Newsletter March 18 by DesboroughCollege

DESBOROUGH COLLEGE

INDEX:-

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Desborough Legacy



Desborough Student Meets GB Rowing Team



Year 12 Trip to China Town



Chinese Themed Day



Trip to Berlin

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Author in School



World Book Day 2018



Visit by John O’Farrell



UKMT Maths Chellenge

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Warner Brothers Studio Trip



Lecture on Applied Mathematics



Visit to Stratford Olympic Park

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Big Business Comes to Desborough



Year 9 and 10 PSHE Days



Student Successes



Young Enterprise News



Hockey Update



Justgiving



Miller Cup Challenge



Drama Report



Protect Your Child Online



Bikeability Holiday Courses

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Information for Parents

March 2018 Dear Parents/Carers, The recent news from RBWM that Desborough College is now oversubscribed and has a “waiting list” of 36 boys should have been a cause for celebration because it was one of the targets that I set for myself and the school when I first became head teacher here. But actually the news is tinged with some sadness because some boys who applied cannot be offered a place at Desborough. I wish them well and hope that they have a successful and enjoyable time at their new schools. Here at Desborough 87% of September’s Year 7 intake will arrive from Maidenhead primary schools, the largest percentage for many years. They and their parents have made the right choice! Our popularity continues to increase: the current Year 7 cohort is full and other year groups are expanding with almost 30 boys joining us since September. 35 external candidates have applied to join our Sixth Form, including 13 from nearby grammar schools. School Closure You may be aware of the recent criticism that I received from the Leader of the Council, Mr Dudley, following my decision to close the school on Monday, 19th March because I felt that to remain open would put at risk the health and safety of the pupils and staff. I arrived at school before 6 am having walked from my home down Shoppenhangers Road. The pavement was icy and very slippery to the extent that I had to walk on the road itself which was less hazardous. At 6 am there was very little traffic but of course Shoppenhangers Road gets extremely busy and pedestrians, including Desborough College pupils, would be unable to avoid walking upon the slippery pavements by stepping onto the road. There are extensive parts of the school site, including the playgrounds, where surface water collects because the drainage is inadequate. This surface water had frozen and made walking around the site extremely hazardous. As you are aware, at the change of lessons we have over 800 pupils moving around the site. To have them do so on icy surfaces would have put their safety, and the safety of my staff, at risk. I was quite simply not prepared to allow that to happen, knowing that the site staff would have had insufficient time to spread enough salt to make the school grounds safe to walk upon. I decided to close school early so that pupils and staff could avoid making an unnecessary and potentially hazardous journey. I will make exactly the same decision if similar circumstances occur in the future. For the record I want to make it clear that I will always keep school open whenever practical and, indeed, Desborough has on occasions in the past been the only secondary school in Maidenhead that has remained open during bad weather. This is despite having staff that travel from as far away as Southampton and pupils that travel from London, High Wycombe and Slough. Finally, I will take this opportunity to wish you all a restful break over the Easter holidays and thank-you for your ongoing encouragement and support, both of which are very much appreciated. Regards,

DESBOROUGH LEGACY CONTRIBUTION FORM 2017-2018 Desborough Legacy (PTA) is a fundraising charity run by parents & staff to provide extra equipment and facilities that benefit the students at the College. We are now starting a drive to provide lockers for the boys starting with the younger age groups. Please consider making a small monthly donation to the Legacy. The donation amount is entirely discretionary, but we encourage parents the monthly standing order or regular payment to provide us with regular flow of funds which is easy for us to administer. (If unable to give monthly, one-off donations are of course welcome). If you are a UK tax payer, please complete and return a Gift Aid form to enable us to boost funds by reclaiming tax on your contribution at no cost to you – send an email to the address below and we can send one by return. Donations can be made in one of 3 very simple ways (see below). For any option please include your son’s name as a payment reference. 1. ONLINE OR MOBILE PHONE: Set up standing order donation(s) directly to the Desborough Legacy bank account below. Log in, set the frequency, start date and monthly payment date. Our Bank: Account Name:

HSBC Desborough Legacy

Sort code: Account No:

40-31-05 90559261

2. YOUR BANK BRANCH: In your branch, complete and submit the Bank’s Standing Order Form 3. BY CHEQUE payable to “Desborough Legacy” and sent to the school office for the attention of Nuria White. Please include a note of your name and your son’s name. Please return this completed form to the school office For the attention of Nuria white or scan it and email to NuriaWhite@desborough-college.net

Thank you so much for your assistance! – keep an eye on our activities and projects on our Facebook page, including our drive to raise money for the provision of lockers

Desborough Legacy charity status number: 1113365

Desborough Student Meets GB Rowing Team “On Saturday 10th February I attended the Annual Dorney Rowing Dinner. I met Tom, Holly, and Becca from the GB Rowing Team and introduced the guest speaker, Olympian Jack Beaumont, an ex-Desborough student. To top off this amazing evening I was announced as the new Dorney Club Captain.” Charlie Harrison—Year 11

