MVC News Winter 2023

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The News Magazine of Melbourn Village College, an Academy of The Cam Academy Trust

A World of Wonder — Page 13

Winter 2023

MELBOURN VILLAGE COLLEGE

College has a facelift

NEW LOOK: Melbourn’s reception now has a modern, separate visitors’ area, a dedicated student window and an admin office that is fit for purpose.

More than £200,000 has been spent on upgrading Melbourn Village College in the last six months.

Staff and students returned in September to find a completely new reception area, adding order and security to the site as well as giving administrative staff a work space that is fit for purpose. servbuttery, which served the neighbouring Common Room, has been converted into a First Aid room, allowing unwell students to be much more closely monitored by trained staff working nearby.

The improved security through reception — visitors, part-time staff and members of the Trust now sign in electronically before being admitted — was part of a wholesale review of the previously open site.

Hundreds of metres of fencing have now been installed to ensure there is no public access to the school buildings except through the monitored front entrance, while still enabling visitors to reach the Sports Centre at all times. In half-term further improvements saw the resurfacing of the students’ entrance path.

The maths classrooms at the front of the school were redecorated in the summer and given new carpets as part of on-going upgrades which have seen around £1.5m spent across the site in the last couple of years.

Two years ago the full-size new 3G floodlit artificial pitch was close to completion

q Change for the Better — 3 q SLT Expands — 3 q Be part of MVC — 3 q Raising Aspirations — 4 q New Lead’s commitment — 4 q Remembering the Fallen — 4 q Warm Welcome — 5 q Plenty of Clubs — 5 q GCSE Results Impress— 6 q Prefects Already Busy — 6

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and work has continued at pace ever since, including revamping and upgrading the changing rooms and toilet facilities near the gym and in the Humanities block.

The Food and Nutrition teaching space has increased significantly with the old room, used for both teaching and practical work, now repurposed as a classroom with a demonstration desk.

An IT suite was converted to create a number of fully-equipped student kitchens and the offices between the classrooms have increased the available space to allow for a walk-in storage area and industrial refrigerator.

Computing has a modern, functional suite created by converting the under-used Seminar Room.

Across the site, catering has also been a focus with the school kitchens revamped to co-incide with new caterers, Caterlink, taking on the provision of snacks and lunches and giving them the ability to offer a greater choice.

Staff have also benefited with their dated, cluttered staffroom getting a muchneeded makeover. They now have a bright and welcoming room to work, meet and take a break.

In the GE Block a corridor has been removed to ensure all three classrooms are appropriate teaching spaces and all were revamped and updated, including added external access doors to two of them.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

q Uniform Changes — 6 q Top-rated Catering — 6 q Trust News — 7 q Students Speak Up — 8 q New Reading Scheme — 8 q Tom Jackson — 9 q Rapper and MP Agree — 9 q Duo join Mandarin Team — 10 q Students Prove Commitment — 10

IMPROVEMENTS: These include a new First Aid room, security fencing around the school buildings and a new entrance path for students.

q Panto delights Year 7 — 11 q Drone aces ‘Den’ — 11 q Poetry in two Tongues — 11 q Different Way to Learn — 12 q School’s Out for ‘Hedgy’ — 12 q Science Focus— 13 q SCSSP Round-up — 14 q Sport — 15 q Sports Centre — 16

Change for the better

MELBOURN VILLAGE COLLEGE

Young peoples’ futures and our desire to educate them, both this compared to October 2022. academically and socially, is what motivates all of the adults at I believe a great strength of MVC is our willingness to listen to our Melbourn Village College. students and parents. As a school we want to hear the views of We all want to give our students the best possible experiences in a others, finding out how our students learn best. The concerns safe environment, allowing them to grow as individiuals into the students currently have and how we can support parents to have a successful adults of the future. better understanding of their child’s schooling experience is key.

The activities reported in this newsletter clearly demonstrate the will For example, after listening to the responses of parents we are of staff to go beyond what is expected. Why? Because they know changing how we report their child’s academic progress on a termly that those students who take part in such activities benefit immensly. basis.

Melbourn Village College is changing (yes, we do recognise the I am determined that, no matter what our Ofsted report states, while GUIDING CHANGE: strongly addressing the issues raised, we will not forget that we want issues raised in the recently-published Ofsted report). We can now Christopher Bennet. to educate our young people into making the correct decisions for compare ourselves as a school to the school as it was in October 2022. themselves and others, and not to use the report as a reason to punish students.

For example, one significant shift has been the changes to the pastoral team, Please read this newsletter, which is filled with wonderful activities which our Heads of Year have double the amount of time for that role, with each year group amazing students have actively engaged with. If you would like to visit Melbourn having a dedicated non-teaching member of staff allocated. This has led to more Village College please do not hesitate to contact my PA, Mrs Barr students and parents responding positively to how the school addresses concerns (lbarr@melbournvc.org) that are raised, with a 27% increase in this October’s parents’ survey recognising Christopher Bennet, Executive Headteacher

SLT expands to take Melbourn forward NIKI SMITH: Head of School.

SEAN POLLOCK: New SENDCo.

Work is already under way to build a strong team to take Melbourn Village College forward and a number of staff have spent this term settling either into new roles or a completely new job after joining the school in September.

Christopher Bennet has been confirmed as Executive Head of both MVC and St Peter’s School in Huntingdon and each has now appointed a Head of School to work closely with him.

At Melbourn that is Niki Smith, who was appointed as Deputy Principal in 2020 after moving from her Assistant Principal role at partner Cam Academy Trust school Comberton Village College, following an initial one-year secondment.

The Senior Leadership Team has also increased in size with the arrival from Comberton of Assistant Head Teacher and SENDCo Sean Pollock as well as the appointment of four Associate Assistant Head Teachers (AAHT).

These members of staff have taken on additional responsibilities alongside their current roles, each with a specific focus.

Head of English Simon Luxton adds

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES: For new Associate Assistant Head Teachers (left to right) Beth Cooke, Simon Luxton, Kate King and Cat Nicholls.

Disadvantaged Students to his responsibilities alongside Reading and Literacy (he writes about his new role on Page 4), Beth Cooke, who also teaches English and Media, is the AAHT for Internal Assessment, another English teacher Kate King has an AAHT role focusing on Behaviour, and Cat Nichols, who teaches drama and is Head of Year 9, is the AAHT for Student Participation.

They join a leadership group which also includes Assistant Heads John Barnes and Euan Willder.

As well as the arrival of a new SENDCo, Melbourn has welcomed teachers in a number of departments.

These include three newcomers to Maths — Head of Department Moncef Fakhfakh, Darroch Allden and Ambreen Sajid. Kate Swann has joined the English Department, and Hayley Beck teaches Food & Nutrition, DT and Art. From October 1st there were also additional responsibilities for three further staff.

Ajay Belgrave has been tasked with improving the quality of tutor time by supporting the creation of resources and of the staff delivering information on subjects such as pro-social

NEW VENTURE: The first of the Trust’s four Recruitment Roadshows took place at Melbourn.

behaviour and British Values to different year groups with different levels of understanding.

