MVC NEWS www.melbournvc.org
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Summer 2019
The News Magazine of Melbourn Village College, an Academy of The Cam Academy Trust
Students experience life in China — Page 7
Running is good for Mind MELBOURN VILLAGE COLLEGE
Teacher Charlotte Joyce has committed to pushing herself to achieve more than she ever expected after using running as a charity challenge. She has pledged to run a mile a day for a whole year to raise money for mental health charity Mind – as well as proving to herself that she can do it. “This year I decided to take on a personal challenge to raise money for Mind and to prove to myself that I can achieve something if I put my mind to it,” said the former Melbourn student. “I am very dedicated to completing this challenge for this charity. I chose to run to raise money for Mind this year because nobody should be made to feel alienated in society or that they can’t ask for help. I realise today it is more important than ever to break the stigma attached to mental health and to develop ways to help anyone in need. “Therefore, I am running A MILE A DAY (some days even six miles) all to raise money for Mind. To make sure it is a challenge, I am running a minimum of a mile every day for a whole year. Obviously running a mile is a reasonably easy. The hard part is dragging myself out every day, especially in the snow or rain. “Running is something that has always allowed me to escape from worries and I hoped that me
running would encourage others to find a hobby that gives them some time away from expectations. “I am documenting the challenge using my fitbit so I can prove I have run every day. It has also been useful to record my progress, as I am already doing so much better than I ever expected. “By day 163 I had run 329 miles and since writing this will have run even further. I started off running a mile in 10. 44 minutes and I have managed to get my pace down to 8.03 . “I am not a particularly fit person and have now a total of eight miles in one go! The furthest I had ever run without stopping was a mile and even then I struggled with my asthma. “When I started this challenge I intended to raise £1 per mile and thought I would only be running 365 miles. Within five months I reached this target and now want to see if I can raise around £500 to support this wonderful charity.” For further information about why Miss Joyce is running or to donate please use the link below. https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/cjoyce or google cjoyce, Mind to find her just giving page. All the money goes straight to the charity through the website.
Heist is captured on camera
MILES MEANS MONEY: For Charlotte Joyce.
Students from the Cabin at Melbourn Village College recently had the fantastic opportunity to work with Peter Harmer, a professional documentary maker. The project involved the students making a film from start to finish. They wrote the script, worked out the visual telling of the story and completed the filming and sound recording. The film was put together with great success and will form part of the ‘Big Trouble Little Pictures’ Film Festival showing at the Light Cinema in July. Emma-Louise, one of the students who participated in the making of the short film, talked about her experiences on set: “It was a
wonderful experience to be able to interact with someone who has so much experience with short films, documentaries, and the media world in general. “Being on the set was a real eye-opener to how movies and shows are made. Who knew you needed so many different camera angles and techniques for one scene! I think this opportunity has been worthwhile for all of us!” The film ‘The Coffee Heist’ was showcased, along with films made by other students in the region, at the Light Cinema on 8 and 9 July as part of Cambridge Junction’s film festival, ‘Big Trouble Little Pictures’.
What is The Cabin?
LIGHTS,CAMERA, ACTION: Students work on their film ‘The Coffee Heist’.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
q Trust Update — Page 3 q Service with a Smile — Page 4 q Students make their Voices Heard — Page 4 q When in Rome. . . — Page 5 q Expanding Repertoire — Page 5 q Help us Celebrate — Page 5 q Spain Trip is Extended — Page 6 q Girls get a Buzz from Translating — Page 6 q Delights of the Far East — Page 7 2
The Cabin at Melbourn Village College is part of The Cam Academy Trust’s provision for student with specific additional needs. It aims to be a centre of excellence for the education of students with autism; to offer them outstanding facilities in every respect, where they can develop independence and life skills, and integrate into mainstream education with the support they need to help them cope.
q Immersion in Chinese — Page 7 q Farewell to the Old . . . — Page 8 q . . . And in with the New — Page 8 q Artists Display Work in Gallery — Page 9 q Inspired by Turner prize nominee — Page 9 q SCSSP Round-Up — Page 10 q Sports News — Page 11 q Melbourn Sports Centre — Page 12
THE CAM ACADEMY TRUST NEWS
School officially opens
CEREMONIES: Ribbon-cutting, plaque unveiling and tree planting all helped mark Gamlingay Village Primary’s official opening.
Gamlingay Village Primary has been officially opened, marking the end of lengthy transition to Cambridgeshire’s two-phase education system.
