MVC NEWS
The News Magazine of Melbourn Village College, an Academy of the Comberton Academy Trust
More GCSE art work — Page 6
Wheely good news
ON THE ROAD: Melbourn’s new minibus.
The whole community is set to benefit from Melbourn Village College’s new top-of-the-range minibus. The 64-plate Ford Transit, with full Melbourn livery, was recently delivered to the college as part of a two-year lease deal secured through its membership of the Comberton Academy Trust. A similar bus has also been secured for the new secondary school at Cambourne, which along with Comberton Villabge College and The Voyager Academy make up the schools in the Trust. The new-model Ford Transit minibus replaces the 1997 vehicle which was traded in for £1,500! Melbourn Principal Simon Holmes said: “It’s fantastic to have this new minibus which will not only benefit our students, but the pupils from our feeder primaries and local community groups as well.”
Why we back homes plan Melbourn’s Principal says the propsal for 200 new homes in the village would benefit all the college’s students. And while Simon Holmes sympathises with local residents, the majority of whom oppose the plans, he said the college would not be acting in the students’ best interests by responding negatively. He believes that the development would potentially increase the number of students at the college – and that crucially this would benefit those already there. However, nearly 1,500 residents – 86% of those who responded - opposed the major development off New Road, in response to a public consultation. Mr Holmes said: “There has been some misinformation concerning the college in that people were saying that we are full, which we are not. “The college is funded according to the number of
students. Put simply, each additional student brings £4,000 of funding per year to the college. If, for example, an additional four children came into our Year 7, the classes would increase by one each, and yet would still be in the low 20s on average. Since no extra teachers would be needed there would be very little additional cost to the college. “Therefore, the additional £16,000 would benefit all the students, new and existing. If this were replicated across the college then the additional income and benefit for existing students could be significant with no detriment to their education. Whilst I fully understand the concerns and views of Melbourn residents our first responsibility is to our students and having been asked to take part in the consultation, the college must therefore support a development which would benefit them.”
SUPPORT: Simon Holmes believes new housing in Melbourn would benefit the college’s existing students.
Former students look at MVC through lens The finishing touches are being made to two teachers who taught me by their first names. new films for Melbourn Village College. Being allowed in the staff room was weird A short insight into life at college should be too. available to view on the website “But it’s also been really good filming in a www.mvc.org.uk before Christmas while an school for the first time. The buildings are extended version to show to parents, pupils easy to make look good and the lessons we and prospective pupils and on the screens have filmed have been interesting and around the school will be up and running in interactive. the new year. “We like doing different films and we’ve Both films are being made by two former enjoyed being at Melbourn. We’d definitely Melbourn students, Rachel Clarkstone and like to do more films in schools.” Tom Norris, who, with Jack Joy from Harlow, Jack, 22, who attended Cambridge Regional set up As A Button Productions in Shrepreth College, added: “It’s not that long since we’ve two years ago. been at school so we haven’t forgotten what It is their first venture into educational filmit’s like and can still relate to the pupils, making although they have worked on especially Rachel and Tom as they were at LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION: The making of Melbourn’s new Melbourn.” projects such at the UK Festival Awards – video. which involved filming at both the Leeds and The trio are hoping their film will lead to Latitude festivals – and for major company, Greenwich Leisure among others. further work at the other academies in the Comberton Academy Trust, of which Tom, now 24, said: “For me the strangest thing has been going back and calling Melbourn is a member, as well as other schools in the area.
