Summer 2018
News from Bablake School
The Greatest (Symposium) Showcase!
I
n October 2017 around 50 pupils from Shells to Fourth Year applied to join our Symposium group. Armed with basic instructions on how to conduct research, and how to differentiate between reliable information and ‘fake news’, the group set off on a quest: to research a topic of personal interest to them and present their findings at a showcase event later in the year.
Solids’. Many of the presentations were interactive and we had great fun sampling spam sandwiches, watching selflevelling robots, seeing avalanche recreations and eating planet shaped cakes whilst wearing tin foil hats! Other projects included:‘Plastic Pollution: why are our oceans at risk?’,‘How to write a young adult novel’,‘Is life in space possible?’ and ‘Marine life and conservation’.
The aim of our project was to stretch our pupils’ interests beyond the classroom and to foster their independent research skills.The quality and diversity of projects delivered was a real testament to their imagination, and bodes well for their future studies.
The pupils demonstrated a thorough knowledge of their chosen subject and were able to answer in-depth questions from members of staff.
The pupils involved in the showcase were amazing and spoke eloquently on a wide range of subjects, from ‘Conspiracy Theories in today’s world’ to ‘Archimedean
www.bablake.com
Our next Symposium group will examine if their projects can bring about positive change in our world and The (Change the world) Symposium Showcase is scheduled to take place in Spring 2019.
News
EES
BABLAKE SCHOOL
The Engineering Education Scheme came to a successful conclusion recently when our teams exhibited their work along with other schools from across the Midlands. This year, for the first time, we had two teams working on separate projects with different sponsors. Civil engineering group ARUP celebrated its 18th consecutive year sponsoring Bablake, and our ARUP group produced an imaginative idea to show the possible development of Coventry City centre in 50 years’ time. Our new sponsor company, Unipart, saw the team produce a clever device to ensure accuracy in assembly of engine inlet manifolds which is to be used on their production line. All pupils were successful in achieving Gold level CREST awards and Gold standard Industrial Cadet status.
Science Week Poster Competition
Biology Challenge 2018 After an excellent performance in our first ever ‘Biology Challenge’ last year, current Fourth Year pupils were given the opportunity to participate in a competition organised by the Royal Society of Biology which is open to all Year 9 and 10 pupils across the UK. 45 students took on the Challenge, sitting two online exam papers to assess both their curriculum and general biological knowledge.
2
the LION
Three talented Bablake biologists achieved the prestigious Gold Award, placing them in the top 5% nationally; very well done to Freya Bennett and Harry White, who jointly achieved best in school, and to Crystal Ng.They all also received an invitation to attend the RSB’s Award Ceremony in London in July. Many congratulations also go to the 14 pupils who received the Silver Award, 10 who achieved Bronze and many more who were either Highly Commended or Commended. The Biology Department is immensely proud of the superb performance of our Fourth Year pupils - well done to all!
The 2018 British Science Week poster competition was themed around ‘exploration and discovery’. All Shells and some Second Year pupils were tasked to make an exciting poster on this theme.
Many creative and thoughtful posters were produced and five were selected for the competition. Unfortunately we did not win the poster competition, but the work produced by pupils was fantastic and the vast majority had done much
research to produce their poster. Many thanks to Mrs Sharkey for helping select the five posters to enter the competition.
BABLAKE SCHOOL
3
the LION
Shell
Bright Ideas Challenge
Schools’ Analyst Competition
Our Journey Our original idea was to find out about the conductivity of different metals, varying in diameter, length. We also wanted to investigate the effect of heat of the conductivity of the metals. We planned out a basic circuit, linking a voltmeter, ammeter and battery pack together. Once we had finished this, we were encouraged to think about how this could link to electricity and energy. We thought about how to use this idea, and implement it into Lenz’s law. We started thinking about pulling magnets though coils of wire to induce a current. Our first experiment with this new plan, and idea was using just an ammeter, a coil of copper and a bar magnet. We thrusted the bar magnet in and out of the coil, and tested whether we could induce any current. We then tried using much stronger magnets; neodymium magnets. We then tried wrapping the coil around a copper pipe, and then dropping the neodymium magnets through. When we added more coils, we found that we were getting more current than before. We now had the knowledge of how to induce large amounts of current. The only problem was that if this was to be a successful clean energy making idea, we needed to come up with a way to incorporate this into everyday life. We thought about using pavement slabs as pressure plates to enable the magnet to go through the coil when the slab was stepped on.
