A Leading Edge School
I’ve seen the future and it works, says Ofsted chief
ROLE MODELS
COMBERTON can be the education model for the rest of the country.
That was the view of Ofsted boss David Bell after he spent the day at the village college earlier this term
He had come to see Comberton’s citizenship provision after his inspectors had originally expressed some reservations about the way it is taught, although they were never able to observe it properly during the inspection
However, after seeing a Personal Development (PD) day in full swing, he had no qualms about giving it his whole-hearted backing
In fact, he admitted he was “very, very impressed” with the whole college ethos, not just the citizenship provision which Principal Stephen Munday had invited him to see
He left Comberton for a meeting with Education Secretary Ruth Kelly
promising to tell her: “I’ve seen the future and it works ”
“When you look at the national priorities improving attainment levels, giving youngsters healthy options, encouraging sports and community involvement – it’s all here at Comberton,” he said “It’s a very powerful model You have the range on offer, combined with the intimacy of a village college
“It’s very impressive and I’ve very much enjoyed visiting It’s been different to a normal day, but I’ve been really very impressed
“I was particularly pleased to see the range of citizenship/PSHE activities taking place as part of your special activity day It was clear that the students were very engaged in their work; from the Year 7s debating democracy to the Year 9s grilling prospective candidates for the post with children in care
“I think it is a good way of doing things It’s giving youngsters the chance to do extended activities with outside guests I believe it enhances what goes on in school on a regular basis
Comberton pupils appear live on Blue Peter
“Personal and social development is all around you in this school it is in the ethos and the fabric of the school ”
“The whole atmosphere and ethos of this school is very positive and clearly makes a powerful contribution to citizenship
“I was left in no doubt that my inspectors were right to judge the college the way they did Undoubtedly it is an excellent institution and you should be very proud of what you have achieved over the past five years ”
Principal Stephen Munday said he was delighted the chief inspector had taken an interest in the way Comberton delivers citizenship with five days during the year set aside for personal and social development
He added: “Such days are an excellent opportunity to provide education for children in a different way They can have a greater impact than standard lessons ”
l Groundbreaking Comberton Pages 6 & 7
ISSUE 13, WINTER 2005 The News Magazine of Comberton Village College
TV TIMES: Comberton pupils with the Blue Peter presenters Full story Page 4
Parents still hold
PUPILS at Comberton are already making healthier choices when it comes to eating in the dining hall.
That is the opinion of catering manager Debbie Rogers, who is still waiting to hear exactly what will and won’t be allowed when the government’s school meal reforms come into effect in September
“The dinners that we make are all selling,” she said “We don’t add salt to anything and we make them on the premises every day
“The number of chips we sell is still falling and burgers have levelled out at 24 a day
“We try to give a variety and I look out for special offers and what’s available seasonally Pasta is the most popular and we try to put that on every day, whether with meat or as the vegetarian option
“We are not subject to the same portion controls as Cambridgeshire Catering Services so I don’t
stick to price If it costs 90p to make and I sell it for £1 because it’s a good meal, then I will I try to give a balanced choice ”
The sales of baguettes has risen steadily since their introduction at the end of last term and are currently running at 60 a day, with a new member of staff employed specially to make sandwiches and fill baguettes
Salad and fruit sales remain steady with 10 pineapples and 4kg of grapes used on a daily basis as well as bananas and an increasing number of apples
The only fizzy drinks on sale are the ‘Z’ range, which contain no sugar Fruit juices and milkshakes are also available, but the biggest seller is bottled water
Although processed meats (burgers, sausages, etc) and deep-fried food such as doughnuts are expected to be banned from September, Mrs Rogers is not convinced the government have found the solution to changing children’s eating
habits
“Our takings are down £250 a day,” she said “Now that money is going somewhere Because we are not selling sweets and chocolates, the children are just buying it elsewhere Parents need to understand that unless they send in cheques for their children’s cashless catering cards, then we have no control over what they buy
“We also have no control over what goes into packed lunches and, again, that is down to parents
“All we can do is educate children into making the right choices, but ultimately parents have the major role in this ”
Three new staff have joined the catering team this term, deputy manager Lorraine Osborne and assistants Sharon Johnson and Glennis Racher, enabling the production of more home-made foods where the ingredients can be carefully regulated.
