Issue 82 | Autumn 2020
News from Bablake
Messing about
on the River
D
uring half term, over 70 pupils from Shells to Fourth Year took part in an outdoor adventure trip to the Severn.
After an early morning minibus drive to the river, (Mr Wright’s choice of music is interesting) and following a safety briefing, we got into our canoes. The first task was to paddle upstream to get used to how the boats behaved in the river current. It turned out that this was quite hard work, especially if the other person in your canoe doesn’t paddle.
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Once the group had been rescued from the riverbank, our instructor said that the next task was to canoe in a straight line and avoid all the people enjoying their quiet weekend fishing. This also proved to be difficult. Luckily, the current meant that most people were, on average, moving in the right direction. The journey down the river was spectacular; autumn colours made the valley look beautiful and we even saw a number of kingfishers. We paddled under a bridge taking the Severn Valley Railway and even saw a steam train. There were a few patches of rapids, which added to the excitement although most of us managed to stay dry in our boats. It was at this point, my partner in
the boat, who was steering us, decided that we needed to take a closer look at one of the trees on the riverbank. Once we had removed the branches from our helmets, we moved on and it wasn’t long before we saw our next challenge. Rounding the river bend, we came across an old railway bridge and were told that we needed to stop on the bank just beyond it. Getting out of the boats was one of the hardest parts of the day, as we tried to pull ourselves up the muddy bank with various degrees of success. Once on dry land, our instructors set up an abseil from the bridge. We all had a few goes before it was time to get back in the boats and complete our journey to Bewdley, where we made some hot
chocolate to warm us up. Thank you to all the teachers who supported the trip and also the instructors from the Arete Centre in Snowdonia who came to the Midlands to run the activities. Hopefully we will be able to visit the centre again soon. Feedback from pupils Antonia Wamala 2NF, Sophie Jackson, 3HLB, Caal Walber 4GSH and James Hayselden ShES:
1. Why did you decide to go on the trip? Antonia: To be able to be active during half term. Sophie: I went on the Snowdon trip to Arete when I was in Shells and I absolutely loved it, so when I heard about the trip this year I asked to go straight away. A lot of my friends were going too, so I didn’t want to miss out! Caal: I think I wanted to go on the trip because I wanted to do something fun again. Being stuck at home meant I couldn’t do these things, so when the opportunity came around, I took it. Also, I knew it was going to be fun, because I had some great friends going as well, which would make it even better. James: I decided to go on the trip because it would be fun and I could get out of the house to do something different.
2. What did you enjoy most about the trip? Antonia: Learning how to do the activities. Sophie: I thoroughly enjoyed the whole trip: the experience was amazing! I loved the canoeing, and the River Severn was absolutely beautiful. We also had a campfire and drank hot chocolate, which was so much fun! Caal: I enjoyed the canoeing, especially when some small rapids came. It was quite relaxed; I had a laugh, and there was sometimes a little bit of competition in it. We made a small fire and toasted marshmallows - despite the weather – which was a nice way to finish the day. James: I enjoyed the abseiling as I am afraid of heights and after I had done this, I felt proud of my achievement.
3. What was the funniest moment on the trip? Antonia: When we nearly capsized and Ellie ended up dropping her oar into the river. Sophie: I had a great time with my friends, and I think the funniest part was when we were all trying to climb down a (very slippery!) mud bank. A lot of people fell in and got extremely wet! We all had a great time, though. Caal: As we all rafted up in a calm part of the river to go abseiling, someone fell into the water while trying to get across the boats. Then another fell in, completely gave up and walked around all of the boats. We laughed our heads off. James: When I walked along the plank and did not fall in. This may sound weird but it was surprisingly satisfying!
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4. What did you learn on the trip? Antonia: That as a team together you are strong, because the Second Year girls were able to move the minibus out of the mud. Sophie: We learnt many interesting things on the trip: including bushcraft skills! We also learnt some useful geography tips travelling down the river, and some facts about the villages and bridges we passed. Caal: I had already tried canoeing in the past but doing this taught me more about how to keep the boat going in the same direction when going up stream or through rapids, which could turn you around at any second. I also learnt some terminology about parts of the river, which was interesting.
I learned not to give up and to face my fear of heights, also to feel proud of what I can do when I try. - James
5. Would you recommend it to others? Antonia: I would definitely recommend this trip as it was so much fun and we learnt new skills. Sophie: I would recommend this trip to others - it was so much fun! We all really enjoyed it, and I would definitely go again if I had the choice. It was absolutely brilliant, and I got to spend time with my friends. Caal: Definitely. It was good exercise and a little competitive, but it was also great fun. James: Yes I would. It might not be for everyone, but it helps you learn that you can do anything if you want to.
