News@Com Winter 2007

N e w s @ C o m N e w s @ C o m GOLDEN JUBILEE!

HONOURED: Executive Principal Stephen Munday

Honour is for ‘whole college community’

Stephen Munday, executive principal of Comberton, was presented with an honorary Doctorate of education by prof Mike thorne, Vice Chancellor of Anglia Ruskin University, last month the ceremony took place at the Corn exchange in Cambridge with many recently graduated students from Anglia Ruskin receiving their degrees the honorary award was given for ‘services to education’, most specifically for overseeing Comberton Village College in becoming ‘one of the most successful schools of its type in the east of england’

Mr (or Dr) Munday gave a brief speech of acceptance in which he pointed out that he was really receiving the award on behalf of the whole community of Comberton Village College because it was clearly teamwork, rather than the efforts of any one individual, that had led to the school’s success.

l Turn to Page 2

COMBERTON Village College will be 50 years old in 2010

And there will be a month of celebratory events to mark the milestone during March

The main events for the college, which opened in 1960 with 240 pupils, will be two days of special activities.

Comberton, which now has 1,410 pupils and around 250 staff, will stage the official opening of the latest buildings with specially invited guests on Friday March 5

Roger Adcock, the first warden of Comberton until 1964, is set to come from Hampshire to join in the celebrations and will be among guests, including past pupils and other staff, who will be invited to tour the school to see how it has changed

firmed) Each workshop will cost only £2

In the evening Comberton Leisure hosts a celebratory black tie dinner and dance with a live band, Bayou Gumbo More details will be available in the new year

The 50th anniversary celebrations are also part of a month-long Arts Festival being organised by Arts Development Manager Richard Brown

There will also be a display of current work and historical memorabilia in the atrium This will include a photographic exhibition and a short history of the college, being written by long-serving Deputy Principal Mary Martin and governor Colin Clarkson

In the evening there will be a concert with high-quality musical items performed by current and former students and staff

The following day there will be several morning workshops for adults and young people, to include cooking, watercolour painting, life drawing, tap dancing and more (still to be con-

They include a rock band night being organised by and for young people, Custard Comedy, Bourn Players’ production of Kiss Me Kate, Comberton’s annual show, which next year is Into The Woods, South Cambs’ Arts awards and, on April 1, a CVC’s Got Talent show, featuring college staff

Executive Principal Stephen Munday said:

“We are delighted to be able to celebrate the college's 50th anniversary

“It is one of those rare opportunities in life to stop, take stock and celebrate There is so much to celebrate in the 50-year history of the college and we want to do it well

“Of course, we also want to look forward to the next 50 years, and we will want to use the celebrations to confirm the exciting possibilities for the future All of this is within the ongoing constant of being a Cambridgeshire village college: the best sort of schooling that there is "

APPLIED LEARNING

Stunning first results

OUR first cohort of pupils completed BTEC qualifications with us in the summer and their results were absolutely phenomenal

In BTEC Business more than half of all students gained Distinction Plus, the highest possible grade and equivalent to 4 A*'s at GCSE.

Of these pupils, 10 (53%) of them achieved full marks on the qualification, completing all work to the highest standard possible

These pupils are: Cambridge Chan, Josh Eaton, Laurence Groom, Sophia Groom, Albert Lin, Miranda Lin, Kai Majerus, Katie McNamee, Matt Starace, and Melissa Wood

Given that only five pupils on the course (16%) were predicted an A or A* at the start of the course, this is a phenomenal achievement for

New teacher gets stuck straight in

In the summer, we were sad to say goodbye to Mrs emma Weston, who received a promotion back at her old school where she went as a pupil She was a real asset to the college, helping us to achieve some truly outstanding results with last year’s Year 11 students however, we are very excited to have appointed an excellent Business Studies teacher, Mr Chris Warrington, the new coordinator for Business and enterprise. he joined us from another local school, where he taught several vocational, GCSe and A level courses

Before this, Mr Warrington worked for five years as a Recruitment Specialist in the construction, financial and banking sectors, so has lots of industry knowledge which he is keen to share and build into our course he is already proving himself a real asset: developing local employer links, writing and steering the development of the new diploma, setting up the Investor Challenge, and devising new and exciting trips to enhance business students’ learning beyond the classroom. More than this however, he’s also volunteered on a silver D of e expedition, on a Year 8 visit to Walton, and visited Spain as part of our International School status and he’s only been here a term!

these pupils and the Business department

BTEC Sport was also highly successful The predictions at the start of the course were that all pupils were looking at gaining B and C grades, and yet a combination of the PE Department and Mr Pollock's creative and challenging course, and the pupils’ dedication and hard work, meant that a third of all pupils completing the full course gained the equivalent of 4 A's One pupil passed the BTEC certificate worth 2 GCSEs BTEC Art and Design is led by Ms Powys, who is a powerhouse of creative energy and ideas

Her work, together with the ideas, support and hard work of the Art Department, led to some fantastic results for our pupils last summer

Again, using KS3 data, the predictors for the pupils when they embarked on the course were that they would achieve mainly C grades

However, 30% of all pupils gained the equivalent of 4 A and A* grades

Through their flexibility and support, together with the work of our new Green Room, the Art Department supported two pupils who followed alternative educational paths to main school in Year 11 to achieve the BTEC Certificate equivalent to 2 GCSEs at grade C

These results are a fantastic credit to the pupils and staff on these courses, and re-enforce our commitment here at Comberton to delivering a very high quality suite of vocational courses

Many of these pupils have chosen to continue in these subjects at sixth form college, taking on further BTEC qualifications, A levels, or the new diploma in their subjects, suggesting that we have succeeded in offering courses which interest pupils and support them to achieve their potential

THE TEAM TO BEAT:

Last year’s CVC winners Semi

Risk-free investment challenge

FORTY Year 10 and 11 students will attempt to crack the stock market after investing a virtual £100, 000 in FTSE 100 companies

The Student Investor Challenge began last month and the teams taking part will have four months of on-line trading to make as much profit as possible on their initial investment, while trying to avoid a disastrous loss!

The competition, run by the IFS, gives students aged 14-19 the opportunity to take risks and develop their team working and decision making skills in a simulated stock market All stock market data is genuine live data, only the trading and cash is virtual!

Portfolios must consist of 10 stocks chosen from the FTSE100 companies, plus 50 selected smaller companies Students are charged stamp duty and commission and when they sell a stock, they are

also charged commission They also have the option to invest up to £20,000 of their virtual cash into an investment trust.

The top 20 teams from each region with the best performing portfolios on 27 February will be invited to attend the regional finals Then the top two from each region will go to the National Final in late April Winners of that win an allexpenses paid trip to New York, £2,000 for the school and £200 for each team member There are also several smaller prizes along the way Last year’s Year 10 winners were ‘Semi Skimmed Ltd’ (Alan Leung, Alban Fernandez, Joshua Higginbottom and William McArdle) Their final portfolio was valued at £109,400 31 (£9,400 31 profit) Let’s see if this can be beaten this year!

