10701_Redborne_Newsletter_Redborne Newsletter 08/05/2014 13:22 Page 1
Redborne Upper School & Community College
Redborne Upper School and Community College
School Direct Initial Teacher
Training
School Direct is an exciting new school based
programme of initial teacher training. We are currently
recruiting for September 2014 in the following secondary
phase subjects:• Mathematics
• Modern Languages
• Physics
• Chemistry
• Computer Science
Places are available at Redborne and in our seven partner
schools across Central Bedfordshire; our training
provider is the University of Bedfordshire. Applications
must be made online
through www.ucas.com/apply/teacher-training and
applicants must select Redborne Upper School and
Community College in the training provider field at the
bottom of the page.
Careers Information
Dress a Girl Around the World
If you are looking for careers support once you leave school
don't forget
www.nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/Pages/Home.aspx
whether you want information on:
Year 10 Textile students have recently completed a short
project making dresses for the charity 'Dress a Girl Around
the World'. This Charity provides dresses for young girls in
developing countries. They believe that every girl should own
one good quality dress to protect their dignity. Our students
have thoroughly enjoyed working on this project and have
produced some outstanding garments which undoubtedly
have a positive impact on those who receive them. For more
information on this charity please visit
• different jobs
• interview hints and tips
• a CV template
• advice looking for an apprenticeship
• want to talk to a careers advisor this site is for you
Still thinking about an apprenticeship?
www.apprenticeships.org.uk will give you all the resources
you need. Why not sign up for an account? Vacancies are added
daily, so don't forget to check on a regular basis for suitable
opportunities. www.notgoingtouni.co.uk/ and
www.prospects.ac.uk/options_with_your_subject.htm are
useful post 18 sites too.
Don't forget to keep your options open for as long as possible.
Make the most of the opportunities around you. Be inspired and
motivated; it's your future and your choice. Good luck!
If you require further information please contact Jon
Gunn, 01525 842608 or [email protected]
Katrina Armstrong
Maths Challenge
In February 58 students from Years 10 and 11 took part in the UKMT Intermediate Maths Challenge. Over 200 000 pupils
from across the UK sat this challenge with the top 6% receiving gold certificates the next 13% silver and the next 21%
bronze.
Redborne students achieved 5 gold certificates, 22 silver certificates and 14 bronze certificates. Congratulations should go to
everyone who took part.
Cara Ramchandani was the best in school and achieved gold as did Joseph Ash, Alexander Longmuir, Patrick Jones and Elliott
Jones who was the best in year 10.
Cara, Joseph and Alexander all qualified for a follow on round, so a special well done to them. In this round Joseph received
a certificate of merit.
The following students received silver certificates Joshua Wilkins, Charlotte Rawlings, Alex Glyn Davies, Joseph Lane, Jake
Kebble, Rebecca Plater, Jack McEwan Davies, Shaan Raju, Eleanor Yip, Ellen Thomas, Amy Johnstone, Ben Richardson,
William Molloy, Alex Bartholemew, Edward Dawe, James Marsh, Edward O Regan, Amy Mannings, Jack McNeill, Toy Last,
James Wallace and Freya Parkinson.
Students receiving bronze certificates were James Williams Crowther, Matthew Ralphs, Charlea Murphy, Adrian Wong,
Bradley Amos, Luke Ford, Ben Bradley, John Baldwin, Erin Templeman, Arthur Manley, Emi Kano Binch, Thomas Coen, James
Reeder and Jessica Duffield.
Team Maths Challenge
Mathew Cummins and Oran Nockels Stewart from Redborne with Charlie Austin and Harry Ashby from Woodlands took part
in the UK Team Maths Challenge regional final on April 2nd, hosted at Ashlyns School. The team performed fantastically,
demonstrating some excellent team work and managing to finish in a very impressive sixth place. Well done.
Mr J Barkas
Newsletter
May 2014
Dear Parents and Students
I am delighted to inform you that we are in the process of putting in for planning permission for a new hall, six classroom
block and dining facilities. The project will cost over £3m and will be built in two phases. The hall will be completed by
September 2015 with the classroom area and dining area following within 18 months, all things being equal. The drawings
and site plan are on our website, I will keep you updated as the project progresses.
www.facebook.com/DressagirlaroundtheWorldUK
As of 1st April, 2014 there has been a restructuring of the Senior Leadership Team at Redborne following the retirement of
Mrs Darlow. My new title is “Principal” (in line with other academies) and whilst I maintain overall responsibility for
Redborne, Mr Gray has assumed the role of “Head of School” and will take over responsibility when I am off the school site.
Again this is becoming more common as Principals of “good” or “outstanding” schools often support other schools and this
allows for the smooth day to day running of Redborne. Mrs Buthee will continue in her role as Deputy Head and the five
Assistant Heads (Mr Day, Ms Cook, Mr French, Mr Whomsley and Mrs Williets) continue with their existing roles.