News tumber’s tremendous technicals Head of Sixth Form, Mrs Alison Tumber, has again this year set herself the task of creating The Great British Bake Off’s weekly Technical Challenge. Staff eagerly await the photos of the various stages of baking and willingly volunteer to be tasters! As in previous years, the results have been fabulous, but we think that she made a good call in ditching the Sussex Pond Puddings and instead tackling the far more enticing passion fruit cheesecake. And the pièce de résistance….the Danish Cornucopia! Coconut macaroons
Successful in Business! Four of our Sixth Form students have achieved outstanding results in the London Institute of Banking & Finance level three qualifications, with each being awarded an A grade! William, Harvey, Cavin and Shaylan have also been received a scholarship towards these degree programmes, which is clearly a fantastic achievement. The course was delivered by Mrs Louise Alderson (Head of Economics and Business) and Mr Peter Scanlon and they are delighted with their students’ success. Mrs Alderson said, “The course teaches financial capability and is an important life skill that employers like to see. The four boys excelled in this area to achieve their awards.”
Pineapple upside-down cakes
Chocolate Babka
History Magazine
Rainbow-coloured bagels
Mrs Ceri Rees Raspberry and salted caramel éclairs
Jam and custard doughnuts
Matcha mi lle crêpe cak e
Danish Cornucopia
When it was announced that schools were to close and that GCSE and A level exams would not be taking place, we in the History Department wanted to make sure that we had something positive to take out of the experience. The idea of a magazine interested us, as it would allow students to research and pursue an area of history they were interested in but would not normally have the opportunity to explore. We wanted to create something that as many people as possible could engage with, which is why a wide variety of topics was so important, as was the ‘Things To Do’ section. A number of students were very enthusiastic about the project and Fiona Chung took on the role of editor, ably supported by of others who met regularly to work on the magazine. I am incredibly proud of everyone who has been involved in the production of this excellent magazine.
Vanilla cheesecake with passion fruit curd
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biology olympiad In the first week back after half term, the Lower Sixth sat the exam for the Royal Society of Biology’s Intermediate Olympiad competition, which tests knowledge of the AS Biology syllabus as well as wider biological knowledge. In what must be a first, all students took the exam online at home and I invigilated remotely from my home via MS Teams, using cameras and microphones to ensure they were silent and on task. Bablake’s record-breaking students achieved one Gold, five Silver and six Bronze Awards in this prestigious competition, whilst three received Highly Commended and another seven Commended. Ben Sawyer was our best performer, scoring an impressive 53/68, which earned him a Gold Award and placed him in the top 5% of all participants. This is an outstanding achievement, given that there were 8750 candidates participating around the world. Here, Ben offers a little more insight into the exam: “Due to the multiple-choice format of the test, I realised that any revision time was best spent on factual recall rather than lengthy explanations, which often appear on our Biology syllabus. The early stages of the exam were surprisingly easy, but it very quickly moved on to setting questions that not only took longer work out, but also required application of existing knowledge (and some guesswork!).”
I was very pleased with my result and although I did not find the test as hard as I expected, I certainly didn’t anticipate receiving a Gold Award. The experience has definitely given me confidence for the rest of my Biology A level and has made me more determined to achieve a top grade.
Library news
It has been a time of adaptation for everyone since lockdown began and a challenge to make sure pupils can still benefit from our wonderful resources. In the Library, we have missed welcoming the new Shells to library lessons, but we are finding new ways of keeping in touch. Each year we start the term off with Bookbuzz, a scheme run by Book Trust that provides a book from a selection chosen by a panel of experts, for every Year 7 pupil, so with the help of Mr Elliott, we rolled this out to Shells in September. Their chosen books arrived to much excitement just before half term. Over the years, we have had many eye-catching displays in the Library and at the start of October, Art Technician Miss Sarah Moore produced a vibrant and stunning display to celebrate Black History Month. To mark the event and because we felt the particular significance this year, we have sourced lots of new books celebrating black culture and looking at black history, all of which are proving to be very popular. As year groups are not currently able to visit us on a regular basis, we are hoping to launch a new app called My Cirqa, so that pupils can look up and reserve books from their phones. Watch this space!
remembrance This year’s service was very moving and by making it available ‘live’, the whole school community, including those who were home at the time, were able to join us for this important event. Many parents were also able to attend. Events such as this bring together the Bablake family and offer a sense of community even when we are apart. We were honoured to have Captain AJ Tracey, former Bablake pupil, current Bablake parent, and current King Henry VIII School teacher, speak about her family history. Captain Tracey served in the Army and worked for the British High Commission overseas. During the service, she told us about her great great uncle, Private Sydney ‘Togo’ Bolesworth DCM (1889-1917), who served in the Great War and she shared her insight into the sacrifices we are all having to make in these exceptional times.
