Principal's 11-18 Newsletter - July 2022

Principal’s

11 18 NEWSLETTER

July 2022 Edition 6

Year 8 residential to Bournemouth

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Summer Art and Design Exhibition

Year 8 play 'Oliver Twist'

July 2022 Edition 6

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A word from the Chair of Governors

John Dix As we come to the end of this academic year, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank the Stephen Perse community; our students, staff, volunteers and parents for your collective hard work, support and dedication through another school year.

It has been a year where we have finally been able to reconnect as a community and attend concerts, exhibitions, fixtures and gatherings on all our sites. I know this has been one of the most rewarding aspects after the preceding two years. There has been tangible excitement and no small amount of joy in simply being able to gather together more freely and more frequently than we were able during the pandemic, underlining for all of us what an important social enabler a school can be and should be.

You will have seen from recent editions of this year’s Principal's Newsletter that alongside the curriculum, students in our Senior School and Sixth Form have had the opportunity to take part in a vast range of co-curricular experiences, from clubs to cabarets, paddle-boarding to performing arts, fundraising for bursaries to young enterprise, as well as the perennially popular Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

John Dix

I would like to once again thank all of those parents and students who joined us in fundraising and contributing to the Big Give in December, which raised £27,240.50 for bursaries for young people in our community to access our Sixth Form. The whole school community can be immensely proud and heartened by how the campaign served to bring out the very best in our students. More recently, parents and students contributed generously to our British Red Cross Ukraine Appeal, raising £8,673 in just a few months.

During this term, our Governors and our school leaders have worked together to consider what more our Foundation group of schools can do to respond to the situation facing children and their families who have fled from Ukraine. I am glad that, as a result of this work, we have been able to offer a number of places in our schools in September to children displaced from their homes in Ukraine.

Finally, at the end of this school year, it is important that, on behalf of my fellow Governors, I thank all those students who are coming to the end of their time with us, for all of their myriad contributions to the Stephen Perse Foundation during their time with us.

On behalf of the Governors, I wish all the very best to those awaiting public examination results. For all those whose time as a student with us is coming to an end, there is the beginning of a new relationship with us, as an ‘alum’ of the Foundation. We hope that you enjoy membership of this network in the years ahead and that you continue to feel part of a growing and strengthening community. Please do keep in touch and we hope in the future you will return to inspire the next generation of Stephen Perse students.

Thank you once again for your continued support and I wish you all an enjoyable and restful summer.

John Dix

Chair of Governors

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Principal’s 11-18 Newsletter

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Summer Art and Design Exhibition

It was incredible to once again be able to invite friends, family, staff and special guests to the Art and Design Summer Show after the past few ‘Covid’ years.

In the main opening speech, Ai Weiwei emphasised the importance of art and self-expression during times of uncertainty. He praised the art students of Stephen Perse Foundation for their creativity and gave words of encouragement to continue developing their passion for art.

He then presented signed books and certificates to Year 13 students. The exhibition was officially open and everyone enjoyed the art and design and refreshments.

This exhibition celebrates the effort and achievements of all the students exhibited. It showcased the work from GCSE Art and 3D Design and A Level and IB Art. To mark the significance of this reinstated annual exhibition we were delighted that the world renowned artist Ai Weiwei accepted our invitation to attend and officially open this special exhibition with a speech.

As commented by Jemima, a Year 12 student: ‘’The feel of the exhibition evening was really positive. It was busy throughout and it was really lovely to see that so many people were interested in looking at all of our school’s art students’ work, it was also informative for me to see what I will need to have done by this time next year. The fact that Year 12 work was on display was nice as well as it meant that people visiting got to see a glimpse of one piece of our work ahead of next year’s exhibition’’.

Mrs Bloomfield-Proud, Head of Visual Arts offered not just a warm welcome, but a hot welcome (as it was a mere 33 degrees) and talked about the importance of exhibitions as an integral part of an art student’s journey, to be able to view artworks first-hand and having an opportunity to showcase work for an audience.

Congratulations to everyone who exhibited and visited, and a heartfelt thank you to Ai Weiwei for taking the time to come and speak to us and inspire the next generation of artists and creating special memories for the students and their families.

Mrs Bloomfield-Proud with contributions from Year 12 students, Jemima and Daria.

@SPFschools

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Meet the Music Department

Matthew Rudd

Kiran Roberts

Between us, the members of the music department - Matthew Rudd, Cherry Blanchard, Kiran Roberts and Christopher Dexter-Mills have taught at the school for an amazing 72 years!

This rather eye-watering statistic (looking at the photos, we surely can’t be that old?) has prompted us to reflect on our careers teaching music, and consider what it is about teaching music in this school that we find continually exciting.

All of us have what might well be termed a ‘traditional’ or ‘classical’ music background - undergraduate music degrees at Oxford University, The Royal Scottish Academy of Music, King’s College London and Durham University. And whilst classical music remains very much at the core of what we each love as do large numbers of the students - we also have very broad and eclectic tastes, skills and experiences.

Dr Dexter-Mills has a PhD in ‘Continuity and change in French ensemble music from 1680 to 1750’ but is just as happy teaching the A Level topic ‘Innovations in Music, 1900 to the present day’, or exploring the musical features of Tango with Year 8.

