News@Com December 2018

NEWS COM Top of the class — Page 10

www.combertonvc.org & www.combertonsixthform.org

The Magazine of Comberton Village College ISSUE 49, WINTER 2018

Loyal staff honoured COMBERTON VILLAGE COLLEGE

Students at Comberton Village College and Sixth Form returned for the new academic year with two newly named facilities.

The Sixth Form has been renamed ‘The Evans Centre’ to mark the long service to the school of both Phil Evans, who retired this summer as New Schools Development Lead for The Cam Academy Trust, and his wife Kate Evans, recently retired as Chief Executive of the Anglian Learning multi-academy trust and a former teacher and Deputy Principal at Comberton.

And the Comberton kitchen has been named ‘Debbie’s Kitchen’ to honour catering manager Debbie Rogers, who retired this summer after an incredible 27 years’ cooking for staff and students.

Comberton Executive Principal and Chief Executive of The Trust, Stephen Munday, said: “Both Phil and Kate have been key members of staff for significant periods of time during their tremendous careers.

“Phil joined Comberton Village College in 2007 as Deputy Principal for 14-19 Learning and became Head of Sixth Form in 2012. After stepping down from that role, he continued working with the school and the Trust until this summer. He is

probably best known for planning and opening the Comberton Sixth Form in 2011.

“Kate joined Comberton in 1991 as a physics teacher and went on to become an assistant Head of Year, Head of Year, Assistant Principal and Deputy Principal before joining Bottisham Village College as Principal in 2004.

“Given this remarkable service, it seemed only right that their joint service should be properly marked and unbeknown to Kate and Phil, a new name plaque was unveiled, at a special ceremony for family and friends.”

Family included the couple’s two children, Rhiannon and Will, both former Comberton pupils, and Will is now continuing the family association with the college as he has just joined The Cabin as a Teaching Assistant.

Staff and students at Comberton have benefited from the excellent work of Debbie Rogers in ensuring the whole school community was well fed and therefore ready to work and study effectively. Attempts to calculate how many lunches she had served over the 27 years had to be abandoned because the number just got so large!

Mr Munday added: “Staff particularly recall the fantastic catering that Debbie provided for various special events, very much including her legendary Staff Training Day lunches.”

PLAQUES UNVEILED: To mark the service of loyal Comberton staff.

International visitors check out provision

LEARNING VISIT: By a delegation from Azerbaijan with Peter Allcock, Head of the Asperger’s Centre, and translator Daniel Brooker.

q Getting it Right — 3 q New Dining Options — 3 q Trust News — 4 q Back in My Day — 6 q Fake News? — 5 q Encouraging Creativity — 5 q Exploring Key Legacy — 7 q International News— 8-12

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Comberton’s reputation for excellent provision for students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) is spreading to all corners of the globe.

This term the college hosted delegations from both Singapore and Azerbaijan exploring how Comberton works with SEND students.

The Singapore visitors included the Minister of Education and the Director of curriculum planning and development, while the group from Azerbaijan’s State Examinations Council included the Head of Strategic Development, Head of Test Administration and a psychologist from their Project Management Unit.

Peter Allcock, Head of Comberton’s Asperger’s Centre, said: “It’s nice to know that the college’s provision for Special Educational Needs and Inclusion has such a good reputation.”

Contents

q Valiant Book Battle — 12 q Maths Update — 13 q Quartet’s Challenge — 14 qFrom Source to Sea — 14 q Sixth Form News — 15-19 q DofE Round-Up — 20-21 q Chefs’ Treat — 21 q What Matters to Youth — 21

q Curriculum Extension Days — 22 q History News — 23 q Music Latest — 24 & 25 q Online Dangers — 24 q Close to Home — 25 q SCSSP Update — 26-27 q Sport — 28-32

Getting it right for all children Comberton last month took part in UNICEF’s OutRight Campaign, which was marked nationally on World Children’s Day, November 20th.

OutRight is a campaign which empowers children and young people all over the UK to realise their own rights and to speak out in support of the Rights of all children.

This year OutRight focused on Article 24 — “the Right to the best possible health, clean water and a clean environment”.

Comberton, where staff and students are working towards the UNICEF Rights Respecting School Gold Award, ran a series of events to highlight the OutRight campaign.

They partipcated in Shoeshare, a campaign in

COMBERTON VILLAGE COLLEGE

partnership with the Rights Respecting Schools Award and Clarks Shoes. Old or unwanted shoes were collected and sent on for re-use. For every tonne of shoes collected, a donation is made to UNICEF, which goes towards education programmes around the world.

The school also has new re-usable water bottles, on sale for £3 each, as the push to improve recycling around the site continues.

Comberton also held a ‘Switch off Your Engine’ day on November 20th when drivers of all cars and buses were asked to turn off their ignitions while their vehicles SHOE SHINE: Comberton collected unwanted were stationary. This was in conjunction shoes to benefit UNICEF. with students writing postcards to the concerns about air pollution in their local area.

Environment Secretary to express their views and

Diners embrace the healthier options . . .

Students at Comberton are being encouraged to adopt healthy diets as part of a drive to improve general health and well-being.

The college has made a number of changes to the provision and availability of certain food items supplied by the school after growing concerns about the amount of sweet choices and lack of variety in some students’ diets.

Gone are the cakes, biscuits, flapjacks and muffins that had previously been available on certain days of the week although a dessert, usually hot and home-made, is always provided alongside the main meal options.

The traditional sweet treats have been replaced by more fresh and dried fruit — dried mango is proving particularly popular — rice cakes, seed mixes and fruity cereal bars.

Pizzas and bacon rolls are now only available at break to encourage students to try something different at lunchtime and this is also piquing students’ interest as they speculate on what will

be on the menu.

New catering manager Deb Hough said: ”It took the students a week or two to get used to the changes, but I feel they now look forward to finding out what is on sale, especially in the buttery each day, whether it be burritos, filled tacos, pasta dishes, ham and cheese strombolinis or falafel.”

As well as the home-cooked main menu, which changes daily, jacket potatoes, soup, the pasta and salad bars and a wide range of rolls, wraps and sandwiches are still available. White, brown and ciabatta rolls, with the option of butter or marmite, are also on sale.

There is also a selection of drinks to choose from and students have the option to fill their own water bottles without charge from the servery.

These changes are alongside the education students receive about the benefits of exercise and healthy eating within curriculum areas such as PE, Food and Nutrition and PSHE.

Jane Clarke, Head of PE, Associate Assistant Principal and Healthy Schools Co-ordinator, said: “We are continually reflecting and trying to do more to help ensure students are making healthy choices during the day. This will not only benefit their well-being but also their concentration and levels of fatigue.

“We would also encourage those who have packed lunches to consider our drive for healthier eating and try to leave out foods that are high in sugar or fat such as cake, chocolate, biscuits and crisps.”

Mrs Hough added “Changing to more healthy eating options has had no effect on the popularity of the catering facilities.” The catering team is not resting on its laurels, however, and Mrs Hough is always willing to listen to suggestions for healthy meals and snacks. She can be contacted on catering@combertonvc.org

. . . but are happy to eat cake for good cause

SWEET SORROW: A cake sale in memory of Felix Stigter.

Having returned from our summer holidays, we were all sad to find that one of our classmates, Felix Stigter, had passed away.

As a year group, we mourned his death and as Charity and Social Prefects we made it our duty to give thanks and celebrate his life at school.

We remember Felix as the kind and calm person he was. Our aim was to host a cake sale to raise money for the East Anglia Children’s Hospice, the charity that supported Felix, to buy a tree to plant in the school grounds as a lasting memorial as well as a bench in his memory.

To make the bake sale a success, we harnessed the support of all year groups in the school since we needed the help of many people to not only bring in cakes, but also buy them.

And what a success it was with many people, despite having mock exams, helping out by bringing lots of goodies to sell. We managed to raise more than £580. It wouldn’t have been possible without the contribution and support of everyone. Thank you so much.

Mirette Shaalan (11T)

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THE CAM ACADEMY TRUST NEWS

The irony of popularity POPULAR CHOICES: All the Trust’s secondary schools have seen an increase in student numbers this year.

Autumn 2018 has marked a remarkable phenomenon across the secondary schools in The Cam Academy Trust.

All four secondary schools have seen considerable growth in numbers in the main 11-16 pupil population and the Comberton Sixth Form has also witnessed significant growth in student numbers.

In total, we have more than 400 additional pupils in our secondary schools now than we did last school year.

There are two fundamental reasons behind this remarkable growth in numbers: l The growth in local population in some of the areas where our schools operate. This is most obvious in Cambourne, but it does apply to a lesser extent in other areas. l The increasing popularity of schools in our Trust.

Poised to move in

We are nearly there with the new school site for Gamlingay Village Primary, the first Primary School to join our Trust. It has been a long journey (in many ways dating back over decades) to get to the point where there is a Primary School serving the whole community of Gamlingay, feeding into a named Cambridgeshire Secondary School (Comberton Village College) and located in great and appropriate premises that are a real asset to the local community.

We hope and anticipate that January 2019 will mark the moment when all of these things become a full reality.

Work has been finished on the re-design of the Village College (middle school) site in Gamlingay with the result being a really good Primary School facility that can meet the needs of all.

We hope that everything will be moved across and be ready to operate at the beginning of the coming term.

This will be a great moment in the history of education in Gamlingay and can ensure a strong and sustainable schooling model into the future.

Very many thanks are due to those, both staff and members of the Local Governing Body, who have worked so hard over such a long period of time to make this moment possible.

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Greater numbers of pupils and families are making a choice to attend one of our schools. Wherever we sensibly can, we seek to accommodate that choice.

This is, of course, all extremely positive and reflects very well on the education provided in our schools and the perception of our local communities regarding this.

Very many thanks are due to all staff in all of our schools for making this possible and for seeking to make a reality of our mission to provide an excellent education for all pupils in all of our schools.

There is, however, an irony in our positive situation.

Funding for Academies works on the basis of socalled ‘lagged funding’.

This means that we are funded this year for the number of pupils on our books last year. In other words, we are currently educating more than 400

extra pupils this year in our secondary schools with no funding for them.

As you might guess, this is a challenge that we consider to be unreasonable given that we are serving our local communities’ needs by doing this and there are real costs associated with educating over 400 additional pupils.

The Trust is therefore in ongoing discussions with Government school funding agencies to seek to have our situation confirmed as highly exceptional and hope that we might receive some funding for the actual number of pupils in our schools.

In the meantime, we are delighted to have so many more pupils choosing to come to our schools and we continue to do our very best to provide the great education that we all want for everyone.

Stephen Munday, CEO

First year group set to use iPads Cambourne Village College is set to become the first school in The Trust to introduce iPads to a whole year group.

Following a very successful trial at the college last summer, parents were invited late last month to the college to hear the Trust’s longer-term plans for their use.

From May half-term 2019 it expected that students currently in Year 8 will take possession of the latest iPads, software and keyboards (with insurance) on a three-year lease, which will see them through to their GCSE exams.

Parents are being asked to make a voluntary donation of just under £10 per month. Students in receipt of Free School Meals will have this contribution covered by a bursary scheme, which may also be available to parents experiencing financial difficulties.

SUCCESSFUL TRIAL: Of iPads at Cambourne.

Sean Sumner, Cambourne’s Deputy Principal who is also responsible for the iPads project across the Trust, said: “More than 100 Year 7 students and 34 staff undertook a major investigation into the use of iPads in teaching and learning during the summer term.

“Staff and students undertook activities both at school and home and throughout the project we have been evaluating the use of iPads through lesson observations, interviews with staff and students, and student, staff and parent/carer surveys. Feedback from all those who have

been involved in the project has been overwhelmingly positive.

“Parents and carers reported that having and using a dedicated personalised iPad had positively changed their child’s attitude to school, increased engagement in lessons, raised attainment levels, improved organisation and improved attitude to homework.

“Students who were involved in the project and had been using a personalised iPad reported that they put more effort into lessons, that they were more organised for school and that using the iPad helped with their homework. Students also reported that they spent more time researching, preparing and practising for lessons and that lessons were more interesting and enjoyable.

“Staff involved in the project reported that using an iPad helped them share resources with students more easily, helped students collaborate more and develop creativity and independent thinking. Staff also felt that students were more engaged in lessons and that using a personalised iPad had the potential to raise attainment and progress.

“We believe that our vision of 1:1 deployment of iPads in our schools will enable us to work with parents and carers to fulfil our joint responsibility to all of our students to equip them with the skills necessary to succeed in the 21st century workplace, to be digitally literate, to be able to think and work independently, to be able to problemsolve and to collaborate with one another. We believe that a personalised iPad can play a crucial role in the classroom, transforming the learning opportunities available to our students.”

A group of Year 7 students and a group of staff at Comberton Village College trialled the use of iPads this term and from next term half of the Year 7 cohort and all staff at Melbourn Village College will begin a term of using the technology to enhance teaching and learning at their school. There are also plans to trial the use of iPads in the Trust’s primary schools in future.

For job vacancies across the Trust, visit the CAT website at www.catrust.co.uk

COMBERTON VILLAGE COLLEGE

Back in my day . . .

Head girl returns to discuss change through the years

One of Comberton’s first head girls came back to school this term to see — and talk about — the differences and similarities 58 years on.

Gender segregation we found unusual, especially in areas such as DT and FN. The girls were made to do needlework and what was then called ‘Domestic Science’, while the boys did woodwork and other manual jobs.

We then pushed this matter further: how else were the two genders separated? It Founded in 1960, Comberton Village College originated as a small village turned out that not only did the mandatory uniform differ, with the rather charming secondary school, then for those who had not passed the exams needed to get combination of ties, royal-blue V-neck sweaters and skirts for the ‘fairer sex’ and into the elite grammar schools and it consisted of about 240 pupils. Since then, it presumably trousers for boys. Girls were also given only three job options during has developed enormously, with more than 1500 students, expanding in both career guidance — hairdressing, nursing and secretarial. area and reputation with a sixth-form and many international links, excelling with During the 1960s, there was no mix of nationalities and cultures that characterise unprecedented success.

Comberton today; everyone was white, British and typically Christian.

It is now recognised as a Rights Respecting Schools (Silver Award) as well as a Despite the lack of extra-curricular clubs (most families did not own cars and key part of The Cam Academy Trust, formed in 2011. But just how different was pupils, much like today, took the bus), there were trips to European countries. the school for Jan Brown, one of the first senior prefects?

France was key and many of the students had pen-pals to strengthen their Our main question to Jan was the difference in subjects on offer. To our surprise, knowledge of the language and would visit them. Various tales of the rather there was not really much difference, except for the learning of French rather than unusual cuisine from the country in question ensued, especially about the the three languages learnt today. Lessons were the same length. Even so, there unsuspecting student thinking they were eating one item and actually consuming were some mixed aspects: on one hand, there was no homework (which should something disgustingly different. surely provoke envy) but on the other, the cane — or slipper — still existed (not However, not all the stories were full of fun and laughter. The school also so desirable), as did communal showers after PE. organised trips to West Germany and to Poland to see the newly-opened There were no proper tests, with assessed group projects rather than formal Auschwitz concentration camp. exams, and students were allowed to leave school at 15 rather than 18, if they so The school site was much smaller and less imposing. What is now the MFL wished. department, famed for its ‘ancient’ heating system and general sense of age, was actually the whole original building, with the Comberton Village Library being used as the school library and the grass in front of the school as a hockey field. The barn area was nonexistent, much like the rest of the school.

