DESBOROUGH
DESBOROUGH COLLEGE
COLLEGE JULY 2014 SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST: NEW DRAMA SUITE DRAMA PERFORMANCE TRIP TO LSE UNIVERSITY BOXING FINALIST POETRY RECENT EVENTS IN SCHOOL GO-KARTING A YEAR IN THE TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT SPORT & SPORTS DAY
Dear Parents/Carers Since this is the final newsletter of this academic year 2013/14 I have decided to divide my remarks into two distinct halves: Looking Back and Looking Forwards, because the year has seen many successes and there are many many more to look forward to. Looking Back As Principal I have no hesitation in declaring that our school has made significant progress in all areas since September: Significantly more lessons have been judged Good or Outstanding and this will improve the examination results of all year groups. The quality of teaching determines the progress that students make and our six-weekly data collections indicate quite clearly that Desborough’s students are progressing at a much faster rate than boys nationally. This summer’s GCSE examination results will exceed last year’s records by a considerable margin and we are expecting excellent A Level results. Attendance continues to improve and is now well-above national figures. Behaviour around school and in lessons is very good. There have been an increase in the number of trips available to boys. Many extra-curricular activities related to sport, drama and music are enjoyed by increasing numbers of boys. Desborough has developed its own learning culture where boys are working hard to achieve their potential and staff are offering them the support that they need, not only during the school day but outside normal school hours, at week-ends and during school holidays. The environment has been transformed over the last nine months. A 68% increase in the number of parents making Desborough the preferred secondary destination for their sons.
THORPE PARK AND WHIPSNADE ZOO TRIPS GETTING TO THE BEST UNIVERSITIES BLETCHLEY PARK TRIP CREATIVE WRITING
Looking Forward 2014/15 will see this year’s achievements surpassed on all fronts: From September we will be strengthened further by the arrival of excellent teachers in Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Economics, PE and Technology. Examination results will continue to improve. An Ofsted Inspection will confirm our huge progress over the last two years. A £500,000 Drama Studio will be opened in September and will provide a fitting venue for audiences to enjoy our boys showcasing their considerable talents. Additional coaching expertise will result in more school teams in all of the major sports. The number of parents opting for Desborough College as their first-choice secondary school will continue to rise.
MATHS/ SCIENCE COMPETITION CAREERS GUIDANCE ART NEWS READING INFORMATION FOR PARENTS
In the meantime, of course, we all have a summer holiday to enjoy and I hope that yours is restful and enjoyable. I shall be jetting off in search of some sunshine where I can read my kindle and re-charge my batteries before returning in time for Results Days, the best days in the entire school calendar because boys and teachers can celebrate what I am confident will be a set of results that reflect the outstanding effort that has gone into them Regards
Project for our new Drama Suite This summer Desborough College is replacing the Drama modular building with an ultra-efficient, sustainable A+ energy rated building. The building will feature sensor controlled energy efficient lighting, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, pre-fabricated structural insulated panels and integrated photovoltaic roof.# # As part of a multi-academy trust, the Education Fellowship, we received £500,000 capital funding in 2014. This will be used to replace a very shabby modular building currently used by our very hard-working and successful Drama Department. This building has reached the end of its useful life and we are very pleased to be replacing it this year with an energy efficient building which will provide the school with a Performing Arts Centre to be proud of. Demolition is to start on 21 July 2014 and the project will be completed in 8 weeks. Mr Ayres-Turner—Site Manager
CURRENT DRAMA BUILDING
NEW PROPOSED ENERGY EFFICIENT BUILDING
2
Signing Off With Dramatic Flourish The Year 12 Drama students finished their AS course in May with a flourish of three excellent performances to a visiting examiner. Commencing with Dario Fo’s satirical comedy, Trumpets and Raspberries, the cast multi-rolled their way through the absurd plot of mistaken identity, using lots of energetic and comic physicality. Some memorable moments included Joe Beel as Lucia the ‘bitch’, dressed in a flattering red boiler suit and Jimmy Cox as the neurotic, melodramatic Rosa. It was unanimously agreed that cross-gender casting suited both Jimmy and Joe. The second performance was an extract from Neville’s Island, exploring four men’s experiences as they are taken from their structured business environment into an outward bound bonding exercise in the Lake District. Some great moments included Jack Tucker as the cynical and angry Gordon who brought to life most of the comic lines in the play and Hasan Akhtar as the naïve and foolish Angus who lost the one and only sausage, the most important prop, during the performance! The third play, Pinter’s The Hothouse, changed the atmosphere in the Studio to a chilling menacing humour, commencing with a torture scene. The dark toned, eerie music set the backdrop for exposing hierarchical power structures within the ambiguous ‘institution’. The performance was not without comedy though, with Gibbs (Owen Blackmore) and Lush (Elliot Hood) fighting realistically and getting messy with whisky and Christmas cake! Sam White played the promiscuous mistress with immense natural ease, shamelessly flaunting her sexuality. Sam really enjoyed this role and had his hair done especially. In final rehearsals, boys pushed the boundaries to realise their artistic performance potential, often practising well into the evening and at weekends. Mrs Holyoake-Lloyd and I admired their tenacity and resilience as the deadline loomed and the going got rather tough. Thank goodness for caffeine and chocolate! We would like to wish all Drama students a relaxing and fun summer holiday (although a little bird tells me it’s best to avoid Zante this year!). We look forward to seeing you refreshed at the start of September, ready for a new era of performance working in the new Drama block. Photographs of our talented students can be seen overleaf.