CHRIS WARRINGTON

Pounds for hounds

HENRY, a lively eight-year-old Labrador, had the chance to meet the whole of Year 9 during the launch of the Pounds for Hounds campaign in assembly

This initiative is run by the Dogs for the Disabled the National charity that trains dogs to help people with disabilities lead more independent lives

Henry’s owner Andy shared with pupils what a huge difference Henry makes to his life At the end of the assembly a small change collection was taken which raised a staggering £80 to kick off the fund-raising year

The newly-formed Year 9 charities group are planning to launch a range of innovative fund raising activities in the New Year Please support them

Survey shows ‘too much junk’

YEAR 7 Comberton students revealed to their local MP and Shadow Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley, results of a junk food investigation that left a bad taste

To coincide with the British Heart Foundation's (BHF) new report ‘A Fit Choice?’; a campaign report on the provision of children's food in leisure venue, realeased earlier this term, the children conducted an informal survey of food choices in local venues where they go to have fun and get active The children found no information in cafes or on the vending machines to help identify healthy choices

Their findings, and the report, uncovers how local places where kids go to get fit and active undermine the fight against childhood obesity by offering kids a barrage of unhealthy products loaded with fats, salts and sugars through vending machines and meal deals

Honour for ‘college community’

l From Page 1

he also noted that another recipient of an honorary award that day, Dave Gilmour, a member of the band pink Floyd and former student of Anglia Ruskin (when it was CCAt) was at a different ceremony. “perhaps this is just as well,” he commented “Given that Mr Gilmour’s band was particularly well known for a certain song called ‘We don’t need no education’, then we might have at least a minor philosophical difference.”

Anglia Ruskin University have a place on the recently formed Comberton educational trust that now oversees Comberton Village College prof helen Valentine, one of the University’s Vice Chancellors, holds the trustee position and is already taking an active role in supporting the school’s development.

A Wise way to Pay INSIDE THIS ISSUE

l Robot has Right Moves Page 3

l Remember the Year Page 3

l Winning Review Page 3

l An Incredible Journey Page 4

l History Round-Up Page 4

l Curriculum Extension Days Page 5

l Pupils in the Field Page 5

l Activities Week recalled Page 6

l Muscial Hits Page 6

l Science Round-Up Page 7

l The Benefits of Working Together Pages 8, 9 and 10

l DofE latest Page 11

l Spotlight on Green Issues Page 11

l Going Up the Wall Page 12

l Success Recognised Page 12

l Comberton March On Page 12

l Pupils Honoured Page 13

l Boys Win Through Page 13

l Girls Invited for Trials Page 13

l Four Earn District Call Page 13

l Applied Learning Pages 14, 15 and 16

THIS autumn, Comberton introduced a new facility which allows on-line payment from a debit or credit card The school is working with a company called WisePay Parents can now credit new funds direct to a pupil’s cashless catering account, purchase items of school uniform and stationery from the school shop, make on-line payments for school trips and buy tickets for school events and productions

Parents can also review their recent account history and check the balance remaining on a cashless catering card

Our on-line payment area can be accessed from the school website at www combertonvc org Simply click on the WisePay logo

The whole process is safe and secure and all payments are credited straight into a CVC bank account Over the coming months, WisePay will become the school’s preferred method of receiving payments from parents, although the Finance Office will still accept cheques and the cashless catering card machines in Reception and the Dining Hall will continue to operate as normal

CHANGING LIVES: Support dog Henry meets members of Year 9

HERE’S TO HEALTHY OPTIONS: MP Andrew Lansley and pupils who took part in the survey

Even more choice

FLUSH with the success of the 2007-09 cohort, we are starting our options process to recruit the 2010-12 cohort

Current Year 9 pupils will have a broader curriculum than ever at KS4 to select their options from, and with such a wide range of subjects and qualification choices, we have been working hard to make sure pupils and parents have the information they need to make their choices in the new year

The first stage was a Vocational Courses Awareness Evening in early November, when we outlined the different qualifications we are offering at Comberton next year, from the BTEC to the new Diploma, through to an NVQ in Business Spanish

All the vocational courses have a real emphasis on alternative assessment methods (so hardly any exams), work-based settings, and broader skills such as teamwork, independent learning, and organisation

different diploma lines: Business, Administration and Finance, Sport and Active Leisure, Hair and Beauty, Construction and the Built Environment, Engineering, Creative and Media, Society, Health and Development, Retail, Public Services and Environment and Land-Based Studies

l Functional Skills maths, English and IT relevant to the real world

l Personal, Learning and Thinking Skills things like organisation, time management, etc l Additional and Specialist Learning other qualifications, such as GCSEs and BTECs

DIPLOMA STUDENTS: The pupils, including two from Comberton, who are on the Hair and Beauty Diploma at Swavesey

However, it can be confusing, when we are all familiar with GCSEs, to remember all the different elements of these qualifications, and their equivalence in GCSE grades Full details can be found on the school website if you need it!

The major change from next September is that pupils will be able to study the new diploma in 10

A

different

The diploma is a new course which is quite different to other qualifications It is made up of lots of different parts, which when they are all achieved are equivalent to 7 GCSE's grade A*-C These parts are:

l The Principal Learning the content relevant to the subject picked

l A Project - on any subject you like

Two of the subjects, Business and Sport, pupils will study at Comberton, and our staff are very hard at work, writing new, interesting and exciting courses for these pupils in liaison with expert teachers from other schools in the local area

For the other eight subjects, if pupils wish to opt for them, they will travel to other local schools such as Swavesey or Bassingbourn to study for one day a week

We currently have two girls in Year 10 on the Hair and Beauty Diploma at Swavesey, thoroughly enjoying the course, and we hope that some current Year 9 will find this new option open to them as challenging, enjoyable and rewarding as the Hair and Beauty students do There will be a lot more information and guidance coming in Year 9's direction during the options process, but if you have any questions about the vocational courses, please get in touch

Lorna Bateson, Director of Applied Learning

way of studying Career pathways

YeAR 9 Students will have an exciting new Business Studies option available to them for 2010 next September will see the introduction of a groundbreaking and exciting qualification for Key Stage 4 Students preparations are now well under way for the higher Diploma in Business, Administration and Finance, set to begin in September 2010.

Diplomas are qualifications equivalent to seven GCSes at grades A* to C and enable learners to progress to employment within the Business, Administration and Finance sectors and related industries, as well as providing a solid grounding in business skills for young people who hope to run their own business.

Comberton students will develop skills that are valued by employers and universities, which will be useful to them in the future, no matter which path they take, for example:

• english, Maths and ICt (at level 2)

• Creative thinking

• team-working

• Self-management

In addition to the new qualification, the

BteC Business classroom is also being refurbished into a professional business suite, including new ICt equipment and business furniture Students will able to enhance their business skills by learning within a business environment.

CURRENT Year 9 pupils will be able to opt for a range of courses in Sport and Physical Education at CVC starting in September 2010 Alongside the well-established and successful GCSE PE or BTEC Sport options, pupils will be able to choose the new Diploma in Sport and Active Leisure

This diploma, like all diplomas, is made up of various sections, and if all sections are passed it is the equivalent of 7 GCSE Grades A*-C and, alongside other GCSEs, provides a pathway into sixth form centres or into the workplace

Where GCSE PE and the BTEC are more practically sport based, the Diploma is more to do with developing the skills required to make a career in the Sport and Active Leisure Industry. Many of these skills will be ‘higher order’ in nature, skills required to be a manager or organiser With 50 per cent of the Diploma being ‘Applied’, learning by doing, pupils will not be spending the majority of their time sitting at a desk, but will be researching the industry, meeting employers, observing within the workplace, planning and putting into action their own thoughts and ideas The Diploma in Sport and Active Leisure is a different way of learning which, for the right pupils, provides an alternative route beyond 16+

Nigel Carrick, Director of PE and Sport

BUSINESS SUITE: A new look

Village College

BURIED:

Rebecca Farrington’s letter is one of the items in a time capsule

Remember the year 2009

I ReCentlY won a competition in Creative Writing, which involved writing a letter to teenagers of the future describing what life is like now. My letter (an extract of which is shown below) is buried in a time capsule which will be opened in 50 years. I was invited, with head of Year 11 Mrs

Dear Teenagers of the Future.