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Atoms In the topic ‘Elements, Compounds and Mixtures’, Shell pupils learn about the structure of an atom. We teach them at this early stage that an atom is made up of three particles called protons, neutrons and electrons. The protons and neutrons are found in the middle of the atom, known as the nucleus and electrons are found orbiting the nucleus in shells. This is hard to visualise, so making a model of the atom helps them to understand this better.
During lockdown, pupils created their own models of atoms, using many different materials to create the central nucleus, from balloons to sweets. To create the electron shells they created circular rings from materials such as straws, foil and string and they then added electrons to these rings to show what an atom would look like. The pupils produced some fantastic models and were really creative.
SPIRITUS VI
reach National Finals
Six pupils recently competed in the National Finals of the F1 in Schools competition. Abbie Dennis, Ellie Kailey, Josh Ogbona, Teerath Kailey, Alexander Nute and Alex Nicholson were invited to the National Finals at Aerospace Bristol to race their cars under Concorde. The competition was due to take place in April and the team was well on its way to completing preparations when we were sent into lockdown. The competition organisers took the difficult decision to postpone the event in the hope they could still hold a live event in the summer term, but unfortunately, this was not to be and the team was notified that the competition would be held as a virtual event from the F1 in Schools HQ in Yorkshire. The team had to complete their preparations in the virtual world, quickly adapting to the new environment using the Teams platform as well as communicating through other online platforms to continue their planned schedule. Team members now had the additional challenge of completing the manufacture of the car at home and this task fell to Alex Nicholson and Mr Nicholson. The car was manufactured to the team’s design by Denford Ltd and was shipped back to be prepped and sprayed in the team colours. With help from former pupil Jake O’Sullivan, they were able to produce realistic, rendered images of the final car.
As well as manufacturing the car, the team also had to present verbal presentations and the pit display needed to be recreated virtually. Once again, the team’s attitude and hard work paid off and they were able to complete the project elements on time. ‘Race Day’ was a very different type of event, competing virtually against 16 other Development Class teams. Teams were held in virtual waiting rooms on the Zoom platform and live streamed on YouTube before being interviewed by presenters and guest experts. Mr Roberts, who had started them on this journey, was able to join us by live streaming from the Lake District. The Spiritus VI car performed admirably and the team was nominated in the category ‘Star Quality: Presentation Award in Development Class’ but unfortunately did not win a prize. The team gained invaluable experience working together on a project conducted virtually across different platforms. They adapted and developed new skills that professional engineers would be proud of in order to be able to compete at the National Finals. The Design Technology department is extremely proud of their achievements in such extraordinary circumstances.
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Enrichment What better way to the end the week? Our Upper Sixth Enrichment Programme provides a range of opportunities for students to gain new experiences, develop life skills and pursue interests. This term, they have been busy taking part in a range of different activities and have impressed with their enthusiasm and engagement.
woodland This year marks our ten-year anniversary of working with Warwickshire Wildlife Trust on conservation projects in Coventry. We have been involving Upper Sixth students in projects which allow them to work as part of a team, learn practical skills and develop an appreciation of some of the issues relating to woodland conservation. In recent years, we have been working at a site called Claybrooks Marsh. The work we are undertaking is aimed at managing habitats and widening the biodiversity on the site. The site, which is a brownfield site, was originally the goods yard for Binley pit, which closed in the 1950s. It is a site of special scientific interest for invertebrates, and as such it is important that the site is not entirely reclaimed by trees which would impinge upon their preferred habitats. The students have been involved in tasks such as tree felling, pond maintenance and keeping pathways clear, so they can be accessed by members of the public.
The Upper Sixth practise mindfulness of body and breath.
page to stage After six weeks of creative discussion about education, thinking about directorial intention, blocking scenes and learning lines, the first enrichment performance has taken place. History Boys was very well received by an audience who could connect with Alan Bennett’s story of staff-room rivalry and the anarchy of adolescents in the classroom.
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In Survival Cookery, the ‘Tin Can Challenge’ was a real hit and saw students cooking up a culinary storm using only tinned food. The range of dishes was amazing and is definite proof that they will not starve at university!
They were then told to challenge themselves with something a little trickier!
BREATHE... Yoga and Mindfulness sessions have equipped students with strategies to keep them focused and maintain a healthy balance between body and mind, which is so very important in these difficult times.
The Upcycling group recycled pallets to make planters which the Food department hope to put to good use for growing herbs.
Those doing Craft have learnt to embroider and have produced some lovely pieces.
Mr Tim Scannell delivered British Sign Language lessons and was very impressed with how much progress was made in six weeks. By the end of the course, students were able to communicate on a variety of topics and all felt that they would have the confidence to use their skills outside the classroom.
