As part of our careers and guidance programme alumna Aine Deane gave an inspiring talk/performance
Outgoing Student President Team
For our Year 13 students, looking ahead means thinking about what happens after they finish school and in addition to the excellent range of offers from top UK universities which Mr Ward outlined in last month’s newsletter, several of our Year 13 students are faced with some incredibly exciting options for the next step in their educational journey to take them to a different country or even continent. We have supported a total of 21 overseas applications this year, with students already holding offers from universities in the US and Canada and applicants to universities in a range of European countries and Hong Kong waiting to hear. Our thanks go to Dr Woodward, our Head of Overseas Applications, whose expertise in this area continues to broaden the horizons of our Year 13 cohorts.
Our Year 10 and Year 12 students have also been asked to think ahead this half-term, with the launch of our refreshed student leadership programme and invitations going out to these cohorts to apply for positions or vote for those they would like to see holding them. We are bringing together our formerly separate student leadership teams in Year 11 and Year 13, to create an 11-18 Student Leadership Team, to be led by current Year 12 students acting as Heads of School along with Heads of House, with current Year 10 students appointed as their Deputies.
The two Heads of School and two Deputy Heads of School will work closely with me and Mr Ward, meeting regularly to ensure an effective flow of communication between the student body and school leadership. They will also run Student Forum, our student voice mechanism, which will now be attended by Student Forum Representatives from Year 7 up to Year 13 to ensure everybody’s opinions are heard. The Heads of House and their Deputies will run House Meetings, to include students from Year 7 to Year 13 for the first time in well over a decade, celebrating communal successes and organising themselves for events and competitions. Finally, we will be appointing a number of current Year 12 students to lead on various areas of school life, including charitable activities, sustainability, mentoring younger students, student wellbeing and social events. Once in post, these students will run committees open to other students from current Year 9 upwards who are also interested in getting involved in working on their area of responsibility.
Finally, looking ahead to the increasingly near future, we wish our Year 11 and Year 13 cohorts the very best with their preparations for this summer’s public exams. Our core advice, as ever, is to take the advice of your subject teachers, eat and sleep well, get outside regularly, and aim for a good balance between revision and rest. Good luck!
Abbey Jones Senior Deputy Head 11-18The spring term tends to be the point in the school calendar where we look ahead to the next academic year: subject choices for GCSEs and A Levels are submitted, timetables are being built and prospective students are accepting places for September.
When it comes to looking at our department, we are truly all-singing, all-dancing. We cover a lot of different languages and cultural backgrounds. We not only think internationally, we are international - with roots and interests covering the world - reaching from southern Argentina to northern China.
There are 23 Modern Language teachers across the Stephen Perse Foundation and amongst the whole Stephen Perse staff there are many speakers of different languages, both through family connections or interest.
If we were to consider a collective noun for our department, we would suggest a gaggle of linguists, mainly as we are a lively bunch, chatting away, sharing our recent experiences of reading, music, baking or travel.
We enjoy communicating with each other, sharing idioms and comparing differences in grammar structures or etymology of words. We revel in the enthusiasm we have for the idiosyncrasies of our languages. Furthermore we share this
love for our languages and their cultural settings with our students - the preceding direct object agreement in French or the ‘n’ in a German dative plural. You name it, we enjoy it!
The languages journey at Stephen Perse starts at Junior School Dame Bradbury’s and Junior School Fitzwilliam Building, with Marta at the helm. At this stage, language lessons are exciting, imaginative and often cross into other subjects.
Learning to introduce yourself in Spanish, talking about your hobbies in French or writing imaginative poetry are just a few of the challenges on offer. Pupils also familiarise with the culture of the Francophone and Hispanic world, learning about festivals and traditions in countries where the language is spoken.
At the senior school and sixth form, students study two of the four languages, French, Spanish, German and Mandarin.There are options to learn Russian and Japanese in club slots.
Marta, aka Señora Guerrero, studied teaching English as a second language and earned a master's degree in Psychology for Education. She loves languages and getting to know different cultures. She enjoys singing, dancing and art which she tries to integrate in her lessons as a way to engage her students to enjoy the Spanish language and culture. She enjoys organising clubs and cultural events to celebrate our diversity at the junior schools.
Madame Prowse has taught French at Dame Bradbury’s School for 26 years. She is half French and English with family in Paris and Provence. She studied French at Royal Holloway, London University. She enjoys seeing the enthusiasm from the children when they have been to France having used all the things learned in school and helping them all to gain an interest, love and appreciation of French culture and language. She enjoys Arabic belly dancing, drawing, gardening and creative writing and has shared all of these as clubs with the children over the years.
Marie-Christine, aka Mme Clemente, started teaching French at the Junior School Fitzwilliam Building in September 2020. Coming from a multilingual family, she loves discovering new countries and cultures. Languages are a real way of life for her and nothing makes her happier than to hear how her pupils have taken their learning outside the classroom to order food at a restaurant during their last holiday in France - because this is what languages are all about!
Marisa, aka Señora Fernández, has been at Stephen Perse for about five years. She started off by teaching at Junior School Dame Bradbury’s and three years ago she came to Junior School Fitzwilliam Building. She has a wide experience of teaching in different settings from middle school to secondary school and also sixth form colleges. She has been involved in many projects such as exchanges with a secondary school in Santander and trips to London. She believes that the best way to teach Spanish is to make it varied and fun and her lessons are exactly like that.
Ms Bien comes from a multi-cultural family who have given her the ability to appreciate the uniqueness of everyone she teaches. Originally from Chicago, she has enjoyed immersing herself in British culture, and you can normally find her sculling on the Ouse. Moreover, she is lucky to have the cutest cat in the world, Wonton, and encourages everyone to admire him on Instagram: @wonton_the.cat
Profe Escudero loves sharing her passion about the Spanish language and culture. She enjoys teaching languages as a tool that works towards building bridges between people and cultures. Her diverse range of life experiences give her lessons a unique perspective as she is always ready to share an insightful or funny story. This simultaneously builds connection and illuminates her view on the social nature of languages.
Ms de la Vega is originally from Buenos Aires and feels very lucky to teach at a school where Modern Languages are valued and where so many of her students are multilingual. When she is not obsessing over a verb ending or the difference between “e” and “i”, Ms de la Vega enjoys a bit of pencil drawing and travelling.
Ana, aka Profe Riquel, studied English Studies and has two masters’ degrees in teaching languages. She comes from the south of Spain or as she says her Andalucía. She loves languages, especially Asian languages, enjoys doing yoga and crafts. She teaches the Spanish Heritage Club and she has organised several cultural events on behalf of the MFL Department like the European Day of Languages carousel, workshops to celebrate the ‘Day of the Dead’ and a movie screening for Culture Day.
Claudia, aka Frau Freeman, has been at Stephen Perse for almost 20 years. Sharing her love for German often through songs, many of which are “Ohrwürmer”. When not quoting Brecht or breaking down a compound noun, she is playing tennis, kayaking with the Paddlesports team and performing with her recorders.
Ulrike, aka Frau Dr Walton-Jordan, joined Stephen Perse in 2016. She loves languages and linguistics, as well as history, celebrating the international nature of language and always discovering new Latin or Celtic roots! Out of the classroom, she enjoys volunteering for the National Trust rewilding grazing team, looking after Scottish Highland cattle and Konik horses.
Frau Neely aka Madame Neely joined Stephen Perse in 2016 and has enjoyed sharing her love of languages and language learning with both younger and older students. She loves working in this truly international department and it complements her other work of training language teachers internationally. Recent highlights outside of work include cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats and across Switzerland.
Frau Pratt has loved languages since her childhood holidays in France let loose in the campsite playground with a phrase book and dictionary. Having been lucky enough to live in Vienna for a year she enjoys bringing Austrian culture into the classroom whenever possible. She is currently learning Modern Greek and hoping to use it this summer. Frau Pratt also loves arts and crafts and enjoys making jewellery.
Madame Parente heads up the French department. A true Lyonnaise, she enjoys good French food (and good French grammar). She regularly returns to her hometown to see her family and to enjoy la gastronomie française.
Madame Goddard has taught French and German, her degree subjects, on both sides of the Atlantic, and also in France and Switzerland. In the course of her varied career, she has also added a little Spanish, Latin and ESL to the mix. When she is able to broaden her students’ linguistic repertoire and understanding of different cultures, she is happy. When not in a Languages Classroom, she is delighted to teach mindfulness and ukulele. She also travels abroad whenever possible, knits hats and draws pictures.
Madame Cox, teaches French and German, but has also dabbled in Spanish and Italian, and taught English as a Foreign Language in Paris and Milan. She is a cinephile, who loves film noir and the French new wave, and also enjoys poetry.
