SPORTING NEWS

COLLEGE UPDATES

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Emma Webber has gained a position on the Foundation Course in Acting with the Oxford School of Drama and will start on 22nd September. There are 18 places

on the foundation course and there were over 3500 applicants. The school is listed as one of the top 5 drama schools in the world by London Theatre, alongside RADA, Guildhall, Harvard and Juilliard, so Emma has done extremely well.

In addition, Emma will be performing the role of Bianca in The Taming of the Shrew with the Stamford Shakespeare Company at Tolethorpe this summer.

Ana Webber is still playing tennis with as much enthusiasm. She is on the alternates list for junior Wimbledon but although she did not get in this year, she is hoping that over the next year she may work her way up the rankings sufficiently to gain entry next year. In September she is looking to study

a BTEC level 3 Extended Diploma in Sport and is then hoping to gain a tennis scholarship to study at an American University. Well done to both of them.

The Voyage Home- Mr Moloney cycles a 200 mile round trip to London.

This was my fourth annual cycle ride for charity on behalf of Blake House. Being a Star Trek fan I decided on the title in honour of Kirk and the crew saving two whales in the 1980s film. I was born in London and I had long planned to cycle to there from Rutland.

This year’s Blake House Charity is

Kidscan- a body which raises money to fund research into treatments for children with cancer. Back in December the House Captains and Charity Co-ordinators (Ryan Funnell, Caitlin Steward, Kai Chan and Lydia Thompson –O’Connor) met with me and said that proper sponsor forms should be issued to the class reps and that we should aim to do the ride toward the end of March. I set about training and promptly found some black ice to slip on and broke my pelvis.

It was not until near the end of February that I climbed back on a bike and there seemed no chance of getting the March ride in. However after initially toying with the idea of a September ride I felt my recovery was complete and announced my intention to ride to London at the start of the May half term break.

I was delighted by the response of the form reps who were energetic in their collecting of sponsors and of the staff who also pledged money. Oakham cycles generously gave me a discount on the new bike bits I required and I was just hoping for good weather.

The night before the ride the forecast was for rain and more rain for the next two days and my intermittent sleep was punctured with bad dreams of getting punctures, lost and soaked. However the Friday was sunny with a moderate wind and I left school with staff and students waving me off. Around Laxton I was joined by a Red Kite who followed above my head for a mile or two and I took this to be a bird of good omen. At Godmanchester a very drunk man told me how stupid I looked in lycra but then gave me money when I told him why I was dressed like that. I arrived in London at 8.55 very hungry but otherwise fine.

The return home started in the rain but as London streets gave way to Hampshire hills the sun came out and with a breeze behind me I pushed on for home stopping only for sausage and chips in Royston.

Fourteen hours in all of cycling and several hundred pounds raised. Worth every mile! A huge thank you to everyone who supported me but particularly to Kara Kataiwai and Tom Beach for collecting in so many sponsors. Now where to next year?

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BLAKE CHARITY CYCLE RIDE REPORT

NEWS OF FORMER STUDENTS’ SISTERLY SUCCESS

PRINCIPAL’SMessageDear Parents & Guardians,

As we plan for the new academic year 2014 we are already looking forward to 2015 as there will be a number of very significant changes to both GCSEs and to the curriculum at KS3 which the government have indicated should be implemented at the start of that academic year. This is why I have already sent you the proposal for the alteration to the college day which will, in some way, allow for those new courses to be introduced effectively.

However, with this year still firmly in mind I am delighted to announce that the new Maths block has all been completed on schedule and will be open for lessons from August. Some activities have already taken place in the building and the student project team have been active in designing the interior. Many thanks must go to Mr. Berridge for project managing this whole build and to the site team who have worked so hard to

ensure that it is the highest quality we can achieve. The building also incorporates a new catering outlet which will relieve some of the pressure on the Dining Room. We have also been successful in securing approx. £300k to replace some windows and flat roofs so that work will begin quite soon.

The summer term is also a time when we bid farewell to some colleagues who are moving on to pastures new. Mr. Wilkins is retiring after over 40 years at the college, during which time he has supported many students through very successful DT courses and also through invaluable Duke of Edinburgh Awards. He will still be part of the college team through other roles. He has contributed a great deal to the college during his time with us and will be greatly missed! As will Ms. Dunmore, whose expertise in DT will also leave a legacy with those students who benefitted from their time with her. Mrs. Nelson and Mr. Redding are leaving the MFL department to pursue other roles and I am sure that ski trips will never be quite the same again. Mrs. Howes is leaving from the Curriculum Support Department. We also bid farewell and thank you to Mrs. O’Rourke who has given invaluable service to the college as Admissions Officer and Mrs. Crossley, our Cover Supervisor, who has provided much needed support to colleagues during her time with us. Ms. Gulland is leaving to begin her training as a teacher and we wish her a long and successful career. We would also like to wish Mr. Cowley success in his new post as Director of Achievement at Kettering Academy.

I had the great pleasure of interviewing some wonderful students who applied for Senior Prefect posts – they were a credit to the college and to themselves. The outcome of this quite rigorous process was that the Senior Team for 2014-15 are;

Head Boy - Toby Leah

Deputies - Harry Glover & Alex Mapletoft

Head Girl - Amy Hall

Deputies - Scarlett Kennedy & Zelna Weich

Congratulations to them.

As usual the students at the college have achieved some quite outstanding successes this term and this newsletter celebrates many of their achievements. I am very proud of them all!

My best wishes for a very enjoyable summer holiday.

Regards,Jan Turner

The following students have spent many months working towards their Bronze Award, and have achieved lots of new skills along the way:

Victoria Forbes

Henrietta DurDen

oliVia GerarD

Jess Millbank

elizabetH Parker

saM tHoMPson

Henry bray

oDin ricHarDs

cHarlotte clarke

karalaini kataiwai

lyDia tHoMPson-o’connor

SECTIONAL AREASOF THE AWARD

We have more and more students wanting to take up the Duke Of Edinburgh’s Award, so hopefully

over the next two years we should see a rise in the amount of students achieving their Bronze, Silver and possibly even their Gold Awards through UCC.