Ajan Manoharan,Tess Lillicrapp and George Evans recently represented Bablake at the Schools’ Analyst Competition run by the Royal Society of Chemistry at Warwick University.They were given three tasks involving soft drinks and had to analyse the acid content of Sprite, the iron content of Irn Bru and identify organic chemicals present in both drinks. It was a very intense day, measuring and analysing against the clock, and in the final judging they just missed out on a place in the top three.
Logo This idea seemed to be able to work, but would not be very effective. We then came up with the idea to attach the magnet to a spring, and the slab to a pivot so that the magnet would bounce up and down, and the slab would also rock up and down. We were starting to see how this idea would be possible to create as an everyday thing. However, we still had a problem. When the slab was stepped on, the spring would rock erratically from side to side, affecting its ability to bounce up and down. We designed a few ideas, and found that the best way to stop this from happening would be to have the spring and magnet in a tube, made out of plastic (we made this in the Design Technology Department)
Our branding is shown below. We chose the name ‘Green Lightning’ to represent our project aim. Our aim is to develop a way in which electricity can be generated safely and effectively without harming our planet or the people on it and our idea is a footpath tile that is able to induce electricity when someone or something repeatedly steps on it. The aim is to incorporate the theory chosen to generate electricity into an everyday task that people do frequently. By doing this, the charge generated will be greater than a task that people only do sometimes. It will affect us, people we know and the entire world population. A rise in the popularity of a method like the one we have proposed over that of a power plant means that we will be minimizing the proportion of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, hence slowing down global warming.
Energy Problems Energy is involved in many aspects of our lives. Greenhouse gas emissions, acid rain, climate change, dependency on depleting supplies of fossil fuels are just some of the issues that arise from the use of energy. 80% of the world’s electrical production comes from fossil and nuclear fuels and most transportation is fuelled by gasoline. As population grows and developing nations elevate living standards it is projected that energy demand will triple by 2050. Fossil fuels are running out fast so economies will be forced to change. More developed nations will not be affected as soon as other countries; this will cause tensions across the globe. Emissions like atmospheric, water and land pollution and toxic water are created as a result of the burning of fossil and nuclear fuels. All of humanity will be affected in decades to come in response to the discernible change of the global weather and climate patterns. The process of creating wind farms can be very expensive. People that are local to these farms object to them as they supposedly spoil the countryside. Construction of barrages for tidal energy is expensive. Only a few river mouths are suitable. Environmental groups argue that they have a negative impact on wildlife. They are also thought to reduce tidal flow and impede flow of sewage out to sea. Wave energy has similar disadvantages. Biomass gives off atmospheric pollutants i.e. greenhouse gases when burned. It is no longer a renewable resource as soon as crops are replanted.
Product We want to find out a method in which we would be able to generate electricity in an eco-friendly way that does not harm our environment. Many methods of generating electricity are either harmful to our planet or not applied effectively in everyday life. We wish to change that by developing a method that is safe to our planet but also is able to be accomplished by anyone. An eco-friendly way to generate electricity may save ourselves from the horrors of global warming and allow us to live a cleaner, safer life. We found out about the existence of Faraday’s Law of Induction that predicts how a magnetic field will interact with an electric circuit to produce an electromotive force - a phenomenon called electromagnetic induction. Electromagnetic induction has found many applications in technology, including electrical components such as electric motors and generators. Our idea of the footpath that induces electrical current as you walk on it is the best way to achieve our aim as it is the most able idea that can generate clean energy in a productive way. The number of people that walk up and down a pedestrian-rich street e.g. Oxford Street in London in a single day is very large and their combined kinetic energy of moving their legs is not being taken advantage of. People would be able to generate electricity on a day-to-day basis without realizing what they are doing.
RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION DESIGN © 2015
www.PosterPresentations.com
Perhaps the implementation of these systems in footpaths would influence drivers to travel on foot and ditch the car. We chose this idea as we believe it could be revolutionary. Its ability to generate energy from something that billions of people do daily is unheard of. Its charge that is generated could be stored in a capacitor to power street lights. It would be able to preserve electricity from the increased foot traffic in the day and then use it the following night where there is less traffic. Systems like this could be used to power a number of systems that can be used in the street or in our homes. This would allow us to be more fuel-efficient in completing the most basic to the most complex of tasks.