Inside this Issue q Caring and Sharing — Page 3 q Chain Reaction — Page 3 q Better Together — Page 5 q Primary Pupils Travel Back in Time — Page 5 q Spreading Christmas Cheer — Page 6 2
q Flower Power — Page 6 q A Celebration of Ages — Page 8 q Record-breakers Back — Page 7 q The Art of Success — Page 8 q Global Outlook is Key — Page 9 q Deeper look at Maths and Puzzles — Page 10
q ACTivities — Page 11 q CAT News — Page 12 q Looking into William’s Rule — Page 13 q q SCSSP Update — Page 14 q Sports Round-up — Page 16 MVC News
Caring and sharing . . . The Comberton Academy Trust is one of only 7 groups of schools nationally that have been working with educational experts at the Centre for British Teaching (CfBT) in co-creating and piloting a school-based peer review system. CfBT have used their extensive experience of the educational sector and international research to develop a framework for reviews which schools will be able to purchase in the future. The criteria used align with OFSTED where relevant, but extend beyond this in terms of the aspects which contribute to successful education. As one of the original pilot organisations, CAT senior staff have contributed to that framework and received training as peer reviewers. Over the past year teams of Senior managers, each led by a Head of School, have visited each CAT school and conducted a review of various aspects of their practice. Evidence has been gathered from a range of sources including exam data, lesson observations, meetings with staff and students. OFSTED standard criteria have been used to feed back findings to staff and Governors and the whole process has been extremely valuable in moving all the schools forward with schools offering support to each other in their own areas of expertise. In addition to the benefits for the school being reviewed, the experience of finding out about how a
CLAIRE COATES: The Cambourne Head of School led the team visiting Melbourn. school works has led to each team taking back ideas to their own school. For example, MVC’s effective use of Go4Schools in providing assessment data to parents and the way that SEN provision and intervention is mapped have led to these systems being adopted at other Trust schools. MVC has also benefited in a similar way, with senior staff bringing back ideas from the reviews of the other schools. MVC had their review in October and found the whole
experience particularly useful. The visiting team, led by Cambourne Head of School Claire Coates and assisted by senior staff from Voyager and Comberton spent two days at the college. Their report, presented to Governors at the college, confirmed the high quality of provision in areas such as English and Maths and the positive views of the students. The report stated that: “Members of the pupil panel, and all other students spoken with, are proud of their school and very loyal in the way they present it to visitors. “The pupils spoken with appreciate the range of cultural and sporting opportunities that are on offer to them.” The team were also impressed by the strength of community evident within the college: “In the assembly viewed, and through conversations with staff and students, it is clear that MVC has strong moral purpose. “Students report that there is very little bullying and that ‘this is a very caring school.’ “Support systems for students are strong and wellplanned; vulnerable students are cared for very well.” Melbourn Principal Simon Holmes said: “The major difference for me between this review and an OFSTED visit is the feeling of co-operation and support. “Difficult and challenging questions were, quite rightly, asked, but at the end of the process there is a willingness to work together to help move the college forwards. “This sense of mutual support is one of the main benefits of joining the Trust.”
MVC students set off a chain reaction Students from Melbourn started a chain reaction big day where each school’s link in the chain is Nobody minded too much as they had all enjoyed around the Cambridge Guildhall in the name of building it – and it marked a successful farewell set off by the previous one and each offering is science and technology. for Science Technician Mandy Curtis, who has judged. Although the judges were impressed by The Year 7 and 8 members of the college’s run the weekly club for the past four years. the Melbourn build, it didn’t win. @STEMClubMVC (Science, She has now moved on to the Cambridge Technology, Engineering and Science Centre, a link which came about Maths) were competing in the through her involvement with STEM club annual Chain Reaction at Melbourn. competition – and this year it was “Over the last few years, we have taken Melbourn’s creation that the part in several competitions, attended the Mayor of Cambridge used to start Big Bang fair at Duxford, carried out the ball rolling. investigations into the effectiveness of The pupils had spent weeks hand washes, the effect of different fizzy discussing and building their part drinks on mentoes and used chocolate to of the machine, deciding whether measure the speed of light, and much Newton’s Cradle or a swinging more!” she said. “I have thoroughly ball would be the best start, enjoyed it and I think the students have, whether to incorporate a marble too. run and whether squash balls “It is with very mixed emotions that I have would stay on their runners long left MVC to work more days at the enough to counter-balance the Science Centre, but I will always look bung balanced on the see-saw. back on my time at MVC, and especially It all came together in time for the FIRST LINK IN THE CHAIN: Melbourn students with their creation. STEM club, with great fondness.”
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LEARNING FRENCH: Foxton pupils with Veronique Sanders.
Better together Primary School pupils and Melbourn Village College are benefitting from a range of new links across the curriculum. Staff organised by the college are working with students at a number of Melbourn’s feeder primaries in art, maths and French as well as many PE opportunities through the South Cambs School Sport Partnership (see Page 11). At Hauxton and Barrington, art teacher Nick Juett has been using a variety of techniques to enthuse pupils and has reported that the knowledge he has gained is helping shape the Melbourn curriculum. Rhian Bateman, who has a Year 5/6 class at Hauxton, said: “ACTIONart has already inspired the children in my class to produce some excellent pieces of art. “The children enjoyed the challenge to engage with a task initially designed for Year 9 students at Melbourn. “The children loved meeting a ‘real’ artist and are enthusiastic about our upcoming projects. “As a teacher in a local priamry school, it is great to develop this link with MVC and it has provided the opportunity to plan class and whole school projects with an aexperienced artist and art teacher.” It is a similar story for languages where Veronique Sanders is helping Fowlmere, Foxton and Barrington
