The Lion - Issue 53

news & views from bablake school issue 53 AUTUMN 2010

In this issue Academic Success 02 Flying Visit 03 Dig for Victory 04 Squash 05 Selling Ourselves 06 A Golden Year 07 International Bablake 08 A Handbag 10 Artsnotes 11 Out of Africa 12 Bablake Action 13 Bablake Sport 14

Oh, what a wonderful world!

Our International Week this year created a real buzz around the school as we welcomed Lady Godiva and some of her International Sisters, an Indonesian Gamelan Ensemble, African drummers and dancers, Zimbabwean cricketer Henry Olonga, Dr Jonathan Cave, Rebecca Stephens MBE and a wonderful array of African animals, including a couple of meerkats.

The week ended with a spectacular concert in the Theatre and a fantastic range of foods from around the world.

Our special thanks go to everyone who contributed.

Academiclife

Impressive exam successes

Was für ein Abenteuer!

I have entitled this piece “What an adventure!” writes Alex Hoare, as it is the best way to describe the time I spent in Germany this summer, as a participant in the PAD Pädagogischer Austauschdienst (educational exchange) programme.

The application process was challenging; I had to submit a piece of class work, write an essay on German Reunification and fill out a detailed application form, all in German. I was fortunate enough to be one of only eight people from the UK selected to participate in this programme from more than 700 applicants.

I spent five weeks in Germany and my group consisted of 14 people from countries including Columbia, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Lithuania. Our first stop was Bonn, the former capital city. It was certainly a fascinating place.

I watched ‘Die Weltmeisterschaft’, (World Cup) in

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German pubs whilst eating traditional German food; I visited art galleries and museums and found myself speaking German the entire time.

One highlight was the International Evening and, after a fine rendition of God Save Our Queen by the UK students, I spoke for a while about quintessential English things and Bablake received a mention, as I spoke about differences between German and English schools.

I then travelled south towards Wilhelmsdorf, where I spent two weeks with my host family, experiencing the German way of life. I attended a German school, took part in lessons, visited many famous places in the region and swam in the natural lakes that punctuated the landscape of the region.

Munich opened its arms to me and, despite the fact that our hostel was opposite a brewery and we had to endure the smell of fermenting hops on a daily basis, it was a glorious time. I will never forget the ‘Radtour’ (cycling tour) as I cycled around Munich in the pouring rain taking in the sights, trying not to get run over by the trams that zigzag their way across the city.

Berlin was the final stop and I was able to experience the cultural diversity of Germany’s capital city. Seeing Nefertiti in the Museums Insel (Museum Island) and viewing the works of Casper David Friedrich in the National Gallery was absolutely amazing. All too soon it was over, but I have memories that will last a lifetime.

With a 100% pass rate and almost half our entries being A* and A grades, the vast majority of Bablake's U6th pupils are jubilant and heading for universities of their initial choice after receiving their A Level results.

Bablake pupils consistently achieve some of the most impressive results in the Midlands and this year’s A Level cohort was no exception, in a year when universities were raising grade requirements.

Our overall pass rate was an impressive 100% with 1 in 6 of all grades received being the new A*, compared with 1 in 13 nationally.

An impressive 30 pupils achieved 3 or more As and of these, Michael Whitlow and Jayson Parmar both received 4 A*s, while Kai Hartshorn and Hitesh Bansal celebrated with 5As. Hitesh also received 4 A*s. Twins Jim and Tom Chen achieved 8 As, including 5A*s between them. James Vallance impressively also gained A* grades for each of his subjects.

Pupils who joined us in the Sixth Form, such as Lauren James, Shindy Lall, Nadine Naguib, Radha Seghal and Lucy Tucker also all proudly clutched a full house of A grades.

At GCSE level, twin sisters Anuriti and Smiriti Aojula shared 22A* and 2A grades and they were pleased to have matched the excellent achievement of twins Jim and Tom Chen in 2008. Beth Evans and Welsh U16 Hockey international Will Kenney-Herbert also gained 12A*s.

Hannah Elsy, Kurt Ibberson, Jonathan Lawrence, Julia Ryland, Samy Shebl, Lizzie Stefaniak and Robert Vallance each proudly held 10A*s and Rebecca Appleton, Jodie Keith, Sophie Lilly and Daniel Parvis celebrated 9A*s.

Academiclife

in short!

More success and achievements from Bablake pupils

Flying visit It was a delight to welcome NASA linked astronomer Dr Carolyn Brinkworth, one of our many dynamic former pupils, back to Bablake.

Carolyn, who left Bablake for Holland in 1995 and studied a balanced mix of Arts and Science subjects for A Level, is now a professional astronomer, working at the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center (IPAC) based at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). She works part-time for the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute (NExScI) on the Science Affairs team, and part-time for NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope as the team's Education and Outreach Scientist.

She also has a research programme, searching for dust disks around single white dwarfs and white dwarf binary systems.

Carolyn's passion for science and her research will take an interesting turn later in the year when she boards a cruise ship for a week to deliver a series of lectures on her area of expertise.

We warmly welcome our Chinese students Sophie Qiu, Sam Yang and Evelyn Luan.

Oliver Celebrates Top Physicist Award Oliver Towlson’s Lower Sixth Year ended superbly.

