ISSUE 39, SUMMER 2015
The News Magazine of Comberton Village College
Year 11 in the spotlight — Page 3
From strength to strength news@com
The end of the academic year is a time when schools traditionally see some members of staff taking on new ventures and this year at Comberton we have a number of staff moving on. After many years of planning and much work we were delighted to see Cambourne Village College open to 150 Year 7 pupils in September 2013. There was, at that time, a small core team of staff there, very ably led by Mrs Coates and Mr Sumner, with many staff moving between Comberton and Cambourne throughout the week to provide subject specialist teachers. This year Cambourne doubled in size to 300 pupils, and with the addition of a further year group in September they will have around 450 pupils. Cambourne Village College will therefore be of a size to have the full range of specialist staff permanently based there. Those teachers who were fperipatetic or the last two years will therefore be doing rather less driving on the A428 and will be permanently based in Cambourne. It is very clear that these staff are not leaving; they are still employed by the Comberton Academy Trust, and we look forward to continuing to work with them in the future. It is however the case that we will see less of them than currently, and we do offer them our very best wishes. The development of Cambourne Village College has brought many opportunities to Comberton Village College. As they have grown as a school we have developed very strong collaboration, sharing not just staffing but planning, resourcing and training days. We have also used the COMINGS natural movement of staff as an opportunity to recruit AND excellent, highly-skilled teachers and in September will be GOINGS: Paul welcoming these staff as they work with us to continue to Lawrence is offer your sons and daughters the outstanding teaching back after a and opportunities they have (as witnessed in this year with Her magazine). Majesty’s With a significant list of staff moving on, it can be a Inspectors dangerous game to try to pick out particular things to say while Sarah regarding individuals. Hall has However, I shall take a risk with just one . . . Sarah Hall retired after has been a teacher at Comberton Village College for 29 29 years at years. She trained as a PE teacher and originally started Comberton. here as Head of Girls’ PE. It would be fair to say that Mrs Hall is a uniquely and diversely talented individual, and over the course of her time here has taught an exceptionally wide range of subjects, including German, Physics, RE and, for many years, she has been a member of the Technology department, teaching both Graphics and Food Technology. Aside from this, she has been a pastoral leader, spending time working as a Head of Year, and for very many years led the school ski trip, introducing this sport to literally thousands of children. It is fair to say that over a long career Mrs Hall has had a hugely positive impact on the lives of very many children and for this we offer her our most profound thanks. There are, of course, many others for who will be leaving who have also performed significant and valuable services over their time here, and our thanks and best
wishes go to all. After spending a year seconded to HMI (Her Majesty’s Inspectors) working as a Lead HMI inspecting schools, we were very happy to welcome Paul Lawrence back at the start of this term. Mr Lawrence will use the experiences and skills he developed over this year to lead school improvement and school self-evaluation working in all of the schools in the Comberton Academy Trust. The leadership of the school has also developed with three new posts being created: Mrs Burgess and Mrs Clarke will both be seconded to the senior team for the next
NEW ROLES: For Sean Sycamore, Marielle Burgess and Jane Clarke.
year and will take on a number of whole school projects, including developing the use of tutor time, healthy schools initiative and looking at developing our “noncurriculum” days (such as activities week). The post of Deputy Head of School has recently been created and Mr Sycamore has moved into this role. This is a broad and diverse post, and Mr Sycamore will have oversight of a number of areas including ethos, behaviour and operational issues. It is very clear that as the school continues to evolve and develop it remains incredibly strongly staffed, with the enduring core principles of the Comberton Academy Trust at the heart of what we do. It is this strength and direction that brings pupils here for the outstanding experiences and opportunities that they enjoy, and I am grateful to all staff for this work. Peter Law, Head of School
Contents q Year 11 in Spotlight — Page 3 q CAT News — Page 4 q Carnegie Day is a Success — Page 5 q Author shares Secrets — Page 5 q Second Victory for Writer — Page 5 q Cashing in on Reading — Page 10 q New Cabin Almost Ready — Page 7 q Be Alert to Dangers of Sexting — Page 7 q Return Leg is Action-Packed — Page 8 q Teaching Enhances Everybody’s Learning — Page 8 q Bonding over Science — Page 8 2
q Spanish Trip’ So Much Fun’ — Page 9 q Strong Show at Bee Finals — Page 9 q Why Attendance Matters — Page 10 q Pupils Excel at Maths — Page 10 q Insight into Pain and Brutality of Holocaust — Page 10 q Bring on Big Shots — Page 10 q Sixth Form News — Pages 11-14 q South Cambs School Sports Partnership round-up — Pages 16-17 q Sports Latest — Pages 18-24 News@Com
year 11 ball
Year 11 in the spotlight Students in Year 11 celebrated the end of their exams — and, for some, the end of their time at Comberton — with two fun-filled events. Their final gathering on the school site as a year group was Celebration Day, which started with a double period in tutor groups with T-shirts, yearbooks and hoodies being handed out. They then all moved to the back field where there was
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plenty to amuse the students. The inflatables were great, the popcorn and candy floss machines were a hit with everyone and the photo booth was very popular too. After a BBQ students gathered in the Performance Hall for an informal assembly with silly awards given out and lots of excellent videos to watch (thanks to all the staff for making these — they were all brilliant). But it was also a moment to reflect on the past five years, which made the afternoon quite emotional too.
The second important event was the Ball. This took place at the Cambridge Corn Exchange and was a real success. It was much enjoyed by all who attended. Everyone looked absolutely amazing and the dance floor was packed from start to finish. Thank you to all staff who contributed to making this event a night to remember. We wish Year 11 pupils all the best for results day on August 20th and all the best for the future. Marielle Burgess, Head of Year 11
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COMBERTON ACADEMY TRUST NEWS
National recognition Two schools in the Comberton Academy Trust are celebrating national recognition. CAT news
The Schools, Students and Teachers Network (SSAT), founded from the former Specialist Schools and Academies Trust in May 2012, allocates awards to schools with high levels of attainment and/or progress. Comberton Village College saw 72% of students achieve grades A*-C including maths and English, based on the new ‘first entry’ recording system with 87% of the exams taken being graded A*-C. As a result they received an SSAT Educational Outcome Award for being in the top 20% of nonselective schools nationally for exceptional student attainment. Melbourn Village College received two awards; one for their attainment being in the top 10% nationally and another for being in the top 10% nationally for value added progress. Last summer 75% of Melbourn students achieved five GCSEs at grades
A*-C including maths and English — 20% above the national average. In English the proportion of students who made three levels of progress was 83% and for maths 89% — both figures putting them significantly above the national average. Melbourn were one of only 108 schools nationally to pick up both awards and as a result has been invited to join Comberton in the SSAT ‘Leading Edge’ group of schools who are all rated by Ofsted at Grade 1 or
2. All Leading Edge schools, which must show pupils make excellent progress and/or perform above the national average, are committed to: working in partnership to raise achievement, innovation and sharing practice both within and beyond the network. AWARDS: Melbourn Principal Simon Sue Holmes said: “I am very proud Williamson that the excellent standard of presents education at MVC has been recognised via these two Principal awards, in particular the one Simon for progress. Holmes “This clearly indicates that we with Melbourn’s make a substantial impact on the life chances of the awards. students at the college. “It is a deserved reward for the commitment and hard work of the whole staff team and the positive relationships they foster with students. In addition, being invited to be a part of the Leading Edge programme will open up more avenues for innovation and partnership work and help us continue to offer the best possible opportunities to all of our students.”
Inspectors give top marks to CamVC Cambourne Village College has just been rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted after its first inspection since opening in September 2013. Inspectors found that ‘teaching in the school is outstanding, and consistently effective’ and that ‘the progress of pupils is rapid and sustained’. The report describes the pupils as ‘unfailingly polite and courteous’ and their behaviour in lessons as ‘exemplary’. Amid a culture of high expectations, ‘academic success and education in its broadest sense are highly valued by the school community’. The judgement is all the more remarkable since it is highly unusual for a new school to attain an
‘outstanding’ rating before any public exam results have been published. Of Principal Claire Coates, the report said: “The Principal leads the school with calm authority and sensitivity. She is supported extremely well by her senior team and by senior leaders across the Trust.” Mrs Coates said: “It’s hugely rewarding to see the phenomenal skill and dedication of our teachers and support staff, Governors, Trustees and volunteers acknowledged throughout the report, and we’re incredibly proud of our students, who have always risen to our very high expectations since the day the OUTSTANDING: Pupil progress at College opened.” Cambourne is ‘rapid and sustained’.
New Principal for Voyager NEW ROLES: For Andy Smith and Sue Williamson.
SSAT chief in hotseat Sue Williamson is the new Chair of Governors at Melbourn Village College as well as a Trustee of CAT. The Chief Executive of SSAT, the Schools Students and Teachers Network, has taken over from Andy Smith, who spent 17 years in the MVC hotseat, but is staying on as a governor. Sue, who lives in Caldecote, is a former Lincolnshire head teacher, who is credited with overseeing a 40% rise in the five A*-C GCSE pass after achieving Technology College status. “I was honoured to be asked to serve as a trustee of CAT and to chair the governing body of Melbourn Village College, “ she said. “I’m looking forward to working with governors, staff, parents and students to ensure that MVC becomes one of the best schools in the country.”
Former Bassingbourn Village College Principal Scott Hudson will take over as Head at the Comberton Academy Trust’s school in Peterborough in September. He takes over at the helm of The Voyager Academy next term, having successfully taken his current school, Kingswood Academy in Corby, out of special measures after it was placed there by NEW HEAD: Scott Ofsted. In Kingswood Academy’s latest Ofsted report, published this term, Mr Hudson was praised, with inspectors stating: “The unflinching determination of the Principal, supported well by the senior leadership team, is improving students’
achievement and behaviour.” Trust Chief Executive Stephen Munday will continue to support Mr Hudson and said: “We are thrilled to have appointed Mr Hudson as Principal at The Voyager Academy. “It has been always been our plan to have a permanent Principal in place when the time was right; I’m happy to say that the time is right and we have, joining us, a Principal with great experience in driving forward positive change.” Scott Hudson said: “It is a privilege to have been appointed as Principal Hudson. at the Voyager and I am very much looking forward to taking on the role. I am committed to working with students, staff, parents and the local community in order to make the Academy one which we are all proud of. I can see that The Voyager Academy has tremendous potential.”