Jones, to the burial and the opening of the ‘Discovery’ centre at the College of West Anglia in Milton the capsule also included the no 1 CD single, some coins from the present, a local newspaper, a college prospectus and a drawing from the junior competition

Rebecca Farrington (11N)

Life in 2009 is hard sometimes, especially when adults just don’t understand how you’re feeling. I like reading and all my English teachers have said that reading lots is a good thing My parents and my sister, however, don’t agree. I like reading because it takes me to places far beyond where I can go. I like reading because it takes me away from the horrors of the real world

The real world in 2009 is always shown as being a violent place, especially on the news All the news ever talks about is the bad things like people getting murdered or disappearing and people getting abused or treated violently. The social services have been criticised recently for trusting parents too much and letting several babies get killed by serious physical abuse by the ones closest to them, their parents I hope that the news in 2059 is a lot more hopeful and good.

The good thing about being a teenager is that you don’t have a job, you have lots of freedom including going on holidays

The bad thing is that people stereotype us teenagers as being bad for society The truth is that only the minority of teenagers commit crimes. I hate the eyes on me every time I go in a shop as if they expect that just because I’m young I’m more likely to steal something I hate the way people always expect that if one of your family members has committed a crime that you will too.

I want to be a writer or a poet because I love words I love the way words can make people feel different emotions. Are books still around or have they been replaced by computers? I hope that in your time something has been done about global warming and climate change has been stopped. I hate to think of all those animals in the Arctic and Antarctic being made extinct in your time because their habitat has melted away. I hate to think it’s all because of us and our technology.

WINNER: Kartik Vira

Boys’ creation is a winner

Robot has right moves

A LEGO robot created by two Year 9 pupils proved a winner at the East Of England round of the First Lego League Robotics contest.

The interntaional competition is to design, build and program a robot that can traverse an obstacle course autonomously, and complete certain missions within the time limit of two and a half minutes

In addition to meeting the robot challenge, competitors also have to complete a project on a theme which changes every year

TOP TEAM:

The robot and its creators are heading for the national stage

But Siddharth Basetti and Cheng Sun just missed out on a place at the national finals Comberton’s competition newcomers were pipped overall by a team who had been entering the competition for seven years Their presentation on their robot and their project on this year’s theme, transport, saw them through to the national competition

The Comberton boys looked at ways of solving Cambridge’s bus issues, looking at environmental, convenience and safety questions

With the Guided Bus system already a controversial issue, the city's transport chiefs may be interested to know that the boys' solution is The Python, a high-tech vehicle that utilises both road and rail Teams from all across the East of England battled it out with their robots – along with a team from Greece – but Siddarth and Cheng’s robot sailed through seven rounds to take top spot in the practical part of the event

KARTIK Vira (8I) recently enjoyed success in The Guardian’s Young Critics Competition in which entrants were invited to submit a 200 word review of one of the books longlisted for the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize

Kartik reviewed Terry Pratchett’s ‘Nation’ and as one of 10 individual winners nationally he received a book token together with two sets of the

eight longlisted titles, one to keep for himself and one to give to the school

These are now sitting proudly on the shelves of the school library

Kartik said he valued Pratchett's story of a boy's struggles to survive after his world is destroyed by a tsunami, for its "powerful questions about God and the purpose of religion"

Hands-on experience

NEXT year’s BTEC Business

Trips have been announced

During March 2010, the Year 10 BTEC business students will be embarking on an exciting and informative trip to Thorpe Park, where they will learn about roles and responsibilities of Park staff as well as Park recruitment and their Organisational Structure

There might also be an opportunity to

try out the rides time permitting of course!

The highly-successful Year 11 business students will be venturing out to the British Maritime Museum and The British Music Experience exhibition at the O2 Arena, London Students will be investigating customer service provision and taking part in a workshop activity

Art in the real world

lASt month, the BteC Art group went to Cambridge. We went to various places We went to the Fitzwilliam Museum, where we saw prints by Odilon Redon, and an original print by Andy Warhol which is what we were there to see It was fun and I learnt lots of interesting facts about different things!

We also went to Byard art. Inside the gallery they had some amazing bits of artwork these ranged from crazy bird paintings, to wire works, to canvases with felt balls on bits of wire. When touched gently they vibrate to create an amazing effect there were some that looked like a setting sun, a rising moon and just some multicoloured ones

After looking at the Galleries, we went to the Fudge Kitchen. We tasted some of the fudge, but it was very, very sweet. You would only want a little piece a day We stood and watched some fudge being made. It’s amazing, they have it in liquid form on a big, marble table, when it gets more flexible they twirl it around It looks like molten glass. We didn’t get to finish watching it being made but it was fantastic to watch! Alana Hardiman (10B)

RIDING

HIGH: Year 10 BTEC Business pupils will be hoping there is time to sample the rides during next year’s visit to Thorpe Park

More details to follow!

Chris Warrington

OUT AND ABOUT: Pupils in the BTEC Art group in Cambridge

Developing photo skills

THE Photography Unit in BTEC Art and Design is fascinating incorporating building photoshoots, Camera Obscuras and working on Photoshop techniques

The only aspect of photography that we cannot address in school though, is traditional we don’t have a darkroom!

Fortunately, a local photographer, Lotte Attwood does She kindly invited the Year 11s to a demonstration of darkroom techniques in her purpose-built studio in Cambridge

The process of developing a photograph from film is a long-winded one compared to pressing a button on a Digital Camera

It involves working in the dark, precise timing, test runs and different chemicals It is also magical to watch the image developing in front of you and there is a sense of satisfaction when you get a perfect print that you just don’t get on a computer

Ms Attwood was informative and interesting and the afternoon spent in her studio passed all too quickly

The students left with handfuls of prints, some of which they had processed themselves We will have a darkroom in the new sixth form but until then, thanks to Ms Attwood for providing a valuable learning experience

An incredible journey

SIXTEEN Year 11 students went to explore the mountains and desert area of Morocco in half term

After spending half a day in Marrakech where we changed money into Dirhams and bought food for the mountain trek, the group set off for the High Atlas Mountains by minibus

We met our guide, Lassan, in the afternoon and spent the next night in the Berber village of Aroumd, where he lives with his family, and we started to get an insight into the Berber people and their way of life The following day our guides loaded the mules with our rucksacks and we trekked up the valley to the Neltner refuge at 2000m, in preparation for climbing Mount Toubkal the following day It was a chilly night with temperatures down to zero and we struggled to keep warm in our tents

Toubkal is the highest mountain in North Africa, at a stunning 4167m, with fabulous views over the peaks and valleys of the High Atlas range It was a tough climb for everyone (except for Lassan!) and the descent was almost as hard as going up It was an experi-

ence and achievement that no-one will forget, not least Ms Cook and Kara who had to do it a day late, due to illness, and went up at 3 00am the next day with head torches, whilst the others slept At least they were rewarded at the top by a great sunrise