As well as being appointed a school prefect, Oliver was one of a number of pupils selected from across the Coventry and Warwickshire area to be recognised as ‘Physicist of the Year’ for 2009- 10.

This award, sponsored by The Ogden Trust, was presented in a ceremony at the University of Warwick. Mr Malcolm Duerdin, Head of Physics, was also delighted with Oliver's accolade saying: ‘I was asked to nominate the best of our AS pupils for this award and am very pleased to see Oliver’s talent for Physics being officially recognised.’

Arkwright Scholarship For the third year running, a Bablake pupil has been awarded one of the prestigious Arkwright Scholarships. Chris Abraham has been selected to receive this award after successfully passing the Arkwright Aptitude Paper where he demonstrated flair and originality in solving Engineering Design problems and then succeeding in the interview process.

Chris presented his GCSE Design Technology work to a panel of interviewers earlier this summer and will be formally presented with his award at a ceremony in London, hosted by the Institution of Engineering and Technology, later in October.

The school's Design Technology department will receive £200 for the next two years and Chris will receive £250 per year to assist with the purchase of materials and books for his Design Technology A Level.

It is an excellent achievement and competition for the awards is very fierce. At the application stage, only the best GCSE pupils apply; from these, fewer than one in three is awarded a scholarship.

Crest Awards Second to Fourth Year pupils have the opportunity to carry out a research project in Chemistry Club and in doing so, a number of pupils have gained Bronze and Silver Crest Awards this year. These are awarded by the British Science Association, a nationally recognised scheme for project work in science and technology.

Congratulations go to Marco Ciao, Jacob Williams, Marcus Judge, Matthew Payne and Aaron Patel (Silver Award for ‘Indigestion Remedies); Arun Dhanjal, Sam Paplauskas and Arsalan Ali (Bronze Award for ‘Alternative Fuels’) and to Eleanor Morris and Georgia Powell (Bronze Award for ‘Natural Perfumes).

Oxford Open Day University visits got off to a flying start in the Lower 6th, with students who gained 7A*s or more in their GCSE examinations visiting Oxford for their September Open Day. The students were able to drop into many of the Colleges and to attend high powered lectures and seminars on a wide range of subjects. The Ashmolean Museum and Blackwells book shop were also popular destinations. The students came back inspired by the experience, realising that good GCSE grades are just the first step on a challenging but rewarding adventure.

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Schoollife

Dig for Victory!

Wild weather

First fruits (and veg) from Bablake’s ‘River Cottage’

Right at the end of the summer term, members of Bablake Weather Station spent an afternoon filming for BBC One's Wild Weather of the Midlands.

This was broadcast on primetime television on 20 September, and was hosted

by Shefali Oza of the BBC’s Midlands Today programme.

During her visit to Bablake, Shefali, along with her producer and camera team, went behind the scenes of our Met Office endorsed Weather Station.

Mr Jackson and his team of dedicated and enthusiastic pupil helpers were interviewed about the School’s experience of extreme weather, and how easy it is to predict in Coventry.

Filming took place in the Weather Station office; at the Games Field; in Coundon Street outside the school; in the Lower Precinct in Coventry and also in Coundon Park. The purpose was to conduct an experiment demonstrating the presence of an Urban Heat Island, where there are higher temperatures closer to the city centre.

Bablake featured in the programme, as did members of the Weather Station itself. It was an exciting and enjoyable experience for all involved.

‘The range of produce from the garden is staggering’ It is only a year since our ‘River Cottage’ project began but the fruits (and vegetables) of the toils of our Upper Sixth pupils and Mr Simon Enstone, Head of Enrichment Studies, have far exceeded expectations.

As part of our Upper Sixth Enrichment programme, a bare patch of ground at our Games Field has been converted into a mini allotment that has produced a splendidly diverse crop in record time.

Mr Simon Enstone has been delighted with the progress, saying: ‘The range of produce from the garden is staggering. We have grown beetroot, garlic, onions, swede, lettuce, pumpkins, cabbages, aubergines, chillis, courgettes, runner beans, potatoes, leeks, oregano, parsley, sage, rhubarb and broccoli! All organically grown and the seeds we started with probably cost us less than £20.’

Staff and pupils have been benefiting from the garden’s produce and the monies raised from sales will be donated to charity.

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Shefali on set at Bablake with Mr Jackson and predicting some more wild weather for the Midlands

Schoollife

Squash.

Squeezing the best out of Bablake...

Bablake’s online magazine has won the British Computer Society Award in the Coventry Branch Schools Competition for 2010.

Squash, the online magazine brought to life by Rosie Gaunt, Luke Briggs and Mark Woodward, Head of Careers, together with help from a large number of Lower Sixth pupils, has received recognition from the British Computer Society in its 2010 Coventry Branch Schools Competition.

The judges were very impressed with the Content Management System Luke created that enabled any pupil in the school to register on the site and create articles for it.

The school was presented with a cheque for £200 and a fabulous glass trophy while Rosie, Luke and the editorial team of Caitlin Edwards (Stretch) and Millie Ross (The Wheatleyan) all received a most generous voucher as reward for their endeavours with Squash and our other magazines during the Lower Sixth.

