01763 242344
office@bassingbournvc.org

New Principal for BVC

We are pleased to welcome our new Principal, Ms Vickey Poulter. A Chemistry graduate from York University, Ms Poulter brings with her 25 years experience as a Science teacher. She joined the staff at BVC in 2006 and was appointed Vice Principal in 2014. Inspired by teachers in her life to make a difference to others, her aim is to ensure that all students at Bassingbourn have the inspiration and aspirations that she had to achieve their very best. Ms Poulter said: “I come from a family where I was the first person to go to university. I was extremely fortunate in having three very inspirational teachers as I was growing up – and it’s thanks to them that I have achieved my dream. “They taught me that there are no ceilings on achievement and that’s the message I want to pass onto the students and staff at Bassingbourn. I want them to be the very best they can possibly be. “I am thrilled to be the Principal of this amazing school. We have a very dedicated staff who work hard for our students. “We are revisiting the three Rs at Bassingbourn and with the new term we will be focussing on being responsible, respectful, resilient and healthy members of the local community.” Vickey takes over from Duncan Cooper who has been promoted to Deputy CEO and Director of Education (Secondary) for Anglian Learning multi academy trust.

Back to school arrangements

Arrangements for the first day of 2019/20 academic year: Wednesday 4th September 2019 (year 7 only) The school is open for Year 7s only. Students should go promptly to the Hall for assembly at the start of school at 8.55am. Much of the day will be taken up with admin tasks and students will follow a very basic timetable (PE kit will not be required). Thursday 5th September 2019 (years 8-11) Students should go promptly to their mentor base for the start of school at 8.55am. During Period 1a (8.55 - 9.45am) students will receive their timetables from their mentor (tutor), and year 11 students will receive their tie if one has been purchased through Wisepay. Students will then go to their teaching class for the remainder of period 1 (8.55 - 10.35) and then proceed to mentor time (10.35-10.55). Unfortunately there are still a few class clashes for some students that we are working on clearing therefore we have removed the facility for parents to view timetables and classes on Progresso for the time being to avoid any confusion. We would like to take this opportunity to let you know that we are currently migrating our email system to Office 365 and this migration should be complete by Monday 2nd September. The email addresses for staff @bassingbournvc.net will continue to receive emails, however you will see that all emails sent from Monday 2nd September will be from @bassingbournvc.org. Student emails will also change and these will be communicated with students on their return to…

GCSE celebrations

Our students are celebrating yet another successful haul of GCSE results. The sun shone as they collected their results, with lots of happy faces - and a few happy tears – as those all-important brown envelopes were opened. Vickey Poulter, Head of School, said: “We are delighted with this year’s results as staff and students worked exceptionally hard and many students achieved above expectations in all subject areas. “It is fantastic to see the success of such a dedicated and enthusiastic year group and I wish them every success in the future in their chosen courses/careers.” 73% of all pupils achieved a good pass level 4+ in English and Maths, with a quarter (24%) of all exam results at level 7-9 (A/A*). Over 80% of exams sat achieved level 4 and above. 10% of all exams were gained at the very highest level (8-9, formerly A*), with three pupils – Annie Baigent, Diaan Gill and Edward Evans - achieving Grade 9s in four of their subjects. The highest attainment score students Diaan Gill, Eve Morris, Annie Baigent, Alfie Duckett, Edward Evans, Becca Hannon, Noah Telford-Reed, Cassie Evans, Edward Weekes, Rebecca day, Annabel Sparrow, Katie Wilkins The highest progress score students Diaan Gill, Edward Evans, Eve Morris, Meg Hollidge, Emma Kitely, Katie Wilkins, Leila Joy, Amaya Cook, Rachel Mingay, Lucy Daws

Summer Heron

What a busy summer term it has been! For a round up of news and photographs from this term download the termly Heron magazine here.  

Reflective trip to Walsingham

Year 10 RE students have an annual visit to Walsingham in Norfolk. Jasmine Stacey describes the trip: Walsingham is notable for its religious shrines in honour of the Virgin Mary and attracts around 250,000 pilgrims each year, as individuals or as parish groups accompanied by their priest. It also contains the ruins of two medieval monastic houses. So, the trip was a great opportunity for students to enhance their knowledge of the Christian faith and experience first-hand the significance of the holy site that pilgrims have visited for centuries. On arriving at Walsingham, we were greeted and welcomed to the shrine by staff Pauline Lovelock and Geoff Arden. They both did an excellent job of guiding us around the historic sites and involving us in the various activities that pilgrims do when they come to Walsingham. As well as this we were greeted by Joe, who is a trainee priest doing a theology degree, which was really interesting as it gave us an insight as to how we can further our religious studies in the future. We walked through the outside area of the chapel of reconciliation (Roman Catholic). When the number of pilgrims exceeds the capacity of the Chapel, the panelling at the back of the sanctuary can be opened up and the altar becomes the focal point for pilgrims gathered in the Shrine grounds. Then we were lead into the Slipper Chapel (dedicated to St Catherine of Alexandria) which served pilgrims on their way to England’s Nazareth. Saint Catherine was the patron saint…