We have re-introduced sectional certificates to enable the students to see the progression they are making. Here are some students who have achieved their section certificates:

SKILL AND EXPEDITIONtia aFFleck

PHYSICAL AND EXPEDITIONtoM eVans

SKILLalec Hill

PHoebe lawton

lauren Hicks

SKILL AND VOLUNTEERINGellen Joyce

PHYSICALalisHa Glackin

Well done you have nearly competed your full Award.

WISEPAY

It is easy to apply for free school meals if you have an internet connection. If you go to our website and click on parent links then go to free school meals. www.uppinghamcollege.org.uk

You will need to input various evidence items but you will get notification direct to say whether you are eligible or not and the College will also be notified if you are. The College receives

funding for the pupils who apply for free school meals whether they take them or not so we would be grateful if anyone who is eligible applies as any funding we do get is of benefit to the pupils.

FREE SCHOOL MEALS

Well done to klara VizMa

for achievingNICAS LEVEL 1

AND 3

We are gradually moving more items to be paid through Wisepay rather than by cheque or cash for the benefit of both parents and the College. The benefits to you are as follows:

o Payments can be made at any time that you have an internet connection available. They are both secure and instant.o Some trips, enrichment activities, school meals, buses (UCC1 and 2) and nursery fees can be paid.

Other items are being added all the time.o Whether you pay by Wisepay or not you can view what your child is eating and at what times of day they are taking food.o Your child does not have to carry cash/cheques to College and remember to hand them in.o Easy to use, an e-mail address, internet access and credit/debit card is all that is required.

Access to the system is through our website on parent links.

If you do not have, or have mislaid, your username and password please e-mail

finance@ucc.rutland.sch.uk

with your child’s name and form and we will send you your login and password through the Wisepay system.

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THE DUKE OF EDINBUGH’S AWARD

“The Law School at De Montfort University was a gifted and talented week long course aiming to show Year 10s from schools in and around Leicester what law is really about.

We spent a week of our Easter holidays doing different, fun, law related activities.

Four people from our school took part in this experience including myself, Alex Thompson, Eliana Lambert and Billy Henshaw.

At the end of the week there was

a mock trial where we got to experience in action what would take place in a real criminal court trial. We all had our own specific roles. Eliana was the defendant, Alex the clerk, Billy was part of the jury and I was part of the defence team. It was such an invaluable experience and opportunity which everyone especially the students from UCC enjoyed.

This exposure to the law

profession has definitely changed the ambitions of some of us.”

by Kara Kataiwai

Young Mathematicians at Uppingham Community College have been extremely busy throughout the summer term with 60 students from Years 7 and 8 taking part in the Annual Junior Mathematics Challenge run by the UKMT. Students are asked to answer complex, abstract mathematical problems by using deduction. Most of the topics covered are new to our students and therefore require lateral and higher order thinking. Many of our students were awarded with either a Bronze, Silver or Gold award including:

YEAR 7 GOLD CERTIFICATESPatryk bieGalski

JosePH banerJee

YEAR 8 GOLD CERTIFICATESJaMes Howell

caMeron sMitH

GeorGia lorentzen

alFie FincH-critcHley

teD brown

Congratulations to all of the students who took part but a special mention to James Howell who qualified for

the next round of the competition with his ‘Best in School’ result. 15 of our Year 8 Mathematicians also took part in a morning of Mathematical Enrichment and activities at Corby Technical School. Students considered the concept of Infinity, the Mathematical art that is Fractals and also took part in a fast paced relay quiz. All students worked in groups with students from Corby Technical School and sat in on an assembly where a Civil Engineer discussed her day to day work and what qualifications and education is required for such a career.

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MATHEMATICAL ENRICHMENT

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Last year Microsoft Launched a competition to encourage students to take part in programming. There were thousands of entries and we were lucky enough to have students make it into the top 20. Students had to develop games and they had to create the concept. They had to do the programming and logic in order to get their games working. This year saw the launch of the second year of the competition. We’re pleased to announce that Uppingham Community College have made it to the national final of the competition

this time being top 4 in the secondary school category. The students who have made it to the final are Joseph Banerjee (7NH), Jonathan Haley (7NH) and Alfie Finch-Crichley (8TB). These students will go forward to the Microsoft Head Quarters in Reading and will have to present their game to a panel of judges in a Dragons Den style. Should they win overall, they will have the opportunity to progress through to the European Kodu Kup which will be held in Belgium next year. Good luck guys!

KODU KUP 2014 UK FINALIST

Kodu are please to announce this year’s finalists for the uK KoduKup.

their acchievement is even more remarKable as over 300,000 pupils

in the uK have been using Kodu.

in the secondary school categorymadd hatt games - confided

(uppingham community college)teacher: ray chambers

KODUKUP

This year in the IT department we have encouraged students to think outside the box. They have had to think about innovation and have been developing apps and have been doing coding. In line with this, we have taught students about how technology can save lives. With this in mind we got our students to develop some innovative robots which would help mankind as part of the Harper Adams University

Challenge. Students developed, posters, websites and applications and these were entered into the competition and I’m pleased to announce that we had 3 students from Year 9, make the national final. Out of over 1000 entries, these students had made it to the final in the u16 boys category. The students who made it to the final were Reubin Whatton, Edward Stocks and Oliver Singleton-Redmond. The school was

also shortlisted for the final for the best quality of entries from a school. We visited the university for the awards ceremony on the 30th of June and the school won the prize in the category for the best school. Students managed to catch up with Jason Bradbury. A huge thank you goes to all of the students across the year groups who took part in the competition. Congratulations!

