessions from 5.00-6.00 and for those in Years 8 and 9 it’s an hour later. will take place on the college’s outdoor courts during the holidays. were used for pupils to get Each child is allowed to have one free trial session before deciding Existing players and new ones are all welcome. They run on to know each other, as well Thursdays from July 31st to August 28 from 6.00-7.00pm and cost whether to join at a cost of £100 per year (in two installments). as experience some of the £3 per session. activities that will be on For more information, please contact the club via After that the club, named as the East Region Outstanding Club of offer in September. cambournejuniornetball@outlook.com the Year for 2013-4 by England Netball, switch to their winter
Whole school’s charity mile
Cambourne students experienced their first Sports Day last week. Following a hectic week at Beaumanor, students took on a variety of challenges to earn points for their tutor group. The Sports Day followed a very different format to the Primary Festival that students experienced last year at Comberton, due to limited access to outdoor spaces. For half of the day, students enjoyed a variety of taster sessions led by local club coaches and volunteers. Cambourne Comets delivered a trampoline session, allowing students to ‘have a go’ on the school trampolines, as well as watch a display by the local club’s members to demonstrate the skills that can be developed at club level. Cambourne Tennis Club provided a coach from Over & In to deliver a taster session of what students could experience at the local club. Finally, Anita Ratheb and Hayley Aitchinson, regular volunteers with the PE Department at Cambourne VC, delivered a volleyball session to students to develop their basic skills. Anita will be running a club at the school in September for students to attend.
Plenty of chances to give netball a go
Follow the PE Department on Twitter for the latest sports news and notices at CamVC 18
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Blood, sweat but no tears Year 10 GCSE Drama students took part in an inspiring all-day workshop with experienced professional actor, Mike Southern. The workshop was centred round Blood Brothers by Willy Russell, and introduced the students to a varied range of performance and rehearsal techniques. Mike Southern played the role of Sammy in the West End production of Blood Brothers for nearly 10 years and the unique insights that he was able to communicate furnished the students
with an invaluable opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the play and its challenges in performance. The enthusiasm and focus with which the cohort engaged in the different activities was truly impressive and bodes extremely well for the upcoming assessed practical unit in which they will explore the text further. The students still have a further treat in store in September, when they will go to see the current West End production of Blood Brothers on tour at Cambridge Arts Theatre. The GCSE theatre workshop with a professional practitioner is now set to become TOP TIPS: Professional actor Mike Southern shares his an annual event. in-depth knowledge of Blood Brothers.
A ‘Really Big’ deal! The Music Department organised a trip to sing ‘Mozart’s Requiem’ at the Royal Albert Hall as part of ‘The Really Big Chorus’ earlier this term. The group from Comberton Village College (comprising pupils, parents and teachers), joined a choir of approximately 1800 people for a concert celebrating Mozart’s music. The concert started off with a performance of ‘Eine Kleine Nachtmusik’ by the renowned English Festival Orchestra. This was followed by Mozart’s ‘Clarinet Concerto’ executed by the amazingly talented Anna Hashimoto. The highlight of everyone’s evening however, was performing the Requiem. It was an incredible experience and an unforgettable opportunity to sing in the Albert Hall and to join so many people in celebrating such an influential musician. The concert was thoroughly inspiring for everyone involved, MOZART’S REQUIEM: Comberton performers at thank you very much to Mr Parker and Mr Page for organising this opportunity for us. Mary White (10E) the Royal Albert Hall
CSA
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Les Mis on way In January 2015 Comberton Village College’s very own theatre company ‘Audacious Productions’ will be performing the world’s longest running musical, Les Misérables (School Edition). Last year, the powerful screen adaptation of the show proved to be an enormous awardwinning success and now it is our turn. With casting in September for students from Years 7 -13, this production will the next large scale show that Audacious Productions have tackled following Grease, We Will Rock You and, most recently, The Odyssey, which has toured across the Academy Trust and is being taken up Edinburgh this summer. Tickets will go on sale towards Christmas, so watch this space! Jez Frost, Head of Drama
Celebrating the Arts A group of 20 pupils, mostly from Year 8, have successfully achieved their Bronze level for the Arts Award. This is the first time the Award has been offered to pupils at the school. The standard of work was very high and some wonderful portfolios were produced. Our congratulations go to all of those involved: Jonathan Surridge, May Flack, Rowan McGee, Lucy Yeomans, Ivan Moore, Emily Barker, Sarah Snelling, Alex Turtill, Eliza Chambers, Fairouz Lulua-Terry, Alex Booth, Lucy Clippingdale, April Cross, Isabel Jackson, Chloe Hall, Elisabeth Harrison, Sarah Kilby, Gabby Borinuoluwa, Isbael Tannahill and Emily Dowd. The Bronze Arts Award is not dissimilar to the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award in that there are four parts that need to be completed and evidenced by way of a portfolio, documenting what they have done and learnt in each of the sections. By taking part in the Award pupils not only gain art form knowledge and understanding but also leadership, creativity and communication skills. We very much value the arts at Comberton Village
College and are keen to see as many of the Year 8s as possible complete the Bronze Arts Award. Most of the Year 8s have been given opportunities within the school curriculum to get involved in some of the sections of the award. For example, the Vienna Ballet came into school, giving the chance to be part of an audience and review the performance. Pupils are free to use both the opportunities from within the school as well as their own experiences and involvement in the arts outside of school to complete their portfolios. The Award itself is not a test of a pupil’s artistic ability but more on their appreciation of and participation in the arts. The Award is designed to be fun and varied and allow participants to use whatever areas of the arts that interest them, be it dance, drama, graphics, music or script writing. Here is what some of those who have just passed thought of the experience: “One thing that I found reassuring about doing the arts award was that all of the teachers were there to help make sure you have a high chance of passing so that all your hard work then pays off.” Lucy Yeomans (8C)
“I really enjoyed making my portfolio and writing about all my experiences. I found narrowing down all my experiences hard and I am very pleased I did the Arts Award. I learnt lots of different skills to do with the arts. I thought the moderator was really nice and I felt I could answer everything he was asking. I felt really calm when we were with him and his questions were very interesting.” Chloe Hall (8M) “Overall, I think that the arts award is a new experience. Some parts were quite a challenge, for example, the skill share. However, the majority of it was very fun and enjoyable. I will be looking forward to the silver. Lucy Clippingdale (8T) Early next term, we hope many more of the current Year 8s will also have finished their portfolios. The summer holidays offer an ideal opportunity to produce a portfolio. For more information on the Arts Award please see http://www.artsaward.org.uk or talk to one of the trained advisors at school — Mr Brown, Mrs Cronk, Ms Bristow, Ms Powys, Mrs Denton, Ms FennGoode and Mrs Allen.
