Principal's 11-18 Newsletter - October 2022

Welcome Back

We were delighted to welcome students back to school on 5 September. The term got underway with assemblies, with Senior School students hearing from our two school captains, as well as welcome addresses from Mr Ward and myself.

Mr Ward welcomed new pupils, including those joining us in Year 7-10, as well as new staff, including our new Senior Deputy Head, Ms Abbey Jones who rejoins the school after two years as Deputy Head Pastoral at Haberdashers’ Girls School, and Mr Jon Young, our new Deputy Head Academic, who joins the Economics Department from the Perse. Sixth formers also enjoyed an assembly, with Ms Paris, Mr Ward and I sharing the stage, together with Ms Barrell our Head of Drama.

I was glad to hear all those presenting at assemblies, including both colleagues and students themselves, speak with such enthusiasm at the start of the year about the return to school. I also felt their advice to new students was exactly right: this included encouragement to engage wholeheartedly in school life, exhortation to make the most of all of the opportunities on offer this term, exemplification of the values and standards we hold dear within our community, and a reminder of all of the support available from teachers and fellow students.

Public Exam Outcomes

Public examination outcomes were published for IB students shortly before the end of term and for A level and GCSE students over the last three weeks. After a huge amount of work by colleagues at the Senior School and Sixth Form over the summer term to prepare students for the first set of public exams for three years, students have now received their grades for IB, A level and GCSE for 2022. The outcomes were really pleasing and very strong indeed.

At GCSE 37% of all grades were the top grade of 9, 59% grade 8 or 9, and 79% grade 7,8 or 9. These results were almost identically mirrored at A level, where 36% of grades were at A*, 59% A*-A and 80% A*-B. In the IB, the average score was 39.7 points out of a possible 45, once again placing Stephen Perse among the top group of IB schools worldwide.

Richard Girvan

A word from the Principal

Most importantly the overwhelming majority of our students were accepted by their first choice or insurance choice university and the rest were either placed through clearing, accepted an overseas university place or have decided to reapply in the next cycle. As ever, our exams and careers guidance teams have been there to support our students in considering and progressing their options following receipt of their results.

We wish to congratulate all of our students who have worked incredibly hard over the last two years to complete their A level, IB and GCSE courses. Examination outcomes are, of course, important, though they tell only a very small part of the story of our students, who have learned a great deal more from their time in school than the publicly assessed curriculum. In particular, the outgoing Year 13 will be remembered for their immense contribution to school life and their engagement and achievement across a broad range of activities, from music, art and design, to sport and Model UN, among many others.

University Destinations

Students from the Stephen Perse Sixth Form will be taking up places at some of the UK’s highest ranked universities this year, including five at Cambridge University, two at Oxford University (over the last five years, 10% of Year 13 students have gained places at Oxbridge), eight at University College London, five at King’s College London and four at Imperial College. All seven applicants for Medicine or Veterinary Medicine were successful. In addition, students have also gained places at universities in the US, including at the prestigious Columbia University. We are immensely proud of all of our students and particularly proud of the broad range of courses and universities they have decided to pursue.

Sixth Form Facilities

We are delighted to report that all of the internal refurbishment work to our additional sixth form accommodation at Rosedale House has been completed over the summer, together with the first phase of landscaping work around the building. The building provides a contemporary counterpoint to the handsome and historic facilities on Bateman Street, increasing the amount of communal indoor and outdoor space for students. The new facilities include a new dining room and two large student common rooms, as well as 14 new classrooms. There is also additional cycle parking and outdoor recreational space, with a netball/five-aside court, table tennis, lounge areas and picnic tables.

We are currently seeking planning consent to create a hole in the wall and a canopied walkway and seating area between the Rosedale House site and the Bateman Street buildings, to better connect the two sixth form buildings and create some useful covered outdoor social space for students. Once planning consent is obtained we will progress this remaining work. It won’t be disruptive to teaching and it should be able to be completed relatively quickly.

Sixth Form Open Evening

We warmly invite Year 11 parents to sign up for our Sixth Form Open Evening to view our recently refurbished sixth form accommodation. This is scheduled to take place on the evening of Thursday 13 October from 6.30pm-8.30pm. The evening will include presentations from staff, plus the opportunity to ask students and staff questions.