Lord Lansley, Deputy Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire, and Heidi Allen, who replaced him as South Cambs MP, shared the honours at the school, which was extended and extensively refurbished following the closure of Gamlingay Village College (middle school). Staff and pupils moved from the First School site in January and then the whole school community spent Midsummer’s Day celebrating at their new home. New Zealand Paralympian Tim Prendergast and champion inline rollerblader Jenna Downing spent the morning inspiring the children with a series of talks and practical workshops designed to promote self-belief, teamwork, healthy eating and doing your best. Following this Lord Lansley unveiled a plaque, Mrs Allen and a group of children representing each year group cut a ribbon and the same pupils then helped Miss
Changing roles
From September, Stephen Munday will step down from the post of Executive Principal of Comberton Village College and focus entirely on a Trust-wide role of Chief Executive. His remit will be to continue to support all our schools in pursuit of excellence for all, including enabling all staff to develop positively, and helping guide the future development of our Trust. Secondary Heads, along with certain other Trust staff, will continue to report to him. Primary Heads report to our Primary Executive Leader, Chris Jukes. Given this development, Comberton Village College conducted a full recruitment process for the post of Principal at Comberton Village College. The current Head of School, Peter Law, was appointed to the post of Principal at Comberton from September. Sean Sumner will take on the full-time, permanent role of Trust Director of IT Strategy. Mr Sumner has been part-seconded into this role from his role of Deputy Principal at Cambourne Village College. However, from September, the post becomes both full-time and permanent. This will give further capacity to Mr Sumner to help us to press ahead with the significant IT developments that we are keen to see across all of our schools. This includes the sort of developments in the use of personal devices. Mr Munday said: “We anticipate these sorts of developments happening in further schools across the Trust as they are already now happening at Cambourne Village Colllege. “Sean Sumner will guide this strategy and development as well as ensuing that effective staff training is in place across our schools so that all our staff feel capable and confident of making good use of IT to support the learning of all pupils.”
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Downing plant an oak tree at the front of the site. The two winners of the school’s recent public speaking competition talked about ‘our school’ before the choir sang for the invited guests from the local community, builders Coulson, architect David Turner (Pick Everard) and other Trust schools. To round off the day, Friends of Gamlingay Village Primary put on a fund-raising fete and high tea. Stephen Munday, CEO of The Trust, said: “This event celebrated the really great developments that have taken place in Gamlingay school arrangements that mean that the community is well served both now and for the future. “There is a strong and sustainable Primary School in great premises available to all primary-aged pupils locally and there is a secure progression for young people through to secondary school at Comberton Village College. “This has all been possible due to the hard work of many people over a long period of time, notably the staff of the school and the local governing body. We owe them all a debt of gratitude. The school is now extremely well placed to press ahead and achieve great things for its pupils and its community.”
LEARNING TOOL: Staff and Year 8 students at Cambourne are enjoying having iPads for teaching and learning.
Delight at iPad roll-out
When you’re walking down the corridor at Cambourne Village College and a member of staff stops you and says “I’m loving my iPad. It’s revolutionised my teaching”, it doesn’t seem unreasonable to assume the Trust’s initiative is going well. The unsolicited nature of this exchange was unusual, but when staff were asked to share some success stories for a presentation to Year 6 parents, rather than the usual couple of responses to such a request, we were sent many comments that expressed the same sentiment. What is quite extraordinary is that teachers are already talking about doing things that would have been impossible before or enhancing the learning experience of preexisting tasks. And this isn’t just the view of teachers. One Year 8 pupil wrote: “Using the iPads is nice because you can do lots of things you can’t do in a normal classroom.” However, it would be a mistake to assume the device itself has miraculously revolutionised
teaching. It has been well over a year from the Trust embarking on introducing a 1:1 device initiative, initially for every Year 8 pupil at Cambourne to have access to an iPad for learning throughout the school day, and with more than 90% of them signing up to a scheme that allows them to take it home as well. Cambourne was the first school to take part in a pilot scheme. We learnt a lot and felt absolutely convinced the initiative should happen. Further pilots at Comberton and Melbourn provided further learning opportunities and examples of the transformative impact 1:1 devices can have on learning. We also visited other schools with a 1:1 scheme and spent time at Apple in London. One of Cambourne's mission statements reads: "We foster imagination, adaptability, resilience and ambition." We believe that 1:1 devices can be used to foster all of these, most of all imagination. We want our pupils' imaginations to run wild. We want them to re-imagine how they respond to our teaching and teach us how best to help them to learn. Leigh Bellis, Cambourne Head of IT
For job vacancies across the Trust, visit the CAT website at www.catrust.co.uk
MELBOURN VILLAGE COLLEGE
Service with a smile
ACROSS THE GENERATIONS: Melbourn students with older village residents at the Celebration of Ages meal.
Year 9 students made a great first impression when they helped out at the Celebration of Ages meal at the Cambridge Motel. The 23 students were organised into two teams led by Jennifer and Ben and both teams were responsible for serving and lunch, pudding and refreshments to the 19 tables and clearing up after each course. The students talked to some of the elderly from the local community and were very attentive and
genuinely engaged with guests. Health and Social Care teacher Charlotte Joyce said: “As the pupils have just chosen their options, they had not been taught about the communication skills that they need to use in health and social care environments. However, all of the pupils were very polite and worked very well in the environment.” A small group assisted with the raffle, drawing out the winning numbers and handing out the prizes. Three students also won at the raffle and Miss Joyce
was delighted to hear that as one guest was walking out to go home, one of the girls who’d won a prize called out to her and asked if she would like the chocolates she had won. “That was a very special moment from a special young lady,” said Miss Joyce. The owners, Mr Aristo and his family, were also very pleased with the students and their work ethic, saying that they were a fantastic team.
