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Principal’s

11 18 NEWSLETTER

December 2023 Edition 15

Front cover design by Sisi C Year 8

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Remembrance assembly 2023

December 2023 Edition 15

3 A word from the Head of 11-18

Stephen Ward The first (and longest) term of the year has flown by as ever, seemingly gathering pace as we have headed towards Christmas. The senior play, which this year was ‘The Caucasian Chalk Circle’ and the carol service at Great St Mary’s Church are always highlights at this time of year, but as you see in the pages here there has been so much else taking place across the school involving students from Year 7 through to Year 13.

Stephen Ward

The Big Give, which is now becoming a firm fixture on the calendar too, provides an opportunity for the school to unite with a shared purpose, in this case raising funds for the Stephen Perse Guild Opportunities Fund, which supports Bursaries and Scholarships. Fundraising and charitable giving are a huge part of the school’s ethos and we are very proud of all that our students, parents and staff do both for the Big Give and throughout the year in this area. It is always a pleasure to bring the whole school together and we did so in poignant fashion earlier in term for our annual Remembrance Assembly. The Sixth Form History Society, together with their guest (and former Stephen Perse History teacher) Dr Simon Tustin, did a wonderful job of leading us in marking this occasion. Our end-of-term assembly, following on from the always popular House Talent competition, was a rather less solemn affair, and proved to be a fitting final act before the Christmas break with everyone heading off in high spirits. And on that note, I wish you all an enjoyable and restful Christmas break, and all the very best for the New Year.

Stephen Ward Head of 11-18

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Success for Beatrice at the All England Open Taekwondo Tournament by Beatrice VTC I’ve been doing Taekwondo since 2019 and I am now a blue belt with a red stripe. I go to Cambridge Taekwondo, which is a great club that takes part in lots of seminars and tournaments. A tournament consists of multiple categories: sparring, patterns, power test (board breaking), and flying high kick. Patterns are a set sequence of moves, each with its own name and meaning. Sparring is a semi-contact fight with protective equipment. The winner is the one with the most points scored; three points for a kick to the head, two for a kick to the body, and one for any punch. On Friday the 14 October, my dad, stepmom, sister and I, drove down to Haywards Heath near London, where the next day, we would all be competing in the All England Open Taekwondo Tournament. On Saturday morning the under 11’s competed, which included my sister, Heloisa (Year 7). She won a silver medal in sparring. The afternoon was for 12 to 14 year olds, which included me. I was competing first in patterns, which was late afternoon. My category was 12-14 year blue belts and red tags. I won a bronze medal. I was very proud of this, however I had to get my gear on quickly and warm up as my sparring was scheduled for almost directly afterwards. I won all my rounds and got gold. Adults competed the next day - my Dad also won gold in sparring! At the end of the weekend, it turned out that Cambridge Taekwondo had won first place as a club with 28 gold, 17 silver and 16 bronze! There were teams from France, Cyprus, Ukraine, Ireland, as well as lots of clubs from all around England!

December 2023 Edition 15

Student Leadership Team

Our Heads and Deputy Heads of School have been in post for a term now, meaning they are about half way through their tenure. Florence and Ryan in Year 13, along with Maya and Raye in Year 11, have been busy representing the student body and working to make improvements to the student experience in various ways. One of their key roles is in gathering student voice and sharing these comments and suggestions with Mr Ward and Ms Jones. The primary means through which students from Year 7 to Year 13 can get their opinions on life at school heard is through Student Forum. The Heads of School send out an agenda to the elected Reps from each form group a week before the Student Forum meeting, so that the forms have time to discuss what they would like taking forward. After the meeting, the Student Leaders present the views of the school to Mr Ward and Ms Jones and work with them to explore what changes might be made. Examples of some things they have made progress on include the availability of gluten-free sandwiches to give students with this dietary requirement greater choice at lunchtime, having the timing of the servicing of soap and paper towel dispensers in the toilets changed to

better suit the pattern of use during the school day, re-scheduling Additional Maths lessons for the new academic year to give students taking this extra GCSE subject a better experience of studying it, and working with the IT department to ensure easier access on the school network to websites useful for those sixth formers taking the EPQ. In addition, they have launched a couple of their own initiatives such as organising a system for students to use the Library as a group-working space after school and collating student-perspective information on what it’s like to study various subjects at GCSE and A level to help the next cohorts of students who will be making decisions around this in the new year. This is all in addition to displaying and honing their impressive public speaking skills when talking to the whole school in assemblies or visitors during Open Day, liaising with our caterers to share feedback from Student Forum, and generally keeping Mr Ward and Ms Jones up to date with what’s going on in the school in their fortnightly meetings. It’s been a busy first half of their tenure; we look forward to seeing what they can achieve before handing over the reins next March!