Thank you to staff and students for their effort and engagement. BABLAKE
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My ‘Dreams’ come true! Sasha Powell 2SLD During lockdown, one of my favourite authors, Robin Stevens began a Monday Writing Prompt, where she invited people to submit their short stories on the theme of her post. Back in June, I finally found the confidence to post a story to her on the theme of ‘Dreams’. Here is my story and Robin’s reply. Dreams by Sasha Powell To: Robin Stevens June 19, 2020 at 8:41 am
I stare out of the large window in my kitchen like a character in a movie does when they are sad and pondering their mistakes. “Think, Think, Think! Oh, what can I do for this writing prompt? If only I didn’t miss last Monday’s! I had a brilliant idea about Joan of Arc and...” I stop, realising I have been talking to myself. I look around, hoping no one was noticing my craziness. “What does it matter? I have spoken aloud to myself many times before!” I collapse in my cosy reading chair. “No,” I then say, “Don’t force your stories! When have you ever forced your stories? Just let it... come,” I rub my temples before staring blankly at nothing for a little while. Just... thinking. My thoughts get deeper and deeper until I am in a familiar place, The Land of Dreams. Am I asleep? No. This is a daydream. A bird out of the window next to me catches my eye, and my thoughts f ly with it. Wait... No... I’m f lying with it! Oh yes! I’m in a daydream! I see f luffy clouds reddened by the scarlet and pink sun. I feel the soft teardrops from the clouds above me. I hear the pretty sound of singing birds. I feel my feet (or were they claws? I couldn’t quite tell what I was) brush against the rustling leaves. I breathe in the glorious landscape. How beautiful is the landscape! A shimmering little pond fringed with willows that dangle their leafy arms into the water. The sun is even more fiery than before and it ref lects on the pond, making the pond seem like a pool of fire. Birds f ly across the sun, their outlines looking like black cardboard cut-outs against the sun’s rays. I am disturbed by a sudden noise and am awoken from my daydream. I pull a f luffy cushion toward my chest and let out a sigh. Rain begins to patter loudly on the window and I stand up, readying myself for another day of lonely lockdown.
Re: Dreams by Sasha Powell To: Sasha Powell June 19, 2020 at 10:36 am
Ooh, this is gorgeous! So beautiful!
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spotlight on symposium 2020
In September 2019, our 56 Symposium pupils set themselves the challenge of creating the ‘Symposium to Save a Life’. The weekly sessions were great fun and we were looking forward to our annual ‘Symposium Showcase’. Although Covid-19 had other plans for our showcase, it didn’t stop pupils researching and writing their projects. Avneet Hayer asked ‘Can we end the mental health stigma?’- a question that is so topical and of growing importance in today’s world. She examined the various types of mental health disorder and the impact these disorders can have on our daily lives. Avneet concluded, “I think that we can combat the prejudice and discrimination that those with mental health issues face. We need to educate ourselves and others and offer a raw insight into what life is like with mental health problems. Mental health problems aren’t problems to be belittled. They need to be understood, nurtured and talked about.” Kiran Bharaj took a fascinating look into our decision-making process in her project on “How do we decide to make the morally right or wrong decision?” She presented us with a variety of scenarios which required us to use our internal moral compass to make a decision. Kiran examined moral inf luences, moral dilemmas and how we, as human beings, justify the decisions we make. Many of our projects this year looked at issues facing healthcare. Rhea Saran researched healthcare systems around the world and Henry Chislett wrote about the extent of the antibiotic resistance threat. Henry researched what antibiotics are, why people need them, their overuse and why they stop working. He finished off his in-depth analysis with an evaluation of the future of antibiotic medicines, including the use of bacteriophages to fight bacteria cells. Symposium 2021 promises to be every bit as exciting as the previous Symposium showcases. Pupils are working hard on projects that they look forward to sharing in 2021. ‘Was Nostrodamus right?’, ‘Are we losing sight of other global issues because of the pandemic?’, ‘Power languages’ and ‘Can happiness be measured?’ are just a few of the topics our pupils will be examining over the next few months. Symposium Reinvented: looking forward to 2021!
Spirit of Opportunity Companies and universities have also had to find new ways to engage with and recruit students. There have been some excellent opportunities available; here Upper Sixth students Rishi Kumar and Talvin Bath talk about their experiences.
rishi kumar Those of us in the final year at Bablake need to evaluate and decide what we want to do when we leave – go to university, get an apprenticeship or job or take a GAP year. One option I have been interested in, apart from attending university, is apprenticeships, so when I heard about the School Leaver programme at PwC, the second largest professional services organisation in the world, I decided to pursue it. The selection process was very rigorous and for me it started at the beginning of February, as I had originally applied for the summer internship opportunity, which took place online. The first stage was to undertake situational and psychometric tests followed by what PwC terms as ‘Career Unlocked Assessments’, moving on to a video interview and concluding with a Career Assessment Day, which included a research report, group assessments, numeracy and literacy tasks as well as a final one-to-one interview., all conducted online. I was recently contacted to say that I had successfully completed all the stages and received a formal offer of employment as an apprentice to start next autumn in their main office in London.
