news & views from bablake school issue 45 spring 2008
Bablake Diary Monday 21 – Friday 25 April International Week Friday 20 June Open Session 5pm-8pm Tuesday 1 July 20/20 Cricket Tournament Wednesday 2 July Sports Day Friday 4 July Summer Term Ends
Bablake at Oxbridge In this issue Travel Events News Creative Action Charity Achievements Sport Update
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A record number of Bablake students have been offered places to study at Oxford and Cambridge this year Of the seventeen students who embarked on the rigorous Oxbridge application process, ten students were awarded places conditional on their A Level results; five for Oxford and five for Cambridge: • Daniel Ho to read Engineering at Girton College, Cambridge • Alex Owens to read Mathematics at St Catherine’s College, Oxford • Sam Brown to read Engineering at Trinity College, Cambridge • Will Chamberlain to read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Lincoln College, Oxford • Jamie Stefaniak to read Medical Sciences at Downing College, Cambridge • Jennifer Maudsley to read Theology and Religious Studies at Downing College, Cambridge
• Elizabeth Collison to read Biological Sciences at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford • Laura Dean to read Geography at Jesus College, Oxford • Francesca Melhuish to read Economics and Management at Trinity College, Oxford • Jenny Bufton to read Economics at Girton College, Cambridge The students’ success came at the end of a twelve month programme of activities which included extension lessons, college and faculty open days and mock interview experience. Many candidates had to submit written work prior to their interviews and some had to undergo the recently introduced Pre-Tests which took place in the Autumn half term holiday. For Alex Owens this meant coming into Bablake for an arduous Maths test
when most people were on holiday. For Will Chamberlain, who already had a holiday booked to New Zealand, it meant finding a test centre in Auckland and sitting a Thinking Skills Assessment Test. There were students from all over Australasia taking tests in the hope of attending Oxford University, showing that competition for places is international. The Oxbridge Application Process is now well underway for the current Lower Sixth, with extension lessons in place and an information evening and Oxbridge conference arranged. The 2009 entry will certainly benefit from the talents and experience of this year’s successful candidates. We also congratulate members of the Upper Sixth who are currently holding offers from other excellent universities of their choice.
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A group of Sixth Form Art students visited the city of Istanbul in Turkey as part of their ‘A’ level course. Istanbul was chosen for the visit because of its cosmopolitan atmosphere, its mixture of eastern and western cultures and its rich artistic heritage.
Travelling East to find the West – Bablake in Istanbul After checking into our hotel, which offered excellent views over the Golden Horn towards the historic quarter and the Galata Tower, we started to explore the only city which spans two continents. During our visit we aimed to study its rich cultural history and contemporary Turkish arts as well as enjoying the culinary, mercantile and entertainment opportunities of this fascinating city. Over a period of a few days, we traced the rise and decline of the Byzantine Christian Empire, the rise and spread of Islam and the development of the modern secular country of Turkey. The breathtakingly vast scale of the Hagia Sophia and opulence of the Topkapi Palace contrasted with the intimate and beautifully decorated spaces of the Church of Saint Saviour in Chora, Rustem Pasa Mosque and the subterranean atmosphere inside the Basilica Cistern. Museums charting the arts and crafts of Turkey were complemented by the outstanding and very contemporary Istanbul Modern Art Gallery.
‘We also found time to catch ferries to Asia and back to Europe...’ We also found time to catch ferries to Asia and back to Europe, have our bodies steamed, pummelled and contorted in traditional Turkish baths, and eat some fantastic food. For many, though, I suspect the highlight may have been the shopping and being let loose in the Spice Bazaar and the famously vibrant and rambling Grand Bazaar to pick up mementoes and resources for their coursework.
The Lion | Spring 2008
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On the Rock Bablake boys’ 1st XI hockey team enjoyed a very warm and well deserved tour to Gibraltar in the October half term. Playing three matches in their five days, they beat the local Lakeside School 9-1, lost to Gibraltar U18s 3-1 and drew with their U21 side 0-0. The side played some great hockey in their final match and were unfortunate to only draw 1-1. The tour gave them an insight into a more European style of hockey from which they learned a great deal, and are a better team for it. Tours of the rock and the rest of Gibraltar were also very enjoyable and gave the team a well earned break in some glorious weather. Many thanks to Mr Johnson (Manager) for his hard work organising and managing the tour and Mr Atwal (Head coach) for accompanying the squad.