Terence Brame is passionate about ensuring that students go on to the right setting for them after leaving Melbourn and that it is of appropriate quality. He has taken on a careers role to support the effectiveness of placing MVC students after Year 11 as he believes that students’ post-16 destinations are the most important measure of a school’s success.

Chloe Buckland has joined her fellow PE teachers Kelly Coghlan (Year 7) and Richard Barlow (Year 11) in taking on a Head of Year position, working with a new Year 10 team.

Melbourn has also recruited two new Teaching Assistants, Louise Lynch and Luke Higgs, a new administrator and lead first aider in Chloe-Diana Wombwell and receptionist Melissa Lawrence.

Chair of Governors Sue Williamson said: “We are delighted to have recruited some excellent new staff in a time of teacher shortages. We also want to develop all staff and it’s good that so many opportunities have been created for staff to lead on important developments.”

Be part of MVC

The Cam Academy Trust held its first Recruitment Roadshow this term to showcase the opportunities available across all the schools it oversees.

There were four days in October where prospective employees could visit one of four different venues in South Cambridgeshire and Huntingdon to chat to HR staff and find out more about the teaching and non-teaching roles available.

This included at Melbourn, where there are still some vacancies despite considerable recruitment over the summer. To find out if there’s a job for you, please go to https://www.melbournvc.org/contact-us/current-vacancies and for adverts across the Trust, visit https://www.catrust.co.uk/keyinformation/vacancies

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Raising aspirations MELBOURN VILLAGE COLLEGE

A trip into Cambridge for Years 10 and 11 proved so popular that the school ended up running a second visit.

The first visit for 16 students was planned around an invitation by The Leys School to attend a book reading and ‘meet the author’ event in early October.

The book is A Terrible Kindness by Jo Browning Wroe and students attending were provided with copies to read first and get signed by the author.

As that was an evening event, it was decided to add in a culturally enriching day in Cambridge —

designed to inspire students to reach the best academic outcomes possible and to give them an insight into student life at one of the world’s most famous universities.

They visited Selwyn College, one of the 31 colleges that make up the University of Cambridge, and also had a tour of the University Library, which houses more than eight million books, journals and papers from across the world.

They also visited the famous Heffers book shop and had dinner at a Cambridge pizza restaurant.

Due to the huge response from students, a further 25 were taken to Cambridge the following week for a similar experience but without the author.

Head of English Simon Luxton, who organised the visit, said: The students were a credit to themselves and the school throughout and have spoken to me to say how much they got from their trip. I would like to congratulate all the students on their behaviour and attitudes whilst on the trip; even asking to go into extra bookshops!”

New lead is committed to ‘levelling up’

TRYING CAMBRIDGE FOR SIZE: Students don the traditional gowns as well as looking round Selwyn College.

It has been my great pleasure to join the Senior Leadership Team to lead on ensuring the progress of disadvantaged and pupil premium students at Melbourn Village College.

It has been a busy time during which many exciting developments have taken place: l All disadvantaged students now have a strategy sheet which is filled in and discussed by teachers in order to share the most effective strategies in helping individual students make the best progress possible; both academically and pastorally. These strategy sheets will be sent home to parents to add for any extra information. l I have met all Year 7 disadvantaged students individually to discuss how they feel about school, what they would like us to know about them, including their interests and hobbies, and how they feel we can best support their learning. This will then be monitored by the teaching and learning team to ensure that teaching and pastoral staff know which

students come under this umbrella and have a secure knowledge of how they can best be supported. I am very much looking forward to meeting all the disadvantaged students in all other year groups and getting to know and work with them over the course of the academic year. l We have taken trips to Cambridge University and the University library for our Year 11 students, which included several disadvantaged pupils. l All Year 7 disadvantaged students have had the opportunity to visit the Science Museum in London with the rest of the year group (see Page 13).

It has been a privilege to begin to get to know this cohort of students better and to ensure that they have the strategies available to them to make the best progress possible.

I am looking forward to seeing their results throughout the year and in continuing to assist both students and parents in getting the very best from their time at school.

Simon Luxton

Remembering the fallen

Students held a commemoration event online on the Friday before Armistice Day to remember all those lost in conflict.

Head of Humanities James Stuart read the poem In Flanders Fields and then students stood in silence behind their chairs while the Last Post played.

Students in Year 7 especially were praised for their impeccable behaviour and respectful silence for the whole two minutes.

HELPING HAND: From new lead for disadvantaged and pupil premium students.

Learning for all

MOMENT OF REFLECTION: Year 7 observe two minutes’ silence.

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The Cam Academy Trust’s Adult Education programme wasdelighted to be back running classes from Melbourn Village College on Tuesday evenings this term.

The varied programme of courses included classes in pottery, watercolours, yoga and dance fitness.

For the spring term these classes will run again from January 16th, 2024, with the addition of a new five-week Indian Takeaway favourites cookery class.

If you wish to enrol, please email the adult education office on commed@catrust.co.uk

MELBOURN VILLAGE COLLEGE

Warm welcome to MVC

ICEBREAKER: Year 7 pupils get to know each other on the first day of term.

VISITING: Record numbers of families attended Melbourn’s Open Evening for prospective students.

Two different groups have been getting to know Melbourn Village College this term.

On September 5th, the new cohort of 136 Year 7s started secondary school life at the college with activities within tutor groups to help students get to know their classmates and feel more comfortable in a new situation.

They have now settled in well to the new routines and have been busy this term trying out the amazing variety of after-school activities and getting to grips with the latest technology and how it enhances learning after they were issued with personal iPads in mid-October.

Just a couple of weeks earlier, more than 200 families attended Melbourn’s annual Open Evening for prospective pupils and their parents.

The event for the Year 6 students from Melbourn’s partner primary schools and beyond was a huge success, with lots of activities and quiz questions to answer as visitors toured the facilities, met current pupils and staff, heard talks from Executive Headteacher Christopher Bennet and Cam Academy Trust Chief Executive Stephen Munday and sampled school meals, thanks to caterers Caterlink.

Mr Bennet said: “Many parents commented to me about the positive relationships which were overtly evident between staff and students.”

During the evening, MVC welcomed more than 230 families to our school, which must be one of the highest attendance at an open evening.

Two new clubs were added to the extensive opportunities for after-school enrichment and will continue next term.

Students in all year groups can join the Board Games Club, run by Mrs Stanley on a Monday, and/or the Journalism Club led by Mr Jackson, a former journalist, on Wednesday after school.

These are in addition to a wide range of sports, music and other activities on offer after the end of the school day on Mondays, Tuesdays and

Wednesdays.

Students can sign up for experiences as diverse as Minecraft club and sewing, as well as a variety of sports, band, choir, drama and opportunities such as creative writing and Warhammer modelling.

Those staying late can also access the free bus, which leaves the college at 4.10 and covers the majority of Melbourn’s catchment villages as well as Royston.