Finished Product We tested it by attaching a magnet to the end of a plank of wood using a spring and tape, placing the plank of wood on a pivot, adding a multimeter to the solenoid using two wires, hovering the magnet inside a solenoid (containing 20 000 coils), and applying pressure at the opposite end of the plank of wood. We were about to record a current using a multimeter, look at a trace on an oscilloscope screen and generated enough current to power a small LED (see the video attached)
What will cities look like in 2050? How will they be powered to be vibrant, healthy and clean places to live? That was the question put to pupils aged 11-14 by The Bright Ideas Challenge. The competition invited young people to use their creativity, problem solving, teamwork and STEM skills to devise innovative solutions that could power cities of the future. Third Year pupils Ben Harrison, Taran Dhillon, James Fraser and Hari Gill decided to take on the challenge and used the concept of generating electricity through magnets and coiled wire to create a pavement that generates electricity when stepped on. The group said: “We believed that if a person were to step on one half of a pavement, causing it to tilt on a pivot slightly, it would create enough motion that when they stepped off that portion of pavement, a strong magnet could pass through some tightly wound coil, and generate electricity.” Throughout their project they overcame many obstacles and worked well as a team. Their group name was Green Lightning. Green Lightning successfully made it through to the initial shortlist and was in the top 50 entries selected to be put forward to the judges! Unfortunately we did not win any prizes but a huge well done to the team for being shortlisted.
Peter Cusack Upper Sixth Design and Technology pupil Peter Cusack has had his coursework acknowledged by the Furniture Makers’ Company in their annual competition. Peter designed a coffee table using materials reclaimed from around Bablake; if you look carefully you can see old hardwood chopping boards from the Food Department, iroko bench tops from Chemistry and oak framing from Biology! Peter wins a design book and has also been put forward for the Furniture Makers’ Company exhibition to be held in London later this year.
DT
There was excitement in the Design and Technology Department earlier this term as they took delivery of a new, impressive CNC laser/engraving machine. After 12 years’ outstanding service the old machine came to the end of its working life, to be replaced by a new, improved model. For laser cutting enthusiasts out there, the previous model power rating was 30W and has been replaced by an 80W machine, allowing a wider variety of materials to be used. It also cost half the price of the previous machine, such is the progress of technology!
4
the LION
Chess The Chess team has once again triumphed, winning three trophies this year. Bablake chess players were Division One champions and won comfortably by a large margin.Throughout the year they have consistently performed well and won the Coventry Schools Chess Cup by beating Warwick School 5-1 in the final.
The Chess Lightning Competition took place at Bablake and we invited different schools to take part.The evening was full of exciting matches as one of the rules is that each player must make a move every ten seconds. Upper Sixth student Rajen Parekh won the Chess Lightning Competition for the fourth time – a truly fantastic achievement! A number of chess players leave the team this year as they go on to university; we say farewell to Rajen (board number one), Jakevir and Leshanth.
BABLAKE SCHOOL
5
the LION
Art & Music
“
BABLAKE SCHOOL
In Lille, visits to the market at Wazemmes and Lille Zoo, as well as ample time to peruse the excellent shopping opportunities, made the visit a highly enjoyable one.
Visit to Compton Verney Art Gallery A group of eager Third Year pupils battled the elements on a very rainy Friday in May to visit the Compton Verney Art Gallery, with its Robert Adam designed house and grounds laid out by Capability Brown.
“
Whilst there, they had the opportunity to look around and discuss a major exhibition based upon the work of Eric Ravilious, recognised as one of the most important artists of the 20th century, and his contemporaries.The exhibition explored the personal and professional relationships between Ravilious and artist/designers such as Paul Nash, John Nash, Edward Bawden, Enid Marx, Eileen Garwood and Douglas Percy Bliss. Pupils were encouraged to develop their oracy skills as they discussed a number of works in the exhibition including some images produced whilst Ravilious was working as an official war artist in the 1940s. Pupils were then shown around an exhibition entitled ‘Created in conflict’.This explored work made by British Armed Forces personnel and included many thought-provoking historical and contemporary pieces. Discussions about the nature of art and themes such as keeping in touch, patriotism, loyalty and the treatment of veterans were explored. In order to aid reflection, a number of poems relating to different aspects of conflict were read out by gallery staff. After lunch, pupils had an opportunity to try their hand at printing.They were read a poem by Imtiaz Dharker called ‘The Right Word’ and were asked to respond to the words used or images suggested by it.The resulting work showed a great deal of insight, sensitivity and creativity.