Mrs Blanchard studied flute and piano at the Purcell School, one of the country’s leading specialist music schools, but has a keen interest in contemporary music and leads our thriving Rock School programme (she also rowed for England).

The performing component of Mrs Roberts’ degree included studying flute at the Royal Academy of Music and piano at the Guildhall, and she was taught composition by Harrison Birtwistle! Her Cambridge MEd thesis ‘Examining the role of

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Cherry Blanchard

peer interaction in assisting musical learning during small group composition work’ is particularly relevant to our daily teaching, where group work lies at the heart of everything we do in Key Stage 3.

Mr Rudd has delivered training courses to music teachers in Singapore, Malaysia, Botswana and even Mongolia! Outside of school, our musical interests include both singing in and conducting choirs, playing the harpsichord in a baroque ensemble, playing in local orchestras and chamber music groups and examining music. We are all practising musicians as well as teachers. This versatility is essential in providing a modern, enriching music education, whether that is in or out of the classroom, and whether as a performer, a listener or a composer.

So what is it that motivates us every day? We perform around 30 concerts in and out of school in a typical year, and every concert is different. With only a few exceptions (the Leavers’ Service and the Carol Service, where ‘the old favourites’ remain the best choices for good reasons) we almost never repeat repertoire. Constantly searching for new pieces to perform which might mean a recent pop song, or Telemann’s Water Music which we performed at Great St Mary’s for the first time last month but was written 300 years ago - forces us to be lifelong listeners, always on the lookout for something that might work well at school.

Christopher Dexter-Mills

We also share the musical journey with our students. Learning to play an instrument, or becoming a great singer in a choir, does not happen overnight. It is, as the parents of all students who learn an instrument know, a long term project requiring many hours of practice over many years of learning. We enjoy working with beginners (which was us once) just as much as with our most advanced musicians - some of whom are very talented indeed. You will have seen us sharing the stage with the students at almost every concert - whether conducting a large ensemble, playing piano accompaniments for soloists (which keeps us in very regular practice ourselves) or performing alongside them in the orchestra.

Many of our alumni have continued to develop their enthusiasm for music-making long after leaving the Stephen Perse Foundation. Some have studied music at university or music college and now pursue careers as professional musicians or teachers. Many more continue to be involved in amateur choirs and orchestras, which are the bedrock of our nation’s musical life. Pavarotti said ‘a life in music is a life beautifully spent’ - and this begins in a school music department!

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s m a d d A Family The

Book by Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice Music and Lyrics by Andrew Lippa Orchestrations by Larry Hochman

Performances Thursday 24th, Friday 25th and Saturday 26th November 2022 Auditions for our biennial musical will take place in the first week of the Autumn Term. Students in Years 10-13 are invited to take part: please look out for the email with details for how to sign up!

@SPFschools

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July 2022 Edition 6

Jazz on a Summer’s Evening

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It is traditional for the school musical year to end with Jazz on a Summer’s Evening, a lively celebration of music in a wide variety of popular styles - not only jazz, but also pop, rock, Latin American music and show songs.

The evening began in the Senior School Hall with performances from the Year 7 and 8 Jazz Ensemble, Concert Strings, Brass Ensemble, Big Band, a saxophone quartet, a string quartet and a few solos, all performed to a large and enthusiastic audience.

We were fortunate that the concert coincided with the hottest day of the year so far, allowing the second half to proceed as planned outside. The Activity Space and canopy area provide the perfect venue for a relaxed style of performance, and the audience of parents and students, now seated on a mixture of floor cushions, chairs and cafe tables, enjoyed refreshments while the music continued. Soloists and small groups from every single year group in the Senior School and Sixth Form performed an incredible twenty items, all cheered to the rafters by their supporters on the floor cushions!

Some students were performing in this concert for the first time, and some for the last time - such is the nature of a music department which aims to provide opportunities for all.

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Sixth Form

Sixth Form Curriculum Choices

Please click this link for The Sixth Form Curriculum Choices brochure which sets out for students and parents the options available for sixth form study at the Stephen Perse Sixth Form.

However, it is important to also emphasise that preparing for your future is about much more than choosing which assessed curriculum to follow.

Employers and universities will be looking for candidates who can think beyond what they are taught, can manage their time effectively, are brave, independent, reflective, resourceful and resilient. Candidates who are community minded, kind, principled and busy with activities that they are genuinely interested in. In many ways, what you are interested in is less relevant than the way in which you approach it. Whether it is sport, stamp collecting or Shakespeare sonnets, being able to talk animatedly about your interests and demonstrate your intellectual curiosity and capacity to learn more is highly valued.

12 students that becomes like an extended family. The tutor programme covers all the skills that you will need to prepare you for your sixth form studies, university and beyond: study skills, applying to university, living independently, managing your finances and various other elements of Personal, Health, Social and Economic education are all covered. The tutors are all part of the guidance team and together will support you through the most important stage of your schooling.

Choosing your sixth form path is an exciting time with lots of decisions to make and different aspects to consider. It will be important for you to seek advice from people that you know, your tutor, teachers, current sixth formers and the sixth form team. Everyone is here to help you make good choices for your future. If you have any questions, please email me!

The Stephen Perse Sixth Form is an ideal opportunity to try new things, join new clubs and learn new skills. Developing your leadership skills by joining a committee or the student president team, helping to organise a charity event, running a club, mentoring younger students, joining drama productions, choirs and orchestras are all fun and will help you to learn how to manage your time.