YOUNG INNOVATORS OF THE YEAR

On Thursday 26th June, Andrew Brown, a local Rutland farmer came in to talk to two groups of Year 9 Geography students. His family have been farming in the area for over 300 years and he is currently NFU East Midlands Chairman. Andrew has won several local, regional and national awards for his conservation work whilst maintaining a productive commercial farm. He came to present and promote British food and farming whilst also highlighting the global challenges of food production for a growing global population. Using his recent visit to Kenya Andrew illustrated the many low cost solutions there are available for the many problems faced by farmers across the world,

such as, sustainable pest control. He championed the benefits of seasonality and certainly gave the

students ‘food for thought’, as well as, NFU pencils, wristbands and salad seeds.

In Humanities lessons Year 7 students have been recently investigating local settlements and how they change over time. We have tried to use a variety of resources including historical photos from Francis

Firth and historical maps from our Digimap for Schools subscription. As a Department we are keen to further investigate our local area and consider both change and continuity in Rutland, Leicestershire

and Northamptonshire. Interestingly,

Uppingham town centre, particularly

around the Market Square, appears

very similar today as it did in the

1920s.

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LOCAL GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

ANDREW BROWN

On the 11th – 12th July this year, Year 9 students visited the First World War battlefields of Ypres and the Somme. The purpose of this was to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the start of the First World War and for students to consolidate the knowledge they have gained in their History lessons. The students attending this trip received a trip T-Shirt and prior to the visit it was decided to hold a joint initiative with the History and Design Technology departments to launch a competition to design a commemorative logo for these T-Shirts.

This was a fantastic opportunity for students to combine their love of History with their passion for Design.

Students had to do some historical research and think about the general history of the First World War and, in particular incorporate ideas from the life of a First World War soldier, life in the trenches and the key battles. From a design perspective, students were encouraged to think about the key images that they thought represented the First World War. They were also encouraged to take some inspiration from some of the most famous First World War artists; Paul Nash, C R W Nevinson,

John Nash, John Singer Sargent and to consider what makes a good logo: a clear and simple image/shape, legible font and text, easy to understand and recognise.

This has been a very exciting and challenging competition for the students and to ultimately see their design being used has been a fantastic prize and unique opportunity. Here is the winning logo, designed by Miles Petherick (9WW). They appeared on the front and back of the T-Shirt.

By Mrs rodgers, Head of History

This year students in Year 9 History have had the opportunity of connecting via a live video conference to the National Archives in Kew, London to take part in an online lesson. The aim of the lesson was to use sources to work out what the British government knew about concentration camps during the Second World War. This fits in very well with their current studies on the Holocaust. This was a fantastic opportunity

for students to develop their ability to analyse sources and allowed them to look at what were at the time secret documents and photos. Students used the documents to make some fantastic inferences and the lesson enabled students to see how these documents were useful in building up a whole picture of what the Government actually knew about the Holocaust at the time. The students were a credit to the History Department, and really showed what excellent future Historians we have here at UCC!

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WWI BATTLEFIELDS TRIP

On Wednesday 18th June Year 7 students stepped back in time and visited the fantastic castle at Kenilworth. These ruins are probably best known as the home of Robert Dudley, the great love of Queen Elizabeth I. Dudley created an ornate palace here to impress his Queen in 1575. As well as the magnificent castle, students

were able to wander around the authentically recreated Elizabethan Garden with carved arbours and the bejewelled aviary and marble fountain. The main focus of our educational visit was for students to both experience the majesty of such an impressive building and study the two historical concepts of chronology and change. Student

activities on the day involved looking at changes made to castle designs a as result of changing times – Europe gradually becoming more peaceful - and developments in weaponry. The weather was lovely and the students were able to appreciate both the fabulous architectural design of English castles and the English Heritage Gift Shop!

YEAR SEVEN HISTORY VISIT KENILWORTH CASTLE

This summer marks the 100 year commemorations of the beginning of the First World War. A £5.3 million programme has been designed to provide the opportunity for a minimum of two students and one teacher from every state funded secondary school in England to visit the battlefields on the Western Front between 2014 and 2019. The battlefield tours are a key part of the Government’s plans to commemorate the centenary of the First World War. UCC have accepted two free student places and one teacher place on this programme which is to take place on 12th-15th September 2014.

It was decided to offer these two free spaces to our Year 8 students. This is because they study the First World War as part of their Key Stage 3 History curriculum in Year 9. Students were invited to apply for one of the two available positions by writing a letter of application to explain why they would like to go on the trip and why they should be chosen. The standard of letters received was excellent. It was a very hard task to shortlist the students down to the interview stage.

Nine students were interviewed by Mr Brooks and Mrs Rodgers. All students had a very mature

approach to the interview and gave some very well considered answers. After much deliberation, the two students chosen to represent UCC on this trip are Alex Howes (8KG) and Louis Peterson (8ZF). All students impressed Mrs Rodgers so much with their passion for the First World War. Next year they will become part of a new initiative, the First World War Task Force, where during Year 9 they will work with Mrs Rodgers on a specific 100 Year WWI Commemorative project.

By Mrs rodgers, Head of History

UCC TO GO TO WWI BATTLEFIELDSTHANKS TO GOVERNMENT INITIATIVE

This year, we have also received visits from some professional musicians who have worked alongside our own students. A Samba drummer spent one day working alongside four Year 7 and 8 classes. He brought in a wide array of percussion instruments, and the groups were then put through their musical paces

by the drummer, creating authentic sounding Latin beats. The following week, members of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra worked alongside four Year 8 groups in a series of improvisations based loosely on The Hebrides Overture by Felix Mendelssohn. What they achieved in a short space of time

was both moving and memorable. Some of the musicians are pictured below with members of the RPO. On our Year 9 multi-cultural day, Keba Diedhiou – a professional African drummer, will be bringing in a range of drums to work with any students who wish to try them out.