Plenty of clubs to pique students’ interest

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE: Melbourn offers a wide range of after-school activities three days a week.

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Prefects already busy in new roles

MELBOURN VILLAGE COLLEGE Melbourn’s new prefects wasted no time in making a mark in their first term in office.

Led by senior prefects Henry (11 Hawking) and Alice (11 Newton), the group of 12 have had a strong focus on charity.

They organised and ran a cake sale in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support, with the help of lots of delicious donations, and raised £144.

Then in the run-up to Remembrance Sunday last month, they visited tutor groups selling poppies in aid of the Royal British Legion.

The rest of the Year 11 prefect team comprises Baran (Franklin), Henry (Franklin), Yunus (Lewis), Maddie (Franklin), Alfie (Darwin), Ruby (Newton), Aliya (Newton), Sam (Hawking), Ruby (Darwin) and Max (Franklin).

GOING LIKE HOT CAKES: The prefects’ bake sale in full swing.

GCSE results impress

Executive Headteacher Christopher Bennet believes this summer’s GCSE results were the result of hard work and teamwork.

He said: “I am really impressed with the results that our students achieved this year, which show the potential of our students. They have clearly formed positive relationships with their staff.

“I am particularly impressed with how our students and staff have worked together to overcome the challenges they have experienced in recent years to

ensure that our students could confidently sit their examinations.

“Overall, the standards achieved by our students are at least the same as those gained in 2019.

“Therefore, despite the warnings we have received about standards being reset to pre-pandemic levels, our students have clearly demonstrated the success which they are capable of.

“In particular, the following subjects have achieved the following pass rates at grade 5 and above:

Statistics 100%, Art 86%, Mandarin 86%, Physics 86%, Chemistry 77% and PE 71%.

“These results clearly show the excellent outcomes that our students, supported by our staff, can achieve.

“The success of students demonstrates the improvements being made at Melbourn Village College, which are supporting our students to attain higher qualifications, giving them greater opportunities for the rest of their lives.”

Changes to help raise uniform standards

Changes to Melbourn’s uniform from September 2024 have been announced by Executive Headteacher Christopher Bennet.

Although standards are being more closely adhered to and expectations made very clear to students, he is still not satisfied.

Therefore from September 2024, a new tartan pattern skirt will replace the current black skirt for Years 7-10.

Those girls moving into Year 11 will be allowed to wear the existing black kneelength skirt.

The option of black tailored straight-leg trousers without external pockets or shorts still allowed for all students.

PE shorts with the current woven verticalstriped pattern (shadow stripe) were

FIVE STARS: For Melbourn’s catering team.

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previously available only from the official suppliers, but can now be purchased from any supplier who stocks the same type.

Financial support will be available to those families who may find this change a significant burden.

Mr Bennet said: “We will ensure the total cost is below the national average cost of secondary school uniform of £422 and up to five branded items.

“Melbourn’s average illustrative cost of uniform this year is under £200.

The new skirts will be available from Melbourn’s uniform supplier, Royston-based Schoolyard, from April 2024: https://mvc.schoolyard-online.co.uk/

NEW ADDITION: Melbourn’s school skirt is changing from September 2024.

Top-rated catering!

Congratulations to our catering team for raising their four-star Food Hygiene rating to the highest possible five stars following a no-notice inspection last month.

Melbourn’s break and lunch provision is supplied by Caterlink, who took over when long-serving catering manager Lynn Gregory retired in 2022.

Since then there has been considerable work to modernise and upgrade the kitchens and Caterlink have expanded options available to staff and students, including the popular ‘grab n go’ lunches.

They also put on an amazing display at Open Evening with lots of samples for visitors to try.

As the magazine went to print, the team were busy planning and preparing for Christmas lunch on December 20th. The menu featured the tradtional turkey roast or a roast winter vegetable Wellington with all the trimmings, plus a choice of Yule Log, Christmas cookies or Festive Krispy Cake to follow. The hall was decorated and each diner was given a paper hat.

The regular menu and price list are available on the Melbourn website: https://www.melbournvc.org/parent-carer-and-student-information/catering.php

Chief Exec to step down

THE CAM ACADEMY TRUST NEWS

Stephen Munday has announced his retirement from The Cam Academy his own admission, because he was not drawn to the careers often suggested to Trust after more than 12 years in the founding role.

Economics graduates.

Always passionate about providing the best educational opportunities for students He said: “It subsequently developed into a strong conviction of the remarkable in his care, the Chief Executive helped established the Trust (formerly The importance and value of the teaching profession.

Comberton Academy Trust) in 2011 through his role as Principal of Comberton “I would not hesitate to recommend it, whilst confirming it is very hard work and Village College for the previous 10 years. has its meaningful challenges. There is little to beat seeing a young person During his tenure, the Trust has increased in size to now include four secondary develop an understanding and even a love of what they are learning.” schools, two sixth forms and seven primary phase schools in South Stephen was awarded a CBE for services to Education in the 2013 New Year’s Cambridgeshire and Huntingdon, with one just inside Bedfordshire.

Honours, having spent several years as a designated ‘National Leader of He has overseen the establishment of Comberton’s sixth form as well as the Education’ as well as serving on a range of advisory boards for the Department building from scratch of Cambourne Village College as a free school. A sixth form for Education. opens there in September 2024. Another primary school, Fowlmere, is due to join He went on the become President of the Chartered College of Teaching and was the Trust early next year. appointed as their first Honorary Fellow last year when his presidency ended.

Stephen, 59, a huge advocate of Henry Morris who established the village college He remains a Director on the Board of the Cambridge United Foundation, a nod system in Cambridgeshire, said: “It has always been an absolute pleasure and to his passion for sport, in particular cricket and golf. privilege to have been able to oversee The Cam Academy Trust.

“Best of all has been the wonderful opportunity to work with so many very good people, who work so well and with such dedication to ensure great education for all our pupils in all our schools.”

“I know that the Trust will go from strength to strength moving forward. The clear joint view about what education is all about is really central to what and who we are. That remains regardless of any particular person.”

The board of Trustees are now preparing to appoint a new Chief Executive with Stephen’s retirement set for the end of March.

Chair Sue Williamson said: “Stephen not only initiated the formation of the Trust but has laid excellent foundations for its future development. He is deeply committed to improving the life chances of all young people by not only providing a broad curriculum but ensuring that there are numerous extracurricular activities for all.

“We are determined to recruit an outstanding candidate to ensure this work continues.”

Stephen, who graduated from St John’s College, Cambridge, BOWING OUT: Stephen Munday will leave the Trust in March. with a degree in economics was drawn to teaching initially, by

Primary poised to join Trust next month Numbers of local primary schools have been expressing an interest in joining our Trust.

The general approach of the Trust is to seek to accommodate such approaches whenever that is at all reasonably possible.

We aim to have a community and locality-based approach to education and schooling, so local primary schools joining our Trust can strengthen further that aim.

There is the potential to work more powerfully across school phases through this and provide quality education in local areas for pupils of all ages.