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December 2023 Edition 15

Years 11 to 13

History Trip to Berlin by Martha H

During October half term I was lucky enough to take part in the History trip to Berlin, Germany. It was a trip I was extremely excited for as I believed it would be a great opportunity to expand my knowledge of Germany’s interesting and complicated history, focusing on three main subjects, the rise of the Nazi Party, resistance and terror in Nazi Germany and the Cold War. I also knew this would be a very useful trip as I am currently studying History at A level, and part of the course is all about the history of Germany from 1919-63. We began the trip with a detailed tour of Berlin and its various monuments and memorials. We visited famous landmarks such as the Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate and Checkpoint Charlie, which was so interesting as I have spent so long learning about these places and their deep history. Seeing them in person and being able to put the events into context was an amazing experience. We also visited the Topography of Terror museum, which is an exhibition created in remembrance of the terrors and persecution applied by the Nazis, documenting where their main instruments of this were located, like the Gestapo headquarters, the SS security service and from 1939 the Reich security main office. This was a very moving place to be as reading about the terrible crimes committed against people whilst being at the centre of where it was all managed and organised felt very real. In order to get around Berlin on the first day, to visit all the places on our tour, we used a mix of walking and public transport. I enjoyed experiencing all the different means of public transport in Berlin like the tram, trains and the subway.

incredibly important to visit these places. We were also lucky enough to visit the Olympic Stadium which is an amazing landmark which played an important role in Nazi propaganda in 1936. We ended day two with a rooftop visit to the Reichstag at sunset which was incredibly beautiful and I loved being able to view the entire city at such great height. On our final day we had a tour of the remaining parts of the Berlin wall and learnt more about the history and stories that come with it which was very interesting. We ended the trip by visiting the Stasi prison which was another very hard but moving experience. It has been made into a memorial site, remembering the stories of those held there such as GDR opponents, people who helped others to flee and political prisoners. What I found the most moving was that so many parts of the buildings have been preserved, creating a very real picture of the conditions people were kept and persecuted. I had an incredible time on this trip and being able to learn about vital parts of German history whilst being in its capital city was an amazing experience. It was also an enjoyable time not only because of what I experienced, but also spending time with Mrs Stanley, Ms Sefton, Mr Howarth and Ms Kedie who all made it a very fun and informative trip.

The second day however was the most poignant for me personally. This is because we visited the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. I found this to be an incredibly moving experience as to be able to pay my respects to those who suffered the horrors of these concentration camps was very important to me. Although it was a painful and solemn experience, I learnt so much from it and believe that it is

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Principal’s 11-18 Newsletter

Art Department Update

Visiting Artist Ian Murphy shares his drawing techniques By Lola C Year 12 Ian Murphy is a fine artist who uses a mixture of different mediums to create textured and visually interesting pieces of work. Murphy brought many of his sketches and paintings that we were able to look through and be inspired by. Much of Murphy’s work is based around architecture, particularly in Asia, and in the workshop Murphy explained his artistic method and taught us how to use them. When creating a piece Murphy will often create the rough sketch and if he likes it he will then create it on a larger scale - possibly using other materials such as ink - and then if he wants to enhance it further he will create an oil painting of the same image. These stages of production allow him to make the piece more unique as he focuses on what he wants to portray. Creating the initial idea sketches in this workshop allowed us to then upscale it if we would like after as we had been given the skills needed.

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Murphy likes to focus on light in his work and to emulate this he had us draw quickly and focus on drawing in the shade of an object, rather than outlining the shape of the object. We prepared paper to work on by using glue to stick down strips of newspaper and then crinkled tissue paper and then used sandpaper to remove part of it and create texture - after this we applied graphite powder with a paper towel to emphasise the texture. This process made it easier to start a drawing as we weren’t faced with a completely blank piece to start with. We continued to do drawings led by Murphy using pen, pencil, ink and bleach, graphite powder, and rubbers to create different effects and experiment with new mediums.

The workshop led by Ian Murphy helped improve our understanding of how to create form in different ways and with different effects and how we could extend our ways of recording things we see in interesting ways.

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December 2023 Edition 15

Figure Drawing Workshop in the VAC by Frank OM The figure drawing course was a varied and enriching experience, exposing us to a variety of different mediums and techniques, many of which I was inspired to take forward further in my A level portfolio. I found the liquid ink brush drawing particularly interesting. The course was split up into sessions on the weekends and after school, working with different techniques of mark making and representing the human form in different expressive and abstracted ways. We started with timed pencil drawings and built up to a small sculptural drawing into a clay panel. Using people across the room as models, we drew with chalk, charcoal and erasers on different types of paper, considering their relation to the space around them. It was great to practise my observational drawing skills and develop ways of drawing figures and objects. The expressive abstracted style I explored has given me the confidence to refine and develop my drawing skills and techniques.

