News@Com Spring 2006

A Leading Edge School

HeADING fOr Principal’s Far East visit will formalise

COMBERTON Principal Stephen Munday is set to visit China next term to develop links for the new international Olympic project

Following the decision to award London the 2012 Olympics, a project to link schools in China (Beijing hosts the 2008 Games) with selected partners in Britain was launched Comberton is among only 40 Sports and/or Languages Colleges nationally who were invited to join the project organised jointly by The Specialist Schools Trust and the Youth Sports Trust

The next stage in confirming Comberton’s new link with a Chinese school will take a big step forward when Mr Munday joins a small team of English headteachers, who all hope to establish new links with Chinese schools

The trip will be fully funded by Toshiba, who are supporting the project

Mr Munday will visit Beijing to see some schools there as well as two other areas in China When he returns, the new partnership should have been formalised and the activities leading to the Beijing Olympics and then the London Olympics in 2012 can begin

Olympic links

CHINA

“This new partnership could offer pupils at Comberton some wonderful new opportunities,” said Mr Munday “My visit is needed to formalise the partnership agreement After that, many staff and pupils can begin to work with staff and pupils from our partner school in China

“The Olympics link is great for our work as a Sports College while the opportunities to learn about Chinese language and culture fit really well with our new remit as a Languages College.”

l Opportunity knocks Pages 6 & 7

l All around the world Page 8

A grand night out

PLANS are already under way to make the Principal’s Ball an annual fixture on the school calendar after the success of the inaugural event earlier this month. More than 100 people enjoyed a sumptuous spread laid on by catering manager Debbie Rogers and her team before dancing the night away to ‘The Breeze’, who were described by Comberton Leisure manager Lynne Phillips as one of the best live bands she had heard

The event was designed as a fund-raiser for the college Trust Fund and raised nearly £1,000 to be spent on computer equipment, including more than £200 from a raffle organised by Head of Year 7 Anne Jones

Principal Stephen Munday said:”Nearly £1,000 was raised for the school’s Trust Fund for purchasing computers for student use.

“It was a very enjoyable evening The food, music and company were all top quality.

“From the very many positive comments I received, we should clearly look to make this an annual fixture in the school calendar and use it raise further funds in the same cause Look out for the date for next year’s diary ”

DINING OUT: Principal Stephen Munday and Head of Year 7

Anne Jones at the inaugural Principal’’s Ball

Principal backs changes

THE future of Ofsted inspections looks set to change again

The new Chief Inspector, Maurice Smith, suggested to successful schools at recent ceremonies that there was now no need for lengthy inspections of schools that were seen to be strong and whose students were achieving at very high levels

Comberton Principal Stephen Munday listened to Mr Smith’s views when collecting an award on behalf of the school from Mr Smith at Belvoir

Castle in January

Mr Smith indicated that schools such as Comberton might only need a one-day visit from one inspector to ensure that all was in order with the school’s own self-evaluation processes

“This must make sense,” said Mr Munday on hearing of the new proposals “Full inspections are an extremely costly process, provide a very major distraction from the business of educating pupils and may simply confirm what schools could tell inspectors already through their selfevaluation process

Careers guidance

PUPILS considering work-based training when they leave Comberton were given the chance to see some of the opportunities available at a Work Based Training Convention earlier this month

Selected pupils in Years 10 and 11 heard a brief talk about what kind of things are on offer, then had a chance to look round a range of stands

Connexions careers advisor Mark Porter was on hand to answer questions and pupils were able to visit 14 other potential employers and/or vocational course providers, including all the Armed Services, the University of Cambridge, Marshall Aerospace, YMCA, Protocol Skills, STS Training, AAT Studies, Remit Motor Industry, Kier Group, Coulsons, Construction Industry Training Board and the British Racing School

Antoinette Lyons, the Head of Student Guidance, said: “It was a very successful morning and I think the pupils came away with a lot of ideas about what is on offer for those who do not want to go on to A levels at one of the traditional sixth-form colleges

We would like to thank everyone who manned a stand and particular thanks to Brenda Taylor for all her hard work in organising the practicalities of the day ”

HIGH-fLIerS: Pupils talk to an Air force representative

“What really ensures that schools such as ours continue to develop and improve is that we are rigorous in our assessment of ourselves and produce ambitious development plans that are carefully informed by such reviews

“Given the amount of data that is available on schools now, everyone is clear how schools are performing I would love to be given the funds that were spent on an inspection and be able to use them to purchase resources for pupils at the school Congratulations to Ofsted for making this move ”

£1 million to improve CVC

ARCHITECTS Lyster, Grillet and Harding have issued plans to South Cambs District Council for £1m improvements to the college

It is intended that some work will take place during the Easter break, with the main works being carried out in the summer holidays

The improvements include remodelling MFL 5, refurbishment of pupil toilets and new external covered social areas and walkways

Comberton bursar Peter Woodward said the plans are now available to view

POTeNTIAL eMPLOYerS: checking out what the University of Cambridge has to offer

Team expands

TWO new members of staff have joined the site team Stuart Kemp has replaced Steven Wakeling as the cleaning supervisor and Stephanie Wilson has joined as a site assistant Site Manager Bill Wayman is looking to further expand the team with more evening cleaners Anybody interested should contact him on (01223) 262503 or e-mail him at wwayman@ comberton cambs sch uk NeW