Visit the new CAT website at www.catrust.co.uk 4
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The Carnegie Medal is given to an outstanding author of teenage literature.
BOOKWORMS: Pupils from six schools discussed the books on the Carnegie shortlist.
Author shares some of her secrets . . . Year 8 students very much enjoyed meeting visiting author, Lucy Saxon, who came to Comberton Village College to talk about her novels ‘Take Back the Skies’ and ‘The Almost King’ published by Bloomsbury Press. Significantly, Lucy is a young author who is still a teenager herself and she was able to offer suggestions to the students on how to get started. She is writing a series of novels based on a fictional world where, in ‘Take Back the Skies’, families are forced to give up their children to become fighters in a long-standing war as soon as they turn 13. It quickly becomes apparent to the heroine, Catherine Hunter, who runs away from her powerful family and joins a pirate airship of rebel fighters, that something sinister is going on when she discovers that the war ended years ago. Lucy explained how she writes her novels in intense periods of creativity, often working into the night. She talked about the editing process and the length of time it takes for a novel to go from a draft to become the finished product, a topic which many students had not realised was so complicated. The CVC students were able to ask her a wide variety of questions, both about the novel and being a writer. It was a very interesting and exciting visit, leaving many of those who were lucky enough to be there firmly resolved to read the stories for themselves.
Each year there is a shortlist of eight books, one of which will receive the medal. Schools throughout Britain each create a Carnegie Shadowing Group to read all the shortlisted books. The Comberton group called itself ‘Books and Biscuits x2’ and met every Friday lunchtime from Easter until Carnegie Day, 22nd June. This year the Comberton Village College library decided to host Carnegie Day and opened its doors to five other schools: Impington Village College, Bassingbourn Village College, Parkside Community College, Kimbolton School and Swavesey Village College. Sixty students plus teachers arrived around 10.00am and left at 2.30pm. During this time the students did various activities such as character profiling, looking at the graphology
Second victory for young writer Year 10 student Alexia Sloane has won The Henrietta Branford writing competition for a second time. The teenager, who won two years ago, finished in top spot again this year with her piece called ‘Almost’. She received her prize from Dame Jacqueline Wilson at a ceremony in London earlier this month. Alexia also met the shortlisted candidates for the Brandord Boase Award, which rewards first-time novelists and their publishers and was given feedback from publishers and editors about her novella ‘A Piccolo’s Tale’ which she hopes to publish in future. ‘Almost’ can be read at http://www.branfordboaseaward.org.uk and the prologue and epilogue of ‘A Piccolo’s Tale’ are at www.alexiasloane.wordpress.com n Following two highly competitive and gruelling auditions, Alexia is now a member of the prestigious Aldeburgh Young Musician scheme for Composition and she is the first blind musician and
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of book covers, writing a very short story for 4-8 year olds and a quiz. All the students mixed well and the discussions were intense and illuminating until finally, we came up with our winner, ‘More Than This’. This, as in other years, did not tally with the judges choice which was, ’Buffalo Soldier’. However, as it was also an amazing book the grumbles were few and far between. We also had time in the afternoon to look at the ‘Kate Greenaway Medal’ shortlist of eight illustrated books of which ‘Shackleton’s Journey’ was the winner. Helen Lanzrein, one of our very talented art teachers came to talk to us about illustrating and showed the students some of the illustrations she had previously done. By 2.15pm everyone was in need of a drink and a biscuit before heading home. The day had been busy, productive but most of all fun. New friends had been made and we are all looking forward to next year’s Carnegie Day.
WORDS OF WISDOM: Teenage author Lucy Saxton talks to Year 8 students.
Cashing in on reading
\WINNER: Alexia Sloane with Dame Jacqueline Wilson after her 2013 win. composer to be accepted on this scheme. She is also a member of The Cambridge Young Composer network and she has recently received her first commission to write a piece for the Cambridge Music Festival on November 10th .
The Library launched its first READATHON in the summer term and invited Year 7 and 8 pupils to take part. The students were given a sponsor card and asked to get a few sponsors then to read what they liked and keep a record in their sponsor card. Students set their own challenges; some chose to read a few articles or one story, others several novels and some joke books or e-books, anything in fact, that they liked to read for pleasure. The challenge raised £260.00 for READATHON, whose money goes to help children with cancer or a disability and children’s hospice services. It also raised £52.00 of free books from Scholastic for the library and two £5.00 book tokens to be given out to those students that have done particularly well. We’d like to say a big ‘Thank you’ from the library to all those who got involved and helped in a small way. We shall be launching READATHON again during the winter term with the new Year 7s, so if you would like to join in please let us know. Julie Peck, Assistant librarian
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Carnegie Day is a success
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Comberton’s new multi-million pound Cabin is due to open in September, providing a purpose-built ‘home’ for students with Asperger’s Syndrome. Here one of the students, Henry Harrison, talks about the move after a year in the Lecture Room following a number of years in two increasingly delapidated prefabricated classrooms. “I am excited about going into the new Cabin after the summer holidays in September. The new Cabin will be at least twice as big as the old Cabin and will have enough space for the Study (another autistic centre in CVC). The space where the Study is now will be called the Hub and be used in a similar way to the Centre
(i.e. it will be somewhere people with needs other than autism can go). “The new cabin will have two floors, one for mainly the students where they will be able to use the kitchen and hang out in the main area. The other floor will be mainly for the TAs where they will hold meetings, work in their offices or relax if they had a stressful day. “The new Cabin will have a kitchen where students can learn to cook for themselves and there will be toilet cubicles and changing rooms so they do not have to go into the main building to use them. “Outside there will be gardens where students can use the area to learn how do to gardening. In addition, there will be a door at the back of the Cabin that allows students to leave the building and go to play on the field or in the woods next to it.”
NEW BUILD: The Cabin at Comberton is scheduled to open in September.
Be alert to the dangers of sexting When sexting issues are raised in school, we will always follow up as a safeguarding issue. We have a duty to respond to reports and rumours as they arise; if there are sufficient concerns, we liaise closely with the police and take their advice. If sufficiently concerned, the police will visit the young person in school or in their home. The school will continue to work closely with parents with regards to all these matters.
Sexting... what is it? Sexting is when somebody sends a sexually inappropriate image to other people. It is sometimes called a nudie or naked selfie.
Statistics In a recent NSPCC/ChildLine survey, 6 out of 10 teenagers said they had been asked for sexual images of themselves. Of those who said they had sent a photo to someone, 20% said it had then been shared with other people, while 28% said they did not know if their picture had been shared with anyone else. Some "sexts" have ended up on forums used by child sex offenders.
How to get help
What are the risks? l Bullying / harassment: quite often when a sext goes public the owner faces issues concerning bullying, cyberbullying and harassment. l Lack of control of images: once any image is sent it is effectively public. Snapchat and other similar apps/social networks are not risk-free. The apps/networks which state that images only appear for a set time then delete are outwitted by other apps which store all images received or receivers can easily screenshot images when they appear. l Future career / employment issues: each time you post online or send messages/images, you are adding to your digital footprint. Employers can and do search for potential employees before offering interviews. When applying for jobs your CV and application letter are used in conjunction with your digital profile to gauge your suitability for jobs. l Where the images might end up: the very real concern is about where and when these images may appear/reappear. Once you sent (and therefore lost control of the image(s)) they can be stored by others. l The legal implications: under British law it is legal to have sex aged 16, but it is illegal, and a serious criminal offence, to take, hold or share "indecent" photos of anyone aged under 18. Those breaking the law could be prosecuted and be placed on the Sex Offenders Register.
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Sexual offenders Sexual offenders can and do take, store, and share illegal images. They obtain these in different ways, such as finding images posted online or by grooming. Police officers who work with offenders identified that there is a concerning trend, which shows that images are being transferred very early during grooming and may well take place in the first online meeting.
How do we support young people at CVC?
For more advice about sexting and other online issues — visit www.thinkuknow.co.uk To make an online report to the police visit www.ceop.police.uk To talk to somebody in confidence — call ChildLine on 0800 1111 For online support about cyberbullying contact www.cybermentors.org.uk Speak to a member of staff. At Comberton Mr Mannas has oversight of E-safety, but Comberton does take a whole-school approach to E-safety. Each year team has a dedicated member of staff for E-safety.
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We work hard to educate young people to keep themselves safe whilst using technology. This is part of the curriculum through PSHE and Computer Science lessons. It is also something that is raised and discussed through pastoral teams with regular assembly items on safeguarding and support and discussion activities during tutor times.
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New Cabin almost ready
Return leg is action-packed The Bank Holiday Weekend was spent with their host families and they had three days to do whatever they wanted with their French student. Bowling was a very popular activity, as was a They spent the evening getting used to second trip into London. Other their new homes and meeting the host activities included eating out, gofamilies. After a shower and a good karting and mini golf. night’s sleep they were ready to begin On Tuesday May 5, all 22 students their week in England. came in to school for the last time. On Wednesday, they came into our When everyone arrived, we went into school and shadowed us to all of our the Common Room to enjoy a variety lessons after a tour round the school of pastries and drinks. After an hour, it with Mr Evans. was time for the students to get their Thankfully one of the French students bags and board the coach that would was fluent in English and was take them back to London, where they immediately employed to be the got a train all the way back to Angers. translator. After school, they then spent This exchange was a really good TOGETHER AGAIN: Comberton students and their French exchange the evening with their host families, experience for us, as it gave us an some meeting up to do things with other partners at the front of the college for the English leg of the project. opportunity to see what life is like in families. France and make new friends. As well On Thursday, the French visitors went on a trip to London, which began in the British as that, it also gave us a chance to improve our French skills and learn new museum and ended in Covent Garden. In between these was a very long walk! On ‘vocabulary’! We would recommend this trip to anyone learning French that would the walk, they saw Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, The London Eye and like to improve their knowledge of the language and get a taste of French life, while Westminster Abbey. They thoroughly enjoyed the trip. making new friends along the way. Friday involved a day out in Cambridge; punting, seeing the colleges and shopping. We hope they enjoyed their time here and hope to keep in touch and maybe even As the students were getting off of the punts, the last student left was pushed away see them again! and left stranded in the middle of the river! He had to be rescued by the punter. Au Revoir Aaron Wilson (9V) and Alex Turtill (9N)
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At the start of this term, 22 French pupils arrived at Comberton Village College to reunite with their partners.