Sixth form study is challenging. There will be lots of occasions when you will have to step outside of your comfort zone, make mistakes and learn from them. You need to be prepared to be brave enough to get things wrong, offer an opinion, support a viewpoint and challenge the views of others in a mature and respectful manner. You are unlikely to be able to complete every task as perfectly as you would like to.

These are the times when you need to draw on the support of being part of a community, your friends and importantly your tutor. At the Stephen Perse Sixth Form, tutors have a key role in supporting you academically and pastorally. Tutor groups stay together for both Year 12 and Year 13 and consist of around

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Jacqueline Paris

Head of Sixth Form

jap@stephenperse.com

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Stephen Perse

Sixth Form Curriculum Choices

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Click the image to read the Sixth Form Curriculum Choices brochure. stephenperse.com

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Year 9

Peak District Residential

With no residential trip since September 2019, the Year 9 Edale trip was eagerly anticipated. In the run up to the trip all students had engaged in researching various aspects of the expedition, under the leadership of form reps, not to mention designing a trip hoodie.

Eventually the time came and early one Sunday morning at the end of March more than 120 students and their parents, 15 members of staff and three coaches gathered at Trumpington Park and Ride to begin the long-awaited outdoor pursuits adventure in the Peak District. At the end of the excited drive up to the Peak District, there was no delay, with each coach going straight to the first activity venue so students could get stuck in to either abseiling and climbing, rafting and canoeing or caving and hiking before heading to the Youth Hostel for a well-earned evening meal.

With rotations each day, all students tried their hand at each of the three main activities on offer, and in the evenings enjoyed board games, film night (or a quiz) and access to a games room including table football, pool and table tennis, not to mention hot chocolate!

Three exhausted coaches of students and staff arrived back at the Park and Ride on Tuesday evening - it was a much quieter journey home!

“There was a good range of games in canoeing. Caving was a great experience - I had been apprehensive before but really enjoyed it.”

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July 2022 Edition 6

Year 9

Peak District Residential

13 “I loved abseiling and climbing because I’ve always liked them but it was cool to do it outside on proper rock.”

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“Most people’s favourite activity was the water park. We had the chance to push many people in, especially the teachers!”

@SPFschools

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July 2022 Edition 6

Year 8

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Students on the Crest of the Wave!

Our Year 8's travelled to Bournemouth during the first week of this half term, and took part in an Outdoor Education week, organised by Land & Wave.

The students made a splash in the water park, scaled new heights on the climbing activity and tested their balance during Paddle Sports. The adventures also included bushcraft, team games, water slide, evening campfires and also crab fishing with a fish and chip supper, at the seaside.

All students rose to the challenges, stepped outside of their comfort zones, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience of being on a school trip. It was fantastic to see our students engaging with each other, solving problems and dealing with camp life as it unfolded. The loss of mobile technology did not at any stage hamper the students, in fact some reported having a sore throat due to talking so much!

The Year 8 tutors have reported that the students are still talking about moments from the experience, this is fantastic as it means that the students have together created some lifelong memories, which I am sure will stay with them going forward.

“Thank you to all of the instructors I was with, you made the trip so much fun.”

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Geography Department Update

Tim Pegler

Year 10 Geography Trip to CB1

Year 12 Cranedale Geography Trip

The first of the Year 10 Geography trips was to the local area around CB1. The students investigated whether the multimillion pound CB1 regeneration scheme had improved the local environment. After learning how to sample, they used questionnaires and environmental quality surveys to provide them with some –hopefully– objective figures. Back at school their next task was to write it up which they did through a mixture of graphs, statistics and written analysis. A big well done to all concerned!

The Year 12 Geographers visited Yorkshire for three days in order to complete a range of fieldwork activities. They visited the fastest eroding coastline in Europe and Britain’s original seaside resort, Scarborough. The purpose of the trip was to prepare the students for their own piece of coursework which has to be independently designed and carried out. The students worked exceptionally hard and were a credit to the school.

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Tim Pegler

Curriculum Leader of Geography

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March 2022 Edition 4

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Year 12

Cranedale Geography Trip by students Emily A and Emily B

In late March, the Geography Sixth Form students went to the Cranedale centre in Yorkshire to visit the surrounding coastline and towns as an introduction to their independent investigation otherwise known as an NEA surrounding the topics of Coasts and Diverse Places. With this trip being the first residential since the arrival of Covid-19, both students and teachers were grateful for an extended trip that was both educational and enjoyable (the sunny weather played a huge role in this, I’m sure). Having previously known only a little about the investigation, the trip has created a strong foundation on what an essay of this scale needs to include as well as making it a less daunting task which was very much needed.

Upon arriving at the Cranedale Centre, we had a debrief on the itinerary and then settled into our rooms. There were many recreational activities available such as tennis and ping pong, as well as a communal area for everyone to gather and catch up about their long days. One of the biggest delights of the trip was the delicious three course meals featuring typical farmhouse foods like sticky toffee pudding, tomato soup and a full roast which provided a great deal of comfort after every long day.

