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Anglian Learning Launches Primary Hub

A specialist Primary Hub has been launched by Anglian Learning, adding three further schools to the Cambridgeshire multi academy trust. Stapleford Community Primary School, Fen Ditton Primary School and Bottisham Community Primary School have joined the trust after a period of consultation with their governors, staff and parents. The schools join the existing academies Bassingbourn, Bottisham and Sawston Village Colleges and Netherhall School and Sixth Form. Leading the Primary Hub is Executive Primary Headteacher Prue Rayner, who has experience as a primary headteacher and as a highly-regarded senior Her Majesty’s Inspector with Ofsted. Prue has a wealth of experience within the education sector both in Cambridgeshire and nationally. After graduation from the University of London, Prue’s career path led her to Milton Road Infant School, Fulbourn Primary School and Stretham Primary School in Cambridgeshire. She took on leadership of Caldecote Primary School which saw her assume her first role as head teacher. Prue also has experience of taking on the leadership of a school in special measures and bringing about substantial improvement. During her career, Prue has also developed experience of secondary education and of the provision of education for pupils who have special educational needs. In joining Anglian Learning, Prue has returned to work in Cambridgeshire where she grew up and has spent most of her life. She said: “I was drawn to primary teaching because of my love of children’s zest for life, their ability to learn, to be resilient and to make life joyful. I fully intend to use my experience working…

New date for Prom Fashion Show

Unfortunately, heavy snow meant we had to cancel the annual Year 11 Prom Fashion Show which was due to be held on Friday, 2nd March. The new date for the show will be Friday, 27th April. Tickets already purchased will still be valid for that date. The event is a fund-raiser for the Leavers' Prom which takes place in June after the GCSE exams have finished. Our models for the evening will be dressed by the ladies from Cream Rose in Fenstanton and hair will be styled by Lisa from Bliss Perfect Brides, Bassingbourn.  Year 11 parents will be running a bar for the evening. Tickets are available from the school reception priced £6 & £4.  

BVC Bookworms celebrate World Book Day.

Students across the school took up the challenge to list their favourite books as part of the BVC World Book Day celebrations - with lists plastered over classroom doors as proof. Librarian Mrs Lynn set the challenge to come up with the lists as part of the BVC inter-college championships. College points were awarded for the best displayed (JMI & SMC), most diverse (SRB/DL) and longest list (SKN). Students were also able to take advantage of special free World Book Day books from the likes of Michael Bond, Clare Balding, Tom Fletcher, Benjamin Zephaniah, Frances Hardinge and John Green. Heffers of Cambridge supplied the books. Ann Lynn, BVC Librarian, said:"It was great to see our lunchtime bookstall so busy! Students couldn't decide which book to take and some ended up in heated arguments over which were the best. "We have also launched a new reading list in the Library with the longlist of Carnegie books now available and a brand new selection of brilliant reference books."  

BVC students are saying YES to NCS!

The number of Bassingbourn Village College students who have signed up for the National Citizenship Service has been so impressive that we have won an award. NCS reps Sohaila Abbas and Hugh Waysome-Banton visited BVC to present the award to Assistant Principal Rebecca Hields (below) who has done brilliant work recruiting almost a quarter of our Year 11 students to the project taking place this summer. The NCS is a once in a lifetime opportunity for young people in Year 11 and Year 12. With all places funded by the government, it is the biggest youth development programme in England, giving young people the opportunity to develop new skills and make new friends whilst having fun over school holidays. NCS participants embark on an outdoor adventure residential taking part in activities such as climbing, archery and zip-wire. They then continue their adventure with activities that will enhance their personal skills, including practical workshops, and visiting local organisations. For further information visit www.learnbydesign.co.uk/ncs-school-link-east-ea1/ to find out more and sign up.

Dance Show 2018

BVC hosts ESU/Churchill public speaking event

Teams from Oakham, Leicester and Cambridge converged on Bassingbourn Village College to compete in the district finals of the ESU/Churchill public speaking competition. Students spoke on such diverse subjects as 'Have our leaders lost touch with the people?', 'Should we take extra terrestrial beings more seriously?', 'Terminally ill children - who should make life-ending decisions?' and 'Keep calm and carry on. Have we lost the ability to do this?' Although the BVC team didn't win through to the next round, team member Ed Evans was judged to be best speaker in the Questioner role. The team comprised Iain Lynn (Speaker), Bea Cornwell (Chairman) and Ed Evans (Questioner) - photographed here with English teacher Rebecca Boxall and Vice Principal Vickey Poulter. The event was attended by members of the BVC Debating Club and year 9 students who have recently taken part in their own BVC debating competition. The winning team of girls from English Martyrs School in Leicester now go forward to the semi finals which will be held in Magdalene College, Cambridge, next month.  

