DESBOROUGH COLLEGE ACADEMY TRUST INDEX:-
May 2018 Dear Parents/Carers,
Desborough Legacy
Golf
Hockey Tour 2018
Cricket Skills Tournament
Year 7 Football
Rugby Update
Young Enterprise
UCAS Exhibition
Visit to O2
UKMT Junior Maths Challenge
A Level Geography Field Trip
Radley to Desborough Cycle Ride
Intervention Support from Radley Dons
Visit from Johnson & Johnson
Desborough House System
Sports Leadership Programme
Drama Report
I am sitting in the GCSE English Literature examination as I write this and I am delighted to report that, like every exam that I have helped invigilate over the last week or two, the Y11 boys entered the exam room calmly, confidently (mostly!) and with a determination to do their best. Teaching staff tell me that the boys have “upped their game“ significantly since Easter and are predicting record-breaking results. I hope so because they have been a terrific year group throughout their time at Desborough College.
Information for Parents
Regards,
On May 1st, Desborough College ceased to be a part of The Education Fellowship Trust, the Multi-Academy Trust that we had been a part of since October 2012, and became Desborough College Academy Trust, a standalone academy directly funded by the Department for Education and independent of local authority control. We have a very talented Board of Trustees who work hard to provide the type of challenge and support that will guarantee a very successful future for Desborough College. I doubt very much that anybody not directly connected to Desborough College was aware of this change and to be honest everybody who works in school has been concentrating on more important and immediate matters: supporting the students through the challenges and stresses of public examinations; preparing for a steep increase in the numbers on roll here in September and planning how best to spend the increased funding that we will be receiving. We will be having a celebration of our new status at some point over the coming months, but other than a new website, different letter headings and signage, improved facilities and resources most things will be as they are now and we will remain staunchly committed to improving year-on-year every aspect of the education that we offer the pupils who attend Desborough. Our ambition to provide boys (and girls in the sixth-form) with an outstanding education remains undiminished as does our determination to challenge boys to achieve their full potential through engaging lessons, rigorous teaching and participation in a variety of extra-curricular activities that few schools in the state education sector provide.
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
2
2 Things to know…
SOME NEWS FROM DESBOROUGH LEGACY Hello from The Legacy Team We are the fundraising arm of Desborough College and a charity in our own right. The name was chosen to reflect the principle aim of funding and driving projects that will deliver a lasting benefit for the boys and the school.
Its A Great Place to Meet Other Parents & We Only Hold Relevant & Timely Meetings
As a result of our fund-raising activity this year we have been able to support the following donations to the school…
If you would like to get involved with the Legacy, message us via our Facebook page (Desborough Legacy) or
10 Laptops were delivered last week to the Head of Geography, Thomas Myatt, these will be for the use by History Politics students too 3 new sets of indoor sports goals are being delivered to the PE Department this week We’ve approved a state of the art digital camera for the broader school – this will allow high caliber resolution pictures that can be used in large printing school advertising and on the web site. This quality for such printing and reproduction can’t always be achieved with snaps on your mobile phone We have provided a “Cash Fund” for spot awards and end of term recognition A Bose speaker and microphone for the Music Department
We will be running our “Welcome to Desborough” Summer BBQ for our incoming Year 7s and their families on Saturday Sept 1 st. £5 a ticket You don’t have to be a newbie to attend this event, the more the merrier , Contact the legacy on their FB page or your year group page for tickets
3
email Louise.braddick@hotm ail. Co.uk
How it works: Run rather like a primary school PTA Fundraises and supports activities and projects within the school Brings together parents, school staff, governors & carers Generates funds through monthly contributions
The Rain Can’t Beat Us Desborough Teachers and Student took on the Old Maids at Maidenhead Golf Club on Wednesday 28th March 2018. In the most appalling rain, we braved it and still played golf. The match started well with Mr Furmage's drive off of the first tee. The weather conditions didn’t help the play on the temporary greens, with good and bad shots throughout, but a fun time was still had by all, even if it was damp at the end of the game! Another victory for Desborough! Photo of players below Mr Furmage, Mr Brar, Mr Formstone, Josh Gibson (Year 8) and Mr Hamilton
4