Portrait hangs in Principal’s office My copy of ‘the Justice of Emperor Otto II (detail) by Dieric Bouts (1460) was the first proper portrait I have done. I am proud that it is now in Mr Munday’s office. I decided to paint this for my Gothic Art project and it was a good challenge for me. I painted it in many layers, although I first mixed basic skin colour. I then identified the tonal range of colours which made the shape more rounded. I tried to capture a Gothic style by making the picture look realistic and achieved this by
mixing and blending the colours into each other. With the soft graduation of colour and tone I made the skin much smoother. I enjoyed painting this picture hugely because I love experimenting with paint – the paint I used was acrylic - and I now want to produce more portraits. I especially enjoyed painting his hat because I could easily show the light and dark colours on it. Alicja Emmans (7T)
GOTHIC ART: Alicia Emmans’ work is now in Mr Munday’s office.
Work displayed at Royal Academy
FINAL SHORTLIST: For Year 11 student Charles Plet’s work, which is now on display at the Royal Academy.
Charles Plet was entered by his mum for the BBC One Show’s 2014 art competition and out of more than a thousand entries, was shortlisted to the final 26. His artwork is currently on display at the Royal Academy with the other 25 finalists until the 9th of August. His work appeared on the One Show being discussed by judges; Royal Academician Michael Landy, Radio One’s Nick Grimshaw and actress Maureen Lipman.
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BRONZE SUCCESS: A number of mainly Year 8 pupils have completed their first Arts Award.
CAT
It’s good to talk The Trust Student Council are working with creative practitioners to discover which are the important questions for students at this time. Sixty young leaders have been involved in a programme of artist-led experiences, developing a model for creating Space for Dialogue between schools and between students and adults, such as staff, business leaders and local authorities. In the second event students used the stimulus of an outdoor photography exhibition at Roman Point in Ferry Meadows, Nene Park, Peterborough. The photos were taken by local photographer Chris Porsz over the course of a year and capture Nene Park during the four seasons – he was on hand to discuss the images and the story told. Students developed interactive games to stimulate deep conversation and explored the nature of engagement. The Trust Student Council will be launched at a Marketplace and Space for Dialogue event this term. The model will then be taken to Peterborough Leaders’ Forum to give business and corporate leaders a chance to engage in student-led consultation. The programme was sponsored by Norfolk and Norwich Festival Culture Chain investment and we have won further sponsorship to develop a round of consultations and roll out.
STIMULUS: A Trust trip to look at photography in Ferry Meadows, Peterborough.
Investing in People across Trust Investors in People is an organisation that look at the structures in school that exist to recognise, develop and reward staff. They award an ‘Investors in People’ mark to organisations that meet their standards. Comberton recently underwent an inspection by IiP. An assessor came into school for three full days. As well as looking around the school, he met with a wide variety of staff and spoke to them about their experiences of working there. After also viewing quite a lot of documents related to the school, the assessor went away to write up a detailed report which told us in
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
which areas our strengths lie, and which areas we could develop further. Following this highly successful report, we hope to roll out the Investors in People award across the Comberton Academy Trust with all three other Academies preparing for and completing assessments in the next school year. We will use the successful experience at Comberton to inform the process in the other Academies, and hope to be able to report back in the summer of 2015 that the whole Trust has achieved the Investors in People award. Niki Smith, Assistant Principal
F E A T U R E
Tutor My Kids – Tutor my kids Helping kids who fall behind. It just gets busier and busier at Tutor My Kids, the company which specialises in organising one-to-one tuition, by qualified teachers in the student’s home. Tutor My Kids has grown rapidly as parents are seeing the benefits of home tutoring after school and at weekends. ‘Working with children from 4 to 18, we’re usually asked to help because a child has slipped behind and needs a bit of extra focussed help.’ explains Rachel Law, Managing Director. ‘With all the pressures of modern life, parents don’t know how, or indeed have the time to, find a good tutor for their children. We take that worry away at Tutor My Kids as we only employ, inspirational,
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qualified teachers who are fully DBS/CRB and reference checked.’ Tutor My Kids works with children and young people aged 4-18 in the Cambridge, Ely, Huntingdon and Newmarket areas. Rachel believes that it’s her approach that is bringing success. ‘I’m firmly of the view that a great academic fit is important, but of equal value is a good personality match. This is why we always visit you at home to ensure that we get the right tutor who will match your child perfectly.’
‘Clients appreciate the lengths we go to for their children and we often find that we’re recommended to friends and family because of the service we offer.’ One of their recent clients, Jill McCulloch comments: ‘The results have been spectacular – going from a predicted E to a B and actually enjoying learning.’ So, if you’d like help for your child, take a look at the website: www.tutormykids.co.uk or give Rachel a call on 01223 858421
Battling against the bullies a culture of acceptance and the celebration of diversity with respect differences in gender, race, sexual orientation and disability We were excited and delighted at the first workshop of volunteer staff and 40 students. They were invited because they care about bullying and about making sure all students are supported to stop it happening. In order to put the student at the centre of all our thinking we started by making a model child to accompany us through the training and introduced this imaginary friend and their problems to the rest of the group. Professor Ryan was blown away by the level of engagement by students and Mrs Martin by their emotional intelligence. These students are inviting their own parents in to work with them as they become effective anti-bullying allies. The first findings gauging the effectiveness of the programme were presented on behalf of the Trust at a conference in Sophia at the end of June to delegates from Bulgaria, Italy, France, Spain and UK. The leading role of CAT in developing this and the effectiveness of students as facilitators was noted by participants. This whole project has great potential, students and parents will be involved and consulted through-out. The model will be presented to leaders and FOCUS: On making a model child to help with organisations against bullying in a bigger conference in Brussels in November. training.