Teaching enhances everybody’s learning CVC Language Leaders have again proven their linguistic, creative and organisational talents, in delivering their third and final lessons to primary school students this term. Feedback from staff and students in their lessons has been very positive, and it has been fantastic to see the way their teaching and confidence have developed over the year! We have seen old favourites such a ‘splat’, new
WORKING WITH PRIMARY PUPILS: Language leaders in action.
contenders such as treasure maps, and teaching topics from exotic animals to traditional foods. I am sure that all the students involved will now go forward to be even more successful in their future language studies, proving right the old adage that to learn something really well you will be able to teach it! One student said: “Being at language leaders has really taught us a lot of skills throughout our time preparing and teaching three classes in German. “We have learnt to be more confident with leadership roles and also how to address an audience in an interesting way. It has also helped us gain more knowledge in German as we are seeing it from a different point of view and teaching others it instead of
being taught ourselves. “The thing we most enjoyed about it was the actual lessons, as it was really fun to go to other schools and meet all the other children, and also watching their knowledge of German develop because of us. “Our first lesson made us very nervous, as we had never done anything like it before. But as soon as we got started it was easy and the children really enjoyed us being there. “Even on our third lesson there were still some nerves, however we were more confident and felt in place while teaching them. We managed to get the children to know the alphabet, numbers, colours, animals and some short phrases, in German. “We journeyed to two schools, the last being different from the first, but it was nice being able to see more faces and be able to teach them as well. “Our skills as teachers developed over the time of us being a language leader, especially because of the planning. “It made us really think about our audience and we used lots of techniques. It has encouraged us to do more within the leadership roles at Comberton and we look forward to them.” Claire Jones, Languages Dept.
Bonding over science Comberton’s Science Club was visited by Japanese students. The visitors taught students how to make BunBun Goma (a Japanese toy) and they learnt about Japanese culture. The Japanese students showed how to write each Comberton student’s name in Japanese and a good bond was formed. Both sides thought they had a fantastic time and that it was a shame that it was only a short visit. One Science Club student said: "It was interesting and fun to learn about their toys and learning the Japanese characters for numbers up to 100.” The meeting was a good start to what will hopefully become a valuable connection between Comberton and the Japanese school, and it is hoped we can welcome them again in the future.
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LEARNING CURVE: For Science Club students.
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international
LOTS TO SEE AND DO: Comberton’s students visited Gaudi’s house, saw a Birds of Prey show and had a go at archery (below).
Spanish trip ‘so much fun’ Year 7’s 2015 trip to Comillas, Spain, was really fun and interesting. We participated in loads of great activities — like meeting the local children and trying out our Spanish in the shopping centre and markets — and visited some amazing sites. My favourite visits were to Las Cuevas del Soplao, a series of caves with amazing stalagmites and stalactites, where we saw ethereal caverns and beautiful rock formations created over millions of years. Other caves we visited were the famous Altamira caverns with some of the oldest cave paintings in the world daubed on the ceiling. One of our favourite trips was to the beach, though we didn’t spend much time there — you’ll have to persuade your teacher to stay there for longer! We also really enjoyed the hotel and had loads of fun in our rooms with our friends, and even more fun in the swimming pool. It was my first trip abroad with Comberton and I would recommend the visit to any other Year 7s interested in experiencing a foreign country and its customs or just having fun, making new friends and learning some more of a new culture. Olivia Ransome (7R)
I really enjoyed the trip to Comillas. I really liked visiting the massive zoo and found Gaudi’s House really interesting. The hotel was really nice and the view was great. I loved meeting the Spanish students and it was really interesting interacting with them and it helped me to improve my Spanish speaking skills as did the Spanish lesson in an old Spanish building. I tried tapas for the first time and they tasted all right. I really enjoyed looking around the caves we went to; the one with stalactites and stalagmites and those with wall painting, which were amazing. All in all the trip was great and I would go again. Eva Lopez-Diaz (7T) Comillas was fun because we got to learn Spanish in Our trip to Spain was amazing; I really, really enjoyed it and would definitely go again. My favourite part of the trip was when we went to a cave called a completely different atmosphere. We made some new Spanish friends. We soon got used to a brilliant Las Cuevas del Soplao which had lots of different types of rock which were really interesting. new culture. One of our best trips was the caves I also really enjoyed meeting the Spanish students at a school, we talked to because it was unique and interesting. We saw them in Spanish and they talked to us in English, then we either played stalagmites and stalactites and they were still growing. The other one which we really enjoyed was football or we did flamenco dancing. Also I liked going around the market and the shopping mall with our friends going to the Gaudi house because it had a unique buying stuff and talking. design filled with stories that were shown in lots of different pictures. Afterwards we had a treasure hunt The hotel was really nice; we stayed in a room with our friends and just generally had a good time in our free time, and when we were ‘sleeping’. I around the Gaudi house which was also very fun. Students from 7y2 Spanish would definitely recommend going on the Spanish trip. William Lutkin (7R) The Spanish trip to Comillas was AMAZING. We enjoyed lots of Spanish traditional food like paella and went shopping in some Spanish shops where we practised our Spanish speaking skills! We also visited many caves where we learnt about stalactites and stalagmites; they were amazing and there was multi-coloured mood lighting. Ancient mud huts where the Spanish ancestors used to live were visited.
At the hotel the rooms were luxurious and the swimming pool was relaxing. We conversed with Spanish students and learnt valuable Spanish from teachers at a local school. It was an amazing experience considering I didn’t know any Spanish when I joined Comberton and I would recommend it to others as a good, fun experience to make friends and learn some Spanish questions and answers. Beth Martin (7V)
Comberton’s strong show at Bee finals Comberton has had yet another fantastic year competing in the Foreign Language Spelling Bee, sending not one but two regional champions forward to the national final, which took place on Friday 3 July at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge. William Lutkin and Julian Shellard were two of just a handful of students competing for the national title this year. Nationally there were thousands of students who entered the competition in September, and they were gradually whittled down in the qualifying rounds, so it is a fantastic achievement by William and Julian to have reached the final stage. They worked to memorise a list of 200 words in Spanish, and had just one minute, in front of an audience of family, teachers and fellow competitors, to translate into Spanish and spell as many of those words as possible. Judges decisions are final and made in secret, but in their practice sessions the boys were averaging around
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18 words a minute, selected completely at random; a very impressive performance! In line with previous years, Comberton also had strong representation at the national finals from the Spelling Bee leaders, who have worked on a weekly basis to help support and prepare our competitors. These students have also provided invaluable support in registering and organising both participants and spectators at the regional and national finals of the competition, in their own time.
Their expert knowledge and confident, friendly approach enabled these events to run smoothly and their time and effort has been recognised by the award of the Spelling Bee leader pin badge, from Sarah Schechter, the project manager at Routes into Languages, the organisers of the competition. Emily and Katie Hodge (Year 9) were recognised for their commitment to the competition in this way and awarded their badge and a certificate in front of the whole audience. Mary Borrett, Sarah Hannaford and Patrick Butterfield (Year 10) returned for the third year, having gained their leadership award last year. Former winner Daniel Vlasits (Year 8) also played an essential part in the preparation of this year’s contestants, and we hope he will continue his work next year to gain the award. Huge congratulations to all students involved, it really is amazing to see the way you have played your part in the competition! Claire Jones, Languages Dept
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Why attendance matters news@com
Attendance is one of the most important aspects of a student’s education; the more lessons they miss, the more they will struggle to achieve their potential. Absence from school can also cause problems for young people socially and cause stress in terms of trying to keep up with what has been missed at school. Attendance at school is an important focus for us. The national statistics show the following: % attendance % students achieving 5+ A*-C including En & Ma 50% 3% 80% 20% 95% 73% At Comberton, we work hard to ensure students attend school well. Our Attendance Officer, Mr Grant, monitors student attendance closely and is the first point of contact should your child be ill. He monitors students signing in and out of school and follows up unexplained absences. Our Family Worker, Mrs Radburn, supports students who struggle with school attendance, particularly due to health issues. We also work closely with the locality team. Our Education Welfare Officer, Mrs Mandley, supports us in ensuring we are able to offer all our students appropriate education by working with families to encourage achievable attendance goals. We also work with the locality team’s Education Inclusion Officer, Sharon Wattley, to ensure we make appropriate provision for students with particular educational needs. If your child is unwell in school, they should not contact you themselves, but should see our school nurse/first aider who will contact you to collect them if they are unfit for learning.
If your child is unwell outside of school, you should inform the College on each day of the absence. This can be done by phone (01223 262503) or via the school website (http://www.combertonvc.org/Absence). If your child is suffering with a temperature/sickness/diarrhoea, the advice from health professionals is to keep them off for 48 hours to avoid infecting others. This advice would not apply to sickness associated with migraine or exercise, which is not linked to an infection. Planned absences during term time should be avoided. If you do have a specific request, please fill in the ‘Application form for leave of absence during term time’ from the website, which is also available as a paper copy from Heads of Year. Please give as much notice as possible for these requests. We would like to remind you that holidays during term time will not be authorised. Our target is that all students will attend all of the time. When attendance dips below 96%, we will write to inform you that your child’s attendance is not currently on target. If your child’s attendance reaches 90%, then we will write to you again. At this point, we are likely to request that absences will only be authorised with supporting medical evidence. When attendance reaches 85%, we will usually have to involve the Education Welfare Officer to support us in lowering the rate of absence. These measures are to ensure students access the education they need to achieve their potential. We will inform you of your child’s attendance on each school report that is sent home. Next year, we are hoping to let students and parents know their level of attendance more regularly with stickers in the diary. We hope this will help you monitor your child’s attendance more effectively. Our full attendance policy is available on the school website for your information.
