Hear from the Principal

July 5, 2024

It has been a packed week in College this week! There have been so many fantastic enrichment opportunities, in addition to work experience and year 9 exam week. Next week we will include some highlights on the MYP Interdisciplinary Units that have culminated in some fantastic cross-curricular work this week. 


Work Experience/Careers Events 

This week has been an exceptionally busy time within our careers education provision, with years 10 and 12 on work experience, all of year 9 involved in a careers carousel, and some of our pupils out today on a STEM trip to PA Consulting. We have had pupils on work experience placements across the region (and in some cases even further afield) with placements varying from the Cambridge Arts Theatre, to local schools, architects, physiotherapists and biotech companies, and even a skateboarding shop. As always we have had lovely feedback from employers, who said our students have been ‘an absolute pleasure to have around’ and have been ‘getting really stuck in’. Some of our pupils have also been working at the local branch of EACH (East Anglia Children’s Hospice) and have taken the initiative to redesign the window displays. We are very grateful to all of the employers who have supported our pupils’ placements, and especially to Kate Baker our careers lead, who has overseen this huge operation.  


Under 12s Girls’ Football Success 

After an incredible season, our girls’ Under 12 football team had a fantastic victory on Monday in the Cambridgeshire Schools FA Girls’ County Cup Final at Huntingdon Town Club. The girls won their final match 12-1 against Ely College, with player of the match rightly awarded to Erin, who scored a whopping 9 goals! The girls have worked incredibly hard all year and have shown great resilience, determination, and sportsmanship. We are so excited to see what next season brings! 


Bronze DoE Week 

For over one hundred year 10s, this week was the culmination of months of hard work towards their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. The students have completed their two-day expedition around Stow Longa in Bedfordshire, and have also enjoyed a day trip to the Playground in Waterbeach, where they completed the obstacle course and participated in team-building events.  


Battlefields Trip 

Last weekend, almost one hundred students have visited France and Belgium on our annual History department Battlefields trip. Supported by staff, the students have visited many fascinating and famous places that tell the story of both the Battle of the Somme and the Battle of Ypres. These included the trenches at Newfoundland Park, Vimy Ridge, Langemarck cemetery and memorials such as Tyne Cot, the Menin Gate, and Thiepval. This very moving trip supports pupils’ learning about the First World War, a core part of the history curriculum in year 9.    


Space Camp 

Some of our year 11s this week have been taking part in the National Space Centre Space Camp, at the Institute of Astronomy on Madingley Road. The programme is designed to promote a career in space, and the students have been participating in a range of themed activities, including aqualung and scuba diving! 


Year 11 Prom 

Tonight is Prom night! After a great GCSE season and Leavers’ Day back in June, our Year 11 students are getting ready for tonight’s Prom. It is always a highlight of the year for staff and families alike, and Mrs Scarrow and Miss Bell have worked incredibly hard to make sure the students have a fantastic Prom, with new features such as a glitter bar and Instagram photo booth area, generously supported by our PSFA. We can’t wait to welcome them this evening and see their spectacular arrivals; check out our social media for some highlights over the weekend.  


Year 7 Mandir Trip 

As part of their Religion and World Views lessons, seventy year 7 pupils travelled to London to visit the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Hindu Mandir in Neasden, London. Our pupils were lucky to go on a tour of the Mandir and learn about how it is used within the community, as part of their learning in the MYP, and to gain first-hand experience of the Hindu faith in practice. As always, our pupils were a credit to the College, and we are very grateful to the staff for giving up their time to organise trips to enrich the curriculum.  


Vote Counting!  

Last night sixteen of our IB Global Politics students were lucky enough to be involved in a unique opportunity, attending the General Election Count overnight at the IWM Duxford with Mr Gee. We are so delighted for the students to have been able to participate in such an exciting democratic event, and to witness the electoral process first hand.  


IB Results Day 

As I write today, we are eagerly awaiting this year’s IB results, which will be released to students tomorrow (Saturday 6th July) from 11am until 1pm in the AR Building. We will share more details in next week’s blog of students’ achievements- we are incredibly proud of all of them! 

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