Hockey Tour 2018 On the 9th of April, we woke up at 5am; we had packed and were ready for a 12 hour trip to Valkenburg. It was cold and dark and by the time we got to school the coach was already there. Excitement mixed with tiredness was in the air! But we were ready to start the tour! We arrived in Valkenburg earlier than expected. So early, the hotel didn’t even have our rooms ready. We therefore used the WIFI at the hotel and called our parents letting them know we had arrived safely. Some of us played hockey on the grass before checking into our rooms exhausted, where we unpacked. We had dinner at the restaurant and then went into the town and explored the lovely place, and then returned to the hotel and relaxed. On the second day we got up nice and early, had breakfast and headed to our training session where we were given the opportunity to use a fabulous astro to play on and found our coach, Phil. After a tiring training session we went to a local area where we could take part in tobogganing and laser tag! After the first attempt, it turned into a competition of who could go the fastest, with Mr Furmage not backing down in the toboggan. After tobogganing, we took part in Laser Tag with Team Red vs Team Blue in a confined area. Mr Brar’s team came out on top! After this, we prepared for our match against a Belgian hockey club with the A team playing first. It was a really good game to watch where our A team won 4-2. Unfortunately, the B team lost their match but they really showed how much progress had been made over the hockey season! After this exhausting day we were happy to go back to the hotel to sleep. Wednesday 11th of April was the same start. After breakfast, we went training which involved how to play in a confined area and how to get the ball into a space and drive up the pitch, this was very useful. Then we had a 5 hour gap between our next game. Mr Brar pulled some strings and we had the chance to go and play laser tag again. Later that afternoon, we had our second game where the A team had to travel by coach to a facility and the B team walked to the pitch in Valkenburg. The A team played some breath taking hockey and won 14-1. The B team improved the display from the night before, but finished second. On Thursday 12th of April, after the usual morning routine, we headed off to the bowling alley in the town to see who was going to win the bragging rights of "best bowler on tour". Mr Furmage and Mr Brar went head to head and the Year 9's tried to hit the most ridiculous strikes. We never did determine a champion! That afternoon we headed to the training facility for the final time and for the competition between us, the final game seeing ‘The Thunder Cats’ vs ‘The Punjabi's’. The Thunder Cats coming out on top to be crowned overall champions! Then the moment we've all been waiting for! We hit the dance floor, well not really, but we had a disco with all the other schools that were staying at the hotel. (Don't forget DJ Frugel!) Here, we have to say "what goes on tour stays on tour." The following morning was a really early rise again at 06:00 packing and heading home. The coach left the hotel at 07:05. While travelling through Belgium the coach driver stopped, he found a lovely chocolate shop which had the most delicious chocolates. Thank you to Master Class and especially Phil, our coach for the week who was a legend! Finally, thank you to Mr Brar and Mr Furmage for organising such a fantastic tour! We are already looking forward to the next one!
Gyan Safri—Yr 9 Dalton Bidgood & Charlie Hunter —Yr 8
5
Year 2 Cricket Skills Tournament The Year 2 Cricket Skills Festival took place on the 17 April at Boyne Hill Cricket Club. It was amazing to see 159 pupils from 7 different schools being put through their paces across the 2 sessions. The event was all about learning something new, having fun, taking part and representing your school. ALL STARS CRICKET: For some children this may have been their first steps in the world of cricket, and we made sure that every child had an All Stars card (electronic version attached) to take home (plus some extras for pupils aged 5 to 8 years back at school who may be interested.) This initiative is designed to give children a local All Stars Centre where they can access 8 weeks of fun coaching. Boyne Hill Cricket Club is an All Stars Centre. Parents can register their child (at cost) at allstarscricket.co.uk where they will then receive a personalised T shirt, bat, ball, cap, activity book & backpack. I would like to thank all of the school staff who attended for their enthusiasm, and for those behind the scenes who were involved with getting them there. These events are not possible without a lot of help so I would like to say some thank yous:
The young sports leaders from Desborough College, led by Mr Kilcoyne from the PE team, who helped support the delivery off all of the activities, and encouraged the children. Boyne Hill Cricket Club for allowing us to use their delightful facilities Ryan and the coaching team from Berkshire Cricket, who delivered the competition format on the day