Barmy Britain! A group of Shell historians visited the Belgrade Theatre during May half term to see a Horrible Histories performance of ‘Barmy Britain’. It was a whistle stop tour of 2000 years of British history, starting with the Roman, Saxon and Viking invasions and bringing us right up to the 20th century and World War I.
Art and French department visit to
France and Belgium During the Easter break the Art and French departments took a group of Sixth Form students to France and Belgium. After a smooth journey to France via Eurostar we based ourselves in the northern French city of Lille. Here, we were able to absorb the continental ambience, partake of the local cuisine and make full use of our language skills, which was invaluable for those about to sit their
6
the LION
exams. Lille is a vibrant, cosmopolitan city and is the capital of the Nord-Pasde-Calais region. It has a rich cultural and religious heritage which we were able to experience whilst wandering the streets and visiting the main buildings.The diversity of the city was also evident at the local market and in the wide range of restaurants, several of which we visited! In Lille, visits to the market at Wazemmes and Lille Zoo, as well as ample time to peruse the excellent shopping opportunities, made the visit a highly enjoyable one.
On the second full day of the visit we journeyed across the border to the picturesque Belgian town of Bruges. This medieval town is famous for its architectural heritage, art, canals and of course its Belgian chocolate (it even has a museum of chocolate!).The students visited the excellent Groening Museum, which has an enviable collection of paintings and sculpture, before exploring the town of Bruges, with its boutique shops and independent gallery scene.There was also, of course, ample time to try the excellent local waffles and chocolate.
We discovered the origins of the names of British towns, heard about the exploits of some of the most gruesome characters in British history, including Jack the Ripper, and learned about jobs that definitely don’t exist anymore; there were no Shell volunteers to become ‘grooms of the stool’! Lots of songs required audience participation, and there were even some modern touches, with references to popular reality TV programmes and ‘text talk’. It was an enjoyable evening, and a vast amount of modern day confectionary was consumed by all!
BABLAKE SCHOOL
7
the LION
BABLAKE SCHOOL
Drama
From Page to Stage Mrs Carrie Martlew
The search for the right play for a school production is an exciting but time consuming process. Initially, I was drawn to producing Twelfth Night or Grimm Tales but I was struck by our pupils’ love of the novel Holes and once I discovered an adaptation by Louis Sachar I knew I had found the right play to direct. At the EPQ presentation evening in November I stumbled upon my directorial intention for the show. One of my own students had explored dystopian literature and Shamayal Sayeed’s intelligent exploration of this theme gave me a basis for Stanley’s world. During the course of the evening I listened to Baht-Ammi Francis speak candidly about American society and the disturbing re-emergence of the Jim Crow laws.This moment was pivotal in helping to shape the message of the production. After the initial launch there was an extensive round of auditions. I was joined in my search for my cast by Charlotte Park and Ollie Brindley. Both students would continue to support the play with their intelligent, creative direction and vocal coaching. Once the final cast was in place we could begin our search for stage management and technical support. Other schools often overlook this vital role but it was through working with former Director of Drama, Caroline Farmer, that I realised how important and how undervalued these roles are. When events go well on stage they are rarely acknowledged but if something goes wrong actors are quick to blame the crew.This was something I wanted to avoid in Holes. Our crew would be celebrated and our actors would be educated about their role ‘Farmer style!’
The set proved to be a challenge.There would be no holes on stage but I would demand three different representations of era from Mr Wyatt.With his team, he made my often unrealistic demands a reality.Without lighting and sound the true beauty of the set design could not be seen. Mr Spencer and his team found and adapted an eclectic mix of songs, soundtracks and sound effects. Mr Bull was joined by another member of the Zigger cast, Rob Tyas, to shine a light upon our message of racial discrimination, the injustice of illiteracy and society’s disenfranchisement of the poor. It is never enough to expose injustice - we must try to alleviate it.With this in mind, Miss Blackie researched three charities that work tirelessly to support young people in danger. I feel proud of the achievements of this young cast and crew. They have forged a great partnership with each other and teaching staff and I hope that we will all remember this incredible process.
