DESBOROUGH COLLEGE
SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST: LETTERS FROM YR 7 STUDENTS
October 2015
MATHS DEPT NEWS
Dear Parents/Carers SAILING
SUMMER SCHOOL
The first eight weeks have flashed by and it is astonishing what has been achieved in that time:
2015 RHOS-Y-GWALIAU TRIP ARMY DAY
GERMAN EXCHANGE FUND RAISING
YR 12 TALK
A2 BIOLOGY FIELD TRIP RUGBY
ARTS BURSARIES
NATIONAL POETRY DAY SHORT STORIES COMPETITION BATTLEFIELDS TRIP
A hugely successful Y6 Open Evening attended by over 500 visitors. This was followed by around 70 families asking for tours of the school during the working day. I strongly suspect that we will reach our admissions limit of 189 for the first time in more than a decade. Confirmation that Desborough College boys significantly out-performed boys nationally at GCSE in EVERY headline measure, including English (10% higher), maths (10% higher) and 5A*-C including English and maths (10%+ higher). 16 boys in Y10 following an A Level maths course (see Oscar Wallis' reflections on the transition from GCSE to A Level). A series of nine lectures on a wide variety of subjects delivered by Radley Dons. A trip to Belgium. A German Exchange visit. Some excellent sporting performances, including by our First XV who have enjoyed a terrific run in the national cup competition. A successful Race Night organised by The Desborough Legacy and the boys raising funds for their trip to Borneo. Year 11 boys preparing to sit the English iGCSE in November and working very hard. 4 boys applying for places at Oxford University. Preparations for the delivery of The Duke of Edinburgh Award. 3 Parent Information Evenings on the changes to the new grading systems taking place. A mountain of cakes consumed to raise money for McMillan Nurses. The purchase of "Show my Homework", a new system that provides parents with more access to the homework tasks set by their son's teachers.
DRAMA DEPT NEWS
TECHNOLOGY DEPT NEWS LITERACY
ART/ PHOTOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT NEWS
I do want to take this opportunity to wish Governor, Dan Jacoby a speedy recovery from his illness. Dan, who has been a tireless worker on behalf of Desborough College as well as a very generous benefactor, is currently in hospital. I'm also delighted to tell you that an ex-Desborough student, Nicholas Pope, has been promoted to Lt. General and 2nd in Command of the British Army. Lt. General Pope attended Desborough from 1973 to 1980 and recently gave a very engaging lecture to our sixth formers on his career in the army. Not to be outdone, his elder brother, Christopher, a Senior Civil Servant is now Group Chief Communications Officer of the Department of Business and Innovation and Skills.
ENERGY AWARDS
DESBOROUGH LEGACY
Finally, could I thank all parents for their support. I have always maintained that education is a partnership between parents and school and Desborough's continued drive towards an Outstanding OFSTED judgement is a team effort with parents playing a crucial role.
PARENT INFORMATION
Regards
Year 7 Students Are Happy To Be At Desborough Year 7s were asked during their English lessons to write a letter to their old primary school teachers to tell them about their first weeks at Desborough. As you can see from the few extracts below, they have settled in very well indeed, and they also know how to use a mean metaphor and simile. In fact, all the letters are a delight to read, and will be sent on to the schools, and we will be inviting their former teachers back after half term to a special tea where they will be reunited with their ex-pupils. The letters deserve a wider readership and we are looking at ways of displaying or publishing them. Mrs Eaves—Assistant Principal Dear St Luke’s Hello and how are you? ……………….. I am writing to tell you about my first week of secondary school. It was nerve-racking! I felt as isolated as a Martian in Maidenhead. As I headed down the stairs into the year seven base, the pressure built up like a fizzy drink that’s been shaken and is about to be opened. I scanned the place and recognised a few faces. Now I have more than fifteen friends (including Years 8, 9, 10, 11 and sixth formers). The rewards I have achieved are: Students of the week Nominated as prefect 26 achievement points Chosen for Desborough rugby team Chosen for Desborough football team My favourite subject is Geography Homework is a key thing. Homework is something I enjoy because not only do I develop my learning at school, but I develop it at home. ………… A little note to anyone who is coming to Desborough, it is very good and the older kids will help you very much. Yours sincerely PS If you were wondering I have had NO DTs. Dear Courthouse My first day at school was petrifying until I got to know that it was impossible to get bullied by older students because the Year 7s have their own area to play. If you did get bullied which you won’t, Mr Frazer (the headmaster) will know about it in less than five seconds. I have settled in at Desborough very well and I’ve made new friends. I am comfortable with my new subjects as they are fun. My favourite subjects are English, Tech, Science and PE. The good thing about Desborough is the teachers are a bit strict which is good because you can push yourself to reach your capability and get good grades for your GCSEs…….. I have developed lots of skills during my time at Desborough. I will never forget my homework because my brain can remember my homework as fast as an elephant’s brain …………….. Yours sincerely 2
Year 7 Students Are Happy To Be At Desborough, Continued .. Dear St Mary’s …… I was certainly a little nervous and apprehensive on the first day and it felt a little odd wearing a blazer. Fortunately, as soon as I walked through the gates I saw lots of friends from St Mary’s, my football and tennis clubs and the Desborough summer camp I went to over the holidays. The teachers were very helpful in helping me settle in and understand how school life works…. I feel more confident since arriving at my new school as I’ve had to make a real effort to make new friends and I’ve been placed in all the top stream classes. The school diary means I’m even more organised than before and homework gives me more chances to show what I can do. As you know I was a little unhappy about coming here last year as I just missed out on the 11+ and some of my friends went to Furze Platt. I shouldn’t have worried, this is a great school that makes me feel special and important. Yours sincerely Dear Wessex …….. You may remember me as the quiet one in Year 6. I attend Desborough with eleven of my friends including my best friend from Wessex! On the first day of