Year 12 Trip to China Town

On Wednesday 21st February, 15 Year 12 Mandarin students took part in a half-day trip to Chinatown in Central London. For most of them, this was the first time they had visited this part of London. The students were exposed to the Chinese culture throughout the trip. On the train to London, they studied hard in preparation for making orders in Mandarin later. Chinatown looked very festive with all the red lanterns and everyone was immersed in the Chinese New Year atmosphere after arriving. The students first took part in a treasure hunt, which was followed by a Chinese banquet in the restaurant, Golden Phoenix. They placed most of their own orders in Mandarin and enjoyed a good variety of dim sum, stir fries, rice and noodles. On the table, they practised their skills of using chopsticks and learnt some dining customs and taboos. After lunch, the students continued to finish the remaining tasks in the study pack. Amira and Lily successfully recorded an interview with a Chinese person. Very well done! Some students did some shopping and bought gifts for their families. Nice food and lots of use of the target languageâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; it was a wonderful experience for these Mandarin learners. Mrs Liauâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; Mandarin Teacher 4

Chinese Themed Day On the 23rd February, students in Year 7 were privileged to enjoy an abundance of exciting activities for our Chinese Day at Desborough, where Chinese Artists joined us in school for this special day. The day started with a Year 7 assembly in the Hall where the students watched a Chinese Lion Dance which had many of them up on their feet with delight. Throughout the remainder of the day, students worked in groups taking part in a carousel of workshops including Tai Chi, Kung Fu, playing Chinese musical instruments, Chinese paper cutting and calligraphy. Our lunch for the day in the canteen consisted of Chinese specialities where students experienced a taste of different foods. The day was a huge success and enjoyed by all. A special thanks to Mr Webster, Desborough Collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mandarin Co-Ordinator, Mrs Liau, Teacher of Mandarin and to the staff and students who took part.

Chinese Themed Day Photos

History and Music Trip to Berlin— 26 February Please see below students’ articles following a recent trip to Berlin. “At 4:00am on Monday 26th February, we departed from school to ‘London Gatwick’, in order to catch an early flight to ‘Flughafen Berlin-Schönefeld’. Once we arrived, we travelled to our accommodation by coach accompanied by our trusty Tour Guide, John. After we had dropped our suitcases off at Hotel Transit-Loft, and wrapped ourselves up warm, we set off sightseeing for the rest of the day, covering some of the key landmarks in Berlin such as the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag Building and memorials which were built to honour those who had been killed during the Holocaust. Later that day, we explored the area where Adolf Hitler’s Bunker was and where he went into hiding as his power in Germany began to decline. We also learnt about what happened to him in the final days of his life. After all the traversing in the cold we had hot chocolate and then headed back to the hotel and rested up for the next day. On Tuesday, we set off to view the famous Berlin Wall, where in 1961, the Communist Government cut off West Berlin to isolate it from East German refugees. It was possibly the only place you would find US soldiers and USSR soldiers in such close proximity. As we walked further down Bernauer Strasse (the street in which the wall was built), we learnt about the tunnels that had been dug under the wall in order to save people in East Berlin, and the attempts people made to try and run across No Man’s Land, even if their chances of death were incredibly high. Later on, we entered the Palace of Tears where we had a guided tour and learnt how families gained access to West Berlin as well as the many things that went wrong inside this checkpoint. After that, we travelled to ‘Alexander Platz’ to do some shopping. I am sure many people bought gifts for their parents! On Wednesday, we went to the Olympic Stadium and had a guided tour around the entire stadium and found out its use in Nazi Germany. We even saw where Hitler would have sat and where Angela Merkel sits today. We then went to The Story of Berlin, where we learnt about the survival bunkers in the West, in case of nuclear attack from the East. Though they appeared to include all the essentials for 350 people such as showers and beds, they would not have worked as they were not far enough under the ground to protect the citizens of West Berlin. After that, we went to the Musical Instrument Museum. GCSE Music students were given a guided tour, and they saw many instruments such as old violins and one of the earliest versions of the piano. In addition, they also saw a cinema piano, which was used to play all the music and sound effects for silent films. In the evening, we went to see the Berlin TV Tower. We went straight to the top and saw all the sights in Berlin from a great height. Berlin was certainly stunning at night! On our final day, we saw Checkpoint Charlie and the museum and after that, proceeded to visit the East German Museum where we learnt about the East German lifestyle and their eventual freedom. After that we went shopping for a while before we went back to the hotel to get our suitcases and then go to the airport to go home.”