At the first rehearsal I realised what an incredible cast I had unearthed. Many of the actors were already off book and this dedication to the learning of lines, experimental blocking and creative interpretation frequently left Miss Blackie and me in awe of this young cast. Equally the support that was given by the crew was incredible. A number of my main cast from Zigger Zagger returned to direct, prompt or manage the props table.Their approach was dynamic but they also sensitively adapted to the needs of a young cast.
We are willing enough to praise freedom when she is safely tucked away in the past and cannot be a nuisance. In the present, amidst dangers whose outcome we cannot foresee, we get nervous about her, and admit censorship. E. M. Forster
8
the LION
“
“
BABLAKE SCHOOL
9
the LION
BABLAKE SCHOOL
Out & About
Geography
Biology In June, our A level biologists visited Brandon Marsh Nature Reserve to carry out some sampling activities in the field.
Just before the Easter holidays, Lower Sixth Geography students went on the annual residential to Yorkshire. Whilst there, they experienced a mixed bag of weather, but were nevertheless able to study rivers & flooding, coastal processes & management. A great time was had by all and teachers were happy to report that the students were splendid company, as always!
Students took part in two key activities. Firstly, they carried out a belt transect to collect data on how the distribution of plant species altered from open meadow moving towards woodland.This allowed them to carry out statistical analysis to assess how strong a correlation exists between plant coverage and light intensity.They then sampled two different ponds to collect data on the species present and to estimate the population size of each species.This then allowed students to calculate a Simpson’s diversity index for each pond as a measure of biodiversity. Sampling techniques and biodiversity form part of the A level specification, so the day was a useful opportunity to put theory into practice.
Warwick Castle This year’s expedition day saw a rather soggy Shell visit to Warwick Castle. Despite the weather, spirits remained undaunted and the pupils were able to extend their knowledge of the defensive structures of Medieval castles and the Wars of the Roses.The birds of prey demonstration proved to be a highlight, with pupils also enjoying the firing of the trebuchet and the Horrible Histories maze. Fortunately, everyone managed to find their way out of the maze to return safely to school. Congratulations to Charlotte Neal, Rhea Cherrington, Ellie Kailey and Giacomo MacGibbon for their follow-up work, which was judged to be outstanding by Mr Grantham.
Coombe Abbey As part of Expedition Day, a group of Fourth Year pupils was involved in a day of outdoor pursuits at local beauty spot Coombe Abbey. It was a less than promising start to the day with the lovely week of weather being interrupted by torrential rain and monsoon-like conditions. This instantly caused problems for the less well prepared pupils who quickly realised that fresh white trainers and jeans were probably not the best form of attire for a day spent out in the wilds of Coventry.
10
the LION
The morning was spent with groups planning their orienteering route and then completing it. Points were gained for flags visited and points lost for tardiness or poor planning. All groups coped well with the wet conditions and were rewarded with a quick drying out followed by lunch. With the weather improving and spirits high, we set out for the afternoon adventure.We were led further into the depths of the park in order to make shelters and build fires - all essential life skills for an urban Bablake pupil!
RPE Trip Shelters were successfully and enthusiastically built using a variety of architectural designs. Fires were lit and all that was left to do was to toast marshmallows and trudge home feeling slightly more like Bear Grylls than when they started the day!
Back in May, Lower Sixth Religion, Philosophy and Ethics students spent a glorious day in the beautiful Warwickshire countryside visiting a Buddhist monastery called the ‘Forest Hermitage’.There, they received a talk from Venerable Manapo, who has been a monk for seventeen years, in the Thai Forest tradition. He and his fellow monks follow the same set of rules as the Buddha did 2,500 years ago, including not eating after midday and not handling money. He led them in a meditation session and showed them around their lovely gardens. It was an informative trip which enabled the students to get a feel for what Buddhism looks like in real life, and to meet someone who leads a very different way of life from our own. BABLAKE SCHOOL
11
the LION
Strasbourg “It was an amazing trip. The best part was when we had a tour around the centre of Strasbourg. The theme park was incredible too!”