We are expecting this Rainbow Home and School project to lead to development and sharing antibullying practice in schools across the Trust. Rainbow HAS is a research programme sponsored by the EU through Middlesex University and it will roll out across Europe. It will be evaluated – very important for making sure it is sustainable and effective - and prestigious. The programme has been designed in partnership with Professor Peter Ryan from Middlesex University and Mary Martin from Comberton Village College. Forty students are involved in co-creating and piloting the whole thing this year before rolling it out to students and their parents in the new school Year 7. This draws on the learning and experience of the PEOPLE – people (Pupils’ Equal Opportunities Policy means Learning for Everyone ) scheme in Comberton Village College and the Born Brave initiative run by post-16 students in Voyager Academy. Students are trained to facilitate workshops for new students and their families working with school to develop a partnership in addressing and combatting bullying in all its forms ,establishing and maintaining
Getting closer together A milestone in the development of One Community across the Trust was the Joint Inset Day at the start of this term. The day was well received, with 98% of staff saying that they felt more part of the Trust as a result of attending and 75% will do something differently as a result of it. Plans for follow up include: joint training for groups of staff; learning walks; sharing resources; visits and observations in each other’s classes and virtual joint meetings across the Trust. Some departments are piloting monitoring and reviews leading to new plans for sharing their good ideas – we all have our ‘best bits’ so ‘experts’ from other schools can come in to set them up. There will be another joint inset day on April 13, 2015.
LEADERS OF THE FUTURE: Students learn about being Digital Leaders.
Leading the digital age Ninety Year 5 children from five local primary schools mixed with 60 Year 7 children from Melbourn Village College to learn about being Digital Leaders. A team from the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT), led by Digital pedagogy expert Andy Williams, ran sessions looking at key questions surrounding the use of digital technology in supporting learning in school. Children created blog entries and presentations which were shared with parents in an evening event at the college. The event was supported by local educational publisher George Pearson, a Trustee of the Comberton Academy Trust, who said: “It was a pleasure to be involved in such a forward-thinking event and to work with such technologically aware students.” MVC Principal Simon Holmes said: ‘It has been fascinating to engage the students in telling us what they think 21st century learning should look like. Schools need to ensure they make best use of the skills they bring and the possibilities that new technologies offer us.”
Lance Rayner
JOINT TRAINING: Staff from across the Trust worked together in subject areas.
TNT Roadshow
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CAT
Voyager Academy have been very positively engaged with a pilot scheme to create an ethos in the school where bullying is never tolerated, inviting families in to work with the students and staff.
school report
Here is the news. . . In January, our English class was told about a new project we would be doing; The BBC School News Report. Before we knew it, we all had allocated jobs and were throwing ourselves into our work. The idea was that by the 27th March, we would have a clear plan for our news programme that would go live on the school website for all to see. A few weeks into the project we all had something to be doing - mainly writing articles. The four class Editors; Sam, Danielle, Orlando and Emily all to make sure articles were well written and handed in on time. As soon as they were ready they were then posted on to the website by our tech team. The first articles that went up were almost like a milestone for us as we took a deep sigh of relief. It had all started…. As the build-up continued we arranged interviews, wrote even more articles and planned out what each member of the class would be doing at each minute of News Day, being the day we went live. Some of our interviewees included Stephen Hawking, author Katie Dayle, The Vice Chancellor of Cambridge,
Leszek Borysiewicz, and even one member of the class, Hannah, who was in Brazil reporting on the Street Child World Cup at the time. Once the interviews had taken place, they were edited and written about by our numerous writers. Finally, after staying at school late multiple times, emailing and exchanging articles, it was finally News Day. We all arrived at school early to have a relaxed start to the day. This did change, of course, as we failed to stay on schedule, but still our morale kept high and we continued to film and edit repeatedly. The tech team were swept off their feet! Although it was pretty stressful at times, there was a continuously excited and enthusiastic atmosphere in
MAKING NEWS: An interview with Executive Principal Stephen Munday. the library in which we were filming. We even had visitors throughout the day intrigued as to what we were up to. Given the chance, many of us would definitely do it all again and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Thanks to Miss Norman for giving us the opportunity. Danielle Richardson (9V)
Finding articles in world around us During the spring term, Year 9 English pupils seized upon the opportunity to hone our writing and organisational skills as part of a BBC initiative: BBC School News Report. As a class, our job was to seek out interesting topics surrounding us and produce articles, with a view to the final news day at the end of March. On this day, our ideas, articles and live interviews were drawn together in a novel day of filming. Four editors were chosen and as an editor, the
month leading to the news day was spent organising, keeping to deadlines and co-ordinating with others to produce a show that encompassed everyone’s ideas and articles. With the big news day approaching, our work culminated in an exhausting day of filming that drew our ideas together and rounded off a fantastic experience. For me, the experience taught me not only writing and organisational, but personal skills. Sam Serby (9C)
Relaxed company is very ambitious
MEETING: The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge is interviewed for BBC School Report.
An interest in viruses When I was lucky enough to interview Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, Vice Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, he told me about how his Polish parents moved from their country to Wales after the Second World War. Although he initially wanted to study archaeology, he developed an interest in medicine and microbiology, which he studied at university. The Vice Chancellor has been involved in research into vaccines against cancer and he is also very interested in the area of viruses. He said that they are neither alive nor dead (and hinted they are an excuse for doctors not knowing what is wrong with us!). In what little spare time he has Professor Borysiewicz is a serious portrait painter and is also interested in history, particularly the late Roman Empire and Byzantine periods. In the future, the Vice Chancellor is hoping to continue with his research into medicine. Alexia Sloane (9C)
THE PI MAN: Raspberry Pi co-founder Eben Upton.