Pupils excel at maths It is 225 minutes until midnight. What time is it on a 24-hour digital clock? This was the first question on the Junior Maths Olympiad paper this year. The Olympiad and the Junior Kangaroo are the extension rounds taken by pupils scoring the highest marks in the UKMT Junior Maths Challenge. The answer was 20:15, which, just like other years, relates to the year of the current Olympiad. Isaac Ormesher and George Gilhooly, from Year 8, and Callan Chambers and Willem Pye, from Year 7, took part in the multiple-choice Junior Kangaroo. Willem achieved especially well, scoring 125 out of a maximum 135. Because he is in Year 7, he will have the chance to do even better in Year 8. Callum Martin and Raphael Edwards, from Year 8, took part in the Olympiad, which is a two-hour paper that requires candidates to work out the answers completely without clues. Raphael did very well and gained a certificate of merit. Callum did brilliantly — he gained a certificate of distinction and a bronze medal, which places him in the top 200 pupils in the country. Well done, Callum! VALUABLE LESSON: Year 9 pupils listening to Holocaust survivor Eva Clarke.
Insight into the pain and brutality of the Holocaust Year 9 students were given the opportunity to listen to Eva Clarke talking about her and her family’s experiences of the Holocaust when she visited Comberton earlier this month. Eva spoke about her mother’s experiences of surviving Terezin, Auschwitz and finally Mauthausen where Eva was born. One Year 9 student, Julian Ngong, said: “Over the last half term I have been learning about the Holocaust in my History and RPE lessons and Eva’s talk really helped me to understand the pain, brutality and disrespect that many people at the time had to deal with.” Another, Selene Malzone commented, “I know that I will never be able to truly comprehend the fullness of people’s suffering during the Holocaust and the inhumanity of the acts performed in the camps, but I am now more thankful than ever for everything I have, and for the time of peace in which I was born.” She added: “I will take Eva’s advice and use my right to vote wisely so that nothing like this happens again.” As always, we are extremely grateful to Eva for giving up her time to share her testimony; her talk has a profound effect on both staff and students. Eva’s mother’s story is featured in a new book written by Wendy Holden called Born Survivors and Eva will be speaking at Heffer’s Bookshop in Cambridge in September. Zach Beamish, Head of RPE
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SOMETHING NEW: Lasertag comes to Comberton for a Year 10 social.
Bring on the big shots! Once again, the opportunity for another Year 10 social had arrived. However, rather than being another trip to the cinema or Thorpe Park, we had one in school that, at first sight we thought was rather 'different'. A laser tag event that took place within an inflatable pitch black arena was not what we expected. Small on the outside but big inside, it took us a few seconds to realise that we'd be running in circles trying to shoot each other in an all vs. all battle! Our lit-up guns were the only object to light our way around and find each other in what turned out to be a harmless yet 'almost blindfolded'
version of paintball; although the screams and shouts from some did give us an idea on where to go next. While most of us were busy running towards or away from one another, there were, of course, the laid back shooters who sat in the corner (Connor Rose being the main one) letting time fly as they waited for someone to come into their firing line. All of us had a wonderful time and we would like to thank Mrs Barcz-Morgan who, time and again, has been responsible for organising some of the best social events for our year. Evren Uygun (10M)
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BTEC Sport cohort all achieve the top grades
Students reach the peak of fitness The nine Year 13 students achieved a minimum of three distinctions with three of them, Henry Beresford, Joshua Jordan and Ellis Maloney, collecting three Distinction* grades for the Level 3 course. These exceptional results are only the third set of grades from the course at the sixth Form, which opened in 2011 and is already proving one of the most successful sixth forms in the country. Head of Sixth Form Lorna Conroy said: These are truly fantastic results and reflect the hard work and determination shown by the students. These results have secured university places for a number of the students and for others have provided fantastic qualifications to enter the world of work. Equally successful in her BTEC Level 3 was Ellie Jones, who collected three Distinction* grades on the Business Studies course as almost 65% of the group achieved distinction grades. Highlights of the course included planning and organising an entrepreneur-themed business event, visiting the Sky television studios to learn about careers in business and a trip to Adnams Southwold PLC to learn about business ethics.
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All Comberton’s BTEC Sport students who have just finished their two-year course achieved the top grades. IN GREAT SHAPE: Students from the BTEC Sport course. Students were able to develop their own business skills and knowledge through independent research and project work by completing either 12 or 18 challenging business assignments. The skills which they successfully practised and demonstrated included public speaking, interviewing, team work, event management, entrepreneurship, marketing and finance. Chris Warrington, Head of Business Education, said: “We wish the students all the best with their future careers and university studies and congratulate them for all of their hard work and outstanding effort over the last two years.”
Top tips for new drivers Year 12 recently took part in a driving safety course, where they were taught about the importance of precautions and preparation is when finally getting on the road. The year group heard first-hand from experienced members of the police forces and fire brigades about driving safely. It was also a fantastic opportunity to learn directly about driving laws regarding alcohol allowance or who responsibility rests with when in a vehicle, as well as handling the stress a learner will face when behind the wheel of a car. There were plenty of great learning experiences to take part in, including a driving and car crash simulator. There were also stalls, which helped to explain the different conditions we can find ourselves in while driving, from disruptive passengers to the influence of drinking on our reflexes. Year 12 also found a lot of incredibly useful information on how to inspect their cars for faults in the wheels and brakes which really showed us how vital making sure that your car, as well as you yourself, is totally prepared for driving. Finally all of the students were able to attend a talk which focused on behaving safely while a passenger in someone else's car, and treating a driver with the respect they require in order to IN TRAINING: Bramble is being puppy-walked safely get from A to B. on her way to becoming a Guide Dog It was a great privilege to be able to attend the event, with so much useful information on offer. We're certain that there was something for everybody on the day, and we certainly hope everybody is looking forward to driving now that they've been helped by a great team of people to properly understand the importance of all these aspects of driving safety. Matthew Williams (L6-CW) Picture the scene. Hundreds of adoring fans, each desperate to see their favourite celebrity. The crowds surging forward just to be able to say they caught a glimpse. This was the scene outside the dining hall as Bramble, the guide dog puppy, made her grand entrance as part of 12IW’s fund raising event for the year. The contest – guess Bramble’s birthday! The winner — Molly Cartwright, of Year 7, who, after careful consideration, went for February 24th 2015. The prize — a pink football and a large basket of sweets. The other winner — the Guide Dogs Association! LEARNING Bramble is a four-month old labrador/retriever cross who is CURVE: currently with her puppy walker where she will stay until the Young age of 12 months. drivers The Guide Dogs Association currently train around 780 dogs were given per year and it costs around £34,000 to train a guide dog an insight puppy. As the association relies solely on donations, 12IW into driving were delighted to be able to make a contribution to this and being important work. Bramble has promised to pay another visit in a passenger. September to thank her many new fans!
Crowds rush for look as a celebrity calls!
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Exploring all the options sixth form
University is just one of the many pathways open to sixth form students when they leave Comberton. We are keen to ensure that they are fully supported if they do choose this pathway as well as if they don’t. With employers looking for new ways to attract talented individuals at a younger age, the range of options for
our students post-18 is increasing. In recent years we have seen a number of students obtain places on very competitive school leaver programmes, with companies such as Deloitte and Ernst and Young as well as moving on to start apprenticeships in areas such as engineering and retail management. In recent weeks we have introduced the sixth form
VISITORS: Comberton students joined those from other colleges at Schlumberger.
students to a variety of opportunities open to them. One such event was an ‘Alternative Pathways’ afternoon with visiting speakers from Barclays Bank, Hill Construction, CRC and AVENA Solutions Ltd — all of whom offer incredible opportunities for structured training and development schemes for young people who are seeking truly challenging and exciting alternatives to higher education. Targeted at talented young people, these schemes are designed for on-the-job experience whilst simultaneously working towards a qualification. In June, students were invited to attend the Hi Tech Apprenticeship Fair in Cambridge; at which one of our talented sixth formers was successful in securing an apprenticeship with full training and employment; and last week, 10 of our gifted sixth form scientists had a day’s experience with Schlumberger, the world’s leading supplier of technology, integrated project management and information solutions to customers working in the oil and gas industry worldwide. All of these experiences have been eye opening for the students and over the coming year we hope to develop our links with local, national and international organisation and increase opportunities such as these for our students to help enable each individual to make the choice that is right for them.
Preparing university applications needs careful planning Following the return of our Year 12 students from their AS examinations, our work to prepare all our students hoping to apply to university through the UCAS system during the next academic year has continued in earnest. Students have received input on the mechanics of the application process and on how to make high-quality applications, have attended a variety of Open Days, including our visit to Leicester University. They have visited the UCAS Convention, at which they had the opportunity to seek information about, and advice from, representatives from universities all over the UK. Students and their parents were also invited to attend an information evening at the
college, where the Associate Dean of Admissions for the University of East Anglia gave a very helpful presentation on applying to university from the universities’ perspective and an outreach officer from Anglia Ruskin University demystified the student finance system. The evening was very well attended and very well received. Students are now continuing to receive guidance on an individual basis regarding their course and institution choices from the Sixth Form team and from subject specialists. In addition, I am pleased to report that all our students who applied to university this year have received offers of places to do so and wish them all every success with their future studies.
Duo chase scholarship Two Comberton students could be in line to receive a prestigious national engineering scholarship after making it through to the interview round of the awards process. Following in the footsteps of last year’s successful candidates (Jack White and Jonathan Xue), current Year 11s Janek TraceKleeberg and Lane Cox were both shortlisted to advance to the next stage of the Arkwright Engineering Scholarships process after completing a detailed application form and a two-hour aptitude exam in the spring term. Following a gruelling day of interviews and activities at Cambridge University in April, the pair could now stand to win a £600 financial award to enhance their A-level studies and a range of activities to enhance their understanding and experience of engineering. Their achievement in reaching this stage was already significant, with more than 1500 applications made in the first phase, but we wish them the best of luck as they await the final results.
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WHICH WAY NOW?: Comberton Sixth Formers at Leicester University.