Mrs Turner—Head of Drama
Trip to LSE University Three students visited LSE University in London on 16 June 2014 to experience what university would be like. The students were taken for a tour of the university and saw the campus including their two Libraries for study. One was a high tech Library with a computer suite and the other held old books and comfy chairs with even a Lecturer asleep! The students then went for a talk on "what, why, where?" while Mrs Holyoake-Lloyd went to a lecture on planning ahead and learnt about what universities are looking for in students, as well as what students can do now to add to their personal statement. A lovely lunch was had by all where the students could chat to other students from around the country. The students then went to their next lecture which was given by a Lecturer from the university. Our final meeting of the day was a motivational speech called "I am amazing!" It was a really inspiring talk to listen to and the students felt highly motivated. It was a fantastic day and really showed the students what they can do with their future. Mrs Holyoake-Lloyd – Head of Year 8/9 and Drama Teacher 3
Drama Photos
4
Drama Photos
5
Boxing Finalist
6
Poetry in Motion—Griffin’s Done It Again! To the President of Brazil, Dilma Roussef By Griffin Martin They grovelled and grumbled, they mumbled and moaned; When you said the World Cup shall not be postponed. They said, “The economy won’t take this blow!” You said, “It’ll make it. Now’s the time to show, What Brazil’s made of; we’ll be strutting our stuff, With pride and confidence and a good deal of chuff.” They still insisted, “We’re dead! We’re doomed! By your folly, the economy’ll be consumed. You said, “No more whining; it’s time for the Game. It will not kill us, it will cause us less pain.” So then it was announced, we would be the host Of the world-famous game heard from coast to coast. The tourists flowed in, like a profiting wave. They’d better flow steady; the economy was to save. The first game was played; Brazil won 3-1! All according to plan; these games would be fun!
Griffin Martin—Year 7
7
Year 11 Prize Giving On 26 June, Year 11 celebrated outstanding achievements at the Year 11 Awards Ceremony where over 200 guests, students, teachers and parents attended. The event took place in the afternoon with awards being distributed to many students to recognise the enormous amount of hard work they have put into various subjects, and their achievements during their school life at Desborough. Many students such as Ross Taylor, Imad Rashid, and Laurence Jones did particularly well by receiving awards for more than one subject. After the awards were received, Sam Hoxley, Richard Russell and Conor Giangreco provided the audience with a live musical performance which was extremely impressive, followed by some alternative awards for staff which were presented by Oliver Malik and Muhammed Ali. The students had great pleasure in presenting these! The ceremony was a really positive way to finish the year and celebrate the achievements of our students with a real sense of togetherness. Thank you to all staff who helped make this event such a success. Mr M Snell Raising Achievement Leader for Year 11
Sports Award Evening Thursday 26 June saw Desborough’s now annual Sports Awards Evening take place. This event has now run for three years and celebrates the participation of the 150+ students who have represented Desborough at a wide variety of sports throughout the 2013-14 year. It is also an opportunity to award Player and Coaches Awards to the well deserving winners. The event was hosted by the Physical Education Department alongside special guest Stephen Jones. Stephen Jones is the chief Rugby correspondent for The Times Newspaper and in this capacity he has covered nearly 300 Rugby Union Internationals, eight Lions tours and seven Rugby World Cups. His book Endless Winter won the UK Sports Book of the Year and he is a previous winner of the UK Sports Journalist of the Year. Stephen has also taken a leading role in the development of Rugby at Desborough and has been pivotal to the success of senior teams in recent years. Mr J Reilly—Head of Year 10 and PE Teacher