school I felt like a fish out of water because I didn’t know my way around but I have got used to it. I have been awarded Prefect, it’s a bit like School Council from Wessex. We have our own base where all Year 7s stay and other year groups can’t come in. The past few weeks have been quite good and I have made new friends and my three favourite subjects are Literacy, History and PE. The reason I said PE is because we do rugby and I love rugby. The things that have changed is I have gained confidence, I have made new friends. I have developed various amounts of skills, for instance, I can write long paragraphs in a short amount of time and I can speak a bit of German. I remember how kind the teachers were at Wessex and how much of a good school it is. Sometimes I wish I could stay at Wessex always but I have grown up now but I might still come and visit you. If any of the pupils at Wessex want to come to Desborough tell them there is no bullying and there is such a good learning atmosphere. Yours sincerely Dear Wessex ……. I was nervous on my first day but I enjoyed it and couldn’t wait to come in the next day. The learning and teachers are Desborough are outstanding. New topics have been introduced such as German, Technology and Drama. My favourite subject is PE. I have loved doing Futsal and rugby. I have made lots of new friends and I would recommend going to Desborough College . I hope that the Year 6’s come. Yours sincerely
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Maths Department News After a first month of hard work, Year 9 have taken their first maths test of the year. In view of their very good results on a past GCSE exam paper (4 A’s and 14 B’s already), another Fast Track class will be set-up after the October holiday. There is a lot of hard work in front of us, but it will be another exciting journey where talented young mathematicians will sit their exam 2 years early.
Mrs Morgan—MathsTeacher
Student’s Account of Transition between GCSE and A Level Maths To start this off I have to say that I have only started one A Level in Maths, so my view of the difficulty of A Levels may be somewhat altered because of my lack of experience and lack of other A Levels. Anyway, I find A Level Maths to be quite a step up from the iGCSE course I have done. Luckily, I have learnt a lot of the basic Core 1 and 2 subjects through my outstanding and hardworking teacher: Mr Horsell. With A Levels you need to always listen and work hard, making notes as you go through the chapters so that you can go back through them for future reference. Also, any of the work you do in class that you don’t understand you have to go home and revise, to make sure you can get a good score in the chapter tests and carry on with the other chapters. Whilst with GCSE, although determination was needed, lessons in class could quite easily stay in class and revision, though helpful, was not always needed. Essentially, I feel that you must work a whole lot harder than in GCSEs and, from personal experience, you will come out of class with a bit of a headache. Oscar Wallis Year 10
Student’s Success with Sailing Recently, I found out that I had been selected for both the Topper 4.2 UK Squad and the Topper South East Zone Squad. To be considered for the squads I had to take part in several selection events around the country in the summer and over 5 consecutive weekends at the beginning of this term. This included the Topper 4.2 National Championships in June near Wigan where I won the trophy for 1st Under 12. I will now be attending training weekends and racing events all over the country and benefit from coaching and support from British Youth Sailing and UK Sport. I learned to sail 2 years ago at Maidenhead Sailing club after being inspired by reading Arthur Ransome books. Leo Wilkinson—Year 7 Well Done Leo! 4
Transformers Summer School 2015 Desborough College invited the New Year 7 boys to the annual Summer School at the tail end of the summer holidays. Offered out to all, the summer school is the perfect opportunity for the new intake to catch up with old, and make new friends, become familiar with their surroundings and have bundles of fun before their first day in September! In a jam-packed week the boys participated in variety of activities, including Design Technology, Food Technology, Softball, Futsal, Crashmat Cricket as well as many other team building games/ activities that enabled the boys to get to know one another and have a jolly good time! The boys also had the opportunity to attend a day trip to Ufton Court in Reading where they participated in activities such as archery, orienteering, shelter building, fire lighting and more. It’s safe to say that summer school 2015 was awesome! And I would bet my bottom dollar to say it will be even better next year! The feedback I received from the boys, parents and staff has been magnificent and it makes me very proud to be the organiser of what is a truly amazing week. The highlight for me (apart from being pelted with water bombs by the boys at Ufton Court!) was watching the boys form lifelong friendships as well as building the solid foundations they need to build upon as they embark on their new journey as members of the Desborough College community. Mr Hall—Raising Achievement Leader
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Summer School 2015 Programme Please see below our Summer School 2015 leaflet showing the Programme of events :-
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Rhos-Y-Gwaliau—July 2015 A group of 35 Year 9 and 10 pupils headed off to Rhos Y Gwaliau on the last week of the Summer term, on the annual trip to North Wales. The boys enjoying a number of activities within Snowdonia National Park over the course of the week, from Gorge walking, mine exploration, raft building, and even a two day expedition camping on Snowdon! It was an extremely tiring but rewarding week for all the boys who went, with the boys being (as per usual) great ambassadors for Desborough College and getting stuck in to every activity with a can do attitude. This trip impresses me more and more each year and teaches the boys things about themselves they just can’t learn in the classroom. I can’t wait for Rhos Y Gwaliau 2016 already! Mr Snell—Raising Achievement Leader
