news & views from bablake school issue 47 autumn 2008
in this issue ‘Chen-sational accolades for Bablake’s academics 2 Tough tour to the Cape 4 All quiet on the Bablake front 5 Drawing inspiration 6 ‘The Talented Bablake Students’ 7
New York, New York
Designers of the future? 9
After the usual three days of rehearsal prior to the trip, Bablake’s group of dedicated musicians braved the eight-hour plane journey to New York.
Channel hopping 10/11 D of E 12 Playing the game: sport at Bablake 14
Bablake_news_aut08.indd 2
The first morning’s rehearsal went well and as this day was ours to spend around the city, we decided to check out New York’s music scene. After first taking the subway to find the next day’s concert venue, the group visited various music shops and saw the Julliard School of Music before taking a tour of the Lincoln Centre, where we later took in a very enjoyable Mostly Mozart concert, consisting of Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 and Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde.
The next day was the day of our first concert at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle. The programme consisted of several choral pieces, along with the recorder trio, and solos from Sarah Barnard, Josh Sood, Chris Starkey and Matt and Sam Lewis. The rest of the day was spent locating our next concert venue and visiting Central Park, also seeing the Statue of Liberty at dusk and then after nightfall, as viewed from the ferry. On the penultimate day of our tour we sang at St. Paul’s Chapel,
directly opposite Ground Zero. We had an especially warm response from a kind stranger, who asked for an encore of Amazing Grace and who saw fit to bless our whole group. Later the same day, repeated demands to see the Broadway version of Phantom of the Opera paid off, and the majority of the group went to see the show which at $100 per ticket was fairly expensive, but all agreed it was worth the price. We then went to the 86th floor observation deck of the Empire State building and got there just before closing time. The view at night was incredibly beautiful and well worth the trip. The next day, the musicians made their way to the airport where there was a last chance for souvenirs, and the airport lounge presented itself as the perfect place to hold the 43rd annual ‘Bernie Awards’ while we waited, and after one final rendition of Amazing Grace in the lounge, we boarded our flight back to Heathrow. Thanks go to Mr. West and Miss. Hall, who graciously gave their time to transport us from Bablake to Heathrow, and a special thanks to Mr. Sutton and Mrs. Tatum for organising such a wonderful tour.
3/11/08 17:04:59
Bablakenews
‘Chen-sational’ accolades for Bablake’s academics A record 82.1% of A level entries were graded A or B. 10 pupils gained offers from Oxford or Cambridge.
School Captain, Jamie Stefaniak, achieved six A grades at A level, as well as scoring one of the top 5 marks nationally in General Studies and Chemistry, and one of the top 10 marks in Physics. Elizabeth Collison scored one of the top 5 marks for Geography. At AS level, six pupils were placed in the top 10 nationally: Sarah Bernard and John Haidar for English, Anshu Sachdev for Physics and Ira Kleine, Sunera Nawab and James Ross for Mathematics. The ‘Chen-sational Twins’, Tom and Jim Chen, shared 17 A* and 7 A grades between them at GCSE, whilst half of the cohort gained at least 8 A* or A grades. Ami Shirley excelled with 12 A* grades, with Paramjit Uppal and Jonathan Smith recording an impressive 11 A*s.
Junior Maths Challenge The Junior Maths Challenge team consisting of Bethany Evans, Eva Ball, Maneesha Seghal and Ji Kim, won the regional finals of the UKMT (United Kingdom Mathematics Trust) Junior Maths Team Challenge, held in Rugby. This qualified them for the national finals which were held in London. 64 teams from all over Great Britain and Northern Ireland attended the event. The team did exceptionally well finishing 17th in the main competition. They excelled in the poster competition and were narrowly pipped at the post, finishing second.
2
the lion Autumn 2008
Bablake_news_aut08.indd 3
3/11/08 17:05:03
Bablakenews
It’s all for charity A new school year and we are straight into our charity collecting and helping others less fortunate than ourselves. We have sponsored Kathryn Hull and James Pitt (U6KJT), who are both running the Coventry half marathon, raising money for Cancer Research. Mr Dougall again took part in the Great North Run and supported Meningitis UK. The library staff continue to raise funds through the sale of withdrawn books sending £50 to Book Aid International. As a school we have supported both Breast Cancer and Testicular Cancer campaigns, as well as Macmillan Nurses, and we are now collecting unwanted sunglasses to send out to India for those who suffer from eye problems due to the intense heat. As usual, we produced harvest baskets for the senior citizens in our community and boxes of groceries for Norton House and Murray Lodge. This term we are also going to try to bring a smile to the faces of some of the world’s poorest children by producing some Christmas gift shoe boxes. Our main fund raising event this term is to try and raise £2,500 to support the “Ethio International School” in Bahir Dar in Ethiopia. Mr Dougall and his wife visited this part of the world and the Ethio School during Easter and they have expressed a wish for computers. They only have three at present for 200 pupils and all the staff to use. A busy start and we have only been back six weeks!
shorts Glad to help Mrs Heath and pupils from Bablake had great pleasure in visiting Ward 16 at Walsgrave Hospital to hand over several items for the ward as a thank you for looking after William Hine (3P) when he was a patient there. The items included DVDs, a playstation, computer games, art materials, two fridges, six stethoscopes and weighing scales, all paid for by fundraising at Bablake. William said “It’s nice to see all the old faces on the ward, especially now I feel so much better. It feels like I owe them a debt for what they have done and I felt I wanted to give something back.”