The most engaging and enjoyable technique, for me, was ink drawing. I found the fluidity and space between pen and watercolour to be really effective in building up depth and expressive detail. I explored this medium further in a series of egg drawings relating to my A level theme of Transformations. Developing these styles of drawing into a three dimensional clay sculpture was also revealing.

This was a great opportunity to do something a bit different and it was a pleasure to work with the artist Clio Lloyd-Jacob.

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Katie M Year 9

Principal’s 11-18 Newsletter

Winning design

Ellie G Year 7

Hebe D Year 9

Kseniia K Year 9

Ahana S Year 9

Marissa S Year 8 Rose H Year 8

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December 2023 Edition 15

Thibault BS Year 9

Iris J Year 8

Christmas Carol Concert Cover Competition The Visual Arts Department ran a competition for Year 7-9 to design the cover for the 2023 Carol Concert programme cover. Well done to Ellie G Year7 for her winning design showing an illustrative version of Great St Mary’s Church in seasonal mode which will feature on the actual programme cover.

Sisi C Year 8

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Principal’s 11-18 Newsletter

Geography Department Update

Talk by Tim James co-founder of SchoolBlazer

Geography Talk by alumna Maria Afonina

On 2 November the Geography Department welcomed Tim James, co-founder of SchoolBlazer. He gave a talk to Years 7 to 9 about how the Stephen Perse school uniforms are made with a focus on the environment. He explained that the uniforms are mostly manufactured in Indonesia and Sri Lanka: these countries have cheap labour forces and shipping costs are fairly low. One might be concerned about the greenhouse gases produced this way. However he explained that, when travelling on a ship with hundreds of other containers, emissions are relatively low (and make up only about 5% of the total carbon emissions of the garment).

On 18 October St Andrews Geography student (and former Stephen Perse pupil) Maria Afonina visited the sixth form as part of an outreach project. She introduced the students to the topic of glaciology. They then used Google Earth Pro to monitor changes in the extent of Greenland’s glaciers. The remote sensing technology can be used to measure how much ice is lost every year and it was possible to see a recent acceleration in the amount lost - clearly a concern. However, as she explained, the data is important to help warn and prepare ourselves for the future.

According to Tim’s figures, the average item of uniform at Stephen Perse is worn about 500 times. In contrast, a general garment is worn an average of seven times before being discarded. Not only does the clothes production industry create a lot of greenhouse gases but garments don’t recycle well since they are normally composed of a blend of fibres, many of them synthetic. His key message was therefore one of moving away from fast fashion in order to reduce environmental pressures.

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December 2023 Edition 15

Library Update

Over the course of the autumn term, all students in Years 7 and 8 were given the opportunity to select a free book of their choice as part of the BookBuzz programme that we have successfully piloted here at the Senior School Library. Overwhelmingly, the majority of our students in Years 7 and 8 selected Jennifer Killick’s Dread Wood, as their BookBuzz ‘Book of Choice’, which meant that as a culmination of the BookBuzz programme; students were afforded the special opportunity of seeing Jennifer live streamed into their Form Groups during Form Time. Students were able to ask Jennifer lots of questions about her work with many of our students coming away from the virtual event feeling motivated as Jennifer ‘talked through her creative process’, and how she inspired some of our very own budding writers to ‘feel confident to write a good, strong story!’

Slightly focusing the spotlight away from our literary events, the Senior School Library has also become a buzzing hub of extracurricular enrichment activities from where we run some of our most popular after-school clubs. Each Thursday after school, students are given the opportunity to rock up to Doodle Club, where students across all year groups are read to by a member of staff whilst they have the opportunity to wind down from the rigours of the school day and partake in various activities involving sparse blank pieces of paper and an array of bright colour pens for students to wander away with the magic might of their colouring pens! Each Friday after school, students are also given the opportunity to rock up to Chess Club where students across all year groups are able to challenge one another to a game of chess. Chess Club in the Senior Library has quickly become one of the most exciting places to be on a Friday after school, and our students are absolutely focused on honing their chess skills whilst engaging with their fellow students across different year groups.

Since Jennifer’s visit, the Years 7 and 8 across the Senior School have been buzzing alight with lots of visits to the Senior Library in search of the rest of the Dread Wood series, with lots of book requests flowing through our inboxes as our students continued to be inspired in wanting to read more of Jennifer’s stellar body of work.