We said goodbye to the mountains midweek and headed down to the Sahara, a long journey through the mountains passing through the Draa Valley and its palmeries, to meet our camels and explore the desert It was very hot and we couldn’t go out for any length of time before 3 00pm Every aspect of life is dictated by the daytime heat here The colours of the evening sky in the desert are extraordinary and the dunes looked stunning

We left our camels and headed back to Marrakech to explore the souks and the food of the famous Djeema el Fna square and buy our souvenirs

We were sad to go home after nine days because this had been an incredible journey through the real Morocco and we crammed a lot into a short time Perhaps the most important part of the visit was that we all learned a lot about a culture very different to our own

Remains of destructive conflict

YeAR 11 history students were taken on a three-day tour of the battlefields of northern France and Belgium where, nearly 100 years ago, millions of men fought and died in one of the most destructive conflicts the world has ever seen

trees in the Allied cemetery. this cemetery instead possessed a quiet dignity for all those men who had died for Germany.

Lecture gives insight

One coachload went straight to the Museum of passchendaele. the museum contained many relics from the battle, paintings and an underground tunnel network the other coach went to the tyne Cot Cemetery, which is the main Allied cemetery In the middle were the remains of a German pill box, which 90 years earlier would have had a brilliant view of the surrounding trenches and the Allied lines further down the valley We were allowed to wander around the cemetery and, of course, try to find someone with our names on the graves or on the memorial before swapping over. Finally we were driven to the hotel Munchenhof in langemark, our base for two nights We were then taken to the German cemetery, which possessed a very different atmosphere from the glorious white marble and

IN THE TRENCHES: Comberton pupils

After dinner we attended the Menin Gate Ceremony, which the town’s folk have done every night since the end of World War I, aside from the German occupation in WW2. the following day we departed for Vimy Ridge, where Canadian regiments in the second army tunnelled under the hill and caught the Germans on the heavily fortified ridge totally off guard. After the war the French Government donated it to the Canadians, who still own it today. We then headed down to the Somme, visiting such sites as Beaumont hamel and thiepval, another monument to the dead, where Miss Foster found one of her relatives on the wall On the last day we visited a section of the trenches that had been preserved since 1918, as well as the In Flanders Fields Museum in the town of Ypres thanks to all the staff who made such a fantastic trip possible.

FIFTEEN students studying AS History were fortunate to have the opportunity to attend a lecture in Cambridge which focussed on The Winter of Discontent

The lecture, given by Professor John Shepherd, was incredibly interesting, full of fascinating anecdotes, many of them about Cambridge, and useful for the students who are studying the topic Britain 1945-1990 for their second AS paper

As the lecture was held in Borders bookshop, the students also had the opportunity to browse the History section to see what publications caught their eye

Sean Spencer (11I)

Overall they were excellent ambassadors for the school, enjoyed themselves hugely, and also got a taste of what History at university might be like

CAMEL TRAIN: In the Sahara desert

FOUR students have been recognised for their services to sport, dance and exercise at Comberton and in the wider community

Anya Hall and Sam Spencer, from Year 11, and Year 9 pupils Katie Isbister and Guy Kendall, have been named as the KS4 and KS3 Sports Boys and Girls for the academic year 2008-09 respectively

The students were recognised for their commitment to developing their own sport and performing to the highest possible standards while encouraging and supporting others into physical activity opportunities

They topped a long list of contenders and Head of PE Sean Sycamore said:

“I would like to personally congratulate the students on these awards and wish them continued success within the field of sport in both performance and leadership Well done!”

THE Year 8 Comberton rugby team are through to the East

Boys win through Girls invited for

Anglian competition for District Champions

CVC won the title after beating favourites Soham with tries from David Hitchings, whose breakaway score paved the way for further tries from Luca Williams and Kola Korulchuk

Comberton cruised through the pool stage to face Bottisham in the semifinals, where a convincing 25-0 victory set up the final clash with Soham The boys then went agonisingly close to adding the county crown at Huntingdon Rugby Club

Comberton smashed their way though the pool matches, destroying St Ivo 35-0, St Peter's 25-0 and Sawtry B 25-0

The defence was immense and try scoring was spread among the whole team, as the forwards powered up the pitch and gave the backs the ball on a plate

After a long delay due to a nasty injury, CVC were up against the Sawtry

A team in the final As the game kicked off the heavens opened and Sawtry took an early 5-0 lead Comberton then proceeded to batter the Sawtry line for the remainder of the game Try as they might Comberton were unable to get the score their possession and territory deserved, Sam Walker was held up twice over the try line!

CHAMPIONS:

trials

All seven Comberton pupils who attended a Year 8 Girls Rugby taster Day at Shelford last month have been invited to trials in the new year the seven, Katy Blackhurst, Charlotte Gibbons, Aisling Rochford, ellie Farrow, emily Randall-Bowen, Roxanna Shini and Megan Ward, have all been invited to try out for the squad that will be selected to represent the Cambridge and Witchford districts in the emerging Schools County final the taster day at Shelford lasted more than four hours. It focused on mass participation and was open to girls of all abilities.

Four earn District call-up

FOUR Comberton pupils have won selection for the Cambridge and District Schools Cross-Country team

Guy Kendall and Faye McLellan, from Year 9, and Year 10 duo Millie Turner and Hattie Algar all finished in the top 15 of their age group at the district championships on Royston Heath at the start of this month

They will now run against the top finishers from Fenland, Hunts and Peterborough in the new year

Guy made light of muddy and icy conditions and the fact he missed several weeks of training with a badly broken arm to win the junior (Years 8 and 9) boys’ race by some distance

Faye finished third in the equivalent girls’ category while Millie and Hattie were second and ?? respectively in the inter class for Year 10 and 11 pupils

Success at the county championships will lead to county honours at the Anglian event with the best runners there going on to represent Cambridgeshire at the English Schools Cross-Country Championships in the spring, something that both Guy and Millie achieved last year

ASKED BACK: The Comberton girls

DISTRICT

Comberton’s Year 8 rugby team

Pupils go into the field — and beach and town!