Driving ambition
In February, 28 Lower Sixth Business Studies students were treated to a tour of the Jaguar production plant at Castle Bromwich. Workers were on a tight schedule to meet orders for the new XF model, which was launched on 1st March. The first production area was devoid of humans as robots lifted and riveted the aluminium bonnets together with precision. Our guide, a former employee, was passionate in his tour delivery, as we passed station after station on the massive production line. Everywhere, cars were being lifted and lowered as workers fitted the component parts, all of which had been delivered by suppliers ‘just-in-time’ in the exact order required on the production line, according to customer order. Each car took 36 hours to construct on the ‘track’. Outside, every available space had a new car parked in it, ready for shipping to dealers for the new registration date. Students not only benefited from being able to see production theory in practice, but were also able to learn about motivational targets, job rotation and the importance of teamwork.
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Making it all add up
Bridging the gap This year’s Engineering Education Scheme Team is made up of Lauren Carpenter, Puja Bhardwaj, Simon Archer and Sunera Nawab. Chris Jackson and Alex Bryson of ARUP have set the team the task of designing an alternative proposal for the Friargate development in Coventry. This was an enormous task for the team so they devised a plan of action and designed a number of part solutions for the area. The team would focus on the area from the station to just inside the ring road, and in particular a proposed bridge crossing the ring road. By the end of the Autumn Term, the team had a design of the bridge they wanted to model, and over four days at Birmingham University with Mr West, Mrs Hardstaff and Alex Bryson, they enjoyed some intensive practical modelling time. At the university, the team managed to model some of the bridge and some of the surrounding area. The bridge was “rather fiddly”, in the words of the team, as the tension wires were very difficult to attach! The team now have to finish their model, write their report and create a presentation ready for the Celebration Day on 23rd April.
Junior Maths Team Challenge On Friday 22nd February, Maneesha Sehgal (2S), Ji Kim (Shell G), Eva Ball and Beth Evans (both 3A), won the regional heats of the UKMT Junior Maths Challenge. The event took place at Rugby High School with 12 teams competing. Four rounds were played: Team Challenge, Maths Crossword, Head to Head and Relay. The team made a great contribution in all rounds, gaining 180 points in total. Dr Archer accompanied the team and even provided pink smarties! The team all received red T shirts and certificates for winning, and have been asked to compete in the Nationals on 23rd June 2008. The team hope to achieve the same result next year and hope that the winning streak continues for the Nationals.
Developing pupil study skills On January 29th all of the Fifth Year was off timetable for the morning to take part in study skills sessions. Many pupils often say they are unsure of how to revise; the day helped them address this. The pupils had all been given the opportunity to discover their personal learning styles towards the end of the Fourth Year, so were in a good position to take advantage of the subject specific sessions given. These ranged from study cards to mind maps and memory techniques. The feedback from the pupils was very positive, many of whom now realise that there are alternatives to just reading or rewriting their notes. By being given the techniques in a subject specific way, they could see the value of utilising a range of techniques in order to fulfil their potential in their forthcoming exams.
senior Maths Team Challenge The Senior Maths Team Challenge team took part in the UKMT Senior Maths Team Challenge last term at Cadbury College Birmingham. They did extremely well, coming third. The team consisted of Mark Seeley, Sam Brown, James Ross and James Lambert.
The Lion | Spring 2008
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Charity at Xmas
Chinese Year of the Rat – a cultural exploration This year celebrates the Year of the Rat in the Chinese calendar, and to explain more about the history and traditions of the Chinese culture, 2B presented an excellent assembly to the lower school. Pupils were also treated to a ‘Dragon Dance’ incorporating hand made dragons. Many thanks to members of 2B and to Miss Beasley for such an entertaining assembly.
The Parents’ Association send a huge ‘thank you’ to everyone who supported the Christmas Fayre. If you came on the day you will be aware of the tremendous atmosphere around school. The turn-out of parents, students, former students, friends and family members was the best we can remember for many years. Thank you also to those who bought (and sold) raffle tickets, sent donations of cakes, books, bottles and tombola prizes and an amazing selection of quality raffle prizes. We are also grateful to those who ran stalls, organised choirs, set things up on the Friday evening and helped clear away afterwards. The main raffle was drawn towards the end of the afternoon and all prize-winners have been notified. The winner of the £500 was particularly pleased! Now the news you have been waiting for… how much was raised? It hardly seems possible, but after all the expenses have been paid it leaves a net profit of just over £7000! This figure is absolutely amazing and is the highest figure ever raised at a Bablake Christmas Fayre. In addition, something close to £1000 was raised for various charities. Thank you to everyone who helped or contributed in any way.