“My favourite part of the Strasbourg trip was when we went to Monkey Mountain and we got the opportunity to get close to the monkeys and see how they acted with each other.”
(Sophie)
“It was really good. I enjoyed having a bit of independence, walking around in groups at Europa Park and Strasbourg. Of course, I loved Monkey Mountain!” (Beth)
(Fraser)
“I loved Europa Park and feeding the monkeys. C’était super!” (Ed)
“Ich denke, dass Strasbourg sehr gut war, weil Europa Park und das Schloss gut waren und wir mit dem Schiff gefahren sind.” “J’aime Strasbourg parce que c’était amusant et j’ai adoré le musée du chocolat.” (Sue)
“I ordered my food in French and was really pleased when I got the order. On the river cruise I listened to the commentary in French and I spoke lots of German in Europa Park.” “La Montagne des Singes a fait partie de ma journée préférée. Europa Park war sehr gut, weil es voller Abenteuer war! It was exciting to stay up all night with my friends.” (Celestine)
(Alex)
“We had a fantastic trip and were blessed with great weather. My personal highlight was the visit to the Château du HautKoenigsburg – such a picturesque location and I was particularly impressed with the language abilities of the group that walked round with me.We all returned home exhausted as we had packed so much into our time there!” (Mrs May)
“It was great to see pupils from all years socialising with each other and making new friendships.” (Mrs Billings)
12
the LION
“The best part was feeding the monkeys popcorn. I also enjoyed the chocolate factory; making our own chocolate and learning the 7 steps of chocolate tasting and trying loads of different chocolates!” (Matthew)
BABLAKE SCHOOL
13
the LION
Lungau Ski Trip 2018 Exceptional spring conditions across the Alps this year meant that the pupils on this year’s ski trip to Lungau were treated to some outstanding skiing. Blue skies and beautiful wide, quiet pistes ensured a really enjoyable trip for everyone. Après-ski activities included bowling, swimming, the traditional ski quiz and a visit to a fantastic café, complete with impromptu traditional Austrian Band with pupil and staff participation.Truly memorable!
2PN and 2ACP form
Croft Farm Water Sports Weekend Words by Millie Shaw – 2PN
Over the course of a short weekend, Second Year pupils from 2PN and 2ACP had the opportunity to learn new skills for water sports and enjoy a bit of sun! Our trip began with being rushed into wetsuits and life jackets, to then feeling the burning sun out on the lake while enjoying kayaking and paddle boarding. Later on, after showers and tea, we were allowed to explore and have our own fun. Everyone spent the evening laughing and playing football. Having such an amazing
14
the LION
experience in the day had left us all tired and sleeping soundly through the night. Morning came quickly and once again we were hurried into our gear and set off on the lake to sail and windsurf.Windsurfing was quite the activity – everyone ended up bobbing in the water! After nearly drying off we were taught how to build rafts.Three groups marched their work proudly into the lake, only to return with the team soaked to the bone and just a few barrels and pieces of rope. It was a disaster! Barrels were floating in the lake, along with rope and planks and possibly a few people. Right in the middle of the lake most of our
rafts collapsed, but we had a great time! To finish off the day we were all allowed to use a flotilla of pedal boats. Everyone was parading around in the yellow boats and one huge swan boat, each taking it in turns to pedal. I think it was safe to say that we all had a lot of fun and were not once left with nothing to do.We were all drenched by the end of the weekend, which came much too quickly. We would like to thank Mrs Saywer, Mr Hyde and Mr Nicholson for such an amazing weekend!