Group helps with healthy choices
AS part of the continued work to become a ‘Health Promoting School’ a new working party has been formed The Food Action Group meets each term at Comberton
The committee comprises the principal, the catering manager, teachers from various subjects, a governor and pupils At the end of the summer term all chocolate, fizzy drinks and sweets were removed from the buttery vending machine It was interesting that the government’s working party on School Food should make such a recommendation months later
‘Hard work but worth it’
VOLUNTEER Week was new to activities week this year and 15 pupils from Years 8 and 9 volunteered to join the project.
decision-making
We were given the job of clearing the conservation area at Hardwick Primary School, which was very messy To help us out Warton and Clark gave us two skips to put rubbish in, Focus donated two benches and Scotsdale Garden Centre provided seeds for the primary school children to plant.
The school continues to sell high quality nutritious food each day, but there are those who opt not to eat this and prefer the sticky cakes Should we as teachers just remove them? We feel passionate about the subject and feel that a cake is not a bad choice as long as it follows a nutritious meal The problem is educating all pupils at CVC to make the ‘right’ decision As part of the process of educating young people at CVC we are involving them in the
Comberton helped out with rockery plants and, at the request of Hardwick head Mrs French, we didn’t refill the pond with water, but put our plants in there instead We worked tirelessly to help transform the area. We made a pathway, a new gate and constructed the benches with the help of Mr Pollock and Mr Fuller and painted them all green Ken Anderson gave us loads of soil to fill the pond before a final day of seeking donations and finishing off which we did with 10 minutes to spare Mrs French came to visit us and gave us boxes of ‘Celebrations’ to thank us for our efforts. It was a hard week, but well worth it.
Contrary to popular belief, Health Promoting Schools is not just about food! Daniel Baker’s article shows the work of 15 volunteers during activities week We are looking to extend that again this year and if you can think of any way in which the school can be involved with the community in an equally positive way, please contact me We are also aware that an active lifestyle can play a major role in being healthy and will introduce a reward scheme to encourage participation within clubs at CVC during the summer
Initially the scheme will be piloted with Year 8 pupils only
The pupils are having the major role in how the reward scheme shapes up and we hope it will encourage participation We will keep you posted after the pilot in the summer term
Daniel Baker 9V
Sean Pollock, Healthy Schools Co-ordinator
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VOLUNTEERS: The Comberton pupils at Hardwick School
Ground-breaking
PARENTS should be very happy and satisfied with the quality of education their children receive at Comberton.
And although the college has a large number of teachers working with and in other schools, this enhances what goes on at Comberton, rather than detracts from it
That is the belief of David Bell, the Government’s Chief Inspector of Schools, after he spent a day at the college earlier this term
He said he could understand concerns that having up to 12 Advanced Skills Teachers (ASTs) working closely with a variety of partner primary, secondary and higher education establishments could be detrimental to their work at Comberton
But he believes the opposite is true and that
Comberton has won praise from the government’s chief inspector of schools, David Bell, not only for its novel approach to citizenship and personal development lessons, but for its whole ethos He believes it is a model the rest of the country can follow Staying at the cutting edge of education requires dedication and hard work as the articles on these pages demonstrate
Benefits of seeing the bigger picture
Comberton’s outward-looking approach brings huge benefits and an impressive range of opportunities
“Parents should be very happy and satisfied with the quality of education youngsters receive here, not just what they do, but how they do it; the keenness of the staff and the range of opportunities It’s the epitome of a rounded education,” he said
He praised Henry Morris’ vision for the village college system in Cambridgeshire which puts schools like Comberton at the heart of the community and accentuates the idea of vocational as well as academic learning
He also praised the outwardly looking ethos of today’s Comberton noting the work the college does in sharing and disseminating good prac-
Ruling the world
Think you could rule the world?
Well, for 30 students at this year’s Summer School course this was the question they faced as they embarked on a week of activities based around issues of citizenship and government. The project used this year’s General Election as a springboard into a diverse exploration of relevant issues, including a range of problemsolving and decision-making activities.
The students from the current Years 7, 8 and 9 faced challenges as cabinet ministers, speech writers, budget managers and even as presidents of a developing country as they carried out tasks and investigations designed to extend and enrich their everyday learning experiences They were also treated to a twopart course, which explored leadership through sport, one held on dry land and the other based in the CVC pool.
For many, a highlight was the group’s visit to
London, with guided tours of the Houses of Parliament and the Cabinet War Rooms/Churchill Museum.