Madame Mamouni joined Stephen Perse in September 2021. She has taught French in the UK and abroad. She is passionate about languages and strives to pass on her enthusiasm to her students. She also comes from Lyon (she enjoys talking about her memories with Madame Parente) and regularly shares cultural insight with her students. She enjoys reading, spending time with her family and baking.
Mme Webster has been at Stephen Perse for over ten years. She is a passionate Francophile- from Chansons françaises and current affairs to Moules frites on the Med- but also loves to keep her German, Japanese and Spanish going whenever she can. Languages have helped her travel and work all over the world.
MG Browning - aka MG Sensei, tries to integrate culture into her classes: e.g. in Japan one starts a speech with an apology; in the UK one starts a speech with a joke: MG starts by apologising for not making a joke!
Olga, aka Mrs Sands, has been at Stephen Perse for almost three years. She studied teaching Russian Language and Literature at St Petersburg State Pedagogical University in Russia and has lived in Britain since 2005. She has worked as a Russian tutor for over 20 years, teaching a wide range of levels – from complete beginners to A Level Russian, both heritage learners and second language learners. She really enjoys it when her students find language learning exciting. She likes seeing how quickly beginners master the Cyrillic alphabet; she enjoys drawing parallels with other languages and cultures, and sometimes she annoys her students with Russian grammar riddles. In her free time, she enjoys ceramics, gardening, hillwalking, foraging for mushrooms and reading books.
Yang Laoshi is an experienced and dedicated Chinese teacher, who has helped many students to learn and appreciate the intricacies of the Chinese language. Her students, from Year 1 to Year 13, admire her for her commitment and enthusiasm in teaching. She also runs the calligraphy and crafts club, which is a popular choice among our students. In addition to her teaching skills, she has a loveable pair of pandas named PO and OREO, who have become very popular in her classroom. Yang Laoshi is also known for her baking skills, and her cakes are always a hit.
For Guo Laoshi, teaching Chinese is more than just a profession - it's a true passion. With an MA Applied Linguistics, she finds joy in sharing her love of language and culture with her students, and feels fulfilled by watching them grow and progress in their understanding of Mandarin and Chinese culture. She started the first Mandarin Club at Junior School Dame Bradbury's in 2011. Since then, she has been able to guide her students as they grow, and is proud to be a part of their educational journey.
Martin Laoshi was one of the first qualified Mandarin teachers in the UK and she has been teaching for over 15 years. She enjoys sharing the language and culture through games, music, drama, and art. Her lessons are engaging and full of fun as she firmly believes that happy pupils perform better at school and in life. She loves reading, travelling, going to the gym, and spending time with her children as well as trying new things such as golf, skiing and learning new instruments.
The German Department took the Sixth Form Germanists to see the ‘Making Modernism’ Exhibition at the Royal Academy, London on the afternoon of Thursday 19 January.
Making Modernism was the first major UK exhibition devoted to the pioneering women working in Germany in the early 1900s. There were many works from Paula Modersohn-Becker, Käthe Kollwitz, Gabriele Münter and Marianne Werefkin, alongside some lesser known female German artists. This was a wonderful chance to see so many works of these artists in one place, comparing styles and influences. Alongside the bold use of colour in Modersohn-Becker’s paintings, we were left with the haunting images of pain and suffering within Kollwitz’s lithographs.
Students were able to reflect upon what we had learnt in their A level and IB courses about the artistic movements in German-speaking countries. The visit was rounded off with the obligatory nod to the German tradition of Kaffee und Kuchen in the RA cafe.
All pupils studying French in Year 8, Year 9 and Year 10 had the opportunity to watch an interactive comedy called, ‘La Maison Hantée’, performed in French by the Onatti Company at the Senior School. A big thank you to the two actors but also to our pupils for their enthusiastic participation!
A Year 10 student said: “The Onatti Company did a great job of creating a funny and exciting performance for us of ‘La Maison Hantée’. They used clear expressive French to ensure that all years from 8-10 could both understand it, and find the performance enjoyable as they outlined a fun story in which characters Clara and Zoé discovered a criminal in a haunted house.”
A Year 8 student said: “Recently, the Onatti Theatre Company came to visit us and perform their production, ‘La Maison Hantée’. It was a very funny play, and I enjoyed how they invited members of the audience to participate. They spoke very clearly and it was very well written for an audience with developing language skills.”
They have generously funded a scholarship programme between the Stephen Perse Foundation and the Keio Shonan Fujisawa Junior & Senior High School since 2008. After several years of lockdown and pandemic uncertainty, we have been able to reinvigorate this exchange. We were very grateful that this year the Japanese school provided us with six scholarship places, as opposed to the usual four.
These places were awarded to the following students who have been attending for several years Mrs Browning’s after-school Japanese course: Caitlin, Chloe, Twig, Amélie-Grace (all from Year 11) as well as William (Year 10) and Kian (Year 12).
They hosted their partners for 14 days at the end of January 2023 and over half-term were able to visit their partners in Japan. This exchange was not only one for improving linguistic
skills, but also a chance to find out more about young people’s lives in different countries. This involved learning about shared values as well as looking at differences between the cultures.
During the visit to the UK, the Japanese scholars were treated to a full schedule of life in the UK, school lessons at Stephen Perse, excursions as a group and excursions with their host families. We are particularly thankful to all the host families who ensured the students had a fabulous time, including Mr & Mrs Collister, who arranged a special additional visit to Trinity College Library and VIP seats at King's College Evensong. Students and teachers had the incredible opportunity to see the traditional Cambridge graduation ceremony at the Senate House.
The packed UK programme included sight-seeing around Cambridge and London, the very traditional afternoon tea, not so traditional bowling and burgers alongside many opportunities beyond.
The schedule in Japan was equally as packed, with time spent in the High School experiencing Japanese culture. There were lessons in karate, tea ceremony and calligraphy - not all at the same time! There were excursions, including to Kamakura, with its Buddhist Zen temples and Shinto shrines. Tokyo was one of the many highlights and the group enjoyed walking round the sights. There was also time for a sweet-making workshop.
There were many tears at the airport when the Stephen Perse students headed off back to the UK - a positive sign as far as
For some years we have been fortunate to have a close relationship with the highly prestigious Keio Shonan Fujisawa Senior High School in Yokohama, Japan. The school is attached to the world-famous Keio University and is a co-educational secondary school.
exchanges go, as it was clear they had got on well with their partners. It was truly a special opportunity for these students and longlasting friendships have been made.
Mrs Browning has started the next cohort of students with the Japanese after-school course. This is aimed at any Year 9s & Year 11s who would be interested in taking part in Keio 2024. Students from other year groups are more than welcome to attend. Thursdays 3.30pm - 5.30pm in L31.
Amélie (Year 11):
“The Japan trip really was an enjoyable and formative trip. It was both hilariously chaotic while simultaneously being educational and allowed me to form connections both in Japan and England with interesting, well rounded students. The exchange and blend of cultures was an unforgettable experience and I learned an innumerable amount of things that would simply be impossible to learn in a classroom. It provided me with a completely new perspective and an insight into the differences and similarities of our cultures and societies. One of my favourite moments was visiting Harajuku in Tokyo; it was just so different from anything I've experienced previously with its towering screens and flashing lights. Overall I’m very grateful to have been a part of this exchange.”
Caitlin (Year 11):
“Being part of this exchange programme was such a fun experience. I enjoyed both the Japanese lessons leading up to the trip and of course going to Japan as well. I was able to make so many friends, and try lots of new things that I otherwise would not have had the chance to, like taking part in
a Japanese tea ceremony, or seeing lots of shrines and temples, such as Hase Temple in Kamakura. Getting to learn about Japanese culture was amazing, and the trip was so immersiveby the end I felt like I knew so much more thanks to everything that I had been able to see and do. My highlight of the trip was going to a conveyor belt sushi restaurant - it was so fun and the food was delicious. I’m really happy that I took the opportunity to be a part of the exchange programme since I feel I have gained a lot of useful skills and knowledge from it.”
Twig (Year 11):
“I absolutely loved the trip, and it was nice to go with so many people! I’ve been interested in Japan and its language for a long time now, and it was really an incredible experience. The temples and statues were awe-inspiring, and I got to eat some of my absolute favourite food. The omelette sushi at the conveyor belt sushi restaurant was incredible, as was the pork katsu and the yakisoba that my host family made! I kept a diary each day, and called my parents often, but I did start missing home near the end of the trip. My family was lovely, and the grade 1 students were so sweet! I adored the opportunity, and would absolutely go again!”