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Bablakenews At the top of their game Kai Hartshorn has high hopes of an international cap after being selected for the England U16 training squad. After originally being selected in the Midlands squad, Kai actually represented London and the South East in the divisional festival against the Midlands and the North. Furthermore Kai then represented the North of England in the final England trial. Max Goodyer should also be congratulated on representing the Midlands at U16 level against London and the South East. He has also been selected for the Scottish Exiles U16 squad with hearty encouragement from Mr Wilson!
Getting a buzz playing for the Wasps Third year pupils Ben Cooper and Josh Buggea attended the London Wasps Rugby team’s ‘Open Training Session’ held at the Butts Stadium prior to their recent Heineken Cup victory over Irish side Munster at the Ricoh Arena. Both pupils represent the Bablake U14 rugby side. Ben, who is fly half and captain of the side, is a big fan of Wasps fly half Dan Cipriani and it was a pleasure for him to meet his hero. Josh plays in the Number 8 position, so for him to meet Lawrence Dalaglio and Joe Worsley was also a huge thrill.
The Lion | Spring 2008
In touch with Bablake The Wheatleyan A new look Wheatleyan has been published reviewing the best of ‘Bablake 20062007’. Designed by Mustard, the issue has been expertly edited by senior prefect Will Chamberlain and 11 of his peers. The range of new features and freshness of the publication have already gained many plaudits.
Environmental initiatives Greenfeet, the School’s new environmental group, has been busy establishing new initiatives for the School as well as creating a new website. The group aims to present an assembly in the near future to outline plans for the entire School community. Initiatives to date include: • Investigation into community transport sharing schemes and the construction of new footpaths around the School for improved and ecofriendly access. • Collaboration with the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme in organising recycling around the School. • A competition to design a poster with the title ‘The Earth Needs You!’. The competition is open to all pupils (closing date for entries 19th March) • Planned publication of environmental news update ‘The Greenfeet Gazette’ (made entirely from recycled paper). First issue due to appear April 2008. • Launch of official ‘Greenfeet’ website, April 2008 • Possibility of producing reusable Bablake water bottles. • Assembly presentations to raise awareness.
Articles for consideration for the next issue (to be published in December) should be emailed to mgaw@bablake. coventry.sch.uk by September 1st.
EQUESTRIAN NEWS The newly-formed Equestrian Club is now up and running with plenty of competitions and training sessions to look forward to. The first competition will be a two day event of jumping and dressage, held over the weekend of 24th and 25th May. There will be classes for all ages and abilities. See Miss Hall for further details.
bablake reunited over 1,300 members Register online today for regular updates on school activities, news and forthcoming events. Just use the link on the school website www.bablake.com
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What the Dickens...
The performance of Great Expectations at the end of last term was a great success… as expected… The large cast told the story through ambitious chorus work and a swift switch of location, managed by having pre-built sets ‘gliding’ into position on stage trucks. The range of mood was created well with excellent acting, sombre lighting and superb period costume. A full review of the production will appear in The Wheatleyan. At the end of this term, there will be performances of Sparkleshark and Arden City, both of which were written for the National Theatre Connections programme. And work is beginning on this summer’s Edinburgh production of The Talented Mr Ripley. Busy days...
The lady with the X Factor Francesca Clifford put her A2 module revision on hold for the ‘1 Hour 4 Lives’ fund set up for the families of the brave Alcester-on-Stour fire-fighters who were killed in a warehouse blaze last year. Sharing the stage with X Factor finalists Niki Evans and Futureproof as well as fellow artists from Big Help Management’s performing arts training academy, Francesca sang The Prayer and Leader of the Pack as well as being part of the finale.
