www.ibstockcollege.leics.sch.uk

Congratulations! ICC-is Out of this World

Two teams of students from Ibstock

Community College competed against some of

the best young geographers in the country—

and came away with a prize for their

outstanding team work.

The six students were chosen to take part in

the Geographical Association’s Worldwise

Challenge weekend in the Lake District after

proving themselves to be among the college’s

most able geographers.

The students involved were Libby Pemberton,

Maisie James, Kian Schofield, Taylor Hughes,

Sam Brasiewicz and Seb Horne.

Head of humanities Carl Edwards said: “I am very proud of the students. It was an extremely useful

experience because it enabled our students use their geographical understanding from the classroom in a

real world setting, allowing them to apply what they had learnt so far.

“Furthermore, they had the opportunity to learn different types of geography which students would not

usually experience until key stage 4 at upper school.”

Geography Students are Tops for Teamwork

in Weekend Challenge

May 2017

Sports Leaders Celebrate Sports leaders from ICC were

celebrating after completing their

Level 1 qualification in sports

leadership.

The students have been working hard

all year to achieve the qualification.

During that time, they have

organised and run a series of

sporting events, including primary

school sports festivals.

They have also officiated at inter-

schools tournaments, such as the

swimming gala at Ibstock Leisure

Complex, and taken on roles such

as time-keeping and refereeing.

www.ibstockcollege.leics.sch.uk

Drums Take Some Beating...

As the general election approaches we are all

concerned with making decisions about what

policies will be the best for the country. Our

prospective candidates will want to share their ideas

and policies and I would ask you to press them

about their spending plans for education and to

lobby for education to be a high priority in the next

parliament.

The funding levels affecting schools across the

country, and Ibstock Community College in

particular, cause us great concern and it is important

for us that this issue is high on everyone's agenda.

Many head teachers and principals are clear that

current levels of funding are unacceptable. Our

children's future is at stake.

Whilst the college continues to manage our

resources, we have had to make some significant

changes to the structures behind our provision. This

has meant that into the future we may not be able to

sustain the breadth of

experiences that we

currently offer.

The Department of

Education is fully

aware that schools

across the country are

facing a serious

financial crisis, but as yet has failed to address these

concerns or indeed, publicly acknowledge the

seriousness of the situation.

A recent survey indicated that 92% of secondary

schools either have a deficit budget or will move into

a deficit position within the next few years.

Thank you for continuing to support the work we do

for our community.

Point of Principal with David Phillips

All Stand for Community Band Don’t Miss Out on

Activ8 Benefits Rebound Trampoline Park is the latest place to offer discounts for students with Activ8 points.

Parents are being urged to sign up for the latest Activ8 newsletter to find out more about this discount and other offers available to students.

All students at ICC are awarded Activ8 points for every PE lesson or sporting activity in which they take part.

These points can be used to offset the cost of activities at local leisure centres—or even traded for free sports sessions.

To sign up for the newsletter, parents should email gail.rushton@nwleicestershire.gov.uk. Parents with two or more children need to register separate email addresses.

Rebound is offering a 50% term time discount on Tuesday evenings from 4—5pm and from 5—6pm.

Ibstock’s Community Band has played its first concert.

The band, which began as a pilot project last year, now

boasts 46 regular members, aged from seven to

musicians in their 70s. They play a range of instruments

from piano and trumpet to bass guitar and double bass.

The band showcased its musical talents during a 90-

minute performance of popular tunes.

Band founder Andrea Allen, Head of Culture and

Creativity at ICC, said: “The band was formed as a pilot

and now has a core of regular members who sound

absolutely great.

“As for what happens next, watch this space!”

www.ibstockcollege.leics.sch.uk

A back stage tour of the Royal Shakespeare

Company was one of the highlights of a day trip to

Stratford for Year 8 students.

During the visit, they also spent time at an interactive

Shakespeare exhibition, took part in a drama

workshop, and visited Shakespeare’s old school.

Assistant principal Sophie Williams said: “The idea

was to give the students a taste of Shakespeare

before they go into Year 9. They were all excellent

ambassadors for the school and particularly liked the

idea of treading the same boards as David Tennant!

“We were just sorry Miss Thompson [English teacher]

missed such a fantastic trip after organising most of

it!”

On Board for the Bard

It’s a busy final term for all students—but one with

lots of highlights in the countdown to summer.

One of the first is sports day which takes place on

Tuesday 20 June. As well as signing up for a host of

track and field events, students can also volunteer for

supporting roles, such as time keeper or race steward.

End-of-year reward trips for all year groups will take

place on Tuesday 11 July. Year 7 will go to Warwick

Castle, Year 8 to Drayton Manor and Year 9 to Alton

Towers.

For Year 9 students, these weeks mark the final

important stage of the transition process to Year 10.

Transition days at local upper schools take place in

the first week of July (parents should check school

websites for dates, as these vary from school to

school).

On your Marks, Get Set… Sports Day, Transition & More

Pupils from five local schools took part in a primary

school geography festival, hosted by Ibstock

Community College.

The youngsters completed a series of rounds to test

their geographical knowledge and to give them a

flavour of the subject at high school. Topics

included world mapping, pictures of famous

landmarks and a speed round using atlas skills.

The day's winners were Packington Primary School,

closely followed by runners-up Woodstone. The

other schools taking part were Dove Bank,

Heather and Ibstock Junior Schools.

...and Primary School Transition, too

www.ibstockcollege.leics.sch.uk

Ibstock Community College is an exempt charity and a company limited by guarantee, registered in England with company number 8135574

and has a registered address of Central Avenue, Ibstock, Leicestershire, LE67 6NE.

An exhibition showcasing textiles and

manufacturing traditions from wartime

Ibstock captivated students and visitors over

two days. The exhibition, which was staged

by Ibstock Historical Society, gave students a

flavour of the clothing and industry of previous

generations and tied in with their classroom work

on the industrial revolution.

History teacher Kevin Norman said: “It was a very

successful and hands-on event. Students could see

examples of the fabrics and designs that were around at the time and make the links with Leicestershire

textiles traditions.”

History Exhibition is Dressed for Success

A garden project to brighten up parts of the

college grounds is helping to nurture students’

skills.

A team of 10 students has begun by digging

borders and researching which

plants are best-suited to the

areas they are working on.

The project, which will run

for several weeks, is

encouraging students to

develop their team work,

communication skills and

creativity.

Students Dig Garden Project ...and are Buzzing about Insect Houses

Design students have been using recycled materials

to make insect houses, which will be sited in

gardens and open spaces, including locations

around the college and Ibstock Community Garden.

During the project, the Year 9 students have been

focusing on practical skills and independent

learning, in preparation for their transition to Year

10 in September.

Student Leo Youlden said: “I have enjoyed using all

the equipment, like the saws and drills.

“It will really help me when I do engineering at

Ashby School next year.”