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Army Day On 11 September the Year 10 boys were put through their paces by representatives of the British Army. The boys took part in various team building and problem solving activities as well as producing a few beads of sweat carrying two 20kg jerry cans the length of the rugby pitch! Following on from the physical stuff, Staff Sergeant Wayne Townsend hosted an assembly to provide information on the British Army and its make up, career paths and his personal story of service. The boys had an awesome experience and came away with not only a sense of satisfaction gained from the team building activities but more of an insight into what the British Army is all about. A big thanks to Wayne and his troops! Mr Hall—Raising Achievement Leader
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German Exchange — September 2015 We all set off with some trepidation about the week ahead. Would we fit into German life, German school and how would our German language take the challenge? Bleary eyed at 5AM in Heathrow we met for the first time as a group but it took no time at all for all of us students to be laughing and throwing ourselves into the experience. On landing the most nerve-racking event was about to happen – meeting our German families! It all happened very quickly and before we knew it we were whisked off on a weekend adventure with our German ‘Mums and Dads’ as they became known to us! Lots of us met up with other families but all of us tasted the real German experience and plunged ourselves into enjoying the differences in culture. By Monday morning we were back at school ready for a group outing and eager to discuss our weekend adventures! There was so much to discuss – the visit to the Chocolate factory in Cologne where the Chocolatier gave us an immense amount of tasters and the tour taught us a lot about where chocolate is made and what it is made from! From the mining museum to the Aquapark, both completely different but brilliant fun! One highlight was the TV tower and pressing ourselves into the glass to peer at the world below and also doing cartwheels along the river front – which Oscar says he won (but we’re not convinced from the photographic evidence!). We must not forget to mention the “real” German school experience where we participated in lessons and followed our exchange partners through their school day. This was an authentic experience and we compared and contrasted our school rules and expectations with our partners’ – sometimes they were very different but often very similar. The boys took away not only the experiences but we have created friendships for life, German and English, girl and boy alike. Roll on next year’s Exchange!! Mrs Gerber – Head of Modern Foreign Languages
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MacMillan Cancer Support Coffee Morning
Desborough College are proud to announce we raised ÂŁ474.74 for the Macmillan Cancer Coffee Morning.
Well done to all staff and students who took part in supporting such a worthy charity. Here are some of the cakes made/bought for the day.
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Year 12 BTEC Students Talk By Alexander Devine On Friday 25 September our Year 12 BTEC Business students had the pleasure of hearing from Julia Philipson, Fundraising Manager from the Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice Service in Maidenhead. Julia used her years of experience in the charity sector to help the group with their assignment, comparing charities to profit-led organisations. It was great to hear how the charity has manoeuvred through the economic down-turn, built relationships with stakeholders and pursued their vision and purpose. Our students spoke very highly of the session, with the proof being in their detailed and well applied assignments. Thanks Julia! P.S. The charity are always keen to hear from volunteers who may be able to support them in their endeavours. More information can be found at: www.alexanderdevine.org Mr Clawson Head of Business Studies
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A2 Biology Field Trip The Biology field trip took place from 28 September to 2 October. This year the trip was a month earlier and we were very lucky with the weather as the trip coincided with a warm spell–it was much cooler when we went in November last year. 14 upper sixth students travelled by minibus to Nettlecombe Court in Somerset to carry out their Ecology studies. As a residential trip, for many this was the first time they had been away from home for such a period of time. The days start with a cooked breakfast, followed by a teaching session in a classroom. Then the students would investigate the ecology of a local area: the nearby coastline provides a seashore, Exmoor allowed a detailed look at a freshwater stream and the immediate grounds of Nettlecombe were used for terrestrial work. The days were long with lessons after supper finishing at 8pm, but led towards students choosing, planning and carrying out their own independent study for their coursework. It was a tired but successful group that returned to Desborough -well done to everyone for their hard work. Mr Brockett—Head of Science
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Desborough’s 1st XV Match—September 2015 Desborough 1st XV went in to the first round of the Natwest Cup full of trepidation as they took on local independent school Reading Blue Coat. The 1st XV had lost a number of players to residential trips and had to field two flankers in the back line. On a glorious afternoon at Fortress Desborough the squad showed the depth, desire and determination to sweep aside the opposition. Due to the loss of personnel the side had decided to alter their game plan to be more direct and utilise the strength of the forwards. This approach paid dividends immediately as a driving maul was stopped short and the ensuing phase led to fly half Scott Prince scoring his first try of the afternoon. The good start continued as Desborough continued to dominate all facets of the game with only needless penalties allowing Blue Coats into the game. The second try of the first half was a classic counter attack play. A loose kick was pounced on by full back Izzy Quaye who brought the ball back and off loaded to man of the match Will Lawrence who strolled around the defence to score under the posts. A third try from a well-executed driving maul followed shortly after giving Desborough a 19-0 advantage at half time. The second half started with Blue Coats bringing on 6 players to try and stem the flow of Desborough dominance. This led to a period of pressure from the opposition in the Desborough 22. The Blue Coat’s centre crashed over for a try from a scrum giving the visiting side their first points of the afternoon. A quick tap and go from Will Lawrence allowed Scott Prince to waltz over for his second try. Blue Coats hit back again but a final score for Scott Prince’s hat trick completed a dominant performance from Desborough. Final score 31-14.