8
Sports Award Evening Winners Winners Rugby U15 Player of the Year
AHMAD HUSSAIN
U15 Coaches Award
JAMES KING
U14 Player of the Year
FRASER MILLER
U14 Coaches Award
PHILLIP WELLS
U13 Player of the Year
OLIVER HULL
U13 Coaches Award
DREW PRINCE
U12 Player of the Year
GEORGE ELLIOTT
U12 Coaches Award
JASKEERAT SOHAL
U12 B Player of the Year
EMIL PANCHEN
U12 B Coaches Award
ALISTAIR WALL
Hockey U15 Player of the Year
SEAN McCORMACK
U15 Coaches Award
DUNCAN BROWN
U14 Player of the Year
PHILIP WELLS
U14 Coaches Award
DAVID SYMONS
U13 Player of the Year
MATT WORSFOLD
U13 Coaches Award
JOE BROOKMAN
U13 B Player of the Year
LOUIS MONK
U13 B Coaches Award
ADAM LEIGH
U12 Player of the Year
WILL WORTH
U12 Coaches Award
JAMES DIRKIN
U12 B Player of the Year
SAMEER LATIF
U12 B Coaches Award
JASKARAN SOHAL
Football U15 Player of the Year
RYAN KHAN
U15 Coaches Award
PATRICK HULL
U14 Player of the Year
AMAN SANGHA
U14 Coaches Award
FRASER MILLER
U13 Player of the Year
MATTHEW WORSFOLD
U13 Coaches Award
EDWARD COOK
U12 Player of the Year
JAMES DIRKIN
U12 Coaches Award
HARRY COMBE
9
Sports Award Evening Winners Cricket U15 Player of the Year
ISSAC SARWAR
U15 Coaches Award
RAMZAN TARIQ
U14 Player of the Year
SAIF AHMED
U14 Coaches Award
HASHIM SULAMAN
U13 Player of the Year
RAJVEER PAHL
U13 Coaches Award
AMMAR AYUB
U12 Player of the Year
SAMEER LATIF
U12 Coaches Award AndyBond Cup (Individual Performance)
MAAZ BUTT HASHIM SULAMAN 4 for 14 off 4 vs Borlase
Athletics U15 Athlete of the Year
AHMAD HUSSAIN
U14 Athlete of the Year
KAI FURNELL-BRENAN
U13 Athlete of the Year
JOEL LANGE
U12 Athlete of the Year
NICHOLAS ROWE
Overall
U15 Sportsman of the Year
JAMES KING
U14 Sportsman of the Year
PHILLIP WELLS
U13 Sportsman of the Year
MATTHEW WORSFOLD
U12 Sportsman of the Year
NICHOLAS ROWE
Nic Duncombe Trophy PHILLIP WELLS
10
Year 11 Prom On Friday 27 June the Year 11 Prom took place in the school Hall. The theme this year was Las Vegas including a Casino. Students arrived stylishly stepping out from an assortment of vehicles, ranging from Maseratis, motor-cycles and vintage cars to a hail of paparazzi photographers and being ushered into the Bellagio styled venue where they were able to mingle, relax in the VIP area and learn what it takes to be a responsible gambler at one of the three casino tables that were on offer. The feedback from a number of students and teachers who attended the event was very positive and the evening proved to be a fantastic way to celebrate the end of their exams for which they have all worked tremendously hard in trying to achieve, what we all expect, will be impressive examination results in August. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all parents, who were incredibly supportive throughout the year and we look forward to seeing the students back in September to start a new chapter of their studies in the Sixth Form. Mr M Snell Raising Achievement Leader Year 11
11
Desborough has the Star Factor Star factor 2014 was an evening of great talent and entertainment from Year 7 to Year 12! The judges were fantastic despite Mr Hall living up to his reputation as Mr Cowell. Miss Pankhurst and Mr Ravetta did a great job of scoring the pupils and giving feedback for their performances. The highlights of the evening came from Lawrence Eaves who performed a Beethoven Sonata, all 6 minutes of it from memory and at lightning speed. What a great talent! Will Palmer performed one of his own compositions earning him 2nd place with Ben Cox who confidently played an Ed Sheeran cover. Ben helped with the sound all evening and during the day so the concert would not have been the same without him. Tapanga Hales, Warrick Heath, Sam Hoxley and PJ Crocombe and Nathan Willis all produced quality performances with guitar and vocals. We had two special performances from Victory Mabungu singing Bruno Mars and Thulani Pilime showcasing piano, vocal, rap and dance skills all in one. It was refreshing to have variety this year with Ali Moursey creating a poem about the tudors, educational and creative work. Mr Miller