Richard Girvan Principal

Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II

Our Foundation’s community was deeply saddened by the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. She will be remembered for a life of unwavering service to her country. As a Foundation we will come together in the coming months to decide how best we might commemorate her life-long service and memory.

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award

DofE has also seen some significant changes, with Mr McAlinden taking on the role as DofE Manager, bringing to the table over 20 years of DofE experience. This term students will be undertaking their Bronze Qualifying expeditions and students new to the programme will be given the opportunity to enrol and take the first steps along the DofE journey.

During the summer we had over 50 students complete their Silver DofE Expedition and a further 15 participate in their Gold expedition.

Outdoor Education

Co-curricular activities

Outdoor Education has gone from strength to strength, with students being able to access indoor climbing, paddlesports, sailing, bushcraft and navigation activities within both club and enrichment times.

It is fundamental to our programme that access is given to a wide range of students within the Senior School and Sixth Form, allowing them to fully embrace the lifelong learning opportunities available through participation in Outdoor Education.

This term will see our first ever Year 7 Outdoor Adventure Day, which is focused on giving the new students to the school an opportunity to work with each other, make new friends and set the foundation for a strong year going forward. Please see page 6.

Sailing

Eight of our students completed the RYA Youth Sailing Scheme Stage 1 award last term, as part of the Stephen Perse Outdoor Education sailing option. They learnt the basics of rigging, rope work, sailing techniques and sailing background.

Paddlesport

With our superb facilities and easy access to the River Cam, paddlesports is always a hit for our students. It is fantastic to see young people develop their skills and confidence on the water and begin to understand how to safely go paddling. We even had one student provide assistance to a member of the public, who needed some advice on getting back onto her paddleboard.

Outdoor Education Day 2022

Challenge, teambuilding, personal development, and confidence building are all words which came out of our first ever Stephen Perse Foundation Year 7 Outdoor Education Day.

The overriding aim for the day, set by our Head of Outdoor Education Mr McAlinden, was to ‘make memories’ which can then be taken throughout the year by all students, through taking part in a shared range of activities. With the objective of providing an opportunity to support the new students in the school as they begin their journey through Year 7.

Our students were put through a whole day which included archery, teambuilding, forest schools, climbing and paddlesports and it was fantastic to see how they developed as the day progressed.

It is hoped going forward that students will reflect on their experiences, have a little more confidence to step outside of their comfort zone, and ultimately bond the students as a year group.

Sport Update

It is always good to welcome so many students back to sports clubs and to see lots of new faces attending.This bodes well for our teams and we have many fixtures planned.

If your child is involved in any teams please do take the time to check our website where you will find dates for all of our fixtures.

Cricket update

It was fantastic to see so many students involved in cricket fixtures in the first full season we’ve had in three years. The summer season began in the Easter holiday period where preseason cricket camps were offered to students from years 5-8 and over the course of the term a remarkable 97 matches were played in a jam-packed summer.

There were a number of notable performances but what is more pleasing is the tremendous progress a number of players made in such a short period of time. Cricket club was popular as ever with 196 students from Years 7-10 attending on a weekly basis. More players have gone on to join local clubs and our more talented players continue to represent the County.

We managed to field a First XI for the first time in Stephen Perse history and it was great to officially round off the season

with a fixture against the Forty ‘XL’ Club with some of our schools best cricketers from Year 9 to sixth form representing the school team. Batting first on a blisteringly hot day the XL club posted 235/4 declared of 36 overs. The bowlers toiled hard in the conditions against tough opposition but acquitted themselves really well. The wickets were shared between Molly, Tom, Abbey and Mr Ward (who was filling in for our side due to a last minute illness). In reply, the 1st team had a shaky start and lost 4 quick wickets. There were some small partnerships but unfortunately the innings never got going with Stephen Perse eventually scoring 122. Nevertheless, this was a fantastic opportunity for our students who enjoyed the experience and who are already looking forward to next year's fixture. Thanks to all involved to help organise the day.

Looking forward, plans are in the pipeline to be involved in local and overseas cricket tours which will be an exciting opportunity for our cricketers

Ray Mordini Head of Cricket

County Trials

Many of our students have attended county trials in an array of sports and we look forward to hearing how they get on.

