The wet weather has not deterred our students’ commitment and enthusiasm for learning, and I’m pleased to share that it has been another week packed full of College highlights.

The Great Big Dance Off

Elsewhere, on Monday, our dancers from both the main College and our Sixth Form were invited to take part in the prestigious ‘Great Big Dance Off’ in Stevenage. The nationwide competition invited keen dancers from schools from across the country to showcase their talents, and, to importantly, have a great time dancing. Our students competed against 24 other schools in the Group Eastern Heat, which was hosted at Gordon Craig Theatre in Stevenage. Impressively, they placed 5th in the Key Stage 3 division and 9th in the Key Stage 4 and 5 division. Although they narrowly missed out on a place in the next round, they represented the College with grace and maturity and I’m incredibly proud of them all – especially as this is our first time entering the competition.

An ex-cell-ent Biology trip

Also on Monday, our Year 12 Biology students bolstered their knowledge of molecular biology during a visit to the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology at Addenbrookes Hospital. Our students visited the light and electron microscope facilities, the experimental laboratory space, the tissue culture facilities, and more. Following the tour of the building, they also heard from Laboratory staff about current ongoing research projects and the various career pathways available within academic research. The trip really helped broaden their knowledge and recognise the connections between their work in the classroom and the wide world of ongoing research projects.

Adult Education Programme

This academic year, I have been delighted to oversee the return of our Adult Education Programme. The first series of classes were overwhelmingly popular and well received, and I’d like to thank everyone who has taken part.

I am pleased to share that the Programme will soon return with a full range of courses available to our adult learners. From ballroom dancing, pottery and cooking classes, to foreign language studies and beyond, there really is something for everyone to try. I encourage you to view the full range of classes available on our website.

Order! Order!

We have established quite a rich history of success in debate competitions. I am incredibly proud of the debate skills our students have developed through both their International Baccalaureate (IB) studies and enrolling in our debate club through our iCAS programme. On Thursday afternoon, a cohort of students were invited to Westminster to take part in MP, Lucy Frazer’s South Cambridgeshire Schools Westminster Debate competition. Our students debated against eight other leading schools from across South Cambridgeshire and students Fin S. and Nas R. placed second and runner up respectively – congratulations to them! Lucy Frazer was incredibly complimentary of their skills and I would like to thank all of our students who participated for representing the College in such a positive light.

Holocaust Learning Programme – Imperial War Museum

The International Baccalaureate (IB) offers so much more than just academic learning; it supports our students on their journeys to becoming principled individuals, who are equipped to create a more peaceful world. Providing regular interactive learning experiences is one of the ways we realise this.

Today (15 March), a cohort of our Year 9 Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Sixth Form students travelled to London to visit the Imperial War Museum, where they took part in a guided tour through the harrowing and impactful Holocaust galleries. Before entering the galleries, students were challenged to answer the questions ‘Why do we still study the Holocaust?’ and ‘Why, and how did it happen?’ On completion of the tour, they were then asked to reflect upon their answers. Following the visit, our students gained a deeper understanding of this subject and the philosophical problem of evil.

A trip to the theatre

This week was a particularly busy week for field trips with a broad range of trips taking place across the UK. Our Year 9 Music and Drama students travelled to Kings Lynn to take in a live performance of the Willy Russell classic, Blood Brothers. The experience was thoroughly enjoyed by them all. I look forward to seeing the impact of the visit in their upcoming GCSE studies that they will begin in September. For students who have a particular passion for Performing Arts, I do hope they consider exploring our Sixth Form Performance School as an option when the time comes to consider Further Education opportunities.

Comic Relief

The IB encourages students to be passionate about supporting causes beyond their own individual needs. Today, the entire College joined together to support Sir Lenny Henry’s Comic Relief and took part in a non-uniform day to raise funds for the project. Thank you to all of our students who took part – their enthusiasm for supporting charities is inspiring.