Rosie Gaunt deserves praise for her excellent coordination of a large editorial team.

‘SQUASH, Bablake's spanking new, online school magazine, which, as cheesy as it sounds, is created

by Bablake pupils for Bablake pupils.

SQUASH aims to be fun, edgy and as cheeky as it is possible to get away with!’

Sing up!

Bablake Chorale celebrated winning the Senior Choir competition at the Leamington Festival. As well as receiving the Purcell Warren Memorial Shield, the group also gained a certificate of distinction.

The choir, which sang I will sing with the spirit (John Rutter) and Five eyes (Armstrong Gibbs), was elated at its victory, as was Mrs Patricia Tatum, for whom the competition was her last with the Chorale before her retirement.

The adjudicator praised the choir for its beautiful ‘nuanced style’ and clarity as well as commenting on the sincerity and conviction.

With such encouragement, the Chorale is now looking forward to further success and enjoyment performing over the next academic year.

Taste of the country In Home Economics food lessons, Third Year pupils have been looking at multicultural influences on the foods we eat. In small groups they looked at a country or part of a continent and researched its customs, foods and religious festivals. They then reported back to the rest of the class using pictures, taped music, costumes and artefacts from their chosen country as well as bringing in samples of food and drink which we all tasted and enjoyed.

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Bablakeevents

Prizegiver Dhiran Vagdia, a chartered architect and director of Coventry based Vagdia and Holmes Architects returned to Bablake early in September to present the prizes at his former school's annual prize-giving.

He currently chairs the West Midlands region of RIBA, is a past Chairman of the Forum for Constructing Excellence (FORCE) in Coventry and Warwickshire and is a tutor and examiner at the University of Nottingham. He is also an Ambassador for Coventry, a member of the Round Table and Rotary as well as a trustee of the Coventry and Warwickshire Crossroads and the Coventry Sea Cadets.

We warmly thank Mr Dhiran Vagdia for presenting the prizes and speaking so affectionately about the favourable impression Bablake has made on his life.

Selling ourselves The 18th Upper Sixth Mock Interview Morning was a clear success for all parties. Traditionally our Upper Sixth pupils submit a CV and Personal Statement for our interviewers to use as substance for an interview in an area of the pupils' choice.

With 80 of our 107 Upper Sixth pupils involved in the event, the morning was a major support for their UCAS applications or Gap Year plans and there were some outstanding performances. Pupils were able to choose a panel and individual interview and received instant feedback on the morning about their performance.

We thank the interviewers, mainly a mix of parents and former pupils, for their time and invaluable advice. This year we were delighted to welcome two interviewers from Germany whom Bunge Europe had invited over to help our pupils.

Rosie Gaunt, one of the Upper Sixth pupils who enjoyed the challenges of the morning, commented: ‘At first we were nervous about the interviews themselves and whether we could be awake, let alone on time and well presented, on a Saturday morning. However, the morning proved to be invaluable, with the interviewers giving advice that we would do well to remember, not just in rapidly approaching university interviews, but in all future job interviews too.’

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A fun way to start the day Our Shells returned to school on the first Saturday morning of term to enjoy a couple of hours of fun sporting activities.

Every pupil is allocated to a House during his or her time at the school, so the morning had a competitive edge as the four Houses and their officials battled to win the coveted Shells Olympics crown.

Welly wanging, penalty kicks, hockey dribbling, an obstacle relay, netball shooting and penalty flicks were among the eight activities facing the pupils.

With the Upper Sixth House officials expertly organising the activities, parents and House staff rallying vociferously from the sidelines and the skies fortuitously serving some excellent weather, the event was a tremendous success.

The boys and girls from Fairfax won their respective competitions, much to the delight of their fervent supporters. Bayley pushed Fairfax to the wire for the boys’ trophy while Crow and Bayley were joint second in the girls' section.

Bablakeevents

Getting a taste for helping others ‘World’s Biggest Coffee Morning’ at Bablake raises £777 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Staff and pupils have raised almost £800 for Macmillan Cancer Supports ‘World’s Biggest Coffee Morning’. Cakes, donated by the staff, and a raffle in the Staff Common Room raised £350 while an equally impressive sum came from our forms' weekly collections. Events since the official morning have helped boost the total to £777.

Certain forms deserve especial mention: 4H’s tombola and ‘Guess the number of chocolates’ raised £71, 3D’s cake sale brought in £81 and 3G's Coffee Morning contributed another £18.

Mrs Dianne Surgey, Head of Home Economics, commented: ‘Bablake once again rose to the occasion to support this charity which provides vital support for those who are suffering from cancer and for their families.’

The main charity for 2010 – 11 is Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance, an invaluable service that relies almost entirely on voluntary contributions.

A golden year

Charity at Bablake has had yet another successful year and, despite a slight fall in contributions, we have managed to support 20 charities and have raised an impressive £14, 784 in total.

We ended the year with a Strawberry Cream Tea for our local senior citizens. The theme was based on the England World Cup bid and was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

Please give us your money (or just your underwear)!

This year we are collecting foreign currency and, on a more unusual note, unwanted but still wearable ‘bras’ which can be donated to Third World Countries.

The recycling firm BCR will also donate £1 for every kilo collected to Coventry Breast Cancer Support Group.