Comberton is handed independent training status

FOLLOWING our successful five-year joint Training School partnership with Saffron Walden County High School, under the new Specialist School arrangements Comberton has been given Independent Training School status

The new designation broadens the college’s training remit from sole emphasis on Initial Teacher Education (ITE) through PGCE and GTP courses to an engagement with the whole spectrum of school workforce training

In the new role, Comberton expects to continue

to maintain strong links with SWCHS in all aspects of teacher training and in particular to develop further collaborations in the field of School Action Research

CVC will continue to work extensively with Cambridge University and the Local Authority (LA) on building up the local Training School network so that we can offer models of good practice in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) design and delivery

There are also plans to develop further the rela-

IN POLITICS: Year 10 pupils Tom Skingle (left) and Joseph Brennan

Cabinet call for duo

COMBERTON pupils Tom Skingle and Joseph Brennan

have been elected to the South Cambs and City constituency party for the national Youth Parliament

Tom is the deputy Member of Parliament for the constituency and fellow Year 10 pupil Joseph is a member of the constituency party cabinet

They were elected after voting took place in schools across the electoral district earlier this term

They will help the MYP represent the views of the region’s young people on a range of issues such as education and transport

They are also attending Comberton’s School Council Meetings to ensure that the views of pupils at CVC are represented

tionship with the LA so that Comberton makes a contribution to coherent local CPD provision

CVC’s commitment to the development of excellence in ITE and CPD means that we have a role to play in helping to accommodate our own and local training needs as well as helping to progress the national professional agenda

For CVC pupils this translates simply into more dynamic teaching and genuinely interesting learning opportunities

Mary Martin, Deputy Principal

Final showdown between the CVC teams

In

the money

COMBERTON were guaranteed to be crowned the No 1 debaters in the district even before this year’s final took place.

Both the college’s Year 10 teams reached the final of the South Cambs Debating Competition, making certain that not only the £500 first prize (plus individual prizes) but also the £250 awarded to the runners-up would come to Comberton no mean feat after finishing as runners-up last year through Rosie Polge, Amy Perkins and Ruth Hill-Tout

MASTerS Of DeBATe: The Year 10 teams who contested this year’s final (minus Miles Partridge) with last year’s winners (front) on the picnic table bought with their winnings

Pupils prepare to sing at royal Albert Hall

MORE than 40 pupils and staff have signed up to sing at the Royal Albert Hall next term

They will be part of a 2,000-strong choir celebrating the 250th anniversary of Mozart’s birth and helping the British Heart Foundation

Sir David Willcocks will conduct the mass choir at the concert on May 13, which starts with the performance of Mozart’s sparkling overture to The Marriage of Figaro

That will be followed by his clarinet concerto, before the choir will perform Mozart’s Requiem accompanied by a professional orchestra and soloists.

The plan is that the stalls, arena and circle will be full of singers, wearing different-coloured tops depending on which part they are singing.

Audience seats are available

More details from Mr Parker, the Head of Music at Comberton

This year the ‘gr8 db8’ for Comberton started rather uncertainly as the leader of the Comberton teams, Mrs Coates, warned of a massive amount of time, effort, commitment and dedication

However, two teams of three comprising Connor Schwartz, Charly Cole and Rafie Faruq and Rebecca Davenport, Miles Partridge and Holly Peck (with Tom Skingle as reserve for both) rose to the challenge Both came through two tough rounds and then a gruelling semi-final at the South Cambs Council chamber in Cambourne to face each other for the final debate on March 13

They battled it out debating the motion ‘I propose that democracy can, and should, be imposed on countries ’

The result was not known at the time of going to press, but the fact the teams know each other so well only served to make it a more competitive final

And as well as the team glory, there were individual prizes at stake with members of the winning team collecting £50 each and the runners-up only half that

There was also the battle for the £25 and silver salver awarded to the most outstanding speaker

The final was chaired by Councillor Mark Howell and judged by councillors Jonathan Chatfield, Daphne Spink and Susan van de Ven

Connor Schwartz & Rafie Faruq

A peace of the action

AN entertaining speech by peace campaigner Bruce Kent was much enjoyed by Year 11 when they held a Peace Day on one of this term’s two PD Days

The former Chairman of CND (the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament) made an intriguing start by offering free badges to pupils who asked questions, a clever way to make the overall session more engaging

On the whole it was an exhilarating yet to-the-point performance and many

pupils were left fresh with new ideas and perspectives

To round off the day, Sue Gilmurray, a musician specialising in writing songs about peace perfomed both her own compositions and some wellknown classics such as ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon with some Year 11 pupils

It provided an interesting day with a warm ending and an opportunity for pupils to reflect on key issues that arose through the different activities

WOrK IN PrOGreSS: Martin Suddes and Alex Jefferies with sculptures inspired by trips to Suffolk

Divine inspiration for students

FIFTEEN Year 11 students recently went to Suffolk for two separate weekends to draw and sculpt with Mr Abbott and Ms Cook

Suffolk has some lovely churches and a visit to Blythburgh introduced the Seven Deadly Sins, in the form of medieval bench ends, and provided excellent material for discussion and for drawing. These included Slander, with a big split through his tongue, and Hypocrasy, praying with his eyes wide open. The roof angels too were gorgeous and some people drew them