Sleep Out Challenge

We are all incredibly proud of the Year 10 students who took part in our first 'Stephen Perse Sleep Out Challenge' raising over £2000 for Nakuru Children's Project.

House Quiz

In June, we hosted the return of inter-house quizzes. Years 7 and 8 went head-to-head, as did Years 9 and 10. Three brave and knowledgeable gladiators from each house represent them in a 21 person quiz.

Most questions were on the buzzer, using our fantastic homemade inventions made by Mr. Bett, but the Picture Round, Music Round, and Top 10 Round were all written and all teams could theoretically score maximum points.

In the Year 7 and 8 quiz, Cattley took an early lead through the strong on-the-buzzer game of Harry Gulati and Lewis Foster. It looked like they had gathered an unassailable lead until the final round, the Blockbusters Round. 26 questions, each answer starting with the next letter of the alphabet; this was the only round where a wrong answer lost points.

It was during this that, Kennet representative and Player of Quiz, Dylan Cole went on a mammoth run of answers which gave the title to Kennet with several questions to ask. In the Years 9 and 10 quiz, the final question of the entire quiz saw Kennet, Cattley and Rose on equal points.

Deputy School Captain Frank was quickest on the buzzer for Cattley giving them the victory the morning after a winning performance at Sports Day. Well done to all who participated and particularly to Kennet and Cattley.

Battlefields trip to Cannock

By students Daisy and Maya Jane

Although we weren’t able to go to France and Belgium this year, on the 20 and 21 June, Year 9 went to Cannock in Staffordshire on a History and English trip to learn more about World War I.

In and around Cannock there are a lot of memorials and cemeteries for soldiers who lost their lives during WWI. In the National Memorial Arboretum, trees had plaques dedicated to certain soldiers. Something that stood out there were wooden poles, meant to symbolise the posts that the soldiers who were shot at dawn were tied to. These soldiers were meant to have committed capital offences like desertion, so they were killed, sometimes by people in their own regiment - their friends. The tour guide made us stand by these poles to try to simulate what would’ve happened. There were also plaques to celebrate those who had won a Victoria Cross medal.

We also visited two other memorials that were in close proximity to one another - Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery and Cannock Chase War Cemetery. Cannock Chase was significant in WWI as it became the base for the New Zealand Rifle Brigade and was also a prisoner-of-war hospital.

The Cannock Chase Cemetery contains 379 burials, including 100 Commonwealth burials, most of them from New Zealand. One grave that stood out to us was the grave of a 16 year-old - it was very significant to us, as he was close to our age, and it really made me realise how young some of the soldiers were and how traumatic the war would have been for them.

Overall, this trip taught the year group even more about the First World War, which, considering we’ve been taught about it for most of the year, is a big achievement. It also brought the poems we studied in English to life. The whole tour was managed in a really great way as well. We all had so much fun!

“One grave that stood out to us was the grave of a 16 year-old - it was very significant to us, as he was close to our age."

“Being there in person, each room which I had seen hundreds of times as a Politics student looked similar but not alike to what I knew.”

Trip to Parliament

On Monday the 27 June, 12 Politics/Sociology students, along with three teachers went on a trip to Parliament. By Sixth Form Student Alistair

This was a fantastic opportunity to see the inner workings of Parliament in person, with the session including a tour throughout both Chambers, and the Royal Gallery within the building. James, a Politics student in Year 12 said: "The trip was actually better than I expected, we even managed to stand next to the throne in the House of Lords where the Queen's speech was given! Overall the experience really allowed us to delve into the insides of Parliament which I greatly appreciated".

We were given a personal tour around Westminster Palace (Parliament) including areas of the building the general public are not usually able to visit. This included standing within the Chambers of the House of Lords and the House of Commons. What was especially awesome was the fact that later that day, during a debate surrounding the government’s power to change the Northern Ireland Protocol, former Prime Minister Theresa May gave a speech in the exact spot where we stood a couple hours prior. The trip also provided valuable insight into the inner workings of the British political system, including the set up for swearing in a new MP to Parliament. This was due to the recent by-election in Wakefield, and we even got to see the new MP for Wakefield during the tour.