With the days being quite full on, leaving the centre at 9am and returning at 5pm in the afternoon, the trip was extremely productive. The first day focused on the physical side of the subject and gave us ideas on investigations that could be held on the coastline; measuring the steepness of a beach was certainly a new experience but the Cranedale guides managed to keep us in high spirits through regular breaks and even a pit stop at an ice-cream shop which was very much welcome in the unexpected heat.

On the penultimate day, we travelled to Scarborough where we learnt how to measure the attractiveness of different parts of the town using tools such as place diagrams and word pictures. This, along with the aid of the guides at Cranedale, helped many students to understand how to develop their own investigation within the topic of diverse places. The trip offered many excellent opportunities for us to sight see, relax and enjoy the weather; whilst also engaging in geographical studies.

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Principal’s 11-18 Newsletter

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Inspire and Guide Talk

Gold Medallist Beth Shriever

Relaxation of Covid restrictions has meant the return of many activities including the relaunch of our ‘Inspire Me’ programme.

These whole school events are held approximately three times during our academic year providing an opportunity for our speakers to share their fascinating life stories whilst also highlighting achievements such as leadership, motivation and the many other skills the Inspire and Guide programme promotes through its curriculum.

We were delighted on this special occasion to welcome Bethany (Beth) Shriever, Olympic Gold and World Champion BMX rider, to share her experience at the Tokyo Olympics winning gold in 2021 alongside gold at the World Championships that same year. Students were fascinated as Beth talked about her training regime, her cardboard (and very hard) bed in the Olympic village and the range of delicious food that was available to athletes. They learnt how she adjusted to Tokyo heat and humidity through hours in hot houses alongside the necessary weight training in her small bedroom.

Watching two videos of her Olympic and World Championship performances Beth described that roller coaster stomach dive, we either love or hate, to the students that hooked her onto the sport at an early age. She also described the hours of practice and competition with her brothers and colleagues that fostered her taste for this particular sport. Importantly, Beth talked about the determination and mental resilience that has formed such a key part of her success. How commitment is essential with the hours of repetitive practice involved, even the limitations to her post Olympic celebrations as the World Championships followed almost immediately.

Beth described the personal resilience needed when UK Sport withdrew its funding for women (but not males) competing in the Olympics and how this devastating news stimulated her to become yet more determined. Beth spoke about how she worked as a teaching assistant at Stephen Perse and her crowd funding of £50,000 which allowed her to continue her training.

Students were fascinated to see the actual bike she uses during the talk although no stunts were performed due to Health and Safety regulations!

Following the whole school presentation and open questioning Beth spent a further hour with our sports scholars. Here the questions focused further on resilience training, nutrition, competing and the science behind the sport. We are indebted to Beth for taking the time out of her busy schedule to talk to our students, it was eye opening for students and staff alike. We all wish Beth the very best in her forthcoming competitions.

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Beth described the personal resilience needed when UK Sport withdrew its funding for women (but not males) competing in the Olympics and how this devastating news stimulated her to become yet more determined.

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July 2022 Edition 6

Year 8 play 'Oliver Twist'

Our final production of the academic year was a dramatic retelling of Charles Dickens’ epic tale ‘Oliver Twist’, adapted by Anya Reiss and performed by a cast of keen Year 8 students.

Mrs Deborah Foote’s creative direction incorporated traditional folk songs sung by members of the cast, with live accompaniment by Year 9 student Lydia K on the guitar whilst Bullseye the dog was a puppet, manoeuvred around the stage by puppeteers.

Backstage clubs and enrichment classes have been extremely busy behind the scenes for several months, helping to create the visually striking and suitably Dickensian set, costumes and props. The overall set design featured handmade ragged bunting which was assembled by Year 8 backstage students.

They then sewed sections of mini bunting from similar fabric which they used to customise the costumes of many of the poorer characters. Year 10 and 12 theatre enrichment students made sausages by stuffing wadding into pairs of tights, dismantled and reassembled a stuffed toy dog to enable manipulation of a puppet Bullseye covered in ragged patches, and helped to paint a realistic wood grain effect onto a (real!) coffin. This clip gives a little insight into some of these activities.

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The Director’s Note from the Programme of ‘Oliver Twist’ “When Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens was first published in 1837, it gained instant attention because of the scandalous subject matter. It was one of the earliest known books to take on social issues, such as the impact of industrialisation and poverty in the nineteenth century. Sadly, we see parallels today, the difference being that there was no welfare state for Victorian children. Today’s food banks were the local market and what you could steal. The exploitation of children in the County Lines mirrors the manipulation of the orphans by Fagin.

From the moment Dickens started to write, he tried to speak for the people and the people loved him for it, consequently his books have not been out of print since. Everyone who appears in Oliver Twist has depth of character, essential for the reader to fully immerse oneself into the story and also for live audiences to enjoy these colourful characters when played on stage. We hope you enjoyed Year 8’s interpretation of Dickensian London, we think they have achieved really well negotiating these challenging times. Please cheer them on… and ask for more!”

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TeenTech Awards

My Blender Animation by Ethan M

TeenTech presents a wonderful and powerful opportunity to develop students' potential and showcase qualities which are appreciated by both employers and further education. The best projects submitted in April each year go forward to the TeenTech Awards Final for judging and the winning school in each category receives a cash prize. The final takes place towards the end of June at either the Royal Society or the Institute of Engineering and Technology.

Ethan’s a TeenTech Finalist!