Thankyou & keep on Cricket-ing! Emma Fitzgerald Partnership Development Manager Ascot & Maidenhead School Sport Partnership
Year 7 Football It has been a fantastic season for the Year 7 football team, with over 60 boys regularly attending training. There was serious competition for places and we managed to select an ‘A’ and ‘B’ team. The boys recorded wins against Claires Court, John Madjeski Academy, Furze Platt and Cox Green schools. Their best run of results derived from the County Cup. They beat Furze Platt 8-1 in round 1, Charters 4-2 in round 2, Littleheath on penalties in the quarter finals and Ditton Park 5-2 after extra time in the semi-finals. In the final they played against Trinity and after full-time it was 0-0. The boys played extremely well as a team but were unfortunate to lose 3-1 in extra time. It is their first year playing football at Desborough and it is exciting to see what they could possibly achieve during the remainder of their time at Desborough. Mr Furmage—Deputy Curriculum Leader for PE
6
A
7
Rugby Update Although the school season ended in December, many of our boys have carried on their achievements with their club sides. Our biggest congratulations must go to the members of Maidenhead Colts (Under 18s) who were crowned national champions last week after battling through a knockout competition from early November. The National Champion Trophy was added to their league success which they wrapped up two weeks before. Congratulations to Desborough 1st XV members and Maidenhead Colts Elio Mandozzi, Ben Gill, Suli Maher, Oscar Wallis, Phil Wells, James Pollard, Elliot Jones, Adam Leigh, Drew Prince, Josh Obeniyi, Ollie Hull, Ed Cook, Fraser Miller and Zak Ifsasse on all of their club achievements this year, and those of you in Year 13 we wish you every luck and success in the future, both in Rugby and in whatever you decide to do next. Your success throughout your time at Desborough has been an inspiration to the years you leave behind. A special mention to Josh and Elio who both scored in the final, Elio with a powerful drive from the back of a ruck 5 metres out, and Josh with a typical powerful run from the right wing. Phil Wells was also described as a ‘powerhouse in the second row.’ I would also like to extend my congratulations to Mr Andrew Jones, who is head coach of Maidenhead Colts. Enjoy the summer off; see the Year 12s for pre-season! Mr Kilcoyne Head of Rugby
8
Desborough’s Young Enterprise team does it again! Throughout this academic year you’ve seen, E-Cycle, go from winning Best Trade Stand at the Maidenhead Trade fair, to winning Runners up for Company of the Year, beating other schools from Windsor, Slough and Maidenhead.
We’ve carried our success and our powerful message through to success in most categories of the competition:
Winner at Maidenhead Trade Fair Winner at Windsor Trade Fair Area Finals where we won Best Trade Fair Runners up for Best Presentation on the evening Winners of the Chamber of Commerce Innovation Award Winners of the Best Company report award. This took us through to the Berkshire Final where we were awarded Best Presentation of the evening but sadly was the end of our journey in the competition.
Our message is simple but powerful: we’re here to teach people how to Reuse, Recycle and Upcycle. We’ve used the Young Enterprise competition to share our message throughout Desborough but also throughout the rest of Maidenhead, Windsor, Slough and Reading. We’ve been a committed social enterprise who aimed to manoeuvre the school and the wider community, as far as we could reach, into an eco-friendlier lifestyle. Our success has shown the team’s passion and commitment, putting hard work into the formation of our company as well as working together to share our message. It’s been a long journey with every member of the team learning new skills along the way as well as growing as individuals. The E-cycle team with their awards at the Young Enterprise Area Final, O2 Telefonica, Slough
9
Our success has shown the team’s passion and commitment, putting hard work into the formation of our company as well as working together to share our message. It’s been a long journey with every member of the team learning new skills along the way as well as growing as individuals. 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 a Botpot to take home or 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.
Recycle your gum To make gum we take resources from the environment, so why not out them back in the right way? We’ve partnered up with Gumdrop LTD (gumdropltd.com) to help them tackle gum waste in our environment. Get yours from one of the team members for an affordable price of £1.50 or directly from their website, and help make a pair wellies, a mug or even stationary.
Spread the word, share the message We’ve started by going down to Braywick Court Primary and showing the pupils how to recycle their bottles and make BotPots. They also helped us with our upcycling of a cable drum to make a table which we plan to donate to the school once completed.
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 @_ecycle.