Please send into school for the attention of Alyson Heath, Charity Coordinator.

Andrew steps out The summer holiday is obviously a fantastic time to recharge the batteries, renew energy levels and look forward to a new year full of fresh challenges.

For 15 year old Andrew Clisham though, the holiday was a chance to volunteer for a week walking the length of Hadrian’s Wall to raise money for Motor Neurone Disease Scotland. This is a physically exhausting challenge and his constant humour and indomitable spirit really impressed his fellow walkers all the way along the 84 mile trek from Wallsend (near Newcastle) to Bowness-on-Solway (near Carlisle).

In total, Andrew raised £1200, a fabulous amount of money for an excellent charity. bablake school

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InternationalBablake

Some fantastic memories of our International Week...

...hit me, hit me!

Hit me with your rhythm stick...

I think I’m getting the hang of it!!

What’s every one banging on about?

Oh won’t you stay just a little bit Olonga?

“Remain teachable throughout your life” Henry Olonga, international cricketer

“You don’t get long at the summit; enjoy the journey” Rebecca Stephens MBE, first British woman to climb Everest

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InternationalBablake

Welcome to Coventry m’Lady!

I’ve got all my International Sisters with me!

Say CHEEEEEEESE!!!!

Dancing queen!

Grub’s up!

Isn’t he cute.....?

Compare the meerkat.com!

Well maybe NOT!! bablake school

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Bablakearts

‘...a worthy angerfuelled performance

by Bablake pupils...’

Critic’s view With literally thousands of shows on offer, Fringe trawling is always a lottery. Pleasingly, there was an increase in student companies this year which is quite an achievement considering the ever-increasing costs of mounting even a week at this increasingly professional showcase.

A show at Diverse Attractions on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile demanded attention.

In A Handbag, students from Coventry’s Bablake School enthusiastically tackle Anthony Horowitz’s play about their own contemporaries, here in an institution for young criminals “therapeutically” preparing a production of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest.

The discordance between their own world and that of Edwardian wit and elegance leads to provocative and stimulating argument.

Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2010

A Handbag

by Anthony Horowitz For the 24th consecutive year Bablake sent a group of performers to the world’s most important cultural festival.

We performed our play from Monday 16 – Saturday 21 August at the Diverse Attractions Theatre on the Lawnmarket. We had audiences of about 30 for each performance, which is excellent if you think that ticket buyers could choose between thousands of productions in hundreds of venues, and the average Festival audience at a genuine fringe venue was eight! The play, about young offenders performing their version of Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, to see if they could be reformed by close contact with art, was well received, and we had two positive reviews in two different newspapers (see below). This year The Jewish Chronicle and The Morning Star, next year The Guardian and BBC2... well maybe...

Of course we also saw many other productions, as well as seeing our fair share of

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stand up. The group’s male prejudice against female comedians was largely dispelled by Sarah Millican’s strong show, and even if our pupils didn’t ‘get’ him, it was interesting to see how Emo Phillips has turned out in his fifties. It was particularly good this year to see some of our pupils making the most of masterclasses organised by top professionals in the business.

What was also pleasing was to see so many former pupils, either coming to our play, or involved in productions themselves, whether it was Rob Taylor performing in a new play, or Guy Kelly and Ruth Herbert hosting an improvisation show to a packed house (I’m not bitter, but it was a free show). It was a positive and invigorating week, and it won’t be long before the paperwork has to begin for Edinburgh 2011!

Gordon Parsons 27 August 2010 Morning Star online.co.uk Anthony Horowitz’s play-within-aplay comes to Edinburgh Anthony Horowitz's dark comedy about survival is set during a dress rehearsal of The Importance of Being Earnest. The cast are six young offenders and the play-within-a-play, set in an institution, explores whether they are beyond salvation.

It is a clever conceit to have characters conventionally associated with low culture analysing a work of high culture, whose lavish setting could not be more at odds with their own.

And in a worthy, anger-fuelled performance by pupils from Bablake School in Coventry, Chris Lamb, as Specs, mutates from a stammering, scuttling wreck into an erudite actor, while Allan, an abused runaway played with venom by Danny Lightfoot, rejects Oscar Wilde’s play as being written by “a disgusting old pervert” and as “cobblers”. Not too much hope there, then.

However, there are no easy answers and Horowitz opts rather to air the topical issue in this 2009 play than to offer a quick-fix solution.

Lee Levitt 18 August 2010

Bablakearts

artsnotes

Life is a Cabaret

We are presenting Cabaret as this term’s major production, from 8 – 11 December. The stage musical is very different from the 1972 Bob Fosse film, with different plot lines and characters, and even some not so familiar songs, but Willkommen, Two Ladies and of course Cabaret itself still feature. Rehearsals are under way, and we hope that you will support us in this exciting project.

Further information and letters will follow after half term.

Talent on show

In June the Art and DT Departments held their annual end of year exhibition to celebrate the achievements of GCSE and A Level pupils. The pupils, parents and invited guests were treated to a wide range of work and outcomes which included painting, textiles, fashion, sculpture, photography and even furniture.