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PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS

Last summer we were sorry to see Mrs Cartwright, the flute teacher, leaving the College after a number of good years with us. Her replacement, Mrs Dustan, was already known to many

of the students and she has settled in very well. She has even continued the tradition of getting her students together to play to each other and members of their family in an

informal musical gathering in the evening. This term’s event was on the evening of the 3rd of July.

FLUTE CONCERT

Each term we enter a number of students for instrumental and singing examinations. UCC acts as a centre for the ABRSM exams, so that our students can take the exams here in the College and they do

not have to travel. Students who take their lessons with us here in the College generally get entered by their teachers, but students who have lessons out of College may be unaware of the service that we

offer. If you are taking ABRSM exams in the future, email me by the end of the second week of term and arrange to take your exam with us here at UCC.

TAKE YOUR ABRSM EXAMS AT UCC

Every June we welcome students from the Primary Schools to spend an afternoon in the College either singing in a choir, or performing in an orchestra, a recorder consort

or a guitar band. Although not all of the Primary Schools in the area could make the event this time, there were still nearly 100 students rehearsing alongside College staff

and students in order to learn pieces within three hours before performing them to parents.

PRIMARY FESTIVAL

Adam Hebditch recently re-scored his piece ‘H3nry da 8th’ (which he composed during lessons with Mr Moffat) for a brass band and submitted it to the Nock Deighton National Composer’s Competition. We are delighted that he came 3rd in the contest and it will be played by a band during the Ironbridge Gorge brass festival in July. Adam and Stan Gilgrist were also encouraged to submit GCSE compositions to the BBC Young Composers Competition, but we are still awaiting results from the BBC.

After being nominated by Mr Moffat, Adam Hebditch was also successful in

the auditions for the Rutland Sinfonia Young Soloist concert and will be playing the 2nd and 3rd movements of Hummel’s Trumpet Concerto with the Sinfonia at their opening season concert in October.

Following on from his performances at UCC in Bugsy, Adam has also been asked to play at Curve in Leicester in a 10 piece band for the production of “Honk!” the musical. Clearly the name of Adam Hebditch is one to watch out for in the future. Adam is pictured (left) receiving the award of ‘National Youth Brass Band Champions’.

COMPOSING SUCCESS AND TRUMPET CONCERTO SOLOIST

In April we held a showcase concert in the drama studio for any Year 7 students who wished to perform to an audience. The programme was very varied and the audience were very appreciative. Following the success of that concert, some of the Year 8 students asked if they could also host a showcase evening.

Their evening was held on 26th of June – cunningly timed to avoid any England football matches. It was a varied evening, with some original compositions as well as performances of Adele, Chopin, Bob Dylan and Guns and Roses!One of the reasons that people have enjoyed the showcases is the

fact that any students can take part in the show, no matter how long they have been playing an instrument or having lessons, and the audiences are really supportive. Next year we hope to continue the Showcases for Years 7, 8 and 9.

SHOWCASE CONCERTS

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MUSIC THEATRE EXAMS

The following singers took their Music Theatre exams recently, and I am pleased to be able to give them the following results;

Tess Davenport Grade 5 MeritMegan Thompson-O’Connor Grade 8 DistinctionLydia Thompson-O’Connor Grade 6 MeritHannah Chapman Grade 8 DistinctionEllie Dunk Grade 6 MeritBen Cowan Grade 4 Distinction

The Uppingham Community College dance crew comprising of Amelia Crowley, Alice Dickens, Lucy Saddington, Ella Bennett and Dean Gregory, represented The College at the final of ‘The Great Big Dance Off’ on Tuesday 10th June. They came 3rd in the East Midlands heat gaining them a place in the National Final. The competition took place at the New Theatre Oxford with a capacity of 1000. The crew fought back their nerves and gave a fantastic performance amongst the other 24 group finalists. The results announced on the night confirmed the team didn't make the top five but placed high - a fantastic achievement considering the majority of groups were A-level students. The competition was a fantastic experience for all the students and we hope to be involved on an annual basis.

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GREAT BIG SCHOOLS DANCE OFF

Year 10 GCSE Drama students performed their thought provoking Physical Theatre work on the theme of ‘Family’ on 19th June in the Drama Studio. The students performed with their classmates in their two teaching groups, having been guided in their self-devised work by their class teacher. Along with a small invited

audience of family members, they appreciated each other’s take on the theme as the work was of exceptionally high quality this year. This representational style of Physical Theatre was new to many of the audience who found it to be intriguing and unique. These performances were the

result of a long journey of devising from physical motifs, which all started during a workshop with a professional theatre practitioner from the theatre company ‘Frantic Assembly’ back in February. Congratulations to all those involved on a truly stunning showcase of your capability!

YR10 PHYSICAL THEATRE

On Thursday 10th July, Year 9 students who will be studying GCSE Drama next year will be travelling to Stamford Arts Centre to see Stamford Senior Youth Theatre’s brand new production, ‘Frank Lee Speaking’, and to take part in Drama

Workshops around the characters and themes in the play. The play is aimed at young people, addressing the issues around exams which our Year 9s will soon be all too familiar with! This in-house day is something we have taken advantage of for the

last 4 years and we anticipate that our 5th ‘anniversary’ will be just as valuable for building a strong team of Drama students in that year group and introducing some of the ways of working that they will experience on our GCSE course.

YR9 VISIT TO STAMFORD ARTS CENTRE

The long awaited, much anticipated DVD of our December 2013 production of ‘Bugsy Malone’ is

now available to buy from Student Services for just £2 to cover the cost of production. Cast, crew and band

members may purchase copies by first collecting a letter from student reception.