We also gathered some miscellaneous and rather inspiring information. The system of classifying students by age was not present, and although it was not exactly specified, the Year 7s would be class 1, and the last, oldest year would be class 5.

Within these classes, there would be about 28 students per what we now call forms. The forms would be organised by sets, so the ‘smartest’ students would be, for example, in class 3.1, and it would go down from there.

In each form, a student would be nominated for a prize for particularly good work, etc. The prize would be COMBERTON your choice of one of several books, REVISITED: Jan Brown and as Jan was in one of the top returns to her old school classes, she regularly received such to see what’s changed — rewards and she still has them all, and what hasn’t! perfectly preserved. One of them was a recipe book, and she carefully showed us the little sticker on the cover, with the school emblem, her name, her class and the distinction neatly written in the gaps. The books received later on would become more serious and more complex.

Overall, it was very interesting to compare past and present, seeing social dynamics change for the better — and in some cases for the worse.

Our interview with Jan provided an original and fascinating insight into an era that we usually only hear in lessdesired tales that start with ‘Back in my day...’ or read about in textbooks.

What an unusual afternoon to consider what Comberton once was almost 60 years ago!

Maria Shtyrova (9O) OLD SCHOOL TIES: Jan Brown was one of and Lucy Cotton (9C) Comberton’s first Head Girls.

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Fake News?

I don’t think so COMBERTON VILLAGE COLLEGE

Sue Williamson, a Trustee of The Cam Academy Trust, visits many schools in her role as Chief Executive of the SSAT, the Schools, Students and Teachers Network.

In this article, first published last month, she explores some of the increased challenges facing schools and the young people they serve in an era of reduced funding for schools and local authorities.

In the midst of all the news reports on Brexit and the madness of the Westminster bubble, the UN’s rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Philip Alston, reported that despite being the world’s fifth largest economy, the UK has levels of child poverty that are ‘not just a disgrace, but a social calamity and an economic disaster.’

Frighteningly, he highlighted predictions that child poverty could rise by 7% between 2015 and 2022.

Alston visited towns and cities across the UK and said that the problems were ‘obvious to anyone who opens their eyes to see the immense growth in food banks and the queues waiting outside them, the people sleeping rough in the streets, the growth of homelessness, the sense of deep despair that leads even the government to appoint a minister for suicide prevention.’

The government has said that it ‘completely disagreed’ with Alston’s analysis. I do not agree with them: Alston is making a valid point. How does this impact on schools?

When I visit schools and in my role as a trustee and governor, I hear and see much that schools are doing to help children in poverty.

Free breakfasts and lunches; provision of clothing; washing of clothing; payment for school trips and so much more. Schools are often the oasis in a disadvantaged young person’s life.

However, there is great frustration and anger that schools cannot do more. School budgets are very tight, and they have to provide services that were once supplied by the local authority. Last week we heard that the SEND budget in Cambridgeshire is being reduced again in 2019.

All young people benefit from having an adult that they can talk to — this may be a teacher or another member of staff. Many schools have had counsellors, but these posts are being cut because of financial constraints.

Other posts such as librarian, teaching assistant and assistant heads of year, are also being cut. As a result, there are fewer adults who can really get to know an individual child. There is nothing more important to a young person than an adult who knows their strengths, weaknesses, family situation, friendship groups,

worries, etc.

I stress again that there has to be at least one adult that a young person is able to talk to. If not face to face, then online.

Our work with white working-class boys revealed the extent that they would go to, to cover up the fact that they were sole carers for a parent.

We need to understand and know the responsibilities and demands this places on the young person who is living in poverty — a hungry child does not learn.

This work demands time and resources. More and more I hear that schools are using pupil premium funds to cover the salary bill.

As I have said, staff are being made redundant and those remaining given heavier teaching loads.

The government still says that schools are well funded.

We need to make a better case for further investment — what is the true cost of educating a young person?

Politicians of all parties are focused on Brexit, but we need them to come together to share the work on reviewing all public services, including the school system. Not a focus on structures, but on the experience of every young person.

I watched the TV programme ‘School’ with the opening shot of a hall full of examination desks and a programme that included the stress of examination pressure, as well as other mental health issues.

I remember a student at one of our National Conferences saying to delegates, “Are we simply data to you?” The answer must be a resounding NO. This is why at SSAT we urge schools to do what is right for their young people and not follow government ministers’ fads.

As a profession we need to be able to present a balanced and well-argued case for fair funding nationally. We need to listen and to do our own research with fresh eyes.

So rather than dismissing Alston’s analysis, the government needs to listen to and work with schools to ensure that all young people, wherever they live and whatever their ability, have an education that helps them take their next steps in life and work.

Comberton rank highly on new list

The Sunday Times produce an annual survey called ‘Parent Power’, which lists the region’s best schools (as measured by the percentage of grades 7/8/9 at GCSE and A*/A / B at A-Level).

The winner this year was The King’s School, Peterborough, which is a cathedral school with choristers — not a typical comprehensive school.

In the Sunday Times, the following was reported: “The school is the only non-grammar in the region to produce 70% A*, A or B grades at A-level, and backs this up with nearly 50% of all GCSEs at A*/A, or 9, 8 and 7 under the new numerical grading system.

“Just one other non-grammar (Comberton Village College, just to the west of Cambridge) clears 40%.”

The newspaper then went on to list the top 20 state secondary schools in East Anglia.

The first nine of these are selective schools, so one would expect the outcomes to be particularly high for those schools.

Comberton Village College was ranked at 11, demonstrating that a fully comprehensive school can produce outstandingly high results.

The progress measure for our Year 11 pupils was +0.78 this year, meaning on average each GCSE grade for all pupils was more than three-quarters of a grade higher than would normally be expected.

What the data does not show is the breadth and depth of experience that pupils and students at CVC and CSF get, which goes towards making them the wonderful young people that they are; the articles in this magazine do go some way to illustrating this though!

Peter Law, Head of School

Maths teacher tipped as future leader

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JAMES BAKER

James Baker, Comberton’s Head of KS5 maths, has gained a place on the prestigious Leadership Legacy Project, organised by the SSAT, the Schools, Students and Teachers network.

He will be part of an impressive group of future education leaders from across the country designated as SSAT Leadership Fellows.

Successful Leadership Fellows are all in their first two-four years of teaching and have been selected by their headteachers as already showing the potential to become outstanding school leaders.

Involvement in the programme demonstrates commitment by the colleges and SSAT to developing the next generation of system

leaders.

SSAT has been designing and delivering school leadership development programmes for 15 years and has over 14,000 alumni, among them are some of the country’s most prestigious education system leaders. SSAT is fully committed to supporting the development of the next generation of education system leaders and is investing in this prestigious project, which is free to participating schools. The opportunity will allow SSAT Leadership Fellows to engage with some of the best leaders nationally and internationally and to examine leadership in other sectors.

COMBERTON VILLAGE COLLEGE

SEAT OF GOVERNMENT: Comberton students at the Houses of Parliament to talk about creativitiy.

Encouraging creativity!

Last month the teenage #BeACreativeProducer team was invited to present their project at an All Party Parliamentary Meeting for Art, Design and Craft Education at the Houses of Parliament.

The #BeACreativeProducer team is a group of five Year 9 pupils (Rowan Briggs Smith, Amelia Baker, Alex Tunstall, Lluis Borrell and Imogen Ransome) who are working on a series of animations to encourage teenage creativity.

The project, led by Paula Briggs from AccessArt, started in June and the group has been meeting each week after school and at the weekend since then.

Each member of the team has brought their different creative skills, in the physical or digital world (eg visual arts, dance, playing and composing music, drama, woodwork) and worked collaboratively to create a series of animations using lots of different animation techniques, to promote the importance of teenagers investing their time and energy in their creativity.

We were invited to present our project in the Houses of Parliament, to an audience of politicians, teachers, lecturers and directors of arts organisations. The project was used as an example of how teenagers can develop their creativity in their own time, in ways they might not feel able to do at school, by working collaboratively and creating something which could inspire other teenagers.

Alex said: “We noticed amongst our classmates that some people were pursuing

their interests and hobbies, whilst others were dropping them as they weren’t seen as cool.

“Instead they were spending more time on their phone. The project started as a message to help teenagers become aware of how much time they are spending consuming digital, and to remind them that they can be producers, as well as consumers.

“We’re definitely NOT saying that digital is a bad thing — the project wouldn’t exist without digital, but we are trying to remind teenagers to consume it mindfully, and to balance it with the physical world.”

Amelia added: “But the project quickly developed into much more than that, and the animations we are making now are about helping teenagers think about how important their creativity is, both to them and to the world, and how they can become more creative.”

After our presentation we took questions from the floor. You can see photos and a transcript from the day at https://www.accessart.org.uk/houses-of-parliament/ The finished animations will be launched at a celebratory launch party at Cambridge Junction on the 28th February 2019. If you would like a ticket please get in touch with one of the team members.

Instagram = @Accessartorguk #BeACreativeProducer, www.accessart.org.uk/be-a-creative-producer

Five students were given the opportunity to spend the day at Newnham College taking part in a range of workshops focussed on the legacy of Millicent Fawcett and the significance of the female suffrage movement in the 19th and 20th centuries.

In a multi-disciplinary exploration of suffrage, students worked with University lectures, PhD students and current undergraduates in a number of academic and skills-focused seminars.

The five, Izzy Roberts, Ciara McGrath, Amina Abdel, Luke Thompson and Kate Walsh spent time thinking and discussing the actions of Millicent Fawcett and how her courage and perseverance contributed towards the Representation of the People Act passed in 1918.

They also considered the wider impact this movement had on other countries, especially those within the British Empire at the time.

In another workshop, students focused on the banners that were created for the Suffragist marches and how colours, images and symbols can be representative of political protest. Students then spent time in the Newnham

College library, where they explored some hand-written letters kept in the college archive, and explored both the advantages and challenges of using primary sources, for an historian.

Lastly, they discussed what is really meant by democracy and thought about how protest movements form an important part of having your voice heard.

Throughout the day, students took on board a huge range of information and they were challenged to think outside of their comfort zone.

The five students are now taking part in their own individual research project on one part of the day that was particularly fascinating for them.

They will conduct their own research and be supported by the professors and PhD students to create a piece of work which will then be entered into a competition, with the winning projects being exhibited at the college.

The students were superb representatives of Comberton and it was fantastic to see them taking on challenges and pushing their academic ability so willingly.

Jessica Quick and Marielle Burgess

Students explore a key legacy

STUDYING MILLICENT FAWCETT: Comberton students worked with lecturers and current students at Newnham College.

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COMBERTON VILLAGE COLLEGE

Walk for the World is really changing lives STEADY STREAM: Students make their way along the footpath between Toft church and Comberton church.

Comberton’s annual Walk for the World may seem like a pleasant way to spend an afternoon strolling in the sunshine instead of sitting in a classroom.

But the funds it raises through the generous support of parents and friends is offering exceptional opportunities and experiences to children across the globe.

The walk supports Comberton’s long-standing partner schools in Africa and Peru as they strive to offer educational opportunities and pastoral care to young people in challenging circumstances.

Comberton’s partnership with Edendale School in Pretoria, South Africa, was established more than 20 years ago and money from this year’s walk will fund specific work with the orphanage there. Last year’s walk funded two of the orphanage students to visit

England and they also participated in the 2018 walk during their week at the college.

Together with Hennie and Belinda Beukes, project leaders for Makhulong Child and Youth Care Centre, which works with Edendale, the students, Tumelo Diale, 13, and Dipuo Seleke, 18, had the trip of a lifetime.

On these pages they explain what a difference such an unforgettable experience has made to all their lives.

They experienced either Year 9 lessons or at Comberton Sixth Form and were shown round Cambridge and London as well as staying with host families and being taken out by them.

Virtually the whole school was involved in the annual four-mile walk, which took place in September and aimed to raise £5000 through donations to help young people in challenging circumstances.

Those in Years 7-11’s contributions also allowed them to enjoy a non-uniform day during lessons in the morning, followed by an early lunch before they set off in tutor groups on a circular loop to Toft, along the footpath which crosses the Cambridge Meridian Golf Course and farmers’ fields to Comberton and back to school.

The partnership with Lord Byron School, in Arequipa, Peru, is 10 years old and has been expanded to work with three orphanages which they support.

Funds allocated there from the walk will enable a number of older children to continue longer in education. l On the same day staff and students from The Centre at Comberton held a giant break-time cake sale in lieu of a MacMillan Coffee Morning and raised £455 for the cancer support charity.

Heartfelt thanks for the trip

NEW EXPERIENCES: Tumelo cooks at Comberton and (right) tours Cambridge.

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“I don't have many words on how to thank EVERYBODY who made this trip possible. I took a look around Cambridge and the stores. Right now I feel like Cambridge is where I am meant to be. The history of both London and Cambridge are very interesting.

“I would also like to thank Alison (Shorten) and Comberton Village College for this amazing trip and opportunity.

“I even had the opportunity to take part in the Walk for the World and it really meant a lot to me.

“I would like to thank Mr Dean and his family for opening their arms so that I could live with them and be part of their family.

My room was beautiful. I wish they could have made a plan to stay for two weeks.”

Tumelo Diale

‘The best week of my life!’

“Two months prior to the visit I actually couldn’t believe I was going to the UK. Application for the passport and visa took a bit of a hassle, but we did it.

Still I was nervous about the whole visit. First I'd never been on a plane before and second, I’d be living with strangers! Are they nice? Oh my goodness, am I going to cope?! Will I be homesick? Will I like their food? I just went through a whole month asking myself those type of questions.

Then came the actual day of the trip. I just couldn't stop pinching myself just to check if this was real and I wasn't dreaming. You'd swear I was a sixyear-old the way I couldn't stop jumping and running about.

God then decided to send Angels my way. Alex Booth (Year 13 host) and Ann Booth (Alex’s mum).

They went out of their way to make sure I had a fabulous week in the UK. I can assure you that it was the best week of my life! Endless chocolate, bowling, movies, restaurants, food glorious food, netball, Southwold, Walk for the World — both Alex and I were marshals, which was fun and tiring — not to forget the educational stuff like the classes (politics,

COMBERTON VILLAGE COLLEGE

English and Spanish) which I found interesting. I love how everything is done, like the length of the periods and number of learners in a class.

“I loved the tour around Cambridge and London. I got to learn a lot! The history is just amazing. The buildings are beautiful. Punting was great, although it was a bit cold, and I also loved the Fitzwilliam Museum.

“Everyone I met from Comberton is just warm and polite. Everyone is filled with love and that for me is the best. That made my visit 10 times better.

“I felt free and welcomed. I'd like to thank everyone who made it possible for me to visit. You know who you are. It was such a privilege and great opportunity.

“Just being exposed to a different environment and great people was just amazing. May God keep blessing you. Know that nothing was ever taken for granted. I appreciate everything even though it might seem minor in your eyes. Keep on being the amazing people that you are, because I can assure you that you're changing lives!”

Dipuo Seleke

OUT AND ABOUT: Walk for the World in Comberton, the Cutty Sark in London, punting on the Cam and a well-earned coffee break.

‘Our students didn’t want to leave!’

Getting passports and visa applications was a long and complicated process with the social worker and the Department of Social Development.