Young players There was the usual expectant buzz of excitement amongst the young players as the January concert started. The younger players of the flute group, Jessica Horn, Lara MorleyWhite, Mwelwa Mukwashi, Jennifer Scoular, Emily Thornhill, Hayward Rodgers and Ji Kim, directed by flute teacher Jane Kimberley, got the concert off to a lively start with an Allegro by Schickhart and My Grandfather’s Clock. Other instrumental ensembles included the clarinet choir of Jacob Low, Penny McKenna and Hannah White with Millie Ross on bass clarinet and Charlotte Weaver from the seniors helping out, the brass group of Hugh KenneyHerbert, Charlotte Cooper, Eleanor Davies, William Sibley, Chris Starkey and Aaron Patel with James Ross from the seniors helping out, and the recorder group of Marie and Jacob Low, Matt Lewis, Catherine Langford, and Eleanor Glover guided by Mrs. Rees. Emma Gallagher, Leah Judge, Isobel Lindsay Bethan Evans, Bradley Gill and Chris Starkey sang Disney songs with Mrs Tatum and the concert ended with the Junior orchestra playing a Bach Minuet and Careless Clyde, a piece with narrative read by Julia Ryland, Charlotte Cooper and Kate French, all with immaculate American accents! There were also 12 solo performances. The high standard of playing was set by Rob Vallance playing the Maple-leaf Rag on the piano, with another impeccable performance by Anu Bose also on the piano of an Allegro by Haydn. Felicity Langford then played Rags to Riches on the Tenor Sax and Hugh KenneyHerbert The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves on the trumpet. The next batch of soloists was equally impressive with Rebecca Brown playing 'Für Elise' on the piano and William Sibley an Antony Holbourne piece on the trombone, but perhaps the most enjoyable were Bradley Gill playing Burgmuller’s Ballade and Georgia Powell in a spell-binding rendition of two pieces by Pam Westwood. The second half of the concert brought more riches when Ji Kim played a Clementi sonata on the piano and Jacob Low a delightful recorder piece by Colin Hand. The last two soloists were Eleanor Morris and Emma Fairclough. Ellie played Kabalevsky’s Piano Variations and Emma the violin concerto in Amin by Vivaldi.
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Musical moments On February 5th the Sixth Form recital took place in the Rehearsal Room in front of a small but appreciative audience. The vagaries of the weather, in particular the advent of snow, forced this evening to be cancelled last year, but the benign conditions of 2008 meant that our Lower and Upper Sixth students could go ahead as planned. Jessica Blake opened the recital with a Handel aria followed by the ever popular ‘O mio babbino caro’ from Puccini’s opera Gianni Schicchi. Hannah Sugrue played the first movement from Mozart’s Sonata in C followed by Thomas Dubock performing three pieces from Grieg’s Lyric Suite. After the piano music the audience was treated to Simone Willis playing a movement from Bach’s Concerto in A minor on the violin followed by Christopher Walters playing the first movement of Poulenc’s Flute Sonata. The evening closed with the return of Jessica stylishly singing two of Handel’s neun deutsche Arien, the first of which was beautifully accompanied by Simone on the violin. All the students acquitted themselves really well and it proved an invaluable practice for the performance module in the summer.
Pipes of peace Over two evenings at St John the Baptist’s Church over 150 students together with parents and staff participated in our annual Christmas Carol Service.
This year, the services looked behind the trappings of the season and tried to identify its real meaning. The service included readings from a variety of sources including the Aussie Bible and local hymnwriter Canon Owen Vigeon, as well as traditional biblical readings. The congregation enjoyed music from the full range of Bablake choirs and instrumental groups; it was also a pleasure to welcome back Mr Jenkins as organist. A retiring collection for the Macmillan Cancer Support and St John’s Restoration Fund closed the evenings.
It’s all for Charity! First KT Tunstall, then Kate Walsh, then Elliot Minor and Jane Taylor... all of them have played headline gigs at Bablake before becoming household names. Every year the school has a big charity gig where there is the chance for current or former students and a local band to share a bill with up-and-coming artists. This year, Lucky Soul, headlined the bill at Bablake to raise awareness of Amnesty’s Stop Domestic Violence campaign. Earlier in the evening Bablake student, Jess Blake, the 2007 Class Act winner, Ellen Miller, a national Search for a star finalist and Shipstonbased Disco Biz Kid had roused the crowd with excellent sets. LNP Sound provided the PA hire and Footworkz were on hand to film the evening.