CHUrCH ArT: the organ angel at St edmund’s church, Southwold

The second trip went to Southwold and again the church provided lovely bench ends and sculptures for drawing Some people went to the Sailor’s Reading Room and drew model boats and large painted figureheads from ships

Most people had a go at sculpting for the first time back at the Youth Hostel, using breeze blocks and one student is now considering a career as a stone mason! All in all two great trips which will also help with GCSE folder work

Ovie Faruq (11V)

On the fourth PD Day, Year 11 focussed on Sexual and Personal Health and Parenting

Year 10’s two topics for this term were Emotional Health, as part of a programme led by the Samaritans, and The World of Work, ahead of their work experience placements in the summer term

Year 9 also looked at the world of work ahead of choosing their KS4 options and on the second day concentrated on the issues surrounding alcohol

Year 8 were introduced to the Eat Light, Move Right, Feel Bright project, which takes a holistic view of health – nutrition, physical activity and mental health and then focussed on personal safety

Year 7 have explored issues surrounding relationships and then Healthy Lifestyles, incorporating the ‘Eat Light’ project

Record hits on CVC’s website Doe’s golden year

www combertonvc org, the new college website is going from strength to strength and welcomed a record number of visitors in both January and February

Despite February being a short month (including a half term), the core Information Area of the college website received a record 4,068 visitors.

The site is produced ‘in-house’ by college staff and has become an important central information point for both pupils and parents

This term, the most requested pages have been:

l College Diary

l Community Events

l Lunch Menus

l College Shop

l Vacancies at CVC

l News and Posts

l Contact Us

l Route 18 Bus Timetables

l CVC Trust Fund

l Term Dates for 2006-2007

And, of course, you can read this and other issues of News@Com and Sport@Com online in the Publications area, www publications combertonvc org

FIFTY Year 9 pupils have signed up for the Duke of Edinburgh bronze award – on the 50th anniversary of the scheme

They are now preparing for two weekends away in the Chilterns in June and September

Meanwhile a record number – 32 – of Year 10 pupils are involved in the silver award Work on this award starts on April 19 with a parents’ meeting

All pupils and parents can get useful information and dates off the D of E website at www cvcdofe blogspot com

If any parents think they may be interested in coming away with us on one of the weekends as a helper; camping and hiking with the pupils, please email Lorna Bateson at cvcdofe@comberton cambs sch uk and she’ll tell you more

LAST month Marilyn, from Norfolk Books, visited Comberton.

Insight into the world of books Euro challenge for maths aces

She talked to our class and made us feel more enthusiastic and more open to the world of books

She read a few pages of some books and showed us that it is not just about pretty and decorative covers and a good detailed blurb with a gripping title – that means nothing Neither is it about how good the author is You have to read the first page of the book to find out how good the book is and if it’s your type of style.

As people say: “Don’t judge a book by its cover!”

Marilyn also told us not to stay within the boundary lines of the same author but to explore the style of different writers

If it’s a good book, it can create a picture in your mind of what the characters and scenery look like

Marilyn taught us a lot and hopefully we can take it all in and bring children closer to books rather than just slouching on the couch watching TV or playing computer games

We all want to say a big thank you to Marilyn, Mrs Pointon and Mrs Saunders for organising the event

raya Mullard and esther North (7C)

from Macbeth to Star Wars

YEAR Nine were visited by a travelling acting company last month

They had come to help us prepare for our SATs by giving us a better insight into Macbeth We were unsure what to expect from a travelling group of actors, but almost as soon as we sat down in the Performance Hall, we were in hysterics

Shakespeare in Schools had managed to turn our first key scene into a fight from Star Wars, a few Little Britain impressions and a Catherine Tate ‘How Dare You?’ Even the teachers were laughing We then had Macbeth’s speech turned from a nervous and tense hero about to murder someone to Sccoby Doo, Shaggy, Golem, Ron Weasley, Pike from Dad’s Army and many more hilariously nervous creatures

Already we had far more of an insight into the mindset of Macbeth than any normal English lesson could have provided and I don’t believe that even Shakespeare himself could have shown us as many different aspects of how to play the troubled Macbeth

FOUR outstanding Comberton mathematicians are waiting to hear how their skills match up to pupils of the same age across Europe

The quartet Year 9 pupils Matt Sawyer, Sarah Warren and David Pinchen and year 10s Connor Schwartz were selected to take part in the European Kangaroo after scoring in the top 1,500 of the nearly 196,000 nationally who took parti n the UK Intermediate Maths Challenge

The younger trio all took an additional one-hour paper for the ‘Grey Kangaroo’ while Connor contested the ‘Pink Kangaroo’ earlier this month

They wre not the only Comberton pupils to feature highly in the UK event, which attracts entrants in Years 9, 10 and 11 to compete in a written paper that covers a range of questions requiring high levels of mathematical reasoning and logic (no, you can’t use a calculator!)

But there was more to come We were divided into our sets and given a different actor, who played a few games with us and made us portray certain scenes in a manner we felt comfortable with The actor we had, Director Nicki, was fantastic, not only in her acting ability, but also for dropping hints on our SATs However, nothing could have prepared us for the afternoon We all trooped back into the Performance Hall, eagerly anticipating the full performance of Macbeth From the first scene we sat spellbound and after the fighting, desperation, greed, relief and other wash of emotions portrayed by the six members of the cast, we all gave and heard the most genuine round of applause possibly ever given by our year The play was fantastic and it gripped us right until the closing lines.