Students make their voices heard
Students took part in mock European Parliament elections earlier this term. This was the result of a common theme among students, who have noted that decisions taken by parents and grandparents will impact the lives of young people long into the future. The Citizenship Department decided to give students a vote in their version of the European Parliament elections to co-incide with the Europe-wide elections “It’s really interesting getting to study the parties and then deciding,” said one student. “I understand the problems much more now,” said another. Staff were impressed with the maturity and thoughtfulness with which students approached the vote. Year 7 tutor Miss Joyce commented: “They asked so many intelligent questions in our group discussions; it’s clear they gave their vote serious thought.” Year 7 students had been studying the various political parties standing in the European elections, looking at Brexit, policing, human rights, local government and many other hot topics this year as part of their curriculum. Head of Citizenship Mrs Gunner said: “organising elections for 150 Year 7 students was great fun but we now have new respect for town hall officials after this week.” The results saw the Liberal Democrats winning, with the Green Party in second IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Councillor Susan Ven de Ven faces Year 7 place. Councillor Susan Van de Ven made a follow-up visit to a Year 7 Citizenship class to discuss the big local issues that students are concerned about. She talked to students about the role of the council and what her job involves as a county councillor for the Melbourn and Bassingbourn District. Students had completed a survey about their views on local and national issues; by far the biggest concerns were road safety, cycling paths and litter, and students were able to put their concerns to Susan directly. Students were passionate about the environment and had a number of practical suggestions for its improvement. They then moved onto the more thorny issues of school funding, Brexit and DECISION Westminster politics in general. TIME: As a result of Susan’s visit, students were invited to take part in a local litter Students picking event and held a school-based vote for the European Parliament discuss elections. the Many Year 7s have voiced concern that the big decisions being taken in various Britain today will long impact their generation, so this was an interesting parties experience for students. before Head of Citizenship, Mrs Gunner commented: “The Citizenship curriculum voting in covers all major UK political parties as well as a variety of local and national mock political issues and it was fascinating to see students giving their views European directly to a local politician.” elections.
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When in Rome . . .
MELBOURN VILLAGE COLLEGE
Forty-one students and four members of staff spent an actionpacked four days in the eternal city of Rome and Pompeii. The visit started with lunch at the Catacombs of San Callisto followed by an underground tour which was an eye-opening experience, discovering historic mortality rates and the lengths gone to in supressing Christianity, including the execution of a Pope! It was a good job that we had a guide as the labyrinthine nature of the layout would have left us lost for days. The majesty and tragedy of Pompeii was investigated after a hearty lunch the following day, along with some stall shopping, which led Head of Humanities Marta Gunner to comment: “I didn’t know that our students were so good at haggling!” The ruins themselves were an eye opener with the freshness of the remaining frescos and mosaics that litter the ruins telling the story of the city. Mrs Gunner added: “We do apologise for some of the photos that returned though and would like to state that this symbol was not just used in Roman times as a symbol of fertility, but also of good luck!” Thursday left us footsore but satisfied with the range of sites we visited. Mr Kennedy led the way to the top of the Spanish Steps, which allowed an excellent view over part of the Rome skyline, before we moved on to the beauty of the Pantheon, one of the oldest churches in the city and built on the ruins of earlier pagan shrines. This was also a fabulous excuse for ice-cream. Piazza Narvona gave the students a view on the more artistic aspects of city life, with the public performers mixing with the three beautiful statutes that makes this area so famous. Campo de’ Fiori proved to be an excellent place for more haggling and novelty pasta (we are so sorry!), as well as lunch. The afternoon was dedicated to the Vatican, where we managed to lose a teacher for a short while — a time-honoured MVC tradition! While it was packed, and we were tired and slightly warm due to the excellent weather, the impact of the museums, Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Basilica were not lost on us. Needless to say, we were all glad to see our beds that night!
SEEING THE SIGHTS: Students enjoyed an action-packed trip to Italy.
Help us celebrate
Plans are under way to return the Christmas concert to Melbourn’s repertoire, alongside the spring one that was held so successfully this year. To ensure the best possible range of performances, Head of Music Jonathan Thomson is encouraging students to consider learning an instrument if they don’t already. From September music tuition on a one-to-one basis will be available for violin, flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, voice, piano, guitar and drums. A brochure is available from the college reception or contact Mr Thomson for further information. The Spring Concert featured performances from the college Orchestra, Choir, Pop and Rock Band and Jazz Band, as well as a debut from the Staff Choir and some solo items. The programme included items from Bach and Mozart to Hendrix and Queen, well as some film and TV soundtracks. Mr Thomson said: “The students performed with courage and pride and I was incredibly proud of all of their contributions, at all levels, all demonstrating clear progress since the start of the year. Special thanks go out to all of the staff members involved, both on and off stage. Well done to all!”