Summer Showcase gallery

Sports Awards 2019

The annual BVC Sports Awards evening was held on Monday 1st July. Over 100 students attended the dinner, enjoying an evening of awards, sports quizes as well as an inspirational guest speaker. Helen Gilder, joint head of PE, said: "The students were selected because they had been valued and committed members of at least 2 extra-curricular sports clubs this academic year. Most of them have also represented the school in external tournaments and matches. "It was a great evening with everyone celebrating this year’s sporting successes as well as spending an enjoyable evening with their fellow team mates." Guest speaker was the inspirational founder of Power2Inspire, John Willis. John was born without fully formed arms and legs, and established the charity's mission – Inclusion through Sport. Determined that his experience as a child of being excluded from sports, should not be repeated he had become an inspiration to both able-bodied and disabled sportsmen all over the world. prizewinners are photographed above with John. The main winners of the evening were Genevra Harraway and Patrick Robinson who won Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year (right). The team of the year was the Year 7&8 Girls Football team which reached the quarter finals of the national schools football championship this year. AWARD WINNER Football Player of the Year KS3 Football Player of the Year KS4 Harry Hanson Patrick Robinson Football Girls Player of the Year Loen Groom Basketball Player of the Year Hugo Briggs Cricket Player of the Year Kyran Shackleton Netball Player of the Year KS3…

My Name is Ann …

BVC students wowed audience members at the annual Cambridge Schools Shakespeare Festival with their devised piece My Name is Ann. GCSE students from Years 9&10 performed the piece which explored the relationship between Shakespeare and Ann Hathaway through a fusion of drama and dance. Teacher Jude Shortt, who produced the performance alongside trainee teacher Amelia Bass, said: "Given that Shakespeare is credited at penning the greatest love story ever we wanted to explore the relationship between Shakespeare and Ann Hathaway. She was often cast as an illiterate, shrew who had seduced a younger man and made his life a misery. However, Ann’s epitaph indicates that she was a loving, pious mother. "Our piece liberates Ann from the shadowy, negative figure that history has depicted her as and gives her a voice that is articulated through many of her of her husband’s sonnets and his musings and thoughts on love. It also includes lines from Carol Ann Duffy’s poem Hathaway." She added:"The students have been really dedicated and focused - they were all stars! They really were a credit to the school." The festival is organised each year by the Anglian Learning trust, of which BVC is a member, and is held in the Atrium theatre, Netherhall school, Cambridge. The Bassingbourn students will be performing their piece again at the BVC Creative Arts Showcase on Thursday 10th July. The show starts at 7pm and tickets are available through WisePay.

Magical Prom

Villagers turned out in force to celebrate our annual Prom for Year 11 students, held last Friday in the school hall which was transformed into a magical ballroom for the event. Hundreds of onlookers lined the school drive to watch the procession of vehicles dropping off their glamorous passengers. Head of school Vickey Poulter said: “It is always an emotional time when we say goodbye to our senior students. “To see them all dressed up, on the brink of adulthood is wonderful. The Prom is definitely one of the highlights of the BVC calendar.” If you would like a high resolution copy of any of the above images please email alynn@bassingbournvc.net

School exchange success

Students from Bassingbourn Village College travelled by train to their exchange school in Le Grand Serre, a small town in the south east of France. Accompanied by Ms Nutley, Mrs Boxall and Mrs Piggott, 20 students from years 7-10 took part in the exchange which saw them staying with students that they had already met on the first leg of the exchange when they visited Bassingbourn in January. This is the third year that the exchange has been running. Students attended classes at Collège Joseph Bédier as well as exploring local attractions and spending a weekend with their host families. BVC students certainly have the travel bug – this week it’s the turn of over 50 year 8 students to spend a week in Normandy. The Spanish exchange will take place in October, with a Classics trip to Italy also planned for next year.

Bassingbourn Village College

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

01763 242344

office@bassingbournvc.org
absence@bassingbournvc.org

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