meet the now-compulsory requirement of teaching a foreign language in primary school. In a venture funded jointly by Melbourn and the primaries involved, she is teaching French in all three schools on a weekly basis. Barrington are also among the schools whose most able mathematicians are being stretched by extra sessions in an other Melbourn-led initiative called ‘Explore Maths’. Sue Southward, who works for the Comberton Academy Trust, is also helping push the boundaries at Harston & Newton, Melbourn, Thriplow, Hauxton and Meldreth. She has been working mainly with Year 6, but also some Year 5, on problem-solving and investigation. Some of the solutions the children have come up with have been sent to the NRICH website, run by Cambirdge University and they are waiting to see if they will be put on-line. WORKS IN PROGRESS: Youngsters involved Currently each school get a block of three one-hour in ACTion Art get their creative juices weekly visits twice a year and there are plans to flowing. invite all those involved to a special event at get a better experience as we know the areas they Melbourn in the summer term. have already covered. “ Melbourn Principal Simon Holmes said: “We are Other feeder primaries wanting to get involved with any learning which areas the primaries are strong in and of these initiatives are invited to contact Mr Holmes at we are adapting our curriculums accordingly. Having MVC. involvement at primary level means our Year 7s will
Primary pupils travel back in time . . . Around 130 youngsters were transported back in time for a taste of life 50 years ago. The nine and 10-year-olds from Melbourn’s feeder primary schools spent a day at the college for a themed 1950s event. The event was spread over two days to accommodate all the Year 5 children from Melbourn, Meldreth, Barrington, Harston and Newton, Hauxton, Fowlmere and Foxton primary schools. They looked at rock and roll and jazz while working in the dance and music departments, while drama were focusing on key events of the 1950’s, including sweet rationing, Sir Edmund Hilary’s Everest conquest and the Queen’s coronation. The art activity was based on the artist Victor Vasarely and the Art Movement Op Art. The pupils worked with watercolours and had the opportunity to design their own example of Op Art. Half the children attended on each of two days, but after the final day all were invited to perform and show off their work at a special gala evening for
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FOCUS: Year 5 students concentrating. parents. Melbourn’s Primary Co-Ordinator, Kelly Coghlan,
said: “All the pupils were fantastic and a credit to their primary schools, parents and themselves. For most, this was their first time experiencing a secondary school environment, but this didn’t seem to faze them. “The step up to a secondary education is often a daunting one, but days like this can make that process easier. It was great to give these young pupils a taste of secondary education and the great opportunities that will be provided to them. “Melbourn is a school that takes pride in knowing each of its students and events like this are vital in starting off that learning process, and connection between school and student.” The successful Year 5 event followed on from a well-received Year 4 day earlier in the term where youngsters from the same schools took part in a range of activities including creating a mood board based on a popular William Blake poem, an introduction to algebra and learning how to greet each other in a variety of languages.
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Spreading Xmas cheer Melbourn students have helped to bring Christmas cheer to families and the elderly in some of the poorest corners of Europe. The school joined forces for the first time with Link To Hope, a charity which initially worked only in Romania, but is now committed to rebuilding lives and communities in Moldova, Albania and Ukraine as well. Staff and pupils collected more than 30 shoeboxes not just for children, as another high-profile charity does, but for families and elderly people, who are increasingly being left alone as their children move to try to find work. Family shoeboxes are given to those who often have to choose between buying food or fuel at Christmas with presents a low priority or distant dream. Many of these families do not have running water, heating or electricity and the whole family lives in one or two rooms. These boxes include toiletries (including liquids up to 300ml), sweets and chocolate, games and toys, solar powered and wind-up calculators, toches etc, first aid, sewing and small tool kits as well as hats, scarves and gloves. Elderly shoeboxes are similar but target the older generation with suggestions including candles, reading glasses playing cards and dominoes and sensory items like a small wind chime. “We wanted our students to think about the whole community, not just one section of it, which is why we liked the idea of helping Link To Hope,” said organiser Marta Gunner, the Head of Humanities at Melbourn. “This was an excellent start, and we are looking forward to next year where we are aiming to exceed this total” she said. “We would like to thank Country Gardens and the businesses within it who helped advertise and collect boxes for us as well as everybody who donated a box.”
BOXES OF HOPE: The shoeboxes full of gifts bound for Eastern Europe.
POPPIES IN PRODUCTION: Melbourn students and members of the Royal British Legion make poppies together.
Flower power! A commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War I was marked by a collaboration between Melbourn students and the Royal British Legion. A group of students, working in conjunction with the RBL, ensured more than 150 poppies adorned the Book of Remembrance table and lectern in All Saint’s Church, Melbourn, to mark the start of the Great War. Some students spent the day with the RBL creating poppies while others were made in Art, Citizenship and RE lessons. The poppies, painted, paper and knitted, were combined with those made by the RBL to create a display reminiscent of the Tower of London art. Marta Gunner, the teacher in charge of the charity projects, said: “There was a lovely community feel to this project with those students involved
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RED REMEMBRANCE: The poppies at St Andrew’s Church, Melbourn. working with the ladies’ division of the Royal British Legion. “And with the help of Miss Heeks in the Art Department, I feel the students really understood what we were commemorating.”
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PARTY TIME: Staff and students at the Boxing Day lunch.
A celebration of ages Christmas came early for more than 150 older people and students at MVC. In fact, it was a month early, which meant the latest Celebrating Ages meeting was this week’s Boxing Day lunch on Wednesday November 26! Celebrating Ages is a collaboration between the college’s Food Technology Department, catering staff, the ACT project and Melbourn Parish Council. Melbourn residents aged over 60 are able to put their names down for the get-togethers which take place two or three times a year. And once they have been to one, they receive a personal invitation to the next event.