BUGSY MALONE DVD

Before May half-term, a number of Year 9's went across the channel to France. The school that we have a partnership with is called Gabriel Deshayes. It is situated on the West coast of France in a town called St Gildas des Bois. Their school came over to England back in September last year, so now it was our turn to visit them.

We arrived in St Gildas des Bois where we were given a very warm welcome by our correspondents and their parents. We had to speak French as soon as we got there because not many of the families spoke very good English. This was

very difficult because we had never spoken to native French speakers before.

On the trip we went on many excursions around the local area. Our favourite trip was the day out to the island in the Golfe du Morbihan. Both English and French students went. It was a nice way to spend time and relax with our French correspondents and their friends. We could go anywhere on the island and some people hired bikes so they could see more of the island. At the end, everyone went to the beach and just enjoyed the time we had with our hosts. Some of the other trips included the Musée du Grand Blockhaus, the Côte Sauvage, La Baule and Guérande.

On Thursday both English and French students went to Puy du Fou. This is an attraction where you can visit different periods in history e.g. the Romans and the Vikings. The weather was not so good on the day but at the end of the trip before we got on the bus, everyone went to the coliseum for the finale. The show they put on was very good but by the end of it everyone was soaking!

As Friday was our last day, we stayed at the school for most of the morning. Our only trip was down the road to the local abbey. We were given a tour of the abbey and then we went back to the school for a quiz the French students had put on for us. Since it was the 20th anniversary of the French Exchange, the UCC staff had arranged for us to visit Paris on the way home and to stay there overnight. This was an amazing highlight of the trip. We will never forget it. We came away with incredible memories and we are grateful to the staff for an outstanding trip. We would definitely recommend this trip to Year 8 next year. It helped us greatly to improve in speaking the language and being able to communicate with a range of different people. Before we left we were quite anxious but found the host families to be welcoming and friendly, all the students were great fun and we were sad to say goodbye.

On a bien aimé le voyage parce que c'était une expérience inoubiable.

By alice MccorMack and olly Berridge 9cH

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FRENCH EXCHANGE

Over Easter our 4 short-listed pupils: Jonathan Oakey (9LR); Harry Warin (9KR); Alfie Finch-Critchley (8TB)

and Harry Kendall (8TB) gave up a day of their holidays to attend the knock-out round of the MP6 Political Speaking competition at Leicester Town Hall. All four did a superb job speaking for 1.5 minutes about a political issue of their choice and then answering some difficult questions from the panel of judges. Alfie Finch-Critchley was crowned the UCC winner with Harry Warin & Harry Kendall as runners-up. This was a fantastic result as we were the only school to have two reserves selected. All four boys did the college proud by challenging themselves to present to such a large, unknown audience and with

such skill. They may well be our budding politicians of the future so watch this space…

Alfie went on to become a runner-up at the final, held at Hamilton College in Leicester at the end of June. This time he spoke about a new topic – why he should vote – and answered some very challenging questions from a panel of judges including Keith Vaz MP. Alfie performed fantastically well and we are extremely proud of his achievement in representing the college at this level. We hope he will lead the way in helping recruit a new team for next year’s MP6 competition.

Following on from our great success in this national competition last term, winning 100 books for the English department, I am delighted to announce that three of our

pupils have also been selected to win individual prizes for their reading contributions and activities completed. A massive well done to Year 7 pupils Emily Martin, Morgan

Addy and Hattie Evans. All three students win five books from Penguin – these should arrive in school by the end of term and will be awarded at our Awards Assembly.

READ FOR MY SCHOOL UPDATE

As part of this term’s connected learning project (Sports Presenting) the English department ran a competition for Year 7s to write their own pre-match sports report. The brief was to use emotive language to create tension and excitement for their audience ahead of the game

and include camera shots and sound effects to support the report. The response was superb and the best 5 reports from each form have won a place on a special trip to Sky Studios in London next term where they will have the chance to spend the afternoon creating their own news

report using Sky’s state of the art studios. Well done to all those who entered. Photo (above) Caption: Year 7 pupils with Alex Payne, Sky Sports, who visited Year 7 assembly to talk about his job as a sports presenter and launch our latest connected learning programme.

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YEAR 7 CONNECTED LEARNING PROJECT: SPORTS PRESENTING

MP6 POLITICAL SPEAKING COMPETITION

Congratulations to Lucy Collins, 10ASH, who has been successful in the Young Writers’ War of Words competition and will have

her work published in the ‘War of Words – England’ anthology to be housed at the British Library and further libraries across the UK.

Her winning entry ‘Battleground in My Longing’, a sophisticated exploration of internal conflict, is printed below.

CREATIVE WRITING SUCCESS

Shields raised deflecting internal shards blasted in torrents. I struggle to fight, for companionship.

Throwing glowing embers that become ablaze across the stretch of my mind; demising my support of her independence to wreckage.

Only burning myself at the release and impact. I know she has risen to the occasion: of being my friend and so leaving me behind.How could you accept her forgetting me?

No; of embracing her time and thriving with all she knows and can give, this is only what she deserves.How could you be so self-righteous? The tough splintering rope, I knotted it tight around my brittle rib, tugs down on my chest from inside. The fraying plaited fingers fuelled to snap, shatter, win. A roaring magma singes the rope away: but then runs cool like liquid metal; it strokes my neck, but icy and solid clasps its choking fingers around me. Silent, with breathless lungs and barred throat I retract every stagnant thought that became buried under new civil conflict. The unbearable thought of leaning on the open door frame and staring at her empty desk; the rigid wooden arms against me giving no comfort. But surely she will be perched in her room elsewhere and imagine me there with idle conversation bounding to begin too. Yes, she still will depart.Can’t wait to arrive. Put out your embers, stomp out the ashes and breathe tranquil breaths free from smoke. Lower your shields and continue through what will inevitably happen; whether I am hiding from it or fighting for it.

For this wasn’t my war: but her victory all along.