NEWS COUP: Comberton students managed to secure an interview with Professor Stephen Hawking.
In March during the BBC School Report a group of students were lucky enough to get the opportunity to interview the co-founder of the Raspberry Pi foundation, Eben Upton. A Raspberry Pi is a small computer-based programming piece of technology aimed at children to encourage them to develop basic programming skills. My first impression of the company was that it would be a great place to work with a relaxed atmosphere. However, It came apparent to me throughout the interesting interview that they are a very determined company and extremely ambitious. Sasha, our superb interviewer, was brilliant on the day and asked some intriguing and thoughtful questions. Although they are not looking to develop anything new any time soon, products they are determined to improve and enhance the already brilliant Raspberry Pi. The video is available on the Comberton Village College website. Orlando Hodgson (9I)
Memorable interview with Professor Stephen Hawking Professor Stephen Hawking is one of the most renowned scientists in the world right now and it was a surreal experience to even meet him, let alone interview him. As part of the BBC School News report, myself, Alexia Sloane and Miss Norman travelled to the Centre for Mathematical Sciences where we had
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the opportunity to talk to the Professor in his personal office. He was very welcoming and friendly and made us feel at ease. We asked five or six questions to which the Professor replied with detailed and thoughtful answers. He described to Alexia how the universe looks to a visually impaired person which was awe-
inspiring. My favourite answer (even though I didn’t quite understand) was his prediction of a unified theory of quantum gravity. With many thanks to Miss Norman and Professor Hawking and his staff for making this possible. It was one of those moments I will remember forever. Ewan Frolich (9I)
The Street Child World Cup ended in spectacular fashion in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, after 10 days in which 230 children from 19 countries played football, formed new friendships and helped to put children's rights firmly on the international agenda — all with the blessing of the Pope. Brazil girls and Tanzania boys were the winners of the 2014 Street Child World Cup. VIP visitors to the event ranged from World Cup winners Bebeto and Gilberto Silva to Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne. There was also a message from Prince William, Duke of Cambridge. Teams played football, formed new friendships and highlighted street children's rights before the Fifa World Cup, which finished this month. The children took part in a unique conference, producing statements of their demands, which teams took back to their governments as well as to the United
Nations. In Brazil, Street Child World Cup backs the campaign for a national policy on street children, A Crianca nao e da Rua (Children are not of the Street). A powerful symbol of the event has been the image of Rodrigo Kelton, former captain of the Brazilian boys' team, who was murdered by drug gangsters on his 14th birthday in Fortaleza three weeks before kick-off. For many of these 230 children the road to Rio started some time back with many teams struggling to get identification papers (many of the children have no idea of their birthdays or how old they are).
A number of countries only received their visas 12 hours before leaving for Rio. Teams had travelled long journeys – 40 hours for one team. Expectation and excitement was enormous with each team arriving at Lonier (the venue for SCWC) on a wave of cheering, whooping, ON flag waving and dancing. The SHOW: party was starting!! The It was the most intense, opening exhausting, fabulous, aweceremony inspiring 10 days I have ever at the experienced! Moved to tears (of Street joy and sadness) witnessing Child these amazing young people with World different language and from Cup. different cultures, coming together through arts, football, the conference, dance and ‘hanging out’. Young people shared stories of trauma, experiences of what it means to be a boy or girl on and off the streets, and also of their hopes and dreams for the future. Zimbabwe, Indonesia and England girls’ teams shared their stories and came up with a new country. Ever heard of Zimdonesialand? Argentina and Brazil boys, historically not the closest, hanging out and high-fiving! So many stories… What a blast and what a ride! Would I do it again? You bet! Sarah Rose, Systemic Psychotherapist based at CVC
FACES OF THE STREET CHILD WORLD CUP: Hanging out (left) and match action.
Trip was a real eye-opener
When I first heard about the opportunity to go to Rio de Janeiro in November 2013, it appealed to me. After my ‘Row4Rio’ a fundraising event in which I rowed 34km (the distance of the English channel), I had raised almost £900 to fund part of my trip to Brazil. Before I knew it, we were on the plane to Brazil. We were hosted by the families of the There were a lot of Press at the tournament, from all around British School of Rio, who were all the world. Shows such as Match of the Day and Newsround very welcoming. I was lucky to stay were eager to gather pictures and interviews to document with a Brazilian family who were their amazing experiences. amazing hosts, and made me feel at home. It was interesting to compare The focus and fame on the street children is really special the similarities and differences of the because it gives them a voice and an opinion, which is lives of other people my age from something they are not used to and were not expecting. different countries and cultures. While in Rio, we learnt a lot about the culture and some of the backgrounds of the children. We had Press passes from The whole concept of the Street Child World Cup is really what made me the BBC as part of BBC School Report, allowing us to get want to go to Rio de Janeiro so much. exclusive pictures of the tournament and the opening I thought it was an amazing ceremony. opportunity to get involved in and it There is an official song and slogan of the SCWC focuses truly was. It was a real eye opener to on three words: “I am Somebody.” These words were see the poor conditions thousands of featured in the official song and were written on the back of children were living in. I think the fact everybody’s SCWC shirts. that the street children were so We all had a great time in Brazil and are all very grateful to grateful for everything they had, made Mr Carrick and Miss Leaning and all others that made this us all take a look at our lives and trip possible for us. It was a huge privilege to go to Brazil appreciate how fortunate we really and have the chance to make memories and forge new are. international friendships that we won forget in a hurry – I I feel so privileged that I was not only wouldn’t hesitate to go back to this lively and exciting city able to go to Brazil, but that I was part or to volunteer at the next Street Child World Cup. of the Street Child World Cup. Hannah Maycroft (9V) Jake Hardingham (9C)
Event gives street children a voice Eight pupils from Comberton Village College were accompanied by Mr Carrick and Ms Leaning on a trip of a lifetime to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Our main focus was the Street Child World Cup, which took place in Rio while we were there at the end of March/beginning of April. Before getting involved in the tournament we spent several days getting familiarised with this amazing city. We visited several famous sites, like Sugarloaf Mountain and the Christo (Christ the Redeemer), as well as getting to know the downtown area and the British School of Rio, the school that our host families attended. The Street Child World Cup is an event founded by the Amos Trust, a Cambridge-based organisation which brings together charities around the world. Each charity arranged its own football team of street children and volunteers, who then flew to Rio especially for the tournament. Each of these charities is trying to protect street children in their own countries and saw the opportunity to get involved in this event as a way to send out a powerful message about how hard life can be for some children and that much needs to be done to help them. Alongside the football tournament is a conference in which the children have the opportunity to share experiences and discuss what they need to help themselves.