Melbourn Village College celebrates its 60th anniversary this autumn — and we need your help. Did you attend Melbourn Village College? If so, do you have anything you made while you were there. We would love to hear the story of your ‘treasures’ be it from a woodwork, needlework or DT class or adult education or evening classes. Please do send us a picture too for the display we are planning. We also really want to hear from anybody who started at MVC on the day it opened. There were approximately 250 of you in September 1959 and although we are in touch with a few who attended the 50th anniversary celebrations, we’d love to hear from more of you. Also please let us know if you would be interested in attending a reunion/birthday party on the afternoon of September 27th. We have set up a dedicated email address for anything related to the last 60 years of MVC. Please do contact Vanessa Mann on mvc60years@gmail.com
TUNED IN: Performers at the Melbourn Spring Concert.
MVC’s birthday
Expanding repertoire
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MELBOURN VILLAGE COLLEGE
Spain trip is extended!
ENJOYING SPAIN: Students participated in a range of planned activities as well as the unexpected additional beach day (left).
Students and staff on the annual Year 8 trip to Spain got more than they bargained for — 48 hours more. The 45 12 and 13-year-olds plus staff were stuck in Bilbao for two days after their flight home was cancelled twice because of an air traffic controllers strike in France, which prevented them using French air space. This meant a late-night 13-taxi convoy to a traditional Basque hotel 45 minutes from the airport on the day they were due to come home followed by a fun day on the beach. “We managed to find a hotel to accept 50, but it was 45 minutes away,” said Deputy Principal Regina Lawrence, who was running the trip. “Fortunately, the hotel owner was wonderful. “We woke up to breath-taking views of the sea. We had a great day paddling, playing football and rock-pooling as well as a fantastic lunch at a beachfront restaurant where we were allowed to ‘camp’ all day.” Then it was back to the airport for a flight to England — only to find it was cancelled again. So it was off to another hotel, this time 1.5 hours away, arriving at 1.30 in the morning! After another impressive breakfast it was back to the airport where there was great delight to actually see the EasyJet plane on the ground. After an hour’s delay, they were en route to Manchester followed by a surprisingly easy Friday afternoon drive to Melbourn. “The students should be really proud of themselves. They coped really well and
Girls get a real buzz from translating
Two Year 8 students, Sophie Paterson and Grace Bristow-Hill, took part in the Spanish Translation Bee Regional Final at Queen Katharine Academy, in Peterborough. Both girls have been part of the Enrichment Activity offered to all Year 8 students since the beginning of this academic year. As part of a group competition, the girls successfully won through to proudly represent MVC. They had a fantastic time and enjoyed the venue very much, especially meeting students from different schools across the area. Sadly they did not go through the National Final after a competition in which participants had to translate as many sentences as possible — in the present, future and past tenses — in one minute. Sophie said: "The Translation Bee Competition was extremely fun. We went to the Queen Katharine Academy in Peterborough and had a tour of the school. All this time we had been getting more nervous by the minute. “We finished our tour at the library, where the Spanish Translation Bee was taking place. “The competition started and the speed of the fellow competitors was phenomenal! I had time for 10 minutes preparation in my head before I was called to translate. “It was extremely nerve-wracking. I was pleased afterwards to hear that I had made only one mistake throughout the minute I had to translate. “Then it was Grace's turn — she was so nervous she was shaking.
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will be stronger and more resilient as a result,” said Mrs Lawrence. “There were cheers as we arrived at The Moor. The students were fantastic.” José Herrera, the Spanish co-ordinator of the visit, added: “This experience was the most difficult and challenging set of circumstances in the time I’ve been organising trips for English students.” The annual visit, which sees the students stay in the northern Spanish town of Comillas, was a huge success, although the start was also eventful, with the plane detouring via Bordeaux to get an ill passenger to hospital before arriving in Santander. The students participated in Spanish lessons with native speakers as well as meeting up with students from a local school where they participated in either football or flamenco as well as preparing presentations in Spanish. In addition, the group enjoyed visits to the El Soplao caves, a trip into the mountains, complete with a mountain stew meal, a workshop at the Capricho de Gaudi, a visit to the medieval village of Santillana del Mar, where learning to make fire and tasting paella were among the activities, a day at the Cabárceno Wildlife Park with an amazing birds of prey show, and a treasure hunt where students had to use their speaking skills to ask local people for information. Of course, there was time to sample chocolate with churros — a favourite — ice creams on the beach and swimming in the hotel pool. “Despite the challenges at the end, it was a really brilliant trip and everyone enjoyed all the planned activities,” said Mrs Lawrence.
NERVE-WRACKING: For Translation Bee competitors
“I assured her she could do great, and she did. Unfortunately neither Grace nor I made it through the finals.”
Delights of the Far East
MELBOURN VILLAGE COLLEGE
The return leg of The Cam Academy Trust’s inaugural trip to China took place during the Easter holidays. Ten students from Melbourn and 19 from Comberton Village College were reunited with their exchange partners from the High School affiliated to the Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT) and spent eight days absorbing the culture of China in specially-arranged lessons, as well as seeing some of the amazing sights including The Great Wall, The Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Ming Tombs and the Capital Museum. Samuel Bream said: “My favourite part of the trip was living with my host family because I could see the difference between English family life and how a Chinese family lives.” Millie Conventon added: “I think the China trip was an amazing experience to not only visit tourist attractions, but to be able to experience day to day life in China.” Organiser Rachel Hawkes, the Trust’s Director of International Education, said: “Our first Chinese exchange could not have been more successful. We were very proud of all of our students, who made a real effort to use Chinese with their host families, and as a result made a lasting impression. Ben Woodrow gave a short speech in Chinese about MVC at the welcome ceremony in front of the whole school. “The Chinese teachers, students and their families were delighted with their first exchange, and are very keen to continue next year. The Easter trip followed the visit of 29 Chinese students just before February half-term.