To be honest, there were times that we thought this trip might never happen. Eventually it came together, and we had all the necessary travelling documents.

Once we arrived, we met new people every day, and had supper with someone else every night. Every day was a different experience, which we will never forget. We had so much fun. The people are really generous, everyone who we met was so polite. Thank you sounds and feels so little to say, but we really appreciated everything. We were excited every morning to see what that day would bring.

Thank you again to everyone who made us feel so special and welcomed.

“We also thought it was amazing to be shown round the school by two tour leaders and see the school through the eyes of a student rather than a teacher. We could see that the learning skills and quality is of very high standards.

Your passion for your school really stood out. I really think that was something that really caught our attention is how well the students presented the college more than the words they have spoken, just through their behaviour we could see how much respect they have for the school.

“This trip was really amazing to all of us. The children enjoyed it so much, they really did not want to return to South Africa. They enjoyed the classes

and being able to wander around during the day gave them freedom that they are not used to.

A BIG thank you to the host families who made this possible for them to feel what a family home is like, the love they felt and to be spoilt, surely contributed in so many positive ways. They will remember this for the rest of their lives.

Lastly we want to thank everyone at Comberton Village College for this opportunity. Being able to take part in the ‘Walk for the World’ fund-raiser event was such a privilege. To be part of something that makes a difference in the world was such an honour! This is one walk we will always remember as we know this walk made it possible for two children from a South African orphanage to have an opportunity and experience of a lifetime.

This trip really made them feel special and they will never forget it. And for us it was such a blessing to be part of this, to experience CVC and even attending some classes was truly inspiring.

“It really is a beautiful school and we are so proud to know that we are in partnership with you. Thank you once again for everything!”

Hennie and Belinda Beukes

9

Countdown to new trip COMBERTON VILLAGE COLLEGE

Preparations are well under way for the inaugural visit of Chinese students from our new partner secondary school, the High School Affiliated to BIT (Beijing Institute of Technology), in the Haidian district of Beijing.

We were delighted by the response to this new exchange, which is being run jointly with Melbourn Village College.

A total of 31 students in Years 8 and 9 — 19 from Comberton and 12 from Melbourn — are set to host their Chinese partners for a week in early February, before making the return visit in April.

Whilst here, our Chinese visitors will brave the winter weather to engage in a range of local visits (yes, even punting!) and will also spend plenty of time in college, experiencing lessons and our typical routines.

We know that they are preparing assemblies to share something of their school and country with all pupils, too. There will also be a Saturday trip to Oxford with their English partners, a special request they made for their visit here.

Melbourn students are already learning Mandarin as part of their curriculum and will get the chance to try out their language in real-life situations.

Mandarin teacher Frank Fan will be one of the staff travelling with the students when they head for China next year.

The Comberton students involved will have the chance to learn a little of the language in the New Year, by participating in a 12-week introduction to Chinese, an after-school programme designed especially for the exchange.

As with all of our exchanges, we know that the new China exchange will be a huge adventure and a wonderful experience for students who have an interest in China, Chinese culture and Chinese language.

We are looking forward to welcoming our Chinese visitors to Comberton and Melbourn, and we hope that this exchange will become an established part of our international education.

Rachel Hawkes, Director of International Education and Research, The Cam Academy Trust

‘Waterloo’ in German is a winner!

HEADING FOR CHINA: The Comberton students who will be

TEA TIME: A tea-making ceremony at the BIT High School in

A group of Year 7s enjoyed their personal non-uniform day earlier this term.

That was their reward for winning the annual Year 7 Foreign Language singing competition, which this year included more than only Spanish for the first time.

Most Year 7 students are now studying French or German in their first year at Comberton, alongside Spanish, so it was decided that ‘Spanglovision’ would be renamed ‘Eurovision’ and that all three languages would be included at the International Talent Evening.

It was fitting that one of the newcomers — German — won, as 10 sets battled it out in front of judges Zach Beamish, the Head of Year 7, his deputy Donna Jones and Head of Languages Roisin Cox as the students performed in separate halfyear shows to an audience of family and friends. A number of students also gave readings or recited poetry in their native languages.

Mrs Gass’ Leipzig group were declared winners for their rendition of ‘Waterloo’ as all the groups tackled songs by Abba.

But they had to wait to learn of their success, the results being announced in assembly at the end of the week of the event.

As well as a new, specially-commissioned trophy, they had a non-uniform day on November 2nd.

Mr Beamish said: “Gracias por la música, Merci pour la musique und Danke für die Musik. I was blown away by the talent shown by the year group.

“They had clearly practised for hours in preparation for the evening. The evening thoroughly enjoyable — especially when one group re-enacted the battle of Waterloo.

“I was also really impressed with confidence shown by some students. It was also a privilege to witness the enthusiasm and commitment of the language teachers coaching their respective classes.”

The other songs in German were SOS by ‘Stuttgart’ and ‘Ring Ring’ by Munich while, in French, Limoges performed ‘Super Trouper’, Marseille gave their take on ‘Waterloo’ and Strasbourg tackled ‘I Have a Dream’.

Both Barcelona and Gijón — in separate halves of the year — performed ‘Dancing Queen’ in Spanish, while Bilbao gave a rendition of ‘Mama Mia’ and Granada also sang ‘Ring Ring’.

Rachel Hawkes, The Cam Academy Trust’s Director of International Education and a teacher at Comberton, said: “Music and the act of singing fix language in our long-term memory, and work to help us recall and produce it more easily, too.

“Singing with others in this way is also a quintessential, non-competitive, allinclusive (not to mention fun!) learning activity.

“That was the essential idea behind the International Talent Evening, more than a decade ago. It's an idea that has since been taken up by schools right across the country, which we're really pleased about, as it's one of the best events we do in the languages department."

the first to visit China as part of the new exchange.

IN FULL VOICE: Members of the Leipzig group belt out their song in German.

10

Beijing.

COMBERTON VILLAGE COLLEGE

Ten years of sharing!

WORK AND PLAY: Comberton students deliver a lesson to Peruvian students (left) and (right) enjoy playtime with some of the youngsters in the orphanages.

Our Peru partnership celebrated its 10th anniversary earlier this year as the fifth group of students travelled to Colegio Lord Bryon in Arequipa for our bi-annual exchange.

An amazing programme was organised for us, including local visits to the San Camilo market, the Santa Catalina monastery, el Mundo Alpaca, and the Ruta Sillar. While in the school, students taught English, had lessons in Peruvian history, music and dance, and even got to watch the all-important World Cup games.

We also spent valuable time in our three partner orphanages where we always do a mixture of work and play.

This is always a great experience for our students and a really worthwhile experience for anyone hoping to do international volunteering work on a gap year.

This year, much to the excitement of the children there, we were able to take football kits, generously donated by Cambridge United and Caldecote football clubs.

One of the outstanding features of our time in Peru was a seven-day visit, during the final week, to Puno, Lake Titicaca and the floating islands, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu.

We are now preparing to welcome our Peruvian exchange here next month. Although it is a less than ideal time to visit England, January coincides with their longest school holiday, and is the only time of the year that they are able to travel. So we will help

them make the most of it, lending them plenty of warm clothes so that they can enjoy punting as well as sightseeing in Cambridge, Ely and London.

The students will be bringing their music, language and culture with them to share with us. They will give assemblies, go into lessons, do some teaching, and give a very special evening of food and entertainment for the host families, the Noche Peruana (Peruvian Night).

We have also planned three full day visits to local primary schools — Cambourne and Hardwick and Gamlingay Primary — where students will share letters, songs and collections of typical Peruvian artefacts prepared by Lord Byron’s primary classes.

Rachel Hawkes, Director of International Education and Research

ALL KITTED OUT: A new team strip for one of the orphanage

WARM WELCOME: For Comberton students on arrival in

Year 9 Language Leaders participated in a training day at Murray Edwards College, Cambridge, alongside students from other schools which run the scheme.

We looked at why languages are so important, discussed presentation skills and took part in numerous teamwork challenges that really made us think about coordination and communication; two key teaching skills.

We had a campus tour and there were many opportunities to develop leadership and teamwork skills. At the end we were all rewarded with bookmarks, posters, certificates, log books and a bag.

We really enjoyed the campus tour of the college because it gave us an insight to what we might expect after we leave school. The tour was given by someone from Murray Edwards, which was useful as she provided us with information specific to the college and was able to show us her favourite places within the building.

We saw where the students study, where they had meals, the Bar and Library. We also learnt that Murray Edwards is the only college with a Dome.

We also participated in lots of fun activities, such as code breaking and a human knot, with people from other schools, which required us to work as a

team with other schools to solve problems. We also took part in a personality test which was fun and told us what type of leader we were.

The Language Leaders fully enjoyed their training day and are ready to get stuck into the teaching at primary schools.

Year 9 Language Leaders

Language leaders ready for action

football teams.

Arequipa, Peru.

CRITICAL TIMING: Students participate in an activity about the importance of timing in teaching.

11

Working the COMBERTON VILLAGE COLLEGE

Spanish way

Comberton has been offering Year 10 GCSE Spanish students the chance to do a week of their work experience in Spain for the last six years.

A number of schools offer their students the opportunity to do work experience abroad, but this is almost exclusively in the Sixth Form so we are delighted to be able to offer this to Year 10.

We offer a range of placements in which the aim is to speak and hear as much Spanish as possible, whilse also developing useful skills for the world of work.

Students work ‘Spanish-style’, which means an early start and a long morning at work, finishing at around 1:30 or 2:00pm for a big lunch, and then the afternoons are filled with various cultural activities, a Spanish lesson and an opportunity to meet and chat to young Spanish people from a local language school.

Each student also works towards completing a final challenge at the end of the week: a presentation, a guided tour, the serving of a meal or, in the case of the radio station, interviewing the other members of the group (and the teachers) live on air on the local radio!

This is a really valuable trip for those who are keen to improve their knowledge of both Spanish language and culture, and who are also brave enough to put themselves in a position where they not only have to work with people that they have never met before, but also have to speak to them and get the job done in another language!

All our students did a brilliant job and it was an enormous pleasure and privilege to see them grow in confidence as the week went on.

The trip has now been introduced in both Cambourne and Melbourn Village Colleges as well, and we look forward to taking more intrepid language students to work in Cantabria in the years to come.

Gill Heathcote, Head of KS4 & KS5 Spanish

A group of around twenty of us from the current Year 11 spent a week in and around Comillas in July 2018 undertaking a fun week of work experience.

There was a huge range of work placements, including cafés, pharmacies, Gaudi’s El Capricho, a radio station, a hotel, a language school, a tourist office and shops in the town centre.

I was partnered with Beth Martin at Café Vinilo in Cabezón de la Sal, a small town a short drive from where we were staying. It is the place where most of the locals work in the nearby tourist resort of Comillas.

We all worked morning shifts in our various locations and then met up mid-afternoon to enjoy a typical relaxed Spanish lunch, where we enjoyed some traditional Spanish dishes including paella and ensaladilla rusa.

In the afternoons we enjoyed various activities — the highlight was spending time on the beach and in the sea at Comillas, but we also had a Spanish lesson one afternoon, visited a local market, went shopping, mixed with a group of Spanish teenagers and toured

SPANISHSTYLE WORK EXPERIENCE: A week in Cantabria gave Year 10 GCSE students the chance to practise the language.

Gaudí’s house in in Comillas.

All of this was organised for us by the fantastic ‘Tío José’, in conjunction with Mrs Heathcote and Miss McClelland.

At the café, the staff were really friendly and we soon recognised the regulars who came in every day.

We started with a few basic tasks like loading the dishwasher, before learning how to use the coffee machine and we built up to taking orders from clients, through which we learnt lots of colloquial Spanish. I managed only to drop one glass and a coffee during the week (fortunately they didn’t land on anyone).

We all stayed at the Abba Comillas Golf Hotel, which was wonderful — right next to the beach with its own swimming pool and great breakfasts.

We did our bit to support the English football team in their World Cup semi-final match, following it on the big screen in the hotel lounge one evening, until a huge storm hit and TV coverage ceased!

It was a great week and in some ways it felt a bit like a holiday!

Olivia Ransome (11R)

Teams put up a valiant book battle

This is the fifth year of Comberton Village College hosting the Regional Finals of the Kids’ Literature Quiz, an international reading quiz that travels across the world over the course of several months and which will end in a world final in Singapore next summer.

Last month we were joined by schools from across the region, from our near neighbours at Swavesey Village College to schools as far away as Oundle and Aylesbury.

Our two Comberton teams excelled this year. ‘The CVC InQUIZition’ (comprising Emily Miller, Elizabeth Wilkinson and Luca Ercole, from Year 7, and Andrew Gregory, from Year 8) came third.

This was an achievement made even more impressive when you consider that they were only one point behind the two teams tied for first place, ‘The Swavesey Cygnets’ and our own other team, ‘You’re a Quizard, Harry’ (comprising Evie Crossley, Charlotte Birch and Fergus Cook from Year 8 and Sophie Wallis from Year 7)!

In the end, it took a tiebreak to decide which team would progress to the UK final to be held in London in December, and, by a hair’s breadth, The Cygnets won the day.

Nonetheless, our teams should be very proud of themselves and their achievements of coming in second and third from a field of 22 very strong teams.

A special mention must go to our excellent librarians, Mrs Hack and Mrs Peck, who not only raise the profile of reading in school, which makes success like this possible, but who organised this mammoth event and made it a fun-filled afternoon.

12

PIPPED: Comberton’s teams who were pushed into second and third place by Swavesey.

Maths on the run . . .

COMBERTON VILLAGE COLLEGE

Twelve students from Comberton took part in a regional Maths competition, which took place in the gardens of St John’s College over October half term.

We had a wonderful day filled with fun and exciting maths.

Mrs. Heydinger and Mrs Doza went along to the college with us and, to our surprise, they also took part in the competition, answering harder questions for adults.

The rules of the games were complicated and before the games commenced we all had to do warm-up and practice one question. Have you ever seen more than 100 mathematicians running around a large lawn? Well…

The games stations were spread out across the whole of the college grounds so there was a lot of running involved. Every question we answered, depending on whether we got it right or wrong, sent us to a different station. When we answered correctly, we moved to a station that got us a step closer to finishing, but when we got it wrong, we were sent to another station that would put us on the wrong trail until we eventually went back to the question that we got wrong again.

Comberton teams did very well and kept getting new questions, which meant we were on the right track. The questions ranged from very difficult, to extremely simple so some took us 30 seconds and others 20 minutes.

The Year 9 boys’ team made it all the way to the final question when they had a lunch break and disappointingly, did not have time to finish the final question.

Despite that, we (Raphael, Tom Deane and Dario Garcia) came second in the competition, which made us very proud.

The weather was lovely and the sun was shining throughout the competition. We had a brilliant and enjoyable experience solving Mathematical problems in one of

Cambridge finest university grounds.

We can’t wait to go again!

Raphael Doza (9M) The other Comberton teams comprised Louisa Grouch, Eleanor Shellard and Amy Woodall (Year 9 girls), Luc Sauvage, Reuben Ormesher and Jeremy Brown (Year 8 boys), Kai Sun, Ben Lione and William Woodard (Year 10 boys) with all of them finishing in the top five.

PROBLEM-SOLVING: The Year 9 girls team at work in the sunshine.