Rafe Lyons – Year 10

History and Music Trip to Berlin Continued ... “Our trip started at 4am at school where everyone was very happy. When we arrived in Berlin we were met by our Tour Guide, John. We had a walking tour of Berlin, including the Holocaust Memorial, Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag building and Hitler’s bunker. When we arrived back at the hotel we were all very tired after a long day. The next day we visited the Berlin Wall where we saw Tunnel 57, the church which was exploded during the Berlin Wall era and a modern reconstruction of No Man’s Land. Then we went to 9 November 1989 Platz, this was where the first East Berliners got to go to West Berlin as the Eastern Bloc began to disintegrate. After this, our Tour Guide left us and we had lunch at Friedrichstrasse Train Station and went across to the Palace of Tears, (a Soviet passport checkpoint). At the Palace of Tears we had a very interesting tour because our Guide told very moving stories of when people tried to cross from the East to the West. After this, we went back to the hotel for dinner before an evening tour of the Reichstag Dome where we were able to see how the German Government worked. Our final full day started by spending half the day at the Olympic Stadium. We learnt about how Nazi Germany used the Olympics to boast about their regime to the world. At the stadium we saw the swimming pools and the old Olympic Stadium. The next activity was the Story of Berlin where we saw a bunker of the Cold War era. It was very good to see what plans were in place for citizens if nuclear missiles had been launched, even though there was not enough space for everyone. Later, we went to the Musical Instrument Museum where we saw classical instruments. In the evening, we went to the TV Tower where we were able to have a panoramic view of the city of Berlin. This was also very impressive because we were able to see the main source of propaganda to the USSR. On the last day, we saw Checkpoint Charlie and the museum of Checkpoint Charlie. At the museum, we were able to see how East German people escaped to the West by using cars, planes and even boats. Then we went to the DDR Museum where we were able to see what life was like for East German people. After this we had some free time to finish shopping before the flight back.” Simon Daems – Year 10

History and Music Trip to Berlin Continued ... “On Monday 26th February, a group of Year 9 and 10s had an early start, which our parents were really pleased about, in order to set off from London Gatwick to Berlin. We arrived in Germany ready for a full day of Berlin’s famous landmarks. We checked into the hotel and wrapped ourselves up warm for the afternoon, the outside temperature was -4. As we walked briskly around Berlin in order not to freeze, we visited the Colossal Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate and Adolf Hitler’s bunker. Before heading back, we warmed ourselves up with hot chocolate, (a common theme on the trip), and headed back to the hotel located in the centre of Berlin. Our rooms were allocated and we planned to have a long quiet night’s sleep. Or that’s what we told the teachers! We got up early on Tuesday morning and took the tram to the City Centre where we visited the Berlin Wall. It was pretty awesome to see the remaining wall and to experience first-hand what it would have been like back in the 1960s when families were torn apart and had no escape. We saw No Man’s Land, the Guard Watchtowers and the underground tunnels which were built from the East to escape to the West and managed to successfully reunite families. Luckily this time we were sensible enough to wear more than one layer and warmed up in a local café which sold German food and cakes. We then had some free time so we headed into Alexanderplatz where we went shopping and spent all of our money. In the evening we trekked through the city and went into the Reichstag which was absolutely amazing and quite high, too high. On Wednesday, which was even colder, we took the train to the Olympic Stadium. The stadium was monumental and boasted an athletics track, football pitch, diving pool and a ‘pick and mix’ machine. We walked around the stadium and learnt of where Angela Merkel and Hitler sat when they had visited, (obviously not together), and headed into the footballers’ rooms where we saw signed shirts and press conference rooms. Once we had eaten back at the hotel and had regained some energy, we had an evening in AlexanderPlatz and went up the TV Tower, it was the most amazing view and was even higher than the Reichstag, great! It was so incredible to see Berlin lit up and we had an awesome night. On the last day, we toured Berlin for the last time visiting the Holocaust Memorial, the Music Museum and some fascinating historic museums. We all headed off to lunch in the city to some classic original German restaurants – KFC, McDonald’s and Subway. At midday, we collected all our suitcases and drove back to the airport. We arrived at the airport and after a delay and the news that school might be closed, which we were gutted about, we boarded the plane and headed back to the UK where our parents were waiting, really happy to be collecting us at 2 o’clock in the morning, again. It was an absolutely incredible experience and I would do it all over again. From touring Berlin’s monumental sights, historical landmarks and buildings, to having fun at the hotel and spending all our parents’ money in the city centre. I would definitely recommend this trip.” Lucas Walker - Year 10

Author in School Villainous ways revealed in Desborough Mark Walden, Author of the H.I.V.E. series, visited Desborough College on 28th February 2018 as part of our World Book Day celebrations. Mark’s visit was eagerly awaited by the boys amongst whom his books about a secret school for villains make for popular reading. A gregarious character we think he was preparing to train our Year 7, 8 and 9 students to become evil masterminds! Anticipating the event, Felix May in Year 7 said, “I want to ask him about why he thinks villains are the best characters.” Mark’s presentation covered everything from villainous costumes, what makes a good villain to the practicalities of combining homework and super-villainy. Great villains are important characters for Authors, helping to drive plots forward, and Mark gave tips on how to write great, convincing bad-guys who are more than just moustache-twirling stereotypes. The Learning Resource Centre at Desborough College is a well-frequented part of the school, hosting many activities to help to encourage reading and development of pupils’ literacy skills. We are very grateful to Desborough Legacy for funding this event. Mark Walden is an extremely popular Author who was very generous with his time and signing books for the boys. We have a large waiting list for the titles despite having several copies of each in the LRC, which goes to show the importance of meeting Authors in person. Author visits are a key part of the Library’s activities, and this visit was organised in conjunction with RBWM Libraries’ Outreach Team and generously funded by Desborough Legacy (the school’s parent fundraising group). Mrs Baker – Assistant Librarian @DesboroughLRC