Immersion in Chinese language and culture IMMERSION: In Chinese life as well as enjoying the tourist attractions in and around Beijing during the Trust’s inaugural exchange visit.
It’s been a very busy term for students on Melbourn’s accelerated Mandarin language programme. While those in Year 7 on the Mandarin Excellent Programme (MEP) enjoyed a week of activities based on the Chinese language and culture, 26 Year 8 students are just back from Melbourn’s first two-week trip to China, which is run as part of the programme. Their reward for studying Mandarin for four hours each week throughout the year was the chance to go on the heavily subsidised visit to Xi’an, one of the most culturally and historically interesting cities in China. Staying in the university, they not only studied the language with students from other MEP students from British schools, they also visited
local places of interest, including the Terracotta Army. Year 7 students enjoyed a MEP Activities Week, which included a very popular visit to China Town and the British Museum on the first day. That set the tone for the rest of the week as students attended a music festival and Chinese Arts Festival at an Anglo-European School, where they were also interested to discover how differently students there learn Mandarin. There were also plenty of cultural activities in college, including calligraphy and cooking Chinese food, which the students loved, with Reuben commenting: “I really enjoyed cooking because it was very practical, and we got to eat it,” and Riley saying: “I enjoyed the cooking the most as I got to make and eat different foods.”
China Town also made a big impression. “I particularly like China Town because we had lots of new experiences and I learned many things,” said Joseph. Emma added: “I really liked the MEP week because we got new experiences with the Chinese culture. “My favourite day was Monday because we went to China Town and had a delicious meal.” Lauren summed things up by saying: “MEP week was an exciting experience that meant we could explore the culture and understand more about the country. “One of my favourite experiences from the week was going to China Town; it was a great insight to what the streets of China would be like.”
ACTIVITIES WEEK: Included a trip to China Town and activities including calligraphy, Chinese cooking and crafts.
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Farewell to the old . . . MELBOURN VILLAGE COLLEGE
Melbourn Village College was transformed into ‘a night under the stars’ for the annual Year 11 Leavers’ Prom. Students arrived in style, with a range of transportation options from a vintage car to a motor tricycle, at the front of college to be greeted by hundreds of cheering spectators. They were served with ‘mocktails’ from a mobile bar, hired in for the occasion. The dining hall had been decorated with translucent drapes and lights to create a special ambience. After a dinner buffet including a beautiful cake and pick n mix, students enjoyed the annual awards and danced away the evening with a disco. Mr Holmes, Principal, said: “This was a fitting end to Year 11’s time with us. The hard work of the Year 11 prom committee and college staff paid off with an excellent evening which will linger long in the memory.” One teacher reported that she was told it was “way better than after Prom!”
. . . and in with the new
Students starting at Melbourn in September enjoyed an actionpacked Induction Day at the college. The 138 youngsters from Melbourn’s partner primary schools and beyond took part in a wide range of lessons including PE, Dance, Mandarin and Spanish as well as the core subjects of English, Maths and Science. Melbourn prefects guided the Year 6 students around the college campus and set a great example — demonstrating, kindness, high organisation and patience
throughout the day. Melbourn’s Head of PE and transition manager Kelly Coghlan said: “They were all very engaged and well-behaved and the ones I spoke to said they’d had a good day and were excited about starting at Melbourn in September.” Head of Music Johny Thomson, who will also be Head of the Year 7 next term, said: “The transition students were incredibly attentive, resilient and well behaved throughout the day and I look forward to working with them from September onward.”
NEW EXPERIENCES: Year 6 students get a first taste of lessons at MVC during Induction Day.
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CELEBRATION EVENING: Year 11 enjoyed ‘a night under the stars’ at their prom.
MELBOURN VILLAGE COLLEGE
Stunning art on display
ON DISPLAY: GCSE art students’ course work was on show in the exhibition space at The Plough, Shepreth, for three weeks.
The Plough at Shepreth hosted a Private View of students’ GCSE Art work, which was extremely well attended by the talented artists on show, their families, and friends. The class of 2019 showed serious creative and technical ability in their art work and sketchbooks. Their work showed the diversity of ideas and subject matter that interests young people today. The subjects ranged from the in-depth study of horses to reflections on the impact of war. Work was displayed stunningly by Jo Davis, of the Plough who has, over the past five years alongside all at The Plough, supported GCSE students, showcasing the students amazing work for the whole community to enjoy and view in a professional gallery space. The exhibition was open to the public until July 17th. Head of Art Sarah Heeks said: “The students’ creative, energised and diverse art work really is a credit to both their school and local community.”