Daily clubs

GAME OVER: Comberton’s second-placed boys’ teams at the end of the complicated maths-based Game of Dragons.

add up to fun

Four new KS3 lunch time clubs have been launched this term, led by the Year 10 Maths leaders and Mrs Doza.

On Monday attendees use Maths to recycle and have been using old CDs to create a lovely display of triangular numbers.

Our next project will be to recycle unwanted metal bin lids, and we are looking into creating Eco bricks from plastic bottles after that.

In Tuesday’s Maths Craft Club the participants are looking to create giant mystic roses and optical illusions using colourful yarn, nails and 120Cmx120cm boards Games Club takes place on Wednesday where students have been playing fun probability games in which they learn about risk-taking and how it affects their decisions.

Thursday’s club looks at the kind of problems that are set in the UKMT maths challenge papers ahead of students taking up that challenge later in the year.

The London Royal Society of Mathematics and Sciences has offered the school to apply for a grant to support these clubs and we are currently looking for a STEM partner from Cambridge University to help with building a sculpture trail from recycled material in school. If you can help us with finding a STEM partner please e-mail Mrs Doza (adoza@combertonvc.org). All clubs run in CPR4 12:40- 1:00 so do come along and enjoy the Maths!

TRIANGULAR NUMBERS: One of the Maths Club activities.

CRAFTY MATHS: Members of the Tuesday club at work.

13

Quartet rise to challenge COMBERTON VILLAGE COLLEGE

Four Comberton students gave up part of their holiday to take part in the 2018 Future Engineer Youth STEM Maker UK challenge.

It began with a nine-hour training course which involved coding sensors for smart home/smart city in preparation for the challenge on the Saturday.

When it came to competition day everything was very intense. There were many guest speakers including Xiaopeng Hu (the first secretary, education section, Embassy of the People’s Republic of China) and the Mayor of Cambridge, Cllr Nigel Gawthrope.

It started with meeting some of these guest speakers before we were invited into a separate room where each team had a designated working area. We had two hours to create a smart home/smart city model and code all the sensors represented in our smart home models.

Once the competition had ended the teams were called in to talk about their model and then get marked based on the quality of their coding and ideas.

The next competition took place after an authentic Chinese lunch, where both the Chinese and British students could talk with one another.

This was a science fair and we decided to create a

poster highlighting the issues of climate change and how to limit their impact. Once the judges called us in, we were asked to talk about our poster for a total of five minutes. In this time we were also marked on teamwork as well as our ideas. It was also interesting to see how different science fairs are here to in China.

The last competition of the day was a mix of science and drama. Each country nominated a few teams to participate in this event. The concept for each piece had to do with life in 2038 and involved AI technology, Virtual Reality, a Health section and a section on Data Security.

Once all the competitions had ended there was a traditional Chinese dance performed by the students before the awards ceremony.

It was a huge surprise to hear that our team had come second in the ‘Internet of things creative design race’, but it was even more of a surprise when our team also received medals in the ‘Science Fair’ as well as the ‘Science Drama’ competitions.

We finished in second place in the ‘Science Fair’ and won the ‘Science Drama’.

Overall, I think all team members had a terrific time and we were shocked — and delighted — with the results.

Lucy Smith (11R), Emily Smith (10N), PRIZE-WINNERS: The Comberton team Alex Warburton (9N) and Andrew Smith (8V) were among those to win awards.

Following a river from source to sea . . .

In September the Year 11 geography students set off on their fieldwork trip to Sheringham. This trip involved collecting numerous sets of data including an environmental quality assessment completed on the beach and

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a questionnaire which allowed us to get to know the residents of Sheringham town a little more and grasp their opinion on the level of tourism in their local area.

After visiting the town, we then found out a little more about the physical geography of Sheringham by venturing deep into the River Glaven, which started as less than a trickle but as we progressed from source to sea the river slowly got deeper and deeper until waders became essential.

My most memorable part of the trip was the River Glaven just because the river itself was amazing and as we travelled from the different sites on the river, we got to see more of the hidden parts of Sheringham, for example secret fishing ponds. Although after visiting one of the sites and forgetting to wear waders my group and I, as well as the equipment, became covered in weeds!

Overall the trip was truly unforgettable, and I have learnt so much that will help massively with future exams.

Lucy Smith (11R)

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WATER WORK: Students collect data from the River Glaven.

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14

Rising numbers tell a positive story

SIXTH FORM

After another busy summer of recruitment into Year 12, Sixth Form numbers are now approaching 500 in total, spread across the two year groups.

Our latest intake has been drawn from more than 20 schools, perhaps attracted by our vibrant and caring environment, where encouragement and support are readily available.

We continue to invest in our facilities and teaching environment to enable us to successfully manage this growth.

Comberton’s class of 2018 secured superb examination results with an overall pass rate of 100 per cent across all subjects at A-level and BTEC Level 3, including an impressive 36 per cent of grades at A*-A or equivalent and 87 per cent at A*-C grade or equivalent.

Unsurprisingly, the next step for many of this cohort has been university, with more than a third of students securing places at prestigious Russell Group institutions, including Oxbridge, and others accepting places on very competitive degree courses elsewhere, school leaver programmes and apprenticeships, as well as a considerable number currently enjoying gap years.

While our new Year 12 intake are focused on settling in and making progress with

their academic studies, our Year 13 students are busy making their applications for their future courses and activities beyond Comberton.

We have also had some notable success in our enrichment activities, ranging from winning the Sixth Form version of University Challenge to great success in the inter-sixth form sports competitions to date.

We have also celebrated great individual success with some of our students gaining prestigious scholarships (the Arkwright Scholarship for example) or selection to national sporting teams.

Our Open Evening on the 1st November was once again bustling with Year 11 students from Cambridge Area Partnership Schools and beyond.

Notably, several Year 10 students, parents and carers also came to visit which shows the increasing shift in decision-making earlier into KS4. We very much look forward to receiving applications in January after the final UCAS Progress deadline.

Year 12 students are less likely to look forward to January and their mock exam period, but, of course, examination experience is of vital importance!

David Clarke, Head of Sixth Form

Top of the class!

Comberton wins University Challenge for sixth forms

Students from Comberton Sixth Form won a national quiz competition in a thrilling double tie breaker.

The quartet of Year 13 students put their knowledge to the test to see off some of the country’s top young minds and win the University of Lincoln’s University Challenge, pipping Carre’s Grammar School, Sleaford, after two tie break questions.

More than 30 teams from across England competed in the regional heats earlier in the year in an attempt to secure a place in the grand final, which took place at the Lincoln Performing Arts Centre on the University’s main campus.

The final of the competition saw 11 teams of Year 13 students working their way through 15 rounds of multiple choice questions designed to test both their academic and general knowledge, with questions like ‘how many MPs are elected to the House of Commons?’, ‘the Peleponnesian war was a conflict between which two groups of city states?’ and ‘what effect does stress have on the pre-frontal cortex?’.

The final culminated in an unprecedented double tie breaker as Comberton Sixth Form and Carre’s both scored 255 points out of a possible 400. They then went head-to-head on questions about the history of Lincoln’s iconic cathedral and the height of the Eiffel Tower in metres to clinch the title.

As well as claiming the £1,000 team prize for Comberton, each of the winning team members — Joe Cary, Maddie Shohet, Sarah Kilby and Imogen Lewis — also won £50 each in Amazon vouchers

and an official University of Lincoln hoodie.

Maddie said: “It’s been a good confidence booster and has really fired our curiosity. It was a fun competition and to win is the cherry on the cake.”

Stephen Leggott, Deputy Head of CSF and, coincidentally, an alumnus of the runners-up, added: “I’m so pleased for the team. They’ve enjoyed every minute of the experience and to emerge as winners is a fantastic achievement. It’s been a real pleasure to work with them.”

The quiz competition, which is now in its fifth year, is rolled out to schools and colleges across the country by the University’s Education Liaison team.

Emma Jubbs, Assistant Director for Recruitment at

the University of Lincoln, said: “Lincoln’s University

challenge is a fantastic opportunity to bring together

schools from all over the country, giving students a

taste of university life on campus while putting their

knowledge to the test.

“This year’s final was unique in that we had not one,

but two tie breakers which just goes to show not only

the impressive level of general knowledge shown by all of the teams but how close the final scores were.

Comberton Sixth Form gave an outstanding

performance and are very deserving winners.”

Student wins sought-after scholarship

AWARD WINNER: Albert Borrell collects his Arkwright Scholarship.

Sixth former Albert Borrell has been awarded a prestigious Arkwright Scholarship to help fund his studies at Comberton.

After a very competitive application and selection process which sees only around 400 students nationally gaining an award, Albert has been sponsored by TWI, the Welding Institute based in South Cambridgeshire.

The Arkwright Scholarship is a sought-after award that identifies, inspires and nurtures future leaders in Engineering, Computing and Technical Design. The Scholarships are awarded to high-calibre students displaying outstanding talent in this field.

As well as the financial assistance towards

PRESSURE’S OFF: The Comberton team can relax at the end of the quiz.

study, attendance at technical courses and summer schools, winners are given a tutor in the engineering industry.

Albert received his Scholarship at a ceremony attended by parents, the scholar’s sponsor organisation and VIPs from industry and academia.

He said: “I am delighted to have been awarded an Arkwright Scholarship programme and be sponsored by TWI, which seems more than interesting.”

David Clarke, Head of Comberton Sixth Form, said: “A huge well done on your achievement Albert, and best of luck with your on-going Scholarship.”

15

Inspired in so many ways SIXTH FORM

A group of Comberton Sixth Form students studying History and Politics were participants in an incredible workshop offered by Newnham College called ‘Deeds, not words’.

This workshop aimed to increase our passion for history and celebrate 100 years of women having the vote. Through this workshop, we were able to experience the atmosphere of Cambridge University and absorb the beauty that is Newnham College. The site was truly astonishing — not only because of its rich heritage, but also because of how exquisite the grounds are.

During this opportunity, we participated in sessions from Geography to Modern Languages; History to Politics. All the sessions were filled to the brim with information and, most importantly, a new perspective on the concept ‘Deeds, not words’.

In History, the importance of the actions of Millicent Fawcett in earning the privilege of the vote for women was explored. We worked with some History PhD students who encouraged us to look beyond the obvious information in a source that we were given, to reveal so much more than what we originally saw.

Following this fascinating exploration of Millicent

Charity’s

Fawcett, we were plunged into the world of Linguistics.

In this session, we focused on the importance of words and how to properly construct an argument from article sources.

Another important session of the day was Geography which widened our knowledge of the urbanisation of Britain through progressive, creative tasks.

Finally, we had the honour of meeting people who work for the podcast ‘Talking Politics’ and they helped us to create our own podcast — learning to voice our opinions as the young people of the upcoming generation and spread crucial issues within our society to cause awareness. In our podcast, we worked to produce a podcast surrounding the awareness and importance of the #MeToo movement.

PODCASTING: Students have a go However, this remarkable opportunity does not stop during the workshop. there. This workshop provided us with the base to create research projects to further our knowledge and work towards a competition run by the organisers at Newnham College.

Similarly, the inspiration of the work of the ‘Talking Politics’ podcast has inspired a group of us to work towards producing our own Sixth Form podcast which aims to talk about issues in the lives of young people.

We hope you decide to tune in!

Rebekah Timms (L6-EH)

supported

Last month, the Sixth Form once again followed the tradition of wearing pyjamas and onesies to do something silly for charity.

Donations for Children in Need reached £190 which is a fantastic contribution to a good cause.

At the same time Year 7-11 students raised a further £657 from their ‘tops and tails’ day, where participants wore their choice of footwear and headgear.

The Sixth Form also supported the Unicef Shoe Share appeal (see Page 3) and two local projects, which include the Jimmy’s Night Shelter charity and an appeal launched by Ruby Barnard, one of our Student Presidents, to give all children in Addenbrooke’s Hospital a bear IN THE FIELD: Data collection under way at for Christmas. She and friend delivered them Malham. this week (see Page 18).

New challenge for trailblazer

Comberton Sixth Form’s first Oxbridge student is now on the next stage of her career path.

Amy Bland, from the class of 2015, this summer graduated from Selwyn College, Cambridge, with a degree in Theology and Religious Studies.

She is currently working in a church in Blackpool as part of the Blackpool Ministry Experience and in September starts training to be ordained as a priest.

Amy remains grateful to Comberton Sixth Form and emailed Deputy Head of Sixth Form Hannah Powell, who was instrumental in helping with the Oxbridge application: “Thanks for all your support at Sixth Form. I’ve had an amazing time at Cambridge AMY BLAND: The Sixth Form’s first and would have struggled to get in without your encouragement and support.”

Oxbridge graduate.

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Tiring rush to collect data

Year 13 geographers headed to Malham in Yorkshire to learn about data collection techniques and then obtain data for their individual A Level Geography investigation.

On arrival, those who chose the topic of ‘place’ stayed in Malham village to learn about how to survey different aspects of life in the village such as noise levels and tourism.

Those who opted to focus on the water and carbon cycles had a brief recap in the classroom and then went out into the field to learn techniques such as measuring infiltration rates and collecting soil samples.

Following a quick break for dinner in the evening, it was back into the classroom for a workshop on question writing — a key foundation skill for the investigation to decide what students would focus their study on.

The following day consisted of finalising questions, working out methods and last-minute planning about how to collect the data.

In the afternoon geographers studying ‘place’ headed back to the village to get data from members of the public and to study activity in the village while ‘water and carbon’ geographers stayed at the field studies centre and visited a variety of landscapes, such as woodland and the tarn, to collect the data.

In the evening some students returned to the classroom while some continued data collection in the soil labs where samples were burnt to calculate moisture or carbon content.

On the final morning it was a race against time to grab the last bits of data at both locations to make sure the questions for the independent investigations could be answered fully.

On the bus journey back to Comberton, it was safe to say everyone was exhausted!

Eleanor Smith and Hannah Webb (U6-RW)

SIXTH FORM

Hold the front page!

The thrill of The Globe

EAGER THEATRE-GOERS: Students outside The Globe.

The experience of seeing a Shakespeare play at the Globe is like no other.

The trip to the Guardian newspaper in London was a unique and exciting experience that I feel very fortunate to have had.

This trip helped me and all those who attended in many ways and I feel that it was invaluable to my English Language A-Level.

On the trip, I was able to improve my writing skills and work on journalistic skills — an area that I have never delved into before — as well as enhancing my understanding of how newspapers work from the inside and experience what this line of work may be like.

When we arrived, we were instantly told that the aim of the day was to produce our own ‘feature’ article.

We began by choosing and researching a topic, usually based on a current news headline or on-going situation, which we then were able to convert into some sort of note form. While this may sound barely different to what you may simply do in a lesson, being able to use the modern equipment and facilities created a sense of professionalism that I believe everyone not only acknowledged, but enjoyed.

After this, we had a brief explanation of how a typical Guardian feature article would be structured, and then it was down to us. Not only did we research and write the article completely independently, but we also had to edit it ourselves.

While this seemed a daunting task, the special templates provided resulted in an experience that was informative and a lot of fun. At the end we printed off several copies of our completed articles and shared our work with our friends.

After attending this workshop I feel I have gained several very important skills. For example, editing my own article helped me improve my proofreading skills, and I learned the importance of checking through my work thoroughly so as not to miss any little mistakes.