The E-cycle team with pupils from Braywick Court Primary School and
Ms Neal Head of Business & Economics Enterprise Centre Lead 10
UCAS Exhibition On Thursday 26 April Year 12 made their annual journey to the UCAS Exhibition, which this year was hosted at the University of Winchester in Hampshire. In some Sixth Forms the UCAS Exhibition is the students’ first insight into university options, but our students have been attending Open Days, hearing from guest speakers, pursuing opportunities, and completing online courses for a number of months now. However, there is nothing quite like this exhibition, which houses hundreds of universities under one roof, as well as colleges, employers and representatives from the forces. It was also an ideal opportunity for the more adventurous students to take in a tour of the campus, ensuring the most important amenities (canteen & students’ union) were frequented. Year 12 were, as ever, a delightful group of young people to take out of school for the day, and arrived back armed with information, resources and curiosity! The next step will be welcoming the University of Southampton into school on 29th June, who will formally launch our university application process, including a personal statement workshop. We’ve also been fortunate enough to have hosted a number of other guests in our Sixth Form this half-term, evidencing our commitment to ensuring our students receive expert advice and guidance, and hear about the full range of opportunities that lie ahead of them. This half-term has included visits from: Royal Holloway, University of London; former student and now Barrister – Ed Carey; local employer, Tracy Gordon, offering apprenticeships in her firm ‘Mortgage Required’; and UCFB Wembley, promoting careers and degrees in the football and sports industries. We’re always grateful of any careers visit to our Sixth Form, and would welcome any individual or organisation who would like to promote employment, voluntary, training, or university opportunities to our students. Please get in touch with us at: sixthformadmin@desborough-college.net Mr D Clawson Assistant Principal – Head of Sixth Form
11
Another Great Day at O2 for our Students—27 April On the 27th April some of our computer science students of year 10 went to the impressive European headquarters of O2 Telefonica to take part in a day that proved challenging, thought provoking and very satisfying. Nerves were a little in evidence at the beginning of the day when our boys discovered that they were to be split up and were to work in groups with members of the three other schools who were also there. This doubt was not confined to our boys only – but all of the visiting students began to make their tentative steps towards positive and powerful teamwork under the kindly guidance of members of O2’s staff. It wasn’t long before it was impossible to imagine that the groups had not known each other for months! The challenge to take their computer skills and use them, together with developing skills such as effective discussion and evaluation of ideas, productive teamwork, intelligent thinking and some examples of really impressive presentation skills, were very well met. The day was concluded by the various groups setting up in the beautiful central atrium of O2 to present their group work, as the judges observed each presentation to select their final three. As ever, these were wonderful experiences that benefit our students enormously. We are hugely grateful to O2 for their unstinting enthusiasm and proactivity towards Desborough and other schools in our area. Mrs Sansom, Careers Adviser and Student Mentor
12
UKMT Junior Maths Challenge Following on from some great results for Desborough College in the Senior and Intermediate challenges, we have had huge success once again, but this time for Y7 & Y8 in the Junior event! On Thursday 26th April, the hall was packed to the brim with 130 students who took part in the challenge. The one hour paper tested their problem solving and analytical skills in, what most considered, a very fun and engaging way. A huge well done to Luke Peacock (Y7) and Jack Faulkner (Y7) who have progressed to the next round of this national tournament. Other notable results include: Gold Certificate Aditya Tekriwal Luke Peacock Jack Faulkner Silver Certificate Reilly Dent Liam Holloway Savinu Ginige Will Donnell Thomas Herrod Javier Fimia Callum Fletcher Bronze Certificate Matthew Hay Joshua Bird Samuel Waxman Ameer Duzan Eimantas Dapkus Oliver Hodgson Freddie Lockwood Charles Lawrence Ryan Ohaire Jack Scott Samuel Jarnet Joseph Henwood Luke Hargreaves Jacob Simmin Robert Bishia Ethan Mew Harry Mitton Kent Felipe Aaron Cook
Well done to all the boys who took part
Mr Formstone—Deputy Head of Maths
13
A Level Geography Slapton Sands Field Trip 27 April Year 12 Geography students spent 4 days away in the depths of Devon recently (their words not mine) studying and collecting data for their A-level coursework. Although the weather wasn’t up to the normal high standards you would expect, the boys had a great weekend walking across the cliff tops and studying the local topography. We stayed in the Field Study Centre Slapton, making use of their outstanding facilities and educational expertise. The boys spent the first few days learning about the study location and picking up the vital fieldwork skills required to achieve the best grade in their final coursework piece which accounts for 20% of their A-level grade. Following the tutorials, the boys were give two days to construct, plan and complete a fieldwork hypothesis based around the coastal environment. It is fair to say that the clean sea air and extremely nutritious ice cream helped to produce outstanding research project titles. Now back at Desborough, the students are busy working away with the aim of completing their projects in time for the summer break. This will allow for a well-deserved rest and recharge before starting their final year of Geography studies. Mr T Myatt Head of Geography