Trip gives valuable insight On the 17th June I visited the University of Leicester with Comberton Sixth Form. We travelled up by coach and arrived in time for me and a friend to go to a chemistry lecture on MIPs, which is a potential for a new drug-using polymers; it was an inspiring talk. We looked around the accommodation and the relevant departments. On the accommodation tour they talked aboutthe many options of housing that there are, which was very useful as it meant I knew what I should be looking out for at other open days and also what decisions I need to make before I apply. This taster day gave a good idea of what I want the university that I study at to be like and also what questions I should ask the different universities to help me get as much knowledge and understanding on the subject that I want to study. Beth Jones, Year 12 (L6-MR)
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sixth form
Formal farewells in the sun The evening of Thursday 25th June saw the sun shining down on a group of more than 100 beautifully dressed sixth formers (and a large number of equally gorgeous looking staff!) as they sipped fruit punch on a lawn by the River Cam.
We celebrated the end of sixth form life for our Year 13 students in style at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, with the drinks reception followed by a fully served two-course meal in their Granta Suite, with doors open on to the lawns. Short speeches by Mr Evans and our student presidents, Georgia and Christian, completed the formalities and the guests then ended the evening
dancing to the disco or socialising outside in the warm conditions. We look forward to seeing our Year 13 students again when we celebrate their A2 results in August with them and wish them all the success for their futures beyond Comberton. Irayna Owen, Deputy Head of Sixth Form
How to ensure success! SHARING GOOD PRACTICE: Comberton Sixth Form leaders shared their secrets of success.
Following the enormous success of Comberton Sixth Form, Phillip Evans and Lorna Conroy were invited to present at the Special Schools and Academies Trust Achievement School run by the Leading Edge Programme and held at Twickenham Stadium. This is an event designed to celebrate and share outstanding achievements in education. Specifically, Mr Evans and Mrs Conroy shared their experiences of how to open a new Sixth Form and ensure its success within a short period of time. Comberton Sixth Form has already developed a
national reputation for this and hence the invitation to speak. Commenting on the occasion, Lorna Conroy, Head of Sixth form said: “I am extremely proud that Comberton Sixth Form was one of the of education providers identified to attend this event. “This really does highlight the amazing achievement of all the staff involved with our Sixth Form and, of course, the students both past and present. “To create a Sixth Form that is known nationally (and internationally) as a centre of excellence in a period of four years is truly a wonderful achievement. “Of course, we now aim to get even better.”
New council has big plans As the examination season has drawn to a close the election for the Sixth Form Council has taken place in preparation for the September start. As the newly-elected Presidents we would like to thank all those who voted for us. We are very excited about our new role and have lots of new ideas to put in place in September. We also look forward to working with our new council. Academic and Welfare Vice Presidents Emily Jane Smith and Sam Isitt are aiming to ensure all students have a positive and fully supported experience throughout their time here. Sports and Social Vice Presidents Jake Thompson and Kate Reed are looking into creating a Sixth Form sports day, in which egg and spoon races and lots of other exciting activities will take place, as well as busily researching locations for the Year 13 Leavers’ Ball.
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Trust Liaison Vice Presidents Alex Crockford, Kim Pinner and Melissa Walker are going to be furthering our relations with Melbourn VC, Cambourne VC and The Voyager; and introduce an even stronger link with Comberton’s lower school team and students through regular meetings and events. Communication Vice President Matthew Williams will be helping to improve the student voice and over the next few months working with Trust Liaison to share the views of both lower and upper school. Environment Vice President Connor Hanagan-
MEET THE TEAM: The new Sixth Form Council. Morrissey will be focussing on both socially and educationally adapting the Comberton environment to make it even better than it already is. Charity Vice President Maisie Hay-Clarke is looking into supporting all charitable events and the key national event days e.g Red Nose Day. Natalie Swanser and Mia Surridge (Presidents)
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Enriching and extending sixth form
Sixth Form students keen to enrich and extend their studies have continued to benefit from a number of opportunities and links to external partners. Here, some Year 12 students share their experiences:
Sam Coffey I attended a Materials Science taster course at Cambridge University, as part of the Headstart programme. The course was a week long and on the Sunday before it I was very nervous. However, everyone, both students and tutors, was really friendly. I didn’t expect to learn so much from just three days attending lectures and carrying out practicals in the Materials Science department. The content of the course was really interesting and confirmed that I want to carry on studying science. For our group projects, we were given a product that we had to take apart and then work out the materials it was made from. We had to carry out a range of tests in order to achieve this, including use of a scanning electron microscope. It was a great experience and I am really grateful that I was given this opportunity.
Maddy Tomlin During the Easter holidays, I was fortunate to receive a place on the History masterclass held at Pembroke College, Cambridge. During the day, I attended three taster lectures, while also being given a tour of the college, information on applying to university, and lunch in the college hall. The lectures I attended had been preselected according to my preferences from a few different options, so I was able to learn about aspects of history that I had never considered before. My favourite lecture was by Dr Henning Grunwald, who helped us to consider the Kate Reed In March I attended a taster day at Christ’s changes and factors influencing the role and A TASTE OF UNIVERSITY LIFE: Four Comberton students College, Cambridge. This day was characteristics of political justice in Weimar experienced Oxbridge. designed to give us information about the Germany. university and the English Literature courses it offers. It was such a privilege to listen to experts in their historical field discussing their I received an induction talk from a member of the faculty which was mainly about the work, and it has enabled me to broaden my understanding and also interest in course, though there was also a bit of bragging about the university! History. The two taster lectures which followed were very different; the first was about the history of storytelling, and the second showed us how to analyse a complex poem. Lucy Booth I recently attended an English and Classics taster day at Oxford University, which My favourite part of the day however, was the college tour. My group was taken by a was based at both Oriel and Regent’s Park colleges. It was a really fantastic day. hilarious Scottish girl in her third year, who not only showed us the grounds and It was lovely to meet students from various regions, cities and countries and I accommodation, but also told us about some of the traditions at Christ’s. enjoyed discussing a bit of Greek mythology and finding out what the course could The most memorable of these was the dance performed by the highest achieving offer in the future — which included some surprising career options. students around a tree in the garden, accompanied by the choir, after their leaving We were given a tour of both the colleges, met the pet tortoise at Regent’s Park banquet. (who is named Emanuelle) and ate lunch in a hall with some of the lecturers. It all started to sound a bit like Hogwart’s by this stage! I thoroughly enjoyed the day It was such a useful day and allowed me to step out of my comfort zone in terms of and would highly recommend prospective students taking opportunities like this next speaking to new people. year. OUT AND ABOUT: Comberton Sixth Formers at the Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park — a venue they walked to due to an Underground strike.
Memorable end to first year Year 12 Theatre Studies students ended the year with one last theatre trip to see Chekhov's 'The Seagull' at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. This opportunity to see their A2 set text in performance was not only an exceptional way to finish the year but provides them with a great starting point for their A2 studies. This production marked the 120th anniversary of the first production of the play and was performed in a new translation giving it a contemporary resonance. A fantastic night was had by all, including a pre-show picnic in Regent's Park and a bracing walk there and back due to the tube strike — on every level a memorable night! Jez Frost, Head of Drama
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Round-up of the latest news from the South Cambs SSP
ALL ACTION: Year 4 pupils at the South Cambs Partnership’s Mini Olympics.
The leaders of the future There was plenty of sporting talent and Olympic spirit displayed as youngsters demonstrated their athletic prowess at the Cambridge University sports ground. More than 1,300 children aged seven and eight were taking part in the South Cambs School Sports Partnership’s Year 4 Mini Olympics, an event that involved 43 primary schools from across the area. During the day the youngsters tried a range of different sports, all with an Olympic or Paralympic theme. Among the 14 different activities on offer were shot putt, long jump, hurdles, hockey, tennis, tri-golf and boccia. In keeping with the Olympic theme, there were colourful opening and closing ceremonies, complete
with flags, mascots and banners made by the children. These all tied in with the theme of this year’s event which was the Rugby World Cup 2015, with schools asked to represent one of the 20 nations competing in the event in England later this year. During the day children also learnt a ‘Haka’-themed dance routine at one of the activity stations. This was led by leaders from Comberton Village College and then performed en masse by all the children during the closing ceremony. The event was supported by Total Promotions Ltd, who provided all of the children with brightly-coloured T-shirts in the colours of the Olympic rings. Partnership manager Claire McDonnell was delighted with how successful the Mini Olympics had been. She said: “Yet again, it was a fantastic day. The
children really enjoyed themselves and loved having a go at all the different sports on offer. There were no prizes for winners on the day as it was all about the children having a go and giving it their personal best and we hope we have inspired some of them to give sport a go and get more involved. “We couldn’t do it without the support of the local secondary schools so I must thank the staff and leaders from Impington, Cottenham, Swavesey, Comberton, Melbourn and Linton Village Colleges as well as Cambridge Regional College. “They did an amazing job on the day organising all of the activities and leading the children; offering them encouragement and support as they gave it their best.”
Outright winners this time
WE DID IT: Haslingfield’s winners celebrate their success.
Wimbledon is leaders’ reward Eight of the most dedicated and committed young sports leaders and coaches from across the South Cambs SSP visited the famous grass courts of the All England Lawn Tennis Club during Wimbledon fortnight in recognition of all of the voluntary hours they have devoted to supporting Partnership competitions and events over the last 12 months or more. The youngsters include Liam Hunt, Laura Mott, Harmony Hennessy and Ellis Maloney from Comberton Sixth Form as well as exComberton student Sunke Trace-Kleeberg.
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Meridian and Haslingfield Primary Schools dominated the South Cambs SSP tennis competitions for the second year running. With an entry of 36 teams the competition was split across two venues on separate evenings, with Comberton and Melbourn Village Colleges playing hosts. The first competition was held at Comberton where the team from nearby Meridian proved unbeatable; wining all of their group matches to qualify for the top division where they overcame Burrough Green 3-1 before winning all four singles matches in a 4-0 victory against the team from Elsworth, the school they shared the title with in 2014. This meant Meridian earned top spot and the winner’s medals ahead of Burrough Green, who finished as runners up. Merdian fared equally well in the ‘Plate’ Competition for schools’ B & C teams with their B Team victorious. A week later another 18 teams gathered at Melbourn to see who would join the teams from Meridian and Burrough Green in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Sainsbury’s School Games Summer Finals where they would represent South Cambs SSP against the very best teams from the four other districts in the county. After sharing the honours in
2014 Haslingfield Primary School went one better this year and claimed the winners’ medals outright, ahead of Coton Primary School. Claire McDonnell, Partnership Manager and organiser of both events, said: “It was great to see so many children getting their first taste of competitive tennis. There were some really close and exciting matches that were all played in a lovely, friendly spirit. “Well done to all of the teams and children who took part and a big thank you to the sports leaders from Melbourn and Comberton Village Colleges who did a fantastic job of scoring the games, encouraging the children and generally helping the events run so smoothly.”