A binding passion

Artist and printmaker Sarah Kirby led a two day workshop on bookbinding with our Sixth Form Art pupils. Sarah, whose own excellent prints concentrate on birds, gardens and buildings, taught the group how to create a simple book with a standard thread before showing how to create and bind sketchbooks with Western and Eastern bindings.

After creating a series of small books, pupils spent the second session creating a large sketchbook that will allow them to present a very impressive portfolio of their work.

Herbert Art Gallery

In the summer term a number of Art pupils had their paintings selected to take part in an exhibition of work from schools around the city at the Herbert Art Gallery in Coventry. The exhibition, which was organised by the gallery and Ofqual, was a celebration of work being produced in Coventry.

Cov Uni Fashion Week

In July, a number of our Fourth Year Art pupils attended a Fashion Week at Coventry University in the Art Faculty Fashion Department. During the course, the pupils learned how to design, cut and assemble garments on the theme of a mad hatter’s tea party and ended the week with a group fashion show and photo shoot.

Feeling the heat at the V&A

The Art department took two groups of pupils to London at the end of the summer term to visit the BP Portrait Awards at the National Portrait Gallery and to see an exhibition of the history of quilting at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The Fourth Years visited the V&A on a day when the temperature topped 28c. They were very impressed and thankful that the museum had just finished the installation of a large water feature in its quadrant, which helped them to cool off after a fascinating morning of gathering resources for their coursework.

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Bablaketravel

Wet but wonderful...

Out of Africa

Bablake Senior Rugby tour to South Africa 2010 On 12 July, 28 Fifth and Sixth Form pupils set off for a trip to Paris, accompanied by Miss Blattner, Mr West, Mrs Cassell and Miss Simmons.

Travelling through the night, we reached the outskirts of Paris in time for breakfast and went on a sightseeing tour with obligatory photos taken at the Eiffel Tower.

Later we went to La Vallée Village, the Parisian version of Bicester Village, where we had lunch.

On Wednesday we had an early start and boarded the coach to the magical gates of Disneyland Paris. The gates opened at 10 and we all raced towards the first rides of the day. All, that is, except for one member of the group who had to go to City Hall to hire a wheelchair as she had a bad foot (although we later found out that this meant she got to the front of all of the rides!).

A torrential downpour on the first day meant that we all got very wet indeed and most of the group were sporting rather fetching Disneyland raincoats. We spent a whole day in the park and stayed until late in the evening to watch the parade and the fireworks.

Another early start on Thursday, but this time we went to the Studios and experienced the big thrill rides of Tower of Terror, Aerosmith and Crushes Coaster! We all met in the middle of the day to watch the stunt show and the highlight was when the film crew cut to the audience. On seeing ourselves, we staged a Mexican Wave and gave a huge cheer.

We arrived home exhausted and still slightly damp in time to hand out numerous presents and Mickey Mouse ears to waiting families.

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Bablake senior rugby players were again fortunate to enjoy a fantastic tour to South Africa in the summer. As part of a packed itinerary, the boys played a total of 8 fixtures against some exceptional opposition. The attitude on the field was outstanding and despite two early losses to Wynberg and Strand, the 1st XV showed immense character.

They were then able to defeat Kloof, Busy Bees and a Durban Development side. The 2nd XV also lost the first two tough matches but bounced back to a convincing victory over Kloof. As well as training and playing rugby, the boys were able to sample a whole range of

cultural experiences. In Cape Town they went to the top of Table Mountain, visited Robben Island prison, listened to an account from a former political prisoner, went to the Cape of Good Hope and visited the seals at Hout Bay and penguins at Simonstown. In sunny Durban the boys visited the Natal Sharks Board to see a shark dissection and relaxed at Ushaka Marine World, where some swam with hunter sharks. They also viewed cheetahs, leopards, elephants and buffalo on fantastic game drives in Hshuluwe and saw crocodiles and hippos in St Lucia.

À bientôt Juju et Pierre On the 2 July 21 younger pupils and three teachers set off for the long journey to Paris. After a long ferry crossing and a very hot coach journey (it was 35°c outside and the air conditioning had stopped working!), we arrived at our new home for the next four days and were greeted in French by our two guides, Juju and Pierre.

Following a good night’s sleep, we were ready to go and enjoy our first day in Paris. Our first day saw thunderstorms and rain but that didn’t stop us taking in the sights of Paris and climbing the spectacular Eiffel Tower. Once our legs had stopped shaking after the climb down, we took a boat trip on the Seine and enjoyed the amazing scenery of Paris.

For the rest of the trip we had lovely hot weather. The next day we visited the town of Rennes and were given a guided tour, in French, around the cathedral. The following day we visited a cheese farm, where we were able to see the whole process, from the goat to the final product and were even able to try some. We then headed for a local vineyard and even though we weren’t able to taste the wine, we all enjoyed trying the grape juice.

The next day we went to Disneyland Paris. We met many of the characters, experienced some thrilling rides and bought many gifts. On our final night we had our last French meal and said thank you and goodbye to Juju and Pierre.

On 6 July we returned home. We were all very upset as we had really enjoyed the trip. We finally arrived home exhausted but happy to see our families again, and speaking much better French!

We all had a great time and would like to thank Mme Field, Mr Field and Miss Young for giving us an amazing French experience.