World Book Day Twice! Desborough celebrated our love of reading for pleasure in great style with a wonderful array of literary costumes on the theme of villains and antagonists. Due to snow disruptions we decided that we would celebrate twice and have twice the fun. Every child received a ÂŁ1 book token to spend on books as per usual and the date was extended for use because of the weather disruptions across the country. Please make sure you use them before the end of March. Thank you to all who joined in and contributed. We raised ÂŁ61.00 in total to go towards new books in the Library. Please encourage your children to carry on reading through the Easter break. We have 28 reading millionaires from Year 7 and 8 so far, including a couple of triple millionaires which is an incredible achievement. Our reading bingo has also proved popular with boys reading a variety of genres to get a full house, including a number of classic texts that we recommend such as Animal Farm by George Orwell, The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham and modern classics such as The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon. We look forward to more millionaires next term and the start of the weekly Carnegie Book Group for some Year 8 and 9 students. Happy Easter! Mrs Hallissey School Librarian @DesboroughLRC

World Book Day Photos

Visit by John O’Farrell —6 March 2018 Talk to Year 12 & 13 Politics Students On Tuesday 6th March we were delighted to welcome former Desborough College student John O’Farrell to speak to our Year 12 and 13 Politics students. John is a renowned Author and Political Activist who stood as Labour candidate for Maidenhead against Theresa May. The talk was both informative and engaging for students and staff alike. We were regaled with stories of activities on the campaign trail and the enormity of the impact politicians can have on individuals’ lives. Students were clearly engaged with the session and asked many searching questions about both areas of John’s life, writing and politics. The Year 13 students even managed to persuade him to stay longer than he had planned. The success of this session has encouraged us to invite future visits from the Prime Minister, local Council Leaders and a member of the House of Lords. Mrs Murphy—Head of History and Politics

UKMT Maths Challenge The Results Are In! In last term’s Newsletter we mentioned that a number of students had taken part in the National UKMT Maths Challenge and we have now received the results. All Desborough students did exceptionally well and there are a number who deserve a special mention:Year 11 Tom Hodgson - Gold Certificate & Best in Year Daire Sutcliffe - Silver Certificate Raja Khan - Silver Certificate Ben Crook - Bronze Certificate William Cairns - Bronze Certificate Oliver Hodgkinson - Bronze Certificate Year 10 Maxim Wenninger - Best in School & Gold Certificate Ryan Raceanu - Silver Certificate Oliver Jones - Silver Certificate Hasan Shazad - Silver Certificate Ruben Bignell - Bronze Certificate Alex Hahn - Bronze Certificate Ross Renwick - Bronze Certificate Matthew Noble - Bronze Certificate Al-Moutasim Kheir - Bronze Certificate Year 9 Alex Fairbridge - Best in Year & Silver Certificate Max Baker - Bronze Certificate Joshua Crook - Bronze Certificate Maxim is the first ever Desborough student to progress to the next round. He sat the paper on the 15 March and we eagerly await the result. Students in Years 7 and 8 will be competing in the Junior Challenge on the 24th April. We wish them the best of luck. Mr Formstone – Deputy Head of Maths 14

Warner Brothers Studio Trip—12 March Our Year 9’s have begun their GCSE course and recently took a trip to Warner Brother Studios to have a look at some potential careers arising from Design Technology. We were lucky enough to be given a lesson on Graphic Design where the boys were able to get up close with some of the actual props from the films. Mr Coughlan—Design Technology Teacher

To keep up to date with what is going on in Design Technology follow us on Twitter! @DesboroughDT

Lecture on Applied Mathematics from Mathematicians from Oxford University The College was very pleased to host a special afternoon lecture on the Application of Maths, delivered by visiting Mathematicians from Oxford University, on Monday 12 March. The inspirational and interactive lecture took place at the start of Numeracy and Science Week in the recently opened SMR Innovation room and was attended by students from Years 9 to 13. It certainly proved to be an interesting and thought-provoking talk, covering how Maths can be applied to modelling fish populations. The students really gained an insight into how Maths can be used in real life situations and the lecture closed with a consideration of Maths used in Formula 1 car aerodynamic design and the special effects modelling used in the latest blockbuster films. Mr Brockettâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Teacher of Science

