bablakeupdate news & views from bablake school
Headmaster’s Staff news notes Recent sunshine has given us hope that spring is on the way, and, as the days lengthen, the first bulbs are beginning to bloom around the site. All too often, we take such small miracles for granted, but the cycle of the seasons is unfailing, as is the cycle of each academic year. The term began with entrance examinations (between falls of snow), and we have recently been interviewing candidates for Sixth Form entry, as well as applicants for teaching posts. All go away with a strong feel for the qualities which characterise the school. They sense the warmth and vibrancy of our community, and are invariably impressed by the immense range of achievements and opportunities. Our current pupils, when asked what they perceive to be the greatest strength of the school, almost always talk of their teachers, and their willingness to support and challenge them in an atmosphere of mutual respect. Bablake is a privileged environment, and, as another year rolls round, that too is something we should never take for granted. As staff, we are privileged to teach and to nurture bright, well motivated young people, each of them full of promise for the future. Our pupils themselves benefit from outstanding opportunities, both within and beyond the taught curriculum, and they should not fail to avail themselves to the maximum. We are very aware of the considerable sacrifices made by parents to give their children the best possible start in life, and therefore all the more mindful of our responsibilities. So, come snow, rain or shine, let us all ‘seize the day’, for time is unforgiving.
Several experienced and highly valued members of staff will retire at the end of this academic year, and I shall write with further details next term. In the meantime, I am pleased to report that we have attracted strong fields of applicants, and I have made the following appointments for September: Mr Alistair Hopkins, Director of Studies: Mr Hopkins is currently Head of English and Drama at Wolverhampton Grammar School and Chairman of the Heads of Department Committee. He was educated in Kent, before studying English at St. Peter’s College, Oxford. He subsequently worked as a journalist in Bristol and Yorkshire before taking his PGCE at the University of Leeds. His first teaching post was at Bradford Grammar School, and he was Head of English at Woodhouse Grove School in Leeds before he moved to Wolverhampton. Ms Kate Ewart, English: Ms Ewart currently teaches at Charleston Academy in Inverness. She was a pupil at Fettes College before studying English Literature and Theatre Studies at the University of Glasgow. She has a Masters in Creative Writing from the University of Edinburgh and a PGDE from the University of Aberdeen. She has directed plays, supported the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and played hockey at district level. Mrs Catherine Scott-Burt, Music: Mrs Scott-Burt is currently Assistant Director of Music at Aylesford School in Warwick. After graduating from Trinity College of Music in London, she spent several years as a professional violinist with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and as a peripatetic violin teacher. She studied for her PGCE through the Open University, and is also a trained singer, accustomed to directing choirs. Mr Inderpal Kalsi, Chemistry: Mr Kalsi was educated at President Kennedy School in Coventry, before studying for his MSc in Chemistry at the University of Warwick. He is currently taking his PGCE at Warwick, and is looking forward to his first teaching post. He is a keen cricketer and chess-player.
Diary dates Summer Term Begins Tuesday 20 April House Drama Festival Thursday 29 April May Day – School Closed Monday 3 May
the lion Spring 2010
In this issue Academic accolades 02
Junior Concert Tuesday 15 June
Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!! 03
Open Evening Friday 25 June
Beth Shalom 04
Sports Day Tuesday 29 June
‘Keep reading’ 05
Leavers’ Ball Thursday 1 July Summer Term Ends Friday 2 July Autumn Term Begins Monday 6 September
Snap happy... 06 Helping others... 07 Treading the boards 08 Artsnotes 09 Oxford lectures 10 A night never to forget 11 A visit to live and let die for 12
Bablake School, Coundon Road, Coventry CV1 4AU +44 (0)24 7627 1200 f +44 (0)24 7627 1290 e info@bablake.coventry.sch.uk w www.bablake.com t
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issue 51 spring 2010
1 + 1 makes...? 13 Sport 14
Russian Odyssey Over the February half-term 29 Sixth Formers and 4 members of staff travelled from Birmingham to Moscow and St Petersburg. Highlights of the trip • Watching buses, trains and airplanes operate without a hitch in several inches of snow. • Visiting Lenin in his Mausoleum in Red Square. • The warm welcome given to us by a local Moscow school. • The excitement of being inside the Kremlin. • The skill and enthusiasm of the Russian folklore show. • The cultural experience of the Jazz Club and the ballet. • The stunning art collection in the Hermitage. • The beauty and extravagance of Catherine’s Palace in Tsarkoe Selo. • The sombre gravity of the memorial to the Siege of Leningrad. • Standing by Lenin’s desk in the Smolny Institute (one member of staff only!).
Low points • Six hours of Russian bureaucracy to recover our missing luggage from Moscow airport. • Two nights in a hotel with no clean clothes. • Not visiting Lenin’s Mausoleum if you were at the end of the queue (more Russian bureaucracy). • Last night’s dinner for breakfast in the Hotel Cosmos. • Extortionate prices. • Chasing a missing passport around St Petersburg. • Failing to impress on pupils the need to get up in the morning on time. • Having our flight home cancelled due to ‘bad weather conditions’ at Birmingham airport.
Soviet Joke
Question: What would happen if Communism were brought to the North Pole? Answer: In three years’ time there would be a shortage of snow.