Already this year they have had a World War I commemoration and a tea party and this week young and older got together for a traditional post-Christmas lunch. Students in Years 10 and 11 welcomed their guests and served cold cuts of meat, roast potatoes and bread and butter as well as mince pies made by pupils in food technology lessons and a miniature Christmas cake each. With backing from the Music Department, the afternoon was rounded off with community carolsinging. Ann Woods, Melbourn’s Head of Food technology,
said: “This is our first Boxing Day lunch but the third year we have been running this project with the Parish Council. “We try to have different themes so as well as the First World War one in the summer, we’ve had a cream tea and another time we had sandwiches and cakes on stands. “We can cater for around 160 villagers over the age of 60 and we are always fully booked.” Principal Simon Holmes said: “These events are a fantastic way of bringing our students and the local community together to share an experience and build understanding and respect.”
Record-breakers return FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD: D of E participants cook dinner on Trangia stoves.
Expedition is a success A dozen Melbourn students completed their assessed expedition for their Duke of Edinburgh bronze awards earlier this term. The Year 11 participants were the latest contingent from the college to benefit from Melbourn being part of the Comberton Academy Trust as they joined more than 150 Comberton Village College students on the expedition to the Chilterns in Buckinghamshire. Melbourn joined the Trust a year ago but joint DofE expeditions have been on-going for three years, allowing Melbourn students to participate alongside Comberton, who refuse to restrict the numbers who take part and offer free places to those on Free School Meals. The students were all bleary-eyed before they even started with their first night’s sleep constantly interrupted by a building alarm going off regularly throughout the night, but spirits were still high. After a rainy start on Saturday, Sunday’s weather was much nicer, and the students were pleased to start the second day of hiking if only to warm up. They were very relieved to limp (in some cases) up to the finishing point on Sunday, and they showed real strength of character to keep going all weekend under challenging conditions, which included cold rain, lack of sleep and some minor injuries. Amelie Bowers, one of the DoE co-ordinators at Melbourn, said: “They should definitely be feeling proud of their accomplishment, and should be congratulated too on their exemplary behaviour and attitude throughout the weekend. They are a real credit to Melbourn Village College and the Trust.”
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The Class of 2014 celebrated record achievements at their recent Presentation Evening. An impressive 76% of the year group achieved at least five A*-C grades, with progress rates in English and Maths both above 80%. Students received GCSE certificates and subject prizes to reward their hard work over the past five years. In a first for the college, the Governor’s prize for achievement was split three ways — Lucy Hanlon, Eliie Dixon and Mia Brown sharing the honour as all they swept the board with A*s in all their GCSEs. In his address to the year group, Principal Simon Holmes told the students to be proud of their achievements, but also to remember all the other skills they had learnt during their time at the college. To succeed, he told them they needed to: “work hard, think inside and outside the box, and know when to follow or rewrite the rules”, citing examples such as the Dyson Vacuum cleaner and the changing world of music formats, form vinyl through CD to virtual. The formal part of the evening ended with a celebration of the World Challenge trip to Ethiopia which a number of the year group undertook. An experience which, according to Mr Holmes, “had enormous value in shaping the young peoples’ lives but which could never be measured by raw exam results. It is these experiences and skills which will enable the students to succeed in whatever career or path their results open up.”
BACK TO SCHOOL: Former students return to collect their GCSE certificates.
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The art of success
MVC had a very creative GCSE exhibition in which the excellent work of MVC art students was displayed to both the moderator and the public. A selection of the work was then put on display at Melbourn Primary school. The work was both creative and skillful and represente the very best of Art students' creative output. As a school we take great pleasure in showing off the work of all individuals taking GCSE art and are very proud of all the students' hard work and dedication. Sarah Heeks, Art Teacher
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MVC News
Global outlook is key Melbourn are waiting to hear if they have achieved an International Schools Award for their multi-national work. The college has just applied for the Intermediate Certificate with a view to developing to full accreditation level over the next couple of years. Success for Melbourn and CambourneVillage College, who have also just applied, will mean all the academies of the Comberton Academy Trust will have some level of ISA accreditation as Comberton have the full level and Voyager were recently awarded Foundation level. Applicants have to evidence all the international work they undertake and there is no shortage at Melbourn. Possibly the more extensive is the on-going Common Territory project, the 5m Euro ACT initiative. This is an innovative cross-border collaboration between a dozen leading arts and education partners from France and England of which MVC is the only school. It has already enabled Melbourn students to go to the World War One battlefields and take part in a variety of musical concerts in France at no cost. Students were also present at a ceremony in Picardy where a new rose to commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of World War One was unveiled. A Rose of Peace is now growing a Melbourn. Melbourn’s languages department has established exchanges and visits with Modellschule and Gesamtschule, Bad Hersfeld, Germany and students have also undertaken immersion, as well as work experience trips to Cantabria, Spain in conjunction with Comberton. Melbourn also has a newly-developed link with the Collège Angèle Vannier in Brice-en-Coglès, near Rennes. In addition students have had the opportunity for other overseas visits to Ethiopia, Belguim and Austria, all of which can be evidenced to help with the award application. Assistant Principal, Regina Lawrence, herself a languages teacher, said: “At Melbourn Village College we expect every student to learn to take his or her place as a responsible citizen in our local and global society. As such, we are currently seeking to become an ‘International School’. This is a highly regarded achievement and would be in recognition of the wide variety of opportunities open to the students.”