I would like to thank the English department for organising this wonderful day and especially Shakespeare in Schools on behalf of my year group I strongly recommend this theatre group to the Year Eights

Beth Collett (9V)

Comberton achieved 15 gold awards, with the others going to James Leech, Jacqueline Ward, Young Yang, Emma Bentley, Sateesh Ganguli (Year 11), James Roberton, Hannah Dickens, Anna Fitzmaurice, Hannah Nelms, Katie Garnham and Christian Clarkson (Year 10)

Of the 94 Comberton pupils who sat the challenge, a further 22 received silver awards and 30 bronze

Year 7 and 8 students compete in the Junior Maths Challenge next term and the results will appear in a future issue

Meanwhile here are a few questions from this year’s intermediate challenge to keep your minds active

1 What fraction is half way between one quarter and one sixth?

a) 1/10 b) 2/9 c) 5/24 d) 3/14 e) 7/12

2 Given that 4x + 4x + 4x + 4x = 416

what is the value of x?

a) 2 b) 4 c) 8 d) 12 e) 15

3 Given that the number 2006 is the correct answer to the calculation: 1 – 2 + 3 – 4 + 5 – 6 + + (n – 2) – (n – 1) + n

What is the sum of the digits of n?

a) 3 b) 4 c) 5 d) 6 e) 7

4 Given that where 5j, 6k, 7l + 11m where j,k,l and m are different non-negative integers, what is the value of j + k + l + m?

a) 6 b) 7 c) 8 d) 9 e) 10

Steve Wren, Head of Mathematics

SCeNe-SeTTer: Year 9 pupils recreate a scene from Macbeth

Opportunity knocks

COMBerTON’S status as a Languages College offers a number of new opportunities

One of the main possibilities for development is for an increased focus on our international dimension

The aim is to enable every young person at Comberton to have the opportunity for contact with someone from a different country whose first language is not english

The languages department have developing partnerships in france, Spain and Germany and are looking further afield now to South America Contact with young people in these and other countries may involve e-mail exchange, video-conferencing and pupil-pupil ‘real’ exchanges

Making

the most of what pupils already know

THE languages department is currently seeking to establish a database of all pupils who speak or have some knowledge of any foreign language, whether it is currently offered at Comberton or not

Many CVC pupils take qualifications in additional languages each year at the college or elsewhere

Recently, we have had pupils achieve GCSE Italian, Dutch, and Turkish

Every year a number of pupils take GCSE French, German and Spanish early as they bring with them prior knowledge of the language, as a result of family background, living abroad or prior schooling. This year we will have pupils taking GCSE Dutch, Chinese (Cantonese), A/S French and A/S

Spanish

Any pupil who speaks a language other than English at home who would be interested in finding out if there might be an opportunity to recognise and accredit this knowledge should see Miss Hawkes in the MFL department. There is a new national framework called the Languages Ladder which allows for recognition of the most basic level of knowledge up to and beyond graduate level in each of the four skills separately (listening, speaking, reading and writing)

For more information visit

www dfes gov uk/languages/DSP languagesladder cfm

The exams that are taken to achieve these levels are administered by the OCR board and are called Asset languages exams. It is already possible to take the Asset languages exams in eight languages: French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Panjabi and Urdu, and further languages will be added by 2008

The range of languages offered is far greater than at GCSE and the opportunities for accreditation of additional language knowledge are greatly enhanced by this new framework For further information visit

www assetlanguages org uk

frIeNDLY fACeS: pupils and staff at Comberton’s new Spanish partner school IeS emilio Alarcos in Gijón

¡Viva españa!

COMBERTON was recently chosen by the British Council as one of 16 secondary schools to take part in a Spanish contact seminar with 16 Spanish secondary schools

Over half-term I spent five days in Peñaranda de Duero, a small town to the north of Madrid, involved in a series of meetings and activities with the aim of finding a partner Spanish school We are now linked with a school in Gijón, a coastal town in the region of Asturias in the north of Spain, about 20 minutes away from Oviedo, the capital of the region

The school is called I E S Emilio Alarcos and earlier this month we were visited by André Castillón Vezina, a teacher from the school who spent several days at CVC planning the first stages of our partnership

We have already established an e-mail exchange between a group of Spanish and English pupils and an exchange of resources (recordings, video and Powerpoint presentations prepared by both groups of pupils) will take place in the summer term.

We plan to establish a pupil exchange for GCSE pupils during Year 10 and are exploring the opportunities for a joint Spanish/English study trip during Year 7, perhaps at an outdoor sports and activity centre Watch this space!

Rachel Hawkes, Director of Languages

SPANISHSTYLe Pe: archery on the beach 200m from Comberton’s new partner school in Gijón

for language initiatives

Gaining a headstart

In January 25 Year 9 pupils embarked on a Spanish course at the Cambridge University Language Centre as part of the DFES-funded CULP project (Cambridge University Languages Programme)

The programme entails an intensive introductory course in Spanish provided at the Cambridge University Language Centre spread over 15 days throughout Year 9 Participants receive free tuition from university teachers as well as access to tailor-made on-line practice and extension material available from home or school The course provides an excellent basis for further study to GCSE level at Comberton during Years 10 and 11

Pupils involved in the course said the following: “It’s a fantastic insight into the Spanish language ” “It’s a great experience ” “Very enjoyable ” “It’s fun whilst you’re learning ” “Now I can speak Spanish!”