Further highlights were the visits from the UK Youth Parliament Member for South Cambridge (CVC’s Maxine Lincoln), Cambs County
tice, particularly through the ASTs (Comberton has one of the highest concentrations in the country), training teachers and as an International School
He was impressed by the work Comberton does with its feeder primary schools to ease transition from Year 6 to Year 7
“This is a school which is very open to ideas and is not confined by geography,” he added
Principal Stephen Munday said Comberton, which is also a Leading Edge school and specialist sports college, helped other schools in various ways, but was always looking to learn from those it came into contact with
He said: “There are always mutual benefits for excellence, you have to be outward-looking ”
Councillor Viktor Lucas and Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley MP. Mr Lansley saw examples of the students’ work from throughout the week and, as a result of his visit, three lucky students were ultimately
asked to attend 10 Downing St (see Page 8)
Many thanks to all involved, particularly the team of Mrs Brennan, Mrs Compton, Miss Lewis and Mr Wren
Mr Leggott, Ella Funge and Jodie Baker (8E)
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PUPIL MATTERS: David Bell meets Year 8 pupil Ellie Crow
BIG DAY OUT pupils and staff outside the Houses of Parliament
. . .
Comberton
Second specialism for ‘high-performing’ CVC
COMBERTON has become one of just 100 schools in the country to be offered the chance of a second specialism this autumn
The college had to satisfy a number of challenging criteria in order to be deemed ‘high-performing’ and therefore permitted to take on another opportunity by the Department for Education and Skills
Given that the school already has both Leading Edge and Training School status, a second specialism was the obvious option
Languages was seen as ideal because of the many excellent opportunities that it could bring to pupils at the college and the local community
It fits in very well with the college’s everincreasing international outlook
From 2006, Comberton will be called a ‘Specialist Sports and Languages College’, along with all the other titles that it holds
Principal Stephen Munday said: “This really is excellent news for Comberton Village College
“It is another recognition of the outstanding work that goes on at the college and the wonderful way that our pupils achieve The new designation promises to bring many exciting new opportunities to broaden and strengthen the educational experience of all students
“The extra resources that it will bring should also help to strengthen our all-round educational provision ”
National focus on G&T work
COMBERTON’S status as one of just 18 Ambassador Schools recognises the work done with not only the most able pupils at the college, but also at other primary and secondary schools locally and further afield
It was awarded last April by the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth (NAGTY) after CVC co-ordinator Stephen Leggott submitted evidence of the college’s procedures for stretching the most gifted in all areas of the curriculum.
A recent article in The Guardian suggested that Comberton’s drive to get the best out of all students whatever their ability is routine and that Ambassador status is just reward for the approach to pupils identified as gifted and talented
Now work which is the norm at Comberton is being disseminated with the help of a £5,000 a year grant from NAGTY.
Comberton heads of department and advanced skills teachers run workshops and courses for fellow teachers, hold informal gatherings and speak at conferences
But they also work closely with Comberton pupils and with youngsters at the feeder primary schools as emphasis is placed on five key areas of G&T provision.
These are:
n rigorous concentration in routine lessons on
stretching the most able n providing extra-curricular enrichment activites
n working with feeder primary and sixthforms to ensure early identification and smooth transitition
n on-going pastoral support for all G&T students
n annual summer schools (see Page 6).