stole the limelight from the students with an epic drum solo he claimed he had not played for six years. Mr Ravetta thinks otherwise. We hope to see him drum more often with a hidden talent like that. It was especially fantastic to see David Symons playing violin on the stage for the first time, he did a great job and his confidence has increased throughout the year. Mr Ravetta commented on the unusual version of Radioactive by the Year 8 band. It was different to hear an instrumental version of a drum and bass song. The KS3 Drama Club performed The Kings Clothes with many moments of comedy throughout especially from Charlie Haynes, Harley Jones, Cameron Rai and Raza Rashid. Griffin Martin made three appearances throughout the evening, starting with a fabulous trombone jazz solo, singing in the Year 7 choir, acting and then a piano solo! The evening ended with a Ukulele solo from Jake Milston playing The Godfather brilliantly. I was very impressed with Mr Reilly’s hosting skills, a definite match for Dermot O’leary. Overall the entire concert was a brilliant celebration of the talents we have at Desborough College and a great way to end the musical school year!
Miss Smith-Phelps—Head of Music
Star Quality
12
Junior Presentation On Wednesday 9 July, our annual recognition and celebration of the achievements of our students in Years 7-9 took place in the school hall. Will Palmer played a wonderful medley of music on the piano as students, guests and parents were ushered to their seats by some of the Sixth Form Prefect team. Mr Wyles welcomed everyone and shared with the audience how busy life at Desborough College has been in the summer term and how busy the students have been all year. An overwhelming message was how hard it had been this year to win prizes for effort and attainment in each subject, due to the tough competition from all the other boys in each class. Mr Wyles emphasised the expected record results for this academic year, and challenged all the students to aspire to achieve even better results in the years ahead. He also emphasised that enjoyment was a critical factor in building competition and delivering achievement inside and outside the classroom. The sunshine outside provided a perfect backdrop as each shining example of excellence took to the stage to receive their prize from Dr Dan Jacoby. Dr Jacoby has been a Governor at Desborough for a number of years, and he has been tirelessly committed to improving the facilities and the experiences of every student at Desborough College. As such, it was very fitting that Dr Jacoby should award the prizes and then provide an excellent address about the behaviours which students, teachers and parents need to demonstrate to bring success and achievement. A mention must go to Griffin Martin, who played the theme tune to James Bond as a musical interlude. Also, a special mention to Miss Pankhurst and her troop of Year 7 helpers, who made the delicious cupcakes for the refreshments at the end. We would like to thank all the parents who were able to attend and all who continue to support their sons as they enjoy, compete and achieve at Desborough College. Mr A Wyles—Assistant Principal
Welsh Go-Karting Championships
Year 8 student Harry King was Runner Up in the Welsh Karting Championships. Well done Harry. 13
A Year in the Technology Department It has been a busy year in Desborough’s Design Technology Department. We wanted to share even a small snippet of our year. Some very hardworking students, Nandit Sondagar, Griffin Martin and Jonathan Nankivell have worked for months on building us our first 3D printer. They are going to help us keep up with technology to give the best lessons and projects we can! A big thank you to these students, Miss Napier and Mr Wood for all their hard work.
With Year 11’s moving on for the summer we must mention the hard work they have put into their GCSE’s in Resistant Materials and Graphics this year. They worked very hard even on weekends!! We had a great chance to visit the Warner Brothers studios in Watford to help show the boys how many options are available after taking DT in school.