"I absolutely loved the trip, and it was nice to go with so many people! I’ve been interested in Japan and its language for a long time now, and it was really an incredible experience."
Twig (Year 11)
I’m extremely grateful for my time as Student President and that I got to work in a team with such passionate and dedicated people. From whole school activities such as Culture Days and Sports Day to Sixth Form events like the Winter Formal, we have tried our best to organise memorable and fun events for students.
A project I am particularly proud of starting is Culture Day in the Senior School and Sixth Form. In addition to raising money for the Cambridge Refugee Resettlement Campaign, it was a great opportunity for us to learn about and celebrate each other's cultures. Hopefully the new team (whom we know will be equally enthusiastic and excited to start their leadership) will also have a memorable, meaningful time in their roles!
It has been a pleasure to lead charity events this year at the Sixth Form, with many of our events extending across the Senior School too. Navigating a post-COVID ‘cash-free’ world has been a challenge but certainly did not stop us! Since April 2022 we have raised money for four charities on local, national and international scales.
For example, we organised Easter-themed hampers for staff and students at the Sixth Form to support the continued work of the ‘Linked Schools’ club here at Stephen Perse which fundraises for the charity ‘j8’, with the £573 we raised specifically sponsoring girls’ education at a school in Malawi. Furthermore, the Foundation wide Big Give Challenge this year raised funds for bursaries for children from conflict-affected areas. Our main contribution to this was the staff pantomime ‘Aladdin’ which was performed by an incredibly talented cast of teachers. Understandably, this was a huge success with staff and pupils alike, and we raised £437.99 from ticket sales which was doubled by the Big Give. Referred to by an audience member as “the best £10 I ever spent”, this was certainly one of our most memorable achievements!
We’ve certainly learnt a lot about time management, persuasion and organisation through our roles as chairs of the charity committee but equally have had so much fun putting on a range of activities and experiences for such good causes.
Being a part of such a talented team of students has been such an honourable experience. Seeing our ideas and efforts produce real results has been so inspiring and rewarding to watch.
All seven of us came into this wanting to shape and improve different aspects of our community and, although we all came in to pursue these independent goals, as a group we achieved such exceptional results that I believe will really benefit the Stephen Perse Foundation.
It was a real honour to be a part of this team, and to lead the events committee for the Sixth Form. Perhaps our proudest achievement was the successful Winter Formal in November 2022, which gave students the opportunity to dress up and celebrate festivities with a formal dinner and dancing.
Planning the event was by no means easy, but with the help and support of the team, we were finally able to give students what they wished for and plan an event to lift spirits and socialise.
It was an absolute joy to see all of our hard work pay off and see the school community come together for a social celebration. It is moments like these, I believe, that ensure a school environment that brings like-minded students to connect and build social skills that will last a lifetime.
"Being a part of this team has been an incredible opportunity for growth. I have learned how to work collaboratively with an extraordinary team." Amogh
Being a part of this team has been an incredible opportunity for growth. I have learned how to work collaboratively with an extraordinary team, and how to effectively communicate and delegate tasks to achieve a common goal.
Moreover, it has been an honour to be an advocate for my fellow students, and I have strived to make a positive impact on their lives through various initiatives. For example, in the sustainability committee through picking apples to create circularity of food, volunteering at second hand uniform sales to discourage textile waste, and building bird boxes to support local ecosystems. It’s really been about giving back to the environment!
However, this journey has not been without challenges. Balancing schoolwork and extracurricular activities, managing conflicting schedules, and navigating unexpected obstacles have been among the many difficulties that I have faced. Nevertheless, these challenges have provided opportunities for learning and personal growth. They have taught me the importance of adaptability, perseverance, and resilience in the face of adversity.
When I signed up for this post at the beginning of last year, I did not expect to gain as much as I did, not just in terms of new skills, but with new experiences as well. Being a part of the Student President Team meant I was able to work as closely as I could with the school body, creating a lasting positive impact for everyone in this school. Particularly as the boarding representative, where I can say with confidence that I have left the boarding house in better shape than when I initially joined.
Therefore my impression of the time I had in the Student President Team has been very positive and I hope future teams can learn as many new things working in this position as I have.
Year 11
By Illaria S Year 11
Having convened in the dining hall, we made our swift departure on the coach. Celeste and I greatly enjoyed our viewing of ‘The Greatest Showman’ and our merry group had arrived in London in no time. Upon entering the museum, we all marvelled at the vast open space, architecture and gift shop - but there was no time to waste due to the multitude of artefacts we were ready to see. Celeste and I don’t take Classical Civilisation as Year 11s, so joined a lovely group of Year 10 students. We somewhat chaotically made our way through the great crowds to see the Elgin Marbles. Whilst taking plenty of pictures, we read the marbles’ labels. Both Celeste and I were enamoured with the cows on the frieze. I was also particularly interested in the depiction of the festival procession. We then moved to a series of rooms containing many artefacts that the Classical Civilisation students had to answer questions on. While I don’t yet study the subject, I enjoyed looking at these objects and discovering their stories. After that, we saw the Bassae Frieze and had some time to look around the museum by ourselves. Then we got to browse the gift shop and buy any items that took our fancy.
Overall, I really enjoyed my trip to the British Museum and I’m now very excited to study Classical Civilisation at A Level.
Year 7 students Manan and Theeran took part in an exciting Lego challenge recently with great success.
The First Lego League Challenge is an international competition for students aged 9 to 16. The challenge involves designing and programming Lego robots to complete defined missions and score maximum points.
The missions are related to a theme which changes every year. This year's theme ‘Super Powered’ was related to energy.
The regional Cambridge event was organised at the University of Cambridge Engineering Department. There were 14 teams competing in total from local schools and Lego clubs. The competition was broken down into two sections: the first one was the robot games and the second was an innovation project. Judges look for mission scores, robot design, innovation projects and overall teamwork. They ask questions about every category.
Congratulations go to Manan and his club team CERC who won the overall regionals competition, with team members from many different schools.
He and his team practised every Sunday and he said he learned a lot while having fun, in preparing for this competition. His team will now go through to the nationals which will take place in Harrogate in April. Theeran and his team were also winners but this time for Best Robot.
The missions are related to a theme which changes every year. This year's theme ‘Super Powered’ was related to energy.
Year 10 students enjoyed an inspiring guest talk by awardwinning British jewellery designer Harriet Kelsall, about her life and career as a dyslexic individual, as part of our Neurodiversity Week celebrations.
Harriet Kelsall, who is one of the most respected bespoke designers and business trailblazers working in the jewellery industry, explained to Year 10 students the “three dimensional thinking” strategies she employs to approach her work and how this has empowered her to build a successful career.
Harriet also used her time with students to address common misconceptions about neurodiversity, explaining the proven heightened creativity experienced by many dyslexic people: “Every dyslexic person that I have ever worked with has had a brilliance that they bring to their role and their world. When we approach problems in a “three dimensional” way, it can often seem to others that we are jumping about, but we aren’t – we’re just following paths that are not straight.”
Richard Girvan, Principal of the Stephen Perse Foundation said: “We would like to thank Harriet for inspiring our Year 10 students this week. At the Stephen Perse Foundation, we nurture an inclusive environment in school, and Harriet’s story was really valued by our students as it demonstrated that anyone, no matter their background, can succeed in whatever future they choose.”
Through our diverse programme of talks, student-led fundraising and volunteering initiatives like these, Stephen Perse aims to equip our students with a sense of social responsibility and a global outlook.
Following an idea put forward by Hannah S in a friendship group in Year 7, Year 8 decided to express their inter-connectedness by joining together personalised hands down the L block stairwell, the main thoroughfare for Years 7 and 8.
Each student was given a hand to decorate. Some chose to name their favourite footballers whilst others drew pictures of watches, henna patterns, the whole globe and many more creative ideas.
These were then stuck onto the wall following the movement of the stairwell as a visual reminder of how all our separate ideas of ourselves are deeply interconnected and often, very similar. This was to celebrate the theme of 'Let's Connect' which underpinned this year's 'Children's Mental Health Week'.
Retold by Phillip Pullman and adapted for the stage by Philip Wilson
Directed by Ms Kim Albone
Six deliciously dark stories from the Brothers’ Grimm were expertly performed by our Year 9 cast who incorporated a mix of storytelling techniques, puppetry and ensemble work to create a visual feast of imagery. From the familiar tales of Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Hansel and Gretel to the more obscure tales of Faithful Johannson, The Three Snake Leaves and The Juniper Tree, the audience were taken on a magical journey through forbidden forests, across far distant oceans and over exotic lands where we encountered fairytale princes and princesses, witches and devils, heroes and villains, and more than a little magic and mystery. As with all of our shows, a large number of students of all ages were involved behind the scenesdesigning and making props, assembling the set and costumes, assisting with all technical design aspects of the production and helping to run the show on the night.