“If you are serious about comprehensive education then G&T provision is absolutely fundamental,” said Principal Stepehn Munday
AWARD: Principal
Stephen Munday
with the Futures Vision award School recognised for its use of ICT
COMBERTON has become one of only 17 schools nationally to receive an award for its use of ICT
The school received the accolade from the Specialist Schools Trust after initially submitting a bid and then impressing associate director Ken Walsh
Two coachloads of visitors including headteachers, a Lord, industry chiefs and a film crew making a documentary for Teachers’ TV spent an afternoon and evening at Comberton this term as part of the Futures Vision Tour to see technology in action
They saw a range of lessons using technology, as well as the school’s video editing suite, the support staff’s use of ICT and some special presentations
After sightseeing in Cambridge they returned to Comberton for the award ceremony in the Performance Hall Guests were left spellbound by musical and dance items before Principal Stephen Munday picked up the award Guests were treated to fabulous food from the catering department, which also left a big impression
Mr Walsh said: “The evening performances were outstanding
The talk on the bus was all about the superb blues singing and the assurance and confidence of your students overall You must have felt very proud Thank you also for the superb food!” Deputy Principal Peter Law said: “It was a very successful day and we were delighted to receive the award Special thanks to Sean Sumner, our ICT Advanced Skills Teacher, who has been fundamental in driving forward the use of ICT in this school “One of the comments that we received was that you can know that ICT is being used effectively in a lesson when you can’t see it being used; you see the teaching and learning that is taking place and not the ICT It was very gratifying to hear this being said by our visitors ”
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TALKING G&T: Leigh McClelland with Guardian reporter Steve McCormack
Trying something new
NORMAL lessons at Comberton were suspended for two days and pupils throughout the school had the opportunity to undertake a range of exciting activities designed to extend their experience of the usual curriculum
Earlier this term, Year 7 pupils tried working as real scientists, starting the day with a problem to investigate and finishing it presenting their conclusions They also participated in a range of sports which they may not have tried before, including table tennis, kabaddi, breakdancing and golf
Year 8 pupils took part in a wide variety of cultural activities which complemented their experience of languages within the curriculum These included cooking, dancing, music, craft and ICT activities drawing on cultural influences from Spain, France, Germany and Sweden They also took part in the geography trip to Walton-on-the-Naze
Walton brings geography to life
LOOKING AT EROSION: Year 8 pupils collect data samples on Walton beach
OUR first glimpse of Walton town was of shops and tourists, but as we got nearer the sea, the landscape and housing changed We trekked across the eroding beach in groups and took note of the range of different defences protecting the town From the beach we could see different layers of rock and clay that were being washed into the sea We collected samples of data We explored the nature reserve before heading up the tower, which was fun
Ready Steady Cook, Robots and Rockets were all activities enjoyed by Year 9 pupils on curriculum extension days held in the Design and Technology Department
Pupils worked in small groups to complete three different challenge projects
The Ready Steady Cook task was to design and make a dish from a selection of ingredients We had many interesting pasta dishes which were
presented in an eye-catching package which had been produced using CAD
With robots, pupils had to design the best table-tennis ball scope and goal delivery device. Using robot vehicles teams competed against one another The highest score was 25 table tennis balls finding their way into the device.
Teams had to design and build a satellite launch vehicle using sheets of high tech photocopier paper and super strength glue stick
At launch time two rockets landed on the school roof and three made it into the trees and were declared winners for travelling the furthest, although they didn't come back!
Year 9 also discovered innovative applications of Maths such as geometric art, golf-ball packaging and imagining what counting must be like in Springfield, home of the Simpsons
Pupils in KS4 also took part in activities extending their learning, but with their GCSEs firmly in mind, through activities in Science, English and the Arts
Tea for three at No 10
WE were invited to 10 Downing Street by Mr Andrew Lansley, MP for South Cambridgeshire as part of a project aimed at getting young people interested in politics, organised by Cherie Blair
We were slightly nervous as we walked through the security gate and past the armed policeman Guides showed us to the room where we were to have tea with the Prime Minister’s wife We were invited to take a seat, which we did quite gingerly as we were told they were worth £185,000!
Lots of very posh, but very small cakes were eaten Cherie Blair was interested to hear about CVC's Summer School, particularly the game 'President for a Day' Guides then showed us around the house They were very friendly and even let us sit in the Prime Minister's chair, which isn't usually allowed
We were interested to discover that The National Gallery visits every couple of months to change the paintings on the walls of the house Each time the paintings are changed, a different theme is chosen while we were there it was poetry and modern art
We also were permitted to sit on Winston Churchill's reading chair, probably the most comfortable chair any of us have ever sat in, although it did smell of tobacco smoke!