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SCWC
Making a world of difference
news@com
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Cricket legend inspires students We were lucky enough to have ex-England cricket captain Alec Stewart visit us this term.
PRACTICAL SESSION: Alec Stewart worked with keen cricketers at Comberton.
ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE: Fran Williamson shared her beliefs with Leadership Academy and Sports Skills students.
He delivered a Q & A session and also ran a couple of drill sessions with keen cricketers from Years 7 and 9. Four sports media leaders (Adam Peer, Ryan Patel, Tom Benson and me) were given the chance to interview him. He started playing cricket at a very young age, four or five. He was greatly encouraged by his dad, who himself played for England and Surrey (and would go on to coach Alec at international level), and his older brother. He said that there was constantly a ball lying around his house and that they used to play in the back garden quite regularly. ALEC STEWART As he went on up through school, he started playing for the school team and for his local team. He also did cricket in his PE lessons. He said that he could have also been a football player, but he was better at cricket despite preferring football. It was when he was 15 that he decided to take on cricket as a professional career. He got his first England cap when he was 26, after playing for Surrey. His dad was the England coach at the start of his career. He went on to become the most capped England player, and his highest score was 190. During the interview, we learnt many things about his career including his prematch rituals. He said he had many rituals, including the fact that he always had to step on to the field of play with his left foot first. We also found out about his favourite person to bat with, the hardest team he played against and the best bowler he batted against. It was a really good day and we are all very grateful to the PE department for giving us the opportunity to meet such a legendary cricketer. Louis Meek (9T)
Swimmer’s workshop unlocks keys to success We were very privileged to have a Paralympic swimmer visiting our school. Fran Williamson was a very successful athlete in her 10 years of representing GB, winning an impressive array of medals, including 13 World Championship and six Paralympic medals. Now Fran is retired from competition, she is a ‘Sky Sports Living for Sport Athlete Mentor’ and she was at Comberton to tell her story and deliver a workshop on her keys to success.
Fran told how she was introduced to the sport by a fellow student at secondary school who had a similar disability and was excelling at swimming. It took Fran a year to gain the confidence to swim in a 25m pool unaided, but having accomplished that goal she entered her first regional competition. She quickly progressed in the sport, qualifying for national competition and becoming a dominating force in British S3 swimming.
She broke the 100m backstroke short course world record on numerous occasions. Students from our Leadership Academy and Sports Skills club benefitted from hearing Fran speak and gained insight into her ‘anything is possible’ belief. Fran is a fantastic example of this. Students will continue with the excellent team work they displayed during this workshop at our Sports Skills club after school, assisted by members of the Leadership Academy.
Dragonfly
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sport
Stars share their stories
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Holland tour has hard work and highs Forty-two fantastic pupils from Years 8 and 10 travelled to Valkenburg, in Holland, for Comberton’s annual football and hockey tour. The travelling is always split into movies and not time! So for Holland, it’s always three movies until we get there. On Monday we went to Phantasialand Theme park in Germany, where the brave attempted the 150-foot tower ride and the braver took on the vicious merry-goround! All had a great day, which set us up for some hard work ahead. Tuesday and Wednesday were the teams’ days of training, activities and foreign fixtures. Morning training STADIUM VISIT: To PSV Eindhoven’s Philips Stadium lasted 1 ½ hours and then some welcoming clubs and great facilities. down time toboganning or bowling. The evening On Thursday we had the fantastic tour to the Philips matches were then the time to show what Comberton Stadium PSV in Eindhoven, which is generally had to offer. With mixed results, all teams enjoyed the
regarded as one of the most beautiful football stadiums in Holland. The stadium can accommodate 35,000 people on match days, and all seats are covered and heated. The afternoon saw all the boys’ teams play in their English schools’ tournament, where the Year 8 Ateam narrowly missed out on winning theirs on goal difference! The girls had one more match in which they played really well, coming away winners to top off the week. Then it was time to get dressed up for the evening tour disco, and throw some shapes. A great way to finish off the tour. Many thanks to all the pupils who went and made the tour a great success and to the staff who worked so hard running it. Nathan Rogers
Meridian are shot on! Meridian Primary School snatched victory in a hotly-contested finals night of the South Cambs High 5 Netball competition. After qualifying for the top group follwing their success in pool matches, the Comberton school found themselves up against Harston & Newton, Histon & Impington and Swavesey in the battle for the title. Each team had won at least one of their matches when Meridian managed a second victory, which was enough to give them the crown ahead of defending champions Histon & Impington. All four schools went on to represent the district against the best teams from across Cambridgeshire. That was the last of three finals nights with Coton Primary School having previously won the A-
Team Plate competition, while Steeple Morden were victorious in the B-Team competition. Partnership Manager Claire McDonnell said: “The standard of play in these finals was really high and there was some great netball played with some extremely close matches in the final rounds.” The High 5s Netball League is organised by South Cambs SSP and South Cambs District Council with Helen Stepney overseeing the three finals nights. The aim of the league is to increase participation in GIVE ME 5: competitive netball. High 5s is a modified Meridian’s version of 7-a-side netball winning which both boys and girls squad and action from can play. the finals.