This year four Stephen Perse students entered projects, developing a diverse range of products.

Ethan has shown enthusiasm and focus in Computing & Design Technology throughout the past three years. It is wonderful to have his efforts into his special interest subject celebrated in this way. His ‘My Blender Animations’ video was a contender for the Creative & Digital Media 11-16 Award.

Ethan’s second submission was ‘My Journey into Digital Art and Animation’ video.

Molly R in Year 7 has spent the year developing scented balms to help students with anxiety. Her project was praised by the judges and she will continue working with GSK (Glaxo Klein Smith) to improve the project for entry next year.

Arisha S in Year 12 has been developing a technique to produce bioplastic from algae. Her project was described as a ‘brilliant environmental project’ by the judges.

Two students from Year 9, Julie P and Mouboni D, have been investigating the possibility of developing a potted plant for growth in classrooms that will not spill water or soil and will need minimal care from the students. To develop their idea they have had support from both the Science department and the Design Engineering department as well as from Science and Plants for Schools (SAPS). The judges were very impressed by their project and in June 2023 they will represent the school at the finals in London. @SPFschools

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Year 9 student Ethan M made it through to the finals of the national competition of the TeenTech Awards 2022 which took place on Monday 20 June at the Institution of Engineering and Technology in London.

Ethan had the opportunity to present his ideas to panels of experts and other finalists, culminating in a prize giving ceremony where this year’s winners were announced. Kate Russell judged the Creative and Digital Media category along with Tom Boggis from Ubisoft. Although Ethan didn't end up winning he did enjoy the experience and has been inspired to continue being innovative in this area.

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July 2022 Edition 6

Royal Society of Chemistry Schools’ Analyst Competition 2022

In May, the chemistry department was pleased to hold a heat of the Royal Society of Chemistry Schools' Analyst competition.

The Schools’ Analyst Competition enables students to demonstrate and expand on their existing chemistry knowledge, skills and aptitude for analytical science through practical analytical experiments based on relevant societal or industrial problems.

Ten teams of three Year 12 students took part committing to around six hours of lab work over a number of days to carry out several practical investigations on this year's theme of ‘the best fish and chips’ to find the perfect formula for fish and chips.

The experiments included acid-base titrations to investigate vinegar samples and thin layer chromatography and gravimetric analysis of baking powders. The students uploaded the results of their group to the RSC website before half term and we now wait to see if any students will go through to the next round.

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Dr Mark Woodward, Head of Chemistry said: "This is an excellent opportunity for our strong cohort of A Level and IB chemists to experience an investigation that goes beyond the work that they usually carry out in class. Prior to Covid-19 it was the case that we took a single group of three students to the University of Hertfordshire for the competition. It is great to be able to host a heat ourselves and open up the opportunity to a larger number of students. This is just the type of super-curricular experience that will help so many of them on their path towards a practical science subject at degree level."

Around six hours of lab work over a number of days to carry out several practical investigations on this year's theme of ‘the best fish and chips’.

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Meet the Estates and Maintenance Teams

Maintenance Team

Peter Sievewright

Jakub Szczerba

Simon Galloway

Nick Johannesen

Gareth Percival Estates & Logistics Bursar I joined Stephen Perse six years ago, during that time there has been a huge amount of change in terms of the number of buildings, use of buildings and management structure.

Currently I have a team of 20 operatives across 13 sites, dealing with amongst other jobs, refurbishment projects, planned preventative maintenance, general maintenance, grounds, security, portering and minibus driving. We have worked hard at building a great team of people, who personally make every day a pleasure to work with them, who achieve an unbelievable amount of work, in at times extremely stressful and time constrained conditions.

I would like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to every single member of my team for their work and commitment.

Nick Cox

Paul Dellar

Eugene Keany

Alex Moyes

Groundskeeper

Simon Jackson

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July 2022 Edition 6

Drivers/Porters

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Trevor Jones

Chris Horton

William Creasy

Brian McGillvray

Kevin Dumbrill Maintenance Manager I have worked in the building and manufacturing industry most of my life and I have been personally involved in a number of building projects. I’ve worked for Stephen Perse for five years and I primarily deal with the day to day maintenance. The maintenance team which has nine staff members receive on average anywhere between 600 – 900 requests a month making it a demanding role but also making it an enjoyable, rewarding and varied job.

Dame Bradbury’s Maintenance Team

My maintenance team covers all the sites, not only for reactive maintenance and site development, we also maintain 88 pupil boarding rooms and staff accommodation with 24 hour emergency cover. I believe we have built a friendly and supportive team who are willing to go the extra mile for the Stephen Perse Foundation.

Also, like Gareth, I'd like to say thank you to the whole team.

Simon Pledger

Team Office Administrators

Security Team

Lottie Beare

Matthew Robertson

Stefan Giltinane

Paul Byrne

Yacine Benlaharche

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Modern Languages Department Update

The spirit of Glastonbury in French lessons Here is a great photo of the festival bracelets awarded by Mme Goddard to Year 9 for winning at least 50 class points. These points are earned each lesson for good contributions, inspired questions, good conjugations and imaginative homework, to name but a few of the possibilities. Each festival bracelet is emblazoned with 'French Star', the Tricolore, and of course, a grenouille. The festival bracelet also indicates that the student has also earned a House Point for French.