The school currently closest to formalising its move into the Trust is Fowlmere Primary School. It is a named partner primary school of Melbourn Village College, which has been part of the Trust for many years.

The Advisory Board of the Regional Director’s Office has approved the school joining the Trust and all the necessary processes are being undertaken to enable that to happen.

It is very much hoped that the school will be in the Trust from January 2024. As often, there are some ongoing processes relating to leases and certain other legal matters that are having to be worked through at this late stage, and they do have potential to delay the precise date.

We are all working hard to overcome these things so that January can be the confirmed start date. Come what may, a point early in 2024 will be when this happens.

We all want to welcome Fowlmere Primary School into the community of schools that make up our Trust.

We look forward to their contribution and how we can support the provision of excellent education for all pupils at the school.

We will also welcome further discussions with local schools seeking to join us at other points in the coming year.

Stephen Munday CEO

NEW MEMBER: Fowlmere Primary is due to join the Trust in January 2024.

For the latest job vacancies across the Trust go to www.catrust.co.uk

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MELBOURN VILLAGE COLLEGE

Students speak up . . .

WELL SPOKEN: Students competed in what is said to be the largest public speaking competition for schools in England.

Nine students have been given the chance to hone their public speaking skills this term by taking part in two competitions.

Our team of Otto (11 Lewis), Sarah (11 Lewis) and Alex (11 Hawking) competed in the first round of the English Speaking Union Schools’ Mace Competition, while Melbourn entered two teams in the English Speaking Union Churchill Public Speaking Competition with Noah (11 Darwin) as chair, Yunus (11 Lewis) as speaker and Nearijah (11 Newton) as questioner for the boys and Matilda (11 Hawking), Mayuha (11 Darwin) and Abbie (11 Newton) fulfilling the roles for the girls’ team.

Both events were held online, but in the first all three spoke in their ‘match’ against The Perse School, Cambridge.

Melbourn were given the job of proposing the motion ‘This House believes that the Government should hold more responsibility than individuals for climate change’ and Head of English Simon Luxton reported they did a brilliant job.

Otto opened the debate with some very cogent arguments around political, economic and social factors surrounding the central thesis that it is the government’s responsibility to work harder to arrest climate change.

After the first speaker from The Perse opened up the opposition side of the debate, Sarah continued and enhanced the proposition arguments, with a focus on if it was fair that people were treated differently in how public services, such as rubbish collection, were undertaken.

After the second opposition speaker, a floor debate and the summing up speech from the opposition it was time for Alex to sum up the proposition case.

Alex achieved this clearly and focused on the points of clash in the debate, arguing that the financial abilities of governments far outweighed that of individuals.

Mr Luxton said: “We were very unfortunate not to progress in what was a very

New scheme to boost reading ages

The school has recently begun working with Cam Academy Trust partner school, St Peter’s in Huntingdon, in using the Lexonik reading programme to help boost the reading ages of children.

There is a highly evidenced correlation between reading ages and GCSE grades and we want students to be able to access the best grades possible through having the highest possible reading ages.

We are therefore selecting 24 students at a time and working with them on the intensive six-week programme that helps them to decode words at a faster rate and with greater accuracy.

The programme claims to accelerate reading ages by an average of 27 months in six weeks.

Our aim is to run this with the most in-need students to begin with. As part of delivering this programme we are also working with Lexonik in developing our teaching of reading and literacy across all subjects.

We will be focusing on giving students knowledge and skills in decoding words and recognising how they can work out the meanings of words from various sounds within them. We are looking forward to seeing the tremendous progress in reading ages that we are sure will be the result of our work with Lexonik.

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high-quality field, but our students (and their supporters!) were a real credit to the school.”

The second competition, said to be the largest public speaking competition for schools in England and Wales, was run differently with only one student making the case; Yunus speaking on ‘Prisoners being able to vote’ and Mayuha on ‘How to fix our broken childcare system.’

The opening round involved four schools and was another very high-quality event.

Yunus spoke with great passion and knowledge on whether prisoners should be able to vote and was then quizzed by the questioner from Parkside College.

He answered their questions with precision and developed his argument very well.

Nearijah and Noah then chaired and questioned one of the speakers from The Perse School in the complicated format of the competition. They did this admirably, with Noah keeping a very calm atmosphere to proceedings and Nearijah asking some very cogent questions.

It then came to the turn of Mayuha to give her views on how to fix our broken childcare system. Mayuha gave some very well researched points and formulated an excellent case. She was questioned by a student from The Perse School and dealt with these excellently, allowing the questions to help her continue her line of argument.

Abbie and Matilda then chaired and questioned another of the Perse speakers.

Abbie’s questions were very sharp and focused and allowed the speaker to elucidate their thoughts in greater detail. Matilda was a very reassuring chair who enabled each participant to shine in their role.

Mr Luxton added: “Once again, although we did not get through, each and every student was a credit to themselves and the school.

“They have picked up excellent life experiences which will help them as they move forward into post 16 and higher education.”

READING MATTERS: There is a strong correlation between reading ages and GCSE grades and Melbourn is committed to helping students have the highest reading ages possible.

Life in the fast lanes

MELBOURN VILLAGE COLLEGE

They say life comes full circle and, for Tom Jackson, an English teacher at Melbourn Village College, that adage certainly rings true.

Here he recounts a decade-long journey from his time as a student and former Head Boy at MVC to the heights of international motorsport and how it's now led him right back to where it all started.

Melbourn Village College has played a huge role in my life. From arriving as a bright-eyed, fresh-faced student 13 years ago, it gave me the skills and the confidence I needed to go and chase my childhood goal of becoming a Formula One journalist.

The journey to that goal started at MVC and I was very fortunate to have achieved it just four years after leaving the school. Finding myself wandering through the F1 paddock, interviewing the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, was a very surreal experience. I couldn’t believe I was chasing the fastest sport on the planet across Europe, reporting on every twist and turn along the way.

Alongside a stint working in motorsport management, marketing & PR, I decided that I had enjoyed my fill of motorsport. When thinking of what could come next, the idea of teaching first crossed my mind.

With nothing to lose, I took the leap and returned to MVC in September last year — joining the school’s excellent Student Support Centre as a teaching assistant.

Coming back to MVC after eight years away took some getting used to. Like stepping back in time, I was welcomed back by some familiar faces, saw the Willow Lawn looking resplendent as it always has done and got to walk the corridors I used to navigate from lesson to lesson.

A year later and I’m delighted to be completing my teacher training at the school.

Formula One may be fast but it certainly doesn't keep pace with a day in school.

No two days are the same, but each day is equally fulfilling and rewarding as I get to teach and inspire Melbourn’s new generation of brilliant young minds in the same way I was inspired during my tenure here.

Putting my own stamp on life at MVC, I relish the opportunity to lead our Sports Journalism Club as one of our many extra-curricular activities at the school.

It’s great to see students share the passion for sports and writing and I’m very grateful to share my knowledge and expertise with them as we write our own sports stories and reports.