Visit to Stratford Olympic Park— 14 March A-Level & GCSE Geography A-Level Geography students visited the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park as part of their A-Level course recently. The students focussed on the regeneration of the area following London’s successful bid and hosting of the 2012 Olympic Games. Students had the opportunity to visit areas that have not seen the benefit of regeneration, alongside looking around the former Olympic Village. The GCSE Geography students also visited the Olympic Park as part of their GCSE fieldwork. The students focussed on whether the benefits of regeneration were equally felt across the London Borough of Newham. Students completed a range surveys, fieldwork sketches and questionnaires in the area, much of the feedback and results surprising the boys. Every time we visit the Olympic Park with groups of students we see the amazing transformation that is taking place. If you haven’t visited, it should be top of your list this summer. Ask students to look over pictures of how the park previously looked before they go to see the amazing transformation that has taken place. Mr T Myatt - Head of Geography

Big Business Comes to Desborough (and meets some of our keen and eager Year 8 Technology students) On the 15th March, Mace, a global consultancy and construction company came to meet with some of our enthusiastic Year 8 Technology students. Mace has an illustrious history, including major project involvement in the regeneration of the East End of London and the construction of the Olympic site and the iconic Shard building in Central London. The students heard of the vast array of career paths within such a major company and began to realise that, be they project design or engineering orientated, have a love of computers and IT, see themselves as business people or as a Project Manager of construction sites, etc. etc. (the list seemed endless!), a company such as Mace could teach them a lot. We are currently arranging to extend our association with Mace and are working towards targeted in-school, long-term projects, run together with Mace and in-house staff, together with site visits to one of their current major projects currently under construction at Heathrow. We all look forward to a happy association together! Christina Sansom, Careers Adviser and Mentor

Year 9 and 10 PSHE Days On Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st March, Year 9 and 10 students spent the days learning about a range of different PSHE topics. Throughout each day, students worked their way through 5 different sessions delivered by external speakers from the local Youth Service. Each session covered a different specialised topic listed below: Sexual Health Law around age of consent Contraception Sexually transmitted infections ‘Cup of tea’ – Sexual consent Healthy Relationships Defining domestic violence Key concepts of healthy/unhealthy relationships Recognising early warning signs Keeping safe and knowing what to do Reality of Pornography To learn about and explore personal and community attitudes towards pornography… “Porn is not normal sex” Online Safety / Cyberbullying Know how to stay cyber safe Know what dangers are online To think about your own behaviour online Know where to get help What is Bullying? What is Cyber Bullying? Preventing Cyberbullying Drug Abuse Different classification of drugs The effects and issues around drug use Consequences The Law Both days proved to be a great success with students fully engaging with the range of activities put before them. The information will be invaluable to them going forward. Many students said after coming out of the different sessions that they understand aspects of certain areas more clearly than before, or that they now know the laws around different areas. The event is one we hope to run in years to come as it has proved so popular and informative. Mr T Myatt—Head of PSHE

Student Successes Congratulations to Nathaniel Harlow, Year 9 and James Harlow, Year 7 for a great performance in the Maidenhead Rowing Club J15 Quad Scull at the Oarsport Head on 13th March on the Olympic rowing course at Dorney Lake. Their crew finished 23rd equal out of 59 crews in their 4k time trial event. Well done to both boys.

Rugby We currently have four Year 8 rugby players taking part in Elite Development Squads. The students involved are LJ Ekendahl, Oliver Hodgson and Patrick Sutton at London Irish and Charley Hunter at Wasps.

Well Done Boys! 20

Two in a row! E-Cycle, Desborough’s 2018 Young Enterprise company, have had a busy term. Our Mission is simple: we are a committed social enterprise that are aiming to manoeuvre our school and the wider community into an eco-friendlier ‘lifestyle’.

Year 12 student Gursangat Pattar (right in photo), explains: “I’m sure everyone is aware of how well last year’s team did. When we started off all those weeks ago in September, we all had a hunger to better the outstanding achievements of our predecessors. I’m pleased to say after winning our second trade fair this past Saturday in (very cold) Windsor, we are on the right path to achieve this aim we all shared in September.”

Judging in progress – making sure we took on board feedback from last time

Winning both trade stands reflects the team’s hard work and determination; we all pulled together even at the toughest and most awkward moments. “The journey so far has been great and we hope it continues because our aspirations are high. For me personally, this process has been a very good life lesson. I have a learnt a lot about myself and my skills, and I’m sure this will continue.” Saviel, Managing Director, is already moving on … “There’s no time to waste – we’re getting ready to submit our company report this week and then go to the Area Finals in April. We’ve still got gardening and upcycling to do.” Saviel and Jasneit (both Year 12) receiving the Best Trade Stand award

Make sure you’re on board with the caMpaigns … Recycle your plastic bottles Look for our special E-cycle bins in school and keep the plastic bottles coming. Tell your son to ask a member of the team for one to take home if you want a pattern to make your own for the garden or greenhouse or just to grow a few tomatoes or chillies on your windowsill. Botpots are coming into their own this month as Spring has sprung and seedlings are beginning to shoot. Here are Ms Neal’s chilli plants ready for transplanting. The mint in the middle was grown from a small piece pulled of a dying mint plant she rescued from a supermarket reduced aisle! With the help of Miss Kelleher and the waste offcuts in Tech, we made the stand for YE’s Honey Zaheer to put on her kitchen windowsill.