BATTLEGROUND IN MY LONGING

Research shows that those who read for pleasure are likely to do significantly better at school and later in life than their peers, yet by Key Stage 4 fewer students are reading independently . With this in mind, the English Department launched the Six Book Challenge in February to 80 Year 10 students to encourage them to re-establish

their reading habits. Set up by The Reading Agency, a national charity, the Challenge invites adults and young adults to complete six reads, record and review them in a diary. These reads can range from novels to newspaper articles, so the choice is wide. Those who complete the reads by July 1st will receive a certificate and be entered into a prize draw for a £20 Amazon voucher. So far, the students are

making good progress, with the winner to be announced at a later date. Further information on The Six Book Challenge can be found at

sixbookchallenge.org.uk

THE SIX BOOK CHALLENGE

Started your life at school,

Not takin’ it seriously.

Messin’ about in lessons,

Next thing you know

You’re gettin’ hit in the face

By the hard work ‘n’ fast pace,

To keep up with the work

It’s staring you in the face.

No point giving up

You wanna make it far in life?

The truth is,

Start school working hard,

Stops you struggling in years to come,

Settle your life down when you’re done.

By our ks4 Poet laureate, anonyMous

DON’T MESSSCHOOL AROUND

You may feel the urge to run away from the bus to school.

You have bad visions of bullies wicked and

Teachers cruel.

You may lose your nerve and find it hard to keep calm,

But don’t worry.

UCC will welcome you with open arms.

You’ll be surprised at how quickly you settle in,

You’ll never have cause to lower down your chin.

Don’t worry,

We assure you,

We sincerely guarantee:

You will find that you have been worrying needlessly.

Look around you. You’ll find that although you don’t know

their names,

Everyone around you feels just the same!

In lots of them you’ll make good friends

And you will enjoy yourselves ‘til your happy school days

End.

By our ks3 Poet laureate, dylan PalMer

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DAY 1 – HELLOThe first thing that I was thinking as the car began to get into Cambridge was that I’m going to be with the elite scientists of this corner of the country. Before then I didn’t feel at all nervous as I hadn’t really thought about it too much, but all of a sudden it was real.Once someone else had arrived we began our journey through the collaege to the New Cellars, where we were

all welcomed and introduced to the master class. The introduction started with rules, leadership, how to pretend to be an adult and finally Mastery.The first activity of the course was a ‘Treasure Trail’ where we were split up into six groups and were sent off around Cambridge to complete six questions, for example estimating the mass of the air in the Senate house where graduations are held.It was then time for lunch at the cafeteria where a choice of hot and cold meals are available for breakfast lunch and dinner. We ate inside the ‘Hogwarts like’ hall, where the formal meal would be served.We then went off to get used to our rooms and had some free time before going back to the New Cellars to start our brainteasers, where we needed to come up with an elegant solution to one of the

puzzles there were to solve.It was then dinner time, afterwards it was time for a quiz where there were forty questions spread over three rounds of science and a picture round of famous scientists which our team came third in. Not long after this it was time for everyone to go to bed.

DAY 2 – GALILEOThe day started at 8:00 with breakfast in the Hall again, full English of course. After this we were briefed on the day in the New Cellars. The groups we were allotted on the first day were split up so that we could all go and visit the Cavendish Laboratory where we made our own telescope and used lasers to measure the thickness of a human hair.Not long after this it was time for lunch, but this time lunch was at St. Catherine’s College down the road (which I must say I preferred). We then went back to our rooms with our teams where we came up with our elegant solutions for the brainteaser we had chosen. We made an A2 poster to help show how we figured out the puzzle and what the elegant solution was.Later we had a talk from someone at the university responsible for admissions so we were given time to come up with some questions to ask about university in general and courses etc. After this it was time to

get ready for the formal meal, where we all got dressed up for our 3 course meal.This was followed by a talk from Galileo Galilea where an actor re-enacted the great scientist and went over the problems and solutions that Galileo came up with, including the measurement of a second and how he

found out that objects take the same time to fall. He then announced that that was the last time that he was ever going to do the Galileo acting as he’s moving on to making audio books. This must have been the best part of Cambridge along with the formal dinner.

DAY 3 – LECTUREThe day started with breakfast at 8:00 again, full English. After breakfast I went back to my room to begin packing after what I felt should have been a longer experience.This day was all about science in everyday life. We started off by going to the Department of Chemistry to find out about the chemistry of water in the lecture theatre, where the lecturer Dr Ben Pilgrim made water and taught us about its habits and properties in an interactive lecture.We then moved on to the Sedgwick museum of Geology to find out how the size of animals changed relative to the environment and other parts of themselves, showing how animals grow in a certain ratio to keep them strong.The last visit was off to the botanical gardens where we had to go off and see how plants had adapted to their environments. This showed that in hot sunny climates, plants have a small surface aria to volume ratio compared to the other extreme, where plants in a rainforest tried to get rid of water and collet more sun light.It was then time for lunch and a debrief in the New Cellars, before we waited for our parents to come and pick us up.

By Peter Mason

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Mr Lewin has started a new Futsal Club at the College for

players aged 16 and above. The Club has been running on Friday nights 6-8pm in the UCC sports hall.

The Club was started with Sportivate funding which is aimed at engaging 14-25 year olds in sports and physical activity. The funding has allowed the College to purchase Futsal specific goals which now reside in the sports hall as well as a bag of Futsal balls to use in the sessions.

Over the initial 8 week block nearly forty players attended and the first Rutland Futsal League was formed. Four teams competed in the league with Phantasma running out eventual champions having narrowly beaten Rapid Vienetta on goal difference. The league’s leading scorer was

former UCC student Liam Sansom who scored 15 goals, narrowly beating Year 11 students Sam Cowling on 14 goals and Joe Bell on 13.