There is a pleasing circularity to it all. Coming to school every day and working with our young people, helping them to grow in confidence as they navigate the world of learning and growing up, is a real privilege and has vindicated my decision to return to the school. There really is no place like MVC.

Rapper and MP agree on benefit of books CAREER CHANGE: Tom Jackson has switched from motorsport journalism to teaching English at his old school, MVC.

Melbourn Village College hosted a winter reading week earlier this month.

During this week we had a visit from the rapper ‘Formz’, who explained how positive behaviour choices and polite and kind language can help young people in becoming the well-rounded leaders of tomorrow.

He also gave examples of the power of reading in guiding his life choices and helping his mental health.

Our students engaged fantastically well with this and were a credit to the school; many have

already looked up and followed Formz via social media platforms!

On Wednesday we hosted a pop-up bookshop from Niche Comics, who sold a variety of books to our students throughout the day.

Our students were, once again, incredibly polite and engaged in the choice of reading brought to the school; so much so that the bookshop reported taking more money in the day than they would in an ordinary day in the shop! It was great to see students coming back at break, lunch and after school to buy books.

Friday saw the school hosting the South Cambridgeshire MP, Anthony Browne, who took part in a question and answer session with some of our students.

This was a fantastic opportunity for them to engage with a politician who explained how reading widely and having a good grasp of the world around you can help you to be better informed and therefore make better decisions about your future.

The students have been excellent ambassadors for the school throughout the week.

READING WEEK GUESTS: Rapper ‘Formz’, Niche Comics and South Cambridgeshire MP Anthony Browne.

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Duo join Mandarin team

MELBOURN VILLAGE COLLEGE

Melbourn is delighted to have two new Mandarin assistants working at the college this year to support the teaching of the Chinese language.

The arrival of Adam Zheng and Lindsay Lai marks the sixth year of Melbourn hosting CLEC teachers (formerly known as Hanban teachers) thanks to being part of the national Mandarin Excellence Programme (MEP).

They are two of 60 CLEC teachers in the UK this year and are providing extensive support to Melbourn, not only in the classroom but through various extra-curricular and outreach activities.

Mandarin has been a part of MVC's curriculum for more than seven years, with our MEP involvement beginning in 2017.

The teaching of Mandarin has evolved significantly, not only offering the MEP and GCSE Chinese courses, but also expanding to include A-Level classes at Comberton Sixth Form, which is also part of The Cam Academy Trust.

From Head of Languages Frank Fan working alone, it has developed into a team of three Chinese teachers and two teaching assistants.

Mr Fan said: We are extremely proud of the consistently outstanding results in GCSE Chinese exams, solidifying our reputation as a leader in this field.”

Adam and Lindsay are thrilled to be in England and have given some insights below.

Adam commented: “In a bid to promote cultural diversity and global language skills, MVC has welcomed new additions to its faculty, two Mandarin language assistants hailing from China.

“As part of an international exchange program, this latest inclusion aims to enhance students' understanding and proficiency in one of the world's most spoken languages.

"I am honoured to join MVC and contribute to the linguistic and cultural landscape of the institution.

“The assistant's role includes helping with Mandarin language classes, engaging students in conversations, offering one-to-one tuition and HONOURED: organising cultural events that offer insights into Adam Zheng the rich tapestry of Chinese traditions, customs, feels privileged and values. to be working at "I am passionate about sharing not only the language but also the essence of Chinese culture MVC for a year. with the students.

“It's not just about vocabulary and grammar; it's about understanding the history, traditions, and contemporary life of China.

“In addition to language lessons, the Mandarin assistants will also help with cultural festivals, intensive learning weeks, and craftworks on Chinese language and cultures to provide students with a holistic understanding of the past, present and future of China.

“The school's initiative in inviting Mandarin language assistants reflects a broader commitment to embracing diversity and nurturing global citizens equipped with the skills necessary to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world.

“The introduction of Mandarin language classes is a pivotal step in broadening students' linguistic and cultural horizons, making them well-prepared for

the challenges and opportunities of an ever-evolving global landscape.”

Lindsay said: “Hello I'm Lindsay, coming to MVC from the eastern part of China.

Since I've always wanted to have a deep experience of British culture and teaching, and also as I specialise in International Chinese Education, Chinese education in the UK appeals to me a lot.

“In July this year I happened to know about a partnership between Peking University and UCL (University College London) that offered the opportunity to work as a Chinese language TA in the UK, and so after a lot of hard work, I was given the opportunity to come to MVC. “I haven't been with MVC for long, but I have learnt a lot from my colleagues and students around me.

“As we all know, education in China is very different from that in the UK. I used to work in a junior school in China, and Chinese students are more introverted and distant from their teachers, whereas at MVC the students are very outgoing and enthusiastic, and the school takes into account the different requirements of different students.

“Although I am still adjusting to these differences, I hope to have a great time at MVC with the students who are learning Chinese.”

Students prove their commitment

APPEAL: Lindsay Lai is very interested in Chinese education in the UK.

Six Melbourn students have passed the tough Chinese Proficiency Test in Programme.

Mandarin, giving the college its best results yet.

The exceptional results place Melbourn among the top-performing schools And one, Isla (11 Franklin), scored an in the UK within the MEP. incredible 295 out of 300 in Level 3 of the Mandarin teacher Sijing Ni said: “Level 3 is an HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) exam. impressive milestone in the HSK examination The HSK is an international standardised system, and achieving it is no small feat. The test designed to assess the proficiency outstanding scores are a testament to their of non-native speakers. The six took the dedication, hard work, and commitment to exam while in Year 10 but results only mastering the Chinese language. Our came out this term. students' accomplishments in the HSK Level Isla and the others who passed — 3 exam reflect their exceptional language skills and the dedication of our teachers in Matilda (11 Hawking), Maddie (11 providing a high-quality Chinese language Franklin), Allya (11 Newton), Alex (11 education. We are immensely proud of our Lewis) and Max (11 Franklin) — are part students.” of the fast-track Mandarin Excellence OFFICIALLY PROFICIENT: Melbourn’s super six.

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MELBOURN VILLAGE COLLEGE

Panto delights Year 7 FAMILY FORTUNES: The Goose family and their golden eggs.

On Thursday 7th December, Year 7 at MVC went to the Cambridge Arts Theatre to see the pantomime Mother Goose.

When we arrived, we went straight to our seats and had to wait 30 minutes. The theatre was empty because we were one of the first schools to arrive.

Everyone was on a school trip and we all saw people that we knew from other schools.

The show started with the characters Fairy and Demon talking on the stage, but the main character is Mother Goose, who lives with a goose called Priscilla, who lays golden eggs and can talk!

ANTICIPATION: Students can’t wait for the show to start.

Mother Goose wants to open her own bakery, but she can’t afford it. Meanwhile Fairy and Demon each try to influence Mother Goose with good and evil.

My favourite character was Sammy Goose because he was funny. He is Mother Goose’s son and was very interactive with the audience. I also liked Mother Goose.