EARLY on a Sunday morning at the beginning of term, a group of 106 sleepy Year 11 pupils headed towards Swanage on the south coast

On the way there was a lot of singing and gossiping and so the journey soon passed

We called into the village of Corfe and could see why so many visitors stop off at the ancient castle there on their way into Swanage

When we arrived in the tourist town of Swanage we immediately set to work collecting the information we needed for our coursework We did, of course, manage to find a bit of time for some

traditional fish and chips and the odd ice cream, which always tastes better by the seaside After a good night’s sleep at the Youth Hostel we set off for Lulworth Cove this is a quaint old fishing village and is very popular in the summer months We had a talk at the Heritage centre, walked around the village collecting data and eventually made the trek up the steep hillside to reach the famous Durdle Door

It was a steep, hot climb but the views were spectacular and we could all see exactly why this stretch of coastline is a World Heritage Site

A little free time back in Swanage was earned at the end of the day, so naturally the boys played cricket while the girls did a little retail therapy

On the final morning we completed our fieldwork in Swanage and finished the trip with a lovely boat trip in the sunshine around Old Harrys Rocks and into Poole Harbour before travelling home

It was definitely a trip to remember as we all had a fantastic three days away

Katie Sims for the year 11 geographers

New MFL options

THIS year in Modern Languages we decided to change our approach to Curriculum Extension Days

For the first time each pupil in Year 8 had the opportunity to sign up for a chosen activity and become an 'expert' in that activity

We had a range of activities on offer, including Salsa, Capoeira (a Brazilian martial art form which combines dance and music), craft, film-making and drama Each activity was linked to language, culture or the theme of language-learning

In drama pupils created advertisements to advertise the importance of learning a language In film-making, pupils made a one-minute film in Spanish, French or German on a topic of their choice. In craft, pupils did some origami, made paper baskets from Scandinavia and got to do some henna designs on their hands In the afternoon, pupils showcased what they had achieved in their chosen activity to the rest of their year half by doing a display of some kind in the performance hall The Salsa, drama and Capoeira groups performed, the films were shown on the big screen, and the crafts were laid out for everyone to see

The Year 8s had a great day learning the skills in their chosen area and put on an excellent international show in the afternoon A huge thanks to all the leaders: Miss McCllelland, Miss Driver, Ella Lyons and Pedro

Year 7 spent their two days doing science and PE, Year 9 took part in DT activities and maths, Year 10 focussed on science and English, while Year 11 either had mock exams in drama, music and art or got stuck into revision in other subjects

Morag Walker, MFL Dept

Adrenalin rush for Year 10

EARLIER this term, 140 students arrived at school and sorted themselves into the coaches, eager to get to Alton Towers and try out some of the best rides in England

After several hours on our noisy coaches we arrived and split up into our groups Everyone headed their separate ways to their chosen roller coaster or ride

Several queues, a few rides and lots of popcorn later and we were on our way back home

Everyone enjoyed themselves and, despite feeling very tired, we all retreated back to our parents

Another successful social Thank you Mrs Burgess, Mrs Stewart and all the other teachers who helped out Jack Gale (10M)

RECORDING RESULTS: Pupils use teamwork on the beach at Walton

Pupils see erosion in action

On the day they were not doing MFl activites, Year 8 went on a Geography trip to Walton-on-the-naze

First we (roughly) measured the distance from the beach to the top of the groynes, the units being our hands (all right, very roughly) and discovered that the direction of longshore Drift (the direction in which the waves are carrying sand) was from south to north.

Our next activity was a field sketch of the cliffs at Walton. We got to examine some of the london Clay that had fallen on to the beach, and after this, many people were amazed that the cliffs were not eroding more quickly!

Activity 3 was to see if the beach comprised of the same materials as the cliffs before having lunch in the nature reserve. When we had finished eating, we started Activity 4, which was basically reflecting on everything we had learnt so far and discussing conflicts in the area.

After walking to the naze tower, we were told what to do for Activity 5; predicting future damage. We measured the distance from near the edge of the cliff to the tower and to the café and then worked out when they would collapse and fall into the sea using the fact that the naze is currently eroding two metres per year

Jay Richardson (8V)

Success recognised

COMBERTON were runners-up and a former pupil won a top award at the annual Living Sport Awards dinner CVC were second to Hinchingbrooke School, Huntingdon, in the School of the Year category, which reflected well on the PE dept, the South Cambs School Sports Partnership, our pupils, our local community clubs and on the support and help PE and Sport receives from all staff at Comberton

WINNER: Former CVC pupil

Ex-pupil Charlotte Cox won the Disabled Sports Performer of the Year category The young athlete is a genuine prospect for the GB team at the 2012 Paralympics in London

Her sister Harriet, another former CVC student, was a runner-up in the Young Community Volunteer of the Year category, in which Natasha Collins, who also attended Comberton, was one of the other nominees

The judo player’s club, Comberton Judo Club, was nominated for the Community Club of the Year

Living Sport is the umbrella organisation for sport in Cambridgeshire, Hunts and Peterborough and guest speaker at the awards, at the Marriott Hotel in Huntingdon, was former England rugby union winger Rory Underwood

STORMING THROUGH:

The Comberton team who beat Oakham School to ensure unbeaten progess in their national competition

Comberton march on

COMBeRtOn’s under-15 boys’ squash team completed a hat-trick of emphatic victories to move into the second stage of the national Schools Championship

they completed their round robin games in Stage One with a 4-1 win over Oakham School to follow the victories over Kenilworth College (5-0) and Bedford School (4-1)

David Snelling made his debut in the Oakham match, played at Comberton, after being promoted from the reserves And although he lost 3-2 at no 5, he played well in a see-saw contest

After that though, Comberton were not really troubled with tom Blair, Sam Bradshaw, Will Collett and Alex Gooding all recording 3-0 wins to see CVC through as group winners in Stage One they have a bye in the first round of Stage two, followed by what promises to be a tough match against either Cheltenham College or Wycliffe College in the new Year. Ray Scrivens, Team Manager

Going up the wall!

ROPED AND READY: Pupils prepare to tackle the new climbing wall with guidance from Nigel Carrick, the Director of PE and Sport

COMBERTON’S new climbing wall has been completed

Built from ‘Rocktopia’, the wall stands six metres tall and 10 metres wide

With 13 main routes, the moulded rock surface provides a wide variety of options, including ‘Lead’ climbing, and standards from complete beginner to experienced climbers

Staff are being trained and a wide range of courses will be on offer in the new year covering all age groups In the meantime the wall is open to experienced climbers, who can also supervise up to two novice climbers with equipment being provided

Access to the wall is via Comberton Leisure Opening times are Monday to Wednesday 8 30pm–10pm, Saturdays 1pm–4pm and Sundays 8am–4pm

Due to the heavy demands placed on Comberton Leisure it is recommended that you phone on (01223) 264444 to confirm availability before travelling

Scoring first despite defeat

COMBERTON'S Year 8 footballers reached the third round of their National Cup competition

The boys beat Milton Keynes 7-2 in the first round and Chalkstone from Haverhill 5-2 in the second before going down 8-2 at St Bonaventures from Newham in London

The Londoners were the stronger,

quicker and more skilful team, but Comberton battled hard and had the consolation being the first team to score against them this season

The team went out in the first round of the County Cup, going down 3-2 to Voyager in a repeat of last year's final

The team are now looking forward to the District competition

Picture: Cambridge News

Charlotte Cox

Picture: Shaun Scott Photography

Just great!

AT the end of Year 7 the whole year group go to Beaumanor Hall in Leicestershire and this summer was no different

We were all buzzing with excitement when we finally arrived, and it turned out to be with very good reason

There was at least one activity for every person that was a completely new experience; for me it was canoeing, which I fondly remember as being extremely funny, if a little soggy The high ropes were another favourite, leaving us all slightly dizzy, but extremely proud of ourselves that we had just climbed up that high, not to mention down again!

Other activities included archery, climbing, walking, orienteering, challenges and crafts The week was finished off with a jam-packed Talent Show (featuring among many others Hamish on the bagpipes and Taj on the dance floor) and a fantastic disco

The only memory of Beaumanor we have that is not quite so fondly remembered, is standing outside in the freezing cold, some of us with towels wrapped around us and shampoo in our hair, to be told that the fire alarm had only gone off because Mr Ncube burnt the toast in the next door cabin He was not popular that day!