Inspired by Turner prize nominee
To enrich students’ knowledge and understanding of art and to prepare them for their GCSE course in Sept, Year 9 potential GCSE Art students visited Kettle’s Yard Art Gallery. Included in the trip was an escorted tour of the exhibition of the work of artist Oscar Murillo by the Art Education Officer, a tour of Kettle’s Yard House with sketching, and a practical workshop led by an artist. Murillo, who has been nominated for the 2019 Turner Prize, was praised by the Turner Prize jury for the way he pushes the boundaries of materials, particularly in his paintings. His work incorporates a variety of techniques and media including painting, drawing, performance, sculpture and sound, often using recycled materials and fragments from his studio. Murillo’s work reflects on his own experience of displacement and the social fallout of globalisation. Head of Art Sarah Heeks said: “Kettles Yard is one of the outstanding contemporary art galleries of the world and we feel that this trip really enriched and extended the students understanding and appreciation of modern art. “We wanted students to engage in a workshop outside the confines of school and push their artistic limits. “We see it as both enriching for them artistically and culturally. Murillo’s work is very textured and exciting, so it really inspired students to experiment with painting/drawing and thinking about art. “The students were taken around the exhibition and house by an Art Education Officer and learnt how to analyse and discuss art. They also participated in a practical work shop run by an artist. “The students really enjoyed and felt inspired by their visit. Many thanks to all involved.” Back at Melbourn, students produced artwork in response to Murillo. They selected the theme earth. The background had paint and ink splashed, dripped and painted on. All students added their own ideas. The work was then left out in the rain to add raindrops to link it to nature. Mrs Heeks added: “It is about how we interact with and care for the earth. It was not pre-planned, but intuitive like the work of Murillo.”
INSPIRED: Students at Kettle’s Yard (above) and (left) the result of their introduction to the work of Oscar Murillo.
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Giving it their best shot Round-up of the latest news from the South Cambs SSP
There was plenty of sporting talent and Olympic spirit displayed as youngsters demonstrated their athletic prowess at the Cambridge University Sports Ground.
More than 1,600 seven and eight-year-olds from 46 primary schools took part in the South Cambs School Sports Partnership’s Year 4 Mini Olympics. The youngsters tried a range of different sports, all with an Olympic and Paralympic theme. In keeping with the Olympic theme, there was a colourful opening ceremony, complete with flags and banners made by the children. Special guest was former tennis professional Jade Windley, who represented Great Britain and won 19 professional titles as well as competing in the main draw of Wimbledon. Jade tried all sports and spoke of her love for events like the Mini Olympics when she was at school. She encouraged all the youngsters taking part to give it their best, telling them “you never know, today may be the start of your sporting journey.” A mass warm-up was led by dance leaders from Comberton Village College before partnership manager Claire McDonnell challenged the children to achieve their personal best while thinking about the Olympic values of determination, respect, self-belief and teamwork. The event was supported by Total Clothing who provided the children with brightly coloured T-shirts in the colours of the Olympic rings, the Rotary Club of Cambridge South, who helped with traffic flow and parking, and South Cambs District Council, who helped to fund the event. Ms McDonnell was delighted at how successful the event had been. “It was a fantastic day,” she said. “The children really enjoyed themselves and loved having a go at all the different sports. As usual the long jump and tug of war were the
HAVING A GO: Youngsters tried a range of sports.
firm favourites! There were no prizes; it was all about the children having a go and giving it their personal best and we hope we have inspired some of them to be more active and try different sports. “We couldn’t do it without the support of the local secondary schools, so many thanks to the staff and leaders from Impington, Cottenham, Swavesey, Comberton, Melbourn, Bassingbourn, Linton and Cambourne Village Colleges for organising all the activities and leading the children; offering them encouragement and support as they gave it their best.” Jade Windley commented, "It was a pleasure to be a part of this incredible event. I loved seeing so many young people taking part in different sporting activities! “Everyone had smiles on their faces and made the most of this amazing opportunity. For me, this is what sport is all about.”
County medals all round
Celebrating leaders LEADERS: Have shown great commitment.
The Year 10 sports leaders from this year’s South Cambs SSP Leadership Academy are coming to the end of their reign. We have marked this with a celebration event, awarding those leaders that have been the best and those that have improved the most. The winners this year from The Cam Academy Trust schools are: Felix Palmer – Best Comberton Leader Zara Wray – Best Cambourne Leader Emily Haydock – Best Melbourn Leader Cailen Craig – Most Improved Comberton Leader Ellie Thompson – Most Improved Cambourne Leader Alfie Pearl – Most Improved Melbourn Leader These leaders have put in hundreds of hours of their own time volunteering at school and community events as well as our own School Games competitions, which we wouldn’t be able to run without their commitment. We are often congratulated on the quality of our leaders at our competitions and at the community events they support. This shows how seriously they are taking their roles as leaders. In April we invited the current Year 9 ‘potential’ leaders to a conference at Comberton VC to let them know what is involved and give them opportunities to give it a go before committing to becoming a fully-fledged sports leader. These students have not disappointed; they have been amazing and volunteered for many events and are already proving to be another great, hard-working cohort of young people. It is fantastic to see so many young people volunteering their time and inspiring the younger children they lead.