Bio, another student who went on the trip summed up what made the trip so special, the ability to “Listen to all the information in the real atmosphere”. “Being there in person, each room which I had seen hundreds of times as a Politics student looked similar but not alike to what I knew. In my opinion the chambers seemed smaller than they appear on camera, although also taller. Being able to touch the benches and see the Despatch Box makes everything more real.”

One of the highlights of the trip was meeting our local MP Daniel Zeichner who took time out of his day to speak to us and answered our questions. This included receiving insight about an upcoming bill he was giving a speech about, a previous bill he attempted to put through Parliament and what

being part of the shadow government is like. It was great to see the local link between Parliament and Cambridge.

The trip also included an interactive session surrounding the legislative process, which ended with a Mock Parliamentary debate, which ended up being very fun. The Year 12s formed the Governing Party whilst the Year 11s were the opposition, and the debate was held on the issue of University Tuition Fees. Through the power of debate, rebuttals and open corruption the bill passed!

Verulamium Trip

By Year 10 student Ilaria

We met at 8:30am in the dining hall. Here we took the register and discussed the details of our trip. We then set off for our coach. As we drove on, the air filled with excitement and anticipation.

This was then furthered by an inspiring talk from Mr Darnton. He spoke about the history of Verulamium (now the town we call St Albans), how it was already very ‘Roman’ before the arrival of the Romans, and particularly about its relevance to our study of Boudica in Chapter 12 of de Romanis.

We then arrived at the site of Verulamium and put away our bags, before being whisked away to a secret room filled with artefacts. Our task was to figure out what these objects were for and who would have used them. We were most excited by the sponge on a stick…….but don’t worry, this was a replica.

Next, we were given the opportunity to browse the museum. While the mosaics were very impressive, I was most fascinated by the intricate jewellery on display. We finished by watching a short video about Verulamium’s construction through the ages.

Afterwards, we visited the gift shop where several of us bought matching rings. We then visited an excavated Roman theatre just a short walk away, unique in that it is the only Roman theatre (not amphitheatre) in Britain. It was good to see that the theatre was in fact still in use; we could see actors preparing to perform The Tempest.

We were then very much ready for lunch. Having feasted, we were able to visit the large bath house mosaic closeby. This was followed by some free time in which we played outside and visited the nearby cafe where people were able to buy ice cream or other sweet treats.

We boarded the coach for the journey home after a great day. I thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Verulamium and definitely learned a lot!

"This was then furthered by an inspiring talk from Mr Darnton. He spoke about the history of Verulamium (now the town we call St Albans)."

Silk Perse Ukulele and Guitar Club

The Silk Perse Ukulele and Guitar club has been meeting weekly for over two years; we even had some online sessions during lockdown. Members of the group have studied ukulele for Duke of Edinburgh, for CAS for IB, and above all, just for the fun of it.

Everyone plays with great enthusiasm and we are developing a large repertoire of pieces - some of which we intend to record.

In our ukulele sessions we learn chords and songs and aim to start playing and singing as quickly as possible. Since items like ‘The Lime in the Coconut’ only require the chord of C7, it is very easy to get into the swing! In the guitar sessions the focus is on developing individual playing and rhythm styles, song learning techniques and improvising solos.

We write songs, and Lydia K's latest is a Shakespeare sonnet set to music for guitar and ukulele. We also curate music to teach educational concepts - as some of our pupils may have

noticed in class: for example, if you are learning about Paris and French tenses -in Madame Goddard's opinion at least - there is nothing quite like singing along to 'Aux Champs Elysées' with ukulele backing. We are also eagerly awaiting some crucial mathematical numbers (-pun intended-) written by Mrs McKenzie, which are also in the pipeline!

Madame Goddard (ukulele)

Mr Whyte (guitar)

Ukulele and Guitar Club meets every Monday from 3.30pm till 4.45pm in M1. Everyone is welcome!

CABARET SIXTH FORM PERFORMERS NEEDED!

Students in Years 12-13 are invited to sign up to take part in our annual Sixth Form Cabaret which will take place at 7.30pm on Friday 4 November in the senior school hall. We are looking for musicians, singers, bands, comedy routines, magicians - all acts considered!

TICKETS WILL GO ON SALE IN OCTOBER WATCH THIS SPACE!

All proceeds from this year’s cabaret will go to the Cambridge refugee resettlement campaign in their aim to aid Ukrainian refugees. Please help us raise money and awareness for this charity who work so hard to welcome those displaced by war into our community.