Teams in smashing form Two of Comberton’s feeder primary schools reached the finals of the South Cambs tennis competition and one qualified to represent the Partnership at the Cambs and Peterborough County School games Summer Festival. From more than 40 schools which started the competition, Meridian and Haslingfield reached the last four, with Elsworth and Harston & Newton. The finals were played in a round robin format which each team playing the other three in timed singles matches. The matches were extremely FINALISTS: THe teams from Meridian (left) and Haslingfield. competitive with a great standard of tennis on display and some really close scores. retaining their title. The Meridian team played some fantastic tennis in their last match against Elsworth won 3-1 against Haslingfield, which meant both teams finished on Harston & Newton and looked like they were going to win it until the last few five wins overall. On countback of percentage of points won to points played, points. it was Haslingfield that finished third with Elsworth fourth. A draw was enough for both teams though with Meridian finishing second The teams from Harston & Newton and Meridian went on to represent South with six wins and Harston & Newton taking top spot with eight wins and Cambs SSP at the Summer Festival.
Youngsters try out new sports at Mini Olympics The South Cambs School Sports Partnership Year 4 Mini Olympics took place at the University Sports Ground, Wilberforce Road, Cambridge. The event, supported by Total Promotions Ltd, South Cambs District Council and Lloyds Banking is now in its 10th year and attracted more than 1400 children aged 7-8 years, who are encouraged to try out a range of different sports and activities. The event was delivered by 120 sports leaders from
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across the Partnerships secondary schools, who did a fantastic job in leading the activities and encouraging all the children to do their best. There was a wide range of Olympic and Paralympicthemed activities for the children to have a go at, including shot putt, javelin, tug of war, hurdles, hockey, tennis, boccia and long jump to name a few. There were colourful opening and closing ceremonies led by the Partnership’s Young Ambassadors, with
dance performances and a parade of Commonwealth banners, mascots and flags made by the children. The Olympic theme was depicted by all 1400 children wearing T-shirts in the colours of the Olympic rings. Claire McDonnell, Partnership Manager, said: “Yet again it was a fantastic day. “The children really enjoyed themselves and loved having a go at all of the different sports.”
On the road . . . The tennis season started with a bang as 16 boys played in glorious sunshine in the Road to Wimbledon. Well done to Jamie Segal, who qualified for the County Round of the competition. This led into another fantastic term at Comberton with loads of successful tennis matches and more wins than ever before, most notably the Year 8 boys beating The Perse in a nail-biting penalty tie break as the score was 3-3 in sets. Some hard hitting from Charlie Taylor and James Mikelson meant that we won the match and, after a fantastic display to beat King’s Peterborough, lifted the league titole. Comberton now play in the regional rounds in September.
HANDSHAKE: After winning the tie-break against The Perse. The girls also had some very close matches and pulled out a great result against St Mary’s with two Year 7 girls stepping up to play in the older year group and battling out some great wins. In addition to the league matches we also triumphed in the mini red tournament held at Linton where there was some fantastic attacking play with some good serving and volleying from Harry Newman, Isaac Pilkington, Lucy Dowd and Rosie Bainbridge.
Murray delight for students On Monday 30th June, 10 pupils headed to Wimbledon to see how the professionals play. As we pulled into the car park, we were all excited to have arrived, however, we were lucky enough to have the one and only Andy Murray greet us. He was just walking from the practice courts and the whole bus went wild cheering him. He gave us a wave and our cheering definitely spurred him on to his win against the hard-serving South African Kevin Anderson! Throughout the day we all got to go on to both centre court and No 1 court and watched some fantastic shots. Andy Murray was on fire! The day wasn’t ruined by the massive downpour, and it meant we got to see the famous roof closing on centre court. As part of BBC School Report, Harry and James were lucky enough to head up to the roof of the Media Centre, where they watched the filming of a BBC world news report and met John Inverdale. We all had a great day and saw loads of fantastic tennis.
CENTRE COURT: Comberton students at the heart of Wimbledon.
Lauren wins place at top meet Year 10 student Lauren Hall achieved 50m and 100m youngsters swam their very best — well done to all Huge thanks to Jack and Nathan, from Year 12, who backstroke qualifying times for the British International helped to organise and complete all the administration Meet, one of the top events in the ASA calendar. It took place at the Manchester Aquatics Centre, where of the event as part of their BTEC National assignments. Commonwealth Games swimmers are preparing for this The Big Splash Swimming Galas for Years 7-9 took summer’s competition in Glasgow. Closer to home, Coton place the next day. There was an excellent were the clear winners of the Year 5 swimming turn-out for the Year 7 competition, which was gala at Comberton, won by N, just four points entered by eight teams from six of the feeder ahead of M, with E in third. The Year 8 event went to I, primary schools. six ahead of R, with B in They finished on 144 points, 22 ahead of third place. Meridian with Bourn in In the Year 9 gala we had third. half-year teams and it was X who came out as The weather conditions champions. were perfect and all the WINNERS: The Coton team and leaders.
Academy call for Rebecca Well done to Rebecca Burton, of Year 10, who has just been selected into the East Region Academy for Netball. In addition to this impressive achievement, Rebecca is also attending trials for Hertfordshire Mavericks. We wish her all the very best of luck.