BABLAKE SCHOOL
15
the LION
Sport
Boys’ Sport
BABLAKE SCHOOL
BABLAKE SCHOOL
Badminton In response to student demand, this year has seen a real growth in competitive badminton at Bablake. Inspired by Upper Sixth student Jakevir Shoker, the senior team has completed an unbeaten season with a number of matches versus Princethorpe College and Solihull School.With an increase in fixtures planned to include KES Birmingham and Warwick School next year, the sport looks set to become even more popular at Bablake. With so many talented badminton players in school, we decided to run a Bablake School Badminton tournament.The tournament was opened to all years and
we placed pupils in groups to ensure that the tournament seeds were kept separate at this early stage. Group stages took place and two pupils from each group went forward to the next stage. The matches were of high quality and very competitive. Eventually we were down to the semi-finals; the first between Ravi Bodalia (UVI) and Jakevir Shoker(LVI) and the second between Oliver Ward (4th Year) and Krish Bodalia (Junior School) and Ravi and Krish won their respective semi-finals.The quality was outstanding and those who watched were impressed with the drop shots,
smashes and movement around the court. The final took place between Ravi and Krish, and it was very close at the start, but Ravi stepped up a gear and won the final.This was another fantastic match where we saw two top county players battle it out. Ravi has continued to be unbeaten and welcomes any challengers!
Rugby Bablake once again proved to be the dominant school across the city in Coventry Schools Rugby Competitions this year. Both the U12 and U13 teams won their respective festivals.The U14s lost narrowly to King Henry VIII in their semi-final, whilst the U15s lost in a competitive final to Coundon Court School.The U16s were crowned champions after a convincing 40-0 win v King Henry VIII.
Many thanks to Jakevir for helping organise and run the event. Jakevir has been instrumental in creating a very strong Bablake badminton team and we wish him well as he leaves Bablake to study medicine.
Cricket Great week of cricket fixtures with @ KHVIIIPE 1st XI lost by 21 runs U15A won by 84 runs U15B won by 92 runs U14A won by 179 runs U14B won by 50 runs U13A won by 125 runs U13B won by 56 runs U12A won by 2 runs U12B lost by 4 runs U12C lost U12D lost U12E drew @bablakeschool
@bablakeschool retain the Coventry School Foundation Cricket Cup (11pts - 5pts)! Well done to our cricketers - fantastic effort from all teams! Since it was founded in 2014 it has never left our trophy cabinet #4YearsInARow #BablakeCricket #ProudOfOurCricket #BablakeLions
16
the LION
BABLAKE SCHOOL
17
the LION
Girls’ Sport
Rounders
BABLAKE SCHOOL
At last, the past few weeks has felt like summer! With great weather came great challenges and success for our girls in their rounders matches.The girls hold a 78% success rate, with 51 games played and 41 of them being wins. An amazing achievement!
Girls’ athletics There has been some great success on the athletics track for our girls so far this season.
Congratulations to all of the Bablake girls that competed as they put in some truly impressive performances.
The inters (4ths and 5ths) and juniors (2nds & 3rds) championship was the first competition to be held and the girls came up against some tough opposition from around the city, but we had some great individual successes:
Our performance in the English Schools Track and Field Cup was just as successful as our last; the girls competed with grit and determination, once again coming first in the city in both age groups. Congratulations to both teams on qualifying for the regional finals.
Juniors: Emilia Scimeca- 200m, Maria Savage – 800m, Lucy Green1500m,Erin Keeling-1500m, Hattie Evans – Discus, Grace Cox- Javelin. Inters: Emma Allroggen- 1500m, Freya Bennett – 800m & High Jump, Lily Allison – Discus. The girls then went on to represent Coventry at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, with some great results. Freya Bennett finished first in the high jump and the 800m and will now represent the West Midlands at the Mason Trophy. Lily Allison finished third in discus, narrowly missing a place in the next round. Grace Cox achieved a season’s best of 26m in javelin.
The Shell girls showed great enthusiasm when it was their turn and we once again saw some excellent performances. Huge congratulations must go to the following pupils on being selected alongside the inters and juniors to represent Coventry at the West Midlands: Hannah Elliott – Hurdles & 1000m, Libby Harrison – 150m & High Jump, Imogen Pemble – 600m & Long Jump, Shannon Holder – Shot, Libby Stinton – Discus.
The U12s and U13s are leading by example from the bottom end of the school, and have demonstrated some first class play and decision making. Both age groups are yet to lose a match. The 14s had an impressive result against Princethorpe recently, with every member of team scoring a rounder and a final score of 23.5-11. The U15s were the first to compete in their Coventry Schools Tournament and we are delighted to report that they once again regained their title.They were victorious over KHVIII in the semifinals and beat Bluecoats convincingly in the final. Following in the footsteps of the U15 team, U12, U13 and U14 A teams also took home their Coventry Schools Tournament title. A fantastic achievement for all girls involved.