Year 12

Induction activities

By Jacqueline Paris Head of Sixth Form

The transition from Year 11 to Year 12 is a significant one in any young person's life even if it only involves moving across the road from the Senior School to the Sixth Form site. There are new ideas to explore, new people to meet, new routines, a new tutor and year team.

Students have more freedom to manage their own time and make use of their study periods. They have to learn how to balance their time between the common room and the library.

Academic study becomes much more intense as they have reduced the number of subjects that they are studying and they abandon compulsory subjects for those that they have chosen. Study outside of lessons becomes less directed. Instead of just completing homework tasks, they are expected to read around their subjects, consolidate the learning that has happened in class - to take the initiative and work much more independently. All this can be daunting and so there are a series of ‘introduction to the sixth form’ events.

The first of these was in July. The new Year 12 students spent the day on site with us, or connected in via Google Meet. They spent time in their tutor groups meeting each other and their tutor and took part in taster lessons in each of their chosen subjects.

The first day of term in September was a second induction day. Inevitably there was a certain amount of admin to do such as issuing iPads, joining Google Classrooms, a tour of the buildings, common rooms and facilities as well as getting to know each other. They also were launched into their first ‘real’ lessons - a first step on a journey that will be over in the blink of an eye.

Friday 9 September was also assigned as an induction day.

Having had a few days to get to know each other, the purpose of this day was team building. An opportunity to challenge themselves and to support each other. The year group spent the day at Go Ape in Thetford.

The day consisted of three activities, Team Games, Bamboozled (think Trivial Pursuit with challenges rather than questions) and the Tree Top Challenge. This was a high wire assault course with wobbly ladders, rope swings and zip wires.

The heavens opened just as we arrived and we arrived slightly late due to coach delays but the students showed themselves to be adaptable and undaunted. Their encouragement of each other during the activities and the manner in which they looked out for each other was truly impressive. They took part in the games in the true spirit of competition, both cheering on their teammates and applauding their competitors. All of the tutors at some point in the day commented to me how impressed they were by the students' attitude. Comments with which I fully concur.

The Year 13 students’ president team is organising a buddying system to further support the Year 12s as they settle in and have organised a Winter Formal Dinner for the end of November at The Hilton Hotel.

With such impressive young people in both Years 12 and 13, a return to some semblance of normality post Covid and, with the additional space afforded by the extension of our buildings into Rosedale House, it should be a great year ahead.

Jacqueline Paris Head of Sixth Form

Flexi-boarding

What’s on at Saffron Hall

Sunday 11 September, 2.30pm

Saffron Opera Group: Tannhäuser

A medieval knight is torn choosing between his earthly love Elizabeth and the goddess Venus in this epic Wagner opera, performed with English subtitles.

Friday 16 September, 8pm

Foyer Jazz: Katriona Taylor

Katriona Taylor’s music is soulful and evocative, with strong melodies and tender lyrics.

Friday 23 September, 8pm

Foyer Folk: Sam Kelly & Jamie Francis

BBC Radio 2 Folk Award winner Sam Kelly is joined by long-time collaborator Jamie Francis to rekindle the sounds of their Norfolk & Cumbrian musical heritage.

music

Sunday 25 September, 3pm

Once Upon a Tune: Spooky Stories

Classical music and stories to make your hair stand on end, illustrated live on stage by James Mayhew while the orchestra plays.

Friday 30 September, 8pm

Max Richter: Four Seasons Recomposed

Britten Sinfonia perform Max Richter’s radical take on Vivaldi’s Four Seasons (as heard on The Crown and Bridgerton) in this anniversary performance.

Friday 7 October, 7.30pm

Isata Kanneh-Mason

Star pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason performs programme themed around childhood featuring music by Clara Schumann, Fanny Mendelssohn and Frédéric Chopin.

Saturday 15 October, 7.30pm

Pasadena Roof Orchestra

Flapper dresses and spats at the ready: the Pasadena Roof Orchestra is all set to sweep us off our feet and back in time to the Roaring Twenties.

Thursday 20 October, 7.30pm

Jay Rayner: My Last Supper

The award-winning restaurant critic and MasterChef judge visits Saffron Hall for the first time to examine our fascination with last meals.

Contemporary