Year 9 has also played Verbology and Vocabology at the end of some lessons. This is a team game devised by Mme Goddard: the class splits into two teams and each one chooses a team name. The team members then work together to devise verb tense or vocabulary questions. They then take turns to ask the other team the questions. The team with the most points is the winner! The game can also be used to play noughts and crosses on the projector - instead of adding up points, each team decides where their nought or cross will go, and the team winners are decided that way.

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Commendation in the Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators Competition Congratulations to all Modern Linguists at Stephen Perse who participated in the Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators 2022. We had submissions for several languages across the Senior School. The challenge involved translating poems or texts from French, German, Spanish, Mandarin or Italian into English.

Over 14,000 students from 260 schools participated in the competition in 2022. Congratulations to all winning and commended entries!

Year 7 student Lillian’s entry received a commendation for her translation from German into English of the poem by Jürg Schubiger of Wind und Wetter. She managed to convey the spirit of the German original beautifully in English.

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July 2022 Edition 6

Translated from German

by Lillian

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The translation

The original

Wind and Weather

by Jürg Schubiger

Wind und Wetter

by Jürg Schubiger

It rains, it’s raining, I encountered a fish, it wiggles, it’s wiggling, it can’t find its way home.

It snows, it’s snowing, the Christmas tree stands ready.

It freezes, it’s freezing, and it’s not yet glowing.

It gets dark, it’s getting dark, a little plane glistens.

It flies, it’s flying, and it knows where Oslo lies.

It thaws, it’s thawing, today the weather is loud.

It roars, it’s roaring, I, too, am confused.

It airs, it’s airing, the meadow hums and is fragrant.

It awakes, it’s awakening, it has a cold and sneezes.

There is lightning, there is lightning, a sparrow ponders and perches.

It trickles, it’s trickling, our hearts beat as one.

Es regnet, es regnet, mir ist ein Fisch begegnet, es windet, es windet, der nicht nach Hause findet.

Es schneit, es schneit, der Christbaum steht bereit.

Es friert, es friert, er ist noch nicht verziert.

Es dunkelt, es dunkelt, ein kleines Flugzeug funkelt.

Es fliegt, es fliegt und weiss, wo Oslo liegt.

Es taut, es taut, das Wetter ist heut laut.

Es rauscht, es rauscht, auch ich bin wie vertauscht.

Es luftet, es luftet, die Wiese summt und duftet.

Es spriesst, es spriesst, wer Schnupfen hat, der niest.

Es blitzt, es blitzt, ein Sperling sinnt und sitzt.

Es tropft, es tropft, sein Herz und meines klopft.

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Principal’s 11-18 Newsletter

28

Charity Event

Culture Day in the Sixth Form and Senior School Sixth Form student Hannah G said: “The Sixth Form Student President Team encouraged all students and staff to dress up in cultural clothing on Friday 24 June.

It was an opportunity to celebrate diversity and share our individual cultures.

Not only were we looking for outfits reflecting different backgrounds, but we also shared delicacies from our different international cultures to help raise money for the Cambridge Refugee Resettlement Campaign (CRRC). We also had an open mic where students were encouraged to sign up and either perform a traditional dance or sing a song in their own language."

Head of Chinese, Guo Lâoshê said: “Students studying Chinese planned the bubble tea stall, prepared the bubble tea in the Senior School kitchen - using a combination of English black tea and Chinese oolong tea. The students organised the sale of bubble tea to raise money for the Nakuru Children’s Project. We raised £88.85."

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July 2022 Edition 6

Modern Languages Department Update

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Year 10 Modern Linguists enjoy success at the regional MFL debating competition Year 10 French, German and Spanish students took part in the MFL Debating Competition.

Local schools such as the Leys, Haileybury, King’s Ely and the Perse competed fiercely against each other and debated with great aisance motions on topics such as ‘Il faut arrêter de manger de la viande pour sauver la planète’, ‘Ferien mit Freunden sind besser als mit Eltern’ and ‘La educación tradicional es mejor que la educación a distancia’.

Our students attacked their opponents beautifully, calmly and showed a lot of resilience. We are pleased that one of our German teams won and that one of our French teams were runners up in the final. It was un vrai coup de maître for all our students!

Well done all for participating in Les Joutes Oratoires - verbal jousting in different languages.

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Principal’s 11-18 Newsletter

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Sport Update

East Area Prep Schools’ Athletics Championships

Year 10 Sophie is Junior Girl Archery County Champion

A small but talented contingent of Year 7 students took part in the East Area Prep Schools’ Athletics Championships at the International Athletics Stadium in Bedford on 10 June.

Year 10 student Sophie tells us all about her archery success: “During a weekend in June I went to an archery competition at Girton College. It was a two day competition with the second day being the County Championships and the first being a general competition. On the first day I did a qualifying WA720 at 60 metres (which is 12 dozen arrows at 60 metres) and ended up qualifying 4th.

The level of competition at this event is exceptionally high, our students have to achieve qualifying standards to compete and for most of our selected students it was their first proper competition. To compete on this stage is a great achievement in itself and all our students rose to the challenge.

All our students were a credit to themselves and to Stephen Perse, most achieved personal bests and all showed determination and commitment in their events.