Mr Lewin who has been coaching Futsal at the University of Leicester for the past 5 years explained why he has decided to set up a new Futsal Club up in Rutland. ‘For me Futsal is a fantastic game as it develops the basic skills and techniques of football in an enjoyable environment. Every player that has been involved in the last 8 weeks has improved their skill levels massively and the development is so much faster than in normal football. We’ve been using Futsal in the College for years now but there’s never been an exit route for students who want to continue playing the game post 16. That’s why we’ve started the Club as I feel

we can build a really strong Rutland League in the next few years’.

Mr Lewin also intends to enter the Club into Leicestershire and Rutland Futsal League in the Autumn. ‘This will be a massive step up for our players as we’ll be playing against the likes of Loughborough University and teams that have been playing Futsal or years. However, we have some really talented players here in Rutland and I think within a couple of seasons we’ll be able to hold our own in the County League and beyond’.

A new season of Friday Night Futsal will be starting on the 1st August so if anyone would like to get involved please contact Mr Lewin at Lewin_R@ucc.rutland.sch.uk

Daniel Bennett fought in his first International at Cadet Level in May. This was the under 18 age band of the Sportif International which attracted competitors from over 12 nations. In Daniel’s weight category, under 73kg, he competed against Norway, Germany, Portugal, Sweden, Scotland as well as other boys from England. Daniel was the only 14 year old to win a medal obtaining Bronze. Well done!

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DANIEL BENNETT

Two weeks in June, Alex had a mix of formal training, largely one to one which was a nice surprise, and valuable water time. He competed in a number of races culminating in a regatta of over 40 racers.

WINDSURFING - Alex has now achieved his ‘Freestyle’ windsurf

certificate. This is effectively a style based sport where points are awarded for tricks on a windsurfer. He also achieved his ‘planing’ award which now opens the door to competitive racing. SAILING - Alex was fortunate to be training with some very skilled

individuals, largely adults. He raced every day and this culminated at the end of week two with a roughly two hour race around a mile offshore. Alex was in a field of very experienced sailors, including a former Olympian, and a current member of the adult Team GB squad. Alex finished second overall, the only junior to finish in the top ten. He beat the Team GB member into third by over two minutes and was only narrowly beaten by 12 seconds to first place by the current South West regional champion. His results are being passed on to Team GB. Whilst there is no guarantee this will move him forward it is likely they will be taking notice. WAKEBOARDING - Alex was able to run under instruction every day and is now ready to apply for his competition licence in the 14 to 16 age group.

ALEX WRIGHT

A team of Key Stage 3 students recently represented Rutland at the Super 6 Golf Series Final at Parks Hill Golf Course near Loughborough. They took part in a 9 hole golf challenge against all

the other regions of Leicestershire. The students who took part were Luc Affleck, Jay Francois, James Clarke, Tom Horton-Bell, Ethan Warner and Olly Berridge. These students are part of the College’s

Golf Club that has been running on Friday afternoons at Rutland Water Golf course. It proved to be a very successful tournament as the team ran out winners of the tournament by an incredible 40 shots.

SUPER 6 GOLF CHAMPIONS

Congratulations to the following students who all passed their Stage 1 in Sailing and Windsurfing this term having been part of our new Water Sports Club. The after school club has been visiting Rutland Water Sports Centre at Whitwell every Monday. The Club will return in September with students having the opportunity to gain their Stage 2 qualification.

SAILING GROUP - Alice McCormack, Lara Mortimer, Will Smith, Henry Doe, Lilly Parton, Kendra Armitage, Tala Martelli, Katie Preston, Maisie Ford.WINDSURFING GROUP - Anna Hodson, Gregory Durden, Chris Thornber, Alex Wright, Todd Holdford.

SAILING AND WINDSURFING CLUB

Rutland driver Teddy Wilson starts his Championship season in style!

Twelve-year-old Rutland kart driver Teddy Wilson topped the podium for the opening round of the 2014 LGM (Little Green Man) Series Championship at PF International circuit, near Grantham, in April.

Racing against 65 of the country’s best cadet drivers, the championship organisers described the Final as ‘epic’ and ‘one of the best cadet duels in recent times’.

With three minutes of the 15-minute race to go, there was a nine kart battle for the lead. As places were swapped at every corner, Teddy took control going onto the final

lap. When AIM Motorsport driver Tom Wood made a move at the second hairpin, it looked like Teddy would have to settle for second, but with an impressive move around the outside at Bobby Game Corner he regained the lead and held on for a fantastic win.

Driving for Fusion Motorsport, Teddy’s form continued at Round 2 of the LGM Championship in Larkhall, Scotland, during an April weekend against 60 other drivers. In another nail-biting final and despite struggling with a lack of engine power, Teddy battled valiantly for the lead on the last lap against two other drivers in the leading pack. He narrowly missed out on victory and was forced to settle for third

place on the podium.

Teddy leads the LGM Series Championship after two of its six rounds. Round 3 took place in May at Glan-y-Gors in Wales.

Teddy said, “I was thrilled to win the opening round of the 2014 LGM Series Championship and I hope to get lots more podiums so that I can stay at the top of the title race.”

Teddy began kart driving when he was six years old and has been racing since he was eight. He is sponsored by Total Kart Shop in Fengate, Peterborough.

Photo by Chris Walker at kartpix.net

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This term has seen the UCC Equestrian Club reform after a couple of years of inactivity. Nearly forty students expressed an interest in being part of the club with seventeen registering as National Schools Equestrian Association members for the next twelve months. The first Club event saw a number of students attend the Brigstock Horse Trials at Rockingham Castle in early May for

a media based competition. Three of these students wrote the articles below about their experiences at the horse trials, all of which were praised by competition organiser Hilary Manners. Unfortunately the first event the Club entered at Winchester House was washed out by heavy rain but a team did attend the Wellingborough School Team Show jumping event in late

May. Then in June, Jess Millbank competed for the school in the Class 3 Individual Championships at Arena UK in Grantham as part of the Inter Schools Jumping qualifiers. Next year the Club hopes to enter many more teams and events so please look out for full details when we start back in late August.