24 Hour Trampoline Bounce
for Sports Relief
46 students from Years 9, 10 and 11 took part in a 24 hour
trampoline bounce to raise money for Sports Relief. Students
were split into 6 groups and each group were responsible for
bouncing on the trampoline for 1 hour before having a 2 hour
break. A £270 Domino’s Pizza order arrived at school at 8pm
much to the delight of the students. All involved managed to
complete each allocation and showed fantastic enthusiasm
throughout. In total we raised just over £2000 which is an
excellent achievement.
Finally I would like to take this opportunity of wishing all the students who are leaving Redborne after the exams, all the very
best for the future and I would like to thank parents of those students for your support whilst your son or daughter has been
at the school.
Nigel Croft
Principal
Results Day
You can obtain your examination results:
In Person:
A LEVEL: Thursday 14th August 2014 - Year 13 at 9am
and Year 12 at 10am
Ben Chilwell
Rowing
Ben successfully completed his GCSEs here last year and was
supported, through a day release programme, to attend
Leicester City FC alongside his academic studies. Ben was
offered a full scholarship which he started last summer and he
hasn't looked back. He was singled out for his debut 4-0
winning performance against Belgium and also played a
further two internationals in a double-header against Croatia,
narrowly losing 2-1 in each game. Ben played for the school
football and basketball teams and was an all-round sportsman
also representing Bedfordshire in cricket. Keep your eyes
peeled as Leicester City FC start in the Premier League next
season.
Redborne were proud to host a Star Rowing Club and
Concept 2 event for Indoor Rowing. We were able to put out
a strong team in all Year 9-11 age categories. There were
several notable successes with the finest of these
performances coming from Jamie Prosser who won the U16
Boys competition. Jamie was part of the Star Club Rowing
Programme back in Year 9 and it was good to see him
remembering the things he was taught by Mark Bavington,
Star Juniors Rowing Coach.Year 9 are being selected for their
turn out on the water later this term, so watch this space for
further news.
Printed by Merrys Limited. Tel: 01582 726959
www.merryprinters.co.uk
GCSE: Thursday 21st August 2014 - Year 11 at 9am and
Years 9/10 at 10am
New Art Block Takes Shape
Now that the worst of the winter weather has cleared,
progress on the new art block has accelerated. We are on
course for the building to be completed by July, ready for
teaching in September. The extension to the existing
technology building will provide four new spacious
classrooms as well as offices, storage and a kiln room for
pottery. The existing art rooms will be converted to provide
additional classrooms and, by the start of 2015, an additional
science laboratory in the largest of the existing rooms.
By Proxy:
If you want someone else, parent, relative or friend, to
collect your results you should ensure that he/she has a
letter from you giving him/her permission to collect
them on your behalf. Photographic ID will be required
upon collection.
By Post:
If you leave an A5 (or smaller) stamped addressed
envelope with the Exams Office prior to results day,
results can be posted to you.
10701_Redborne_Newsletter_Redborne Newsletter 08/05/2014 13:22 Page 4
Redborne Upper School and Community College
Spanish Exchange
Visit to Zaragoza – March 2014
Redborne Upper School and Community College
Work Experience in France
During the Easter holidays, I travelled to Lille in Northern
France with an organisation called Halsbury, which helps
young A-Level linguists find work placements abroad. With
my French oral exam looming, I thought a week’s practice
abroad would prove helpful, and the experience was
definitely one that I would recommend. I was working in a
florist in a village on the outskirts of Lille, which, although
definitely the farthest placement from the hotel, allowed me
to see a very different part of the city to that which the
tourists experience. I soon felt like a regular Lilloise on my
morning metro route. The florist was small with a very
welcoming staff, who chatted to me in French every day, so I
really felt my level of French grow. My duties included;
cutting flowers, organising flower deliveries from Holland,
flower arranging, bouquet-making and customer service - a
daunting yet rewarding task.
Students in Years 9, 10 and 12 visited their Spanish partners
in Zaragoza in March. As well as immersing themselves into
the Spanish way of life by staying with their host families for
a week, they also enjoyed spending a day at the M.M. Rosa
Molas School where they followed students around their daily
lessons. Other trips included a visit to the Pilar Basílica,
tasting chocolate at the Chocolatería Valor, meeting a famous
player at La Romareda Football Stadium and a busy day in
Barcelona. As if this wasn’t enough, we were even able to
witness them make musical instruments out of cane on
Aragón television! The students involved were Ryan Doyle,
John Baldwin, Sofia Benning, Olivia Caird, Matthew
Clements, Lucy Corbett, Saffron Dhillon, Jessica Duffield,
May Farrow, Zelda Gill, Lucy Guerrero, Maya Harrison,
Martha Havard, Barnaby Howe, Francesca James, Tamsin
Jones, Dhilan Patel, Joshua Pearce, Callie Ruddick, Freya Staying in the centre of Lille meant that we stagiaires could go
Samuel, Olivia Sandhu, Charlotte Smith and Sally Walker.
out and explore the local cuisine and nightlife in the evenings,
Thank you to Miss Flores, Mr Parks and Miss Nieto for speaking French to the people we met. Not only was working
in France great for the language, but I also gained the
making the trip such a success.
vocational skills needed for working abroad in a specialised
Miss Crossley area, which will look impressive to future employers. I highly
recommend working in a foreign country, as it’s the best way
We would like to wish all our MFL students taking public to learn the language, and no doubt I will return to Lille one
examinations this summer the very best for success.
day!