INTERNATIONAL TRIPS: To Ethiopia (above) and the World War One battlefield are evidence of Melbourn’s global outlook.
Solving puzzles with a little ‘magic’
A deeper look into maths Able mathematicians from Melbourn have been flocking to lessons on Saturdays this term. An unprecedented number of Gifted and Talented students in Year 8 have attended Saturday morning lectures run by the Royal Institute at the University of Cambridge. Topics have ranged from chaos theory, origami and the mathematics of music. Head of maths John Holder said: “These sessions enrich students’ understanding and appreciation of the wider applications of the subject and I hope will stimulate them to want to study maths at a higher level.” Melbourn have also been running a Year 7 Booster Maths Project for Year 7 and it will continue tthis school year to provide a little extra support for students aiming to improve their core maths skills. Mr Holder said: “Thank you to all the Year 7 students taking part in this programme. Thank you also to their Year 11 buddies for helping out. “This project will continue throughout the year providing a little extra support for our Year 7 students; hopefully to enable them to accelerate their progress.
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TEA AND PUZZLES: Teamwork is key to finding the solution. Earlier this term the Mathematics Department hosted an evening with the Happy Puzzle Company for students in Years 6-8 and their parents. During the session participants were shown optical illusions, magic ‘tricks’ with handcuffs, and had the opportunity to tackle a number of
challenging puzzles. Finally they were shown how to balance 12 regular nails on top of a single nail mounted on a plinth. Quite some feat. All those who attended had a very enjoyable time and we look forward to hosting a similar event in the future.
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INTO THE LIGHT: Students at Tine Bech’s lighting design workshop at Comberton.
Animals went in two by two joinfour Southend YMCA young people as The Gossips, as well as professionals opera singers as Noah and Mrs Noah. Musicians from the Orchestre de Picardie, one of the lead partners in the ACT project, will be joined by a French youth orchestra. The South Cambridgeshire students, The 27 Melbourn pupils along with 17 aged 10-15, will spend a week in from Foxton, Harston & Newton and France in early January at the end of Hauxton Primary Schools are making which Noye’s Fludde will be performed up the cast of animals going into in Amiens and Compiegne. Noah’s ark. They will be joining The English performances will take French counterparts to perform place at Comberton Sports and Arts Noye’s Fludde, a one-act Benjamin Performance Hall – Britten was keen HEAD Britten opera written largely for that performances should be held in START: amateurs, especially children. halls and community spaces – in early Foxton It is due to be performed in two March. Primary countries next year as part of the ACT Following auditions in the autumn, the School project, an innovative cross-border English cast spent their first rehearsals pupils cultural heritage and educational experiencing workshops with both the work on exchange programme between 12 director, Amy Lane, and lighting their headarts and education partners from designer Tine Bech, from the dresses. France and England and backed by University of Creative Arts. the European Regional Development Fund. The children are also making their animal headdresses and are working with The opera, based on the biblical story of Noah, the ark and flood, will see six another ACT partner, the Royal Opera House Education Team, to help realise the soloists from Melbourn and taking roles as Noah’s sons and their wives. They will designs. Bryony Graham, Melbourn VC’s Arts Development Manager, said: “The ACT project is truly an amazing project that Melbourn Village College is immensely proud Musicians from two French to be part of. orchestras were at Melbourn this “Putting the idea of community at the heart of term performing to the the project we and our partners are interested community and working with in learning with and from each other about our students at the college. differences and similarities, exploring our culture and heritage together and using the The strings sections of the arts to create inspiring shared experiences for Orchestre de Picardie and the all involved. Orchestre Symphonique de “Being involved in the ACT project’s Bretagne presented an evening production of Noye’s Fludde is set to be an of chamber music at the college extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime experience for in November in a free concert. many of our students. Guests were treated to “There is a lot of hard work to be done by Mendelssohn’s String quartet No everyone, it is exciting and inspiring to learn 2 in B flat major Opus 87 and together in this way – this is partnership Mozart’s string quartet No 4 in G working at its best.” Minor K516. For more information on about Melbourn They also gave special Village College and the ACT project visit performances to various groups www.mvc.org.uk/ACT-A-Common-Territory or of students throughout the http://act-acommonterritory.eu/ EXCLUSIVE CONCERT: For Melbourn Village College students. school.