Although demanding, this has been a great learning experience and my advice to anyone considering it is not to be put off by the process, as you learn a lot about yourself and about how to approach assessment processes.
talvin bath About this time last year, I was sitting in Mrs Tumber’s office discussing an opportunity to do work experience with the investment bank J. P. Morgan. I was anxious to have my application ready for the moment that the portal opened, which was just as well, as they stopped taking applications after only 24 hours, having already received over 4000. Around the same time, I decided to send an additional application to a programme with Rothschild & Co. Months later, I was delighted to hear from both, but just as it all began to feel real, the two programmes moved online due to the escalating situation with Covid-19. Joining the first Zoom call of the week-long programme with J.P.Morgan was daunting, but everyone chatted, breaking the ice by discussing cancelled plans and uncertain futures. Luckily, the situation with Coronavirus allowed the bank’s executives to join our calls, so I heard from and questioned industry leaders in asset-management, trading and syndication. Rothschild & Co followed a week later and I managed to find the confidence to speak to an online audience of 100 people, presenting an analysis of the Coca-Cola Company’s potential mergers and acquisitions. As young people, we often hear that by the time we reach working age, most of us will work in jobs that haven’t yet been created. My fortnight with the two banks taught me that, whilst the statement might well be true, I cannot even name most of the jobs that people work in today. So, I am more excited about the future than ever, knowing that there are always possibilities and choices in store when you’re willing to search for them.
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happy houses! The House system at Bablake is well known for providing competitions and activities for pupils of all ages in school, so, back in March when we went into lockdown; we had to think carefully about how to continue the House system remotely, wondering if it could be successful. We decided to take one step at a time and started with just two competitions. Firstly, the Easter Egg Design Competition and then Mr Phillips’ Photography Competition. Most Houses had over 100 entries and the quality was superb. After seeing the success of these competitions, we decided to become more creative with our events, so Mr Sahota launched an Origami Competition and posted pictures of his attempts to encourage other to replicate or better his efforts. This was closely followed by Mr Kalsi’s Optical Illusions Competition, which also saw some fabulous entries. The Tallest Tower competition was next and attempts included stacking a pile of books or a making a tower of plastic cups. The competition soon progressed and pupils found many more creative ways to produce a tall tower, such as stacking bins on top of each other or using gardening pots. The Stair Climb Challenge was next, and Mr Philips posted a video of his attempt to get us started. Fitness levels were impressive! Mrs Green launched the Decorate Your Bake Competition, in which pupils decorated a cake or biscuit with the crest of their House. The results were fabulous. Miss Watts got the Keepy Uppy Challenge underway and showed her talents with a range of equipment. Pupils showed us keepy uppys with a table tennis bat and ball (in excess of 800!) and with a hockey stick and ball (in excess of 300). Mrs Dines created a House Quiz entitled ‘How well do you know the House Staff?’ and some interesting facts were discovered! Mrs MacGibbon announced the House Strava Art Challenge, where the task was to create an outline of an image by tracking your exercise on Strava. Pupils relished the challenge and created many exciting images. Well done to everyone who took part. We have been so impressed with how well pupils responded to the House competitions during lockdown and feel that these challenges helped to keep morale high during a very difficult time. Being part of the Bablake community helped us all pull through it. Since returning to school in September, current restrictions have meant that while we have been able to hold some sporting events such as Shell rounders and Shell and Second Year hockey, we have had to continue running online events. As well as pumpkin carving, the photography competitions of Sunrise and Sunset, Festival of Lights and Autumn Colours brought out pupils’ creativity yet again. The Shells also completed a Summer Challenge where they were tasked with creating their House badge in any media. We had some fantastic entries and House Heads found it very difficult to choose the final winners. This has been a very busy time for the House system and the friendly competitive element has never been stronger!
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Science Science on the Hill
chemistry with Kalsi
We would like to congratulate our very own Mr Kalsi for having written a new Chemistry textbook and having it published. When asked about the process, Mr Kalsi said,
I had always wanted to write a book and I was very lucky to get this opportunity. I enjoyed producing model answers, which will be valuable to Sixth Form Chemists. I also learned many new skills and ensured that I was not afraid to try something new. My thanks go to Anthony at Hodder Education and Mr Mike Masters (former Head of Science at Bablake).