Down in Reynolds we have had lots of work carried out and are continuing to spruce the place up for when the students return in September! With so much happening we have opened a Design Technology Twitter account for parents and even students to follow and get involved with. We will keep you updated on what we are up to, what projects the boys get up to and some fun house point challenges. Please follow @desboroughDT to keep up! Miss A Kelleher— Head of Design Technology
14
Cricket The Desborough Indoor Lunchtime Premier Cricket League (DPL) began in earnest on the 10 June, to be played over a period of six weeks. Five teams of six players each battled it out for the bragging rights as the best indoor team. Three teams soon emerged as front runners: The Super Kings, Chargers and Knight Riders. The Raiders and Superstars were soon left behind to fight for the wooden spoon between themselves, unlucky in defeat on several occasions – such is sport! Each game has been keenly contested, and watched by a partisan crowd, creating a gladiatorial atmosphere. Every team saw stars emerge from unlikely sources and heroes were catapulted into the spotlight for a few, frenetic and fantastic moments. The penultimate game in the series was tense and ended up in frustration for the Chargers, as a win would have made them outright champions. They lost! Now we have a play off between the three front runners, where each team will play each other in a three day lunchtime smorgasbord of cricket, rivalry and all the passion that has followed the series. Who will be victorious? The Chargers, Knight Riders or Super Kings? Mr S Elliott—Vice Principal
Athletics In terms 5 and 6 Desborough College competed in the Year 7/8 and 9/10 RBWM Athletics Leagues at Thames Valley Athletics Centre in Eton. After the first two rounds our Year 7/8 team finished 3rd, while the Year 9/10 team finished in 5th. Although the Year 9/10 team failed to qualify for the finals, the Year 7/8 performed superbly and eventually finished in second place overall. In the RBWM Borough Athletics Championships on 23 June our Year 7 team finished 5 th out of 10, while the Year team finished 3rd of eight. The Year 9 team finished 5th out of seven, where as the Year 10 team were magnificent on the day, finishing in 2nd place out of eight schools within the Royal Borough. Earlier in the summer term we selected a number of pupils for the RBWM District Trials. Ahmad Hussain (Year 10) finished 2nd in the Shot Putt and was selected to represent RBWM at the Track and Field Championships. Nick Rowe and James Dirkin (Year 7) finished 1 st and 2nd in the 1000m and were chosen to represent RBWM at the Track and Field Championships on 3rd July. Mr T Hamilton—Head of PE
Football: Staff v Students
Thursday 3 July saw the Year 11 football team take on Desborough College Staff XI. There was much excitement before the match as this cohort have been Desborough's most successful year group for Football reaching the Berkshire cup semi final this year along with the county round of the Futsal tournament, not to mention becoming National Futsal Champions in 2012. However, despite all their success the Staff XI were confident and with their back line of Mr Elliott, Mr Wyles, Mr Hamilton and Mr Hall they were in with a reasonable chance. The game started slowly with few opportunities but the first goal went to the Year 11 boys, only for the staff to equalise after a giant leap from a long throw. 1-1. This was how it remained until half-time. The second half saw the Year 11 team take advantage of some miscommunication from the referee and linesman. 2-1 Year 11. This disappointing goal only spurred the staff on and after a penalty was awarded and dispatched by Mr Snell there was only one way the tie was going and with two minutes left to play, new PE teacher Mr Fumage scored the all important and decisive winner. 3-2 Desborough Staff XI win. Great game, good fun. Mr A. Ravetta—Raising Achievement Leader for Year 7 and PE Teacher 15
Sports Day Thursday 10 of July was Sports Day at Desborough College. Having sports Day on a Thursday was a break with tradition, as previously this event has been held on a Saturday. Indeed there had been some concern about this change of days, but this proved to be groundless as Sports Day was a most spectacular event. The competition was fierce with every event being hotly contested. The competitors demonstrated excellent athletic skill and determination, which was a pleasure to see. So high was the level of achievement that Nicholas Rowe broke the Year 7 1000m record with a time of three minutes sixteen seconds. The day was made more memorable by the excellence of the food that was available throughout the day. It is fair to say the some of the staff and Sixth Form ‘O D ed’ on cup cakes. An invitation to attend was extended to Year 6 students and a number of events were organised in which they competed. Judging by the intensity with which they took part they thoroughly enjoyed the competition. The organisation was most professional, which with the good weather resulted in a splendid day for all, competitors, officials and spectators alike. Congratulations to Elgar – Sports Day 2014 Champions! Mr Hamilton—Head of PE and Mr Nicholas—Teacher of Maths
16