14
Radley to Desborough Cycle Ride On the bright and early morning of Sunday 29th April, there was a slight dose of tiredness floating among the boys, yet there was still excitement. 50 miles from one school to another, working in perfect harmony to try and achieve the challenge. Of course, there was not perfect harmony, there were screams of pain, brutal cycling seats and awful rain-burns. We set off from the Radley gates towards the Radley train station. Almost immediately people started questioning a fifty-mile cycle ride. Even still, we set off at a good speed. We rode past Abingdon passing through lush countryside. It was a great sight for around 10:45 in the morning. We then had our first checkpoint and continued for another 6 miles to the next checkpoint. But we were now faced with a steep climb. It came as a surprise and was accompanied with the crescendos of gears changing as we headed up the hill. Legs throbbing, we carried on until the next checkpoint. The hills to follow were nothing compared to the last one, but we still had a roller coaster ahead. We followed cycle route 5 and then continued to route 4. Passing small villages on the way. Luckily nobody got lost. The Radley and Desborough students cycled side by side, even if it is not officially counted as a race, there was talk amongst the boys who would “win� the challenge. So now there was a rivalry. But nonetheless, when people from either school fell a little behind there were shouts of encouragement. There was mutuality between the boys and we would eat and chat together as a whole. As we crossed the final gates of Desborough college, a flood flowed over everyone. Their achievement starting to kick in, we were rewarded by half a dozen mini buses filled with food and multiple teachers with huge encouraging smiles to guide us on. It was an amazing achievement by all of us, and a great day to excel in something we all loved. Report by Finley Trasler, Year 10 Radley College
15
Radley Dons Provide Intervention to our Students 61 Year 11s spent the morning at Desborough College from 9.30 to 12.30 pm on the bank holiday Saturday. They had three master classes in Biology, Physics and Chemistry from Radley dons (teachers) with the focus on exam technique and how to maximise marks in their Science GCSEs.There was excellent attendance and very positive feedback was received from pupils. Special thanks go to our colleagues from Radley who gave up their Saturday morning to support our boys!
16
IT’S NOT JUST THE SCIENTISTS THAT GO INTO THE WORLD OF SCIENCE! All of our Year 9 students had an encounter with one of the pharmaceutical world’s ‘mega’ companies on 10th May, when representatives from Johnson and Johnson, together with a presenting team, came for the day with a wealth of activities to enlighten our students about their world. These activities ranged from explanations of the huge variety of careers within such a company, together with a deconstruction of some of the more unexpected terminology relating to careers within their industry, to the complexities of dealing with the realities of medical advances and the almost certain need to continually alter and tweak the science as clinical trials unfold. This development of our students’ understanding was brought about by the inspired use of lego bricks to simulate the ‘new’ drug’s components, and then, by giving updates as to the simulated problems encountered during the ‘trials’. This was an inspired challenge to the boys, to discover how the various groups would modify their ‘scientific’ model to overcome the problems– a fascinating process – eye opening to all! Mrs Sansom Careers Adviser
17
Desborough House System The competition is still running high across our house systems. The leader board has changed considerably since September but this term it has been very tight at the top. The current leader board stands at-
4th
3rd
2nd
1st
The pupils have all been set a house challenge called The One Ton Challenge this final term. We were visited by Maidenhead charity SportsAble two weeks ago. This charity are fantastic at providing support and opportunities for less able bodied and disabled people of Maidenhead to take part in sporting events, training and clubs. They rely on donations and funding as a charity. The boys at Desborough have been asked to raise 100 pounds in 100 days or less for SportsAble. Pupils can either do this individually, in teams or forms. They are to plan and then start to raise money doing any activities they can manage. They are to bring in the money and I will collect in specific house charity collection boxes. The pupils and house that raises the most money will be rewarded with house points as well as golden time in the summer term.
So please get started now, if pupils have any questions they can come and see me in music or ask their form tutors.