In addition to this, I learned how to properly structure a piece of writing, a skill that will help not only English Language but all other essays for any subject. Also, I learned how to research, write and edit a good quality piece of writing — a skill that will help me excel in any walk of life.

Overall, I must say how much fun we had on this trip. We learned in a productive and independent way, in an amazing building that was such a cool, inspiring environment to be in. It was incredibly interesting to get an insight into possible careers at this crucial time in our school lives, and being treated like professionals made it that much better. However, what was to me the most important and enjoyable part of this trip is that I came away having produced a piece of work that I am proud of, and a hunger to do more.

Amelia Jordan (L6-JH)

Othello, a play we’d studied intensely, was brought to vivid, exquisite life in front of our eyes as we sat in the original — albeit rebuilt — theatre of Shakespeare, in authentic style.

The setting could not have been better — despite the weather forecast suggesting otherwise; it was pleasantly cool, and there was not a cloud in sight.

As we approached the theatre from across the Millennium Bridge, the vibrant metropolis of central London sprawled out along the horizon around us.

In the shadow of the great St Paul’s Cathedral — buzzing with excitement and anticipation for the theatrical delight ahead of us — we approached the Tate Modern, before enjoying a pleasant lunch, cosily tucked away behind some very modern looking buildings, a glimpse of the sparkling Thames in sight.

As we entered the theatre, it became clear that we were not alone in our buzzing thrill for theatre at the Globe — we were surrounded by fellow English students and theatre-goers alike. A little over 20 minutes later and the crowd fell quiet and the play began.

Claire van Kampen’s Othello is a stand-out performance, prioritising acting over modern conceptual ideas. She provides a strong focus on Shakespeare’s characters by choosing a more traditional approach of play setting.

Andre Holland captures the majesty of Othello with a booming performance in which his tragic fall from such a dignified position is poignant to watch. Mark Rylance’s Iago is intriguing, portrayed as more jovial, verging on light-hearted, the contrast to his actions making his villainy all the more insidious.

The costume design of Jonathan Fensom stands out as a memorable element of the production, the rich tones of Othello’s clothing replicated in a muter form in Iago’s, reinforcing character dynamics and intensifying the performance.

This production of Othello is both exotic in its richness and traditional in its focus, allowing the audience to explore the world Shakespeare created in his unique way.

Anna Colman (U6-JD) and Rachel Peck (U6-SC) WORKING JOURNALISTS: Students at The Guardian.

Good chance to apply linguistics knowledge

INSIGHT: Into studying linguistics at Cambridge.

Earlier in the term, Year 12 and 13 English Language students went on a trip to King’s College, Cambridge.

The day involved a fascinating tour of College, an excellent lunch and, most importantly, a chance to apply our knowledge of the course and watch some linguistics in action.

We met innovators in the field of linguistics, including Professor Francis Nolan, who designed the language of Parseltongue featured in the Harry Potter films, and Dr Bert Vaux, University Reader in Phonology and Morphology, and a specialist in Armenian dialects, who very graciously looked after us for the whole day.

A sample lecture delivered in the afternoon gave us all an experience of what the study of Language and Linguistics entails at degree level, and was also fantastic revision for some of the key concepts we look at on our course; does your accent affect your opportunities in life? Which part of our brain controls language? And, the most heated of debates, what is the correct way to pronounce scone? We concluded the day with an exclusive behindthe-scenes visit to the department’s phonology labs, allowing us to analyse the sounds we make in immense detail.

Overall, it was a brilliant trip that all who attended will no doubt remember!

Amy Dimaline (U6-JD)

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Cuddles for Christmas SIXTH FORM

Big-hearted sixth former Ruby Barnard has been busy making sure youngsters in Addenbrooke’s will have a ‘Beary’ Happy Christmas despite being in hospital during the festive season.

The 17-year-old Student President has been raising funds to buy more than 100 toys from Build-a-Bear, where she works at weekends.

She and some friends then dressed up in seasonal costumes and took them round the four children’s wards at Addenbrooke’s well ahead of the 25th, so those lucky enough to be allowed home for Christmas didn’t miss out.

She passed her £550 target for Cuddles for Christmas in six days, reaching almost £700 so far, and plans to purchase additional toys for the hospital to use in future with any leftover cash.

“I did this totally independently of Build-a-Bear,” said Ruby, who has just been offered an interview at Oxford University where she hopes to study psychology next year.

“But I got the idea from working there. I see how

much joy the whole experience brings to the children making the bears and although those in hospital miss out on the making, they will still be able to have one of the special bears.”

This was the first fund-raiser that Ruby had organised and she was delighted with the response.

“It’s restored my faith in humanity,” she said.

“People have been so generous and even those my age who don’t have jobs were donating £20.

“I think it’s so easy to be nice and kind.

“You don’t have to think on a global scale and try to stamp out malaria in Africa or anything.

“If I see a homeless person in Cambridge I will often ask what they need from Boots or buy them lunch instead of me.

“I’ve been involved in small charity fund-raisers before like making cakes for Children in Need or doing a sponsored silence, but the bears was the first one I’ve done on my own. I’ve been really pleased with how it’s gone.”

There is still time to donate to Cuddles for Christmas at https://uk.gofundme.com/cuddles-forBEAR NECESSITIES: Teddies for children in christmas hospital over Christmas.

Smashing visit to world’s biggest science lab

Twenty Year 13 physics students travelled to Geneva, Switzerland, to visit CERN, the biggest scientific laboratory in the world.

This is where scientists smash together protons very close to the speed of light to recreate the energies and conditions of the big bang.

They do this in a 27km circumference particle accelerator about 100m below the ground. Not only do the scientists search for new particles and try to answer the question ‘what really happened at the start of the universe’, but they also research in to antimatter (the opposite to matter such as protons, electrons and neutrons) and how we best store and analyse the data collected.

Comberton students saw and learned about the ‘CERN data centre’ (a huge

warehouse of computers processing and storing information) and the ‘Antimatter Factory’, where they saw scientists investigating properties of the antihydrogen they had made. Our tour guide was fantastic; he was an engineer who worked on the electromagnets that help to guide the beams of particles around the accelerators.

On day two we visited the historic city of Bern, the capital of Switzerland and where Albert Einstein came up with his famous papers on relativity and E = mc2. We visited the Einstein museum where students were able see a different side to his life and how it influenced his scientific research.

The Physics department offer all sixth form physics students the chance to visit CERN; one day it could be you!

PHYSICS IN THE REAL WORLD: Students visit CERN in Switzerland.

History and Politics past and present

LONDON CALLING: History and Politics students spent a day at two very different venues.

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Last month Year 12 History and Politics students went on a fascinating visit to the Houses of Parliament and the Churchill War Rooms in London, where they investigated changes in British politics, both past and present.

Students began the day with a tour around the Houses of Parliament and watched John Bercow enter the House of Commons in the daily ‘procession of the Speaker.’

This was followed by a workshop on the role of pressure groups in UK politics.

During their visit to Parliament, the students also had a visit from Heidi Allen, MP for

South Cambridgeshire, who answered their questions on issues ranging from local mental health provision to Brexit.

In the afternoon, the students visited the Churchill War Rooms — the underground offices from where the country was run while the bombing raids of London made living in 10 Downing Street unsafe.

The students marvelled at how the rooms were left almost exactly as they were at the end of the war. The trip was both memorable and enjoyable, as well as providing important context for both History and Politics students.

SIXTH FORM

GB call for rising star

ON GUARD: Hannah Smyth is rapidly rising up the ranks of British fencing and is targeting the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Hannah Smyth is not a teenager you want to cross.

She is proving to be a real whizz with a deadly weapon — in this case a sword, or more specifically a fencing foil.

Only six years after taking up the sport totally by chance, she has just returned from competing for Great Britain in an under-20 international in Bulgaria.

And she has just been selected for the final under-20 international of the season in Italy next month.

Just 17, the Comberton Sixth Form student was forced to move from the Cadet (under-17) ranks to the Juniors (under-20) this season and had set herself a modest target of getting into the Eden Cup, in which the top 20 nationally can compete in the London leg of a World Series.

But top 16 finishes in all her four domestic competitions this season so far have propelled her to No 8 in the age group and earned her the call to the GB team for Sofia.

With no funding for fencing, it means further outlay for Hannah’s parents and their daughter’s success has certainly come at a price.

She estimates last season cost the family £12,000 and she has already had to fork out £800 for a new GB kit this autumn.

“Hopefully now I’ve stopped growing the kits will last a bit longer than every couple of years,” said Hannah. “But there’s still the foils, which break all the time

and cost about £100 each. And there’s the training, competing and travelling.”

It all started when she was tempted to try out a sport she had never heard of after winning a lesson with a Paralympian fencing coach as part of a rewards programme in Year 6 at Pendragon Primary School, Papworth. She quickly became hooked with what she describes as “the only sport I am any good at”.

“It’s weird,” she said. “I can’t do any sort of racket sports and I wasn’t in any teams. If it wasn’t for fencing then I probably wouldn’t do any other sports.”

That first session led her to joining Hunts Fencing Club at St Neots, then Dragon Fencing Club at Hardwick and, having been noticed at cadet competitions, Club London at Rickmansworth.

She trains with each of her local clubs once a week and also heads for London twice a week. Her dedication and talent saw the former Swavesey Village College pupil compete for the GB under-17s in Italy, Austria and France last season but she did not expect the international step up to come so soon.

“My aim was to get in the Eden Cup this season,” she said. “I’ve fenced quite well this season but it was still a shock to get into the top eight so quickly.

“I’m aiming for the top four by the final year in the under-20s (she plans to fence full time in a gap year after completing A levels in biology, chemistry and psychology) so I can compete in the European and World Championships and then aim for the 2022 Commonwealth Games and 2024 Olympics as a senior.”

Travellers embrace the sports of Spain

Year 13 BTEC Sport students went to Barcelona to learn more about the Development and Active Leisure unit, using tried and tested examples of sporting culture and active lifestyles there. sports culture and community!

They first familiarised themselves with the city with an ‘on-the-go’ Ciara Rooney said: “Over the weekend we experienced a mix of culture, photographic treasure hunt, featuring key sporting and Olympic locations sports and urbanisation. We embraced the culture by competing in a across the city. treasure hunt round the city to take in and learn about some of the sports They learnt to navigate around Barcelona and learnt about the legacy of the related sites, such as Olympic Port, Beach volleyball courts and the David 1992 Olympic Games, including the ways in and Goliath statue built for the Olympics. which the people of Barcelona are involved “Whilst gallivanting around the city, we in sport, from beach-side gyms, to skate explored the ins and outs of transportation parks and free-for-all table tennis tables. (buses, metro and taxis) and cuisine. During our They also visited Camp Nou, the home of trip, we also visited the biggest currently active Barcelona Football Club, and a real highlight sports venue, Camp Nou. This not only hosts for many of the students. The group Barcelona FC but also ice skating, basketball completed a stadium tour and learnt of the and handball.” great pride and family of FC Barcelona.

Jack Alexander commented: “Barcelona was a They also embraced the sports of Spain very fun and educational trip. We did lots of fun themselves, playing table tennis in a local things like going to the Camp Nou and the park, beach volleyball on Bogatell Beach and Olympic stadium as well as a treasure hunt around the city taking pictures with monuments. by watching some live traditional sport at the “We embraced the Catalan culture by watching Pilota World Championships, a mixture of the Pilota World Championships and playing squash and tennis! volleyball on the beach (side note: don’t wear They also visited the Olympic Stadium and black skinny jeans on the beach because they museum, learning more of the history of the are really uncomfortable, especially when sand Olympics in the city and, in particular, the gets in!) importance of physical activity across “We did a lot of travelling and experienced lots Barcelona.

STADIUM TOUR: Students at Barcelona’s of Spanish cuisine, including tapas, Spanish Students also immersed themselves in the Camp Nou. McDonalds and Spanish pizza! food and community of Barcelona, trying “Some members of the group also enjoyed some bargains from the locals Tapas and interacting with locals, practising their Spanish!

— a pair of ‘Ray Bans’ only cost 10 euro!”

The students on this trip approached all activities with enthusiasm, interest A huge thank you to all involved in the running and organisation of this trip. and energy and, students and staff alike, had a brilliant time.

They will now use all they have learnt to inform their work in their Sports

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Planning for a big year!

COMBERTON VILLAGE COLLEGE

As the 2018 expedition season comes to an end, the DofE team are busy planning for the 2019 season.

This season promises to be our busiest expedition season to date with 135 Year 10 students and 182 Year 9 students embarking on their Bronze expeditions as we make the transition from Year 10 to Year 9 at CVC. This season will see four practice expeditions and two assessed expeditions across the year to accommodate the number of students signed up for the award and students are currently organising themselves in to groups for the challenges ahead.

The award has been launched and we look forward to seeing students next year to complete their training evening and expedition work.

In Year 11, 31 students have signed up to the Silver award following the launch in October. Students will return, in early March to the Chiltern Hills for a three-day practice expedition, testing their navigation further and increasing the demand of the terrain crossed. Students will then have time to focus on their exams before returning in July to complete their route planning and tackle the Peak District as part of the assessed expedition.

Finally, the Gold programme has seen 10 students enrol at Year 12 for this

GOLDEN GIRLS: Ready for their four-day expedition.

GOLD

Sunshine shocker!

Years of experience has taught us to expect wet and windy conditions when completing the Gold assessed expedition in Snowdonia so both students and staff stared in confusion at the blue skies and sunshine on arrival to the campsite.

The orientation day continued to provide high temperatures with crystal clear views of the ocean and mountains while students brushed up on their micro-navigation skills and refreshed their time, distance and bearing calculations.

A trip to Caernarfon on the Monday allowed students time to relax and buy any last-minute supplies. Many students finished their day with a meal and much-needed cold drink in the local pub.

Tuesday morning saw students begin their four-day expedition in the mountains. Heading off under a cloudless sky set the tone for the week which presented warm conditions and only a few spots of rain. There was some cloud cover over the week, providing some respite from the unrelenting sunshine.

All the groups worked well on the hills and completed their routes with a smile on their faces while facing the usual problems of steep terrain and missing footpaths, as well as the quarries and forest that take many DofE groups prisoner for an hour or more as they attempt to wind their way to the other side.

Friday afternoon saw the groups return to camp in high spirits. A trip to the pub for a celebratory meal with staff finished off the week, followed by one last night in their tents.

The surprising weather conditions allowed students to enjoy the views that were lacking in the Lake District back in April and they returned with great stories of their travels, as well as some unusual sun tan markings and multiple bites/stings from the Welsh midges — the price we have to pay for a dry expedition!

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programme. A change of delivery will see these students tackle their expeditions in 2020 as Year 13 students alongside new Year 12s.

The current aim is to take students to the familiar Lake District for their practice expedition at Easter 2020, which will be followed up with an assessed expedition in Scotland.

These students now have an opportunity to begin working towards the other sections of their award as well as complete some in-house training before their expeditions.

Due to changes in Cambridgeshire, Comberton is now a directly licensed centre to the DofE award. This is a positive move across the county, providing schools with greater control over the award delivery, as well as providing new opportunities for staff within the establishment to become more involved in the award.