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Ted on top of the world Last month I travelled to Austria with my football team, Cherry Hinton Lions, from the Under-13 Cambridge Colts league, to take part in the United World Games. This is an amazing four days of competition for young sportspeople from all over the world at the Euro 2008 football stadium and sports complex in Klagenfurt. At the opening ceremony all 30 countries who took part in seven events with 6000 competitors paraded with their flags. We were the only British team in the whole Games. We had raised most of our travel/hotel costs through fund-raising events and sponsors. After three matches in two days against teams from Ukraine, Germany and Italy we made it through to the quarter-finals, top of our group. Then we beat a Croatian and another German side to reach the final against a local Austrian side. My team scored first and things were going well. We were up 3-1 with just a few minutes left, but it was really hot and the pitch felt huge. Suddenly it was 3-2. Our captain got sent off with seconds left and the Austrians equalised with the last kick. Oh no. Another penalty shootout. My team had lost two WINNER: Ted Belger shoot-outs in the UK and no-one was feeling confident. We now had a big problem: only four players volunteered to take and we needed five. John Martin ,our coach told us again and again that we needed one more penalty-taker. It got to a point where the coach actually said: “Come on boys, let’s go home.” I suddenly said: “I’ll take one.” So the team walked on to the pitch and my heart was pounding. We all waited at the halfway line. Our first taker gently slotted the ball home. They then scored too. It was now my time to shine or miss. I slowly walked from the halfway line all the way into the box. That was the longest walk of my life. The music had been so loud but now all I could hear was my heartbeat. I placed the ball down, took a quick look at the goalie and at the right side of the goal. Then I ran forward and smashed a low hard shot into the bottom left corner. I jumped for joy. What a relief. But there was more drama because after five goals from each team going in it was now sudden death. At 7-7 my team-mate hit the crossbar. I just told my team not to worry as our goalie Duncan would save the next one. He did. We scored the next one and then finally the Austrians’ kick was saved again. Wow! We had just won the United World Games football cup! We certainly did it the hard way. Ted Belger (7T)
Sixth formers retain county crown Schools Boys Champion with a gross 76, four clear of fellow CSF Golf Academy player Connor Hehir. Hannah Ward, of Year 10, was runner-up in the under-16 girls’ scratch competition while in the high handicap category for players with handicaps between 19 and 36, the winner’s shield went to Sam Sheldon, of Year 9.
sport
Comberton retained the Cambridgeshire Schools golf title after a trio of sixth formers won this year’s competition at Bourn. Adam Pedlar, Nathan Jackson and Darren Dunbavin took the title with a gross 156 (two best scores counted). It gave Adam a title double as he became Cambs
CHAMPIONS: The team who retained the county schools’ shield for Comberton Sixth Form. ADAM PEDLAR: Played well in tough conditions. even worse by the strong winds and driving rain for 12 of the 18 holes during the second round. My score of 80 is one I've beaten plenty of times, but I've rarely played better, such were the tough conditions. It really was my hardest golf challenge yet, but such a great experience, both as an individual and as the representative for Comberton Sixth Form Golf Academy. Adam Pedlar (U6-RW)
When the going gets tough
A RARE MOMENT: Of sunshine for Adam Pedlar in Yorkshire.
Having played the six days of qualifying throughout the winter to be selected as one of the Eastern Region winners, I was really excited to reach the British Schools strokeplay final for under 18s at Ganton Golf Club, Yorkshire — a championship course which is one of the best ( and hardest!) in England. At over 7,200 yards long, with very fast greens and loads of deep bunkers, it proved a huge test, made
Pair reach Schools finals Year 10 student Jessica Kennard and Year 11 leader Katie Reynolds were selected to compete for Cambridgeshire’s Intermediate Girls team at the English Schools Athletics Championships in Birmingham earlier this month. Jess finished 10th in the Intermediate Girls’ triple jump with a leap of 10.87m and Katie was 14th with a shot putt of 11.07m. Jessica was chosen after winning the triple jump at both the Cambridgeshire Schools Championships and the Anglian Schools Championships against athletes from Norfolk, Suffolk and Lincolnshire. She jumped 10.93m to edge victory from St Mary’s school county team-mate Kerri Hilton-Taylor. She also finished fourth in the long jump, an event she won at the Cambs stage of the English Schools event. Katie did not contest her favoured shot at the Anglian, instead finishing fourth in the javelin. Sam Clarke, in Year 9, finished second in the 80m hurdles in both the county and Anglian competitions, while Emily Wannop was runner-up in both the 100m and 300m intermediate girls’ races at the Cambs event.
TEAM SPIRIT: The CVC squad at The Jubilee Cup.
Season of success for athletes Summer 2014 has once again been an extremely Comberton to compete against all the other large exciting and successful athletics season for the schools In the District. pupils at CVC. On the day, the weather was near-perfect and all The clubs on Monday and Thursday after school athletes were geared up for their events. We had have been attended by a large number of pupils who many great performances, especially on the track went along to have a go at different track and field with the sprints and in the field with the jumps. events and improve their personal performance. We By the end of a long afternoon, Comberton had have been extremely impressed in the PE department performed exceptionally well throughout. When the at the dedication and effort shown by the pupils in results came in Comberton finished a fantastic third, their quests to throw that extra few centimetres 40 points behind Bottisham and further 20 behind further; run those few milliseconds quicker and jump The Perse. those extra centimetres higher. Well done to all for such a great season, and we are The friendly athletics meetings at Bottisham, looking forward to an even greater turnout next Impington and Sawston saw our Year 7s competed summer. for the first time in their BIRDS EYE VIEW: Of the Jubilee Cup chosen events and our other year groups build on the progress they made from last summer. The Jubilee Cup is the culmination of all the hard work and a chance for
Charlotte has handful of Euro golds GOLDEN GIRL: Charlotte Cox won five gold medals.
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Former Comberton pupil Charlotte Cox is a European Champion — five times over. The 23-year-old won all five events she contested at the International Association of Athletes with Down Syndrome European Championships, taking top spot in the 100m, 200m, 400m, long jump and, for the first time,
the triathlon. The triathlon comprises the 100m, long jump and shot putt and Cox set a world record in victory. Her haul helped Great Britain finish fourth overall, with hosts Portugal triumphant.