This term also saw us heading off to Braywick Court Primary school to show the pupils how to make a Botpot and recycle more. They’re also helping to upcycle a cable drum to make a table for a child’s play room … watch this space for details of how to place a silent auction bid. E-cycle gratefully receive donations to help to support our work. We have a lot more plans and will be looking for your support. Send us photos – show us how you’ve taken up our message and we’ll post the ideas on our Instagram page.

The E-cycle team with pupils from Braywick Court Primary School and their Botpots Certified recyclers!

Competition time! If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re the first to tell us how much the local authorities in Britain spend on cleaning up gum each year, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll give you one of our new campaign products free! (watch for the launch next term) Email stellaneal@desborough-college.net Head of Business & Economics and Enterprise Centre Lead

Hockey Update A huge well done to the Year 7, 8 & 9 Hockey teams this term. It has been a remarkable 2018 for Hockey at Desborough, finishing 2nd in the Year 7 County Cup and 4th in the Year 9 section of the competition. The sport is becoming ever popular and the plan is to build up to a 1st XI in the not too distant future. Pupils have a range of clubs to visit; Maidenhead, Marlow, Slough and High Wycombe (if you need any more information please see Mr Brar). A number of boys are now gaining County recognition, which is great for their development, and who knows, we may have an Olympian or two on our hands! Finally, good luck to the boys attending the Holland Hockey Tour, not only will it be an experience of a different culture, you shall be up against some of the best Holland has to offer! Enjoy the break from Hockey, and I look forward to getting back to training in September! Mr Brar – Teacher of PE and Raising Achievement Leader for Year 11

JustGiving— Supporting Macmillan Nicholas Vallis in Year 8 is doing a live stream on YouTube for ten hours in aid of Macmillan Cancer which will take place on the 8th April 2018. If you would like to donate to this worthy cause please see the link below:https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tracey-blaney Nicholas’ channel is Super NJV. He will be playing Xbox and has already raised £210 and is hoping to raise even more funds if he can. Any donation will be greatly appreciated in order that Nicholas can reach his goal of £1,125!

Miller Cup Challenge The Miller Cup Challenge is one of the new House Competitions that have been running at Desborough College this year. Named after the teacher who set up a regular University Challenge-style competition a few years ago, pupils from each House put forward a junior and a senior team to compete in a knockout tournament. This year's winners were from a Year 10 team, composed of: Simon Daems, Reuben Bignell, Edward Esling, and Scott Lange, who beat the Year 11 favourites to win! Congratulations and thanks should also go to Rafe Lyons who chaired the final match with vigour!

Miller Cup Challenge Final Questions Test yourself and your families with the following questions from the Final of the Miller Cup Challenge! Starters:     

Which now defunct prison lies in San Francisco Bay? Which is the only sign of the Zodiac not represented by a living creature? In the 1936 Olympics, Jesse Owens won four gold medals in which city? In the words homicide, patricide, and fratricide, what does ‘cide’ mean? How many moons does Mercury have?

Bonuses: 1A) 1B) 1C) 2)

In which part of the United Kingdom would you find turnips and potatoes referred to as ‘neeps and tatties’? Which word, describing Liverpool dialect, comes from a word meaning ‘a lamb or beef stew’? What West Country word for rough cider comes from a dialect word meaning ‘stunted or withered apples’? What is meant by the following animalistic idioms:

2A) 2B) 2C)

‘letting the cat out of the bag’? ‘a bull in a china shop’? ‘a white elephant’?

3A) 3B) 3C)

What name is used for a baby kangaroo or other marsupial? In which children’s book (now also a musical and a film) is the title character called “Joey”? What is the surname of the Friends character “Joey”?

The current Secretary-General of the United Nations is António Guterres. For ten points each, name his three immediate predecessors.

5A)

Which long-running children’s television programme shares its name with the signal indicating that a ship is about to leave port? In which country was the cricketer Kevin Pietersen born? In Christian iconography, what is the symbol of St Catherine?

5B) 5C)

Mr Craig-Wood – Deputy Head of English

Drama Report It has been a busy and exciting term for the Drama department with pupils preparing for both GCSE and A Level performance exams. Throughout the rehearsal process, students developed collaborative skills, confidence and resilience as they tackled some challenging performance scripts. Students could often be found rehearsing late into the evening and at weekends, pushing the boundaries to realise their artistic performance potential. GCSE students performed extracts from four plays: Lord of the Flies, Art, The Chocolate War and Missing Dan Nolan. Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, is set on a deserted tropical island after the boys’ plane crashes, in the midst of being evacuated during an atomic war. The actors explored the shift in power between the characters, their vulnerability and addressed the themes of heirarchy, control and loss of innocence as their society disintegrates into anarchy.

Cameron Rai (Ralph) & Jaskeerat Sohal (Jack)

Kallan Fuller (Piggy)

Art, by Yasmina Reza, tells the story of three friends—Serge, Marc and Yvan—who find their previously solid fifteen year friendship on shaky ground when Serge buys an expensive painting. The actors explored the psychological, emotional and power dynamics of friendship, as the three men argue their way through this subtle absurd comedy.