Bablakeaction D of E Gold After a miserable start, with tents being put up in torrential rain, the week went surprisingly well. We had travelled to North Yorkshire to sample some of the lovely scenery. There were 22 Upper Sixth pupils completing their assessed expedition and 30 members of the Lower Sixth who experienced five days of camping and walking for their practice hike. The Lower Sixth completed part of the Cleveland Way and the Upper Sixth visited different areas of interest, including Grosmont and Gothland (otherwise known as Aidensfield from Heartbeat). Having completed 50 miles of walking, all of the Upper Sixth passed their Gold D of E Expedition and the Lower Sixth can look forward to their assessed hike next summer. Well done to everyone.

‘...‘Rodneys Pillar’, from which we were rewarded with spectacular views’

Men (and women) of action

Some memories from Bablake students who got out and about this Summer.

CCF SUMMER CAMP 2010 An advance party of staff, followed by 28 cadets and remaining staff, set off for summer camp at Nesscliff on Saturday 3 July.

Sunday saw us straight into the thick of things with the military training exercises. Our cadets fully entered into the spirit, often receiving encouraging comments on their enthusiasm and expertise, along with pointers of how to improve technique and effectiveness. The high point was when one of our two teams was congratulated on an almost faultless performance – or did the Sergeant say that to everyone?!

Monday was the first of our two ‘contingent days’, when we carried out our own programme.

Shot gunning resulted in high scores, with Cadets Tom Ball and Huw Edwards joint winners for the beginners and Cpl Connail Perry victorious for the

‘old hands’. On Tuesday we spent the day at the very picturesque Llansillin Ranges, where cadets experienced operating the targets and live firing both the A2 rifle and LSW (light support weapon – fully automatic). In the evening, we entered a team for the bouldering competition, where Jake Hinley, Richard Price and Hugh Samson proved to be particularly skilled. Wednesday was a day for climbing and abseiling at Llangollen, and, despite the threatening rain, was much enjoyed by all.

Luckily, Thursday was warm and sunny and we spent the day kayaking on Elsmere and enjoying background activities of volleyball, football and rounders, as well as a walk along the shoreline to the ice cream parlour!

In the evening we took part in the three mile March and obstacle course competition, in which we put up one of the best performances.

By Friday we were all feeling a little tired, but nevertheless spent the day patrolling the Long Mynd hills, with cadets taking turns to map read and guide us to our goal, ‘Rodney’s Pillar’, from which we were rewarded with spectacular views across Shropshire, Cheshire and Wales.

Friday also saw the Presentation Parade, when prize winners were announced and medals presented. We greeted this with resignation, as each year we had simply ‘made up the numbers’, applauded politely and left with nothing!

However, to our surprise and delight, for the first time in eight summer camps, one of our teams had won medals in the Ammunition Re-Supply and Withdrawal exercise! Congratulations go to team leader Cpl Kirkman and the team.

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Bablakesport Girls’ Sport tennis In the National Aegon classic tournament, both the U15 & U13 teams came second in their section.

In the Coventry School Singles, Beth Jepson played superbly to take the U15 title. Jenny Tasker and Alexa Goodyer reached the semi-finals in the U15 tournament as did Aimee Piercy in the U13 singles.

In the Coventry doubles, Bablake took three of the four titles. Beth Jepson and Erin Hushon won the U15 A, Jenny Reay and Beth Rowland were runners up in the U15B while Jenny Tasker and Jessica Betts took the U14 A title and Alexa Goodyer and Annabel Knight the B title. We do not have any club players in the Shells or Second Year, but the girls are making good progress. The Second Years have also enjoyed sessions taken by ‘Inspire to coach’ and many boys and girls have experienced playing in a tournament. athletics In the English Schools track and field both the junior and intermediate teams came first. The intermediate team made the Regional B final and finished third and the Junior team went onto the Regional A final where they finished eighth.

In the Coventry Schools Championships, Bablake came second in the Intermediate and Year 7 age groups and were winners of the Year 8 and Junior Championships. Individual champions were Lucy Smith in intermediate shot and discus at intermediates and, in the junior team, Holly Molloy in long jump, Beth Mordey in high jump and Lauren Carr in javelin. Year 8 champions were Holly Molloy in high jump and 100m, Amy Lilly in hurdles, Aimee Piercy in shot and Mollie Sargent in javelin. In Year 7, there was success for Miranda Attariani in hurdles, Rachel Faulkner in 75m, Daisy Williams in long jump and 150m and joint winner of 600m with Grace Harrold.

Ten girls from Bablake represented Coventry at the West Midlands. Lucy Smith came second in the intermediate shot and third in javelin, Beth Mordey finished second in the Junior high jump, Amy Lilly came third in U14 hurdles and Mollie Sargent fourth in U14 javelin.

Congratulations go to Lucy Smith on achieving sixth place in shot at the English Schools.

roUnders Between the U12, 13, 14 & 15 A teams and a few B team games, Bablake played 42, won 25, drew 1 and lost 16. On top of that, each age group took part in a Coventry Schools tournament where the U12s reached the semi-finals, the U15s and 13s came runners up and the U14s won their tournament.

The U12s started off the season with some narrow losses, but made a strong finish at the end to win their last five games in a row. netball Both the junior and senior netball teams have had a successful start to their season. Bablake have so far played 15 matches across all age groups and they have won nine and lost six.