Visit to Thorpe Park We went to Thorpe Park on 2 July by coach where we were able to examine forces in a real life situation by, of course, going on the rides. We had to complete a worksheet on a ride of our choice. We chose Tidal Wave. After filling out the sheet we then were able to go around the park and go on other rides. Some rides that people went on were: Saw, Swarm, Colossus, Stealth, Nemesis and X. The day was fun, filled with thrills and enjoyment, and at the same time educational. We would like to do it all again. With special thanks to Mrs Chaudhary and Mr Brockett for an excellent trip. Marc Hedouin and Kiall Luxton —Year 10
Trip to Whipsnade Zoo On 25 June, Year 7 went to Whipsnade zoo for a Science trip about adaptations. We learnt that different animals can change to suit their environment, i.e. giraffes have adapted to hot and sandy environments like in Africa because they have hooves to stop them sinking into the sand and polar bears have adapted to the Arctic because they have thick blubber to keep them warm. While we were there, we saw: monkeys, giraffes, red pandas, lions, hippopotamus, rhinos, warthogs, tigers, wolves and kangaroos. They were all in their own collective areas, which were European, Asian and the African area. At lunch there was a workshop where we learnt even more about how different animals adapt to their natural environment. We were able to touch a royal python. We also came up with our own animals and their habitats. It was an awesome day !! Charlie Downes and Ben Crook—Year 7
17
PiXL: Getting to the Best Universities On the 30 June a group of Year 9 and 10 students went to The Oval in London. After the seemingly daunting task of navigating students through the London tubes, the twenty of us were ready to be told "how to get into the top universities". We had a few hours with three excellent speakers representing the best universities in the country ready to tell us all of their ‘secrets’ about the different places, books to read and radio stations to listen to. They didn't waste a second. Everything that we found out would fill much more space than this, but in essence, there were a few key points that they outlined. Obviously, the grades do matter, but so does what you have done and experienced. Your interests and your hobbies are what the Universities are looking for, not just the grades. We were lucky enough to be told what the previous Year 12's would have liked to hear at our age, such as choosing A Levels more carefully. And to top it off, the two speakers from Oxford and UCL gave us a small window into the life at these prestigious universities; the Ukulele Society at Oxford was quite different from Homework Club. I am sure I speak for everyone when I say it was an education that you wouldn't be able to get anywhere else, and just that would make it something to remember. Apart from perhaps not being able to watch all of the cricket going on while we were there, it was a great experience for all who were lucky enough to go. Craig Renwick— Year 10
18
Trip to Bletchley Park Don’t Help the Enemy! Careless Talk May Give Away Vital Secrets Once Britian’s best kept secret, Bletchley Park gave us the opportunity of becoming WW2 Codebreakers for the day! On Tuesday 9 July fifty one Computer Science, ICT and History students and five members of staff (one with a little black book) headed off down the motorway towards Milton Keynes, our venue Bletchley Park. After an eventful journey (which involved one sick bag, and going the wrong way) we arrived at Bletchley Park where we were greeted by the guide who escorted us through the six foot metal fences that surrounded the site. The day was filled with interactive code breaking activities, looking around the historical site which consisted of a Memorabilia shop (which Mrs Murphy couldn’t wait to get out of!) filled with musty old clothes and toys. The smell as you walked around was quite oppressive, but there were little gems like small tin soldiers of Hitler and the German Army, dolls houses filled with homemade wooden furniture and old 40’s clothes hanging from the walls. The visit to the working post office where you could still post letters and post-cards was a step back in time. In this hut you had the opportunity of guessing the weight of a tin filled with old coins. The Polish Memorial stood in the grounds of Bletchley Park, outlining the important work that the Polish people did in code breaking. They were the first nation to identify the algorithm to break the code, without which we would not have been able to crack the enigma code during the war. Hut 3 was a hive of activities, where the students and staff tried their hands at code breaking. This proved difficult for some but we all worked through it to find the answers. Unfortunately even the best of us took longer than the professionals during the War. In Hut 11 we found Bombe, which was designed by the fathers of Computer Science Alan Turing and Gordon Welhman. This machine worked through the mathematical algorithms which reduced the work-load of deciphering the code. Mrs Murphy and I demonstrated how good we were at using this machine, showing a high level of dexterity (unfortunately slightly exaggerated, as even with our high skill levels we were unable to perform the task within the time limit). Throughout the day Mr Elliott would remove his little black book and scribble something in, close it up and put it away. We later found out he was writing a set of questions that he would fire at the staff on the way home (just to make sure we were paying attention to the exhibits!). We never did find out the winner but I think it might have been Mrs Murphy (she is still awaiting the prize Mr Elliott). The only down side of the visit was that we were unable to see Colossus and the history of computing. Since the falling out between Bletchley and the Computing Museum they have built a six -foot fence around it. I did think at one point Mr Elliott was considering doing a little breaking out. Mrs Hughes – ICT Teacher