Rehearsals are under way for an ambitious international performance of a Benjamin Britten opera – starring students from Melbourn Village College and three of its feeder primary schools.
French musicians share their work
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A symbol of identity The Comberton Academy Trust has a new logo to start the new year. It has been designed by Comberton’s Head of Art and Design Greg Dean, who also designed the logo for Cambourne Village College, Comberton Sixth Form and Voyager Sixth Form as well as revamping Comberton’s logo. He explained: “When the Comberton Academy Trust began I received an email that asked me to stick the school logo next to the name. By lunchtime! “This rather hasty logo stood for a while and was appropriate given that the first schools to become part of the Trust were very much 'Comberton'. “As the Trust grew however, it became clear that simply having the CVC logo next to the name was less appropriate due to the evolving relationship of the Trust and its schools. “ The new logo aims to provide a flavour of the Comberton brand while also projecting some different values. The three heads are now overlapped and reshaped into crescents, hopefully reminiscent of both the Comberton Sixth Form and Cambourne logos. “The position of this new shape is placed to suggest sails along the top of the logo.
This provides the idea of the movement and direction that the Trust provides. The position also suggests the over-arching nature of the Trust. “The logo has been through many designs over the last few weeks but we have finally ended up with something that everyone appears to be happy with. Luckily I hadn’t agreed to finish this one by lunch!”
Working together
Moving on
Students from all four schools have been part of a new way of working together. It is designed to create the conditions for meaningful discussion and deep conversations, both by creating games to structure deep engagement in a marketplace of ideas and in the Space for Dialogue alternative to conference. At a series of cross-Trust events facilitated by URock Arts practitioners (dance theatre and creativity) young people experienced partnership working, co-creating a sustainable model to allow them to work out what the meaningful questions are, as well as find answers to the questions that are meaningful in their lives in school. Implicit in that is improving their confidence and risk-taking as they are being challenged beyond their comfort zones in new settings. This is being supported by Norfolk and Norwich Festival Bridge and the model is being used in schools across Norfolk. Students from the Trust are designing and running a student-led consultation event with health service, local authority and business leaders in Peterborough. There will be a chance for students from Trust schools to also roll this out, inviting students from their primary schools to participate in their own event. One participant said: “Head Teachers should know that students can take control of their learning and do it effectively. “Seminars and conferences like this are useful for building teamwork, life skills that can be transferable in the rest of your life.” Another commented: “When we work together we can create ‘life as a subject’ – students writing the curriculum,” while a third said: “Lessons with an octopus would be swimming, but how would you understand the teacher?”
Partnership Leader Rosalind Scott is leaving to pursue her political ambitions after four years in the Trust promoting inclusion and partnership working. She will continue to work with all four schools, coordinating schools-led partnership for school improvement and leadership development with the CfBT Education Trust. Rosalind would like to thank all staff, students and their families and say how much she has enjoyed all the opportunities and the joy of working together. She said: “I firmly believe a school is at the heart of its community and now I am ready to take on a different role in my local community, as a politician.” TEAMWORK IS KEY: Games with meaning for students from all the academies of the Comberton Academy Trust.
Trust ideas go global Rainbow Home and School is an anti-bullying initiative funded by the Fundamental Rights and Citizenship programme of the European Union. The best practice of Trust students in preventing bullying has been celebrated and acknowledged by in a conference in Brussels. Two films made by students were premiered to an audience of educators, activists and MEPs and the ideas are to be taken up across organisations from countries as varied as Bulgaria, Basque Country, Italy, Poland, Spain and the UK. Voyager Academy students have designed and started a programme
where students, families and school can really work together. They are taking their film and programme into the primary schools before transition. As one student remembered: “The first day it was like you were an ant, something small, and walking around with giants!” Comberton Village College shared their experience of Pupils’ Equal Opportunities Means Learning for Everyone, PEOPLE People, in peer support and restorative practice. Students explained their passion for equality and respect for diversity and difference.
NEW WHEELS: Cambourne’s minibus
Driving a hard bargain Two new top-of-the-range minibuses have just been delivered to the Comberton Academy Trust. The 64-plate 16-seat Ford Transits have been given the livery of Cambourne and Melbourn Village Colleges after Finance Manager Mark Norman secured a very attractive two-year lease deal for the new model. He even managed to get £1,500 for each of the old buses - Melbourn’s 1997 vehicle and a Comberton hand-me-down which has served Cambourne since it opened in September 2013.
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CENTRAL ROLE: Using a pipe cleaner ‘person’ to help voice feelings.