The pupils involved are: Peter Heynes, Susie Rodger, Marvin Andrews, Matthew Jackson, Amy Goodfellow, Stuart Maccuish, Jasmine Parsison, Tim Heynes, Nicholas Hipwell, Nate Smith, Jack Duffy, Michele York, Sahmorie Cameron, Amy Stubbins, Elizabeth Boyle, Harriet Baptie, Sarah Warren, Alana Geard, Joanna Charter, Emma Hall, Emil Mniszko, Berenice Napoletano, Bethany Collett, Sarah Tasker and Rosie Wigg.

SeLeCTeD feW: some of the Comberton pupils on the CULP Spanish course

Curriculum changes

FROM September all pupils in Year 7 will learn Spanish as the first foreign language

Spanish is the third most spoken language in the world, claiming more than 400 million speakers, hence Comberton’s commitment to offering it as part of the curriculum

Pupils in Year 6 at the feeder primary schools have already starting learning the basics

In Year 8, a significant majority of pupils (as is the case currently) will go on to start a second foreign language, which will be either French or German

Unravelling the mysteries of Latin

A LATIN Club for year 7 and 8 pupils has recently been set up on Wednesday lunchtimes It is run by Miss Hawkes and the course is IT-based. Some of the students have already set their sights on taking a Latin GCSE in Year 11!

LeArNING LATIN: Pupils log on to the Cambridge University latin course

It is incredibly useful to have a basic knowledge of Latin as it underpins so many European languages As CVC has just gained Languages College status, it’s now more necessary than ever that the opportunity to learn

Latin is offered

Learning Latin is a new experience for almost everybody involved in the club – even Miss Hawkes is starting from scratch; she is learning alongside us! Although the linguistic side of Latin is the main focus, we are also discovering plenty about Roman culture at the same time Everybody is very excited about the opportunities that this new initiative provides and we hope to make the most of them in the future!

At Key Stage 4, the range of ways to continue study of a foreign language or languages has increased significantly and will undoubtedly develop further year on year For pupils in Year 9 who have just completed the options process, the possibilities included GCSE French, GCSE German, GCSE Spanish, the languages component of ASDAN and the Cambridge University Languages Programme (CULP) in French, an extra-curricular model sponsored by the DfES and delivered in part at the University of Cambridge

ella funge and Jodie Baker (8e)

Chinese taster

THE Modern Languages Department at Hills Road Sixth Form College is currently enhancing its liaison with local schools and promoting the study of a variety of languages at post-16 level They provided a one-and-ahalf hour introductory session in Chinese this term for a small group of able Year 10 linguists, taught by a native speaker

The session included an introduction to the language (oral and written) and culture of China and took place at Comberton Village College this week with 15 pupils in Year 10 taking part

Last year, CVC provided a similar session in Japanese for Year 10 students The event was thoroughly enjoyed by all pupils involved

NeW: administrator

Alison Shorten

New to team

COMBERTON’S new status as a Languages College has created a large amount of administration

Alison Shorten, who has two children at Meridian, this term joined the MFL department as administrator She said: “I am very impressed with the innovative and motivated feel of the school as a whole and feel sure that the MFL Department with its international outlook will enrich and inspire students at every level ”

COMBERTON is one of only six secondary schools in the country selected for a Government-funded languages projoect

School visits take Comberton pupils off to all corners of the globe

All around the world

russian date

COMBERTON’S second

trip to Russia has been set for next Easter

Following the success of the visit two years ago, this time next year 35 GCSE historians will be preparing to spend a week in Russia

Russia between 1905 and 1941 is a major part of our study for GCSE and we investigate the revolutions as well as how life changed under the tsars and Stalin

Our historians will have the opportunity to see the major sights of Moscow (including staying in one of Stalin’s famous ‘Seven sister’ buildings) and will then travel on the overnight train to St Petersburg

There they will visit the opulent Winter Palace (the site of Bloody Sunday in 1905 and the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917), where Rasputin was murdered and the battleship Aurora, among much else

There will be plenty of opportunity for souvenir buying in the Russian markets

Throughout we will be led by professional local tour guides

MOSCOW SIGHTS: St Basil’s is on the Comberton itinerary

Snow will still be on the ground and ice flows will still be in the river – it will certainly be a chilly, but also, we hope, atmospheric experience!

Students will have the opportunity to sign up for the trip after Easter when the costs have been finalised Initially it will be offered to GCSE historians.

This is a unique opportunity for our GCSE historians to live and breathe the history that we discover within the classroom, and we hope it will provide some fantastic memories too!