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Skills in action A vast majority would regard a camping trip in October as foolhardy at best but for Bablake’s Combined Cadet Force it was an opportunity to put into practice all the skills they had learnt during Monday night parades. So, early Saturday morning, the troops of both the Army and RAF sections gathered at school, packed and ready to move out to what promised to be a weekend of living under the stars and enjoying some glorious weather. The camp activities began the minute the cadets arrived at the Army training camp in Nesscliffe; tents needed to be erected and the ground recce’d in preparation for the afternoon’s activities. For many of the cadets on camp this was their first time ‘in the field’ and it made a refreshing change to be taught various field craft skills in the open air rather than a classroom. The lessons delivered by the senior cadets began to build a base of knowledge that would be vital for the hours ahead, and as dusk fell, the warning orders
went out to the troops that ‘Exercise Ball Drop’ was about to begin. This annual and hotly contested competition saw the cadets put into practice many of the skills already learnt including camouflage, concealment and patrolling as well as the need for efficient communication amongst their team; only daylight would reveal the true winner. On Sunday morning, as the mists cleared across the training area and the sun rose higher in the sky, the contingent mobilised and moved out to a round robin of adventurous and military activities. The excellent climbing wall posed a challenge to even the most accomplished climbers and whilst the command tasks stretched the cadets physically and mentally, they still managed to clear a mine field, avoid the man-eating spider and control the
‘helium rod’. In addition there was an opportunity to enjoy kayaking and even test their patience, accuracy and instincts during a brief sniper exercise, fulfilling every child’s dream of shooting their own teacher with paint balls! As the sun set on the last day, the contingent readied itself for the final activity of the weekend, ‘Exercise Sneaky Beaky’. Utilising all the skills they had practised over the previous couple of days, including teamwork and mental endurance, the cadets were set the task of performing a close target reconnaissance on an enemy position. This seemed a simple enough request but they were unaware of the roving patrols intent on preventing the cadets successfully completing their mission. Despite some very close shaves and a running battle back to camp all the cadets managed to achieve their objective. It was a most successful weekend with both staff and cadets enjoying their time in the field. The contingent is rapidly developing and through exciting opportunities such as this camp plus the numerous competitions and other camps it will surely continue to do so.
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Bablakecharity Tomorrow Today Our biennial Careers Convention Tomorrow Today was a tremendous success, with parents, pupils and staff alike commenting on its vibrant atmosphere. Delegates spoke of our pupils’ impressive desire to quiz them about their career histories and it was superb to see so many former pupils and Bablake parents in attendance showing their deep affection for the school and a real desire to help current pupils. The most important messages were to make decisions based on careful research, match enjoyment with ability, get involved and look to make your dreams come true. Never say never! A very good range of universities was present and careers in aviation, IT, the forces, art and design, languages, finance, business, health, journalism, the performing arts and many more besides were amply covered on the night. We even had an e-contact available at NASA in the US!
Answering the demand, we are already arranging a Gap Year Convention (‘Mind the Gap’) for January 29th next year. Put it in your diary now! Planning is also underway for January 28th 2010 and delegates are asked to email the Careers Department (mgaw@bablake.coventry.sch.uk) if available.
Taking care of business Welcome back after a very busy and successful Autumn term for charity. You all helped to raise a very impressive £6,800 overall, including £2,500 for Malcolm, our caretaker, who has now managed to reach his goal of £4,000 for Walsgrave hospital. Malcolm’s Charity As most of you know, ‘The Bablake Community’ was 100% behind caretaker Malcolm Martin’s quest to raise funds for Ward 34, University Hospital, Walsgrave, as he had received excellent care and treatment for his cancer, diagnosed in February 2007, from which he has made a full recovery. The whole Bablake community (pupils, staff and the PA) as well as Malcolm’s family and friends have been very generous with donations. Money from raffles, football cards, handmade jewellery, sponsored silences and chocolate sales, raised a total of £4,000. This fundraising will be used to buy two automatic morphine release machines for Ward 34, which will be much appreciated by the patients. news A big thanks to everyone. As well as collecting money for charity you also did a great job of re-cycling last term and we sent off jewellery, old keys and coins to the Marie Curie and Cord Charities, mobile phones to Children in Need and the English and Science Departments sent old text books to children in Africa. The library sent a donation to Book Aid International and we also held a Christmas party for the elderly residents in our local community who had a great time being entertained by some of our most talented pupils. A list of all the good causes supported can be found on the charity notice board. What is happening next? This term we have started collecting for the Starlight foundation. This foundation helps grant wishes for terminally ill and very poorly children across the country. Very often, just granting a wish can help these children become more positive and in some
cases actually come through their illness. To find out more, visit the website: www.starlight.org.uk and look at the charity notice board. Over the years some of our pupils have been treated at Birmingham Children’s Hospital and I have had various requests to thank the hospital in some way. We are hoping to buy items for the children’s ward and are at present waiting for a shopping list, so I will let you know what is needed. L6CF have already collected £100 and 2J are also making plans for fundraising. Walsgrave children’s ward have put out a plea for unwanted children’s gifts, especially DVDs and Playstation 2 games. They can only accept items that are wipeable, so no teddies! Please bring any items to me in the H.E. Dept. This year we have Mr Hall running the London Marathon. He will be raising money for H.e.a.r.t UK This charity is trying to raise an awareness of the importance of healthy eating for a healthy heart. Sports Relief takes place in March, so if anyone wants to ‘Rise to the Challenge’ then please let me know. Another hectic time ahead and I am sure there will be other activities that you will want to take part in for different charities. Please keep me informed of anything you are planning before you do it in order to avoid clashes. Good Luck, Mrs Heath.