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All four primary schools representing South Cambs in two athletics finals at the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough School Games finals came away with medals. Harston & Newton and Meldreth had qualified in the ‘Small Schools’ competition for schools with fewer than 120 pupils in Key Stage Two, while Bassingbourn and Histon & Impington represented the district in the ‘Big Schools’ section of the team competition. Five boys and five girls from each school competed in a 75m sprint, 600m run, long jump and a vortex howler throw with performances all scored to give a team totle. Harston & Newton, clear winners of the South Cambs championships, repeated the feat at the St Ives Outdoor Centre to add the Summer Games title to their collection, finishing ahead of Manea, with Meldreth third. Histon & Impington, who won the South Cambs title from holders Bassingbourn, found the placings reversed at St Ives as Bassingbourn took runnners-up spot behind Bottisham, with Histon & impington third. They did come away with the Year 3 and 4 tennis title, however, reversing the South Cambs placings to take the honours ahead of Harston & Newton. Meldreth also picked up a title. In an amazing result for a small school, they won the 20-team Year 5 and 6 hockey competition.
DIDN’T WE DO WELL: Harston & Newton’s quadkids (top left) winners and tennis runners-up (top right) with Meldreth’s hockey and quadkids medallists (left).
MELBOURN VILLAGE COLLEGE
MVC pick up four titles
Melbourn athletes had a successful day at the Olympic Cup, finishing with four titles and a host of rostrum finishes. Years 8s now have two Cambridge and District champions after Harriet Henry (200m) and Alan Plester (200m) both won their events, as did Year 7 George Munday at this first Olympic Cup (hurdles) and Emily Jelly in the Year 10 high jump. There were runners-up spots for Year 7s Annabelle Helme (100m) and Kerian Le Strat (discus), Year 8s
Abigail Rickles (long jump), Daisy King (Hurdles), Lara Haslam (300m), Henry Kay (javelin), Tom Ormsby (300m), Year 9 Gethin Rogers (triple jump) and Year 10 Amber McCarthy (hurdles) and Louise Hawditt (long jump). Josh McMurrough (Year 7 800m), Alfie Clarke (Year 8 1500m), Daisy Adam (Year 8 1500m), Henry Silver (Year 8 800m) Alex Dunlop (Year 9 300m) Dexter Todd (Year 9 hurdles), Harry Hiscock (Year 9 800m), Oscar Willers (Year 9 long jump) and Murphy
Leading the way . . .
Sixteen Melbourn sports leaders attended to the annual Year 4 Mini Olympics at the Cambridge University Athletics ground. There were 1400 students from primary schools across South Cambridgeshire and 140 sports leaders from secondary schools. Melbourn students put the youngsters through their paces in the hockey and tennis activities, where they placed them into groups, gave them instructions on how to take part in the games and gave them lots of encouragement to succeed. In total they led 16 different groups throughout a very rewarding, but tiring day.
Watters (Year 10 100m) all finished third in their events. There was also a second-place finish for the Year 7 boys’ relay team and thirds for the Year 7 girls, Year 8 girls and Year 8 boys. Overall Melbourn came fifth in the nine-school event won by Chesterton Community College, with the Year 8 girls finishing as the most successful year group, taking runners-up spot.
HELP ON HAND: Leaders at the year 4 MiniOlympics.
Daisy’s national date Runners star in charity race
DEMO: At the tennis.
Daisy Moxham will compete against the best in the country in her age group at two swimming events this summer after success at the Eastern Region Swim Championships. The Year 9 student will be part of a relay team at the British Summer Championships in Glasgow this month and will also compete at the English Nationals in Sheffield in August. Her qualification came after she won gold as part of the 200m freestyle relay team, then silver and bronze in the individual 200m and 100m freestyle respectively.
Three Melbourn Village College students were among the top five finishers of the annual 5km run in aid of Tom’s Trust in Thriplow. Gethin Rogers and Sammy Bream (Year 9) and Matt Pinney (Year 11) were all in the 11-16 age group but still secured top five finishes overall. Younger students, Year 7 Jan Steuber and Year 8 Esther Van de Weyer missed out on the placings but both ran excellent races. Tom’s Trust is a local charity which provides psychological support for children with brain tumours and their families.
Girls step up to win
Year 8 girls Harriet Henry and Ruby Want helped Cambridge City to glory in the final of the Futsal Cup football tournament at St George’s Park, home of England football. Playing a year up, the girls were part of the under-14 team who beat Plymouth Aspire in a physical final. The win came after City had won local and regional futsal tournaments.
In the medals
Congratulations to Keira Wilmott, Olivia Cooper and Amber McCarthy, who competed in the South Cambs Schools Gymnastics Competition. Amber won the KS4 Elite competition and Olivia came second in the KS3 novice.
BEST FEET FORWARD: Melbourn’s runners at theTom’s Trust race.