Abby Watson, Joint Head of History

fUND

rAISerS: the Year 11 South Africa volunteers

Help the SA volunteers

THE six Year 11 pupils from Comberton Village College selected to spend part of the summer working in South Africa need your help. They are holding a number of fundraising events during the holidays and next term and are relying on the support of pupils and parents to raise the £9,000 needed to fund the four-week trip to Comberton’s partner school, Edendale, in Pretoria

They are staging a Ceilidh with live band and caller on March 18 at the Comberton Leisure Performance Hall on the school site Tickets cost £12 for adults and £8 for under-18s and include a Ploughman’s supper and drink. A bar is available. A wine-tasting and quiz night takes place on April 8 at the same venue and there is a Variety Show in May Additionally, car washing will take place on alternate Saturdays next term and a cake stall will be held

every Wednesday break and lunch in the Year 11 social area until the group leave Comberton in May

The six – Emma Bentley, Rosie Polge, Maxine Lincoln, Kate Atkin, Finlay Clarkson and Richard Hall –will act as teaching assistants at Edendale and will also help out at the Mahau Care Centre for children with HIV and Aids, which is supported by Edendale

So far they have raised around £1,500 thanks to the support of Johnson Mathey and Haslingfield Parish Council and the proceeds of a number of fund-raising initiatives since they were selected last term To help the Edendale Volunteers or to buy tickets for any of the events, please contact Emma Bentley on (01223) 871507 Donations by cheque, made payable to the Edendale Account, can be sent to the Finance Office at the college.

record numbers sign up for trip to flanders

A RECORD 80 Year 11 pupils have signed up for the annual history trip to Flanders in October

Pupils and staff spend three days visiting the First World War battlefields to further enhance their coursework preparation on The Christmas Truce and General Haig

The itinerary remains unchanged and includes a careful balance of memorials, ceremonies, battlefields, tours and interac-

tive learning opportunities.

Of course there is also time for our inevitable trip to our favourite Belgian chocolate shop too! We are looking forward to giving so many students such a fantastic opportunity to see for themselves the true magnitude and devastation of the First World War “We shall never forget ” Abby Watson, Joint Head of History

LeST We

fOrGeT: the Tynecot first World War cemetery in flanders

Candlelight delight

MORE than 100 Year 8 pupils dressed up in their finest and attended a candlelit dinner on a very cold evening

As everyone arrived at school, expectations were sky-high and they were thoroughly satisfied

The evening started with a civilised three-course meal and the food was delicious

With the Year 11s waiting on us it was almost like a real restaurant

The raffle in aid of DeBRa was a real success with Kenny Durrant taking first prize

‘Red Metal’, the Year 8 rock band, followed this and set the tone for the disco with some well-known songs

This hugely enjoyable evening finished with a disco with great dancing and songs

All of Year 8 would like to thank everyone who helped organise this event, especially the catering staff who surpassed themselves with the quality of the food

We would also like to thank the Year 11s who served us, Ms Phull, Mrs Stewart and all the staff who put so much time and effort into this really enjoyable evening

Anna Carter and Lucy Price (8N)

focus on attitudes to animal rights

THE controversy surrounding the opening of a new research laboratory in Oxford provided the perfect backdrop for Year 10’s second Core RE Day last month

The subject for the day was Hindu and Christian attitudes to animal rights, which was a particularly relevant subject given the huge amount of feeling about the Oxford facility

During the day students had the opportunity to think about their own opinions on the use of animals in medical experimentation and to consider how the attitudes of

Pupils show talent

Hindus and Christians are affected by their religious beliefs

We were very lucky to be visited by some members of Animal Aid (Sue Hughes and Amir Kashiv), a representative from Huntingdon Life Sciences (Andrew Gay) and a Hindu speaker (Subra), who all explained their contrasting opinions on the topic

The day was very successful and all the visitors commented on what a positive experience visiting Comberton had been

We are now looking forward to our final Core RE day at the end of the year

Hannah Powell, Head of RE

MORE than 20 acts were on display at the Year 7 Talent Show last week.

Almost 50 pupils took centre stage in the Performance Hall with gymnasts, singers, dancers and instrumentalists on display

The acts were chosen after more than 30 acts and over 50 pupils auditioned in front of Head of Year Anne

SHArING

BeLIefS: Hindu Subra talks to Year 10 pupils about being a Vegan and his views on animal rights

Cooking up a treat

On the night the judging panel was made up of Miss Kerr, Mr Parker, Head of Drama Mike Sharpe and governor Sian Gardner “It was a very enjoyable evening, proving that we are a very talented year group!” said Mrs Jones.

PRIMARY-AGED children can learn to cook at Comberton Community Education run classes in six-week blocks on a Monday afternoon (5 00pm-6 30pm)

For more details contact (01223) 264721 or e-mail commed@comberton cambs sch uk

Jones, Head of Music Ben Parker and Head of Dance Debbie Kerr.

DINING OUT: Year 8 pupils enjoy a candlelit meal followed by band and disco in the school hall

Meeting the challenges

SKIING produces challenges at every turn. Sometimes it is the weather, sometimes the skiing and snowboarding, sometimes it is being away from home, sometimes it is the pressure of spending a whole week with 107 others!

Dealing with the challenges is different for each person Some cry, usually on the third day, some go quiet, some sleep, some feel ill, some get angry, some need a hug, some need a push.

Whatever the problem and whatever the solution we all face these challenges every time we go skiing. So why do we do it?