Year 9 Production
Have you ever used sayings such as “tongue-tied”, “in a pickle” and “cruel to be kind”? If so, you have quoted Shakespeare. In fact, it’s likely we each cite him every day without even realising it. When Ms Albone planned this year’s Sixth Form enrichment production, she originally thought to either perform a condensed version of one of Shakespeare’s plays, or to perform a compilation of his most famous scenes. However, when she met her talented cast, it was clear that there was much more they could do. This was a group of people who were indeed most capable of performing Shakespearean scenes, but would also suit the comical stylings of something more fit for a Fringe Festival.
Thus Not Half Bard was created and written especially for our intrepid performers: a one act play that explores Shakespeare's most famous works, but the styling of which is heavily influenced by The Reduced Shakespeare Company, a touring American comedy troupe that performs fast-paced, seemingly improvisational condensations of huge topics.
Our ensemble cast were presented to the audience as a chaotic group of actors with a mission to introduce the audience to the world of Shakespeare. Their aim - to cover as many plays as possible in the shortest amount of time whilst keeping the audience thoroughly entertained. Thus, the prologue to
‘Romeo and Juliet’ was presented as a rap, King Lear became a contestant on ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’, a debate was held to compare the plot of ‘Hamlet’ to ‘The Lion King’, and ‘Macbeth’ was reimagined on a crazy golf course with thick Glaswegian accents and ‘I’ll see you Jimmy!’ as the final line of the play. The audience were also treated to the hilarious scene from ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream' where the Mechanicals perform ‘The Most Lamentable Comedy and Most Cruel Death of Pyramus and Thisbe’ at the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta.
These comic retellings were interspersed with more serious monologues, giving the actors an opportunity to show their performance skills and to remind the audience of the lasting power of Shakespeare’s words.
All in all, the performance was enormous fun and the audience left thoroughly entertained and perhaps a little more familiar with some of Shakespeare’s best loved plays.
Anne-Sophie - who studied at Stephen Perse between 2009 and 2014 - has been working in Parliament for the last three years as an assistant to Members of Parliament, and most recently to Harriet Baldwin, a former minister and current Chair of the Treasury Select Committee.
Anne-Sophie revealed how her interest in politics had really been ignited by the EU Referendum in 2016 and how this enthusiasm led to her to seek work in Parliament. She was able to give some fascinating insights into how she obtained her position despite not having a specifically political background (her degree is in Economics) and into the varied work of a parliamentary assistant.
It was also interesting to hear Anne-Sophie talk about some of the behind-the-scenes stuff of politics and how politicians and their aides are often much less partisan when off stage than they might appear to the public as ‘talking to the other side’ is an essential part of the job.
Anne-Sophie also talked to the students about how they might find work as a parliamentary assistant and how the role can be used as a stepping stone to future aspirations.
These do not necessarily have to involve becoming a politician as Anne-Sophie herself is seeking to move into a role more connected to her interests in economics and international development. Anne-Sophie was particularly keen to emphasise to the female students that they should not be deterred from pursuing career options in Parliament.
In February former Stephen Perse student Anne-Sophie Faivre kindly returned to the school to give a talk to Year 12 and 13 Politics and Sociology students.
The students found Anne-Sophie’s talk to be very enjoyable and there was definite interest amongst them in looking further into parliamentary work as an alternative career path.Alumna
“On the trip to Hampton Court Palace, we saw remnants of many religious changes during the Tudor Period. Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, Henry VIII's chief minister at the time, designed the palace. A few years after construction was finished, the palace was given to the king to regain his favour. However, this was not enough, and Thomas Wolsey had all his roles taken away from him.
We walked around the palace and into the many rooms, such as the Great Hall, which had priceless tapestries of the story of Abraham. These tapestries cost as much as a battleship at the time, composed almost entirely of gold and silver thread. We also saw the waiting room, where people at the time would wait days just to speak to the king or queen. We learned about how the people in this room would change as the religion and politics of the country changed. In different circumstances, it would be fully Catholic, fully Protestant, or sometimes a mixture, with a few Spanish people added too.
We then saw the kitchens, where there was one kitchen per type of food. There were specific places where meat would be roasted, bread would be baked, and confectionery would be made. The people who were making these foods were very well fed. It was a fantastic day!”
“Last month, Year 8 visited the world famous Hampton Court Palace, an old Tudor royal residence. We spent the day exploring the palace that hosted many monarchs, including King Henry VIII and his many wives. We explored the palace in two tours: one about how different religions had impacted the construction of this building and the other viewed the great kitchens where huge meals for kings, queens, guests and servants (often over six hundred people at a time) were made.
We learned about many aspects of the construction of Hampton Court Palace and how they were designed to display the power and might of the king. These included lavishly decorated rooms with stained glass windows, tapestries that could buy a fully stocked battleship each, and ceilings adorned with twenty-four carat gold! Additionally, huge amounts of food were served to those inhabiting the palace, including the servants and workers, which was a demonstration by Henry of his wealth and status.
We were also told many tales about life in the palace including the gripping tale of Jane Seymour’s ghost (Henry VIII’s third wife) who is said to haunt the gallery of Henry’s processional route to the royal chapel. Everyone really enjoyed the trip to Hampton Court .Thank you to all the teachers for organising this fantastic trip!”
On Friday 10 February 2023, Dr to be, Emma Bastin, came in to talk to Stephen Perse Sixth Form on invitation from the Sixth Form History Society about her PhD. It turned out to be a huge treat.
We weren’t really sure what to expect -the title of the talk was: ‘The consumption of rayon in interwar Britain’. This was an optional talk for Sixth Form students, and those that came were truly delighted.
Leon said: “It was really interesting and refreshing to come at the era from the whole perspective of clothes”. The social aspect of history and society was an angle that he hadn’t considered before, and so it was interesting to see that period from a consumer perspective. Tereza was keen to make parallels to today’s society. How fun it was to compare the fast fashion of today with its birthplace in the 1930s. The impact of rayon as a fabric on how ladies bought clothes and indeed went shopping with a more disposable income was quite contrary to our traditional understanding of interwar England.
Suddenly, they had money that they could use to buy a whole dress rather than just buy one dress a year. Jessie was fascinated by the way that Mrs Bastin brought in how shopping has evolved since the Victorian era. Consumerism and shopping generally today has a history of its own.
Emma Bastin had examples of 1930s Rayon fabric dresses with her which the students could touch and see. Similarly she had bought magazines from the period illustrating what her PhD focused on. There was time for her to discuss with the students the details involved in working on a PhD. There was time for a few questions at the end but this was a talk where the students did not want her to stop and in fact had more questions than time permitted. We are incredibly grateful to her for giving up her time and sharing her knowledge with us all.
Florence was wary that the language academics use can be hard for students to fully engage with but this talk was accessible and enlightening in terms of how rayon kick started the consumer economy that we have today. On behalf of the Stephen Perse History Society we wish Emma Bastin the best of luck in receiving her PhD.
"How fun it was to compare the fast fashion of today with its birthplace in the 1930s."
Tereza
Kirsten Smith, who left Stephen Perse in 2018, kindly came to talk to the Sixth Form students about studying History at the University of Oxford.
Kirsten studied Art at Loughborough for a year before deciding that History was her passion and making a personal application through UCAS to Oxford. She is passionate about American History and in her final year at Oxford.
Kirsten gave an interesting talk on History University Preparation, about how History is studied at Oxford and she gave a breakdown of the different ways of thinking about History. Students were particularly interested in the mechanics of applying, as well as the realities of university life and the talk gave the students lots to think about in terms of where they want to apply, why they want to apply and where their applications might lead them.
History Oxbridge Talk
In collaboration with the English Department, the Senior School Library was honoured to be visited by prize-winning author Simon James Green for World Book Day, who spent time talking with our Year 9 cohort about his work and why it is crucial for students to be able to enjoy the gift of reading for pleasure.
Our Year 9s were enraptured by Simon’s thoughtful yet enthusiastic approach in the engagement of literature through the rhythm of emojis, which our staff and students responded as being ‘entertaining and engaging’ in the way in which the narrative plot-lines of Simon’s books could be approached, in addition to making his books appear more ‘interactive’ for those students who may have not come across his books before.
Tying in with LGBT History Month, Simon’s overarching message of positive representation, diverse inclusivity in the broad market of young adult literature, and his insightful glimpse into the world of publishing, inspired our students to learn more about his books, with some of our students later commenting that they ‘felt encouraged to write more… and to read some of his books!’