Mr Allen PE Teacher and Raising Achievement Leader
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Desborough Students Win Arts Bursaries On the 1 October three of our talented students received Arts Bursaries from the Mayor at a special presentation in the SportsAble facility at Braywick. All three had made an application to the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead for a bursary to support their studies and career in their chosen field. Lawrence Eaves in Year 13 was awarded a grant to support his training and auditions to conservatoires to study piano. Thulani Pilime was also successful in accessing funding to support his purchase of equipment for his music performances, and Jake Milston in Year 10 was also granted a bursary for his ballet training. Congratulations to all three and we look forward to hearing more about your progress in the future! Mrs Eaves – Assistant Principal
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Desborough Win Hard Fought Battle Against Radley College The Desborough College 1st XV travelled over to our partnership school, Radley College on 6 October, to play a much anticipated rugby fixture this week. The boys travelled in great spirits and looked forward to playing in such a spectacular location. The occasion, and surroundings, seemed to get the better of some of the boys in the first half as they found themselves chasing shadows on the vast expanses of Radley’s Bigside pitch. This saw Radley take an early 5-0 lead as their winger crashed over in the corner. After a rallying call from the senior players the Desborough boys showed an improvement in energy levels towards the end of the first half and scored a penalty after a period of pressure in the Radley 22. This made the scores 5-3 at the end of a first half that the Radley side had dominated. Following a call for greater work rate and the message that the boys were here to compete not just take part the second half started well. However, the Radley scrummage was proving too strong for the Desborough pack. This led to a scrum turnover on the Desborough 5 meter line which promptly led to a converted Radley try. 12-3 to the hosts. The improvement in performance led by the energy of skipper Shane McKenna and the tactical stewardship of fly half Will Lawrence finally began to pay off as the game entered the final 20 minutes. Will Lawrence showed his speed after the pack secured good scrum ball to make an outside break around his opposite number and to feed inside centre Chris Gill who scored under the posts. The try was converted by Man of the Match Ollie Malik who led the defensive line superbly from outside centre all afternoon. With the scores at 12-10 the Desborough boys really began to play and started to run through the Radley back line. One such break from Will Lawrence led to Cezary Apcio scoring in the corner. Ollie Malik stepped up ad slotted the extras once again. 17-13 to Desborough with 2 minutes to go. From there the Desborough side closed out the game to secure a memorable victory that was just deserved for the mountains of Desborough spirit the side had shown. Mr Allen PE Teacher and Raising Achievement Leader
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Rugby World Cup Around about November time last year, I attended a London Irish rugby tournament sponsored by Land Rover for my club (Maidenhead Rugby Club) when I saw a stand. It was a Land Rover car with a camera facing it. I saw player after player sit in the car and tell the camera about them, why they want to be a mascot and what they would say to a team captain. Finally it was my turn. I sat on the car and told them about me. At first I wasn't sure what to say, but when they asked me what I would say to the captain I said “Good luck and may the chances be with you”. I finished off and went home. I had actually forgotten about it until I got the email in May telling me that I'm a mascot. I was over whelmed. In the following weeks I got more emails of stuff I had to fill in and what I needed to know. However I was only told in July that I was going to be the mascot for France at Twickenham, against Italy. The day before the game, I was sent a big package with the special Rugby World Cup kit, a rugby ball, a scarf, two books, our parking passes, a badge, tracksuit bottoms and top and socks. As me, my brother and my dad parked up I got my first glimpse of the stadium, and it was massive. We waited outside the hospitality suite until the other mascot, Rory with his family showed up and also Ben, our guide for the day. Ben and a few others showed me, the other mascot, the two flag holders and the ball holder around the interview room, the radio suite, the changing rooms and the tunnel. Later on in the day we did a practice walking on the pitch. I was already nervous, and we were the only ones there! But the organisers told us where to walk to and where to stand. A couple of hours later and it was time. The five of us, the mascots, flag holders and ball holder, all went down to the tunnel and waited. Five minutes later the teams arrived, France with me, Italy with the other mascot. The players were huge. I could see the people outside in the stadium. It was more full than I ever thought it could be, and I got a little nervous. But then on the signal, I walked out in front of 82,000 people to my place on the pitch, sang the national anthems and walked back. As I sat in my seat and watched the game, I wanted to do it again! That whole day was awesome! Joshua Crook—Year 7
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National Poetry Day 8 October Please see below some poems our young, talented students wrote:-
On October 24th, a birth took place, I laid in a Moses' basket, lined with lace. Off home we went, to a world I did not know, People came and visited to see the 'show'.
A Poem About Me A poem, A poem about me, This truly is going to be the best it can be! The punctuation, the language, it’s all going to be great, Once you read the title, you can’t wait. Adjective after adjective, verb after verb, I can guarantee it is going to be superb. Now you know, I think we can crack on, This poem is going to be number one! 2004 was when I was born, My first cry sounded like a horn. The drama the tension for me to see life, Oh my “gosh” it was such a fight, The happiness and joy, as I was taken home, It would be eleven years till I was left alone. 2006 – I learnt how to walk, Ok, I forgot I learnt how to talk, The excitement of my first every sound I think I recall, ‘JD’ was what I found. For one year ‘JD’ was all I could say, I still remember to this day. As I grew I learnt a few more ‘Hello’, ‘Elkan’, and the galore. The last thing is, I hope you have enjoyed And please tell me if you are annoyed
Years went by and I learnt lots of new sports, Mostly at school but some self taught. I ran quite fast and my tackles were quick, While trying to score, my moves stayed slick! My favourite snack is a chocolate bar, I always leave wrappers in my Dad's car. I have a younger brother so we tend to fight, Deep down our relationship is quite tight. I'm always praised on my Afro hair, It's hard to manage and needs lots of care. I like to shop and buy clothes from Superdry, So I can turn up at parties and look super fly. Generally, I think I'm quite a cool guy. The best thing about me is I never lie! I hope after this, you have learnt lots about me. Now I've finished this poem, I'm finally free!