I really enjoyed going to the theatre with my friends. I loved the fact that the performers interacted with the audience - it was really fun and gave us the chance to be involved.

There was also a funny scene when they had cake

and cream on stage and they all kept slipping over!

The dancing and music was good too.

It was a great day out!

Willem (7 Lewis) Head of Year Kelly Coghlan said: “The Year 7 pupils and Year 7 team loved visiting The Cambridge Arts Theatre to see Mother Goose, the cast were engaging and had everyone laughing, singing and dancing the whole way through.

Mother Goose and Sammy did shout-outs to all the schools and MVC definitely were the loudest. A great time was had by all. (Oh no it wasn’t. oh yes it was!’)”

Seed drone plan aces ‘Dragons’ Den’

The annual Enterprise Day event was held last month and involved all MVC Year 9 students.

The format involved students designing and developing a business idea under the guidance of experts from PA Consulting, a Melbourn business consulting company.

Students worked in teams throughout the day which culminated in a ‘Dragons Den’ style presentation in front of the whole year. They were quizzed on their ideas by the experts, who then chose an overall winner.

The theme was ‘The environment and sustainability’ and ideas ranged from ‘methane retaining underpants for cows’ (Moo-ey Vuitton!) to energy recycling exercise bikes that powered your home.

The winners, Darwin’s Eliot, Bertie, Evaristo, Thomas, Henry and Charlie, had the idea for seed-planting drones that would provide efficient farming.

Terry Brame, MVC’s Lead for Careers Education Information and Guidance, said: “As usual, feedback from the day was that students enjoyed the variation from lessons and that they learned something that they would take with them far beyond their school days.

BRAINSTORMING: Year 9 students work on their business ideas Our visitors were impressed with the high level of engagement and quality of creative ideas.” based on the environment and sustainability.

Reciting poetry in two tongues . . .

A Melbourn Year 11 student finished second in a national Chinese-English bilingual recitation competition.

Ruby (11 Newton) took runners-up spot in the 14-16 years final of the annual competition, now in its second year.

Only 36 reached the finals across the five age categories of a competition which attracted entrants aged 6-30 as they recited poetry, prose and personal stories in both languages.

Ruby, 15, had written her own poem in Mandarin, called 海 (Sea), while her choice of English poem was Rudyard Kipling’s If and she performed brilliantly in last month’s final at the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies’ Djam Lecture Theatre.

Melbourn Mandarin teacher Sijing Ni, who, with Head of Languages Frank Fan, was in

London for the final, said: “Her exceptional performance in both the creation and recitation of Chinese and English poems has earned her second prize in her group. We take immense pride in Ruby's achievements and hard work.”

As well as performing in front of a theatre full of other competitors, family, teachers and friends, there was a judging panel comprising 12 distinguished professionals from different walks of life, including professors, authors, an award-winning translator, a former curator of the Chinese collections at the British Library, a former deputy director of the Victoria and Albert Museum and the editor of a Chinese language magazine.

The event was initiated by Mothers' Bridge of Love, a registered charity dedicated to building GROUP PICTURE: The competition finalists pose for bridges between the East and West. the cameras.

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A different way to learn MELBOURN VILLAGE COLLEGE

Year 10 students were given a new way to enhance their learning about the American West.

During a special lesson earlier this month, students undertook a practice exam question related to the Donner Party and the Oregon Trail.

This Oregon Trail was the safest route Americans took across the Native American Plains from the East of America to the West, starting in Independence Missouri and ending in Oregon and California. The Donner Party was a group of White Americans who ventured away from the Oregon trail and fell upon less favourable conditions, resulting in many deaths.

To make the learning experience more immersive and memorable, they created a fast food favourite, the ‘Donner Kebab’ using ingredients associated with Native

American Food.

Linking the Donner Party and Donner Kebab is designed to help the students retain the learning and to experience flavours that many Native Americans would have had in their food at the time.

The students went through a step-by-step recipe and developed their own mini kebab rolls, sliced them up, garnished them with salad, and placed them into flat breads with their own mint yoghurt they created.

All together it was a very wonderful experience for the students which was fun filled and educationally focused.

Three different classes undertook the one-period challenge in the Food Technology rooms, where Zoe Millwood, Head of Art, Design and Technology, and James Studart, Head of Humanities, supervised the cooking challenge.

Ingredients were provided by the school and students were able to taste their finished kebabs.

Izabel (10 Darwin) said: "The food was really good," while Charlotte (10 Hawking) commented: "The food tasted nice and it was a fun lesson about what we are learning in history."

Mr Stuart said: “We believe that this hands-on experience will greatly contribute to students’ understanding of the American migration west along the Oregon Trail.

Students taking GCSE history are studying The American West from 1835-1895 and this includes looking at a range of issues, tensions and rivalries between settlers and Plains Indians, ranchers and homesteaders, the laws and policies that affected them as well as how those residing there lived and worked.

School’s out for ‘Hedgy’

MAKING MEMORIES: A history lesson in the kitchen to bring the American West to life.

Are you thinking about a career in education?

We are actively recruiting Teaching Assistants to work in several of our schools

We would particularly like to hear from you if you are a parent or recent graduate or are looking to gain experience of working in an area that provides tailored support to students with an inclusive outlook.

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A disorientated hedgehog round outside The Cabin earlier this month was carefully transported to a safer environment by Year 11 student Ben. He and Vinnie French, Head of The Cabin, had found the hedgehog — which was named ‘Hedgy’ — looking ‘lost and scared’ at the start of the school day.

It was taken to a safe area at the back of the field to continue its hibernation preparations.

RESCUED: ‘Hedgy’ is returned to the hedgerow.

The post of Teaching Assistant will offer excellent opportunities for training and development in a Trust that has professional development as a core value.

Positions available from 30 hours a week, term time only.

We currently have vacancies in several of our primary and secondary schools. To apply or obtain further information, visit: www.catrust.co.uk/key-information/vacancies

MELBOURN VILLAGE COLLEGE

The wonders of science

THE APPLIANCE OF SCIENCE: Year 7 visited the Science Museum to see scientific ideas used to solve real issues.

Last month, 129 Year 7 students and 15 staff visited the Science Museum in London to explore some of the ways that scientific ideas have been applied to real-life problems.

We heard inspiring stories about scientific discoveries in medicine and the physical sciences, watched spectacular demonstrations of physical and chemical phenomena, and used authentic objects to investigate some of science’s big ideas.

In one of the larger galleries, we explored some of the iconic objects and stories that have changed the world since the 18th century.

These included steam locomotives and industrial

machinery in the 18th century, chemicals and medicines in the 19th century, and genetics and computers in the 20th century.

The scientific ideas behind those discoveries range from the efficient use of energy resources in transportation to an understanding of the nature of electricity and electronics.

In another large gallery that was all about genetics, we investigated some of the characteristics that make humans such a successful species and explored how our genetics and brain combine to create our unique identities.