New representation Third Year pupils Hattie Evans & Emilia Scimeca have both been selected from the Warwickshire County squad to attend England Hockey performance assessment in June to select an U15 Midlands squad for next year.
Sports Social
18
the LION
Hockey Before Easter, the U12 & U13 girls successfully qualified for the regional 7-a-side finals. Both age groups did themselves proud and played some exceptional hockey, but the U13s lost in the quarter finals to Loughborough in a close game with a goal coming from Loughborough in the dying minutes.They finished 5th equal in
On Thursday 24th May, the annual sports social was enjoyed once again by pupils, parents and staff.
Horse Riding success
The atmosphere couldn’t have been better, and everyone enjoyed the hog roast and sweet treats on offer as pupils played some competitive rounders matches against their peers and staff.We thank all pupils and parents for their commitment to school sport over the last year, and look forward to celebrating with you again next summer.
Third Year pupil Hattie Evans recently competed at Rockingham Horse Trials for her Pony Club (Atherstone). It was a fabulous day with Hattie and her new horse Jerry going double clear and the team winning. Another Third Year Bablake Equestrian pupil, Phoebe Smith, was also due to compete, but sadly her horse is lame so in the true spirit of the word ‘team’ Phoebe went along to take photos for everyone!
the region.The U12s were a force to be reckoned with, storming through their group stages, quarters, semi-finals and into the final against RGS Worcester where, despite an amazing effort from our girls, we finished runners up.Well done to all girls involved and it is really encouraging to see both teams showing exciting potential for the future.
BABLAKE SCHOOL
19
the LION
Headmaster’s Notes
CHANGES TO
BABLAKE SCHOOL
teachers. I am always pleased to hear from parents as they leave a consultation evening when they believe that staff know their children well as individuals and have given them encouraging but frank and tailored advice. All of us ultimately want our children to thrive on the many opportunities available to them and to be the best possible version of themselves. So I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about some of those recent opportunities.Two very different highlights of this term for me have been our Symposium Presentation Evening and the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh expedition! During the former, over thirty of our younger pupils spoke eloquently about a topic they had enjoyed researching beyond their normal studies, tackling questions with enthusiasm and intellectual spark. Duke of Edinburgh posed a challenge of another sort, as mutually-supportive teams of pupils, heavily laden with bulging packs, navigated their way through the beautiful Peak District, pitched tents, cooked meals, got lost and remained cheerful and good company throughout.
“Please come to visit us on a normal school day” is an expression which I always hesitate to use, as there is really no such thing! Our life in school – whether we are teachers, support staff or pupils – depends on so many relationships and activities that there is never a dull moment! The joy, and challenge, of my job lies in its unpredictability and its variety, and my own daily life is hugely enriched by the numerous human ‘interactions’ with which it is filled. There is an energy and dynamism at Bablake which derives from ambition and support. Pupils will often tell me that everyone wants to do well and they set great store by the strong working relationships they enjoy with their
TEACHING STAFF for September Valete Mrs Diana Booth, Mr Andrew Chowne, Mr Tim Crompton, Mrs Marine Field, Mrs Amanda Jones, Mrs Marilyn Prowse, Mr Richard Sewell We wish all these colleagues every happiness and thank them very much for their loyal service to our community.
Salvete We look forward to welcoming: Mrs Joanne Barratt (i/c Psychology), Miss Coral Billingham (Biology), Ms Victoria Bradley (Director of Performing Arts), Mrs Nicola Brass (Music), Mr Todd Freemantle (Boys’ Physical Education), Miss Kate French (Mathematics and Physics), Mrs Gemma Heath (Mathematics), Ms Carolin Pfennig (Modern Foreign Languages), Mr Peter Scanlon (Business Studies and Economics), Miss Molly Taylor (History – maternity cover)
All in a (Bablake School) day’s work!
John Watson
Bablake School Coundon Road, Coventry CV1 4AU
t 024 7627 1200 f facebook.com/bablakeschool
f
024 7627 1290
e info@bablake.coventry.sch.uk
t twitter.com/bablakeschool
w
bablake.com
Designed by The Jade Studio - thejadestudio.co.uk Printed on paper sourced from sustainably managed forests.