All in all we had an amazing time, despite the appalling weather, and bonded as a year group. I guarantee that the current Year 7 will have just as good a time as we had

Emily Chadwick (8B)

PROUD MOMENT:

Pupils tackle the high ropes at Beaumanor Hall

Bright spot for social area

YOU will have noticed a new ‘Sports’ mural in the Year 11 social area This was produced by Year 8 and 9 as part of the Graphic Arts project in Activities Week It was inspired by a five-year national project called ‘Imagination Our Nation’, which is happening in preparation for the Olympics 2012 handover celebrations

Our mural was made by drawing stencils of different sports shoes on the computer and cutting them with CAMM1 (a computer controlled card cutting machine) We wanted to brighten up the Year 11 area, so the coloured backgrounds were based on the art work of Andy Warhol, which we think works well with the black spray painted shoes Thanks go to Paras Patel, Zak Higginbottom, Oliver Stephenson, Ben Sievewright, Emily Jameson, Jess Gronlund, Petar Edrev, Dan Cracroft-Rice and Chloe Bidwell; for their hard work and commitment throughout Activities week

Pupils also designed and made badges, sold to raise money for ‘Sports Aid’

As our project was inspired by ‘Imagination Our Nation,’ we used their themes for our badges: Fascination, Determination, Germination, Illumination and Imagination

BEST FOOT FORWARD:

The mural now in the Year 11 social area

MANCER THE MUSICAL: A scene from the production

Musical wows crowd

LAST month saw the premiere of 'Mancer the Musical,' a one of a kind production at CVC, written by Year 11 student, Ed Zanders

Based partly on fellow student Lewis Mancer, the idea for the show originated in a Year 9 music lesson, and then developed in to a fully fledged musical production The whole project was unique, not only because it was written by a student, but in addition because of the dazzling special effects,

which even included a snow machine!

‘Mancer the Musical’ won a £900 grant from John Lewis to go towards production costs Ed and Lewis appeared on Radio Cambridgeshire and Look East to promote the show The performances went down very well, receiving rave reviews from both students and teachers The team enjoyed putting on this spectacular show, and hope to transfer it to a theatre in Cambridge soon!

ONE-OFF SHOW:

Year 7

pupils perform Geoff Page’s version of A Christmas Carol

Scrooge gets new look

FORTY Year 7 pupils learned and performed music teacher Geoff Page’s latest muscial, an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, in just one day

They spent a day out of lessons learning the tunes to 14 songs

which tell the famous tale of Ebeneezer Scrooge

They then performed the show with the help of having the words projected on to a giant screen, to an audience of family and friends in the evening

Bus needs more ‘passengers’

eVeRY Monday the Arts Bus comes to hardwick recreation ground from 7.15-8.45pm.

It is a converted bus where anybody from Years 7-11 can meet their friends, watch tV, play games and do arts stuff. they also sell drinks and snacks.

It is good fun but we need more people to come along after Christmas so it doesn't stop coming It only costs 50p a week

It is the same bus that came to Comberton earlier this term and lots of pupils went on it in lessons Kate Czylok (7N)

Hiking record

COMBERTON’S most ambitious Duke of Edinburgh Award expedition took place in the Chilterns earlier this term

An incredible 140 pupils participated in the assessed venture, with 15 Year 11 DofE leaders assisting for the weekend

We arrived at the campsites on Friday evening and the pupils set up camp on what was a pleasant September evening

The group was split between two camps with half of the pupils beginning their expedition at Woodrow High House near Amersham and the other half at Ellesborough

At Ellesborough, pupils’ camp craft was very good and all cooked their dinner (and washed up) efficiently after spending the evening playing football

At Woodrow High House, pupils experienced an evening hike before settling down for the night Lights were out by 10pm, to get some much needed sleep before two days of hiking across the Chilterns

after a hearty breakfast of Trangia-baked porridge, hot chocolate or other DofE food-based delicacies

A quick chat with assessors to determine check points and a final confirmation of the route and all pupils had left camp by 9am.

On the whole pupils navigated their route carefully and worked well in their groups, some singing for the entirety of their route! There was the odd group who got lost, but the majority of pupils made it to the second campsite in good time before the evening set in

INTO THE WOODS: The DofE Bronze venture

Pupils were up at 7am and in high spirits on Saturday morning ready to set off on their expedition heading towards Braid Wood, where all 155 pupils, staff, assessors and volunteers camped together on the Saturday night

The weather was bright and pupils set off in good time

Pupils quickly erected their tents, and gathered together to cook their dinner while staff enjoyed a tasty Japanese curry!

On Sunday morning, despite being cold and everyone feeling tired and aching from the day before, pupils were quick to decamp and begin their routes They all made it back to the meeting point for the coach in good time despite a couple of groups getting lost in the infamous Wendover Woods, although to their credit they were able to correct their mistake and quickly get back on their route without assistance

Tired, mudsplashed but with a huge sense of achievement all pupils arrived back at CVC at 5pm after a successful expedition

Vicki Robertson, DofE Expeditions

Spotlight back on green issues

COMBERTON has starting aiming for silver this year with a relaunch of activities looking at environmental issues

Last year we achieved our Bronze Eco-Schools award, and we are now working towards our Silver Eco-Schools award (www eco-schools org uk) with the new Year 11 Geography, Science and Environmental leaders running a club for Year 7, 8 and 9 on Friday Lunchtimes named “RECO Club”

We look at the steps that need to be taken in order to make our school more environmentally friendly

Some of the projects we have started are creating a new noticeboard within the school community, outlining some of the issues at school, looking at creating posters to advertise environmental issues, creating a brand new eco-code for the school and looking

into what our main aims are for environmental issues

We will also, hopefully, in the coming months start some projects with regards to the school grounds, like the lake and conservation areas

We also are advertising a Design-a-poster competition, where we want pupils at CVC to make a poster advertising Comberton’s main environmental aims

In addition to this, we are now awaiting funding so that we can order green boxes for our new “paper recycling scheme”

Years 7-10 will now be represented by a different tree Maple, Birch, Oak and Ash and new maps have been created for the forms to carry out paper recycling on a regular basis

Vincent Menezes (11N)

ON THE MARCH: Silver participants

Pupils rise to challenges

the Silver assessed venture was originally planned for July, a lovely month with long days and warm temperatures

Unfortunately, several key staff succumbed to Swine Flu and the weekend was cancelled for safety reasons thus the rescheduled venture took place in October, with its short days and rather colder weather. this threw up more challenges with regards to planning for routes that ensured participants arrived at camp before dusk and making sure all equipment was suitable for potentially wintry conditions.

With a record number of participants, for the first time we split the groups into two and had one group of 40 moving south from Macclesfield Forest to tissington and another group of 40 moving north from Monsal head to Macclesfield Forest. essentially, CVC took over the White peak for the weekend and it is a credit to all participants that they followed the ethos of minimal impact on the countryside so that no-one who came after us would know we had been there.

Fortunately, the weather was kind apart from a couple of mornings when mist tested both the navigation skills and the clothing of participants. Most were up to the challenge the rest of the time was rather sunny and warm which allowed everyone the opportunity to enjoy the magnificent scenery surrounding them the venture was undertaken by all participants under more difficult circumstances than usual but the skills and understanding of the countryside shown by participants was up to the challenge and resulted in a very enjoyable and satisfying weekend for all involved.