Perhaps the most engaging gallery for students was

the ‘Wonderlab’ gallery and its live science shows, demonstrations and huge range of interactive experiences.

There were loads of opportunity to interact with real scientific phenomena including lightning strikes, forces on giant slides and travel through space under a canopy of stars.

Our visit to the museum fuelled our students’ curiosity in science and maths, exposed them to ideas about how science is applied to real-life problems, and created memories that will last a lifetime.

David Essien, Science Department

Exploring possibilities

The STEMettes journey to PA Consulting for students in Years 7 and 8 was a resounding success! Students immersed themselves in a dynamic environment that fostered curiosity and exploration, providing a unique opportunity to dive into the world of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

The trip was carefully crafted to be both interactive and educational. Students participated in hands-on activities that showcased the wonders of renewable energy.

They also had the opportunity to interact with professionals at PA Consulting, who shared their career journeys and insights. This exposure not only broadened the students’ perspectives but also inspired them to consider exciting possibilities within the STEM field.

STEMettes promotes Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths (STEAM)related careers to girls, young women and young non-binary people.

Organisms must be able to thrive

CONSIDERING BIODIVERSITY: As Melbourn Science Park is redeveloped.

A group of our Year 7 students had a fantastic opportunity to see firsthand the work being carried out by South Cambridgeshire Council environmental officers in the redevelopment of Melbourn Science Park.

The students were taught about the importance of having high levels of biodiversity in our environment, to ensure it is a healthy place for all organisms to thrive in — and how it is measured by the scientists working for the council.

As part of the redevelopment taking place at the science park, the environmental officers recorded the biodiversity on site and what measures needed to be put in place to protect the biodiversity that already exists there.

The students heard about this journey from the people working on the site and also how they aim to improve it when the building work is finished.

The year 7 students also then had a number of mini games they could take part in to help them understand the complexity of putting everything in the correct place when managing projects such as this.

GETTING STUCK IN: At PA Consulting.

Rocks rock!

ROCK CHECKS: Pupils tested reactivity with acid.

Dr Wilson recently visited Melbourn Primary School to help support two KS2 classes (Squirrel and Hedgehog) learning about rocks, with a lesson called ‘Rocks, rock!’

The pupils were very excited to learn about the Mohs scale for hardness and to be able to look very closely at rock structure using hand lenses.

At the end of the session pupils were able to check on reactivity of the rocks with dilute acid — wearing their safety goggles of course!

We’ve got some very promising scientists in the making. There will be further future visits to MPS to help support our local schools.

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

Medals shared around

ON THE PODIUM: Melbourn had medalists in both the races for Year 4 pupils at the big schools cross-country competition.

Three Year 3 Barrington Primary School pupils came home with medals Country Park for one of our favourite events of the year. from the South Cambs School Sport Partnership’s annual Small Schools “It was lovely to see so many schools and children taking part and there was Cross Country competition at Milton Country Park. certainly lots of grit and determination on display as the children took on the twolap course. It’s always great to hear the children cheering and encouraging their And there were also podium finishes for a trio of Harston and Newton Primary teammates as they come through to complete runners from across the ages. their first lap before winding their way back Then, when the big schools gathered for their through the trees and round to the finish line. competition at Wimpole Hall, three Melbourn “There were lots of great individual and team Primary School youngsters also returned with performance on the day and it’s nice to see two medals as well as helping their team to runnersnew schools (Bourn and Girton Glebe) winning the up spot. event for the first time as well as other schools Barrington’s Isabelle won the one-mile girls’ race managing to field a team in all of the races for the with teammate Joni coming third, sandwiching a first time.” competitor from Bourn Primary Academy.

At the large schools’ event, run on the same For the boys, Hayden took silver behind William, format, Melbourn’s Hannah took silver in the Year from Bourn, and ahead of Chester, from Barton.

4 girls’ race while Edward was third in the There were eight races on the day – separate RUN IN THE SUN: Action from Wimpole Hall. equivalent boys’ class, helping the school take events for boys and girls across Years 3-6 – and second in the team competition for Years 3 and 4.

Harston & Newton picked up two of their medals in the Year 6 classes.

There was also a bronze for Year 5 Jack, whose Year 5/6 team finished fourth Harry was third in the boys’ race and Scarlet took silver for the girls. Their other overall. medal was a bronze from Daisy in Year 4.

Meldreth runners also took part in the large schools’ event, fielding enough There were also team competitions for those schools who entered pupils in every runners to contest both team competitions and finishing mid-table. category and Harston & Newton finished fourth in the combined Year 3 and 4 Ms McDonnell said: “This is our biggest event of the year and a lot of planning competition and sixth in the Year 5 and 6 one. Barrington were fifth and seventh and organisation goes into it by the whole team but it makes it all worthwhile respectively. when you see the smiles and enjoyment on the children’s faces and the sense of There was also an excellent show from Thriplow, who were fourth in the Year 5 achievement they feel. Lots of them today told us how they felt really happy and and 6 event. Foxton were the other Melbourn VC partner school involved. proud of themselves and pleased to represent their school.”

Partnership Manager, Claire McDonnell, said: “It was great to be back at Milton

Fun first taste of competitive football

Fourteen teams took part in a fun afternoon of football aimed at introducing new players to the game and giving them the opportunity to represent their school in a friendly competition.

And Foxton’s youngsters showed they have the makings of a good team, picking up the teamwork award, as judged by the other schools involved.

FUN FIRST: Pupils enjoy a football tournament for newcomers.

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Matches were 7-a-side with roll on, roll off subs and teams getting to play against lots of different schools in quick seven-minute matches which were expertly refereed by sports leaders from hosts Linton Village College.

The schools taking part included Histon & Impington Brook, University of Cambridge, Dry Drayton, Coton, Histon & Impington Park, Bar Hill, Barrington, Foxton, Linton Heights, Great Abington, Meldreth, Hatton Park, The Meadow and Trumpington Park Primary Schools.

With the focus of the event being on providing an introduction to competitive football in a really positive and fun environment, the results of the matches were not recorded.

Instead the children were asked to score their opposition based on their teamwork, fair play and their team/individual skill. These scores were then collated and at the end of the afternoon awards were presented to the Foxton, Linton Heights and Histon & Impington Park.

Claire McDonnell, South Cambs SSP Partnership Manager said, “It was great to see so many boys getting their first experience of competitive football and the opportunity to pull on the school kit and represent their school. “ It was a really positive and supportive environment with all of the children getting lots of playing time.

“At the end of the afternoon a lot of the boys told us how happy and excited the event had made them and one boy spoke about how ‘it changed my mind because when I came, I thought I might regret, it but I loved it!’”

We are the champions

Melbourn’s newly-formed Year 7 rugby team are the best in the District from a small school.

They beat Trumpington Community College 15-5, Parkside 15-10 and North Cambridge Academy 25-15 to lift the trophy in the 12-a-side competition held at Cambridge Rugby Club.

PE teacher Richard Barlow said: “Our tackling was really good and we gave away very few penalties. Well done for making really good progress this term.”