During the second weekend of term, the U13 A team went to the Loughborough Festival and did exceptionally well to win. They have continued their winning ways, beating King’s High 11-8. As a team they certainly have great potential and an exciting season ahead of them.

The U16 A team have also been successful, winning all three of the matches that they have played so far this term.

The U19 squad has been outstanding, playing in a number of tournaments and matches. They fought against the elements at the Coventry Schools tournament, having to play in torrential rain, but did not let this affect them and they came out victorious after beating King Henry VIII 12-4 in the final. The team also narrowly beat King’s High 16-15 after a hard-fought battle up and down the court.

Captain Alice O’Connor has led the team well and as a team they have shown skill, passion and determination throughout the term. I have little doubt that they will continue to achieve excellent results on court. hockey It has been a successful start to the hockey season.

Bablake have played 21 hockey matches across all age groups and they have won nine, drawn six and lost six.

It is always an exciting time for the Shells as they begin their hockey careers at Bablake, many having never played the game before. They have

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played two 7-a-side matches, the A team drawing both and the B team losing. They continue to develop their individual skills, while gaining valuable match experience. They are enthusiastic and are certain to make great progress as they move further into the season.

The U14 team has made a steady start to the term and has shown potential on the pitch; they played particularly well against Kenilworth, winning 7-0. Well done girls!

The U15 team has done well, playing four matches and not losing a match yet. They did particularly well against King’s High, showing courage and determination coming back from 0-3 at half time to win the match 4-3.

The U16 team is the only team to have played in its County Tournament. They played consistent hockey throughout, but did not score enough points against strong competition and were therefore unable to qualify for further rounds.

The U18 team has made a good start to the season, winning three of the four matches they have played. They have shown good individual skill, but it is when they play as a unit that they are at their best. There have been some excellent goals and the leading goal scorers to date are: Georgina Webber, Beth Evans and Georgina Mosley.

Both the U18 and U14 hockey teams have their County Tournaments to look forward to.

The girls and the coaching staff have made a keen start to the year and I am certain that Bablake girls’ sport will continue to go from strength to strength during the year.

goldfinch takes charge A ‘charm’ of Goldfinches was a very welcome sight once again at our home rugby fixtures on the first weekend of the new Autumn term. Christine Goldfinch and her brother, former pupil Michael, refereed our U15 and U14 games, with their mother running the line for the former.

Christine deserves congratulations for her recent spell officiating in a couple of the games in the Women's World Cup, while Mrs Goldfinch is thanked for kindly helping our Shell Form players, on their games afternoon, to get to know the laws of the game.

Bablakesport Boys’ Sport Cricket All Bablake cricket teams enjoyed success throughout a relatively short school cricket season. All junior sides (U12, U13, U14 & U15) reached the Coventry Cup Final. The U12s defeated Woodlands and King Henry VIII in previous rounds and met Coundon Court School in the final. Batting first, Bablake made the best of a good wicket, with Ross Parnell scoring an impressive 72 and Nick Payne achieving his maiden half century, finishing on 59 not out. Greg Checklin and Karam Bhathal both scored 15 in the final few overs to push the total up to 182-2. This impressive score proved too much for Coundon Court who managed 115-6 in their allotted overs.

The pick of the bowlers was Owen McGlinchey who finished with figures of 3 for 7. This was a fitting end to the season for the U12s who performed consistently throughout the season, winning 8 out of 11 matches.

The U13s also achieved success in the Coventry Cup, beating President Kennedy and Finham Park (Simran Bansal 42, Bradley Pinkham 28) to secure their place in the final to face Woodlands. Unfortunately, Woodlands were unable to field a side and therefore forfeited the game. Despite this unsatisfactory climax to the competition, Bablake U13s were crowned Coventry Cup champions.

The U14s had another very successful season which culminated in reaching the Coventry Cup Final. Records were smashed as cousins Matthew Clements and Dominic Rae put on an unbeaten stand of 322 in their allotted 30 overs against local rivals King Henry VIII. Mathew Clements is the Warwickshire County U14 Captain and has already hit three centuries this summer but his 202 not out was a truly remarkable knock containing 12 sixes and 22 fours. Dominic Rae ably supported him, scoring a career best of 90 not out which included 14 fours. KHVIII posted a spirited reply with 180 for 8 but still surrendered the Harold Suddens Bowl to Bablake by 142 runs.

The U15 cricket team had an excellent season with highlights including a fine victory over Warwick and progression into the final of the

Coventry Cup. Highlights with the bat included innings from Ryan Parnell, Hugh Kenney-Herbert, Emile Pokoj and Jake Basra. Dhyan Patel, Ryan Parnell and Jake Basra have also excelled with the ball. It is worth noting that Mark Best has also been representing the 1st XI this year and has produced some excellent innings, including a fine century against the MCC. The 1st XI had an inconsistent season, showing signs of brilliance which was interspersed with periods of complacency.