Mr Flynn
Redborne Upper School and Community College
A Presentation Evening for the Extended Project Qualification
On the 3rd April, parents, students, staff and governors were welcomed into the school hall for an evening exhibition of work
undertaken for the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). The qualification, worth half an A2 level, allows Year 13 students
to autonomously choose a topic to research, ultimately resulting in a dissertation style essay, artefact or creative composition.
An important aspect of the project is the final element, where students exhibit their work, demonstrate their conclusions and
reflect upon the process of their EPQ journey. This presentation aspect leads to an exhibition evening, where students set up
a ‘market stall’ to display their work and face probing questions from their individual supervisors and the wider audience.
Once again, the evening was fantastically well attended and a huge variety of topics were on display. The students were
excellent, presenting a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm, talking in real depth and with genuine passion about their
projects. I would like to thank the dedicated EPQ supervisors for their valuable support throughout this year, both guiding
and encouraging the students.
Miss Z Hounam and Mr T Wood.
(EPQ Coordinator) (Assistant EPQ Coordinator)
Law Students in Court!
Over three days in March, Luton Magistrates Court very kindly hosted visits for 40 of our AS Law students. They met with
magistrates, who are all volunteers and legal advisers, who explained the role of the court. The students then had the
opportunity to visit a number of court rooms to watch a variety of different cases including bail applications, trials and
sentencing hearings being conducted. They saw first-hand how the aims of sentencing impact on the decision of the
magistrates, particularly when considering whether to send an offender to prison, and were able to reflect on what sentence
they would have given and why. Not only was this a valuable learning experience for their summer exams, they gained an
insight into the motivation and rewards of volunteering for such a key role and perhaps we may even see one or two of them
follow this up in the future.
Ellie Jamieson
West Side Story
6th Form Dance trip
In February Miss Benjamin and I took the 6th Form dance
students to see West Side Story at Aylesbury Theatre. The
musical is their set dance work for the A2 written paper they
will sit this summer or next. Seeing and hearing a live
performance helps the students experience the atmosphere
and mood of the storyline even more so than just watching
and studying it on a DVD, adding to their knowledge and
appreciation of live performances.
We have not visited this theatre before. It is a contemporary,
high spec building, the staff were friendly and helpful, and
overall the evening was enjoyed by all. A theatre we will
consider visiting again!
Once again, a successful evening showcasing our students’ exam work. They worked extremely hard last term in preparation
for their practical exams which took place in March. A huge well done to our GCSE, AS and A2 dance students. We wish you
the best of luck in your written papers!
The students who achieved full marks were: Daisy Batram,
Callum Donbavand, Michael Farrer, Vanessa Hill, Alex
Sharpe, Hannah Walsh, Bethia Wray (A2) and Liza Blackman,
Laura Durdey, Casi Jones, Reanne Khokhar, Kelly Newlands
(AS). Congratulations go to everyone involved, and the
drama department would once again like to extend our
thanks to every Theatre Studies student for making our jobs
so enjoyable!
Mrs Rose and Miss Benjamin
Mrs Francis
Mrs L Beamish
'Move It' Dance Convention
Year 10 Dance trip
Not many school trips involve getting involved in a police car chase on a motorway and handling live cockroaches (and I am
really not sure either was on the risk assessment). However, these were just two of the experiences twelve Year 10 students
had whilst experiencing Oxford University life... slightly more relevantly they were also toured around beautiful college
grounds and attended a university style seminar, where they showed brilliant attention to detail and intellect. In the afternoon,
we were taken to two university museums: the Pitt-Rivers Museum, with its shrunken skulls and the Natural History
Museum, with its hissing cockroaches. Many of the students were brave enough to handle them. The whole day was both fun
and informative and hopefully helped Redborne students to understand that Oxbridge is a realistic aspiration for state school
pupils.
Mrs King
The AS and A2 Theatre Studies students have impressed once
again with the quality of their performances in the 2014
round of practical exams. 81% of them have secured an "A"
grade for their performance and 12 of the 42 students
managed to achieve full marks.
Students at AS tackled the scripts of Berkoff, producing
physically aggressive, humorous and tightly choreographed
pieces which punched the air with energy. At A2 students had
to devise pieces in the style of Absurdist theatre and produced
exceptionally thoughtful, darkly humorous pieces, very
Mrs Rose skilfully structured with stories beautifully told.
Dance Composition Evening 2014
Year 10 Aspiration Day at Wadham College, Oxford
Theatre Studies Success
Once again our Year 10 dance students travelled to Olympia,
London to visit the dance convention. They participated in
dance classes, watched dance schools perform on the main
stage, purchased dance clothing, visited higher education
stands and collected freebies! They had a great time and some
are looking forward to visiting again next year but with family
members and friends this time.
Same time next year then!
Miss Benjamin