MELBOURN VILLAGE COLLEGE

Coach sees positives in narrow defeats TOP OF THE CLASS: The Year 7 title winners.

Melbourn’s interest in this year’s English Schools national football competitions is over — but they are still hoping to make an impact in this year’s District and County cups.

The Year 8 team went out 3-2 to neighbours King James Academy from Royston in the first round of the under-13 Playstation Schools Cup as they introduced some new players to last year’s successful Year 7 squad.

Leaders take charge

WARMING UP: The Year 8s prepare to face King James.

Melbourn’s Year 10 sports leaders put their skills into action as Melbourn Village College hosted their first round of the Bee Netball competition for primary schools.

They umpired and scored the matches in two divisions as an impressive number of schools turned out for an event that guarantees a finals date in the spring for all competitors.

That was despite the late withdrawal of Harston & Newton and Trumpington, whose coach decided that with so many more entries, the amount of netball playing time left was not worth the trip to MVC! Foxton go into the second round in March at the top of Pool A, ahead of Meldreth, Barrington and Melbourn 1, while Thriplow top the other pool from Foxton II and Melbourn II. Depending on where they finish after the local rounds, all teams will play in either the A, B or Plate finals at Impington Village College in April.

PE teacher Richard Barlow highlighted Tyler’s great defensive performance, Harvey for showing good footwork in midfield and Harry for scoring both MVC goals and driving many of the attacks.

The team then came out on the wrong end of the same scoreline again against fellow Cam Academy Trust school, Comberton Village College, in an end-to-end match played in a good spirit and which was a great advert for local football.

Leo (8 Franklin) put Melbourn ahead and then scored his second to make it 2-2, but they were undone by a speedy Comberton forward who netted what proved to be the winner from a tight angle.

Despite this Mr Barlow was optimistic for another good year. “I'm really happy with the intensity with which we played and some players put in some really big performances but it just wasn't to be,” he said.

“Fingers crossed we can get another cup run going in the District Cup later this year.”

The Year 10 team kicked off their under-15 Playstation Small Schools Cup (for schools with fewer than 65 boys in the year group) with a 4-2 win over Haileybury Turnford thanks to goals from Riley (10 Lewis) and Jacob (10 Lewis) in the first half and Lukas (10 Hawking) and Billy (10 Darwin) in the second.

But their campaign ended in the second round with a 2-1 home defeat by St John’s Preparatory & Senior School from Enfield.

Into the county champs

TEAM MVC: At the District CrossCountry Championships.

Year 11’s Alex (11 Hawking) led some impressive running at the District Cross-Country Championships at Wimpole Hall.

On a cold December day, he bagged at top 16 finish to qualify for the County Championships at Peterborough in the New Year.

From there, Cambridgeshire’s best go on to represent the county at the Anglian Championships with the regional qualifiers going on to contest the

national finals in the spring.

Despite the cold, all Melbourn’s competitors showed great determination and achieved commendable success.

Assistant Head John Barnes, also a PE teacher, who accompanied the MVC team, said: “Their performances exemplified their sporting dedication, determination and commitment. Congratulations to you all.”

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MELBOURN VILLAGE COLLEGE

MELBOURN

SPORTS CENTRE news AUTUMN REVIEW It was a busy season for us here at MSC! In association with South Cambs District Council, we introduced a brilliant new health and fitness scheme aimed exclusively at those suffering from higher BMI ± the Exercise4Fun programme.

7KLV KDV EHHQ D JUHDW VXFFHVV VR IDU DQG EHVW RI DOO LW¶V FRPSOHWHO\ IUHH We are always running our GP Referral scheme as well, which is another highly effective way to get fit and healthy.

We had a bumper bag of half-term activities for children to enjoy, including our Ofsted-registered PlayScheme with a seasonal Halloween theme, and a Swimming Crash Course. We also introduced a Rookie Lifeguard course, which has proved very popular, and the students learnt water safety and the basics of becoming lifesavers, a fabulous skill.

Top Up swimming and Melbourn Village College were welcomed back to the pool after the half-term holiday.

We hope to see you all this winter for plenty of sports activities and challenges to keep you fit and well, and thank you once again for your continued support.

DECEMBER, JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH - A WINTER WONDERLAND AT MSC! We have loads on offer for the winter season, with something for the whole community to get involved with and enjoy« So why not come along and find out more about your local sports centre!

COME IN OUT OF THE COLD :H¶UH QRW JRLQJ WR OHW WKRVH ORQJ ZLQWHU QLJKWV VWRS XV IURP HQMR\LQJ RXU H[HUFLVH $V well as our indoor facilities like the swimming pool, squash courts and sports hall, we have loads of swimming classes to keep you fit and healthy including adult lanes, female only sessions, Young at Heart swim and AquaFit. We also offer table tennis alongside RXU QRUPDO LQGRRU UDFNHW VSRUWV $QG WKH\¶UH all reasonably priced, so the one thing that will stay plump is your purse!

PARTY TIME! Looking to book a birthday or Christmas party? We have our traditional pool parties on offer or what about a football party instead? All sessions run by a fully qualified coach. To help save the mess at home, we also have the adjacent Community Centre available for bookings, which is an ideal room for you to have tea and cake/sandwiches after the party.

ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN With Christmas fast approaching, LW¶V an ideal time to book your young ones onto our Ofsted Christmas PlayScheme.

We will also be taking bookings from January 2023 for our February half term activities which will include our swimming crash course and our popular Ofsted PlayScheme.

THE PERFECT PRESENT!!

With Christmas just round the corner, keep your eye out for our gift promotion ± D IXQ DQG ILW LGHD LI \RX¶UH ORRNLQJ IRU something different to buy a loved one or friend (or treat yourself!) Or why not take advantage of one of our great membership schemes to our fitness suite, an ideal present for a loved one!

SPRING TIME Along with all our normal activities, we will also be running another Exercise4Fun free health programme to start in January, in association with SCDC. So, if you would like to be considered to join in and start the new year on a healthy note, please check our website for full details.

We are also hosting the Swimathon once again in 2024, a great way to keep fit and raise money for Cancer Research charities at the same time. For full details and registration, please visit our website.

For further details on parties, gift memberships or any of our activities, please drop in, call 01763 263313 or go online at www.mc-sport.co.uk. We look forward to seeing you this season!

SWIMMING LESSONS We still have plenty of spaces on our pre-school lessons, so for more details or to book a place then please contact Graham or Robbie on 01763 263313.

Spaces still available for this term include: x Junior lessons for Intermediate ± Advance standards / McSplash Swimming Club x Waterplay (pre-school swimming lessons) are an ideal first step for your child learning to swim, with the aim to build confidence in water, learning basic skills like floatation and movement using buoyancy aids.

Tuesdays: 13.25 ± 14.55 (30 min lessons) / Thursdays: 13.25 ± 14.55 (30 min lessons) Fridays: 10.30 ± 12.00 (30 min lessons) Prices: £4.80 per lesson (paid termly)

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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