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Principal’s 11-18 Newsletter

Drama Department Update

Year 10-13 Caucasian Chalk This term’s Year 10-13 production of ‘The Caucasian Chalk Circle’ by Bertolt Brecht was a resounding success, playing to packed houses on both Thursday 23 and Friday 24 November. This is an extremely challenging political drama that explores some very strong themes. Our interpretation, set in a post WWII unnamed European country, fully embraced the Brechtian style, incorporating theatrical techniques and devices designed to engage the audience, but also to remind them that they are watching a play. Brecht wanted his audiences to think, to question and to judge and we hope that our audiences went home feeling intellectually challenged and motivated to further consider some of the play’s key themes and messages. To give our production a contemporary twist, we included a live rock band and substituted the original music for contemporary songs. The band were expertly conducted by Year 13 Ryan H who also arranged all of the music. The set, created by Year 12 and 13 students in Backstage Theatre Enrichment, was designed to represent the interior of a run-down meeting hall, with bare brickwork suggesting a war-torn region. Whilst the costumes reflected the time

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period of 1945, all militaria and uniforms were deliberately mismatched in order to represent a variety of time periods and nationalities to create a sense of ambiguity and universality, and also, hopefully, to remind the audience of current conflicts in different parts of the world and the impact of these on ordinary, innocent people. Our fabulous cast of students from Years 10-13 worked extremely hard throughout the term to bring this difficult production to life. They gave incredible performances, showcasing a wide range of talent.

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Sixth Form

Sixth Form Cabaret This year’s Sixth Form Cabaret was a huge success. The event was coordinated by our fabulous Drama Assistant Rebecca Jones along with sixth form students Sirisha, Jessie, George, Audrey and Katie. Performers and audience members embraced the Masquerade dress code, which made for a truly glamorous evening. The Senior School hall was almost unrecognisable, decorated in rich purple and gold, with gemstones scattered on the tables and candles creating a wonderfully intimate atmosphere. The Cabaret Committee even provided a selection of masquerade masks for audience members to wear. Performing to a packed house, the line-up of Year 11, 12 and 13 students included rock bands, solo singers, classical guitarists and a commercial dance troupe, and the wide variety and high standard of talent on display was astounding. The audience were in safe hands with compères Arshiya and Will, who stylishly and seamlessly guided us through the evening’s acts. The event raised just under £600 for Mind, a fantastic charity committed to making mental health an everyday priority and offering help to those in need of support.

December 2023 Edition 15

Trip to the Chanel

Fashion Manifesto at the V&A in London On Friday 6 October, 27 French students (Year 11, Year 12 and Year 13) went to see the Gabrielle Chanel Fashion Manifesto at the V&A in London. The trip, which was organised by the French department, was an amazing and unique experience for students, Mme Parente, Mme Cox and Mme Mamouni. This colourful exhibition is the first UK exhibition dedicated to the work of French couturière, Gabrielle “Coco'' Chanel, celebrating her creativity, charting the empire of the House of Chanel and the evolution of her emblematic design style which continues to influence the way women dress today. Born Gabrielle Chanel, she opened her first shop, a millinery, in Paris in 1910. What she did after would change the course of women's fashion and free women. She was not only an avantgardist but also a pioneer of women’s liberation. Her style was influenced by the strict simplicity of her early years in an orphanage, while her goal was to create luxury with comfort. Chanel got rid of the tight corset, popularised trousers for women and the famous little black dress. One of her maxim's was “Le luxe doit être confortable, sinon ce n'est pas du luxe!”. A Year 11 student said: “The Chanel trip was fantastic! Not only was the gallery engaging and fun, it was also very educational, as it revealed how Coco Chanel revolutionised the fashion industry. We were also able to visit the beautiful John Madjeski Garden, and the exhibits we passed by were also amazing. Overall, this was a great opportunity for us to see the magnificent jewellery, rebelling dresses and aromatic perfumes of one of the greatest fashion icons of all time.” A Year 11 student said: “I really enjoyed visiting the Victoria and Albert Museum because I had the opportunity to engage with other French students, visit a beautifully crafted exhibit on Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel, and also enrich my knowledge of the different time periods she lived through. I found that learning about some of France’s history has added interest to my French lessons, as some of the traditions and functioning

of the country mentioned in class and in textbooks link back to French past. I also found it useful from the perspective of an Art student, as the way Chanel approached fashion was immensely creative for her time, and some of her uses of colour and composition are applicable to my work. All in all, it was a thought-provoking and rewarding trip, and I feel fortunate to have gone.” A Year 12 student said: “Taking part in the French trip to the Coco Chanel exhibition at the V&A was extremely interesting and exciting to see so many of her famous and influential works and how they evolved throughout her career. It was also an enlightening exhibition as it displayed letters and documents from when Coco Chanel was arrested due to her involvement in WWII. It was intriguing to learn about her role in the French resistance during WWII as we are currently learning about the Franco-Prussian War in our A level course so it was fascinating to learn more about French resistance in another War. The highlight of the trip was seeing her most classic dress suits and the different variations she created.” A Year 12 student said: “Going to the Chanel exhibition at the Victoria Albert Museum in London was an invaluable experience and one which I will not be forgetting in a hurry. As well as extending my range of French vocabulary and general skills.I enriched myself in the glorious life and work of Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel.”

“The Chanel trip was fantastic! Not only was the gallery engaging and fun, it was also very educational, as it revealed how Coco Chanel revolutionised the fashion industry."