Will Cairns (Yvan)

Will Cairns (Yvan), Louis Bellinger (Marc), Vinnie Reed (Serge)

Drama Report Continued ... THE CHOCOLATE WAR, by Robert Cormier and adapted for stage by Joseph Robinette, is a psychological thriller, set in a Catholic High School. The actors explored the themes of bullying, hierarchy and control as mob-mentality takes over the school. The status of the Headmaster, Brother Leon, and the Head of the Vigils, Archie Costello, is challenged when Jerry Renault refuses to contribute to the annual Chocolate Sale. Defying orders from authority, Jerry has to face the horrific consequences of his rebellion.

Adam White (Archie) Craig Slattery (Jerry Renault),

Fraser Hayward (Goober), Adam White (Archie), Oli Ashford (Obie), Craig Slattery (Jerry Renault)

MISSING DAN NOLAN, by Mark Wheeller, uses verbatim style documentary theatre to tell the true story of Dan Nolan, a fourteen-year-old boy who went fishing in Hamble (between Southampton and Portsmouth) on the night of 1st January 2002. Unbeknown to his parents, he and his three friends had drunk a litre bottle of vodka. The actors successfully created a range of different locations through abstract set and lighting and used multi-rolling to explore the reactions of family and friends.

Toby Christie (George), Joe McCann (Dan)

Charles Owen (Joe), Thomas Taylor (Thom)

Drama Report Continued ... The talented A Level group performed a selection of duologues and monologues, alongside an ensemble performance of Oh What a Lovely War. UBU ROI, by Alfred Jarry, is a surrealist, absurd play that was met with shock and hostility when first performed in 1896. The script is broadly based on Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ and follows the scheming Mere Ubu as she manipulates her buffoonish husband. The actors explored the themes of power, ambition and violence, using clockwork, contorted physical motifs and marionette-style puppetry to show how control switches between Mere Ubu and Pere Ubu.

Philippa Russell (Mere Ubu), Alex Pocock-Stillman (Pere Ubu) THE LYING KIND, by Anthony Neilson, is a black farce that begins with two police constables attempting to deliver some terrible news on Christmas Eve. Blunt and Gobbel are a squabbling pair, displaying a Laurel and Hardy pattern of bully and victim, exploring the themes of loss, status and morality in a light-hearted way. This humorous performance showed the characters’ absurd misunderstandings through comic dialogue and a heightened physicality.

Elio Mandozzi (Blunt), Justin Bowry (Gobbel)

Drama Report Continued ... A DAY IN THE DEATH OF JOE EGG, by Peter Nichols, is farcical in style, as Bri, a school teacher, attempts to control his class of unruly pupils. The audience, unsuspectingly, supports the act by becoming the class and defining the choreography within the stage space. The actor interacted with the audience in a comic manner, switching between a warm, jokey tone and exasperation as he tries to compose himself!

Victory Mabungu (Bri)

OH WHAT A LOVELY WAR By Joan Littlewood

The grand finale of this year’s performances was the A Level students’ interpretation of Oh What a Lovely War. This well-known satirical comedy, that mocks the atrocities of World War One, communicates a strong social message through humour. The episodic storyline of the play allowed the actors to multi-role and demonstrate a wide variety of character attitudes and types, presented as exaggerated caricatures. Dressed as Pierrots, the actors were depicted as foolish clowns, puppets under the control of the incompetent Generals, tricked into believing in the romanticism of war. In this light-hearted manner, the actors demonstrated many key elements of WW1: how the music hall women were used as part of the recruitment propaganda message; the absurdity of the language barriers and how random and unprepared the Generals were; and the great show of camaraderie amongst the soldiers at the front. However, the performance was punctuated with solemn moments to remind us all that the underlying anti-war message is deadly serious. The direct address to the audience from the Master of Ceremonies was particularly poignant as he referred to the action as a ‘war game’, implying that the Generals were playing with men’s lives. The MC controlled the action from within a circus style ring which in itself was symbolic, as this comic arena was juxtaposed with the serious subject matter. This collocation of opposites and the creation of Verfremdungseffekt – when the familiar is made strange - was at the heart of the production concept. 29

Drama Report Continued ...