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MELBOURN VILLAGE COLLEGE
MELBOURN
SPORTS CENTRE news )RU WKRVH RI \RX ZKR GRQ¶W DOUHDG\ NQRZ ZH KDYH A state-of-the-art fitness suite offering a variety of membership schemes A 20-metre swimming pool (kept ever so slightly warmer than most!) A comprehensive swimming lesson programme, catering for all ages and abilities Upgraded multisports courts for hire including tennis, football and squash courts Water sports courses and activities Traditional and modern exercise classes Access to Melbourn Village College sports hall and gymnasium for activities such as trampolining, badminton and basketball ƒ Supervised sports and pool parties JULY / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER ƒ ƒ ƒ ƒ ƒ ƒ ƒ
We have loads on offer this Summer and early Autumn, with something for the whole community to get involved ZLWK« So why not come along and find out more about your local sports centre! KIDS ACTIVITIES With the summer holidays fast approaching LW¶V QRW WRR HDUO\ RU WRR ODWH WR VWDUW SODQQLQJ \RXU VXPPHU VSRUts. We have a variety of activities to choose from, including our Ofsted Registered Playscheme (The Kidz Factor), Trampoline Tasters and Crash Courses, Sport Taster Sessions and Swimming Crash Course. Also available are our ver\ SRSXODU &KLOGUHQ¶V 3HQWDWKlon and Sport Camps (Weekly Sports Camps), always a fun way to try out both mainstream and specialist activities.
GET FIT AND KEEP HEALTHY! With the summer fast approaching, why not let us help you shape up before your summer holidays? We have loads of classes to keep you fit and healthy, including Aqua Fit, Boot Camp and Body Sculpture. Or why not take advantage of one of our great membership schemes to our fitness suite, which houses the latest in gymnasium equipment, including C.V machines fitted with audio visual technology.
PARTY TIME!
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SWIMMING LESSONS We still have plenty of spaces on our pre-school lessons and intermediate/advance lessons, so for more details or to book a place then please contact Robbie or Graham on 01763 263313. Other activities on offer this Summer and Autumn include: ƒ A range of exercise classes & courses including Pilates, Swim-Clinic (pool training session), Duathlon (triathlon training), Boogie Bounce (Booked externally) / Indoor and Outdoor Court Hire For further details on these or any other activities, please drop in, call 01763 263313 or go online at www.mc-sport.co.uk We look forward to seeing you soon.
ACTIVITIES FOR TEENAGERS AND YOUNG ADULTS
TEEN TRAINING An hour fitness session using our fitness suite machines Age range: 14 years upwards Date: Monday ± Fridays / 15.00 ± 16.30 & Weekends /14.00 ± 15.00 / Price: £2.50 per session/10 sessions for £20.00 TRAMPOLINE COURSE This course is a great way to introduce your child into this fun and energetic sport. Start to learn all the basics including twists, shapes and drops!
Mondays 16.00 ± 17.00 (4 ‰ - 7 years); 17.00 ± 18.00 (7-10 years); 18.00 ± 19.00 (10 ± 16 years); Price: £5.00 - £6.00 per session (booked on a term basis)
PLUS: SWIMMING LESSONS / LIFEGUARD COURSES / TENNIS COACHING / TABLE TENNIS / BADMINTON PILATES / TRIATHLON SESSIONS / TENNIS COACHING / SQUASH AND MUCH MORE! & &KLOGU &KLOG &KLO &KL &KLOGUHQ·V 6X &KLOGUHQ·V 6 &KLOGUHQ·V &KLOGUH &KLOGUHQ·V 6XPPHU +R &KLOGUHQ·V 6XPPHU &KLOGUHQ·V 6XPPHU &KLOGUHQ·V 6XPPH &KLOGUHQ·V 6XPP &KLOGUHQ·V 6XP &KLOGUHQ·V 6XPPHU +ROLGD &KLOGUHQ·V 6XPPHU +ROL &KLOGUHQ·V 6XPPHU +ROLGD\ 3URJUDPPH &KLOGUHQ·V 6XPPHU +RO &KLOGUHQ·V 6XPPHU +ROLGD\ 3U &KLOGUHQ·V 6XPPHU +ROLGD\ 3 &KLOGUHQ·V 6XPPHU +ROLGD\ &KLOGUHQ·V 6XPPHU +ROLGD\ 3URJ &KLOGUHQ·V 6XPPHU +ROLGD\ 3URJU &KLOGUHQ·V 6XPPHU +ROLGD\ 3URJUDPP &KLOGUHQ·V 6XPPHU +ROLGD\ 3URJUDP &KLOGUHQ·V 6XPPHU +ROLGD\ 3URJUD K SUMM SUM SU SUMMER PENTATHLON PENTAT PENTATHL PENTATHLO & SPORTS SP SPO S C CAM CAMPS
These Sports Camp are an ideal way to introduce your child into sport. With different activities on offer there is something for everyone whatever your ability.
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Let us entertain your child this Summer! :H·OO DPXVH encourage and tire them in a fun packed day(s) of activities that will include: Trampoline, Art & Crafts, Games, Dry Sports & Swimming.
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For more details on all of our summer programme then please visit our website www.mc-sport.co.uk or contact reception on 01763 263313 or email info@mc-sport.co.uk
Melbourn Sports Centre, The Village College, The Moor, Melbourn, Royston, Hertfordshire, SG8 6EF
01763 263313 / www.mc-sport.co.uk / info@mc-sport.co.uk
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