19
Photos of Bletchley Park
20
Creative Minds A group of aspiring writers from Desborough College took part in a creative writing workshop on Wednesday, run by professional poet and author, James Nash. Twelve students from Years 7, 8 and 9 honed their writing talents, learning about how to use different sources as inspiration, the writing development process and how to edit and redraft their work into final creative pieces. The students thoroughly enjoyed their experience, producing some outstanding pieces of writing. The workshop followed a World War I theme and the students will see their work compiled into an anthology of poetry. James - who is Writer in Residence at the University of Leeds and author of several collections of poetry, and short stories - said of his experience working with the pupils: “the Desborough boys proved themselves to be great writers, and brilliant ambassadors for their school, achieving in a morning more than many professional writers might. They thought hard, took risks and were terrific company – what a pleasure they were to work with!” A HUGE well done to the following boys: Year 7 Griffin Martin Cameron Rai Year 8 Austin Heath Joe Brookman Alex Wallis-Banbury Oliver Taylor Oliver Hull Year 9 Aman Sangha Philip Wells Peter Coull Jonathan Evans Sulaiman Mamoun Miss Hutchison— Head of English
Photo from the Maidenhead Advertiser Article Dated 11 July 2014 21
Maths and Science Competition with Local Primary Schools On 2 July, Desborough College held the first Annual Mathematics and Science Competition for Year 5 students. Four primary schools attended the event: Holyport, Larchfield, Lowbrook and Wessex. During the event, the students faced a series of Mathematical and Scientific challenges which were both fun but difficult. Through teamwork and resilience, the schools were able to complete each one. The winner for the Mathematics Challenge was Lowbrook and the winner for the Science Challenge was Wessex. The overall winning team was Wessex School and the Winner's Cup was presented during the Year 5 assembly in their school. The event was a huge success and there is much enthusiasm for another event next year! I would like to thank a wonderful team of Year 10 students who helped on the day: Calum Jones, Craig Renwick, Matthew Dixon, Jack Ball, Arun Sanga and Joel Allen. Mrs Barros— Deputy Head of Maths
Careers Information, Guidance and Advice for Students What an exciting and stimulating few weeks we have had! It all kicked off in mid-June when Year 8 had a presentation from a theatre company, who explained, in a very understandable and entertaining way, all the choices the students could consider as they head through their school years and journey towards their own career paths. The Year 10’s had a similar event, where they had time to consider all the further education choices that were on offer to them as they get ready to take their GCSEs next year and make decisions for their futures. To help them on this journey, members of Goldsmiths University (part of the University of London) worked with our students providing lots of information and ready answers to any queries. On 2 July, the Year 12 students had a packed agenda for their annual careers day. We had been very lucky in securing the expertise of many wonderful speakers, ranging from a Historian and political party members about to commence campaigning for the upcoming general election, providing fascinating insight for our History and Politics sixth formers, to prominent business leaders; a Psychologist; an Accountant; a communications and IT expert and many distinguished Scientists. Goldsmiths University, renowned for its art alumni, also sent members from their Art Department to speak to our own wonderfully creative artists, to inspire and advise them regarding their futures. Hopefully something for everyone! Year 9’s were not about to be left out when it came to experiencing the acquiring of knowledge and skills that will be invaluable as they prepare over the next few years, and head off towards their own futures. On 4 July, visitors from business, including a large team from Adobe Computers, and several financial experts, gathered to put our eager Year 9’s through their paces. It was a pleasure to see so many of our boys determined to triumph in the day’s task – to create a product, develop it, market it, sell it and even have to negotiate their way towards a loan from a rather formidable Bank Manager! Some unique insights into the real world of business. We rounded off this abundance of events focusing on our students’ futures and how they can be better equipped to meet them, by having two days, for our Year 12’s and 10’s, led by members of the Army, focusing on team building – an essential skill to acquire. It was challenging, but, far from being put off, the students faced the challenges with enthusiasm and determination and really impressed the Army team who led the sessions students. Well – I don’t know about the students, but I am looking forward to a well-earned rest. As the saying goes – the future’s out there and I think we can face it with much more confidence and knowledge! Mrs Sansom—PSHE Co-ordinator/Careers Advisor and Sixth Form Support 22