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It’s written in the Michelin stars
Former pupils Olivia Broadfield’s debut album Eyes wide open was released earlier this year. The title track features on the soundtrack for Jessica Alba’s forthcoming film The Eye. Copies of her album are available priced £9.99 from www.myspace.com/ oliviabroadfield Ryan Wells has played rugby for the Combined Services against Ireland U23s and is looking forward to playing against England in May. Ryan is congratulated on receiving his Green Beret and kindly led a recent Working Lunch on life in the Royal Marines. He will be touring Afghanistan later this year. Darren Carnall has just enjoyed a week playing Gollum in the West End production of Lord of the Rings.
John Haidar (L6LJJ), is to complete chef’s stage placements at two of the world’s best restaurants later in the year. John has been offered two weeks’ work experience in the kitchens of Chef Raymond Blanc’s two Michelin-starred Le Manoir Aux Quat’ Saisons in Great Milton, Oxfordshire, followed by a week’s placement at the internationally-acclaimed The Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire. The Fat Duck, awarded the prestigious title of ‘Best Restaurant in the World’ in 2005, and currently second in the world rankings, is the brainchild of Chef Heston Blumenthal, OBE. John is the youngest chef ‘stagiaire’ to have been
personally selected by Head Chef Ashley PalmerWatts to work at the prestigious restaurant, since its opening 12 years ago, and is greatly honoured to receive such an opportunity. John is set to commence working with Chef Blanc and his team in early July, before travelling down to Berkshire later in the month. He will be one of an elite group of young chefs to have had the privilege of training at one, two and three Michelinstarred level before reaching his 18th birthday.
Sailing to the top Phillip Walker recently took part in the 29er Inland Championships at Grafham with a lightweight crew, John Mather. They finished joint first with 12 points. As it is a Championship event there has to be a clear winner and on countback they were placed second as the other boat won the last race. There were 55 boats competing, including all of the current National Youth Squad.
Sympathies to Shane Geraghty whose inspiring form for London Irish and England Saxons had many critics calling for him to be included in England’s Six Nations team against France before a knee injury struck. Keep the news of former students coming in for The Lion and The Wheatleyan – mgaw@bablake. coventry.sch.uk
Congratulations to current pupils too... Nicola McIntyre (3A) for gaining her black belt in Tang Soo Do. Nicola has trained hard for five years in order to achieve this and was welcomed into the Black Belt Association, Cambridge in January. Emma Louise Utting (U6MRP) on completing the Coventry half-marathon in aid of the NSPCC.
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A right royal rumble Another exciting night at the Butts Arena saw Bablake 1st XV defeat King Henry VIII with a 30m driving maul in the final play of the game. In a tense game both sides played with great determination and intensity. Bablake set the early pace with some fine driving play from the forwards but couldn’t put points on the board against a determined King Henry’s defence. A try from Andrew Hextall and a penalty and try from Oliver Millerchip insured Bablake kept the lead until, with just two minutes to go, a King Henry VIII drop goal took the score to 16-13 to King Henry’s and almost certain defeat. However Bablake were not finished, and after securing a lineout on the opposition 10 metre line they set up a driving maul which edged closer and closer to the try line for captain Andrew Hextall to score a second try and send the Bablake support into raptures. All of the players should be congratulated on an outstanding effort and the crowd for the vocal, well mannered and positive support. We were delighted to welcome former pupil, Shane Geraghty to the match and Shane very kindly presented the cup to the Bablake team before signing autographs. Shane made his debut playing for England against France in the 2007 Six Nations and is now looking forward to adding to his two England Caps.