TEAMED UP: The Meridian winners and leaders from Melbourn (left) and Comberton.
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Round-up of the latest news from the South Cambs SSP
‘We are the champions’ Hockey, Netball and Rounders. A new addition to the Games this year was a Change4Life Village which offered fun activities such as slalom races, crazy catch and giant jenga for those not taking part in the competitive events. The Games act as the county finals for school sport with competitions involving Each venue became alive with the sound of cheering and camaraderie as each children aged 7-15 years in 11 different sports. South Cambs SSP was well school battled it out to become champions, while representing one of the five School represented at the event with 26 teams from 16 different schools taking part and Sports Partnerships — Cambridge, challenging for county honours. Hunts, Peterborough, South Cambs The event launched with an and Witchford. Opening Ceremony which took There were some fantastic place at St Ives Outdoor Centre performances by South Cambs with 1,000 young people in teams on the day, most notably in attendance. It started with a lively the Year 3/4 Tennis Competition dance routine by Thorndown where three schools finished in the Primary School. This was followed top four; Haslingfield Primary by a welcoming speech from local School winning gold, Meridian Headteacher and Chair of the Primary claiming bronze and Local Organising Committee, Burrough Green Primary fourth. Jonathan Digby. An inspiring and Harston & Newton also collected motivational story from Sporting medals, finishing third in the Year Champion Lesley Owusu came 5/6 quicksticks hockey event. between two further performances Comberton Village College had from Milton Primary School and qualified for the event with teams Comberton Village College, before ANYONE FOR GOLF: The teams after the School Games golf finals won competing in the Key Stage 3/4 the Games were officially opened. by South Cambs. Cricket PLUS and the Key Stage 3 Following the Opening Ceremony Inclusive Archery, competitions which offer opportunities for pupils with SEN/D or schools dispersed to the respective venues for their events. Adapted Multi-Sports additional needs to represent the school. Some strong performances earned the (Primary) took place at St Ives Indoor Centre, Under-15 Golf swung into action at team a deserved silver medal. Lakeside Lodge Golf Club in Pidley with Year 3/4 Tennis being served up at With 16 medal-winning performances and eight golds, South Cambs SSP were Huntingdon Tennis Centre and Year 7 Boys Table Tennis in St Neots. delighted to claim the overall title of School Games Champions for the 2014/15 St Ives Outdoor Centre accommodated most of the Games events which included academic year. The full results can be viewed online at www.scssp.co.uk nine competitions in the seven sports of Archery, Athletics, Cricket, Football,
Haslingfield find new competition is a winner!
ALL GO: At the Quadkids competition.
The fantastic facilities at Cambridge University Sports Ground on Wilberforce Road played host to the annual South Cambs SSP Year 5/6 Quadkids Athletics Competition with a record 22 teams competing in the event. New for this year was a separate ‘Small Schools’ competition; open to schools with fewer than 120 pupils in Key Stage 2. Teams were not only competing for the title of ‘South Cambs Champions 2015’ but also the honour of representing the partnership at the County School Games Summer Finals with the top two teams in both competitions qualifying for the county event. Quadkids is a team-based competition with five boys and five girls each competing in a 75m sprint, a 600m run, a long jump and vortex howler throw. Individual performances are scored using a points table and the winners are the team with the highest cumulative score. The team competition was closely contested
Seeking future coaches We are pleased to announce the launch of the application process for the 2015-16 County Young Coach Academy (CYCA) across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. We would like to invite all budding young coaches aged 15+ to apply to be part of this Academy. The aim of the CYCA is to identify, support and develop our coaches of the future by offering a programme of training, personal development
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and mentoring support delivered by experienced coaches. The Academy is open to any young person aged 15+ who wants to develop as a coach, gain coaching qualifications or training and is actively committed to coaching. Further information and an application form can be found on our website www.scssp.co.uk or ask a member of your PE dept for further IN TRAINING: Coaching for information. young coaches.
between the top three schools who were jostling for positions after each round of events. The eventual winners were reigning champions Histon & Impington Juniors, who finished ahead of runners up Steeple Morden Primary School. In the separate ‘Small Schools’ competition the team from Haslingfield Primary School finished as clear winners but the positions below them were much more closely contested with only 30 points separating the teams finishing in 2nd-5th position. An outstanding individual performance by Saleem Akanbi made a difference though and helped Elsworth Primary School to second position. Saleem and Harry Bolt, from Steeple Morden, finished with a joint top score of 244 points over the four events; only three points ahead of Meridian’s Eric Flack. Emile Simpson, from Histon and Impington, won the girls’ individual award. Claire McDonnell, Partnership Manager, said: “There were some excellent performances on the day so congratulations to all of our winners and well done to everyone who took part. As always we have to thank the amazing sports leaders from Comberton and Swavesey Village Colleges as well as the County Young Coach Academy who organised and scored the events for us. They did a great job and the staff and parents were full of praise for them. ” Final team positions: 1 Histon 1668, 2 Steeple Morden 1592, 3 Over 1505, 4 Meridian 1468, 5 Bassingbourn 1393, 6 Jeavons Wood 1373. Small schools: 1 Haslingfield 1402, 2 Elsworth 1291, 3 Hatton Park 1287, 4 Meldreth 1278, 5 Harston & Newton 1262, 6 Guilden Morden 1124.
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Schools from across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough competed in the Sainsbury’s School Games Level 3 Summer Festival for the 2014/15 academic year.
sport
HIGHS: The Year 9 winners.
FLYING: Year 9 long jump.
UP AND OVER: Year 7 high jump.
Newcomers show potential Athletics at Comberton looks to be in good shape for next year if the results of this year’s Year 6 Festival are anything to go by. Watch out for these names in future as Joe Brading, Oscar Coppins, Kian Kanefu, Oli Lewis and Harvey Densem all scored maximum points from the rotation of events as the new cohort spent a fun day of sport getting to know their new form-mates better the day after their official Intake Day. Abigail Smith led the girls with 28 points, followed by Ella Mae Robertson, Emma Banks and Lily Hewit on 27. But the day was really about team spirit and working together as every single pupil CHEERS: For Canada in Year 8. collected points for a team total which was then averaged out. 7B set out their stall for early honours with victory over M and V. But M did not leave empty-handed as they collected the endeavour award voted for by those manning the different event THROW: Year 7 in action. stations. N were second and V third. There was also great excitement in the Year 7 sports day which ran in a smilar format. The top four girls all finished level on 31 points; the honours eventually going
to Ellie Davies after a 100m sprint-off against Georgie Colebrook, Ellis Miller and Chaaya Malik. But it was not enough to help Ellie’s tutor group to victory as 7M finished third behind C and T, who also took the endeavour award. Jacob Montique, of T, was top boy with 43 points, ahead of Tom Sharrock and Tom Whinney, who both finished on 42. In Year 8, Tom Dawes was top boy with 44 points and his form, O, won the endeavour award ahead of E, who finished overall winners. Dan Toyer (8M) and Dylan Ward (8B) both collected 43 points. Phoebe Cornell was top girl on 37 points, one ahead of Mollie Coupar with Ella Tomsett in third. There was another sprint-off to decide the individual winners in the boys’ Year 9 competition, where Micah Gillings snatched the honours in the showdown against Felix Serby, Ollie Gibbons and Jack Alexander after all collected 45 AIM HIGH: Members of 9T. points. Felix had the consolation of being in the winning team, however, as O took top spot ahead of Jack’s tutor group, N. May Flack (42 points), like Micah a member of 9C, was the clear girls’ winner ahead of Emma Burton (37) and Casey Miller (36).
Clear water for winners There were clear winners in all year groups as Comberton held its Big Splash Swimming Galas on one of the hottest days of the year. Competitors were glad to get in the water just to cool off — as well as compete. There was an excellent turnout from every tutor group in years 7-9 as well as a sports leaders’ team for most of the relay events. Top honours went to 9I, who amassed 128 points to finish 20 points clear of B with R just a single point behind. In Year 8 it was E who triumphed, finishing seven ahead of M with N in third, while the Year 7 honours went to R with a 30-point margin of victory over V who were a further 32 points clear of M.
WINNERS: Coton celebrate retaining their title.
Coton glide to top again
POOLSIDE WARM-UP: Getting into the swimming gala spirit.
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Coton successfully defended the Year 5 swimming gala title at Comberton as the top three teams put clear water between them and the rest of the field. And it proved impossible to separate the other two contenders, Haslingfield and Bourn sharing runners-up spot on 134 points, four behind the winners. Caldecote A were fourth, clear of Dry Drayton, Meridian A, Caldecote B and Meridian B on a perfect day for swimming. Organiser Paula Fisher said: “There were perfect weather conditions and all children swam their very best — well done to all competitors and many thanks to the staff members that brought them. “Huge thanks to Rob, from Year 12, who helped to organise and complete all of the administration of the event as part of his BTEC National Assignments.”
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Pupils step up for Cup It was another fantastic day which saw students working incredibly hard and striving to achieve their best. One of the unique things about the Jubilee Cup is that our maths students are an integral part to the overall running of the event — they have the very important job of making the scoring spreadsheet and collating all the scores. Thank you to Lauren Robertson, Marcus Mayfield, Felix Serby, Joe Cary, May Flack and Mikey Borinuoluwa for their mathematical prowess. There was also some awesome athletic performances. In the Year 7 competition there were second places for distance runners Tom Whinney in the 800m and Ellie Davies over 1500m while Hannah Williams was third in her 800m race. Kayde Sylvester (200m) and Adam Lightfoot (1500m) both took runners-up spot in their Year 8 events while for Year 9 there was a victory for the boys’ 4x100m relay team and for Ollie Gibbons in the triple jump. He was also third in the 100m. In addition Jack Alexander was second in the 300m. Abbie Hawkins (100m) and Gemma Mustafa (discus) were winners for the Year 10 team while Jesse Kissi took second in the 100m and third in the long jump, Sam Clarke was runner-up in the hurdles and third in the triple jump and Bob Wahedi took bronze in the 1500m. Well done to all the athletes who participated in the event. Jane Clarke, Head of PE TEAM EFFORT: Comberton’s competitors at the Jubilee Cup.