Overall, Simon’s visit to the Senior School was a resounding success with our Year 9 students, and students on the whole felt encouraged to visit the Senior Library to speak to Simon and to enhance their reading experiences with a broad range of signed books to select from to take home.
Our Year 9s were enraptured by Simon’s thoughtful yet enthusiastic approach in the engagement of literature through the rhythm of emojis.
The engaging talk focused on his unusual career and education path, where an early interest in medicine was discouraged and he ended up studying Literature first in the UK and then in America where he was also involved with the US Rangers.
Taking various other qualifications on route and jobs such as bin man, he ventured back into medicine with an Access course and then to Cambridge University before dropping out to go back into local journalism.
Another unexpected change then saw him work for the British Antarctic Survey where he had to learn about Polar Bear survival as he worked with other journalists venturing into that hostile environment. Students were keen to know which careers and experiences he valued the most, but all of them contributed to his life journey.
In this interesting and very personal talk, the students attending hopefully took home the message that education and career paths do not need to be a straight line. You will explore different areas throughout your life and it is never too late to change direction.
The fourth in the series of lunchtime talks for the Sixth Form took place on 6 March and was by Paul Holland who is currently Director of Communications at Trinity Hall Cambridge.
Another unexpected change then saw him work for the British Antarctic Survey where he had to learn about Polar Bear survival.
Year
by students Heart V, Adam R-B, Julia L, Beth H, Justin W
The Year 12 Geographers departed for the Cranedale Centre in Yorkshire for three days in early March. We endeavoured to learn and practise our fieldwork skills. Thursday turned out to be incredibly cold and wet, with some of us even wearing three pairs of trousers as we braved piercing winds at the Holderness coast, which is eroding faster than anywhere else in Europe. Despite conditions we managed to collect some excellent beach profile data.
Our journey continued through heavy snow to Scarborough, where we investigated the diversity of restaurants and learned how to conduct qualitative data using local art works and word pictures. The trip culminated in the ‘mystery bucket’, where we planned out a mini-investigation of our own, before collecting the data and assessing the results. Despite the atrocious weather conditions, the trip was a resounding success as it provided us with the necessary skills needed to conduct our A Level coursework.
Summary by Year 13 student Mary C
On Friday 24 February 2023, Professor John Love (from the University of Exeter) gave the members of Sixth Form a talk on ‘A Brief Introduction to Synthetic Biology’.
Firstly, Professor Love described the context leading up to the first synthetic molecule: including mentions of Aristotle and Alchemists who pondered on the questions of life and the possibilities of combining organisms and also the rivalling theories around the 17th century of the ‘causal mechanism’ and the ‘vital theory’. These prerequisites eventually led Friedrich Wöler to synthesise the first synthetic chemical conversion of Urea (from ammonium cyanate) in 1828.
Following this, in 1953, scientists Miller and Urey performed an experiment to test if the combination of water, methane, ammonia, and hydrogen under certain conditions could create a spontaneous generation of life- organic compounds such as amino acids were recovered subsequently.
The principles of these discoveries such as the Miller-Urey experiment underpin the knowledge of synthetic biology today. In the modern age, synthetic biology is based on bio-design, artificial molecular modules and well-characterised cellular ‘chassis' (the host organism) as well as applying engineering concepts to further the development of synthetic biology.
‘Life is a hierarchical assembly of modular, genetically encoded functions’ – from the presentation. The solution behind synthetic biology today can be summarised here:
Alignment: the appropriate solution to address the stated problem.
Modularity: genetic modules enable rapid assembly of parts (programs).
Predictability: characterised parts and chassis yield expected outputs.
Reliability: uniform performance of the resultant SynBio device.
Optimisation: holistic analysis of inputs, reactor conditions, chassis, devices, outputs and associated constraints such as finance.
To accomplish this, technologies such as bioinformatics, ‘omics’ technologies, gene synthesis and others are used. These techniques can be used to explore ideas such as modelling evolutionary or metabolic pathways that never previously occurred in nature. Regardless of trying to achieve total predictability, living systems are complex (and often unpredictable). ‘Orthogonal ' engineering aims to insulate the synthetic system from the host chassis as much as possible.
Synthetic biology is still in its early stages and for the future, scientists hope to further develop biological pathways, knowledge associated with the chassis and achieving materiality.
Here I will now list some examples that Professor Love mentioned that can be applied in synthetic biology. The minimal genome: trying to minimise the required number of protein-coding genes to sustain a viable synthetic cell. The synthetic repressilator: a molecular oscillator composed of three interacting genes connected in a negative feedback loop, plus one reporter. SARS-CoV-2 vaccines: using live/attenuated virus, related viral vector carrying appropriate antigens (Oxford-AstraZeneca; Sputnik 2), protein/peptide subunits (Novavax) and Nucleic acid encoding antigens (Pfizer-Biotech; Moderna).
As decarbonisation is vital, researchers have been trying to find ways to detract from the use of petroleum and other fossil fuels. However, the current biofuels cannot be produced at sufficient volumes and at a low enough cost to replace fossil fuels and thus research is being conducted to counteract both the cost and efficiency of biofuels. Professor Love then discusses the 4th gen bio-alkanes that have been synthesised via exploiting naturally occurring organic molecules, for example: Endogenous E. Coli for lipid metabolism.
There are many conclusions and challenges that can be postulated to ensure the sustainability of synthetic biology and biofuels. Including: developing industrially-compatible biocatalysts for bioprocessing, reducing the financial burden associated with producing sufficient and renewable volumes of biofuels in the future. Synthetic biology is still in its early stages and for the future, scientists hope to further develop biological pathways, knowledge associated with the chassis and achieving materiality.
As decarbonisation is vital, researchers have been trying to find ways to detract from the use of petroleum and other fossil fuels.
We were delighted to welcome Marc Polonsky, father of four Stephen Perse alumnae, to deliver this term's Sixth Form careers talk on Monday 30 January 2023.
Marc spoke about his varied career as a lawyer and philanthropist, highlighting how particular decisions and influences in his teens and twenties led him to qualify and practice as an international commercial lawyer before later re-focussing on the Polonsky Foundation and its work in cultural heritage, digitisation, research, excellence and innovation in the arts.
Marc explained the differences between the branches of the law in the UK, courts and tribunals and types of lawyer and how they deal with different disputes and cases.
There were plenty of questions after the lecture, some of which Marc took with the whole audience, as well as having smaller group and individual discussions after the vote of thanks given by Jacqueline Paris, Head of Sixth Form.
We are always tremendously grateful when our alumni and parent community members are able to share the benefit of their experience with our current students, opening their eyes to the huge range of career options and the different paths that they might take to them.
If you would like to discuss the possibility of giving a lunchtime talk, taking part in our annual careers fair, offering work experience, or providing interview practice, please contact Development Manager, Helen Cornish, in the first instance on development@stephenperse.com
Marc spoke about his varied career as a lawyer and philanthropist, highlighting how particular decisions and influences in his teens led him to qualify and practice as an international commercial lawyer.
The talk by Áine Deane and the questions I was able to ask through staying behind afterwards gave me a really informative and interesting insight into what it’s really like to enter the music industry and inspired me with tips about song writing and performance, as well as the ways she found worked for her in getting your music noticed.
Over the course of her talk Áine Deane gave multiple motivational messages relating to believing in who you want to be and having the confidence to put yourself out there as well as relaxing and trying to trust that it will all be ok in the end.
During the Q&A session I was invited to stay behind and attend after the talk. She talked about the use of capos (a bar which is put on the fret of a guitar and shifts the pitch), as an effective song writing tool for generating chord progressions. She also talked about using chord sequences and shapes from other songs with a capo as a basis for writing your own. In response to a question about dealing with nerves before a performance, she explained the importance to her of having a repeated routine before going on stage, which made it a lot easier for her to perform and step out onto the stage with confidence.
Áine Deane also talked of how key it is to be putting your music out there for people to listen to, particularly using social media platforms in bringing your music to a wider audience. She told us about how her daily uploads of covers and snippets of original songs to Instagram led to multiple record labels and potential managers contacting her, as well as lawyers who wanted to talk to her and inform her about the different percentages of profits the people part of making the songs in the industry receive. Furthermore, she discussed the throwaway nature of viral trends, and spoke about how important it is not to focus on achieving overnight success, or one viral video if you want to build a long term career in the music industry.
Overall I really enjoyed her performances and her inspiring and informative talk and look forward to applying much of what she said to my own journey in the music industry.
The boarders have been undertaking numerous sporting activities including ten-pin bowling and archery. They also participated in the boarders’ weekend badminton and basketball sessions, with many playing in the Sixth Form Basketball Team. In addition, seventeen boarders joined the school ski trip to Italy in December.
