Open Evening

Our Open Evening for September 2025 entries will take place on Thursday 26th September 2024. We are offering two tours on the night at 5.30pm and 6.30pm both finishing with our Principal Address.

The link to the Open Evening Booking Form is here.

In addition to our Open Evening we are offering four Open Morning tours on 2nd, 3rd, 9th & 16th October between 9.30-10.30.

The link to the Open Morning Booking Form is here.

We do encourage you to take time to look through our website which is very informative and provides lots of further information on student support, pupil premium funding and advice on how to apply to Bassingbourn Village College on our Admissions page

Furthermore, Bassingbourn Village College is also part of Anglian Learning, a medium-sized charitable trust. You may wish to find out more about Anglian Learning through looking at its website https://anglianlearning.org/

We appreciate that you might have lots of questions and our dedicated team here are on hand to answer these. There are some frequently asked questions below, however if you wish to ask a question that is not noted below, please email transition@bassingbournvc.org

Frequently Asked Questions

	Question	Response
Languages	Can children and parents specify which language of French and Spanish they would prefer in Year 7, or is the choice randomised?	Children and parents cannot specify which language (French or Spanish) their child studies. The choice is randomised based on the group they are in. In very exceptional circumstances (such as a child being bilingual), we may change the language a child studies
	Is there any opportunity to pick up or switch to the other language in Year 8 before selecting which to take to GCSE?	There isn’t an opportunity to switch language in Year 8 as this affects teaching group
	Are only strong linguists permitted to choose Latin GCSE, or can any interested pupil study that course?	Any students can opt to study Latin at GCSE regardless of ability
	Is any Latin taught in Year 8, or is the first encounter with that subject after selecting it as a GCSE option?	Students have a taster session of Latin in Year 8 prior to making them Option choices. This happens within their usual language lessons but taught by the Latin teacher. This is usually a couple of months before they make their option choices.


Music	The website indicates GCSE music is not possible, but instead an alternate qualification in Music Technology. Is that correct? What extra-curricular/performance opportunities are there for classical musicians?	There are opportunities for all musicians to develop their talents through peripatetic lessons for all instruments. We have run the following clubs: music club, songwriters club, school band, and there is also the opportunity for classical musicians to get together as an ensemble. A creative arts video has just been produced in which the music and drama departments showcase their subjects. This is now available to view.


Science	In which year do students select between double (synergy) and triple science?	This decision is finalised in year 11 and considers data from year 9 and 10. It is done in conjunction with the student and dependant on the pathway dictated by English and maths
	Can all students who wish to study triple science do so, or is there an element of selection-by-ability?	Students in the top half of the year group (as selected by maths and English) all have access to triple but a decision on entry is discussed with them in year 11
	Do triple scientists have additional contact hours over and above the 9 hours per fortnight in the core KS4 timetable?	No
	Are triple scientists taught by subject-specialists in each science?	Where possible yes but all science teachers are trained to teach all 3 sciences to GCSE so this does not have an impact.
	The video from the Head of Science mentions science competitions. Which competitions? And which students are entered?	This varies from year to year we regularly receive invites to competitions and where applicable will engage the students in them.
	Does BVC engage with the various science outreach schemes run by the University of Cambridge, e.g. STIMULUS?	We currently follow STEM courses and are always considering new options.
	Do many BVC students go on to select a set of A Level options focusing exclusively on science and maths? How many, say, last year?	Last year 41 out of 125 applied to do at least one science or maths A level or a science-based course. 7 students did exclusively science/maths

Transport links

What are the transport links from Royston?

Full details of all home to school transport can be found: https://www.bassingbournvc.net/parents/buses/

If you are not in our catchment area, please contact the school directly.


Maths	Are the students setted by ability in maths? And if so, when does this start?	Setting on the basis attainment across a range of assessments is the norm in mathematics from Year 8 onwards, and is reviewed after each assessment cycle to ensure students are in the optimal class for ensuring they are appropriately challenged and supported. In year 7, slightly different approaches to setting/banding students have been used over recent years, based on the prior attainment data available to us and other considerations.
Maths	Do the strongest at maths ever do additional qualifications, e.g. Level 2 Certificate in Further Maths?	Last year, 12 students were entered for the L2 Further Maths Qualification and were awarded very good outcomes. We also have a tradition of entering students for the UKMT Junior and Intermediate maths challenge competitions.
	Do many BVC students go on to select a set of A Level options including Further Maths? How many, say, last year?	We can only tell you what they applied for as we don’t always get confirmation about what they actually do. From their first choice colleges and out of 125 students: 21 students had a Level 3 Maths qualification (A level Maths, Double Maths, Level 3 in Mathematical Studies or within the IB) 5 students had Double Maths within their application For your reference, Hills Road and Comberton call their extended Maths course “Double Maths” and Long Road call theirs “Further Maths”. There were 3 students who applied to do Further Maths at Long within their portfolio but they are covered within the 5 mentioned above.