Leigh Bellis, DofE Expeditions Coordinator

Jury duty Physics outside the classroom

TEN Comberton students went to the ‘The Environment in TV and New Media Festival,’ in London

We watched six documentaries and one drama

We also took part in a panel-led discussion by makers of the programmes It was an informative and interesting day

Duncan Edgely and Jess Lewis were selected to be on the Young Jury

The Young Jury made up the judging panel, alongside people who work in science media!

They voted for the best documentary/drama about the environment

Duncan said “I felt privileged that I was part of such a big event Also, the meal was very nice and tasty ”

Carys Thomas (11M)

Science Club round-up by Sarah Dowsett

OOZING SLIME: At Science Club

Slime can bounce and run!

FOR the final Science club of the first half term, Miss Segal decided that we should have a Halloween-themed experiment of making slime Each group or individual began with some borate and a mixture of either concentrated or diluted water, which was also added with a hint of green food colouring to make the slime appear to look like snot and goo! Teams then made their own recipies to compare with other groups To end the fun experiment, we had a slime bouncing competition, and a 'how runny is it?' competition

Explosion is so sweet!

SCIENCE club members were asked to bring in a bottle of fizzy drink to use in a practical with Mentos sweets We firstly set up a "fizzy drink zone" and took it in turns to experiment with our equipment Each drink was successful, especially the ones with four sweets inside them Some students warmed their drinks to see what effect it would have (it did work well) Everyone had an enjoyable time, seeing all of the big explosions take place

THERE SHE BLOWS: An exploding sweets experiment

A GROUp of around 20 Year 11 students went to the physics Institute in Cambridge to see the ‘physics at Work’ exhibition. this exhibition featured many different displays, each showing different applications of physics these displays included nanotechnology, nuclear Weapons systems and material choices, among others, all

of which were very informative and interesting. the most popular display by far was the nuclear Weapons due to the mini explosions and the amazing Ruben’s tube which causes fire to vibrate in time to music All in all, the trip was very enjoyable and many interesting facts were learnt.

Chris Dancy (11N)

It’s good to talk about science!

COMBERTON has been running a hugely successful Science Week for a number of years

Science Week is a potential activity for Year 7 and 8 pupils and is always enjoyed by everyone who takes part; pupils, teachers and helpers alike

The science department is currently looking for parent speakers who have a career or a background in science to tell pupils about their job and/or their experiences in the field of science If you are interested please contact Miss Segal to answer any questions you may have

Your participation will be greatly appreciated

Unusual use for denture tablets

WE attempted to make lava lamps out of oil, warm water and denture tablets We began by semi-boiling some water, and adding a food colouring of our choice Groups then poured 150mls into a conical flask, and added 100mls of oil to create the structure of their experiment Each pair received a denture tablet to drop into their structure and see what hap-

pened The result was that the tablet shot straight to the bottom and started to dissolve It looked like pieces of it were coming to join the oil at the top, and as it went it fizzed and took bubbles with it At the end of our experiment the tablet dissolved fully; and it had created a gas called carbon dioxide

LAVA

FLOW: A pupil watches his experiment

Explosions, bubbles and mess

AN old experiment 'Shooting film cannisters' with a few changes was one of the Science Club projects Each group chose which vinegar they wanted, and measured the amount out into a 100ml beaker They then poured that amount into either a dark or clear coloured film cannister Next, the pairs took the amount of bicarbonate of soda they wanted, wrapped it into a piece of tissue paper, and stuck it to the lid of the film cannister After the preparation of it, groups were ready to experiment! Most of the cannisters were very sucessful, with the turning over of the cannisters the hardest part There were many explosions, bubbles and mess!

Proven partnership

PE teacher Paula Fisher is the new School Sport CoOrdinator for the Comberton cluster of schools within the South Cambs School Sports Partnership

As well as teaching at Comberton three days a week, she spends two days helping improve the quality of curriculum PE on offer in 11 schools (CVC and its 10 feeder primaries) as well as focusing on improving the quality and quantity of sport available to young people, on school sites, in clubs and in the wider community

She has taken over this role this term from Ally Brennan, who was the Primary PE manager

The South Cambs School Sports Partnership (SCSSP), based at Comberton, was launched in September 2003 Partnership Development manager Claire McDonnell oversees the work of the Partnership which involves eight secondary schools, The Granta Special School and 46 primary schools across South Cambridgeshire

The overarching aim of the School Sport Partnership Programme is to give every young person in England access to five hours a week of Physical Education and sport; an ambition, which lies at the heart of the legacy aims of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games

Through the work of SCSSP local schools are benefitting from a comprehensive programme of Continued Professional Development opportunities for staff, more coaches to support the delivery of high quality out-of hours-activities, regular opportunities to take part in inter-school competition, a top-up swimming programme to help pupils meet the Key Stage 2 standards, links with local community clubs, leadership training for pupils aged 8-16, and support with delivering high quality PE

The Partnership recently received a National Innovation Award for finding new ways to raise participation and engagement in sport through its successful coaching programme Ms McDonnell said: “Young people are really benefitting from the coaching programme with many more opportunities to take part in extra curricular activities that link into local clubs and competitions ”

HELP: For pupils of all ages from specialist coaches

Families aid cyberbullying research

DURInG the summer months a number of pupils and parents at Comberton participated in research on Cyberbullying this research was jointly sanctioned by Cambridge educational psychology Service and University College london As part of the research a questionnaire was circulated to the parents of 289 students in Comberton Village College asking for their views on Cyberbullying

All returned questionnaires were entered into a prize draw for £100 worth of hMV vouchers and were won by Jenny Bowles, whose children, Abigail and Jack White, are in Year 10 and 7

thank you to all those who took part. Your help was greatly appreciated.

Shane Gallagher, Trainee Educational Psychologist Cambridge Educational Psychology Service

carters ad

Everyone benefits fro

THE Government’s recent White Paper, ‘Twenty First Century Schools’ is very clear.

The best, perhaps only, way that our school system can improve further is by schools working powerfully with each other to improve opportunities and achievement for all students In particular, high-achieving schools need to be fully engaged in working with others to help ensure positive progress for all This philosophy is fully in step with the outlook of Comberton Village College

In particular, one of the five principles of the Comberton Educational Trust states that the school must be outward-looking and always seek to work in partnership with other organisations for mutual benefit

It is for this reason that we are committed in many ways in this area: fifteen Advanced Skills Teachers, probably as many as any other school in the country, all have a role working with other schools; all our specialisms of

Sports, Languages and Applied Learning, imply much work with many other schools; our Leading Edge partnership involves work with many other schools, notably the Harbour Special School; our work as a Training School involves much work with others as we seek to help to train current and future educational staff; and our work as a National Support School currently involves us in close support work with St Neots Community College

Many Comberton staff are involved in this outreach and partnership work

We genuinely hope that it makes a positive difference to all those schools with whom we work

We are also clear that it benefits our school All staff involved benefit from powerful professional development The opportunity to see how others are working always leads to a greater level of reflection about our own practice and often means that positive, new ideas are formed We are always happy to work in partnership with others for mutual benefit

Stephen Munday, Executive Principal

Key work with The Harbour School

the harbour School in ely has been listed as Comberton’s main partner in our leading edge work for the the last four years.