Last year, we attend several science lectures at the University of Warwick, but due to Covid-19, these lectures have now moved online, and many of our Lower Sixth students have watched them from the comfort of their own homes. On the 10th of November, Warwick university held their annual ‘Science on the Hill’ event virtually focussing on ‘Covid-19: Transmission and Testing’. Students discovered how Covid-19 was transmitted from animals to humans and how the biomedical advances of repurposing drugs for the treatment of the virus as well as using antibodies from infected patients would subsequently lead to the development of artificial antibodies. This showcase was fascinating and it was interesting to be able to understand how humanity has managed to gather copious amounts of information in such a short amount of time and to apply it to tackle something invisible to the human eye.
CREST Club A group of Sixth Form students (Joseph, Taran, Max, Kabir, Adrian, Suwetha and Celestine) have been working on a CREST project for over a year, aiming to create an eco-friendly guttering system that generates electricity when it rains. They were very successful in developing a working model and continued to work on their project during lockdown, producing a written report, which is now ready for submission. Taran said ‘I thoroughly enjoyed the CREST Award. It was a stimulating opportunity in which I was able to apply knowledge of STEM and learn freely outside the traditional classroom environment. Under the guidance of Mr Kalsi, we developed a unique system with the purpose of generating clean, sustainable electricity from a naturally occurring resource: rain. During the research process, I managed to establish a robust understanding of f luid mechanics and electricity, such as the anatomy of the generator, all of which I am sure will supplement my experience of A Level Physics. As well as this, I found that my creativity, problem solving, and analysis skills have all increased exponentially. Being able to plan and make decisions as a team was, in my opinion, what made our project a success. For me, the CREST Award proved to be an invaluable bonding and to those considering the CREST Award, I highly recommend it not only as a recreational activity, but also as one that can enhance your UCAS personal statement’. We are now hoping to submit an online entry for the Big Bang Competition in January.
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a level science During the summer holiday, Lower Sixth students Atsayan, Lathusan and Brian completed a literature-based project with Professor Reinhard Maurer from the University of Warwick.
Although our traditional CREST placement in the Chemistry Department at the University of Warwick could not take place this year, we were kindly offered an alternative literature-based project by Professor Ward, Head of Chemistry at Warwick.
They attended a number of online meetings through Teams with Professor Maurer to understand how to write a literature based report.
The questions were: • How is cis-platin used to treat cancers? • Why is heroin so addictive? • How does Botox work? • How do β-lactam anti-biotics work? • Why can oxygen be considered carcinogenic?
‘What is the best solar-to-fuel CO2 reduction catalyst reported to date?’ was the topic and they discussed what made a good catalyst material for CO2 reduction and evaluated the best product into which CO2 should be transformed. Professor Maurer said that they should be very pleased with their efforts and that their report was equivalent to a 2.1 for a Third Year undergraduate student. A big thank you to Professor Maurer for providing us with this opportunity.
14 Lower Sixth students took part and they selected a question from a list provided by the Professor, who briefed them on how to produce a high-quality written report containing between 2000 and 3000 words.
Professor Ward told those taking part that: “This exercise will develop your academic muscles in many ways; it’s not just about the science that you present.” The final written reports were impressive and the students then delivered a 5/10-minute presentation to give an engaging overview of their chosen question that was to be accessible to non-specialists. Professor Ward marked the students’ written reports and presentations and provided them with some excellent feedback. A big thank you to Dr Casey for his expertise and help during the project and to the ICT Department. I would also like to thank Professor Ward.
junior science club Our first Junior Science Club session was timed perfectly as it took place on the 5th November. We therefore decided to carry out f lame tests using salt solutions. The pupils placed splints soaked in salt solutions into the blue Bunsen f lame to produce different coloured f lames. They enjoyed the experience and were impressed with the red f lame (produced by lithium ions) and the green f lame (produced by copper ions). We turned the lights down in the lab and the bright colours replicated a firework show. Many thanks to Mr Sahota and Mrs Clough (Science Technician) for helping out. We decided to keep the theme of colour for the second session and make a rainbow in a test tube. Pupils were given a test tube, universal indicator solution, sodium carbonate solution (alkaline), ethanoic acid (acidic) and water (neutral) and they quickly began to produce fantastic rainbows in their test tube which were a lot better than mine!