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Looking into William’s rule Year 7 have been studying King William II. Who is that? You might well ask - an obscure king to many and overshadowed by his famous father William the Conqueror but an interesting man in his own right and certainly an interesting point in England history. He ruled the nation from 1087 to 1100. Daniel Pattman found William II worth studying because he sent forces to deal with his brother Robert but didn’t kill him although his brother had plotted to take England from William then failed in the attempt. Megan Thrower commented: “William II was a really clever king who knew sneaky ways to win battles just like his dad, William of Normandy.” Millie Rowland felt that “I think William II is interesting because he went to war with his brother just to prove he was more important; that is the reason William the Conqueror left the crown of England to him.” Nick Taylor said: “William II was good at defeating his enemies and killed them very effectively.” Faith Crockford added:. “It was all battles it seems during his 13-year reign. William certainly had his father’s taste for warfare. His war with the Scots saw the death of King
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Malcolm III of Scotland whom he came to hate with a vengeance. “With his brother Robert of Normandy also under control no one else dared rebel against him. “Perhaps more controversially William II stole money from the church and this forced his archbishop to travel to Rome to seek an audience with Pope Urban II. During his absence William confiscated the archbishop’s lands and property. His reign ended with a hunting party in the New Forest. The king and a Norman knight, Walter Tirel, were alone when an arrow from Tirel’s bow struck William and killed him. Daniel Pattman felt this was most likely a deliberate act as it led to another member of the hunting party, William’s brother Henry, taking the throne as King Henry I a few days later. These were dangerous but interesting times and sometimes it’s those lesser known historical figures that are worth looking at. Faith Crockford, Daniel Pattman, Megan Thrower, Nick Taylor and Millie Rowland, Year 7 Historians.
WILLIAM II: A Norman king killed in the New Forest and the subject of Year 7 history studies.
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Round-up of the latest action from the South Cambs SSP
Ace coaches’ national call Four teenagers have been chosen for the Youth Sport Trust National Talent Camp 2014 at Loughborough University from 19-22 December. Liam Hunt, Harmony Hennessy and Laura Mott from Comberton Sixth Form and Jack Bevis, from Hills Road Sixth Form College, were chosen after being recognised as talented young coaches through their involvement in the County Young Coach Academy (CYCA) programme and the local Leadership academy programme before that. They have shown huge commitments to their sports of swimming, athletics and football undertaking countless hours of voluntary coaching in community clubs and demonstrating the drive to push themselves further. The National Talent Camp is a unique four -day residential , bringing together 350 of the most talented young athletes, coaches and officials from across England. The camp will see 200 coaches, 100 athletes, and 50 officials participate in a multisport, multi-role camp, to increase individual aspiration and ambition, and develop empathy.
CHOSEN: The Comberton Sixth Formers. Through the camp, young people will be stretched and challenged to be ambitious and achieve their sporting best. Claire McDonnell, Manager of the South Cambs SSP and the CYCA said, “I am absolutely delighted for them, it is such an exciting and unique opportunity. I would have loved to have had something like this when I was their age. They have
Coton top it
all put so much into their leadership, coaching and volunteering work over the last few years they utterly deserve this. I know they will have a great time, it will be four long and testing days but they will learn so much from it, it will definitely be worthwhile.” The Youth Sport Trust said: “Working with National Governing Bodies of Sport, sports coach UK and Sports Officials UK, the camp, which is funded by Sport England, and presented by Loughborough University, will offer our most promising young coaches, athletes and officials the opportunity to learn and share valuable experiences in their pursuit of sporting success. “The seven NGBs who will each have a range of young coaches, athletes, and officials representing them at the camp include athletics, boccia, cycling, football, swimming, table tennis and volleyball. Throughout the camp, young people will be actively encouraged to dream and be ambitious on where their talent can take them, develop a holistic view of their own performance and understand how they will deliver when they are back in the environment of their own sport.“
Change for good
The Change 4 Life club at Meridian Primary school is Coton Primary School claimed run before school on a Tuesday and has targeted a their place in the mix of children who lack a bit of self-confidence, who Cambridgeshire & Peterborough need help focusing , who can’t access other out-ofSainsbury’s School Games school sports or who are learning about teamwork. Spring Finals by winning the South Cambs SSP ‘Small A typical meeting sees the the children gather in the Schools’ tag rugby competition hall in their school uniform and trainers to do a warm Schools in the South Cambs area in some style. up, followed by some dynamic stretches to wake are celebrating after being awarded Their mixed team of Year 4, 5 their bodies up. They then discuss what exercise WINNERS: Coton pupils for their commitment to PE and and 6 pupils played five, and they had done in the previous week to help them school sport. won five matches, scoring 18 tries along the way. More than 250 become healthier. A homework task might be to try Ten schools have received School children took part in the event at Melbourn Village College with 10 and think of healthy food that they like. Games Mark accreditation as part of schools competing in the new ‘small schools’ competition, open to Games follow to increase heart rates and boost a national