Rising to the challenges More than 600 pupils have competed in KS3 Inter-form tournaments. In the most recent round of sporting competitions students in Year 7 and 8 had their final inter-form run of the year and have challenged other forms during tournaments in netball, football or hockey. Well done to Alex Smith, Tom Dawes, Adam Lightfoot, Mollie Coupar, Ellie Davies, Alisdair Campbell, Romy McGee and Tom Whinney who all came first in their run competitions. However, it is not just about those who win but we also celebrate pupils who work hard throughout the run achieving new personal bests or challenges. Congratulations to all the girls who managed to run more and walk less this year. In addition to the inter-form runs, pupils have also been demonstrating their team work, tactical awareness, leadership and communication skills in tournaments. Pupils take part in their curriculum sport that they had been learning in their PE lessons and it is a great chance for pupils to show off their new skills and tactical understanding. The Year 9 tournament was held just after the summer half term with pupils taking part in a range of summer sports including ultimate frisbee, mini tennis, triathlon, rounders, indoor heptathlon and cricket. The 9X half was a great success with the sun shining. However in typical English tradition the 9Y half had to be adapted to suit the very English weather. All pupils, in both halves, worked hard demonstrating a range of sporting values and sportsmanship in different sports.
RACE FOR THE POST: During the one of the rounders matches for National School Sports week.
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TAKING PART: Competitors in the InterForm events.
Tom’s the word as records are broken
PE and Sport are much more than just keeping active, they are an essential part of every young person’s wellbeing and achievement. National School Sports Week is about highlighting the benefits and importance of physical activity and sharing the endless possibilities within sport and physical activity. We started on Monday with the Beat the School Athletics Records. Congratulations to Tom Dawes, Tom Whinney, Tom Sharrock and Casey Miller, who all beat the previous records and have been added to the honours roll. ROLL OF HONOUR: Tribute to the Comberton On Wednesday 59 pupils travelled to the Wilberforce Road track to compete at the annual record-holders. Jubilee Cup. Pupils from Years 7-10 competed in both track and field events which saw even more pupils break the school records, including Ollie Gibbons, Dom Walford and Jack Alexander, who CVC Athletic cs Records all broke individual records. There was also a O Gibbons Year 9 Boys 100m 11.80 record run for the winning Year 9 boys’ sprint D Walford Year 9 Boys 200m 25.66 J Alexander Year 9 Boys 300m 40.92 relay quartet. T Dawes Year 8 Boys 300m 49.06 Friday saw two rounders teams challenge a T Whinney Year 7 Boys 800m 2m 35 T Sharrock Year 7 Boys 100m Hurdles 14.92 range of staff players on the final day of NSSW. E Hayward Year 7 Girls 100m Hurdles 16.64 Although the pupils had some very strong J Raven Year 8 Boys 100m Hurdles 17.61 batters and fielders, they were against a tough C Alderman Year 8 Girls 100m Hurdles 16.16 D Harding Year 9 Boys 100m Hurdles 16.98 team made up of not only the PE department, C Miller Year 9 Girls 100m Hurdles 14.03 but teachers from Science and MFL. S Clarke Year 10 Boys 100m Hurdles 14.34 T Dawes Year 8 Boys Long Jump 4.63m Some fine catching from Miss Kennedy, deep O Gibbons Year 9 Boys Triple Jump 8.55m fielding from Mr Pollock and Mrs Clarke, the R White Year 9 Girls Triple Jump 11.15m speed of Miss McClelland and the backstop T Sharrock Year 7 Boys Triple Jump 8.80m prowess of Miss McKenzie led to the teachers storming to victory.
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The annual district athletics competition, the Jubilee Cup, took place this term in June.
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Evie bounces to the top She won the Level 8 National Development Pathway title at the Telford International Arena earlier this month as the best of Britain’s trampolinists gathered for the pinnacle of their sporting calendar. Competitiors at the national levels — 1-8 — had qualified for the finals by making the grade in previous competitions held throughout the year. Evie, who started bouncing at Comberton with the late Andie Buckley and now competes for Brentwood Trampoline Club, made the perfect start at Telford.
Her first round scores were all judged to be in the 9's and good enough for her to top the leader board, but with two more rounds still to compete in, she knew there was no time for complacency. However, another very impressive routine at incredible height meant she was able to pull away from the rest of the pack after the second round, putting her into a great position heading into the third and final round. Evie, who so often displays a level of calmness in the heat of competitions that defies her age, once again produced the goods and was deservedly crowned NDP Level 8 British Champion by a staggering 9.285 points!
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Year 7 student Evie Joseph is a British champion at just 11 years old.
King of the track . . . James King goes into his ‘home’ round of the BMX East Summer Series next month looking to consolidate his lead in the competition. The 14-year-old Year 9 pupil is competing against riders aged 15 and 16 but is showing them how it’s done going into the August 2 round at the Royston Rockets track where he trains. James, who has been riding since he was six, is also ranked eighth nationally in his own 14-years age BEST OF BRITISH: Evie Joseph is the Level group. 8 NDP champion. In the latest round of the East Anglian competition, held at Milton Keynes, James took top spot in the
A taste of success
FLYING HIGH: James King leads the BMX East Summer Series going into the round on his ‘home’ track in Royston.
Lexi rounds off season with a win
Trying a new sport has given one Year 8 boy confidence and a taste of success. Ben Smith, who suffers Dyspraxia which shows in the form of poor co-ordination and sequencing problems, had never really enjoyed sport until he took part in a golf taster day at Meridian Golf Club. He was offered a Junior Scholarship and less than a year later he won his first competition. Earlier this term he was invited to take part a competition again for people with challenging problems that should hinder them playing golf. Ben finished third of the 21 competitors, behind two youngsters from The Perse School. His dad, Nathan, said: “The guy who created the competition has no arm or legs and Ben really thought he was amazing so again it opened his eyes to what is achievable. The whole golf thing has really boosted his confidence.”
GRAND FINALE: Lexi Day on her way to victory. Comberton’s first year as members of the National Schools Equestrian Association has been a successful one and the college is planning to rejoin in September. Any students in Years 7-13 are welcome to sign up to represent the school at events across the country in all disciplines. The cost for students is £15 per year and letters will be sent out in September. However, to register your interest, please e-mail team manager Liz Day at cvcequestrian@gmail.com
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Liz said: “It has been an excellent first year for the whole equestrian team and hopefully we can continue building on our success next year.” Having enjoyed several team successes earlier in the season, it was left to Lexi Day to carry the Comberton flag at an NSEA competition at the College of West Anglia, Milton, earlier in the term. And she and her pony, Mr Bojangles, did Comberton proud, winning the 70cm class and finishing fourth at 80cm.
POWER OF SPORT: Golf has given Ben Smith a new-found confidence.
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Lucky seven win places dance
Seven lucky Comberton students have won scholarships to a dance school’s summer programme. Although there were only six scholarships on offer to the Bodywork’s annual summer school, twins Katie (9R) and Emily (9N) Hodge will share their award to join Lauren Robertson (9R), Millie Dean (7R), Lolly Swanser (10I), Lucy Coutinho (8M) and Cara Chivers (7R) as the winners, who were announced at the Summer Dance Showcase last month. The show featured 165 pupils from Years 7-
10 , who had worked very hard in their afterschool classes in preparation for the show. There were 21 different dances in numerous styles. It was a fantastic evening and the pupils performed brilliantly. Head of Dance Rebecca Tyrrell said: “Anyone who came to watch the show will know that this was an incredibly difficult task to choose just a few students as every single dancer who performed in the show was worthy of receiving a scholarship. “I would like to say congratulations to all of the dancers involved and I am already looking HATS OFF: To another fantastic dance showcase at CVC. forward to the Winter Dance Showcase.”
Exploring the effects of war A group of 10 dancers from Years 7–10 performed at the ‘Make Your Move’ Red Cross dance competition at Comberton last month. Competitors had to create a dance using the Red Cross as the stimulus. Comberton’s dance was episodic and showed the effect war can have on innocent citizens. The different sections of the dance represented soldiers, war, care and resolution. Although Comberton didn’t win the competition, they won the award for best choreography and best group dynamic. Head of Dance Rebecca Tyrrell said: “I was incredibly proud of the students and all their hard work paid off as they came off stage feeling on top of the world. “We also raised money for the red cross as part of the competition and won a silver award for the amount raised. Between them the dancers managed to raise a very impressive £407.90.” Josh Tingley (7N) said: “The training and the buildup to the competition was intense; the dance required high energy movements from every part of your body. “As the date of the competition drew nearer you could tell people were nervous but on the day you could feel it. “People were anxiously waiting to be judged on all we had worked on for so long. “Finally we were on stage and we danced. We lived the conflict that we were trying to capture in our dance and we all felt proud of what we had achieved.” Pippa Carlton (10I) explained: “”We were marked on 4 different categories: entertainment, choreography, costume and concept. We came second, but won Best Choreography award. “All together, I really enjoyed the experience and working with dancers from other year groups.”
Comberton Village College dancers were lucky enough to be chosen to perform at the Sainsbury’s School Games Opening Ceremony in St Ives on Thursday 25th June. Twelve dancers from Years 7–10 worked intensively in preparation for the performance. It was incredibly well received and it was a very memorable day.
Dancers: Pippa Carlton (10I), Lolly Swanser (10I), Rosie Johnson (9R), Sannah Clay (9M), Sam Reade (9M), Gabby McKeown (8E), Rosie Reade (8E), Millie Dean (7R), Cara Chivers (7R), Josh Tingley (7N).