Art Department News The past term has been a fun-filled, fast-paced and extraordinary time in the Art Department. Firstly, congratulations to the Year 11, Year 12 and Year 13 students who sat their exam shortly after Easter and managed to work hard over a two or three day stint in complete silence! The wide range and variety of creative outcomes contributed to a large exhibition that took place on the 4 of July, where many parents made positive comments about the work produced by the students. Included in the show were the experimental works of Oleksi Popov and Mark Spokes, who both produced large scale paintings exploring texture and technique. Alongside these two painters, Timothy Greengrass chose to develop his digital painting skills which caught the eye of the Lead Examiner on their visit in late June. These Year 13 students have worked hard over the past year and have inspired many younger students to develop their work. The photography outcomes this year were of a high standard, with special mentions to Joseph Beel, Sulaiman Balouch and James Cox who produced a set of stunning images. The quality of work is improving each year, and as Head of Department I am excited at the prospect of even stronger work next year.
Miss Rhodes—Head of Art & Photography
Mark Spokes— Year 13
Hasan Alam— Year 11
Sulaiman Balouch— Year 12
Oleksi Popov Year 13
Joe Beel Year 12
Timothy Greengrass Year 13
23
Carnegie Shadowing The 2014 Carnegie Shadowing Group were lucky enough to visit the author Katherine Rundell talking about her shortlisted book Rooftoppers in June. Rooftoppers has won a number of awards including the Blue Peter Book Award and Waterstones Children’s Book Prize but lost out to Kevin Brooks’ The Bunker Diary, which was judged the winner of the Children’s Carnegie Prize for Literature, 2014. Our favourite book from the selection was All the Truth that’s in Me by Julie Berry which was also the favourite of all children shadowing across the country. The Desborough Carnegie shadowing students had eight books to read over a period of around eight weeks. We met up at lunch-times once a week to discuss our views which culminated in viewing the announcement of the winner live. I am sure you have read in the news that the winner Bunker Diary has been a very contentious choice with many reviewers. The Telegraph certainly criticised the choice saying it “Seems to have won on shock value rather than merit.” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/10920101/The-Bunker-Diary-why-wishthis-book-on-a-child.html A group of young adult Shadowers had a different view. “We feel that the article in The Telegraph, claiming the book won "on shock value rather than merit", is a negative and unfounded attack on a talented author whose books, while controversial in many respects, should be accessible to any and all readers who are comfortable reading the themes he explores in his writing. See the article in full here: http://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2014/jun/25/carnegie-the-bunkerdiary-unsuitable The Desborough group really enjoyed reading the selection of books and have also read a number on the longlist too. The Carnegie Shadowing Scheme encourages students to read different genres, inspiring them, challenging their opinions and world view. They learn so much from reading for pleasure and sharing their views it has been a wonderful journey for all of us and we can’t wait for next year’s longlist to be announced. Here are the shortlisted books that we read: 1. All the Truth That's in Me by Julie Berry 2. The Bunker Diary by Kevin Brooks 3. The Child's Elephant by Rachel Campbell-Johnston 4. Ghost Hawk by Susan Cooper 5. Blood Family by Anne Fine 6. Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell 7. Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead 8. The Wall by William Sutcliffe Please continue supporting your sons with their reading over the summer, so we have lots to discuss in September. If you are looking for adult books to read the Man Booker longlist is announced on 23 July. Happy reading! Mrs A Hallissey—School Librarian
24
25
Information for Parents 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 Finance Office on 01628 634505
Cashless Catering for Students Recently, Desborough launched our new look dining room. We have new caterers, the Catering Academy, and we have also 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 Friday 12 September 2014 from 8.30 am until 11.00 am. These sessions are 10 minute slots. If you wish to have a longer conversation then please book a separate appointment with 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