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Principal’s 11-18 Newsletter

Classics Department Update

The Song of Arms and a Man

and enhancing the metrical rhythm of the verse. Amelie, my notably musically-inclined friend, informed me that the gentleman was using circular breathing, an incredibly difficult technique which takes years to master in which the player breathes in through his nose and out through his mouth.

by Year 12 student Alison H On 10 November an eager bunch of classicists from Years 11-13 went to see The Song of Arms and a Man, a selection of dramatic readings from an integral classical text: the Aeneid. These retold the tale of the Aeneid and were replete with summaries presented in English, as well as surtitles. You may ask (as, much to the dismay of Miss Whitelaw, I did) why this retelling of Virgil’s Aeneid was entitled the ‘Song of Arms and a Man’? Some of the less classically-inclined among you may be wondering what the upper limbs have to do with Aeneas. Perhaps you are even wondering who Aeneas was….Well, the first words of Virgil’s Aeneid are ‘I sing of arms and of the man’ (arma virumque cano), the man being Aeneas and the arms being his weapons. When we entered the auditorium, I noticed an odd sound. At first I thought it was the ventilation, but I gradually realised that there was something - different - about the noise in the theatre. Then I looked down and I realised that the strange humming noise was an aulos, an ancient dual recorder with a hypnotic quality. For me, this instrument, which progressed from its simple hum, was a highlight of the performance, its notes perfectly matching the tone of the spoken Latin @SPFschools

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Having encountered various parts of the Aeneid in lessons since Year 7, and even having read it in its entirety, it was a treat to be able to see it done as Virgil intended (performed aloud, not read) and to experience the effects that the sound of the Latin conveyed to the meaning. Thank you to our teachers for organising the trip, and, in particular, to Mr Johnson for willingly performing the soundtrack of Gladiator for us during a quieter moment.

Having encountered various parts of the Aeneid in lessons since Year 7, and even having read it in its entirety, it was a treat to be able to see it done as Virgil intended

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December 2023 Edition 15

Classics Reading Competition by Year 12 student Hourmazd Z On 16 November students from across the Senior School and Sixth Form trooped down to the Cambridge Faculty of Classics to win honour and glory for themselves and the school. All students who participated demonstrated excellent ability in reading the texts and everyone put on poised and expressive performances. All readings were highly eloquent and fluent, suited perfectly to the content of the texts.

• Senior Latin Verse: Alison H - Gold & Ilaria S - Silver • Senior Greek Prose: Dalia P - Gold & Ilaria S - Silver • Senior Greek Verse: Amelie N-G - Gold & Hourmazd Z (Highly Commended) A huge well done to everybody who took part; it was very clear at the competition just how hard everyone had worked on their performances. Every year it is a truly unique experience to see the classical languages come alive like this, and an important reminder that Classics is about much more than just memorising endings.

Impressively the school managed to place in each category and come first in very many of them: • Intermediate Latin Prose: William C (Highly Commended) & Marina K - Gold • Intermediate Latin Verse: Jerome T-R & Alannah M - Silver • Intermediate Greek Prose: Mia de G - Gold & Eric F - Silver • Intermediate Greek Verse: Elliot S - Gold • Senior Latin Prose: Florence B – Gold & Alison H - Silver

Finally, a huge thank you to Ms Jones who dedicated much time and effort into ensuring that everyone was as ready as could be for the competition.

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Principal’s 11-18 Newsletter

Big Give launch of the Guild Opportunities Fund raises £37,680

Students, families, staff, alumni and supporters took part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge from noon on #GivingTuesday 28 November to noon Tuesday 5 December 2023 and raised a splendid £37,680 for the Guild Opportunities Fund to mark the 120th anniversary of our alumni association, the Stephen Perse Guild. Thanks to matched giving support from Costello Medical and Reed Educational Trust Ltd, the first £10,000 of gifts was doubled, so that each donor’s gift had twice the impact! The Big Give set us a target of £20,000 this year and we are delighted to have raised £37,680 thanks to everyone’s support.

In keeping with Dr Perse’s and Dame Bradbury’s aim to provide education as a means to enable social mobility and optimised life chances, Stephen Perse schools have always sought to offer a first-class education to academically able and determined children and young people, regardless of their family circumstances. We do this through a range of bursaries and scholarships at our schools and outreach support in other schools and settings. You can read more about this on our website. Our students become Guild members on leaving Sixth Form and positive contributors to the communities in which they live and work, through their careers, in their family life and as volunteers. They use the creativity, compassion, confidence and conviction developed through their Stephen Perse education to question, evaluate and improve society. @SPFschools

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December 2023 Edition 15

As we celebrate 120 years of the Guild this year and look ahead to the Senior School's 150th anniversary in 2031, we aim to continue increasing our bursary, scholarship and associated grants. To support this aim, we have launched the Guild Anniversary Fund. The Fund will support current and future students in accessing the full benefits of a Stephen Perse education and the enhanced opportunities that this enables. It will remove barriers of cost for eligible students in line with our vision of an outstanding educational environment.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the Big Give Christmas Challenge for the Guild Opportunities Fund, with gifts, by taking part in events and by asking their networks to give. The final word comes from one of our current bursary award holders: “I am forever grateful for your support to me. You have become my role model — I want to help people in every way I can just like you do — I will make sure to pass forward your kindness and help!”