scheme run by the Youth schools with fewer than 120 pupils in Key Stage 2, and another 12 teamwork before a cool down and discussion about teams in the open competition. Both competitions were split into two the importance of stretching muscles after exercise. Sport Trust. Those schools that pools with teams playing each other and the winners of each group allocate two hours a week to Participants are those who wouldn’t necessarily mix progressing through to a final, which saw Coton edge Fowlmere 3-2. in the classroom or playground. Asked what they curriculum PE, demonstrate a high Both finalists will represent South Cambs at the Cambs and liked best about C4L, one said: “working together level of involvement in inter-school Peterborough Sainsbury’s School Games Spring Finals. with different children and becoming a team” All were competitions, develop young leaders In the open competition Steeple Morden beat Harston & Newton 6-2 to smiling and succeeding and it set them up for a and show a commitment to the reach the SSP finals on March 5 at Swavesey Village College. development of school sport across Organiser Claire McDonnell said: “It was a fantastic afternoon of rugby better day at school their school and into the community .Congratulations must go to all of the players who took part as well as If you would like to run a club in your school or would like to attend a deliverer’s workshop on January 8 are rewarded. the leaders from Melbourn Village College and Comberton Sixth Form 2015, 4-6:30pm at Comberton Village College, you who did a great job in officiating” Comberton Village College and can find further details here at www.scssp.co.uk Harston and Newton Primary School achieved the gold standard, with Melbourn Village College among A record number of primary schools from across South Schools FA under-11 football competition for small schools, those recognised with silver Cambridgeshire took part in the district round of the English girls’ teams and an open 7-a-side. accreditation. The competition, organised by South Cambs School Sports Claire McDonnell, manager of the Partnership, attracted 35 teams. In the small schools South Cambs School Sports competition, last year’s runners up Harston and Newton Partnership, said “I’m delighted that qualified from Pool 1 ahead of Meldreth and in the final they came up against Elsworth, who scored a’golden goal’ in extrathese schools have been recognised time to snatch victory. and rewarded for the commitment to Ten teams contested the girls’ competition with Histon & the development of PE and school Impington and Coton topping the groups. Last year’s county sport and I hope they will inspire champions from Histon edged a competitive final with a single more to apply for similar awards in goal to reach the county final for the second year running. the future. It’s fantastic that Harston Swavesey and Willingham made it to the final of the 13-team and Newton have been able to open event with the former winning 2-0. maintain the gold standard they The three winning schools now represent South Cambs in the achieved last year; they are one of a County Finals in January where they will compete against the handful of schools in the county to ON THE RUN: Action from Meridian (blue) other districts’ winners for the chance to reach the ESFA against Jeavons Wood. achieve this level of award.” regional finals.
On the mark
Three teams win through to county round
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District title for Year 9s LEARNING: Members of the Leadership Academy in training.
Leading the way
TOP TEAM: Melbourn’s Year 9 won the District title.
A last-minute converted try won Melbourn the Year 9 District rugby title. They beat Linton 14-12 to earn a place in the county championships, where they will now play Peterborough side Nene Park Academy in the first round. Melbourn, who had finished fourth and third in previous two years, took the honours after Dylan Miller’s last-gasp try, which Stuart Dingwall converted with the last kick of the game. The final had see-sawed with Harry Gee’s try, also converted by Dingwall,
giving Melbourn the lead. Linton levelled with a well-worked try down the wing then took the lead in the second half, scoring early but crucially missing the conversion. Then Dylan made the break and although he was tackled half a metre out, his managed to stretch his arm and the ball over the line to level the match. Stuart’s conversion sealed victory. Earlier Melbourn beat Netherhall then Parkside to set up a semi-final against Chesterton, who they beat 28-7 to seal their final spot.
The new cohort of sports leaders started their year with a conference at Comberton Village College with more than 60 sports leaders from other schools. They had an introductory meeting then went outside for practical sessions in netball, hockey, rugby and football so they could officiate in up-coming South Cambs School Sports Partnership (SCSSP) festivals. The sports leaders have also had opportunities to help the PE staff in lunchtime clubs and after school fixtures. They helped run Melbourn Primary school clubs and the SCSSP tag rugby festival. We have also run after-school
competitionsat MVC for High Five netball A teams and an indoor 5-aside football competition. The netball B-team competition had to be abandoned due to poor weather conditions. The LA will continue to help run, organise and officiate in many other events next term. They have made an excellent start to the year and have logged many volunteering hours on the on-line passport. Alderney Smith applied to be a Young Ambassador and represented Melbourn at the county conference at the end of term. Fiona Humphrey, PE Department
Hot competition for top spot Darwin and Franklin are neck and neck after this term’s inter-form sports competitions. After the cross-country, following competitions in hockey and rugby, Darwin, with 39, are just one point clear of Franklin after each house collected two victories. Year 7 and Year 10 went to Darwin with Franklin taking top spot in Years 8 and 9. Newton are currently third 10 points behind the leaders with Lewis a further four behind.
BATTLING IT OUT: Action from this term’s inter-form events.
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