By Vinnie Moore—Year 7 By Elkan Dillon—Year 7
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2015 Shortlisted Stories Competition Please see below one of our student’s stories for the “Story in a teacup” Short Story Competition for Henley Literary Festival for 2015. Well done Niall.
Thunder, lightning and hail striking the battle of the century, death is imminent. As the devil dragon unleashes his wrath on the god dragon however the god dragon is now wounded and very close to falling. Moments later the god dragon surrenders and the devil dragon is victorious, now the dark side rules the kingdom, forcing all the other dragons and folks to departure. Despite being defeated the god dragon has hope that maybe his son might rise to the challenge and take victory. But there is one problem with his hope and that is the prince dragon (his son) has a nickname and that is skinny dragon this is due to his size and the weakness. But since the age of 4 the prince dragon has been determined that he will be as strong as his dad and the other dragons. Meanwhile the prince dragon has been training to get stronger and to improve on his weight, yet does he know that his dad has been captured, most people in the village expected the god dragon to win but due to the god dragons wound he was a lot weaker than the devil dragon. Tiny passes and the prince dragon starts to suspect that there might be an issue so he flies over to the messenger station and asked if he had received any messages, the messenger retorted that his dad may have been captured. The prince dragon falls to the ground in despair, as the imbecilic air passes him. Despite his emotions he dashes back to the village and lights the meeting torch to symbolise the meeting is in progress. As all the other dragons gather round the prince dragon they all start to wonder where the god dragon is. Then the prince dragon starts to explain that his dad has been captured. However all the other dragons and folks are crying of laughter and all of them are shouting out how you are going to get your dad back with you, you can’t even hurt a fly. The prince dragon flies away with embarrassment. He mumbles to himself saying I’ll show them. If they won’t come I will get him back myself. As he finishes packing his bag he starts to travel then it is only 2 hours away but it’s not getting there that is worrying, it is that can he save his father and prove to the village that he can become a god dragon not a skinny dragon. A few moments later he reaches the devil dragon tower, the prince dragon can sense his dad’s presence, so he quickly rushes up the spiral staircase. The devil dragons spot him and shout you shall fall, they both engage into a fight. The prince dragon eliminates his opponent with a left uppercut to the head. With his burning determination showing the village his strength now his dad is saved; the prince dragon is a hero, with every joy in the world. Niall Canning – Year 10
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World War 1 Centenary Trip to The Battlefields of France & Belgium The History department was delighted to be invited to take part in a government funded project to commemorate the centenary years of the First World War. On Friday 9th October two students and I departed for Slough Train station after a leisurely start to the day. The coach arrived to collect us, and other schools from the area, at 11.15. We climbed aboard a very quiet coach and set off for Twickenham station to collect the final groups on our weekend visit. Arriving early we admired the calm of one of the other teachers whose student had forgotten their passport. Her mother raced to catch up with us at Twickenham. Passport safely delivered, we left for Kingswood in Ashford for our first night’s stay. When we arrived we were shown where we would be sleeping for the night and then told to reconvene for a tour. Boys and girls were not allowed to sleep in the same block so Mrs Murphy and another teacher traded night time responsibilities for their students. After the tour Mrs Murphy accompanied the other teachers to a training session whilst we went to take part in high ropes activities and meet the other students properly. Having broken the ice with the others we went and ate traditional WWI food of either fish and chips or maconachie stew. Well, Mrs Murphy ate the stew, it was only tomatoes and vegetables! We followed this with a research session on a local soldier, C. W Aldridge, who lived on the Windsor Road and handled WW1 artefacts, including Alex’ favourite a rifle & bayonet. Climbing activities followed and then it was back to our teachers for cake & cocoa, a recurrent WW1 theme here, and then off to bed. The following morning we had to be up at 6.30 for breakfast at 7am. Packed and eager for the day to start we were the first students waiting for the coach at 7.30. We loaded up bags and packed lunches and set off for the channel tunnel at Folkestone. After a slight delay we reached the French countryside around noon. We started the tour properly at the In Flanders Fields museum in Ypres (or Ieper to those who speak Flemish like our teacher!), where we worked together to identify answers to the day’s question on the impact of war on ordinary people. A visit to the large war cemetery at Lijssenthoek near Poperinge was both a memorable and inspiring occasion. We heard stories of young men under the ages of 16 who joined up and the nurses who volunteered. After that it was off to the Death Cells in Poperinge where Mrs Murphy attempted to translate a poem from the local dialect for us. We were back very briefly to the hotel to change and have dinner before we left for the moving ceremony of the Last Post at the Menin Gate in the centre of town. After a brief hour of free time to buy famous Belgian chocolate & waffles it was back to the hotel and bed. Sunday was another early start! On the Somme