Many of our alumni are former scholarship and bursary holders. They contribute as paid and voluntary participants across a wide range of sectors, enriching society in many ways, from publishing to education, medical research to supporting refugees, sitting as magistrates to singing in and running choirs. We asked former scholarship and bursary holders to reflect on their time at our school and they responded with these thoughts: “There was a clear value placed on knowledge and learning, which has stayed with me.” “My education gave me a strong sense of public service and the confidence to aim high.” “The three positives I took away were 1) it is possible to have a community where everyone accepts each other for who they are; 2) I was surrounded by other girls who enjoyed learning and were good at learning; and 3) when my personal circumstances changed the school stepped in to provide financial support.” “I'm grateful for the supportive teachers I met along the way, who encouraged my approach to learning and who had a hand in paving my path.”

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Principal’s 11-18 Newsletter

Nature Reserve Eco-Enrichment (A.K.A Potato Club)

Students have been working on our school allotment and nature reserve this term (they renamed the sessions Potato Club).

learning new skills (such as using a mallet and saw) whilst at the same time helping conserve a key part of the environment. In the coming weeks we look forward to building compost heaps, constructing a potato tower (a log cabin to grow potatoes) and to continue to manage the reed beds.”

The aim is to manage the nature reserve using traditional skills and also use the allotment to grow heritage vegetables to provide seeds for a local food bank. Two of the participants decided to sum up their initial experience of integrating nature reserve and allotment management at Stephen Perse.

Year 12 student Cici L said: “As part of this gardening project we are developing our team working, perseverance and problem solving skills. We are also learning practical skills that can be useful for our future. For example, cutting reeds from the nature reserve and making them into biodegradable fences, creating Hugelkultur type beds with layers of wood, leaves and compost so we can have good soil to grow vegetables next year. Now we’re preparing to make new compost heaps and starting to sort seeds for next year's crops.”

Year 12 student Orla B said: “Braving the rain and wind every Tuesday the students in eco-enrichment do our small part to help the environment. Our aim is to improve the nature reserve (one of the few remaining reed beds in Cambridge) and to manage a garden using traditional sustainable methods. Recently, we have been cutting reeds to create a woven fence around our central vegetable patch (in order to ward off deer and small children). This is in preparation for when we start to grow some vegetables as well as helping manage reeds from the wetland. We want to clear reeds in order to recreate a water meadow which will transform the area into an even more useful and effective habitat. ‘It gets you outside and hands on’ and ‘we need to protect nature’ are some of the reasons why students enjoy eco enrichment. For me I love doing practical work and @SPFschools

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"Braving the rain and wind every Tuesday the students in eco-enrichment do our small part to help the environment."

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December 2023 Edition 15

Dr Jonathan Moore Research Scientist Talk

Year 12 student Catherine B said: “On Friday 17 November, Dr Jonathan Moore gave an inspirational talk about the roles that he had in the biochemistry sector, along with setting up and running some of his own biotech companies.

he pushed was to peruse what you love. He took physics and further maths at A level with the set aim of becoming a volcanologist rather than pursuing the subjects he enjoyed and seeing where that led him. He managed to get back to his preferred subject of biology through a biochemistry degree at the University of Bath, showing the flexibility you can have in your career, after choosing what may seem like a fixed path, determined by your A levels.

He discussed many fascinating projects that he had worked on during his career, with a particular focus on his business Epitopea; this is a cancer immunotherapeutic company that is in the process of developing drugs to treat cancer. Along with this, Dr Moore explored the key skills that are required in this industry when developing drugs, which include creativity and perseverance. It was very interesting learning about Dr Moore’s career progression and the multiple pathways that he took when establishing his speciality. This was very reassuring to those of us that do not have a specific career goal at this stage.

He also exemplified the importance of following what excites you through describing the rapidly changing pharmaceutical market. It is impossible to predict what the most lucrative medical area will be in the future so it is best to simply research a topic that interests you.