rugby update At junior level, the U14 team provided five members of the team for the recent Warwickshire U14 match vs Oxfordshire, a match that Warwickshire won 7-6. William Sibley, Josh Buggea, Ben Cooper, Ben Davies and Richard Synnott should all be congratulated for this achievement as should Kilian Kleine for representing Warwickshire at U15 level. In addition to the U14s mentioned above, the following should also be congratulated for being selected for the Coventry District Team at U14 level: Enyi Ogbuneke, Tom Lane, Sam Cooper, and Richard Miles. Also in this age group, Alex Morgan and Ben Cooper have been invited to train with the Warwickshire school of rugby. Ben Stansfield and Alex Popplewell received the same invitation at U15 level. In the Coventry Cups, the U12 team beat Woodlands 12-10 in an exciting final on Wednesday 26th February. The U16 team played in the final on Thursday 6th March at the Butts Arena but lost 10-0 to Coundon Court. The U13 team played its semi final against Coundon Court on Monday 3rd March but lost 12-10. The U14 team is also in the final on Tuesday 11th March after a convincing win against King Henry VIII and a thrilling 5-0 victory against Coundon Court. The first XV has had an excellent term so far, recording hard fought victories over local rivals King Edward’s Birmingham 7-6, and Solihull School 17-10 in tense encounters. U16 County Runners-up The boys’ U16 hockey squad finished runners up behind a very strong Rugby School side in the Warwickshire county hockey finals. The side reached the final after excellent wins against Warwick and Solihull. The game was very close with the scores level at 2-2 with five minutes remaining. Whilst pushing for the win, Rugby School scored two late break away goals to win 4-2.
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Girls’ sport Hockey – sticking it out The U18 hockey team came runners up in the Midlands tournament after beating Oundle on strokes in the semis and losing 0-1 to Repton in the final. The U16 indoor hockey team finished runners up to King’s High in the Warwickshire tournament, and at the Solihull invitation tournament the U12s performed very well in their first competition for Bablake, reaching the semi-finals. The U15 hockey team beat King Henry VIII 3-0 to
take the Coventry Schools’ Trophy. After impressing at U16 level, Bablake’s hockey stars Holly Payne and Lucy Horn have both been selected for the England U18 squad. Holly already plays for Premier League Leicester Ladies first team squad while Lucy is part of Division one side Belper’s first team squad. Holly and Lucy were among the 20 players involved against Ireland in February at Belle Vue in Manchester.
Netball success At U14, U16 and U19 age groups, Bablake entered the National Schools’ Competition. In the Coventry/ Solihull/Warwickshire round, the U16s finished runners up to Higham Lane and the U14 and U19 teams were winners. This meant all three teams were through to the West Midlands round, a fantastic achievement and the only school to be represented in each age group. At this stage the U14s came third in their section and the U16s reached the semi-final The U19s also reached the semi-final, which they won on a golden goal and jubilant celebrations took place as the team had secured their place in the National finals. This is the first time that this particular set of girls has reached the Nationals. The girls had to compose themselves for the final: with two injuries and down 2-7, it was very tense, but the girls worked hard to a score of 10-11 on the final whistle, thus finishing runners up to Wolverhampton Grammar. The U13s participated for the first time in the Foremarke invitation tournament. Six schools took part and Bablake finished runners up to Bromsgrove School. In the Coventry school tournaments, following in the footsteps of the U16 and U19 teams, Bablake U14 A and B and U15 teams won their respective age groups. The U15 team played a total of five games, scoring 85 goals and conceding only 6. Under 19s netball squad finalists: Rebecca Stuart (Captain), Meisha Grace-Nicely, Eleanor Donaldson, Ira Kleine, Lauren Boon, Lijana Kaziow, Lara Jackson, Siobhan Robinson, Roxana Ziaie.