Mrs McFarlane—Head of Music and Head of House System
18
Sports Leadership Programme During this academic year Desborough Boys have done themselves very proud on a number of sporting leadership events. This term has seen the turn of Year 8 using their cricket skills to lead two events in partnership with the Berkshire Cricket Board, teaching basic cricket Skills to Year 1,2,3 and 4 pupils from local primary schools. The boys did themselves and the school proud in the event and worked extremely hard. A massive thank you and well done to Jasper, LJ, Matt, Charley, Alex, Connor, Sam and Aditya!
We have also had some boys help in the running of the Berkshire School Games at Bisham Abbey in the Touch Rugby part of the festival. The boys umpired games and were rewarded for their efforts with some RFU stash presented by RFU Community Coach and Maidenhead RFC Head Coach, Russell Bolton. Thanks boys and once again a massive well done!
Pictured left are Charles, Sam, LJ, Ollie, George and Pat with their RFU hoodies, missing are Jenson, Cameron and Matt.
Also offering a helping hand were two of our Year 7s, Jody Bunce and Jude Griffin who did a superb job at guiding primary school aged children around an orbiteering course. Mr Kilcoyne—PE Teacher 19
Drama Report In Drama, Year 7 have begun the Summer Term learning about Ancient Greece and the origins of theatre. We are exploring a play called "The Flood" by Charles Way. Working in small groups and pairs the students have been investigating choral movement and voice and analysing the impact this technique has on an audience. The students have focused on timing, cooperation and moving and speaking in unison. As the unit progresses we will be exploring the use of masks in performance and how this can change an actor’s performance.
20
Drama Report Continued .. In Year 8, pupils are exploring key scenes from the well-known slapstick comic musical, Bugsy Malone, focusing on the fusion of dialogue, song and choreographed movement. Pupils are having fun interpreting the gangster characters of Dandy Dan’s hoodlums and Fat Sam’s gang, Bugsy Malone himself, alongside Blousey Brown and Tallulah, aspiring singers. Pupils will be experimenting with directing the ‘splurge-gun’ scenes with whipped cream and custard pies (shaving foam!) as the two rival gangs fight it out for control. The Year 9 group has recently embarked on preparation for their GCSE Devised Performance Assessment. Working under the umbrella theme of War and Conflict, pupils have responded to a variety of stimuli including Picasso’s painting ‘Guernica’, Wilfred Owen’s poem ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ and images from the London Bombings. Using a combination of styles – documentary drama and expressionism – pupils are beginning to find inspiration for their own original pieces. This group is highly creative and talented and has the potential to generate some remarkable theatre pieces next term. Watch this space!
Ms Lennon & Mrs Turner Drama Department
21
Information for Parents Please see below an article published recently, relating to some newly released research carried out by YouGov regarding Mandarin:-
Speaking Mandarin will give school leavers career advantage, say 77 per cent of business leaders - British business leaders believe speaking Mandarin Chinese will give students an advantage in their careers, with 28 per cent saying this would be ‘significant’; - While 69 per cent believe that Mandarin skills will be important for the future of British business and the economy, 66 per cent said that it was currently difficult to recruit employees who are fluent in Mandarin Chinese; - 82 per cent agree that the choice of language subjects in schools should reflect important potential growth markets for British trade and business. More than three in four British business leaders believe speaking Mandarin will give school leavers a career advantage over their counterparts, according to a survey published today. Amongst over 1,000 senior business decision makers questioned by YouGov, more than three quarters of respondents said that speaking a high level of Mandarin would be beneficial to school pupils in their future careers. On average, 28 per cent thought that the advantage would be ‘significant’ – with this rising to 31 per cent amongst those working for companies with an annual turnover of £10 million or more. The full article can be found here. The research findings were also discussed on Sky News, although unfortunately the clip is no longer viewable online.
Online Safety for Children National Online Safety have created a FREE guide for schools to share to its community about Yubo (formerly Yellow), the social media application which has been commonly labelled as ‘Tinder for Teens’. Our guide informs parents about the dangers associated with the platform and how they can reduce the associated risks, including, but not limited to; Bullying, Low Self Esteem, ‘Going Live’ and Location Features. Please share our free guide for parents by retweeting our guide here: https://twitter.com/natonlinesafety/ status/991688591817441280 Many thanks for your support The National Online Safety Team
22
23
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
24
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
25
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 Principal’s Surgery Parents wishing to have a private conversation with me about any issues relating to school are invited to attend my Principal’s surgery. The next one will be held on 29 June 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
26