A cultural visit included a trip to The Fitzwilliam Museum with one of our graduate assistants, who is an art historian, as well as cinema trips to see Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Thor: Love and Thunder. Boarders also went to the bonfire night on Midsummer Common to see the firework display.
In-house activities have included karaoke evenings, board games nights and a table football tournament.
Chinese New Year Celebration - Boarders gathered at Kirby’s Dining Room on Chinese New Year Eve to celebrate the festival over some delicious Asian snacks. Whilst some played Mahjong and others watched a Chinese film together, there was also the writing of good wishes for the New Year in Chinese calligraphy.
Concert at Clare Hall – On 4 March some boarders attended a classical music concert at Clare Hall College accompanied by one of the graduate assistants. The main feature was Quatuor pour la fin du temps (Quartet for the End of Time) by the French composer Olivier Messiaen, written when he was a prisoner of war in Germany and first performed by himself and fellow inmates.
she remained for six months. She was later forced to endure a horrific seventeen-day journey to Mauthausen, in open coal wagons, without food, little water and in filthy conditions. On arrival at Mauthausen, Anka was so shocked when she saw the name of the notorious concentration camp that she went into labour.
Decades after the camp was liberated Anka went on an emotional journey back to Terezín with Eva as she showed her daughter where she had lived and almost died. When Eva returned alone to the ghetto years afterwards, she was especially touched to find her brother Dan's name had since been inscribed on a memorial wall there - the only physical trace of the baby whose death had guaranteed Eva’s life. If you want to read more about her story or the other two survivors read “Born Survivors” by Wendy Holden.
On Monday 23rd January, Year 10 participated in a Holocaust Memorial Day which included a talk by Holocaust survivor Eva Clarke, as well as sessions by Mr Griffiths, Mr Frost and Ms Stanley on the geographical, religious and historical impacts of the Holocaust. Dr Stern also talked to the year group about his family experiences.
In the morning, Eva Clarke, a holocaust survivor, came to talk about her mother’s experience and being born in a concentration camp. Eva Clarke was one of only three babies born in Mauthausen concentration camp who had survived the Holocaust. She was born on 29 April 1945, just a day after the Nazis had destroyed the camp's gas chambers and less than a week before its liberation. Months earlier, her mother, Anka Kaudrová, had voluntarily followed her husband, Bernd, to Auschwitz–Birkenau after he was transported there from Theresienstadt ghetto in Czechoslovakia, where they had both been imprisoned.
She was pregnant with Eva on her arrival but she never revealed this to anyone. Anka was moved from Auschwitz–Birkenau to a slave labour camp near Dresden, Germany, where
Afterwards, the students were put into smaller groups where we heard about Reserve Battalion 101; what we learned was that this group of ordinary men, some of them husbands and fathers who were not necessarily vicious racists or active Nazis for the most part willingly participated in the brutal slaughter of innocent people.
The day finished with a plenary session which gave us time to reflect on the day. We listened to some music called “In Buchenwald” by a Polish musician Jozef Kropinski who was arrested by the Gestapo for publishing an underground newspaper, and sent to Auschwitz. He wrote dozens of pieces of music there, and later at Buchenwald concentration camp. He composed mostly at night by candlelight, just a few feet from piles of dead bodies, to help raise the spirits of fellow prisoners.
Holocaust Memorial Day is still important today because, for younger people, the Holocaust was a very long time ago, so they could feel more distanced from it. Holocaust Memorial Day can prevent that. Holocaust Memorial Day is also a day when people think about inhumanity. That’s why it also contains a universal message about crimes against humanity. Genocides still happen today, for example in Rwanda, so learning about the Holocaust is as relevant as it ever was. Holocaust survivors won’t be alive for a lot longer so it is up to those who listen to them to keep the memories alive.
On Thursday 2nd March, I had the pleasure of accompanying five Year 12 students, Gwen, Jessie, Mari, Lydia and Pipe to the Babraham Institute for their annual Schools’ Day event, where students from different schools have the opportunity to participate in research projects led by researchers. I could tell you how it is a wonderful opportunity for our students, but I would rather let them be centre stage and share some of their reflections on this day.
Sarah Triki-Teurtroy - Teacher of BiologyPipe:
“When I arrived, I saw a large and beautiful biology research institute, which I didn't even know existed in Cambridge. After an overview of the history of the institute, we were sent to our different projects. Mine was ‘Bioinformatics – Using Multiomics to understand biological systems’. Obviously it wasn’t lab based. We did two activities, ‘Looking at Single Cell Separated ATAC-SEQ data’ & ‘Identifying Population in Single Cell RNASeq Data’. The latter aim at identifying the type of white blood cells in a blood sample using a computational program. As each type of white blood cells will express some signature genes more highly than others, we can use computational programs to help us group.
From these two activities, I’ve learned so many things about Bioinformatics such as: how to use specialised programs to analyse biological data, which I didn’t have the opportunity to before. Some of these programs and databases can be accessed for free and I am looking forward to using these programs myself. I also had the opportunity to ask questions that I've been curious about. Whether it was about the activities itself or about other matters such as the life and work of researchers
in this field and beyond, the researchers were willing to answer questions and teach us with a smiling face. That's what I like. I must say that this event was an activity that made me learn many new things and gave me the opportunity to try new things that I had never done before. Thank you for organising such activities!”
Gwen:
“I participated in the same project as Pipe, ‘Bioinformatics’ – Using Multi-omics to understand biological systems. I am very interested in the software that we used to analyse the data. They have a friendly interface for the user’s experience, various adjustments of parameters, and capabilities to analyse data with complicated algorithms. These properties make me curious about how I can build these kinds of programs myself especially for analysing imaging data. So I ask the lead researcher about these programs. In a nutshell, the main points of building an effective program is the disclosure of the data used in the algorithm, quality control to maintain the reliability of the program, and error identification. Furthermore, I discussed with the researchers on how the analysis can make sure that the genes will be expressed to proteins in the white blood cell. The way she answered my question shows me a lot of how ambitious she is in her research. This makes me even more enthusiastic about my goal of pursuing a research engineering career. I realise that there are many skills I must develop in order to achieve this goal. My plan is to start by looking into open software for imaging research and try to apply them to my ongoing MRI project. Thank you so much for this marvellous opportunity!”
Jessie:
“My project was ‘Genomics and Fruit DNA’, which focused on extracting and sequencing DNA from genomic material in the genetic library using top of the art sequencers, such as the Hamilton NGS Star, MiSeq, and NextSeq 500 sequencing machines. In parallel to the project, I realised that being a researcher who works in a science institute is very different from what I had imagined. For instance, if you work as a sequencing specialist, you would need to collect a sample from
colleagues, analyse the sequence, and then give a report of the data to the bioinformatics team so they can compare the results with the DNA database.
A science institute is more like an assembly line, every group has their own topic to work on but they also help out others. For a researcher, good teamwork skills are crucial. Science researchers are extremely independent; they may schedule their own time and choose their daily activities, but the entire institute must cooperate. And for the research community to advance, various research organisations must cooperate.”
Lydia:
“I was assigned to the Imaging Facility group, where we had the opportunity to use an electron microscope to view human hairs and face masks under an electron microscope. To begin with, we took small samples of our own hair and stuck them onto a small disc called a carbon pin stub. The scientist leading the morning explained to us the great expenses that come with scientific work, as even just one of the tiny carbon pin stubs we were using cost £6. We then used a machine to coat the samples in a fine layer of platinum, which would improve the visibility of the microscope image. We placed the disc with all the carbon pin stubs into the airlock, and the monitor displayed the sample that was under the microscope lens itself. We used the keyboard to look at different samples and increase the magnification, contrast and resolution of the image on the monitor. In particular, we viewed our own hair cells and learnt about how the body grows individual hairs and what happens to hair cells when they are exposed to stressors like radiation and hair bleach.
Finally, we viewed a mosquito that had been pre-prepared by the scientists beforehand. Specifically, we chose to magnify the mosquito's eyes, and we saw how it had its rods and cones on the exterior of its eyes, compared to most mammals who have rods and cones at the back of their eye on their retina. Overall, the day was very interesting. It was fantastic to be able to use an electron microscope in real life after learning about them in class, and I learnt a lot about what it is like to work in a research facility and investigate new scientific leads.”
Mari:
“My project focused on molecular biology: the cut and paste of biology. In this project I was able to try using micropipettes to add restriction enzymes and dye to DNA, which would then be analysed using gel electrophoresis. We also had a look at some of the microscopes that are used, and were introduced to the types of cells that were being cultured in the lab.