on Sunday it was difficult to see anything as the fog was so thick. At Thiepval Wood we were shown trenches from the battle of the Somme, but the cold made it hard to concentrate on the detailed explanations Teddy was giving us. We had been warned! Visits to Serre Road and Sheffield Memorial park followed, with the final stop of the day being at the Thiepval Memorial to the missing. Boarding the coach at 4.30 we gratefully warmed up on the journey back to Belgium. Dinner was quick and followed by an information ‘show and tell’ session run by the army. We tried on WW1 and modern equipment, tasted army rations and used camouflage paint. Alex bravely volunteered to be a patient and was wrapped in bandages whilst Joe modelled the lasts in gas mask wear. The young ladies on our trip were most impressed by their bravery. After hours of scrubbing to remove the camouflage paint it was time for lights out and bed. Departure was at 8.30 Monday. Monday morning dawned brighter than Sunday and we headed off to Tyne Cot Cemetery to find the grave of Aldridge and pay our respects to the 12000 men buried there. It was a remarkable sight to see these graves. We followed this with a visit to a pottery so that we could make a soldier for part of an amazing art installation that aims to create 880000 crouching soldiers by the end of 2018. After a long delay at the terminal in France we arrived back at Slough at 9pm. Now all we have to do is run the Remembrance Day assemblies and design an exhibition for the local Heritage Centre. We need to reach as many people as possible with the project. This article is just the first part. Wish us luck! Mrs Murphy—Head of History, Alex Wallis-Banbury, Year 12 & Joe Brookman, Year 10 19
World War 1 Centenary Trip to The Battlefields of France & Belgium
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Drama Being Enthused By The Professionals Year 13 students have experienced four contrasting theatre events this term, inspiring them in their own devised theatre work, ready for their performance exam in November. The first of these was a theatre workshop based on the principles of Antonin Artaud’s Theatre of Cruelty. Physical in nature, the students were put through their paces by the lead practitioner Kelly from Scene Productions. One of Artaud’s principles is how the actor must ‘sacrifice’ his body for the good of the drama and push himself to physical, mental and emotional extremes. Through exaggerated voice and physicality, the students explored an array of emotions, characters and themes, looking into nightmares and the dark sub-conscious. The final presentation of surreal sequences made compelling theatre. The workshop was complemented by Flintlock Theatre’s physical comedy workshop which encouraged light-hearted yet intensely focused work. With the opening dedicated to drama games, the students rekindled their sense of fun and it was stark reminder of the importance of group cohesion, togetherness and a sense of humour when devising theatre. Moving further afield, we all had an exciting afternoon out in the West End to see ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time’ at the Gielgud theatre. After excessive amounts of chocolate, burgers and fizz, the students settled to admire this ingenious production, directed by Simon Stephens. Picking up on creative storytelling techniques, sophisticated lighting concepts, and synchronized choreography, the students were inspired on so many levels. The same can be said after a visit to Norden Farm to see ‘Rise Up’. This was a smaller more modest production, yet just as hard hitting with its message exploring the moving stories of the Freedom Riders in the 1960s who rode buses across the Deep South, drawing attention to illegal discrimination. Aspects of all theatre events are finding their way into the students’ own devised pieces; again reinforcing the power of good theatre. The Year 13 students now have only a few weeks before their Devised Performance Exam and are rehearsing hard, creating two of their own exciting pieces based on challenging subject matter: ‘Remember Me...’ based on the recent and tragic Alps plane crash; and ‘Virtual Predator’ based on Internet Grooming. These pieces are not intended to be comfortable to watch, instead they should provoke discussion and thought. As always, Year 13 Drama students never fail to surprise and inspire! Dates for the Diary: A2 Performance Exam (Devised Theatre) – Tues 10th November, 6.30pm, Jacoby Studios. Christmas Celebration – Wed 16th December, 7pm, Jacoby Studios.
Mrs Turner Head of Drama
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Year 13 Artaud Workshop: Theatre of Cruelty
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Technology Department News Year 7 With another bunch of new Desborough boys we have been getting stuck in to a new year at Desborough. Myself and the other Technology teachers Mr Fogarty and Mr Connellan have been having some exciting lessons with our new Year 7 students making magic belt balancers and starting off our pencil case design work. Open evening: During open evening we had the chance to show off some of the boys work from last year and get some excited Year 6’s working on their own projects and even some little minions! Thank you to everyone who came to see us it was a great evening.
Year 8: Our Year 8 students are preparing to make some photo frames for Christmas presents and this terms have tried their hands at operating the 3D printer and laser cutter to teach the younger students. Well done boys! Thank you for your help at open evening!
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Technology Department News Continued
Year 12 and 13 students are off to a busy start with their construction studies. They are taking on some brick-laying and stud-work as a practical project. They have also been working hard on their architectural drawing skills.