There are no significant changes to the DofE team, Jo Pattrick remains in the post of DofE Manager and Lee Protheroe continues to work as the DofE Administrator on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Finally, we couldn’t run the expeditions and provide the DofE award to so many students without the continued support from our staff and volunteers. If you are a parent who is a keen walker and would like to get involved in the award then please do not hesitate to contact us. No experience is required, just a willingness to walk! If you need to contact the DofE team, please use: dofe@combertonvc.org

SILVER

Relief at final summit

Just two weeks after their practice expedition, the Silver DofE students were treated to more glorious weather on their assessed expedition in the Peak District.

A slow ride to the camp on the Monday allowed students time to prepare for the expedition ahead. The campsite provided a lovely setting for students to meet their assessors and discuss their plans for the three days ahead.

Minor route errors were ironed out in the sunshine before a game of tennis football kept the boys entertained before bedtime.

Groups departed early on Tuesday morning to complete their walk in cooler conditions and fortunately a breeze provided relief from the heat that had been experienced on the previous expedition.

A walk through the countryside took the students to Hulme End where they were met with a slightly less luxurious campsite in a field behind the local pub.

Some groups had longer days than others but all students rallied round to make sure everyone was well fed and watered before bedtime.

The following day saw the groups tackle some interesting routes with minimal footpath signs. Early starts gave the students plenty of time to get lost during the day, which many did while crossing the farms and fields of the Peak District countryside.

Assessors continued enjoying the good weather, placing themselves on top of the local hills in perfect viewing locations to watch the students in action!

The final campsite offered basic facilities with a five-minute walk to the toilet block.

However, the phone signal was good enough for students to catch up on Love Island!

Hen Cloud loomed over the campsite and the evening fantastic weather allowed amazing views. The Roaches offered a stunning backdrop for the final camp.

By 8am, the groups had all left for the day. With some groups having last-minute route changes to provide a greater level of challenge, the early start allowed plenty of time to tackle the final push up Shutlingsloe before descending to the car park.

Each group arrived at the summit of the hill to be met by Mrs Pattrick, who had spent several hours enjoying the sunshine waiting for the groups to make their final efforts of the trip. A sigh of relief was exhaled as the final group made it to the end!

NATURAL HAZARD: Negotiated by the silver expedition walkers on their trip to the Peak District.

BRONZE

Chefs mix up a treat

COMBERTON VILLAGE COLLEGE

Following Comberton’s success in FutureChef, a cooking competition organised by Springboard, we decided to do it all over again this year.

Trailblazing new paths

PLANNING: Preparing for the assessed expedition.

This term saw 26 Bronze groups take on their assessed expedition in the Grafham Water area.

Students tested new routes and footpaths for future Bronze Expeditions after a switch of locations for this expedition.

Late last term students had completed their route planning at CVC, preparing for two days’ walking between campsites, using the skills developed on the practice weekend to help them.

The weather was extremely kind and provided nice walking conditions with some sunshine along the way, which was a big contrast from the practice expeditions in the spring.

The Year 11 students were remotely supervised as they walked a minimum of six hours each day, as well as two nights’ camping at local campsites.

The assessed expedition was a seamless weekend with groups prepared and ready to tackle the challenge ahead and staff/volunteers left to enjoy a lovely walk in the Cambridgeshire countryside with very little intervention required. It was an uneventful expedition for the staff involved but a huge success for the students!

As part of the weekend new campsites and new routes were tested and approved for future expeditions, allowing students more time at the campsite on the Friday evening, as well as enabling students to be collected following their expedition so they could return home earlier on the Sunday afternoon. We are looking forward to using these locations in the coming expedition season.

The DofE journey is not over for all the Year 11 participants just yet, however, as some students need to continue working towards the other sections of the award (volunteering, skills, physical) and get these signed off before they can receive their away. Fifty students have already done this and are proud owners of the Bronze award.

Looking forward, 31 Year 11 students are now signed up for the Silver Programme and we look forward to seeing them in March 2019 for their first expedition.

NEW LOCATION: For the bronze expedition campsites.

School heats of FutureChef were held in October. This involved participants making a main meal that demonstrated flair and creativity as well as preparation and cooking skills in just an hour.

We had a heat with Year 10 Hospitality and Catering students and another heat held after school for all other entrants.

We had a great turn out and judging was particularly hard this year.

Luckily Head of Department Mrs Goodson had a great panel of judges helping her, including Mr Law, Sophie Shaw (last year’s winner) and Martin Nesbit, a local chef who mentored Sophie through the latter stages of the competition last year.

Megan Clark (9E) and Polly Arnold (10C) won through to the second round in Bedford and although neither qualified for the regional final, both won high praise from Michael Hanton, of Springboard, a charity for the Hospitality industry and organisers of FutureChef. He said: “I was very impressed by Megan’s desire to push herself with her complex dishes and for Polly’s dessert which was delicious.”

He added: “Megan clearly has a passion for food and with a few tweaks could really be a star of the future.”

Mrs Goodson added: “I’m thrilled that he recognised our girls’ abilities and passion. We look forward to working more closely with Springboard in the new year. Congratulations must go to all of our pupils who participated in this fantastic competition this year. I am so proud of you QUALIFIED: From the first round. all.”

What matters to youth today . . .

Ending knife crime, tackling homelessness and having a curriculum which prepares students for life were the most important issues to Comberton students when they voted in the Make Your Mark consultation.

This was a national ballot to enable young people across the UK to decide what they wanted debated by the UK Youth Parliament when they met in November.

After more than a million votes were cast the Youth Council decided to focus on the three issues important to Comberton students as well as mental health, equal pay for equal work and the vote at 16.

The UK Youth Parliament is made up of 11-18-year olds and it provides opportunities for those who are part of it to use their elected voice to bring about social change through meaningful representation and campaigning about issues affecting young people. Every year they meet in the House of Commons and contribute their ideas to make a real difference to young people by discussing things that matter to them.

Last month’s debate was very interesting and it was great to see young people having an active role in the issues that are a real importance to us at Comberton Village College.

If you are interested in signing up for the Youth Council in South Cambridgeshire you can apply at https://www.scambs.gov.uk/thecouncil/youth-council/.

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Different way of learning COMBERTON VILLAGE COLLEGE

Curriculum Extension Days are the two days every Autumn term where the regular timetable is collapsed to allow students to study in a different way.

Each year group from Years 7-10 studies a particular topic for the whole of one day and a different one on the other day, while Year 11 focus on a particular area of GCSE study — Art, Music and Drama for those taking the subjects, and English for those who are not.

Year 7s days were spent being scientists, where they conducted experiments and wrote them in up poster form, and in PE, where they tried a range of new and different activities.

Year 8 spent one day at Walton-on-the-Naze looking at the physical and human issues surrounding coastal erosion and the tourism industry and the other in Modern Languages, where students chose from a range of options which included capoeira, Japanese, international craft, Zumba and tai-chi.

Year 9 had one day of maths, where thanks to a Royal Society of Mathematics grant, many students took part in transferring a geometric sketch on to a 1.2m square board. Students learnt to draw circles without compasses and draw long straight lines using a 30cm ruler. They experienced the issues with enlargements and ratio. They also had quite a bit of

SCIENTISTS AT WORK: Students prepare their presentations.

fun splashing paint in the process!

Others engaged in Games Theory, and worked out strategies of winning in games such as NIM, while some learnt the craft of Origami and created solids from Nets. There were even students who used a computer program and their maths skills to save the world from a deadly virus!

The other Year 9 day was a combination of RPE, Computer Science — where students used Makey Makey kits to control input into a computer, creating a variety of input devices including touch mats to play games in Scratch — and History, where two guest speakers talked about the witch crazes and World War One.

MATHS IN ART: Students scale up geometric shapes

Year 10 focused on science on one of their days and careers, where they looked at interview skills, writing CVs as well as meeting representatives from different careers and local businesses.

The science day was a practical one. There was a huge range of experiments from how the cross sectional area affects the resistance of a wire, to the effect of different sugar concentrations on osmosis in potato cells, to the solubility of salts.

Students were able to refine some of their practical skills such as writing methods, identifying variables, drawing graphs and analysing their data to draw conclusions. This work links closely to the skills they will be examined on in their GCSEs.

Gaining an insight into the lessons of history

During Curriculum Extension Days, the History department organised for two guest speakers to talk to Year 9 students, who were involved in a workshop carousel.

Malcolm Gaskill, professor of Early Modern History at the University of East Anglia, spoke to the students about the 16th and 17th Century witch crazes and what the process of a witch craft accusation can reveal about early modern life.

Professor Gaskill has recently been working on an exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford called ‘Spellbound,’ which he also spoke to them about and showed students images of some of the

items on display in the exhibition, which is open until 6th January.

In their second workshop of the afternoon, Jonathan Dixon, a PhD student from Cambridge University, spoke about the extent to which World War One was a world war, looking at how the abundance of colonies of the Central and Allied forces were drawn into the War, as well as focusing on Chinese land corps and other little-known participants in the War. It was a valuable opportunity for students to engage with local historians and to SPELLBOUND: Malcolm Gaskill talked to students develop their understanding of topics covered within their history lessons. about the witch crazes.

Making sense of the processes first hand

Year 8 went to Walton on the Naze for curriculum extension day and a great time was had by all. The purpose of the day was to investigate whether the sea defences at Walton should be kept or removed.

During the day we went around Walton and the Nature reserve and undertook numerous pieces of data collection to look at the impact of the sea defences at Walton.

Many students commented that measuring the groynes was their favourite thing we did as it was amazing the difference between the height of the sand on each side of the groyne. Seeing what they had been taught in the classroom first-hand really helped them make sense of the processes and what was going on at Walton and how the sea defences impacted this.

It was also great that on the trip several members of the public made comments to teachers about how polite and courteous our students were. The students really enjoyed the fact that their HOY and AHOY, Mr Pollock and Miss Shipley, came on the trip with us as well, although Mr Pollock struggled with the geography, finding it quite hard and confusing, and had to go for a lie down!

Scott Aitken, Head of Geography

TAKING MEASUREMENTS: Of the difference in sand height on each side of the Walton groynes, while (right) Mr Pollock has a lie down!

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COMBERTON VILLAGE COLLEGE

FIRST-HAND HISTORY: Students in the World War One trenches and at the Menin Gate.

Obscure facts of real war The battlefields trip was a very memorable and exciting school trip, and we learned so much from the amazing experience.

We were taught many interesting facts like that there are only two women buried in all of the WW1 cemeteries in the whole of Europe and one was called Nellie Spindler.

We also learned how Adolf Hitler fought not only in WW2 as we know, but also in WW1.

Our first destination was Ypres, Belgium, where we were able to explore the trenches which WW1 German soldiers lived in during the war.

We also got to buy divine chocolate from a lovely little chocolate shop owned by two brothers.

In Ypres I also had the privilege of setting down a wreath, with two of my fellow

students, in front of more than 1000 people at the Menin Gate in remembrance of our fallen soldiers from WW1.

After a lovely meal and a long and exciting day we arrived at a cosy and comfortable hostel where we spent the night, and in the morning we enjoyed a delicious breakfast buffet.

Our second destination was the Somme in France where we visited a massive hidden crater near a battlefield, along with the biggest cemetery in Europe, which contains a long wall enscribed with the names of many WW1 soldiers whose bodies were never recovered. That day we also enjoyed a nice lunch.

Finally we visited the Thiepval Memorial where three other students were chosen to put down a wreath before visiting the gift shop and heading home.

On the journey we also had two helpful tour guides to answer any questions and to show us around these sites.

Cecilia Marshall Brandt (9I)

Standing in the footprints of the past Late last month, 52 Year 11 students and five members of staff set off from CVC for Nuremberg, in Germany, for a four-day trip to immerse themselves in some German history.

The particular focus of the trip was on life under the Nazis, one of the components of the GCSE course. The visit, run by Anglia Tours, started off in Nuremberg. After sampling some local German food (and some McDonald’s!) for lunch, students began getting to grips with the Nazis’ rise to power through visiting the fantastic Documentation Centre, situated on the site of the Nazi Party rally grounds and attached to the Nazis’ never-finished Congress Hall.

Through using the Centre’s audioguides, students spend about two hours travelling through 15 years of Nazi history — from the rise to power, to the outcomes of the Nuremberg Trials. Students then had the chance to explore some of the remains of the rally grounds where Hitler and his party held their yearly rallies — literally, they had the chance to stand in the footprints of history.

Students then got to learn about the aftermath of the war crimes committed by the Nazis with a visit to the courtroom where the Nuremberg Trials were held, and a museum documenting what happened to various Nazi Party criminals.

After exploring the small town of Nuremberg and a night in the old medieval stables-turned-hostel, students moved on to Munich, considered by many to be the ‘home’ of the Nazi movement.

They followed the actual route of the 1923 Munich Putsch and had a chance to see the

various buildings and beer halls that were integral to the beginning of the movement.

On Saturday, students visited the Dachau Memorial Site, situated on the site of the Dachau concentration camp. While emotional for many students, it was also the most interesting and influential aspect of the trip for many of them.

This was followed by a trip to the site of some of the Nazis’ resistance, including a visit to Ludwig Maximillian University, where Sophie and Hans Scholl fought back against Nazi terror by trying to educate the public about FULL-ON TOUR: Students visited Nuremburg and Munich. their crimes. get to see a lot of young people over the course Afterwards, students were given some time to of each year and it was a pleasure to work with relax with a trip to a local bowling alley — this group of youngsters in Germany. another highlight, but of a different kind.

“It is a very full-on four days with lots of walking On the final day of the trip, students consolidated and early mornings, but there were no their new knowledge by going to Munich’s own complaints from anyone in the group. documentation centre — only opened in 2015.

“The pupils were full of questions and they This museum deals with the history of the Nazi responded thoughtfully to the various sites they Party in Munich, a topic still considered very visited. A particular highlight for me was the way sensitive in this part of the country. they responded whilst being guided around the The students represented themselves, their Dachau memorial site by a local guide. Their teachers, and CVC fantastically and were praised questioning was very perceptive and their

by Anglia Tours guide Rob Webb, who said:” I behaviour was exemplary.”

23

Olivia hits the right note COMBERTON VILLAGE COLLEGE

Olivia Ransome, 11R, is delighted to have been offered a place in the National Youth Orchestra (NYO) for 2019, as a composer.

KEYS TO SUCCESS: Olivia Ransome has won a place in the National Youth Orchestra.

She will join six other young composers and around 160 instrumentalists in a number of NYO residencies and concerts across the UK in the next year.

Olivia started piano lessons, Kodály musicianship and choral singing classes at the age of four with Cambridge Suzuki Young Musicians.

She enjoys playing traditional and contemporary repertoire as a soloist, a chamber musician, in duets and in multi-piano arrangements. As well as playing in many concerts in the UK, Olivia has also performed in Budapest, Vienna, Barcelona and Milan. She has taken part in a number of masterclasses with Charles Owen, Mei Yi Foo and Péter Nagy.

Olivia has been encouraged to improvise and compose since an early age, and more recently has been inspired by workshops with composers including Graham Fitkin, Charlotte Bray and Kerry Andrew.

She was delighted to win the Cambridge Young Composer of the Year competition in 2017 and, as a result, was commissioned to write a piece for the King’s Lynn Festival in July 2018. In November 2018, the Brodsky Quartet premiered Olivia’s piece for string quartet as part of the Cambridge Music Festival.

Olivia has been a pianist and composer at Aldeburgh Young Musicians since September 2016 and is really looking forward to taking her composition to the next level with NYO from January.