Community award for BMX star Josh

BVC student Josh Izzard's dedication to BMX racing has been recognised at a community awards ceremony. Josh was presented with the Vince Paige Sporting Achievement Award, dedicated to Vince Paige, founder of the Letchworth Garden City Eagles FC, who passed away last year. Josh has been BMX racing for the last few years and has been selected to take part in the Regional School of Racing, with the potential to lead to future selection of the Great Britain Cycling Team and ultimately to the Olympics and World Championships. He was nominated by by the Chairman of Royston Rockets BMX Club who said that Josh is always willing to help new club members feel included and attends all coaching sessions. The Chairman’s Volunteer Achievement Awards were held at a celebratory reception at Wymondley Priory Barns on Friday 2 February 2018. The awards celebrate people in North Hertfordshire who volunteer and ‘go the extra mile’ to make a real difference in their local community. Organised by North Hertfordshire District Council (NHDC), the winners were nominated by members of the public and chosen by the judging panel, which comprised of Cllr Alan Millard, NHDC’s Chairman, Nick Gill, Editor at The Comet, Jack Wells and Steven Roberts of Willmott Dixon, Anne Taylor from North Herts Centre for Voluntary Service, and Claire Morgan from the Communities Team at NHDC. Each winner was presented with an engraved glass trophy, bouquet of flowers and gift vouchers to acknowledge their volunteering achievements. Cllr Alan Millard, NHDC’s Chairman said: "We are delighted that the hard…

Year 9 students find their voice

Well done to all the year 9 students who have been studying debating this term, culminating in a very lively in-school tournament with the final watched by the whole year group. College governors Mr Chris Roope and Mr Dushy Chetty joined Vice Principal Vickey Poulter at the judges’ table. All said they were very impressed with the standard of debating, commenting that the standard gets higher and higher each year. Those taking part were: Motion: This House Would Tax Junk Food Proposition: (winning team) Jasmine Stacey Isobel Wells Ginevra Harraway Opposition: Josh Ding (Best Speaker) Matt Gilliland Amelia Perkins Motion: This House Would return national treasures to their country of origin Proposition: Poppy Jack John Cheeseright (Best Speaker) Beth Makower (Best Overall Speaker) Opposition: - winning team Ciru Mungai Katie Cheeseright Matt Gilliland

Top award for Noah

BVC student Noah Telford-Reed has been recognised as one of the country's top achieving computing students in his age group. Year 10 student Noah came joint third in a computing challenge – The UK BEBRAS Computational Thinking Challenge – at the Department of Computer Science at the University of Oxford. Coming third in the Senior age group is an impressive achievement, as 14,402 students entered the first round of the category (years 10 & 11 for England and Wales). Noah was one of 55 top-achieving students who attended the final for the Senior age group at Oxford. He received his third place certificate from Professor Peter Millican at a prize-giving ceremony at Hertford College, Oxford. The UK BEBRAS Computational Thinking Challenge, supported by Google, is designed to get students excited about computing and computational thinking. It is a problem-solving contest with questions inspired by topics in computer science. In the first round, held in their own schools, students have to try and solve as many problems as possible in the allotted time. There are six age categories. The highest scoring students from the four oldest age groups (Elite, Senior, Junior and Intermediate) in the first round were then invited to the Department of Computer Science at Oxford for the finals over two weekends in January and February. For more information, see bebras.uk

ESU/Churchill public speaking success

BVC fielded two teams in the first round of the English Speaking Union’s Churchill public speaking competition which took place in Cambridge. The students competed against 5 other teams from schools in Cambridge – the BVC A team won a place in the next round, with medals awarded to Iain Lynn as Best Speaker and Bea Cornwell receiving the judges’ award for Outstanding Personality. The Bassingbourn teams comprised: Team A Iain Lynn, Casey Lambert and Edward Evans. Team B Bea Cornwell, Libby Taylor and Alfie Duckett. The competition is for Key Stage 3 & 4 students (years 9 - 11) and challenges students to engage with a wide range of cross-curricular topics, whilst helping to meet National Curriculum speaking and listening targets. It is the largest public speaking competition in the UK with over 400 teams entering each year. A spokesman for the ESU said: “Public speaking is a vital life skill that students will use throughout their academic careers and in their everyday lives. Participants leave the competition having built confidence and experience in articulating their ideas and sharing them with others.”

Bassingbourn Village College

South End, Bassingbourn, Royston, Hertfordshire, SG8 5NJ

01763 242344

office@bassingbournvc.org
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