I’ve gained a lot of valuable insight into what research is currently being done in the field of molecular biology, how a career in research might look like and what a lab environment is like. I’ve also learned more about cell signalling and how the research into programmed cell death (apoptosis) can help create more effective cancer treatments. This was a rewarding experience that helped me further solidify my interest in the field of molecular biology and I really enjoyed learning and being able to try out new practical techniques.
After the project there was a careers talk. On top of learning more about career pathways after A Levels, I realised that career pathways can change and so it is important to gain more experience and broaden my knowledge to find a career that suits me and I will have an interest in.”
TOK encourages students to explore academic subjects meta-cognitively; that is, to examine how knowledge is produced in different academic disciplines.
In addition to an externally assessed essay on one of six titles, students produce an exhibition at the end of Year 12. They choose from one of 35 prompts, ranging from: ‘Why do we seek knowledge?’ and ‘Are some things unknowable?’ to ‘Does all knowledge impose ethical obligations on those who know it?’ Students select three objects, which may include blogs or other digital media that illustrate their chosen prompt. In effect, students ‘curate’ their objects. They also write a commentary to explain how the objects relate to the prompt and connect with TOK themes, such as ‘Knowledge and Technology.’
Objects this year include: a student’s lifeguard instruction manual, an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus, a Siemens MRIscanner and a student’s saxophone. The exhibitions can be viewed here
Due to its metacognitive nature, TOK is unlike any other subject taught at school and encourages students to reflect on their own and others’ perspectives as knowers. This is expressed very eloquently by a Year 13 student, who was asked to reflect on what she has gained from TOK:
“TOK has taught me to question the nature of the knowledge I seek, in my IB subjects and personal life. Every time my friends and I have a discussion about philosophy or other topics, questions we have looked at in TOK inevitably come up: ‘What is truth?’, ‘Where did this evidence come from?’, ‘How do our cultures affect our views and values?’ Asking these questions has helped me understand the origins of my knowledgeespecially during my TOK exhibition which had links to culture and knowledge, leading to greater understanding of my personal beliefs. TOK has taught me so much more than any traditional subject could - the IB is centred on international mindedness, but I think the far-reaching implications of questions discussed in TOK make it the key to achieving this attitude.”
While we are sad, as educators, to see TOK go, we are keen to keep its principles at the heart of our curriculum. To this end, a metacognitive element will form part of our core A Level tutorial programme to encourage students to become independent, critical thinkers and lifelong learners.
(TOK) is one of the core elements at the heart of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme, which every IB student completes.
We were delighted to welcome Professor Anna Alexandrova from Cambridge University to deliver the first of these talks on the topic of ‘How to make good decisions and how philosophy helps’. Professor Alexandrova showed how commonplace cost-benefit analysis is within personal, economic and, in the case of utilitarianism, moral decision-making.
Whilst demonstrating how useful this approach can be in a range of contexts, she argued that it is important for its limitations to be recognised. To this end, she asked students to consider examples where it is worth doing something even if the costs are too high, and where something has more benefit than costs but is still not worth doing.
There was a very good turnout for the event and it was great to see so many students actively participating by answering Professor Alexadrova’s questions and taking part in the discussion. The students took away a new or deeper understanding of utilitarianism and plenty to think about in terms of the extent to which it can inform good decisionmaking.
We are looking forward to the next lunchtime lecture when Dr Stephen Cave will be exploring the question ‘Should we choose to live forever?’.
There was a very good turnout for the event and it was great to see so many students actively participating by answering Professor Alexadrova’s questions and taking part in the discussion.
Earlier this term, the Humanities Faculty launched a new ‘Lunchtime Lectures’ series, which will give students the opportunity to hear academics talk on humanities-themed topics that lie beyond what can be covered in the classroom.
Stephen Perse Sixth Form student-led Economics Society organised speakers to talk about various topics of interest. This was an exciting opportunity for Year 11-13 students to learn about areas extending past their subject curriculum. The first speaker was Professor Kamiar Mohaddes; Associate Professor in Economics and Policy at Judge Business School, Cambridge. He gave an insightful and interactive talk on the economics of climate change and provided an opportunity for students to question him about issues such as the sustainable nature of Saudi Arabia's Line Project and how to work towards Net Zero.
The next speaker was Professor Christos Genakos, Professor of Economics at Judge Business School. His talk focused on productivity; he explained how his research showed a relationship between productivity in different countries and the management practices within firms in those countries. These talks were seen to be popular among students in Years 11, 12 and 13 who valued the time and effort from the speakers. The Economics Society plans to continue hosting talks in the upcoming year.
Sixth Form
presents a large tower of second hand radios to represent the biblical story of a tower tall enough to reach heaven, god became offended and cursed the builders to only speak in tongues. The tower of radios are played at a low level which makes the tower seem as if it is speaking in tongues. It showed me that a complicated and intense idea can be represented by a physically simple construction and composition."
Dasha:
"What I particularly enjoyed about the trip was the striking contrast between the nature of art in the two galleries. The Tate Modern had greater focus on more contemporary works while the Courtauld houses more traditional art.
I also found the visit a perfect opportunity to discover new artists and art styles. I noticed that some of the artworks which I was particularly drawn to were ones I would not normally use for inspiration and often by artists who I hadn’t previously heard of. Finding new inspiration is very useful when starting a new project and often difficult to do without the exposure to new art which you get through gallery visits.
Katie:
"Starting a new project consists of an endless search for inspiration. As a class we started this process by visiting the Tate Modern and Courtauld exhibitions. As art students we aim to seek out pieces that speak to us individually. The vast variation of styles, art eras, techniques and concepts between the two exhibitions allowed everyone to find something to inspire and start a flurry of new ideas for the project.
Our title, ‘Simple or Complex’, was displayed perfectly in the two galleries. We saw, analysed and experienced both types of work. The Tate Modern consisted mainly of the more simple compositions yet complex concepts, contrasting to the overwhelming complexity of every piece within the Courtauld.
The trip enabled the class to understand new techniques and ways of showing complex ideas. One piece that stuck with me was the Babel by Brazilian artist Cildo Meirele. This installation
In addition to this, seeing art up close and in person allows you to see the techniques used to achieve them. This is particularly useful in understanding how artists use brush strokes in paintings, for example. Overall, the trip proved to be a useful and enlightening experience in terms of gathering inspiration."
"I also found the visit a perfect opportunity to discover new artists and art styles. I noticed that some of the artworks which I was particularly drawn to were ones I would not normally use for inspiration."
By Lucy G
"I really enjoyed the GCSE Art trip to Tate Britain and the V&A. The aim of the trip was to gather inspiration and ideas for our own artwork. I enjoyed trying to interpret each piece in my own way in order to mould the meaning behind it to the theme of ‘Lock’. During this trip I was able to see a range of different artists and the styles they favoured.
It made me curious to explore some of their work more thoroughly. I was particularly taken with Margaret Harrison’s piece entitled ‘Homeworkers’, as I felt it was a piece that really drew me in.
The piece explores the exploitation of women homeworkers and how many are stuck in their situations without a voice or means to escape. I feel inspired by this emotional piece to interpret this year’s theme in my own personal way."
By Frank OM"For me the aim of the trip was to explore and develop different ideas involving our GCSE theme of 'Lock', as well as broadening the range of artists I'm studying in preparation for my final exam piece. The trip was a fun and worthwhile experience, giving us the opportunity to enjoy artworks from the V&A and the Tate Britain, and I think one of the most useful aspects was producing drawings and studies in response to paintings and sculpture first hand from the galleries. My favourite artworks were the drawings of Henry Moore, who I was previously aware of as a sculptor.
I found it really interesting to be able to compare the mark making techniques he used with the form and shape of his three dimensional pieces. His artworks also provided me with inspiration on how to develop my own pieces depicting character like figures, whilst conveying ideas relating to the theme of Lock; being locked in a society and the dehumanising nature of aspects of this, as well as the positive idea of being locked in a family and the relationships and emotions surrounding this.
Overall I thought the trip was an inspiring and enjoyable experience, extremely beneficial for the development of ideas in this stage of the final GCSE exam piece."
"I was excited when I discovered that we were visiting the London V&A and the Tate Britain, as I realised this would be the perfect opportunity to broaden my understanding of this year’s GCSE theme, ‘Lock’. The two museums provided me with a range of textile examples incorporating ‘Lock’, from which I was able to take inspiration and develop my own ideas.
The art helped me to formulate ideas around what my development towards a final piece would look like. One piece that stood out to me in particular was a brightly coloured woven armchair on display at Tate Britain. The weaving and knotting technique creates a ‘Locked’ effect within the chair, in keeping with the theme. Overall, the trip was a helpful experience and lots of fun."