Before leaving, photographs were taken by the press and we were each given a book about Number 10, signed by Cherie Blair
As we departed through the famous black front door, we realised that we had just experienced a once in a lifetime opportunity
Ella Funge(8E), Stuart Keppie (7V) and Tom Manford (7O)
THE BLACK DOOR: Ella Funge, Stuart Keppie and Tom Manford with South Cambs MP Andrew Lansley at the door to No 10
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Natasha Hill-Tout & Sarah Brennan (8O)
Comberton squeezed out
BOTH Comberton teams made firstround exits from the National Schools Netball tournament
Only the top two teams went through and both Comberton’s under-14 and under-16 teams finished third after losing one of their group games
The under-16s were delighted to find perennial favourites St Mary’s and Perse paired together in the other group
But a 12-5 defeat by a physical and tall Soham team ended their hopes of topping
the group to gain qualification to the second round
In their other matches, Comberton beat hosts Netherhall 6-5, Peterborough High School 6-1 and Orton Longueville 6-3
The under-14s’ hopes were dashed by St Mary’s, who beat them 4-3, although they won their other matches against Netherhall B, Orton Longueville and Sawtry, who were on the end of a 14-0 thrashing
Under-16: H Peck, J Parcell, R Wright, A Pearson, K Atkin, L Dowsett, H Taylor, H Grundy
Inter-form hots up
COMBERTON’s new inter-form competition got off to a flying start this term
Boys and Girls in Years 7, 8 and 9 have had two events already, one of them being the inter-form fitness run
The idea behind the year-long multi-sport event is that allows pupils to use prior learning in a challenging and competitive environment Pupils have to use existing skills and adapt them to the situations they face
What has been particularly impressive is the way form groups have got together as teams, supporting and encouraging one another
Year 7, 8 and 9 girls have all had netball tournaments. The B tutor group lead the X half-year event across the board with T and E joint first in 7Y, V top in 8Y and T well clear in 9Y T also did well in the Year 7 cross-country, which they won from I and E ?? was the leading form after the girls’ Year 8 fitness run, from ?? and ?? while in Year 9, ?? topped the points table, ahead of ?? and ??
Year 7 and Year 8 boys have both had football tournaments in their half year groups M and B topped the 7X competitions for A and B teams respectively with V and E leading
HOCKEY IS
FUN: the Comberton’s year 8 team who reached the quarterfinals of the District Tournament on the CVC artificial pitch
the events in 7Y M and B were also tops in 8X with N and V leading the Y half’s events
Year 9 have played basketball where B and M led the way in the 9X section and E won both the Y-group events
In the cross-country event, C topped the 9X points-table with V leading the way for 9Y
In Year 8, the half-year groups’ combined points table for cross-country has V in the lead, followed by O and N C lead the Year 7 competition from T and M
Local club collects prestigious award
HARDWICK & Shepreth are celebrating being one of only three Cambridgeshire cricket clubs to be awarded the prestigious ClubMark Accreditation
In achieving ClubMark, the club has shown that it operates in a safe and child-friendly way, runs an effective coaching and playing programme, and has a clear vision for the future
Tim Fitches, of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Active Sports Partnership, who assists sports clubs through this process said: "Hardwick & Shepreth have demonstrated an ideal environment for children to be introduced to and enjoy the game of cricket " The Club recruited 34 youngsters last summer, mainly through the work of coach Michael Kay, the full-time South Cambs Community Cricket Coach, who is based at Comberton Village College and worked with all the college’s feeder primary schools in KS2 during the last academic year
Michael s work, funded by a partnership between South Cambs District Council, Cambs Cricket Board, CVC, and Sport England, has enthused many children in South Cambs to pursue the game at school, on holiday courses, and at clubs such as Hardwick & Shepreth Chris Fuller, who of Hardwick & Shepreth, said: "We now have over 70 children (boys and girls) under 15 playing regular league cricket and hope to increase this further with Michael Kay's invaluable help "He has provided the impetus for cricket at schools where we have little or no influence, and has helped the club to increase its numbers by 50 per cent in the last year alone We are a club that, from its inception, has prided itself on giving young children a chance to play cricket at the earliest age. We have children as young as five years old turning up each Saturday through the summer hoping to be the next Freddie Flintoff "
Under-14: H Sewell, C Luck, A Greed, K Babbar, L Lambert, C Blows, E Thompson, G Weaherhead, J Gillam
Final agony for CVC
COMBERTON had to settle for runners-up spot at the Cambridge and District under-13 rugby tournament.
After beating Soham and St Bede’s to reach the semi-final, they knocked out Sawston to set up a final showdown
Despite a valiant effort, two Netherhall tries were enough to give them a 10-0 victory
Comberton: F Hay, S Cranwell, A Memon, J Berkeley, J Cronk, P Tasker, B O’Rielly, J Owen-Jones, S Bols, O Vale, L Blackwell, L Williams
AWARD: Tim Fitches presents Chris Fuller with the ClubMark certificate
Front: Michael Kay with two young Hardwick players
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NEAR MISS: for Comberton’s under-14 and under-16 squads