Because the mountains are so beautiful, especially when the sun shines For most of us it is forming friendships, the camaraderie, the shared experiences, the memories – even of the 24-hour journey to Italy for the Foundation Course at halfterm

Skiing hits new heights

COMBERTON’S first skiing development course in St Johann, Italy, was a huge success despite incubating the flu bug on the coach and the biggest, Alex, skiing into the smallest, Anya

The aim was to lift the level of skiing beyond the recreational and move it into an area of excellence

As a consequence Mr Rigg was beaten in the slalom race by Andrew Hall by 0 95 sec, with Richard Hall only 0 05 sec behind Mr Rigg didn’t cry too much! The race was much more challenging than during previous years’ recreational courses on a cold and steep red run with a vicious gate on a ridge just before the finish All the skiers showed real ‘carving’ style even if racing wasn’t to everyone’s taste

The rest of the week focussed on mountain safety, group leadership and navigation The day at the Kronplatz tested all of these with everyone taking turns to lead and navigate We did have some moments where leaders were lost (James) and group members were standing in front of the sign which showed the way! It was bitterly cold but with bright sunshine so we were all taking layers off and putting them back on, which made sense of the backpacks everyone was wearing Safety was also vital when some of the more adventurous wanted to try for ‘phat air’ There were several contenders but Daniel East showed more style in flying than when he was in contact with the snow! We showed Sabina how to show playfulness and imagination when negotiating the ‘fun park’ This was one of the criteria in the ‘Snowlife Awards’ from Snowsport GB. Most of us finished with a level 6 with some level 7s Level 9 was impossible!

It wasn’t all serious or hard work The ‘Brush Hockey’ was great fun, sliding around on ice chasing a ball – even if Mr Pollock did need an endless succession of ‘Glühwein’ to keep him warm – followed by Emma Brown matching her ski skills by setting the dance floor alight with her limbo skills in the ‘Round House’ above the Ski School

Hopefully all of our top skiers will see this as a high-level course which will give them a taste of ski leadership to become the resort guides or instructors of the future

Ian Rigg

But it is not there at the beginning. Everyone is disjointed, operating at a personal, sometimes selfish level. By the end of the week we could stay forever and feel comfortable. You find the harmony in the lift queues, in the dinner queues, in the queues for the bus, in the queues for hot chocolate . . . There are a lot of queues! We seem to be good at queues unlike some of the others who shared our resort!

At the end we will all remember something different Mrs Hall french-plaiting hair on the coach, sitting next to someone I like for 24 hours, Luke learning to be quiet at 3 00am in Luxembourg, ‘Mean Girls’ at 100km/hr, the ‘Blues Brothers’ in snow, the brightness of the sun, the friendliness of the Ski School and the Hotel staff, going up the ‘bubble’, Sam forgetting everything it’s possible to forget, not wanting to dance in the disco and pizzeria and then not leaving the floor, seeing staff in fancy dress, fighting for our place for lunch, getting to like our ski group and our group leader, getting better, going on my first ‘red’, going on my first ‘black’, sleeping in a room with friends, letting a room get so messy we can’t see the floor, Mr Love being ‘Mr Incredible’, eating eggs which have ‘real’ taste, having hot chocolate every day – with cream, sliding on snow after a fall, flying (ish) through the air, singing on the ‘chair’, singing in the bus, Mr Rigg singing us awake at 7.00am, sleeping all the way home, what was ‘Road Trip’ all about, wanting to be home but wanting not to lose my friends, wanting to come back next year and every year forever!

Ian Rigg

SKI, fUN AND GAMeS: (from left)

Josh Brunning in the slalom race, brush hockey, limbo ace emma

Brown and slalom winner Andy Hall

rIDING HIGH: Mr evans and pupils on the chair lift

A time to share The dances

PUPILS from Comberton and eight of the feeder primary schools took part in a Danceshare earlier this term

Around 250 pupils, from Barton’s Foundation stage up to Comberton GCSE Dance candidates, gave an insight into the work they are doing at the event, which took place in the Performance Hall at Comberton Leisure This was the second danceshare and the third such event involving pupils of all ages across the curriculum –last year Comberton hosted a gymshare and there are plans for a second one next year

The event was organised by Primary PE Manager Ally Brennan and Head of Dance Debbie Kerr and Mrs Brennan said: “We thought the first danceshare was fantastic, but it was clear that the quality of dancing has improved across all year groups and schools

“That is down to the constant hard work of teachers and children

“It was nice to see some of the new units from the Cambridgeshire Scheme of Work brought to life These are adding to the repertoire of what schools can offer ”

She added: “The children enjoyed the opportunity to watch other groups and schools and Comberton students always enjoy seeing teachers and friends from their feeder primaries ”

New Cambourne primary school, The Vine, did not take part in this year’s event as their school hall cannot yet be used for dance, but their Year 6 pupils, who will start at Comberton in September, were given a first taste of the college as they watched the performance

Mrs Brennan said: “We would like to thank everybody who took part for all their hard work and also to Comberton Leisure general manager Lynne Phillips for preparing the performance hall and providing drinks for the dancers ”

Primary schools

Barton (foundation): On Parade

Caldecote (Years 1&2): Dot, wiggle and dash in Narnia

Hardwick (Year 3): Cold Places

Coton (Years 3&4): Sun, sea and sand

Bourn (Years 4&5): Caribbean

Monkfield Park (Years 5&6): African Dance

Meridian (Years 5&6): Friendship

Haslingfield (Year 6): 007 Under Cover CVC

Year 7: The Blitz

Year 8 (girls): African and Indian

Year 8 (boys): Stomp

Year 9: Save the Last Dance

GCSe: Set study & solo choreography

ALL GUNS BLAZING: Haslingfield Year 6 pupils perform their 007 dance CLASSIC MOVeS: from the Year 8 Indian dancers