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Art & Music making sweet music Opportunities to engage in the co-curricular activities that are the beating heart of this school were sorely missed during lockdown. It was for this reason that we lapped up the opportunity to bring our school community together through the power of singing. Pupils and their families joined teaching staff virtually for a series of rehearsals for the first project - ‘Stand by Me’. We embraced the virtual life, trying comical warmups made all the more comical by the delay of the internet! It was the thought of everyone in their separate homes taking time out of their day to do something to lift their spirits that made the experience so memorable. The final recording of the song gave us a glimpse of the power of the voices in our community, but it is the process that we all remember so fondly. For our second project, our instrumentalists wanted in on the action and so ‘Walking
on Sunshine’ was chosen as an opportunity for singers and instrumentalists to come together. Bablake creativity extends beyond reproducing existing material and pupils and staff demonstrated this in the lyrics they wrote for the arrangement, writing about their experience of online learning and their desire to return to normal. The rehearsals and final recording showed what a strong sense of community we have, even when faced with such exceptional circumstances as these.
“Bablake’s virtual choir was a great way to escape lockdown. Not only was it good to sing as both a family and a choir, but it was lovely to be able to see people again, even if it was via the internet, and to be involved in a joint project that ended up sounding really impressive.”
“Being involved in the virtual choir was really enjoyable, especially as the whole family was able to take part! During lockdown, we were unable to continue with our usual musical activities so this idea was very appealing. We particularly enjoyed the rehearsals on Teams, as they were fun and entertaining – we especially enjoyed the tongue twisters! It was great to help each other and as we were all singing different parts, we were able to practise the harmonies at home. It was a great experience and we would like to thank the Music department for the opportunity!”
The Baker family
The Bull family
We may be apart but we are always together.
bard
in the yard
Earlier in the term, we were able to host a fantastic ‘Bard in the Yard’ theatrical performance for Third Year pupils and it was wonderful to have life back in the Theatre after such a long break. The Bard productions have been playing throughout the summer around London and the West Midlands in private gardens, parks, churches, cathedral gardens and coffee shops, and we were one of the lucky locations to have an indoor performance as the productions have begun returning to theatres. Former pupil, Hannah Elsy, runs a production company that is working alongside Will & Co in bringing Shakespeare directly to people in their own back gardens! The socially distanced production focuses on a time when Shakespeare was writing King Lear during the plague lockdown of 1605, which is when theatres last shut. Hannah Young, a brilliant local actor who is a regular at the Royal Shakespeare Company, gave a wonderful performance as our Bard.
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Shakespeare becomes a star in his own ‘sitcom’, as he cleverly sews together lines and themes from old plays to create a comical performance perfect for any age.” Emily, Third Year
As theatres across the country have been forced to close their doors, depriving the acting community and audiences of the opportunity to escape reality, appreciate creativity and experience the joy of performance, we refuse to abandon our annual celebration of the performing arts. In September, we came together to establish a new approach to ensure pupils and staff had the creative outlet, sense of belonging and chance to shine, all within the constraints of our world today. True to our pupil community, audition week saw over 100 pupils come through the doors of the Theatre in their bubbles, to act and to dance. Our socially-distanced bubble vocal audition was nerve wracking for pupils, as the ‘safety’ of close-proximity singing was missing, but it was wonderful to see them step up to this challenge and perform out of their comfort zones. The Shell auditionees were particularly impressive and we could have cast the show from this year group’s talent alone! Casting was tricky this year, due to character/cast bubbles and a need to socially distance actors on stage across year groups. The characters of Shrek, Donkey and Fiona in particular need to be within bubbles. Initially, this was a daunting prospect, but with such incredible talent amongst our pupils, we have been spoilt for choice. We therefore turned this into an opportunity and decided to multi-cast our main roles, partly to share the opportunity amongst performers, and partly to ensure that the show can continue should we lose a year group to self-isolation. This year we have a cast of 52 - our biggest yet! Our read-through took place adhering to social distancing and with Fourth Year pupils joining us from their homes. Whilst it was strange, it was wonderful to feel together as a ‘family’ for the first time in such a long while. A week before rehearsals were to begin, we were sent into a second lockdown, with the government preventing after-school activities. At a meeting with our cast, it was clear that this would not put a stop to our show! A completely new, distant way of working was established and once again, we were blown away by the determination and positivity of our community. Videos of rehearsals, vocal score apps and virtual dance rehearsals are the plan of action.
‘Shrek’ will go ahead in February and will be available as a live stream. Whilst challenging, the current climate is making us ever more appreciative of the opportunity to be creative, both in our performing and in our problem solving!
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Bablake Sport
It has certainly been a different and challenging term for Bablake sport, but, as ever, it has been fantastic to see both staff and pupils working so hard to overcome barriers and to continue to participate with such positivity. With our traditional winter sport fixtures put on hold and the sun shining, the boys started the term with internal cricket fixtures and matches against KES Stratford and King’s Worcester. Saturday sport continued for boys and girls in the first part of the term with rugby, hockey and netball all taking place. It has been wonderful to see exciting House competitions happening alongside internal matches.