Most notable performances were by: Imogen T

3rd in the U13 Girls High Jump (PB) & 7th in the U13 Girls 1500 metres

Friedemann W

5th in the U13 Boys Long Jump (PB)

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The second day consisted of head to head, which is a one to one match. I beat my first competitor 6-0 and the second 6-2 and in the final I was put against a girl who normally beats me but I won 6-2 and ended up winning. On the second day I shot a Metric III (which is 3 dozen at 50 metres, 3 dozen at 40 metres, 3 dozen at 30 metres and 3 dozen at 20 metres; so it was quite easy). I got a personal best and got the highest score out of all the recurves there and ended up getting the junior girl county champion title.”

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Gold medallist visit

Olympic gold medallist Beth Shriever meets the Sports Scholars Beth Shriever, Olympic Gold and World Champion BMX rider met with our GCSE and A Level PE and Sports Scholars recently after the fantastic Inspire and Guide assembly with the whole school.

Beth spoke about her own mental resilience over the years and how she prepares herself for high pressure environments. After winning Gold at the Olympic Games in Tokyo and then shortly after winning the World Championships, Beth became the competitor that everyone wanted to beat and this added a new pressure.

The students made the most of their time with her by asking some excellent questions to gain a better insight into the life of a top performer. Thank you Beth for inspiring the next generation.

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Principal’s 11-18 Newsletter

32

Sport Update

U13 Girls Football Team’s third place at the ISFA 7-a-side National Finals

to lift themselves for a 3rd/4th place playoff. This was another tight game which ended in a 2-2 draw leaving the Stephen Perse Foundation Under 13 Girls 7-a-side team as the joint third best team in the country.

Our Under 13 girls team headed to the home of English football, St. George’s Park in mid-June as ISFA Regional Champions following an outstanding performance at Forest School a couple of weeks previously.

This is the greatest result achieved by a sports team in the history of Stephen Perse and we are extremely proud of an exceptionally talented group of girls who remain modest and have a real desire to improve. It also bodes well for the future that half of the squad were under 12 students so are available for selection in the competition next year.

They arrived knowing that the other eleven teams were the pinnacle of girls football across England and were in a group containing schools from Cheshire, Lancashire, Surrey, Warwickshire and Central London.

Congratulations to Lottie K, Sophie J, Beatrice W, Hettie P, Alice E, Mya D, Natalie G and Juliet R. A mention too for Bella W who was a part of the regional championship winning team, but missed out on St. George’s Park due to injury.

The day got off to a fantastic start with two wins from two to begin the competition. A narrow defeat in game three was followed by a resounding 3-0 victory in the fourth group game.

As teachers we always look at resilience as a fundamental skill in our sportspeople and the way the girls reacted to their first setback in a long time was wonderful to see.

Another narrow defeat in game five meant that the girls qualified in second place and would face Surbiton High in the semi-final, the recent winners of the Under 13 National Cup. Despite playing well for long periods of the game, Surbiton were deserved winners which meant our exhausted team had

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July 2022 Edition 6

33

Athletics

Jubilee Cup Athletics Competition A large field of athletes from Years 7-10 took part in the Jubilee Cup Athletics Event at Wilberforce Road Athletics track on a blisteringly hot day. Many had not competed in this event before due to Covid-19 cancellations for several years so it was a learning experience along with tense competition. All students ran, jumped and threw with grit and determination and did themselves and the school proud.

The following students all won their prospective events: Pi C-F Frederick K Oliver J Eva F

High Jump - Year 10 Javelin - Year 10 Javelin - Year 9 Shot - Year 9

Zoe J

300 metres - Year 9

Lucy T

1500 metres - Year 9

Mia E

200 metres - Year 9

Lottie K Imogen T

Javelin Year 8 1High Jump - Year 7

Stella C

100 metres - Year 7

Joshua H

200 metres - Year 7

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Principal’s 11-18 Newsletter

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11-18 Leadership Structure 2022/23

Mr Stephen Ward Head 11-18

Ms Abbey Jones Senior Deputy Head

Mr Jon Young

Dr Shahzad Rahman

Ms Natasha Hammond

Mrs Gill Dambaza

Deputy Head Academic

Deputy Head Pastoral

Deputy Head Co-Curricular

Deputy Head Data, Assessment, Calendar & Staffing

Mrs Jacqueline Paris

Mrs Denise Hammersley

Miss Aisling Brown

Head of Sixth Form

Head of Boarding

Head of Digital Learning

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July 2022 Edition 6

Heads of Year

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2022/23

Dr Shahzad Rahman Deputy Head Pastoral

Ms Rachel Edmunds

Miss Georgina Beevor

Dr Alison Maguire

Mr Matthew Styles

Mrs Isabella Lake

Head of Year 7

Head of Year 8

Head of Year 9

Head of Year 10

Head of Year 11

Mr Peter Howarth

Mr Mark Griffiths

Ms Elizabeth Cox

Mrs Hannah Fisher-Hoch

Ms Ana Maria Riquel Garcia

Assistant Head of Year 7

Assistant Head of Year 8

Assistant Head of Year 9

Assistant Head of Year 10

Assistant Head of Year 11

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Principal’s 11-18 Newsletter

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Heads of Faculty 2022/23

Mr Jon Young Deputy Head Academic

Mr Will Frost

Mr Alex van Dijk

Mrs Claudia Freeman

Head of Faculty Humanities

Head of Faculty Sciences

Head of Faculty Modern Languages

@SPFschools

Ms Helen Kedie

Mrs Ruth Kemp

Head of Faculty English

Head of Faculty Maths & Computing

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July 2022 Edition 6

Charlotte reflects on her first year at Stephen Perse

Finishing Year 6 and transitioning into Year 7 was definitely scary and I didn’t know what I was expecting, but I realise now that everything that I had been imagining about my first weeks at Senior School were all completely fulfilled!