Less obvious impacts of online dangers To keep the message consistent, much of the education we provide regarding online safety outlines the four key dangers: l Sexual exploitation l Cyberbullying l Accessing inappropriate content l Establishing poor usage which could have future implications The Press, in particular, focus on the dangers posed by sexual online predators and cyberbullying. It is, of course, wise to be aware of the other dangers and discussing these with pupils, at school or with your child at home, has value.

Accessing inappropriate content for children has been made incredibly easy with the expansion of web technologies. In the last decade or so it has become much more challenging to ensure young people are not exposed to content which is now readily available via a quick internet search.

Gone are the days of trailing a phone cable through the house to the PC which was in a location which was easy to monitor. These bygone days are replaced by systems where every device can communicate wirelessly. Mobile phones either have access to some kind of data package allowing internet access or Wi-Fi which is becoming more

SOCIAL EVENT: Year 7s had a great time at Xtreme 360.

enjoyable. l Porn often makes people feel less happy in their relationships. l Porn can lead people to think about sex a lot more. This can make it harder for them to enjoy their friendships and other interests. l Porn can lead to people viewing others, especially women, as ‘sex objects’. This means they only see other people as things to have sex with, not as people with intelligence and feelings. This means they are respected less. Everyone gets less out of life and relationships if this happens. l Over time, porn can shape the types of things you get turned on by. There’s some pretty weird porn out there so if you train your brain to be turned on by the things you see, you could have trouble enjoying real sex.

So, porn presents fantasies but can have a big impact on our real lives. It can affect our relationships, sex lives, and our abilities to feel good about ourselves.

How does this happen?

The sex you see in porn is very different from what makes good real sex. That means that if you’re going to look at porn, you need to know it’s not like real sex. And, to find out about porn sex you need to start with real sex.

Good sex Despite what people do in porn, good sex isn’t about the positions you can pull or how long you can last.

In real sex, people need to feel a whole lot more than just sexual arousal. They should feel good about themselves and comfortable with the other person.

Sex is usually better and more pleasurable if the two people are in harmony, when they respect each other and want the same things.

Sex is also most satisfying when it’s with someone you find attractive in lots of ways — who they are as well as what they look like.

Most importantly, in good sex both people want to be having sex and are happy with brilliant time. whatever sex acts they’re doing.

Leo Bilton (7T) said: “It was a great trip. I really Pupils in Years 9 and 10 have an opportunity to discuss the impact porn has on people’s enjoyed doing the slam dunk challenge and I had a lives in their PSHE lessons. good time meeting some new people.”

readily available beyond our homes. Most restaurants, hotels, shopping centres seem to have Wi-Fi for customers.

Unfortunately there are no hard and fast rules on the perfect set-up. Each phone and each provider should have settings to help restrict access to unwanted areas of the web.

What might some consider as inappropriate content for children? Again this varies depending on opinion but most would probably agree access to pornography, hate sites and access to the dark web would be inappropriate.

The details below are from an online article from Thinkuknow. https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/ https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/14_plus/Needadvice/Porn/ Porn: what science says It’s no secret there’s porn on the internet. You might have seen it yourself — by accident or on purpose.

Whether you’ve seen it or not, what do you think about it? If you look at porn, or have friends that do, it’s worth knowing a bit about it.

The science bit Studies looking at the impact of porn on thousands of young people and adults have found that: l Watching porn often makes real-world sex less

Out for the bounce . . .

As part of our focus on wellbeing and social development, students are invited on social events throughout the year.

Year 7s had their first social trip to Xtreme 360 in October. They bounced the evening away and had a

24

The spirit of the season

COMBERTON VILLAGE COLLEGE

Festive flutes and an enlarged string ensemble introduced this year’s annual Christmas Concert on December 6th.

More than 200 students got into the spirit of the season, performing music as diverse as Leroy Anderson’s ‘Sleigh Ride’ and pieces from Tchaikovsky’s ballet ‘The Nutcracker’.

Year 7’s two massed choir songs were even backed by a live orchestra.

Other festive highlights included Big Band’s rendition of ‘All I want for Christmas’ and two very different versions of ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’ interspersed with stunning solo performances on piano, drums, and violin. Vocal solos from Year 7 students Sophie Wallis and Sophie Hopkins brought the house down with applause.

Many congratulations to all performers and a big thank-you to the staff involved behind the scenes.

Ben Parker, Head of Music l Details of the Music Department’s varied programme of extra-curricular activities can be found on the IN CONCERT: Students perform at the Mumford Theatre. school website.

SEASONAL SHOW: Students and staff perform at the Christmas concert.

All that jazz

CVC Jazz Band appeared at the Cambridge Jazz Festival on 25th November, playing a 20 minute set in the ‘Schools’ Big Band Concert’ at the Mumford Theatre, Cambridge.

Students later joined with international jazz outfit Blues and Roots for a workshop exploring the music of Charles Mingus.

This is the third year running that Comberton has appeared at the festival under the leadership of jazz drummer Bert Schilperoort.

Staff support cause that’s close to home

A number of male members of staff have recently enjoyed a close shave — after spending November growing moustaches and/or beards.

They have raised more than £300 to support the Movember Foundation, which tackles some of the most significant health problems faced by men by raising awareness of issues such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men's suicide.

This year’s campaign was particularly poignant for staff as one of them is undergoing treatment for testicular cancer.

He said:” I am coming to the end of a brief, but pretty tough chapter with cancer in my life. This has really tested me, my precious family and our amazing friends and colleagues.

“All your support has got me from the first stages of diagnosis and surgery to recovering now. Whilst I still have a little further to get back to full health, I realise now how fortunate I have been and how important it is to raise awareness of cancer and men's health.

MO MEN: Some of the staff show off their moustaches.

“Testicular cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in young men. The Movember Foundation is working to halve the number of deaths from testicular cancer by 2030, and I want to help them get there.”

There is still time to donate at: https://mobro.co/cvcstaff279?mc=5

Spreading Xmas cheer

GOODIE BAGS: Students with the Foodbank ‘hampers’.

Students and staff have ensured a happier Christmas for more than 90 families struggling to afford the traditional festive season celebrations.

They have been supporting the work of the Cambridge City Foodbank Hampers appeal to provide bags packed with both treats and essential items.

Each tutor group in Years 7-11 filled at least two bags and with staff contributing as well, Comberton was able to send more than 90 bags with all the items on the suggested list.

These included basics like shampoo and tins of tuna and ham as well as items

that would be considered a luxury for those living on the breadline.

Each bag contained crackers, mince pies, Christmas cakes, snacks and nibbles and chocolate for both adults and children.

Scott Aitken, who oversaw the collection, said:“ I am once again delighted and astounded by the way that the students have got behind this Christmas Hamper appeal and the huge numbers of hampers we have made.

“It is great to see the continued support from the students for those less fortunate than themselves.”

25

Schools on the mark!

Round-up of the latest news from the South Cambs SSP

More than 30 South Cambs Schools have recently secured a School Games Award for 201718 in recognition of their commitment to the development of Physical Education, school sport and competition across their school and into the community.

Partnership Manager Claire McDonnell said, “It’s great to see local schools being recognised and rewarded for their hard work and commitment to provide the very best opportunities for their pupils. With over 5,000 young people competing in local inter-school competitions this year, we are extremely proud of our schools for their dedication to all aspects of school sport and we would like to thank all the young volunteers, leaders and officials who made our competitions possible.”

An impressive 64% of South Cambs schools have now achieved an award with Barrington Primary awarded a School Games mark for the first time to join Barton and Meridian in holding the Bronze Award.

Thirteen schools gained a silver award, including Jeavons Wood, Cambourne Village College and Melbourn Primary, with The Vine, Cambourne, among those achieving this level of recognition for the first time.

An impressive 15 schools achieved Gold with many retaining this from previous years including Comberton Village College, Haslingfield Primary, Meldreth Primary and Coton Primary. Foxton deserve special mention for gaining a Gold Award for first time.

Schools achieving the Gold award demonstrate a whole school approach to PE and sport, they have the wholehearted support from their headteacher and provide opportunities for all pupils at all levels. As well as this they are a community hub for sport, encouraging involvement from parents and community groups.

Harston & Newton Primary School were recognised with a coveted Platinum award last year for maintaining consistently high standards with their school sport provision over the previous five years. This award lasts for two years.

Honours are shared After the disappointment of having to postpone this annual event due to the high winds on the original date, we saw some spectacular running at Wimpole Hall Estate a week later as 20 ‘big schools’ from across South Cambridgeshire competed for team and individual honours.

Conditions couldn’t have been better for the 800+ runners that took part; the temperature was perfect with just a slight breeze.

Thanks must go to the Sports Leaders and staff from Bassingbourn Village College and Comberton Village College and Hoohaah Alison. Without these amazing people we would not be able to hold such a huge and smoothly-run event. Also a huge thank you to the National Trust for allowing us to use the stunning setting that is Wimpole Hall.

The atmosphere was buzzing as all the runners were cheered on at the start and finish of the course by fellow pupils, staff and parents who had come to spectate! Each race was hotly

contested with runners keen to achieve their personal best and do their bit for the school team in pursuit of either the Year 3/4 or Year 5/6 Team Trophy.

The top three placed runners in each school team scored for their team but individuals could also enter to compete for one of the top three medal winning positions in each race.

Swavesey dominated the Year 5 and 6 competitions, claiming six of the 12 medals on offer and storming to retain the team trophy with a massive lead over Cottenham with Histon and Impington in third.

Jeavons Wood at Cambourne took two of the top three spots in the Year 3 race with Dylan winning and Luke taking third but the team honours went to Histon and Impington, who denied Swavesey the double by a mere seven points.

Hardwick and Cambourne Primary School, taking part for the first time, were an impressive third.

SPRINT FINISH: In one of the boys’ races and (below) girls line up for the start.

26

Run in the right spirit ON YOUR MARKS: The start of the Year 3 race.

Smiles were in plentiful supply at Milton Country Park as youngsters took part in the South Cambs School Sports Partnership Year 3&4 and Year 5&6 Small Schools Cross Country Competitions.

It was a spirit of fun and enjoyment that filled the venue as 700 children competed for individual honours and team pride.

Grimaces were at a premium on the two-lap course which provided fellow competitors the perfect opportunity to offer support and cheer on their team-mates.

One of the overriding aspects was the sense of sportsmanship on display throughout the competition, with two boys in Year 6 helping each other across the finish line.

The top three placed runners in each school team scored for their team, but individuals could also enter to compete for one of the top three medal-winning positions in each race.

Tim from Haslingfield won the 6 boys’ race ahead of Toby and Alexander (both Meldreth) while Charlotte (Thriplow) took the girls’ honours and Cara (Haslingfield) finished third. In Year 5 the only youngster from The Cam Academy

Trust schools’ partner primaries was runner-up Joshua (Coton).

The combined years’ team prize went to Fowlmere ahead of Harston & Newton and Haslingfield.

Harston & Newton dominated the Year 3 & 4 competition, winning the team competition ahead of Thriplow, with Fowlmere and Meridian (Comberton) in joint third.

That came on the back of having four students in the top three placings at Year 4 level and one in Year 3 as Thomas won, with Sebastian third, while Molly and Amelia were second and third respectively. In Year 3 Will was sandwiched between Harvey (Thriplow) and Harry (Meridian), whose team-mates Sunny and Clemence were second and third.

As well as the main competition we also celebrated the children who demonstrated the Spirit of the Games values. The following children were among those who showed amazing determination and self-belief: Jayden (Meldreth), Maya (Meridian), William (Harston and Newton), Azlan (Thriplow), Max (Coton) and Charlie (Haslingfield).

Round-up of the latest news from the South Cambs SSP

Rising to the challenge GETTING STUCK IN: Primary pupils work on the orienteering challenges at Comberton Village College.

Comberton Village College was a hive of activity earlier this term as 160 children from 14 South Cambs primary schools took part in a fun but challenging orienteering event designed to test their teamwork, communication and problem-solving skills.

The event was open to children in Years 3 and 4 and aimed at those who don’t normally get a chance to represent their school in sporting competitions.

Mixed teams of four took part in three different challenges, including an orienteering team score competition, netball numbers and a school games challenge. Each activity involved teamwork and communication as well as running to find markers to successfully complete each challenge in as quick a time as possible.

Claire McDonnell, Partnership Manager, said: “The idea behind the orienteering competition was to try and appeal to a different group of young people who, perhaps, don’t like your more traditional sports.

“Orienteering is an active outdoor sport that challenges both the mind and body with children having to work together, devise a plan, find points and make decisions.

It was great to see a different group of young people getting the chance to represent their school, experience being part of a team and have fun and enjoy themselves!”

Year 10 students from Comberton’s Sport Leadership Academy supported the

event and were involved with leading the activities, supporting the teams and timing and scoring the challenges.

PE teacher George Anderson said: “The leaders did a fantastic job and the feedback from pupils and teachers was very positive. Ciara McGrath was nominated as the leader of the day for leading the school games challenge activity with great confidence and clear communication, as well as demonstrating good organisational skills and giving lots of positive encouragement to the children taking part. Well done Ciara and all of the leaders involved with this competition.”

The orienteering team score activity was won by Swavesey C team, who found the 10 check points located around the school field in a fantastic time of 15mins.

Other top placed teams in this activity were Harston & Newton A, Willingham B and University of Cambridge Primary D. Netball numbers was won by Haslingfield B and Coton B, who were the only teams to complete all six courses and get all correct answers in the allocated time.

Finally the school games challenge was won by Harston & Newton D team, who located all 12 pictures in a speedy time of 6.23mins.

‘Spirit of the Games’ awards were also given out to teams and individuals including Harry, from Meldreth, for demonstrating brilliant team spirit and encouraging other teams with awesome enthusiasm, and Lauren, from Haslingfield, who showed great determination and never gave up and also encouraged all her team-mates from start to finish.

Six top teams all head for county finals

There was a great turn out for the South Cambs Twelve teams battled it out in the girls’ round robin of four pools. round of the English Schools FA football Winning their groups were the teams from Hatton competition with the teams from Histon & competitions at Impington Village College.

Park, Bassingbourn, Histon & Impington Juniors Impington Juniors and Swavesey Primary The event for Under-11 seven-a-side school and Milton. Nothing could separate the teams in finishing top of the two groups and both going teams included three separate competitions — the semi-finals though with both matches going through to the final undefeated. In a rematch of small schools, girls and large schools with a total to the dreaded penalty shoot-out, won by last year’s final, Histon took revenge for 12 of 40 school teams battling it out.

Bassingbourn and Milton, who went on to edge months earlier and became South Cambs All three competitions were played in a round the final 1-0 to win the title. champions for the fourth time. robin format with schools playing the other All the winners and runners-up now go on to There were a record 16 teams in the competition teams in their pool. The top teams from each represent South Cambs in the County Finals in for large schools so teams were organised into a pool then qualified for the final to February where they will compete determine the winners. against the winners from the other In the small schools competition, for districts for the chance to qualify for schools with fewer than 120 pupils in the ESFA regional finals.