The team did show great resilience against Bishop Vesey’s in freezing conditions to emerge victorious (Walters 51, Patel 2-16). The highlight for the 2nd XI was an impressive victory against Solihull School, which saw Ben Cooper score 141. Once again Bablake hosted the annual Twenty20 competition which was blessed with good weather. Bablake 1st XI recorded victories against Warwick, Lawrence Sheriff and KE Aston to tie for 2nd place on points going into the final round, but lost out narrowly on net run rate to finish 4th overall.

Cricket at Bablake is going from strength to strength and Steve Perryman, our professional coach, has been an excellent addition this year.

In conjunction with Mr Phillips, master in charge of cricket, a 3 year development plan has been put into action. This will include a comprehensive programme of winter training starting in January, which will focus on core skills, technique development and fitness work. Professional contractors have undertaken major work on the main cricket square and our ground staff are developing pitch 2 and levelling areas of the outfield. We have set ambitious performance targets for each of the ‘A’ teams and it is our

aim to increase the number of ‘B’ team fixtures at all age groups so that more boys are given an opportunity to represent the school at a competitive level. hockey Boys’ hockey has had a successful start to the season with the 1st XI winning their two fixtures against Camp Hill and Lawrence Sheriff School in comprehensive fashion, 5-0 and 11-0 respectively.

Congratulations to Declan Jones who has been named as 1st XI captain and William KenneyHerbert as vice-captain. The 2nd XI also recorded a win in their first game of the season against Camp Hill, emerging 3-0 victors. The junior teams have been training hard under the guidance of Phil Gooderham, our professional coach (Wales U21, Birmingham University 1st XI coach). We have welcomed Mr Benfield (CNWHC 1st XI) from the Junior School as a boys’ hockey coach. He will be managing and coaching the U14 team this season. rugby The tour to South Africa has underpinned an outstanding start to the season. At the time of writing the 1st XV have a 100% record with wins over KES Aston, Wellingborough, Nottingham High School, Leicester Grammar and Solihull School. Henry Chamberlain, Will Thornhill, Kilian Kleine, Adam King, Sam Jack and Chuka Ogbuneke have all represented Warwickshire U18s.

The U14s and U15s have also enjoyed superb starts with wins against the same opposition. The U15s had a narrow 12-10 victory over Polesworth in the first round of the Daily Mail Cup. Andrew Judge, Edward Cooper, Liam Moore, Andrew Haughian, Hugh Edwards, Jack Webber, Harry Smith, Robert Faulkner, James Faulkner, Lewis Marshall, Tom Ball and William Kirkman have all been selected for Coventry District U15s. The U13s have suffered two early losses but still show excellent promise, as do the U12s. bablake school

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Headmaster’s notes Our pupils are fortunate to benefit from outstanding opportunities at Bablake, and we are privileged to share with parents the nurture of young lives as they develop into adulthood. Adolescence is a time of rich and exciting growth and discovery, but it can also be a very challenging period – both for our children and for their parents! Our recent ‘Living with Teenagers’ evening enabled us to explore the issue of risk in a world where, as loving and protective parents, we can often perceive danger lurking around every corner. For our children, risk can actually spell adventure; it is our role as adults to give realistic guidance, underpinned by values and parameters, which enable children to make appropriate choices.

Our pastoral support of unique individuals within a warm and encouraging community is hugely important. Some of our Fourth and Lower Sixth Formers have recently been trained in peer support, and we hope that this will further enhance our level of care. At the same time, opportunities inevitably involve risk, and it is also our job to take pupils out of their

Diary

comfort zone. They are sometimes excessively dependent on staff ‘input’, and can falter if the answer is not immediately apparent.

Sometimes, our role in response to a question is to ask another question, so that the pupil is challenged to think independently, and to emerge with a sense of active discovery and with a cry of ‘Eureka’! Aspiration comes through inspiration, and then self-motivation, determination and perspiration ensure ultimate success.

The opportunities are there for the taking, and our expectations of our pupils must therefore be high; we owe them and you no less. This applies to their learning (both within and outside the classroom), to their intellectual curiosity, as well as to their conduct, consideration and appearance. Praise and encouragement are then due for achievement relative to ability, and for happy success and participation in diverse areas of school life.

This is what shapes them as human beings. With this level of challenge and support, as long as a child gives of his or her best, we should all celebrate the outcome.

Thursday 11 November Autumn Concert for All Year Groups EDM 7.00pm Wednesday 17 November Entry to 6th Form Evening Saturday 20 November Year 6 Taster Morning 9.45am – 12.30pm Hockey Fundraising Dinner 7.00pm – 11.00pm VTBC Saturday 27 November Parents’ Association Christmas Fayre Tuesday 7 December – Saturday 11 December Drama Production Cabaret EDM 7.30pm Tuesday 14 December Graduation Evening Main Hall 7.00pm Thursday 16 December School Carol Service Main School Hall 7.00pm Friday 17 December Autumn Term Ends 12.00 noon

Top score The Coventry Schools Cricket Association presented Matthew Clements and Dominic Rae with engraved tankards to commemorate their innings in the Under 14 Cricket Cup Final against KHVIII. Matthew and Dominic together scored 292 not out at almost 11 an over, an innings which will almost certainly never be bettered.

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Bablake School, Coundon Road, Coventry CV1 4AU +44 (0)24 7627 1200 +44 (0)24 7627 1290 e info@bablake.coventry.sch.uk w www.bablake.com t f

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