Selected paintings by Year 8 are currently being exhibited in the Principal’s office. The artworks depict local buildings that pupils visited and photographed as part of their ‘Built Environment Project’.
Buildings included the Cambridge Judge Business School, The Fitzwilliam Museum, King’s College Chapel, and The Church of Our Lady Cambridge. Student photographs were then used as the starting point for their A3 acrylic on canvas-board paintings.
The Principal, Mr Girvan commended the pupils for the quality and maturity of their artworks.
"I was excited when I discovered that we were visiting the London V&A and the Tate Britain, as I realised this would be the perfect opportunity to broaden my understanding of this year’s GCSE theme, ‘Lock’."
Congratulations to the following Year 8 students who were selected to represent Cambridgeshire at the Sportshall Athletics Regional Finals at the University of East Anglia on 28 January.
Shouchen W
Elizabeth G
Keseniia K
Michelle H
Juliet R
Stella C
It was only their second sportshall competition and they were competing against trained club athletes from across the region. They exceeded expectations and came an outstanding third place as part of the U13 Girls Team, an absolutely fantastic result.
I train six times a week on my rising 7-year-old 148cm pony, Diamond Boy IV (stable name: ‘Eight’). As a young pony, I am developing him to be a premier showjumper, which takes a lot of work and commitment, and working through his ‘growing pains.’ He is so talented and has a lot of scope, so I’m very excited for the upcoming year of competing and gaining new experiences. My recent achievements are:
• I was the NAF 3* Style and Performance Champion at Stoneleigh in August on my pony, Diamond Boy IV.
• I have achieved three out of four clear rounds for Round 1 of the British Show jumping Novice and Discovery on Diamond Boy IV.
• I competed at Easton College in November, and achieved 1st in the 80cm and 1st in the 90cm on my 138cm pony, Manor Pearl; and I came 3rd on Diamond Boy IV in the British Discovery.
• In October, I was awarded the NAF shining star award.
In December and January, I have participated in many Suffolk Academy training sessions, and I participated in the Mia Palles-Clark/Tina Urr clinic at Westley Park Equestrian.
Congratulations to the following students who were selected to represent the Cambridgeshire County at the regional round of the English Schools cross country championships at Abington Park in Northampton. It was a beautiful day for running and all did superbly well in fields of nearing 100 competitors.
Cecily H
Arjumand B
Etta SB
30th Senior girls
31st Junior Girls
62nd Inter Girls
Josh Butson from the Human Performance Unit at Essex University paid our Sixth Form A Level PE students and Sports Scholars a visit on the 31 January. The practical session focussed on the acute effects of altitude testing. The students had to ride on a bike exercising at a sub-maximal level whilst breathing into a machine that simulated the environment of training at 8000m above sea level. Students recorded heart rate, RPE (rate of perceived exertion) and blood oxygen levels as they increased exercise intensity.
This was followed up by a theory based session which looked at the benefits of altitude training and how the body adapts physiologically.
It was a fantastic opportunity that our A Level students enjoyed, giving them a real insight into what sport science can do to improve performance.
Well done to the U13 girls who qualified for the indoor cricket school competition. They go through to the Cambridgeshire county finals day which will be held at the University of Cambridge Sports Centre.
We’ve had some recent basketball success with fixtures against local schools. The U15s remain unbeaten with wins against Kings Ely (22-17) and The Leys (37-13). The U16s were very competitive and had a narrow loss to The Leys (26-30). The players involved are making very good progress and are training hard.
Our U16 7's rugby team put in a fine performance against a very experienced Comberton side. They played with energy and determination despite the freezing conditions. It was great practice for the National Schools Rugby 7s tournament. There were positives to take away and lots learned.
Year 9 student Ellie S said: “Yesterday I played in the County Schools Golf Tournament at Bar Hill. I shot 74 nett and won the U16 and U18 nett winner. The nett score is the golfer's gross/ overall score subtracted by their handicap. My handicap is 24.5. I also won U16 gross winner - which is an accumulation of total shots played. This was a great experience for me and I really enjoyed playing and representing Stephen Perse.”
Congratulations go to Amelia H who competed in the NSEA 'Jumping with Style' Arena Eventing qualifiers held at Forest Edge Arena in Norfolk. She entered the 90cm and 100cm classes, with points being awarded for style as well as adding the usual time and jumping penalties to give an overall score.
In the 90cm class of 22 riders, Amelia was placed first, qualifying for the National Championships in October at Addington Equestrian Centre, Bucks and in the 100cm class she gained the highest mark in the class for style and no time penalties however an unlucky pole placed her 5th but this still qualifies her for the Plate National Championships.
We wish Amelia every success at the National Champs.
The Under 19 1st team netball squad covered themselves in glory last weekend as they played in the 2023 National Netball Finals held at Oundle School.
By winning the local Cambridgeshire County Competition and then coming second in the regional round to eventual National winners Berkhamsted School, the team showed just how talented and special they are.
Despite having one of the smallest squads in the competition, the team finished eighth out of a field of 18 teams, all of whom were county and regional champions themselves. Winning five of their matches, the team showed tremendous teamwork, energy and commitment and were a real credit to Stephen Perse. One notable victory in particular was earned against a very talented Millfield School, famous as the school from which the origins of the game of netball were born.
Head of Netball Sarah Lawson was thrilled with the teams' efforts and the sizeable number of parents and sibling supporters played a huge part in supporting our team on the day. We are so proud to have the eighth best team in the Country.
Our fencers attended their very first National championships recently at Lee Valley Indoor Athletics Centre. They had a fantastic experience, competing in the foil discipline, against students from many schools across the UK. Almost all of our team progressed through the second round, and on to the direct elimination.
Special mention to Alannah M Year 10 for achieving 20th place out of 54, and to Year 9 Sebastian who gained 21st place and Gabriel - 64th place out of 124. An impressive achievement in their first major tournament.
Huge congratulations to our U14 boys hockey team who participated in the Regional Tier 2 tournament recently. They finished the day in third place with two wins, two draws and one loss over the course of the day, they were totally focused and should be proud of their efforts.
Also, to our U16 boys hockey team who participated in their regional tournament facing some tough opposition. They ended up finishing third in their pool having won one, drawn three and lost one.
There was some excellent hockey on display and the boys performed very well indeed. They were excellent in defence and just couldn't sneak a goal in, in some of the very short matches. Lots to be pleased with and lots to learn.
The football season is still well and truly alive, with District Cups, Sisters in Sport Cups and National Cups all happening over the last few weeks.
Congratulations to the Under 13 Boys’ for their District Cup First Round win against Bassingbourn and the Under 14 Girls’ for their recent 5-0 success in the Sisters in Sport Cup Second Round versus Redborne.
Best of luck to our Under 12 Boys’, Under 14 Girls’ and Under 16 Boys’ for their Cup fixtures next week and we still have our Under 14 Boys’ in waiting to play their second round game.
It has been yet another fantastic term of football. Our reputation for football is growing all the time and we are extremely proud of everyone who has represented the school or attended club sessions. We will do everything we can to keep making more progress.
Saturday 1 April, 7.30pm
Joanna Eden celebrates Ella Fitzgerald and her contemporaries with the Len Phillips Swing Orchestra and guests.
Jazz
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Friday 14 April, 8pm
Join one of the UK’s leading emerging Jazz musicians Robin Phillips for an unmissable evening on the foyer with street food provided by Boho Kitchen. Jazz
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Saturday 15 April, 7.30pm
Exciting young Dutch composer Mathilde Wantenaar’s new piano concerto is paired with the first ever virtuoso keyboard concerto, Bach’s fifth Brandenburg.
Contemproary
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Friday 21 April, 8pm
Nick Hart is an award-winning singer and multi-instrumentalist whose work with English folk song is rapidly gaining him a reputation as one of the most acclaimed performers of his generation.
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Saturday 22 April, 4pm
Join stars of the West End and the BBC Concert Orchestra as the red carpet is rolled out to welcome you to this glamorous and glitzy celebration of Oscar-winning music.
Contemporary
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Sunday 23 April, 1.30pm & 3.30pm
All aboard for a fun-filled CBeebies musical ocean adventure for all the family! Take a deep breath and dive underwater in the concert hall submarine with its musical crew, the BBC Concert Orchestra.
Multiple performance times
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Monday 1 May, 7pm
Join Aurora Orchestra and regular collaborator, pianist Tom Poster, on a journey across America, as the orchestra showcases its dazzling musicianship.
Classical
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Friday 5 May, 8pm
Join the sensational Manchester Collective as they collaborate with guitarist Sean Shibe to create a kaleidoscope of musical colours.
Contemproary
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