Ms Kelleher—Head of Technology
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Literacy : Accelerated Reading Scheme at Desborough There is a lot of evidence and research that shows that encouraging pupils to enjoy reading for pleasure and reading regularly has an impact on attainment on all subjects including maths and that reading fiction helps with their imagination, understanding of the world and empathy for others. We have a reading culture at Desborough and two years ago we began a reading programme called Accelerated Reader. All Year’s 7 and 8 have one lesson and one tutor time a week in the library. What is Accelerated Reader? The pupils are STAR tested at the beginning of each term which looks at comprehension, understanding and reading ability. It provides us with individual reading levels, reading age, comparisons nationally and measures the student so that we can measure progress through the year with the expected standards of the curriculum. How AR works:Student Reads a Book. Students choose books at their appropriate reading levels and read them at their own pace. The reading level is determined by each pupil taking a 20 minute STAR test once a term. Books are given a level (expressed as a number 3.8, 5.2 etc.) which is based on vocabulary and sentence structure. This level is determined by AR. Student Takes a Quiz on their book. Accelerated Reader offers more than 140,000 quizzes to help motivate and monitor students’ reading performance and vocabulary growth. These can be done on any school computer. Teacher/Librarian feedback. Teachers are able to get immediate reports on the reading and vocabulary progress of each student. Students are set individual targets. Pupils are monitored to make sure they are making satisfactory progress. Pupils are motivated with house points and certificates. The program is proving very successful as pupils enjoy reading and quizzing on their books and reaching and exceeding their targets. Huge progress has been made with pupils in terms of their reading age, extending their reading and their enjoyment of reading. Many pupils state that until they came to Desborough they did not like to read at junior school and now they love it! We also celebrate with a millionaires club those boys that read a million words or more and we already have two Year 7 boys who are millionaires after just five weeks! Renaissance Home Connect TM I am delighted to announce, that parents of boys in Years 7 and 8 will from this week, be receiving a letter detailing their son’s logins and passwords so that they can monitor their son’s progress; see the books they are reading and their results from home. Mrs Hallissey School Librarian @DesboroughLRC
LRC Logo Desborough has a huge number of talented boys and when I wanted to create a logo for the Learning Resource Centre or Library I turned to Samuel Cox in Year 13 who has drawn images for me for events in the past. I was truly overwhelmed by the wonderful image he came up with and wanted you all to see it.
Mrs Hallissey @DesboroughLRC 25
Judging Panel for the Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize We were delighted to discover last term that we had been chosen to participate in judging the Royal Society’s Young People’s Book Prize. The Royal Society is a Fellowship of the world's most eminent scientists and is the oldest scientific academy. This prize is aimed at finding the best science book for young people up to the age of 14. A group of Year 8’s who attended Science Club last year came together on Thursday lunch times in the library and we discussed the books on the shortlist. The books covered all kinds of interesting science; so we were really excited that we could be involved in voting on this year’s Young People’s Book Prize. This year’s shortlist of books was announced on 14th May and covers the full spectrum of science; from microbes to antimatter:
We were given four criteria to judge the books and graded them from 1-5: Easy reading, Appeal.
Layout, Interest and
We enjoyed discussing the books and for us there were three favourites. Frank Einstein and the antimatter motor by Jon Sciezka. We felt this story was a novel way to discuss this topic combining physics, and robots in a humorous way with diagrams and scientific method. We found Jake’s Bones by Jake McGowan-Lowe inspirational. This book is about Jake’s interest in fossils and his collection. Jake started a blog (www.jakes-bones.com) when he was seven about all the bones he has collected. He is sent bones from all over the world as a result of his passion and the book gives advice and useful tips on starting up a collection of bones. Tiny: The invisible world of microbes by Nicola Davies was our favourite and winner. This picture book was beautifully illustrated by Emily Sutton. It is written for young children but we felt it was an accessible book for all ages and we learnt a lot about microbes that are so tiny millions could fit on an ants antenna and a single drop of sea water can hold twenty million microbes. We also learnt how they transform the world we live in and that the tiniest lives can have a big impact. The illustrations were vital for showing us how microbes live, multiply and effect changes on our environment. We enjoyed judging these books and wait in anticipation for the official winner in November. https://royalsociety.org/grants-schemes-awards/book -prizes/young-peoples-book-prize/ @royalsociety
Mrs Hallissey School Librarian@DesboroughLRC
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Miss Rhodes—Head of Art and Photography
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Miss Rhodes—Head of Art and Photography 28
The Jacoby Studios has once again been nominated for another energy efficiency award. The headline cost was £450,000 including foundations for the whole building project, or under £1350 per square metre. A conventional building will cost £1500 per square metre if you’re talking about a portakabin, up to £3000 if you’re building a school for the future. The New drama Block will pay the school around £7,500 annually too, with a 30 kilowatt solar panel system on the building’s roof. The school chose to buy the solar panels outright so the money made from the excess power would go straight to them through the feed tariff. It is estimated that this system will provide £3500 of ‘free energy’ and generate £4000 of feed in Tariff annually on an added investment of £26,400 this will pay for itself in 3-5 years.
We have been nominated for the “Energy efficient building project of the year” During the summer holidays of 2014 Desborough College needed to replace its old drama block, which was falling apart and costing thousands of pounds a year to maintain. Rather than throw good money after bad, the academy management sought to replace it. Where one usually expects to pay more for an energy efficient building (with zero carbon homes estimated to cost 20% more to build than their less efficient equivalents for example) the Jacoby Studios cost less than a less energy efficient equivalent.
The Jacoby Studios is capable of achieving low energy costs and energy efficiently by efficiently using materials. The building has built in structural insulation panels and uses efficient mechanical heat and ventilation. The key to the cost efficiency is in the design and build.