As someone who has always had an interest in biological sciences, I found Dr Moore’s talk captivating by learning about the exciting new discoveries that could potentially have life changing impacts on society in the future.” Year 12 student Manuela J said: “Dr Jonathan Moore outlined his career path during his inspiring talk, giving us an insight into the life of a biochemist, entrepreneur and CEO. One thing

I was struck by the different skills needed to be a scientist on top of a grasp of the theory. Interpersonal skills are necessary to deal with supervisors and co-workers; persuasion is essential to attract funding for business start-ups and creativity, to be able to apply existing knowledge to new problems. One curious example of this innovation was how he worked on a project where African clawed frog eggs were crushed in a centrifuge and the extract was found to form nuclei around DNA that was placed in it. Finally, he highlighted the determination needed to pick yourself up after continual failed experiments and the difficulty of setting up a start up amid a landscape of Goliath biotech companies.”

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Principal’s 11-18 Newsletter

Professor Drew Milne Talk

Year 12 student Charlie A said: “Professor Drew Milne gave an illuminating talk, sharing his own experience of studying English at Cambridge University. While many of us might think that STEM subjects are more respectable and reliable for a career choice, Professor Milne helped to address this stigma, instead arguing that studying arts and humanities can in fact help to develop skills and abilities that are useful to a large variety of careers. For example, Professor Milne showed us examples from his career where he has worked with editors and publishers, and collaborated with other artists. Having studied English at university, he developed key team working skills and creative thinking skills that allowed him to be flexible at different points of his career. Personally, having taken creative and humanities subjects, I am now reassured with my decision to pursue these subjects further.” Year 12 student Amelie-Grace NG said: “As Professor Milne remarked himself, most people are led to believe that only STEM subjects are truly worthwhile. I fully believed this, thinking that studying anything else couldn’t lead to ‘real jobs’ which worried me increasingly when I realised I'd chosen exclusively creatives. This talk changed that. Professor Milne explained that those who studied creatives in university actually ended up earning more and the skills that are taught @SPFschools

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through these courses are exceptionally valuable, especially in the modern workforce. Courses such as English teach transferable skills which are especially useful in a world where it is predicted that two out of three jobs that are needed now will not be in several years time. Additionally, there is such a diverse number of jobs in the creative sector that are often overlooked so there is so much opportunity to find something that one can really find enjoyable and rewarding. Finally, Professor Milne told us about the various projects he has worked on in certain fields: acting, music, poetry and academic writing to name a few. Many people in the creative sector switch jobs frequently and easily so the work is unlikely to get boring and there are always countless opportunities due to the versatility of a creative degree.”

"Personally, having taken creative and humanities subjects, I am now reassured with my decision to pursue these subjects further."

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Outdoor Education and DofE Update The DofE programme kicked off this term with students in Year 10 completing their Bronze expedition, this was done in the Bedfordshire countryside. DofE enrolments have gone through the roof, particularly with students in Year 9, with 139 students enrolling onto Bronze. We also have a healthy number of students in Years 10 and above signing up for Silver and Gold. Students are now getting underway with their Volunteering, Skill & Physical activities, and will be beginning to consider the expedition packages ready for the summer. Adventure Learning Programme (ALPS) We have been working hard to deliver a whole range of Adventure Learning opportunities this term, from sailing and paddle sports, to archery and indoor climbing. New to the programme this term has been the inclusion of Adventure Learning within the ‘Sport’ programme, which allows more students to experience this element of our programme. Students in Year 8 & 9 have been focussing on dealing with problems, developing personal ‘Life Skills’ and working in teams, whilst students in Year 10, 12 and 13 have had the chance to experience archery.

Principal’s 11-18 Newsletter

Sport Update The dark nights and wet conditions have not dampened our enthusiasm and clubs have continued to be well attended. Each week there are currently around 540 participants in the variety of sports on offer. We have also had some superb individual and team performances, some of which have been highlighted on the following pages and we would like to thank everyone involved for their continued ongoing commitment. Please remember that as the temperatures dip, black sports skins can be worn. It is better to be warm and remove layers than to be cold! Correct attire too, means the need for tracksuits now. Charlotte Wells Director or Sport

Tennis success Congratulations to Sophie J who performed extremely well in a recent ITF Junior International U18s Tournament in Liverpool. Sophie said: “I got through six rounds of singles. Three of my matches were very close and went to three sets. I then lost (in three sets) in the semi-final of singles. I also reached the semis in doubles getting through two rounds then closely losing to the winners”. A modest report from Sophie on her amazing achievements in this tournament which has helped her climb up the rankings.

"I got through six rounds of singles. Three of my matches were very close and went to three sets."

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December 2023 Edition 15

Equestrian Success for Amelia H Congratulations to Amelia H, who qualified for the 'Jumping with Style Arena Eventing' 90cm at the NSEA Championships in Buckinghamshire in October, where she placed 6th out of 107 competitors. In the NSEA Plate Championships, Amelia qualified for the 100cm class in the 'Mixed Height Jumping with Style Arena Eventing'. The scores of all the riders jumping in the four height classes (70-100cm) were combined to determine the placings. Amelia achieved an outstanding first place overall, a great achievement. She now looks forward to the qualifying competition for the NSEA Championships Festival at Hickstead.