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We have created internal competitions called the ‘Senior Netball Super League’ and the ‘Elkins Cup’ (for senior rugby) in which teams bearing staff names have taken to the court/field of play. Believe us when we say that they have been extremely competitive! There have also been mixed matches and boys v girls age group matches as staff continue to provide innovative ways to keep pupils active and provide healthy competition. We look forward to a return to traditional inter school sport, hopefully in the near future, but will also take many of the positives from this difficult period to continue to develop sport at Bablake.
national trials
Hattie Evans, Oliver Pemble, Joanna Minshull During the second week of half term, we travelled to Lilleshall to take part in three days of hockey as a part of the national age group trials for England Hockey. Each day comprised four hours of high intensity hockey, which was both physically and mentally demanding, as we were playing with some of the best players in our respective age groups. The daily sessions included fitness tests, technical skill drills and match play of various sizes with different conditions. The training helped us to learn how to adapt to playing with new people and reinforced the importance of working well as a team. It was an amazing opportunity that gave us valuable experience for the future.
Rowing to Victory
Whilst at home in lockdown, current Third Year pupil Alistair decided to enter the British Rowing Virtual Championships and came fourth in the Year 8 Boys’ category and fifth overall! Alistair had decided to use some of the extra time he had at home to try out rowing and used a borrowed rowing machine in his garage to practise. He then read about the competition and, based on the distance and times he was achieving at home, he thought it was worth entering. Year 8 boys and girls raced for three minutes and the winner was the rower who had covered the greatest distance. Alistair managed 795 meters during the race, but was actually a little disappointed, as his best during training had been over 800 meters! Alistair is now training hard for the British Indoor Rowing Championships, which will again be a virtual event and will take place in December. We wish him the very best of luck.
cricketing Kajal Third Year pupil Kajal Trivedi has been enjoying success on the cricket pitch, playing as part of the Warwickshire County Girls U13 team. She had a good season, scoring two 50s and being named player of her team. Kajal has now been selected for the Warwickshire U15s Emerging Player Program, which is due to start in January 2021 (fingers crossed!).
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sports scholars with representative honours 3 Toby Elkins Coventry Schools U15 Rugby Union
1 Emma Allroggen National Age Group U16 & U18 Hockey (England) West Midlands and Warwickshire Cross Country teams
4 Sophie French Warwickshire Hockey
2 Isabella Handy Warwickshire U14 & U16 County Netball Wasps U19 Academy
5 Hattie Evans Warwickshire Hockey U17 South Midlands Performance Centre
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6 Danveer Ghata-Aura Warwickshire Hockey U17 Regional Performance Centre 7 Imogen Al-Dabbagh Warwickshire Hockey 8 Joanna Minshull Warwickshire Hockey 9 Oliver Pemble Midlands Hockey District Cricket
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10 Max Kearns Warwickshire & District Rugby
13 Sam Herniman Warwickshire Rugby and Wasps DPP
11 Michael Adeyemi Wasps Warwickshire Coventry Schools
14 Freya Bennett Warwickshire & West Midlands Athletics Performance Centre Hockey
12 Hannah Denton U19 Wasps Netball Academy Warwickshire Hockey Loughborough Lightning Academy
15 Alex Giles
17 Jack Johnston Captained Coventry Schools Wasps Academy Warwickshire Max Newman (no photo) Warwickshire, District and Wasps DPP Rugby
16 Millie McCamley Warwickshire Hockey BABLAKE
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VE Day Commemorations On 8th May, Britain commemorated the 75th anniversary of VE Day and the History Department challenged their KS3 classes to use their creative skills to mark the occasion. We received some imaginative and impressive entries, and even had a category entitled ‘Best Horse’! Here is a selection of our pupils’ work.
“For V.E. day, I baked a classic Victoria Sponge cake and found some old bunting to decorate the house. I also read V.E. day newspapers that used to belong to my great nan. I found a section in the Coventry Evening Telegraph from 1945 called ‘Lost and Found’ and just under it, it said Lost Bablake Jacket!” Sasha Powell
Jacob Southwell’s 3D diorama. It celebrates VE Day on the inside and commemorates the Blitz on the outside. It rotates to light and music. Amazing, Jacob – well done!
David Fyfe’s VE Day horse!
And then there were the cakes!
The Eighth of May, Said to be an important day, Where people can celebrate and let their troubles go away, A time where people come together, old and young, A time for those old songs to be sung,
Gemma Hayward
Alex Bilsland
Rory Badham
Summar Malhi
A time to thank those soldiers that fought, A time to remember that life is short, A place to celebrate out on the streets, A place for people to stand on their own two feet, Lest we forget the ones who died, Because they’re the reason we’re still alive.
Mithan Mohans
Grace Garner
Frankie Allison’s commemorative poster
Tilly Shields bakes scones for the Senior Citizens’ hampers.
Theo McStay
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