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Desborough Legacy Dear Parent / Carer Desborough Legacy is a combination of teachers and parents who have come together to raise money to buy additional resources for all of our boys. All parents and staff at Desborough are automatic members. Our last event raised £1500 and we are in the process of planning further events for the current academic year, these will be publicised shortly. There are a number of ways that you can get involved:Join the Legacy – we meet once per half term for 1 hour – please contact us on the above email address for more information.Support Legacy events by manning a stall or attending the event – contact kathrynjames96@gmail.com to see how you can help. Make a donation to Desborough Legacy on the form below – all funds will go directly towards improving facilities and resources for the boys. This is an annual donation and we suggest £2 per month. We are a charity, so please tick Gift Aid if you are a UK tax payer as this will mean we can claim the tax back on the donation. We are currently fundraising to improve the outdoor areas and install some equipment so the boys have more lunchtime activities. As we raise funds from donations and events, we will publish what we do with those funds i.e. where your money is spent. We are asking all parents to complete the form below to either pledge your help, make a donation or both! DESBOROUGH LEGACY ANNUAL DONATION 2015 -2016 Please return this form to the school office for the attention of Kathryn James. STUDENT NAME:___________________________________FORM:_____________________ I would like to make a donation for the current academic year of £30.00 payable to Friends of Desborough School I would like to set up a standing order of £2 per month: HSBC 90559261 40-31-05 I am a UK tax payer and would like to make a Gift Aid declaration. I would like to join the Legacy team. I am able to help at events My contact number is _________________________Email address: __________________________
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Where Desborough College Main Hall, Desborough College, Shoppenhangers Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 2QB
When Saturday 28th November 1pm - 5pm
50p Entrance for all so why not come along and get in the Christmas spirit Why not have your own stall for only ÂŁ15
Parentview Gives you the chance to tell Ofsted what you think about Desborough
It would be helpful if you could share your views of Desborough College with Ofsted. Please visit the website below:
http://parentview.ofsted.gov.uk/
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Free £400 for Lunchtime Hot Meals If you are in receipt of state benefits or you work less than 16 hours per week with a family income below £16,190, your son may be entitled to free schools meals. This can provide you with more than £400 per child for free lunchtime meals in school. 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. To complete an Application Form on-line press ctrl and click on the link below:-
https://www.cloudforedu.org.uk/ofsm/mwschools/ If you have any further questions, please contact the school on 01628 634505
Cashless Catering for Students Desborough has now introduced Cashless catering for all our students and staff. Desborough College is 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 son is registered for our cashless catering system just follow the instructions on our website for the sQuid online payment system, and your son will be able to buy food in our dining room without the worry of remembering to ensure he has cash with him. 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.
http://www.desborough.org.uk/sQUID-Online-Payments
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 20 November 2015 from 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
Halloween 2015 A Police message for parents from PC Graham Slater Safer Schools Partnership Officer Halloween will soon be upon us again on 31st October, which this year falls on a Saturday during the school half term break. In previous years, we have had reports in the local area of anti-social behaviour caused by a very small number of teenagers who think this time is an excuse to behave in a disorderly way. Examples include vandalism, egg & flour throwing, underage drinking and illegal use of fireworks. Parents, please speak with your children if they are planning to go out on Halloween night and evenings across the holiday week. Make sure you know where they will be going, who they will be with and what they plan to do !
In the lead up to this period there has again been a combined effort between a number of local agencies including Police, Berks Fire & Rescue Service and Local Authority staff to try reduce any such problems across the half term week. There will also be increased Police and Community Warden patrols during this period to reassure residents and deter any antisocial acts. Those individuals that do decide to behave in this way will be dealt with firmly. Please also consider the safety of your children. Trick or Treat is perhaps an activity that is really for younger children who should always be escorted by a responsible adult .Ideally, arrangements should be made in advance with householders that are happy to receive them. Teenagers should realise that going around in large groups can be intimidating to many residents, road users and pedestrians. Elderly and vulnerable members of the community can find Halloween a particularly worrying time when they receive repeated calls at their door. Many residents do not want to receive Trick or Treaters at this time and their privacy and peace should be respected and not result in them becoming targets for abuse and vandalism. For further Halloween advice please contact the Schools Officer or your local Neighbourhood Policing Team via the central police number : 101 Further details can be found on the Thames Valley Police website at : http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/yournh/yournh-tvp-pol-area/yournh-tvp-pol-area-berksewinds.htm
http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/crprev/crprev-asb/crprev-home-hols-halloween.htm
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Staff Vacancy
DESBOROUGH COLLEGE MAIDENHEAD Principal: Mr Paul Frazer www.desborough.org.uk
LEARNING SUPPORT ASSISTANT (FIXED TERM CONTRACT FOR ONE YEAR) REQUIRED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TERM TIME ONLY Working day Mon-Fri- 8.40 am to 3.10 pm (including 30 minutes unpaid break) Salary: Grade 2 Spinal Point 5 £12,853.78 FTE 32.5 hours per week Our Learning Support Assistants work alongside students and support teachers in the delivery of the curriculum to pupils who have special needs. We aim to identify the learning needs of all our students and help to address them through in-class support and special individual programmes. We are looking for people with a commitment to working with secondary aged students in class and one to one tutoring. The ideal candidate will be required to keep records of students’ progress which will need to be tracked and files of evidence kept up-to-date. The post would ideally suit somebody who has experience of this type of role with relevant qualifications. Desborough College has a responsibility for, and is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and for ensuring that they are protected from harm. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check. Candidates are invited to submit an Applicant Information Form which can be downloaded from the vacancies section of our website together with a comprehensive CV and a letter of application demonstrating suitability for the role. Applications should be addressed to Nicola Humphries at nicolahumphries@desborough-college.net. No Agencies please. Closing date for applications: 13 November 2015
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