The Lion | Spring 2008
Congratulations for individual successes... U18 England Squad – Lucy Horn and Holly Payne U14 England trialist – Jessica Horn U17 West Midlands netball squad in the match v East Midlands – Georgia Horn U13 County Athletics training at the Birmingham High Performance Centre – Lucy Smith Bablake U14 (A) Netball
U13 County hockey – Ashleigh Green, Olivia Harrison-Dodd, Beth Jepson and Jennifer Reay Eleanor Davies on being selected for the U12 West Midlands water polo team Lauren Carr on being selected for the U12 Warwickshire swimming team
Bablake U14 (B) Netball
Bablake U15 Netball
Bablake U19 Netball
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Bablake School
Bablakeupdate staff news
The following colleagues are leaving at the end of this term: • Miss Vanessa Hawkins, Girls’ PE, to take up a post in PR and Sports Marketing. Her lessons will be covered by Mrs Cath Mills, who will temporarily become full-time for the Summer Term. • Mrs Lucy Hardstaff, Design Technology, who has been appointed Head of Resistant Materials at Coundon Court. We shall be adjusting the timetable and have employed Mr Jan Williams, an experienced teacher, for the Summer Term. In August 2008: • Mrs Pam Goodwin, Art, for retirement after 24 years’ service. Mrs Goodwin has been away since September, fighting cancer; we are delighted that she is making good progress. • Mr Peter Hancock, Design Technology, for retirement after 23 years’ service. • Mr Michael Johnson, Boys’ PE, who has been appointed Head of PE at King Edward’s School, Birmingham. • Mr Andrew Homer, Head of Classics, who has been appointed Head of Classics at Mill Hill; he is relocating for family reasons. • Mrs Janette Foster, Modern Languages, for retirement. Mrs Foster has been on sick-leave since Christmas. We have been fortunate to appoint very good supply teachers. • Mrs Karen Orwin, Art, who was employed part-time to teach some of Mrs Goodwin’s lessons. We are very grateful to all these colleagues for their commitment to Bablake, and wish them every happiness and success. The following appointments have been made for September: • Miss Amy Jones, Teacher of Art. Miss Jones is a former Bablake pupil, whose degree is in Fashion Design with Print from Central St. Martin’s College of Art. She has taught at
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Woodlands School, where she was also PSHCE Co-ordinator, and is currently Key Stage 3 Art Co-ordinator at Coundon Court. She has also worked as a Design Assistant in the fashion industry. She has played hockey to a high level, and will be involved with coaching at Bablake. Mr Paul Shelley, Design Technology. Mr Shelley spent 14 years working with the Australian Submarine Corporation and running his own electrical contracting business. He is currently retraining as a teacher, and is in his final year of a BA Design Technology Education degree at Nottingham Trent University. His wife is a teacher and houseparent at Rugby School, and Mr Shelley looks forward to involvement with school sport and outdoor activities. Mr Craig Wiles, Design Technology. Mr Wiles has a BA degree in Contemporary Furniture and Related Product Design from Buckinghamshire Chilterns University, and is currently finishing his teacher training on the Graduate Teacher Programme in Milton Keynes. Before embarking on the GTP, he worked for Youth Matters. He enjoys sport and outdoor pursuits. Mr Andrew Phillips, Teacher of Boys’ Physical Education and i/c Boys’ Hockey. Mr Phillips was a pupil at Lawrence Sheriff and is a graduate of the Sports Science with Management course at Loughborough University. He is currently teaching at Etone College in Nuneaton, where he is also Hockey Co-ordinator. He is a national league hockey player and a cricket player of some stature. Miss Suzanne Symonds, Teacher of Girls’ Physical Education. Miss Symonds was a pupil at Bromsgrove, before studying Sport and Exercise Science at Loughborough University. She is currently completing her PGCE at Birmingham University. She is a national league hockey player, and has also excelled in athletics and cross-country running.
The inspection proved to be a very positive and constructive experience for the school. I believe that the inspectors did a very thorough job, and that they fully recognised the numerous and immense qualities of Bablake, whilst also giving us some pointers for the future, as we aspire to giving our young people the best possible start in life. I am not yet permitted to share findings with you, but you will receive a copy of the full report when it is published by the Independent Schools Inspectorate next term. Suffice it to say at this stage that the inspectors thought that the pupils were super, that staff at all levels showed great pride in the school and its success, and that parents lent strong support. I look forward to sending home the report in due course, and hope that you will be very proud to read it.
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
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