We have had a range of projects, including helping to develop sport and pe at the school through the work of

SINCE starting my work at CVC I have been a magnet for ‘unmotivated boys’, often because they can achieve success in PE and we are able to develop positive relationships

This is an area of work I thoroughly enjoy and very early on in my career I sought to develop my knowledge of different strategies and methods to help me work successfully with challenging children

As a result of my desire to work with ‘students with unrealised potential’ I am seconded to The Harbour SEBD school in Ely

Working with the PE teacher

Sean pollock

Other joint projects have allowed pupils from both schools to work together on art and english, where pupils made a film called peace Studies, arising from discussion workshops. there has also been some excellent dis-

cussion forums in Rpe exploring different views on faith , Drama workshops led by Mr Sharpe and some Spanish teaching led by Ms hawkes. Staff connected to CVC through its training School status are also involved

there our main priority is to set up a worthwhile and manageable curriculum map for PE, which offers challenging and inspiring ideas to the students

AS a pilot in 2009/2010, 9 Year 7 and Year 8 Harbour pupils are coming to CVC to trial working alongside our pupils in a mainstream setting

Harbour has a population of approximately 60 boys so against Comberton’s 1,410, this is something of a challenge

Initially the Harbour group will come and tour the school, hosted by PEOPLE people who are keen to “buddy up” and support the Harbour pupils and make them feel welcome

We are planning for the Harbour contingent to sample lessons in the Arts and Maths initially, but may explore beyond these curriculum areas later

THERE ar accredited

The level i assessmen

tation of a

Once a tea cent of the involves th another sch developme

Currently s work at St

WORKING IT OUT: Primary pupils and Year 10 maths leaders help trial activities for a new event Ou

CONFIDENCE-BOOSTING: Sean Pollock has helped introduce gymnastics to the Harbour PE curriculum Teamwork

Before I started at the Harbour PE and Sport there was largely geared around team sports

However with lots of planning and hard work, the curriculum now includes gymnastics, health-related fitness, swimming and athletics, all of which are individual activities and have led to increases in self-esteem, confidence and, coincidently, teamwork and cooperation.

My teaching has certainly developed enormously, as many of the students I teach at the

Harbour are from Key Stages One and Two I have had to develop strategies and get used to working within a totally different ethos while still prioritising student learning

I have helped set up a re-integration programme, for pupils who are displaying good behaviour and a desire to re-integrate back into mainstream education They have been coming to Comberton and joining in PE lessons with pupils from CVC

Sean Pollock

PEOPLE people are looking forward to meeting pupils from another school and learning about their educational environment

In the past CVC pupils have visited the Harbour School and vice versa and exchanges have always proved both fascinating and illuminating as both sides are able to see more clearly how schools provide opportunities for progress in study and personal development

Mary Martin

teACheRS from Comberton working together to plan a ne the Year 4 Maths Collaboratio to work as part of a group to to test the format and the act (Maths Co-ordinator at Bourn Butler

eight Year 5 pupils from each five different activities under four Year 10 Maths leaders f In each group there were boy ing effectively together while c the activities included solving zling out a circle activity and, took up most of one side of th number puzzle because it hel

“My favourite activity was Ci because it was fun and we wo the teachers were very impre er and were grateful to the Co

treach is part of AST job

e 15 members of staff at Comberton as advanced skills teachers (ASTs) s achieved after a day of intensive t by an external assessor and the presenportfolio of evidence cher becomes an AST they spend 20 per ir time on ‘outreach’ work Often this he AST in working alongside staff in hool, supporting curriculum and staff ent in that school

six of our AST team are deployed in such Neots Community College, where pro-

jects include working with teachers to strengthen schemes of learning, developing strategies for differentiation and behaviour management, developing transition materials for use with Year 6 pupils, team teaching lessons and providing subject resources

Staff gather evidence carefully before jointly agreeing on the development strategy to be employed

Some of the ASTs are also acting as a support to a newly qualified member of staff, giving them some intensive help and time to work through ideas and difficulties

As the work is totally collaborative the benefit is two way, with the ideas for resources and curriculum plans often finding their way back to Comberton! Working in another environment in professional dialogue with colleagues is an excellent way to ensure that we are always moving our ideas and methods of teaching forward.

Irayna Owen, AST Science & SEN AST team co-ordinator

THIS term I have been working with three schools

I am working alongside other staff from CVC to support colleagues at St Neots CC The head of PE there identified five areas of work and, with Sean Sycamore and Mark Goldring, we are putting structures in place to further develop the taught and extended curriculum.

I have taught a Year 2 gymnastics lesson at Gamlingay First School, for all the staff to watch, and then led a discussion around High Quality PE, with a particular

om working together helps solve problems

n, and Bourn and Caldecote primary Schools have been w event that will take place in February at the College on will invite local primary schools to send mathematicians solve problems

ivities Mark Dawes (ASt at CVC) and Rachel hensby n) were invited to Caldecote by their maths co-ordinator Dee

h of the two primary schools spent the morning carrying out the watchful eyes of the teachers and with the support of rom Comberton.

s and girls from the two schools and the accent was on workcarrying out exciting and interesting mathematical activities g a problem with dominoes, exploring tV programmes, puzmost intriguingly, dealing with a picture of a giant which e hall! Comments from the pupils included: “I liked the ped you to understand loads of difficult maths questions.” rcles because it was challenging and fun ” “Giant was best rked as a team.”

ssed with the pupils and the way they worked so well togethomberton pupils for their impressive and mature leadership.

SPREADING

THE WORD:

Ally Brennan leads a staff discussion at Gamlingay First School

focus on gymnastics and apparatus work Teaching resources have been shared and the offer made of further support

I am working in an on-going way with teachers at Jeavons Wood in Cambourne There are particular challenges working in temporary buildings with limited storage so we have been looking at creative solutions In addition I have led a staff meeting with a focus on High Quality PE and working within the National Strategy for PE and Sport.

Ally Brennan, AST PE

CVC pupils impress visiting staff

COMBeRtOn has been working with schools in norfolk, essex and hertfordshire as part of the national ‘Gaining Ground’ initiative

CVC is supporting schools which are currently achieving well, but whom the Department for Children, Schools and Families believes have the capacity to push on to even greater achievement in the future teachers from hellesdon high School in norwich, tring School and newport Free Grammar have been welcomed to CVC to observe teaching and learning, and our staff have undertaken reciprocal visits to watch practice there teachers from all these partner institutions have valued the chance to share their experiences, and they have always left particularly impressed with the way Comberton pupils are committed to developing their own learning the quality of the food available at break and lunchtime also gets consistently noticed! For CVC staff the programme has offered a valuable opportunity to reflect on how and why we approach our teaching and learning in the way that we do, and to engage in a mutually supportive dialogue with colleagues from different schools.

Collaboration for creative learning

THE Linked Up award scheme offers funding for curriculum development projects carried out by groups of language teachers and other partners working in primary, secondary or 16-19 education in England The scheme will fund more than 100 projects which aim to transform the language learning experience of learners

Language teachers at CVC teamed up with teachers from four other local secondary schools (St Neots Community College, Netherhall,

Longsands and Bassingbourn Village College) to submit a bid to develop innovative approaches to developing both spontaneous and planned speaking in the target language across Key Stages 3 and 4

At the end of November we were awarded the project funding and work has started already in all four schools The materials and strategies developed will be made available to all language teachers across the country