Netball Once again Stephen Perse netballers showed off their talents at the U14 & U16 County Tournament finals this year. Both teams (captained by Eva F and Natalie G) played 13 matches between them, against a range of schools across Cambridgeshire who had already qualified for the competition. Scoring 187 goals throughout the day and only conceding 45, both teams secured 12 wins and were both crowned County Champions. Massive congratulations to both squads, we are super proud of you. What is also impressive is that this is the fifth time over the last seven years that Stephen Perse have been County Champions in both age groups. The other two times we have still qualified for the Regional Tournament as runners up. A fantastic achievement and roll on the netball season!

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Principal’s 11-18 Newsletter

Cross Country Cup Competition

Football

Congratulations to all the students who competed in the ESAA Cross Country Cup Competition on 3 November. The event was extremely well attended and all did extremely well. Stand out performances went to the Inter Girls team who came fourth overall. With individual results: Imogen T - 17th, Alice E - 18th, Stella C - 20th, Simrit - 21st, Shouchen - 24th, Hanna W - 34th. Other individual successes went to Jamie B - 28th & Rowan A 30th in the Junior boys age group and Thomas F - 33rd in the Inter boys.

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It has been an extremely busy term for our footballers, with numerous competitions and friendlies taking place across all age groups for both boys and girls. Some highlights include the Under 15 boys reaching the quarter finals of the ISFA Bowl, the Under 15 girls making it into the last 16 of the ISFA Shield and our Under 13 boys progressing in the ESFA Small Schools competition. We wish them all the best of luck in their upcoming fixtures as well as our Under 13 and Under 15 girls teams who are starting their Sisters in Sport campaigns over the next couple of weeks. We are also looking forward to our end-of-term House Football events, which are always a highlight!

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Sportsman of the Year

U16 Sportsman of the year awarded to Pi CF At the Cambridgeshire County Cricket end of season awards ceremony, Pi was awarded the Under 16 Sportsman of the Year Award. It’s the second consecutive year that Pi has been awarded the prize. The Sportsman of the Year recognises a player’s all round performance with the team, celebrating attitude, teamwork and sportsmanship as well as his cricketing and leadership skills. A fantastic achievement for Pi- Well done!

Principal’s 11-18 Newsletter

Cricket Award

Stephen Perse receives Spirit of Cricket award Stephen Perse has been nominated as the winner of the Eastern Counties District Spirit of Cricket Award for 2023. Last summer, our 1st XI played a fixture against the XL Club with marks awarded for sportsmanship, captaincy, as well as playing skills (teamwork, batting, bowling and fielding). The award was supported by the match manager’s and umpire’s report. Well done to the team involved. On 17 November our Head of Cricket, Ray Mordini and 1st XI team captain, David T were invited as guests to the annual dinner in the Long Room at Lords to receive the award. It was a fantastic event and in particular a nice reward for David for all his commitment to cricket during his time at Stephen Perse. David said “It was a fantastic experience to dine in the historic long room and I am extremely grateful to the Forty Club for the opportunity”.

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December 2023 Edition 15

Hockey

Sixth Form Basketball

We have had a fantastic commitment to hockey clubs this term and many matches have taken place. Our U16's performed very well in their regional tournament with two draws and two losses in their group stages to finish a strong season.

U18 Basketball season is underway with two matches already being played in a local league. The first game of the season was a convincing win over The Leys 61-30 but unfortunately lost a tight and physical contest against St Andrew’s 31-35 in their most recent game.

Our U14's had an amazing regional tournament. They won all six matches in their group stage and just lost in a nail biting final 2-1. An excellent effort all round.

Indoor Hockey The girls and boys U16 and U18 sides entered their county indoor tournament this term. We had some really tight games with the girls U18’s coming runners up. The U16 girls lost 2-0 in a tightly contested game to finish as runners up. The boys U18’s finished joint runners up and the U16 boys finished second place.

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What’s On at Saffron Hall Saturday 2 December, 11am

Saffron Hall 10th Birthday: Join us for and amazing morning with the London Community Gospel Choir! Singing workshop for all ages and abilities with the London Community Gospel Choir.

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Sunday 3 December, 11am

Relaxed Folk Performance This special performance from outstanding contemporary folk-inspired musicians Honey & The Bear, will take a relaxed approach to noise and movement

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Saturday 9 December, multiple times

The Nutcracker & I Tchaikovsky’s glittering ballet is given new life in an ingenious, intimate staging for solo pianist, dancer and projected hand-drawn animations

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Saturday 16 December, 7.30pm

A Christmas Conversation Award-winning choir Tenebrae present a theatrical sequence of music and words for the festive season

Book now +

December 2023 Edition 15

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Stephen Perse (Main Office) Union Road Cambridge CB2 1HF t: 01223 454700 e: office@stephenperse.com

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