A big thanks must go to all the people who have helped to make the performance exams a success â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this was a real team effort! Ms Lennon and Mr Pirrie for rehearsal work and set design; Justin Bowry, Oscar May, Philippa Russell and Lucas Walker for technical work; and Debbie Hillier, Nuria White, Louise Pankhurst for helping in so many different ways. The Drama department would also like to thank all the Year 11 and 13 students for their hard work, creativity and humour and wish everyone a peaceful Easter break. Mrs Turner - Head of Drama

Information for Parents—Protect Your Child Online Police and NSPCC join forces to tackle online child abuse The internet is a great place for children and young people to socialise, explore their interests and learn. But the online world is constantly changing and it can feel hard to keep up. Nationally we are seeing a growing number of cases where children and young people have been targeted by adults through popular apps and social media platforms. Online grooming and sexual exploitation are just a couple of examples of crimes that are happening in the heart of our communities, often going undetected or unreported. That’s why, as part of the force’s Hidden Harm campaign, Thames Valley Police and the NSPCC have joined forces to raise awareness of online child abuse and equip parents and young people with the tools to stay safe online. What is online child abuse? Online abuse is any type of abuse that happens on the internet, whether through social networks, online gaming or mobile phones. It can take many forms, from young people being persuaded to share sexually explicit images of themselves, to being threatened, intimidated and harassed via the internet. Any child or young person that uses the internet or has a smartphone could be a victim of online abuse regardless of their age, gender or background. That’s why it is really important that we all understand the signs to look out for that could indicate a child is being abused. Signs of online child abuse The signs aren’t always obvious but there are some you can look out for, for example:      

Spending more time than usual online or on their phone Being secretive about what they’re doing or who they’re talking to Hiding computer screens or taking phone calls in rooms away from other people Engaging less with family and usual friends Sudden personality changes or severe mood swings Having new things like phones or clothes that they can’t explain

How to keep children safe online The internet plays a big part in most of our lives so it’s important we all understand the risks associated with being online as well as taking simple steps to help keep children safe:    

Understand the types of social media available to children and young people Know what your child is doing online and talk to them about it Set up and manage parental controls on all your family’s devices Reassure your child that they can talk to you about anything that is worrying them

Suspect it. Report it. If you believe a child you know could be a victim of online abuse tell someone. Contact the police on 101, or 999 if you believe they are at immediate risk from harm. Alternatively you can contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 for help and support.

For more information visit thamesvalley.police.uk/hiddenharm.

Information for Parents Our mobile App is live on both Apple and Google Play Stores; you can stay in touch with our Events, News and receive free push notifications from us!

To download visit the Apple or Google App Stores and use the Username: Desborough Pin/Password: 6345

Information for Parents Cont .. RBWM Bikeability Holiday Courses Cycle Experience is offering Bikeability Holiday courses on behalf of Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council. Whilst we have offered cycle training in your child’s school this year, these courses provide an opportunity for children who missed out, or need a little more practice in order to achieve their targeted level. These courses will be taking place at Furze Platt and we’re offering the Bikeability level 1 & 2 combined course, for children in Year 5 and above, and Bikeability Level 3 for children in Year 7 and above. Free bike hire is available. We’re also running courses for adults, at all levels (including learn to ride) and cycle maintenance skills, which may be of interest to parents. For more information, and to book please visit: www.cycleexperience.com Or if you have any queries or would like any more information, please call our contact centre on 0330 024 1783 or email info@cycleexperience.com

Parentview Gives you the chance

It would be helpful if you could share your views of Desborough College with Ofsted. Please visit the website below even if you have done this previously.

Homework Club All students are welcome to attend Homework Club which takes place Monday-Friday from 3.15 until 5.00 pm in Room B10. Maths Sixth Form Tutors attend the session every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday

Information for Parents Cont.. Free Hot Meals For Students If you are in receipt of state benefits or you work less than 16 hours per week your son may be entitled to free schools meals. We believe that the FSM is a crucial entitlement to help ensure that all children, independent of their family income should be able to get a nutritious meal in the middle of the day. They also have important health and educational benefits for the children that receive them. All school providers are encouraged to introduce cashless systems so that children in receipt of FSM get this funding automatically. This was one of the reasons to improve our catering service. If you have any further questions, please contact the school on 01628 634505

Cashless Catering for Students Desborough has a cashless catering system in place for all our students and staff. We are working in partnership with Catering Academy to ensure a healthier delivery of food to all its students and staff. Our dining room is open from breakfast onwards and offers hot and cold drinks, snacks, and home cooked meals created by the chef on our site. Samples of the Catering Academy menus can be found on the school website. Once your child is registered for our cashless catering system he/she will be able to buy food in our dining room without the worry of remembering to ensure they have cash with them. The cashless facility has allowed us to provide the students with a quicker service as no money and change is being handled. Please be aware that there is no cash facility at the tills. In addition parents can pay for trips and take advantage of other offers available on-line. Desborough now has a brand new sQuidOnline portal that is quicker and easier to use with a whole host of new features. From 20 October 2016 parents will no longer log in through the old system and will be able to access the website through https://portal.squidcard.com/loginPortal/ To download the sQuid App go to squidcard.com/app. If parents require further information please contact the school.

Next Principalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Surgery Parents wishing to have a private conversation with me about any issues relating to school are invited to attend my Principalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surgery. The next one will be held on 11th May 2018 8 am to 11 am. These sessions are 10 minute slots. If you wish to have a longer conversation then please book a separate appointment via Nicola Humphries on 01628 762521.

Desborough College Shoppenhangers Road Maidenhead Berkshire SL6 2QB Tel: 01628 634505 Fax: 01628 639263 E-Mail: info@desborough-college.net