Dancers: Lily-Mae Segrave (10T), Katie Mortimer (10R), Annie Diejomaoh (10L), Ellie Abraham (10R), Lauren Robertson (9R), Rowan McGee (9N), Sannah Clay (9M), Katie Hodge (9R), Emily Hodge (9N), Sam Reade (9M), Josh Tingley (7N), Cara Chivers (7R).
WAR DANCE: For the Red Cross event.
CENTRE STAGE: Comberton dancers at the Sainsbury’s School Games.
Memorable day at Games
Youngsters are all fired up with traditional Maori Hakka Eight Year 8 dance leaders went to Wilberforce Road athletics track to teach more than 1300 Year 4 pupils a dance based on the Hakka in celebration of the upcoming Rugby World Cup. Melody Lessan explained: “We were selected as dance leaders to represent CVC and contribute to the Year 4 mini Olympics at Wilberforce Road, the sports ground of Cambridge University. “We were given a few weeks beforehand as preparation time. We created a warm-up and a dance in the style of the Hakka. This was to be taught to all the
Year 4s from all the primary schools in South Cambridgeshire. “When the day came, we arrived by minibus and set up our dance stations in pairs. We watched as all the coaches carrying Year 4 pupils filed into the car park and we then warmed them up by 9:00 am as a large group in an epic frenzy of loud music and energized children ready to be active. “Throughout the daywe taught the dance to each school that had us on their timetables, one after the other as they rotated round the different activity stations. They were polite, well-behaved and a pleasure to teach, which encouraged us to work even harder considering the fact that the blazing heat of the sun was firing down on us and we were the youngest leaders at the event. “When the day came to a close, the dance they had been taught in small groups was to be performed as a large group and we stood at the front one final time and danced the dance we had repeated so many times and they danced with us. It was an amazing performance and an experience I will never forget.”
HAKKA: Year 8 leaders taught the dance to Year 4 students at the Mini Olympics.
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Leaders: Melody Lessan (8M), Elizabeth Hicks (8B), Lucy Coutinho (8M), Rosie Reade (8E), Emily Lione (8T), Gabby McKeown (8E), Francesca Smith (8T), Leah Kitson (8R).
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sport TEAM LINE-UPS: The boys’ under-13 (right) squad and under-15 team, who are unbeaten this season.
CVC claim notable scalps tennis. The Under-13 girls had some incredibly close matches against The Perse with another tie break deciding the match after split rubbers. Sadly this time it did not go our way. The weather was lovely and the tennis was The Under-15 girls’ team came up against fantastic, if not nail-bitingly close. The team of very experienced players and battled hard, Dana Viret, Sama Malik, Chaaya Malik and never losing their enthusiasm, however, never Izzy Thomson played some very exciting quite managed to finish off the points. tennis and at the end of the match it was three Back in April, Comberton Village College also rubbers each. This meant it came down to a hosted the Road to Wimbledon where 16 boys tie-break doubles match, which the girls fought hard to qualify to the regional rounds battled hard to win. and be one step away from playing on the With this win they went through to play Culford hallowed grass of Wimbledon. School, who are previous winners of this Congratulations to Jamie Segal who battled it National Tournament. The girls came up out against Felix Serby in a tense final to against some very strong opponents including qualify for the Regional Round. a former Junior No 1. Finally a special mention to the Boys UnderThere were some long rallies, great aces and 15 A team, who won all their matches and superb attacking volleys, however the have qualified to the next round of the Comberton Girls team bowed out of the Schools Tournament to be played in the tournament with their heads held high, Autumn term. Well done to all for their great knowing they had played their best and were POINT MADE: The under-19 girls celebrate winning a play, and for keeping their nerve in another beaten by some very strong opponents. point. deciding tie break against King’s, Following on from the Under-19 tennis were Peterborough. the Under-15 and Under-13 School Leagues. Each team showed great dedication Under-13 Boys Team: Xander Bell, James Hamilton, Dan Mikelson, Jonny Lovatt, Alex and hard work in training and demonstrated their great hitting and tactics on the Anderson, Euan Kenny, Andreas Pappas. Under-13 Girls Team: Sama Malik, Chaaya Malik, Lizzie Carter, Elly Robinson, Lauren Bell. courts. Under-15 Boys Team: Charlie Taylor, Jamie Segal, Marcus Mayfield, James Mikelson, Harry Some notable matches were the Under-13 and Under-15 A and B boys’ teams Newman, Felix Serby, Will Taylor, Callum McLean. beating The Peterborough School, where they got to play on grass, and the UnderUnder-15 Girls Team: Parisa Fatemi-Ghomi, Phoebe Payne, Milly Prothero, Federica Sasso, 13 boys’ team convincingly winning at The Leys with their display of consistent Lucy Dowd. Hannah Curtis, PE Dept
The season started with the Under-19 girls playing the first round of the National Schools Tournament against The Leys in early May.
Girls shine in Plate event
IMPRESSIVE PROGRESS: By a trio of Comberton squash players.
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A trio of Comberton squash players showed how far they have come in a short time when competing at the Technifibre English Championships. The tournament invites the top 32 juniors from each age group across England (U19, U17, U15 and U13). The top 16 ranked players are then seeded and the 16 remaining players are drawn against them. Although all three unseeded Comberton players, sixth former Charlotte Davies, Casey Miller (Year 9) and Ellis Miller (Year 7) were knocked out of the first round by these top seeds, it was in the Plate tournament for places 17-32 that they really shone. Ellis systematically beat each player to win the Girls under-13 plate, placing her 17th overall. Older sister Casey made it to the quarter-finals, losing narrowly 15-13 in the deciding fifth game, while Charlotte reached the semi-finals of the under-17 competition, beating the No 8 seed. The girls have only been playing squash for 3½ years, and, more seriously, on the England Squash and Racketball junior circuit for only about 18 months. What they have achieved in such a short time is impressive.
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Scully goes pro Year 11 student Anthony Scully has secured his footballing future with West Ham United. Already one of their most exciting Academy prospects, the attacking midfielder signed a scholarship contract with the Hammers on the pitch during half-time of the Barclays Premier League win against Burnley at the end of the season. The Cambourne teenager was one of four players from the Hammers under-16 academy side to be given a contract. Then while his classmates revised for their GCSE exams, Scully was busy training with the Republic of Ireland squad for the under-17 European Championships, playing a year above his age group. He sat some exams in Bulgaria between playing matches against Holland, Italy and England, who he has also played for at under-16 level.
Anthony said: “It’s fantastic to have signed my contract, especially in front of the fans. The atmosphere was great and it’s definitely one of my career highlights. “Hopefully one day I’ll be able to thank the fans properly, on the pitch playing for West Ham.” Academy Manager Terry Westley was thrilled at the signing of four of the academy’s most promising youngsters. SIGNED UP: Anthony Scully is one of four “I’m absolutely delighted to have got the signatures of all four players,” he said. “There Academy players to be offered a scholarship at was a lot of interest from other clubs and it shows West Ham United. the direction the Academy is going in that they all outrageous. That’s the quality he’s got.” chose to stay here. Jason Mannion, Scully’s PE teacher at Comberton said “Anthony Scully can beat players. He can also score that in his 15 years of teaching Anthony is the most excellent goals, I remember him scoring a great goal talented footballer he has seen. “He has the ability to against Juventus here at Rush Green. It was a beat a defender with either foot and is a lethal finisher,” ridiculous shot, outside the box, on the volley. It was he said.
Comberton cricketers win county cup Comberton have won cricket’s under-15 Cambridge Schools T20 Cup. They rounded off an impressive campaign with a 22-run final victory over Kimbolton School, having beaten The Perse and Neale Wade en route. Throughout there were contribution with the bat from Karti Malik and Angus Thomson and some astute captaincy from Sam Serby. The win over Kimbolton earned Comberton a place in the regional competition, where they were drawn against sporting powerhouse, Dulwich College. Having posted a competitive CHAMPIONS: Comberton’s under-15 side. 159 in 20 overs, with Karti making 94 not out and Paolo and fielding front and Dulwich won with two overs Mastroeni smashing his way to 33 not out, the to spare. boys did not perform well enough on the bowling The under-14 team entered the schools cup and
Burton is splash hit — in and out of the pool Comberton’s Rebecca Burton heads for a busy summer of swimming boosted by having been voted the top girl performer in the Cambridge News Junior Sports Awards. The Year 11 pupil, who hopes to return to Comberton for Sixth Form, was Comberton’s only winner from seven nominees although former pupil Sunke Trace-Kleeberg won the Young Sports Leader category. Rebecca, who tops her age group nationally for the 50m breaststroke (short course), is also ranked fourth for the 100m short course and both the 50m and 100m long course. She contests the British national championships over both distances at the end of July and beginning of August then heads for the English nationals where she will contest the 200m breaststroke. She has qualified for the 17-18 age group although she’s still only 16. Earlier this month, Rebecca, who lives in Cambourne but swims for the Modernians club in Bedford, represented Bedfordshire in a number of events, including the 100m breaststroke, where she achieved the qualifying time for the new winter national competition in December. Once the Nationals have finished in August, Rebecca will have a break for a week before attending a Level One swimming teaching course, then back to training six or seven days a week. Comberton’s other nominees were Anthony Scully (boy perfomer), Evie Joseph (girl performer), Owen Baker (community volunteer), Jack Bevis, Laura Mott (both junior coach) and Lucy Clarkson (young sports leader).
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comfortably defeated King’s Ely away with excellent contributions from Felix Serby with the bat and Jonathan Corrigan with the ball. Moving on to the semi-final they played the Perse school and despite a half-century from Callum McLean, bowling and fielding weren’t up to scratch and The Perse chased down the Comberton total with eight wickets remaining. A lot to build on and look forward to next year, however. Another notable achievement came from the Year 7 girls’ team, who came second overall in the under-12 girls’ finals day at Clare College Sports Ground, only losing on the day to the Stephen Perse Foundation. An inexperienced Year 7 boys’ team played in an under-12 cricket festival at Coton, while the Year 8 girls had an enjoyable afternoon at Histon playing in their own under-13 festival. Well done all, a lot to build on for next year. Joe Uttridge, cricket coach
DEDICATED: Comberton students past and present were nominated for Cambridge News Junior Sports Awards in various categories.
INTENSIVE TRAINING: Rebecca Burton is in the pool six or seven days a week.
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