I noticed, even in my first few days, how the school radiates warmth and welcoming arms and I am so grateful for it.

I had transitioned with some of my friends from Year 6, but building my friendship support group wasn’t a difficult task.

I can assure anyone transitioning to Year 7 there are more ways to find your friends other than the playground, which I found an intimidating space when I first came here but have now grown to love, like the classroom, sports fixtures and club activities! No one has stayed permanently in the same friendships and in every class you’ll find one really good friend, you can always rely on.

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My favourite classes, in my opinion, are art, maths, history, English, music, chemistry, biology and Spanish. Each class is interesting and fun and I found myself learning something different and new each lesson! I’m not always a student that engages with the lesson much, but I’ve learnt that trying doesn’t hurt and I should try and engage as much as possible.

My experience of the Year 7 ‘Tales of Oscar Wilde’ production will be one I will never forget. I rehearsed with lots of friends and when it all came together we realised all the many hours rehearsing were worth it! It looked beautiful at the end and we all put so much work in together.

I had transitioned with some of my friends from Year 6, but building my friendship support group wasn’t a difficult task.

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Principal’s 11-18 Newsletter

38

Flexi-boarding

Flexi-boarding is available for all students in Year 10 upwards for either one, two or three nights a week and can be used at any point throughout the year.

For further information visit www.stephenperse.com/boardingoptions or view our Boarding Handbook

Parent Events 5 September

Autumn term starts

12 September

Y7 Introduction to the Senior School parent information evening tbc

14 September

Year 12 Introduction to the Year Information Evening tbc

15 September

New Year 8/Year 9/Year 10 Introduction to Stephen Perse Foundation Information Evening

26 September

S7-9 PSHE Remote Parent Information Evening tbc

11 October

Senior School and Sixth Form Remote Parents Wellbeing and Mental Health Seminar (led by Dick Moore, Charlie Waller Trust)

13 October

Sixth Form Open Evening

18 October

Music Award Holders' Concert

24-28 October

Autumn half term

Full school calendars can be viewed and subscribed to through our website here @SPFschools

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July 2022 Edition 6

Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Update

In early March the Stephen Perse Foundation Development Department launched a Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal in conjunction with the British Red Cross.

The British Red Cross plays a vital role in emergency response, in times of crisis and they provide invaluable help to people in need. Red Cross teams have been supporting people in Ukraine for many years and 4,600 volunteers and staff are on the ground right now. The British Red Cross have highlighted that, while donating items such as clothes, food or medical supplies is kind and generous, items have to be sorted, cleaned and transported which can slow down their response.

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Therefore cash donations are the most useful way to support the work of the Red Cross in Ukraine and neighbouring countries at this time.

www.justgiving.com/fundraising/

Thank you

to everyone who has already donated, our community has raised an amazing

£8,673

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Principal’s 11-18 Newsletter

40

Open Days

Book Your Place Visit our family of independent co-educational schools from nursery to sixth form in Cambridge and Saffron Walden.

We have open days in September and October.

To find out@SPFschools more and book your place please visit stephenperse.com stephenpersefoundation stephenpersefoundation

Richard Girvan, Principal

July 2022 Edition 6

What’s on at Saffron Hall Friday 1 July, 7.30pm

NYJO celebrate Amy Winehouse National Youth Jazz Orchestra present an emotionally charged tribute to one of their greatest alumna, Amy Winehouse Contemporary

Free shuttle bus service

Book now +

Wednesday 6 - Sunday 10 July

BBC Young Musician 2022 Come along to experience the buzz of a live studio atmosphere and cheer on the UK’s brightest young musical talent in 5 televised competition rounds Classical

Under 25 tickets £5

Book now +

Monday 11 July, 7.30pm

London Community Gospel Choir In association with 8 Day Weekend, this legendary gospel choir performs on The Common as part of the Saffron Walden Round Table Carnival Contemporary

Good availability

Book now +

Sunday 31 July, 4pm

Aurora Orchestra Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony is made all the more exciting in a performance given entirely from memory

Classical

Free shuttle bus service

Book now +

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Principal’s 11-18 Newsletter

42 Friday 5 August, 7pm

NYO Open Up: Free Spirits!

The National Youth Orchestra brings its trademark exuberance and vitality to Saffron Hall again this summer.

Classical

Free shuttle bus service

Book now +

Fri 19 – Sat 20 August, multiple performance times

Alice in Wonderland at Bridge End Gardens Don’t miss this magical outdoor production for all the family this summer!

Family

Theatre

Book now +

www.saffronhall.com 0845 548 7650 (calls cost 7p per min + access charge)

@SPFschools

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Stephen Perse Foundation (Main Office) Union Road Cambridge CB2 1HF t: 01223

454700 e: office@stephenperse.com stephenperse.com

@SPFschools

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