Key Stage 2, it was extremely Claire McDonnell, Partnership competitive with a high standard of Manager, said: “The event was a great football throughout. success. We were delighted with the There was little to separate the top number of entries this year, although it teams in each pool but with three wins did make it tricky to fit in all of the and two draws apiece it was reigning matches. champions and last year’s national “We had 400 children taking part on a finalists Meldreth and Oakington who lovely sunny day, it was a real festival went through to the final. of football with games played in a The score was 1-1 for a long period friendly but competitive spirit and it before Oakington took the lead and was nice to see some different then held on until the final whistle to schools getting through to the finals PROGRESSING: Meldreth are one of the teams through to claim the shield for the first time. this year.” the County finals.

27

COMBERTON VILLAGE COLLEGE

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28

Ten reach second round

COMBERTON VILLAGE COLLEGE

Ten Comberton students have qualified to represent Cambridge and District at the second round of the English Schools Cross-Country Championships.

They will run in the Cambridgeshire competition against the best from the other districts in the county after grabbing a top-16 qualifying spot at Netherhall School in Cambridge earlier this month.

All four of the senior team — sixth formers Adam Lightfoot, Ed Walker, Melissa Green and Imogen Sutherland — will run in the county competition on January 12th.

They will be joined by six students from Years 7-11 who ran strongly around a hilly course with Ginny Hadden (7C) and Emily Talbot (8R) leading the way after finishing fourth in their minor and junior races respectively.

Also through to the second round are Hannah Williams (11V), Lily Goodwin (10E) and the Welham twins Madeline (7N) and Olivia (7V).

A total of 40 Comberton students took part.

TEAMED UP: The Comberton senior and inter teams.

Handball hots up

SPEEDY: Comberton’s two best-placed qualifiers.

Leaders rise to challenge

This term has seen the progression of the GCSE handball club into a popular and fiercely competitive session.

The students have been honing their skills and developing their knowledge and understanding ready to put their skills to the test in a number of fixtures against other schools in the district.

With handball now a key sport in the GCSE PE specification, more students are starting to see the attraction of the fast-paced, full throttle team sport as an alternative to some of the more traditional games, We still have some work to go in terms of tactical awareness and skill application, but given the current growth and rapid rate of progress, I feel this GCSE cohort can go on to be a fantastic handball squad.

Keep a look out for results to come early in the new year.

Michael Wilce, PE Dept

A number of Year 10 students who are involved in the sports leadership award offered to assist in running the South Cambs Year 3-4 Orienteering Competition.

The competition brought together 14 different primary schools, with most schools entering numerous teams, which meant well over 100 pupils taking part.

Luckily the Sports leaders had been training to deal with such a task. They were able to organise the students into their teams and lead them around the different activities throughout the day.

Each activity was also delivered by sports leaders, whose great attitude and ability to adapt to the students’ needs meant that all were able to get involved, learn new skills and have a great time.

The sports leaders rose superbly to the task and demonstrated all the leadership skills and qualities they had been developing in their PE lessons.

A number of parents and primary school teachers gave positive feedback and were very impressed with how well the leaders performed. The pupils undoubtedly enjoyed their day.

A special acknowledgement must be given to Ciara McGrath, who was identified by WORKING TOGETHER: Sports leaders helped primary staff as being exceptional on the day especially when it came to interacting with the pupils. primary school pupils.

Boys show promise and commitment

Over the past term all the boys’ rugby teams have shown great commitment and promise in training and games.

In particular the new Year 7s have impressed with a great attitude. For many this is their first experience of rugby so they have been working very hard to learn and improve and this has been reflected in their match results.

They have consistently performed well in all 10 of their games so far this year, narrowly losing only two. Louis Chapman, Donncha-Ash Blake and

Eddie Green are just three who have been identified as players who show a promising rugby future.

Other KS3 teams have shared similar success with the Year 8s winning four of their six games in their most recent tournament. They also performed well in two further matches this term against Cottenham and Bassingbourn, narrowly losing. This was due to no fault of the effort they put in. All looked promising for the remainder of their games especially considering the

commitment and enthusiasm of the students turning up to the after school training each week.

This term’s Players of the season are: Benjamin Swallow (Year 7), Hector Omitowoju (Year 8) and James Barker (Year 9).

The football season is approaching and if we can keep the same levels of enthusiasm, effort and commitment after Christmas, then it should be another successful season for Comberton Village College.

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Comberton has talent!

COMBERTON VILLAGE COLLEGE

The Winter Dance Showcase was another wonderful demonstration of the dance talent at Comberton.

Fun and learning!

URBAN STYLE: From Katy Lark’s Thursday class.

Dancers from all year groups performed routines specially prepared for the occasion with the help of the dance teachers from Bodyworks.

A massive thank you to Nikki McGowan, Michael Joseph, Katy Graham-Clare and Katy Lark who have worked with the students to choreograph visually exciting performances that were enjoyed by all.

The dancers have shown a fantastic aptitude for performance in a variety of dance styles including

LEADERSHIP LINE-UP: The Year 10 sports leaders.

Comberton hosted the annual Reception and Year 1 multi-skills festival.

After two cold years of hosting the festival in April, we trialled a September festival with the hope of better weather — and were rewarded with a lovely day!

One hundred pupils from Haslingfield, Jeavons Wood and Hardwick took part in a rotation of different events as part of a team.

The emphasis on the day was taking part and enjoying the activities, which all the pupils seemed to do!

The festival was supported by our Year 10 leadership academy pupils, who both ran the activities and acted as team managers for the pupils. Thank you to all pupils and staff who NEW SKILL: Youngsters try hula-hooping. supported this event.

Contemporary, Jazz and Urban.

It was also a first chance for new Head of Dance Adele Thomas, who is standing in while Ms Tyrrell is on maternity leave, to see the amazing dancers she will be working with!

She said: “The students at Comberton are most certainly emerging and engaging performers who have shown great skill and competence in all dance styles.

“The atmosphere at the Winter Showcase was electric and for those that did miss this term’s showcase make sure you have your ticket for the Spring Showcase on Wednesday 27th March.”

ZERO TO HERO: Katy Graham-Clare’s Junior Wednesday group danced to a song from Disney’s Hercules.

Training is ramped up

Following their successes last year in the Lady Taverner’s and the InterCricket competitions, the Under-13 and Under-15 girls’ cricket team have been keen to get some more training in.

Steve Taylor, a City of Cambridge and Cambridge University Cricket Club coach, has started to run after-school training sessions for students to prepare them for the upcoming season.

Focusing on a wide variety of techniques and tactics, such as perfecting their forward drive and developing consistent and accurate catching and throwing, the students are well on their way to being ready for their first indoor games in February.

Our hope is that with their enthusiasm and expert coaching, they will experience further success this year.

If any other girls in years 7-10 would like to attend the cricket club, please speak to Miss Shipley or Miss Cotton. Training sessions are on a Tuesday after school, with all abilities welcome.

It’s gold again for CVC

For the third consecutive year, Comberton has been awarded the Gold Sportsmark Award.

This award recognises the provision of sport and physical education over an academic year, including both curricular and extra-curricular.

To gain this award, the college was required to meet a number of criteria, such as engaging high numbers of pupils in clubs, fixtures and leadership roles.

The award also requires schools to offer a range of sporting opportunities and a range and breadth of curricular and extra-curricular activities.

In addition to opportunities provided by the college and its staff, the award also recognises links with coaches and local sports clubs which allows pupils to further their sporting participation.

The gold standard is the highest that the college can currently be awarded, with the opportunity to gain a platinum award being available after five consecutive years of achieving gold.

Congratulations to all members of staff who facilitated clubs, fixtures and other sporting activities over the course of the year, and to all pupils who took part.

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TRAINING HARD: The girls have a new cricket coach.

Sticking with hockey

COMBERTON VILLAGE COLLEGE

This term, all our hockey teams have been in action in both training and competitions.

The fixture calendar began with our most experienced team, the Under-16 girls, playing a selection of friendly matches in preparation for their district tournament in October.

This is the first year group in which the girls play full 11-a-side hockey, which required some adjustment from the 9-a-side game they had been playing previously.

The girls had an excellent turn-out at training and were rewarded by qualifying in their preliminary round to the district finals. They gave their fellow finalists some tough games, but were unfortunately outplayed by St Bede’s and St Mary’s in the finals.

Their commitment to training continues, however, and so they have some extra matches coming up which we have organised for them separately to the district competitions.

Our Key Stage 3 teams have also been involved in training, fixtures and tournaments this term. Year 7, 8 and 9 teams were both incredibly successful in their friendly matches, with teams posting scores including 12 and 15-0 against their opponents!

Year 8 also continued to have an excellent presence at training, and were able to put out two teams for a second year. In their district tournaments, all teams played well and finished in the top halves of their respective competitions. No wins this year, but plenty to play for next year!

Our boys’ hockey club also continued from September to October as this has proved popular in past years. We are hoping to be able to get some matches organised for the boys.

Harriet Shipley, PE Dept

ELDEST AND YOUNGEST: The under-16 (top) and Year 7 hockey teams.

Girls give rugby a try!

Snow cloud’s silver lining SNOW DAY: Comberton’s team at Milton Keynes.

Comberton’s team were among the medals at the British Schools Ski Racing competition at Milton Keynes.

Amelie Dryer (10V), Charlotte Hazel (10C), Jessica Welham (9V) and Helena Piotrowicz (9C) took second spot in the team event and there were individual successes at under-14 level where Helena was third and Jessica fourth.

In the under-18s Jacob Sewell (11R) was a very close sixth.

New blood required

Comberton’s equestrian team is looking for new members — and a new manager.

The school has previously competed with some success in a variety of National Schools Equestrian Association competitions after a dozen students signed up and a parent agreed to organise entries.

However, many of the students have now left and the parent involved had to step down, and the school is now looking for somebody else willing to take this on. It involves emailing other members about forthcoming events and over-seeing entries. Competition fees are paid by parents but the school may be able to contribute towards the NSEA affiliation cost for the rider.

NSEA competitions provides opportunity for inter-schools competition at virtually all levels in dressage, showjumping and arena eventing, both locally and nationally.

It is possible to enter individually but having someone to co-ordinate a team enables students to get to know others with a shared interest.

Any student interested in joining the team — or any parent willing to help with the administration — should contact Head of PE Jane Clarke on jaclarke@combertonvc.org giving your name and tutor group. If more than one parent volunteers for this, we are happy for you to share the job. The school would then need to complete necessary procedures with the volunteer/s to uphold the safeguarding of students.

Nineteen girls from Year 7-10 attended a Rugby Development Day at Shelford Rugby Club.

The event was designed to allow girls to have a go at rugby for the first time or to develop the skills for those who are more experienced.

The day started with a welcome meeting where the players were introduced to the organisers, coaches and dedicated Shelford club staff before the training sessions began.

Miss Shipley and Mr Magan had the pleasure of leading a group of students from Comberton VC and Chesterton CC who had never played rugby before. The sessions were fun and fast-paced with all the girls doing an amazing job at going from learning the basics of the game, right through to full contact tackling by the end of the session.

After lunch, all the girls took part in a tournament for their age group, which saw them putting their newly-learned skills into competitive games.

Mr Magan refereed all Comberton Under-13s games so got to see what an incredible job they did. “Seeing the girls demonstrate the skills they had learnt and play against other schools was great,” he said. “The commitment from all the girls to each other as a team was, for me, the best part of the day.

“Although we didn’t come away with the victory in the tournament, the girls did come away with a completely new set of skills and hopefully a continued enjoyment for the game of rugby.”

For any girls who would like to give rugby a go (which you should) there is a new rugby club on Tuesdays, after school, which it is hoped will continue next term. Come and give it a try!

ON THE RUN: Girls give rugby a go at Shelford.

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England call up ‘accidental’ keeper

COMBERTON VILLAGE COLLEGE

A chance backwards move has proved a huge step up for Year 11 student Filip Marschall.

When his then Cambridge City team’s goalkeeper was injured on the eve of a big game against Liverpool, Filip offered to drop back from playing in midfield to don the gloves — and that propelled him into the England ranks in less than a year.

Now that chance switch in positions has further catapulted him towards a career in professional football with the offer, earlier this month, of a two-year scholarship with the Academy of Championship club Aston Villa.

A relative latecomer to the sport anyway — he only started playing for his then home village club Caldecote in 2012 — he joined the England under-16 squad for the first time in

CHAMPIONS: Winners of county squash titles.

the summer while still eligible to play at under-15 level.

He had moved from Caldecote to Cambridge City in 2016 and after the success of his impromptu debut between the posts, continued to train as a stopper. In May of 2018 he had been approached by England scouts and almost immediately was put on standby for the tour of Croatia.

The national scouts continued to watch him during preseason with his new club, Villa, who he joined at the start of 2018, and he was invited to join the squad for the home fixtures against Scotland and Turkey in the summer holidays, staying in the Hilton Hotel at St George’s Park.

The 6ft 4in 15-year-old was a substitute for both games but admitted he felt “very proud” and now has his sights on a place in the squad for the UEFA tournament in February.

“I would like to become a professional footballer at the highest level,” he said.

Young player has potential spotted

ENGLAND CALLING: For Year 11 student Filip Marschall after he switched to goalkeeping.

Brothers are on target

Hot-shot brothers Freddie and Marc de la Sayette are heading for the national finals in January after finishing among the medals at the regional qualifying round of British Shooting’s Schools Pistol Championships.

Year 8 student Marc collected a silver medal in his Junior age group in the Eastern regional competition at St Felix School, Southwold, having qualified for the final round as the top shot.

Freddie, of Year 10, took bronze in his Intermediate category, beaten by the other two shooters in his section who are also coached by his proud mum, Sally-Ann. Qualifying for the schools’ national final continues a successful season with the gun for Freddie, who also competes at tetrathlon, a sport which combines swimming, shooting, running and riding.

In the summer he was selected for the tetrathlon junior regional competition where he shone in the shooting against 64 boys from across the country. Representing the East, he was the only boy (one girl also achieved it) to score the maximum 1000 points.

The weekend after his shooting success Freddie followed up with victory in the Brocklesby Triathlon while representing Cambridgeshire Hunt Pony Club. He posted the best run, best shoot and best swim of the Junior Boys. Marc was second.

Both boys also take part in pony racing, which is the sport where older brother Benoit, of Year 11, excels.

This year Benoit, who hopes to become a jockey, won both the Flat race final at the iconic Longchamp course near Paris and also took the cross-country title at the French point-to-point.

Closer to home, he finished second in the Charles Owen series, the UK points championship, where races take place before or after professional racing.

Malik Bilen has been identified as a future England talent at squash.

The Year 10 student is training as part of the England Development Potential Programme.

This comes on the back of him finishing his eligibility at under-15 level as No 5 nationally and making an early mark at under-17 level.

At under-15 he won his first national event in June against 31 other boys from across the country before a September birthday forced him to move up a level earlier than most of his counterparts.

But that did not stop his progress as he started his Under-17 campaign with success in the Cambridgeshire county closed tournament by retaining his title from last year and also taking the U19 title as well.

He will be looking to maintain that momentum next year in his first full season at the new age group.

Younger brother Mumin (8V) also had a promising season with two sixth place finishes in national under-13 events and also contested the Scottish and British Opens. He retained his boys’ under-13 county title and was also semi-finalist in the under-15s.

He also won his first under-15 tournament in Peterborough and has been identified to train with the regional aspire team.

For the new season he wants to at least match his highest previous national SHARPSHOOTERS: Brothers Marc and Freddie de la Sayette have ranking (4 at under-11 level) by the time he leaves the under-13 age group reached the schools’ national finals. at the end of February.

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