Water help as sponsors ‘pour ’ in

SPONSORS are continuing to back Comberton’s annual mini-Olympics athletics festival

Newmarket-based DBC Foodservice, which supplies drinks to Comberton Leisure, has donated 300 bottles of water for the rest station at this year’s event, which takes place on June 30

And Hardwick firm, D Phillips Carpentry and General Builders, have also agreed to sponsor the festival, which enables around 250 Year 6 pupils due to start at Comberton in September, the chance to spend a fun day at the college

The youngsters are divided into teams and each given a T-shirt in their team’s colour, which they

then keep They take part in a rotation of athletic activities earning points for their team

Although the emphasis is on enjoyment and making new friends in a relaxed environment, there is a winning team who receive medals All participants receive a certificate of achievement

The festival, now in its fifth year, is run by Primary PE Manager Ally Brennan and a group of Year 11 pupils who are studying for their Sports Leaders, Level One, award

They are involved in the planning and preparation and will return after their GCSE exams for the festival They have also been working hard to

raise funds and a very successful cake stall earlier this term added £100 to the coffers

The day-long festival has lost one of its main sponsors this year, but Cambridge solicitors

Silver Fitzgerald are backing the event for the second year running and the proceeds from last weekend’s Motown Soul Night at Comberton Leisure have also been donated

Sponsorship packages start at £50 and companies interested in getting involved should contact Mrs Brennan or school publicity officer Judy Czylok (Chillock) on (01223) 262503

Mini award is big news

Every little helps with new gear

THE fantastic efforts of pupils, parents and staff has enabled Comberton to receive new sports equipment without having to pay for it

With your help, the school collected more than 18,000 Tesco Sport vouchers, which have now been exchanged for goods

WeLL DONe:

emily St John, the Cambridgeshire Club Development Officer, congratulates

Comberton

coach Paul Bonnington

COMBERTON Tennis Club has achieved a prestigious award

It has earned the LTA (Lawn Tennis Association) Mini-Tennis Accreditation

In achieving Mini-Tennis Accreditation, the club has shown that it operates an effective all-yearround tennis programme, has excellent schoolclub links, and has a clear vision for the future Mini-Tennis Accreditation has been awarded to only nine other clubs in Cambridgeshire

The Club currently has 50 juniors involved in its weekday coaching programme. Players from aged four attend weekly coaching sessions, which attract beginners through to county players

School and club coach Paul Bonnington implemented the new coaching programme in January and said: This is only the start of a very exciting future for juniors at Comberton Tennis Club

“The club now has juniors of all ages receiving coaching and competing in tournaments across

Cambridgeshire There are very clear school and college pathways to the club and the potential for very significant participation levels is massive “My long-term aims are simple – to make Comberton Tennis Club the focal point for tennis in the local community and to make tennis an accessible year-round sport which can be enjoyed by everyone at all levels of the game Achieving Mini-Tennis Accreditation is the first step towards that goal Roll on the summer and Murray-mania at Wimbledon!”

Anyone interested in being part of Comberton Tennis Club’s junior coaching programme should contact Community/Club Coach Paul Bonnington on (07990) 570695 or e-mail him at pbonnington@comberton cambs sch uk

l The club is holding an Open Day on Sunday 23rd April, from 11-00 am to 3-00 pm with free tennis for all

Earlier this term, several huge boxes arrived at the college containing two complete sets of hockey equipment (sticks, balls, bibs and cones), 40 tennis rackets and some equipment for use in

Health Related Fitness lessons

Head of PE Mark Goldring said: “I would like to say a really huge thank you to everyone who helped. Bringing in a few vouchers may not seem like much, but it makes a massive difference

“We have been able to purchase some top quality sports equipment ”

The college is now collecting Sainsbury’s Active Kids vouchers, which can be handed in at the PE office or to the general office on the administration corridor.

New coach appointed

THE South Cambs School Sports Partnership has appointed its first coach.

The partnership, led by Comberton-based Sally Banfield, has employed James Ball as the partnership community sports coach for hockey. With funding from the partnership, England Hockey Association and Sport England James has been employed for 2 days a week, starting next term.

He will work across the eight families of schools and spend time supporting teachers in curriculum time, providing extra-curricular opportunities and establishing high-quality player pathways for students to join hockey clubs

The former Stamford Grammar School pupil is a Level 2 hockey coach and has coached at regional and national levels

Ms Banfield said: “I am delighted to have appointed James and I’m sure he will make a huge impact on the partnership.”

Netballers raise their game to meet Sports Colleges cup challenge

THERE was a first for Comberton’s current under-16 team when they reached the second round of the National Sports College Netball Cup for the first time

Although they failed to win a match, drawing with Caterham and Dr Challoners and losing to

Turnform, Coopers Coburn and Cliff Park, coach Helen Stepney was still pleased with the performances at Barking Abbey school last month

“These scores do not reflect the high level of play by this team, they took on the challenge and raised their game and I was very proud to be

there with them,” she said. “They were particularly pleased to draw against Caterham who had beaten them in the first round of matches ”

Comberton: Holly Peck, Jenni Parcell, Katie Atkin, Helen West, Anna Pearson, Becky Wright, Harriet Grundy