The sun really shone for the second annual CVC family sports day in aid of The Ally Brennan Trust. With lots of different activities on offer, children and adults of all ages were entertained and introduced to a range of sports including trampolining, climbing, fun runs, tennis, football and dance. This year also had some new activities including balance bikes for the under 5’s, bike maintenance and Mr Potter introduced the crowds to the game of Kubb. In addition to the structured activities, children enjoyed playing on the bouncy castle and playing with the diggers in a long jump pit. During the afternoon, two CVC pupils were each awarded a £100 grant from the Ally Brennan Trust Fund to help them continue developing in their sport. Millie Emmans and Theo Rayner were selected after submitting an application form for the grant. Milllie swims at a national standard and the grant is going towards covering some of her transport and
training fees while Theo has recently joined Shelford Rugby club and he is going to use the grant towards purchasing some new equipment and paying his annual subscriptions to the club. All proceeds from the event were donated to the Trust, set up in momory of the former CVC PE teacher and Assistant Principal who died THE SERIOUS AND THE FUN: Two sides of the Ally Brennan two years ago, and we would Trust as students receive grants from Pete Brennan, while like to thank everyone who youngsters have a go on the climbing wall at the family fun day supported this event. driving licence it has been incredibly expensive for PE The Comberton PE Department would also ike to say a big thank you to The Ally Brennan Trust who staff to train and become eligible to drive a minibus. have given ÂŁ500 to help with the cost of staff This generous grant will mean we can train another members accessing minibus driver training. member of staff and will be able to offer even more Since the ‘D1’ category was removed from a standard extra-curricular opportunities to our students.
New dance head has worked at Disneyland!
REBECCA TYRRELL
Rebecca Tyrrell joins the PE Department in September as the new Head of Dance, taking over from Mel Edwards, who is retiring after 25 years at CVC. She is originally from Cambridge but has been teaching at a school in Stevenage for the past five years. She said: “I trained at a professional dance school in London and worked as a dancer before training to be a teacher. When at dance school I specialised in contemporary dance, but trained in several different dance styles, including ballet, tap and jazz. “I toured with the dance company Intoto for six months as part of my final year at dance school. This was a lot of hard work but
incredibly fun. When I graduated I worked as a freelance dancer and choreographer. I worked with two companies - Kinaesthetic Dance Company and Fuse Dance Company. “We performed in many different dance festivals and venues throughout the UK including the dance platform Resolution! “I also worked at Disneyland Paris as a parade dancer and was the face character Ariel. Working at Disneyland was a magical experience. “I am now really excited to be joining Comberton Village College as Head of Dance and can’t wait until September.�
Comberton Crusaders Cambridgeshire FA Community Club of the Year 2012 Offering Football to children aged 4 to 17 – Boys and Girls Would you like to play football ? Some of our boys’ and girls’ teams have vacancies: x Experienced players, aged 12 to 16 x Children aged 7 to 11 - no experience needed We are also looking for girls aged 4 to 8 and boys aged 4 to 7 to join our soccer centre on a Saturday morning, 9 – 10am at CVC Astro. Saturday Soccer Centre's last session is 26th July and will restart 6th September To find out more or to register your interest, just contact one of the Secretaries: 6RFFHU &HQWUH 0LQL /HDJXH DJHG -HQQLH *LUOLQJ MHQJLUOLQJ#KRWPDLO FR XN
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Comberton Crusaders has qualified and CRB checked volunteer managers & coaches, is affiliated to Cambs FA and uses state of the art astroturf training facilities at Comberton Village College. See our website:
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sport
Duo win training grants
A peloton of Tour-ists! sport
On Monday July 7th a long awaited and once-in-a lifetime event came to Cambridge — it’s the world famous Tour de France. Among the thousands of spectators, were pupils from Comberton Village College, thanks to PE teacher and Head of Year 8 Mr Pollock, who had planned an exciting day out so lucky pupils could experience it first hand. Their day began when 315 Year 7, 8 and 9 pupils congregated at the front of the school with their own bikes. We then pedalled the seven miles into Cambridge where the fun began. The Comberton peloton READY: Team Comberton prepares. was more than 100 riders bigger than the actual Tour peloton! Most waited for the sponsors’ vehicles throwing out freebies like hats, sweets and wristbands on Trumpington Road, where there was also the chance to have a massage or your face painted at the Nuffield hospital as Nuffield Health were also among the sponsors. We fought our way through the crowds to Parker’s Piece which was a hive of activity although it was still hours before the start of the race. There were activities to promote cycling- including the new Junior Cycling club set up by Living Sport and Netherhall School, which I am sure will be a great success. Pupils were all excited about seeing the great cyclists from all corners of the globe as well as home favourites like defending champion Chris Froome. They were all introduced to the crowd as they ‘signed in’ for the day then they rode in a procession around historic Cambridge before heading back along Trumpington Road with the race starting in earnest at the Long Road junction. Many of the pupils and teachers who watched the race had never experienced a sporting event on this scale, so it was the perfect chance to see their idols — or even make new ones. Among Comberton pupils there is already a whole range of highly talented children like rising gymnasts, dancers, rowers, riders and a AND THEY’RE OFF: The Comberton Peloton takes to the road. whole range of other things. Maybe as a result of this trip, we could add a Tour de France winner to Comberton’s pupils’ list of achievements too. Abbie Buckingham (8E)
WATCHING BRIEF: Staff and students wait for the action to start. Pictures: Ashley Campbell (8R)
SO ARE THEY: The Tour start in Cambridge.
Picture: Ashley Campbell (8R)
Dancers have the right Response . . . A group of Year 9 dancers quailfied to represent Cambridgeshire at the “Make your Move” British Red Cross Dance Competition. The Response group created a piece about Red Cross (Gemma) helping find lost Family Relatives and reuniting them. There are Seekers and Lost/Missing people and they are all bought together to celebrate togetherness. Red Ribbons were used as a theme for The Red Cross. The dance starts with Matt on the piano, playing All That I Want. Gemma gives him a red ribbon. She then gives
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the other Seekers red ribbons too. They all dance together and go off trying to locate their lost relatives. The lost/missing people come on and then they are reunited with their long lost relatives. They all dance together. The dance was good enough to win the county round, where the group also raised £235 for the Red Cross, but the regional title went to ACDC from hosts Bedfordshire although the Response group and their parents and friends collected another £135 by holding a cake sale. Designed and edited by Judy Czylok. Contact: publicity@comberton.cambs.sch.uk
REGIONAL FINAL: For Comberton’s Response dance group