EQUESTRIAN CLUB RETURNS

On Saturday I went with my family to Rockingham Castle International Horse Trials. It was a very warm sunny day. When we arrived we looked around all the shops and stalls where there was a wide range of merchandise from horse tack stalls to jewellery and clothing. There was no shortage of food with lots of different cultures being represented, including traditional homemade wood fired pizza. They were delicious!

There was a lot going on for the non-

horsey spectators as well, such as falconry displays, a sheep shearing demonstration and terrier racing. There was also a stall with small animals, such as chickens, rabbits, ducks and a miniature donkey that they encouraged the public to handle.

The show jumping arena was located in the centre of the event with the shops scattered around the outside, so it made it a very exciting atmosphere. We watched many rounds of show jumping whilst we

ate our pizzas.

After lunch we walked the cross country course, stopping at each fence or combination to watch a couple of competitors jump. We saw many famous eventers such as Pippa Funnel, Zara Philips, and Oliver Townend, there were also a lot of local riders who live locally around Leicestershire and Rutland; Simon Grieve, Lucy Kemplay and Tom How were just a few that I recognised.

Being a rider myself, I found the

ROCKINGHAM INTERNATIONAL HORSE TRIALS

What could happen in a small town of England? I really had no idea what to expect out of the Brigstock International Horse Trials at the Rockingham Castle. Moving here from the USA due to my father’s military order is not easy. I had to give up my dogs. I miss riding Moon, the loving horse. Great! I thought, this event would definitely remind me of what I do not have anymore.

When I first walked out off my car, I heard horses running, kids laughing, and adults enjoying the event. There were shops, booths and food. The aroma of freshly baked bread, burgers and horse poo filled the air. That reminds me of our hometown in Kentucky. Everywhere you laid your eyes, there were people - happy

people. I knew that this was going to be good.

The whole event was family friendly. There was something for every gender, age, and size. My two year old brother absolutely hates being still, but there were plenty of activities and free space for children. My mother liked the free bouncy castle the most. She did get a good break from chasing my brother. My little sister had an opportunity to do rock climbing and that definitely made her day. For me, I enjoyed the show jumping the most. I ride horses back home but I’ve never jumped as high as these riders did. The dressage was impressive too. There were also dog shows! It was so funny to watch their tiny legs run

as fast as they did. There was one where they allowed kids to race the dogs. Although there was a lot more than horses to interest my father, such as the obstacle track of Land Rover, lots of cars, and beer, he enjoyed talking to the stall owners here and there.

People sat in chairs, on picnic blankets, and standing up while watching the shows. The breathtaking, beautiful, pastoral landscape behind Rockingham Castle just makes everything looks more charming. Not only the smell of everything combined that comforted me, the smiles on people faces and, of course, the cotton floss are just what makes everywhere in the world my home.

ADELLE HALL

cross country looked very challenging as it was big, bold and the speed the competitors were required to complete the course was very quick. The course was particularly well presented with many fences replicating objects such as a train carriage, the moon,

horseshoes and a layered cake! They were also decorated with many flowers and foliage on each fence and many were sponsored by famous companies such as Land Rover, King West and JCB which showed the importance of the event and how widespread it is. It took us about two hours to slowly walk

around the cross country course and I found it very interesting. Overall the day was really good fun and I would recommend it to families or couples to attend to next year.

By Matilda farMer

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ROCKINGHAM INTERNATIONAL HORSE TRIALS

Brigstock International Horse Trials was held for the second year running at Rockingham Castle. The main event consists of the three disciplines Dressage, Show Jumping and Cross Country.

This year’s event began on Thursday with competitors in top hats and tails preforming their dressage tests. Some like to call it the dancing bit, but all of the competitors do it as part one of the competitions. We had been there 2 days earlier putting all the long white boards together and getting the markers in the right order.

Friday, from a volunteers’ point of view, was our favourite day of working as we spent the whole time pole picking, our favourite job. Only having one arena 2 classes to get through. Many riders completed 2 of their disciplines on this day as well. However with 10 arenas of Dressage, it wasn’t at all quiet. It was all the first day of the XC.

Saturday saw the most spectators, with the main XC and SJ going on. Luckily there were plenty of volunteers at hand to help, thanks to the cadets and scouts. The sun was shining and famous riders from all over flocked to compete at the highest level. Including 2 time Olympic champion Sir Mark Todd who said “Very good Cross Country, with a great atmosphere and friendly and helpful organisation. Will defiantly come back again!”

On the Sunday, one of the most popular fences to watch out on the Cross Country was the water complexion. This consists of a log jump, for part A, down into water for part B and finally, for part C, a hedge. Unfortunately for one rider the final part deemed too hard and after 3 refusals on part C they were eliminated. The next rider flew over all the parts. Previous British Squad member Tina Cook, who also flew round the course, said she enjoyed the XC the most. “Beautiful course... Nearly fell off in the water but managed to hang on. It’s an excellent course on an excellent estate.”

By Jess MillBank

and Myles ford

NEXT NEWSLETTER

DEADLINE3rd October 2014

21st July - 27tH auGust

suMMer HoliDay

18tH auGust

uniForM collection at ucc(11aM - 3PM)

19tH auGust

uniForM collection at ucc (2PM - 6PM)

21st auGust

Gcse results Day

28tH auGust

new terM beGinsUP

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BABBAGE WINS THE HOUSE CUP!

SPONSORSHIPAs you are aware our Sports Academy is achieving great success and to this end we are looking to produce a professional brochure. We are therefore seeking some sponsorship money for this. So if you know a local business that may help us with please please could you get in touch with

Rob Lewin. Lewin_r@ucc.rutland.sch.uk