As we reach the middle of June, our students have continued to display an exemplary commitment to their learning. I’m pleased to share details of recent activities, highlights and trips with you below.

Setting the gold standard

All of our students engage with a wide range of extra-curricular activities during the College day as part of our iCAS programme. From baking to fencing, to language learning and debate club, there really is something for everyone to enjoy.

A number of our students use this time to achieve their Duke of Edinburgh awards. Congratulations to the students who travelled to Mount Battenfield this week to complete their Gold Award expeditions!

Year 6 Parent Coffee Morning – thanks for joining us?

We have reached an exciting part of the year where many students are preparing to enter the next stages of their learning journeys. This week, I welcomed parents of current Year 6 students who are enrolling in the College in September for their parent coffee morning. The morning was an opportunity for parents to sit down and ask questions with members of our Senior Leadership Team ahead of the start of the new academic year and tour the College campus. Thank you for joining us, I look forward to your children joining us in September!

SEND athletes shine

I am proud that our College offers a truly inclusive learning environment for all students to thrive within, and this extends to providing students with additional needs the opportunity to engage with sport. On Thursday, a cohort of students travelled to the Cambridge University Athletics track to participate in the Outdoor Athletics Plus competition. Our students represented the College in a variety of inclusive athletics events throughout the day, include racing, throwing, and jumping events. Thank you to our students for competing with maturity, grace and determination!  

Howzat! Congratulations to our U13 girls cricket team

Continuing the sporting theme, on Tuesday, our under 13’s girls cricket team competed in the county softball cricket tournament at the Histon recreational ground. They played games against teams from four other schools and through their teamwork and sporting prowess, placed second overall – congratulations to them! Because of their success, they have secured a place in the regional finals which are due to take place in July. Stay tuned for further updates following the competition.

Back of the net – Year 11 football students claim victory

Rounding off a week of sports successes, I would like to say a huge congratulations to our Year 11 boys football team, who were victorious in the District Cup Final on Wednesday! Not only did they showcase their technical ability, determination to succeed, and strong teamworking skills but they also claimed a resounding 4-0 victory against St Bede’s School.

Students are ready to Dance the Night away!

Tonight, I am looking forward to welcoming attendees to our Allegro – Dance the Night showcase. Students from across the College will be demonstrating their performing talents through a series of dances. Our students have been working hard to perfect their performances and I’d like to wish them the best of luck.

Keep an eye on our College Instagram page for photo highlights.

Enhancing our Year 9 students’ History learning

I am always pleased to welcome experts to the College to enhance our students’ learning experiences through engaging talks. On Wednesday, Dr Bethany Gaunt, Associate Director of the Sir Martin Gilbert Learning Centre visited the College to deliver a talk to our Year 9 History students. Dr Gaunt spoke about the experience of Jewish refugees in Britain during the 1930s and 1940s, and shared some of the reasons behind their migration from Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia. Using written sources from the time period, she revealed how some of the British population reacted to this migration and our students left the experience with a greater understanding and empathy for those fleeing oppression at the time. Thank you to them all for engaging with a sensitive subject matter in a mature and respectful manner.  

A College that belongs in a museum

Finally, as you may be aware, our Gropius Hall is the only building on British soil designed by the founder of the Bauhaus movement, Walter Gropius. Our original College building was developed alongside British architect, Maxwell Fry and is considered by many architectural connoisseurs to be a perfect example of humanist modernism. In recognition of this, in 1971, it achieved Grade 1 listing. It is so widely revered that photographs of the building are currently being displayed in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, as part of an exhibition on modernism in architecture! The entire exhibition is fascinating and I am so pleased that our hall in Impington is a part of the displays.