Well done Mr Woodward Congratulations to Mr Mark Woodward who has been invited onto the CRAC Decisions at 18 Advisory group which also includes David Andrews, NICEC Senior Fellow, and Mike Nicholson, Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Oxford University. He has also been asked to deliver a workshop for UCAS in December on interview preparation. He continues to lead a Cambridge University seminar on Innovative Use of the Internet and to write a Careers Guru column for ETC magazine.
bablake school
Bablake_news_aut08.indd 4
3 3/11/08 17:05:08
Bablaketravel
Tough tour to the Cape ‘Elephants, hippos, wild dogs, buffalo and rhino were all seen but the elusive big cats decided to stay away’
4
The Bablake senior rugby squad embarked on another tough tour of South Africa this summer. The squad of 25 senior players headed first for Cape Town, before completing the tour in and around Durban. Whilst in Cape Town the boys suffered an early loss to a strong Strand High School before defeating both Bergfleit School and Lagunya. Other highlights during the first leg of the tour included trips to Cape Point, Seal Island and Robben Island and an arduous hike up the ever impressive Table Mountain. From Cape Town, the boys travelled to the sunshinebathed city of Durban. Here they lost against the impressive Glenwood High School before travelling up to Hshluwe game reserve. Here the boys spent two days on Game Drives searching for the ‘Big Five’. Elephants, hippos, wild dogs, buffalo and rhino were all seen but the elusive big cats decided to stay away! En route back to Durban the group took a cruise on the St Lucia Estuary where crocodiles, hippos and sharks all share the same water. The tour concluded with a fantastic performance, as the Bablake team defeated a Natal Development side. All of the boys should be congratulated on their conduct and on their overall success.
the lion Autumn 2008
Bablake_news_aut08.indd 5
3/11/08 17:05:15
Bablaketravel
All quiet on the Bablake front At 5.30 a.m. on 28 August we assembled inside the School gates expectantly. We were not confused about when the new term would commence; we had forsaken the final few days of the summer holidays to experience some additional learning. The aim of our three day excursion was to familiarise ourselves with the conditions of life on the western front during World War One. Our guides would help to recreate the scene, entertaining us with tales of heroism but also bringing home to us the harsh realities of war. Having arrived at Calais we quickly over-ran the meagre resistance offered by the local authorities and continued our progress towards the Allied lines, first at Ypres and then on the Somme. Over the next three days we explored trenches, the last remnants of a system of fortifications that stretched from the North Sea to Switzerland. We examined artefacts, visited museums and cemeteries, and had an opportunity on the final day to explore the Ypres market and its many chocolate shops. This was the seventh year that the Battlefields trip has been offered to our GCSE History students and once again they benefited fully from the experience. With our invasion of mainland Europe a success, avoiding all casualties and loss of life, we were able to return to school in time for a new term.
Geography – as we like it! It’s not every day that a Bablake pupil gets to interview Dr. Who/ Hamlet (yes, David Tennant himself!). David was one of the many hundreds of locals and visitors who kindly stopped to answer the questionnaire, devised by our Fifth Form geographers, when they went to Stratford upon Avon to investigate ‘The impact of Tourism on Stratford upon Avon’s Central Business District’. This year we took all 78 geographers to Stratford on the same day. Amazingly, they did seem to blend into the crowds, who were enjoying some early autumn sun. The students investigated land use, assessed the environment and took traffic and pedestrian counts in addition to their questionnaires, to help them with their GCSE course work. bablake school
Bablake_news_aut08.indd 6
5 3/11/08 17:05:20
Bablakecreative
Drawing inspiration on National Bookstart Day former pupil Alex t Smith launched this year’s Coventry inspiration Book Awards on national Bookstart Day with a reading from his first published book Eliot Jones, Midnight Superhero, which was short listed in the Book Awards’ ‘what’s the Story?’ poll for children aged 4-7. Alex has also recently been commissioned to illustrate the new Baby Book Pack leaflet for Bookstart. this pack will be launched in January 2009 and Alex’s vibrant pictures will be seen by every family in the country.
Istanbul inspired The Art Department held an exhibition of Sixth Form work (joint with KHVIII School) at the Exhibition Hall in the centre of Coventry at the start of September. The art work included in the exhibition was a selection resulting from the department’s visit to Istanbul in October 2007. The students responded to the rich historical and cultural diversity of the city and produced work in a range of media including textiles, sculpture and painting. This formed part of their A Level coursework.
The Bablake Sessions
CD for the Teenage Cancer Trust
Celebrating the best of Bablake's contemporary musicians and gigs. £5 (plus £1 postage and packing for UK)- donations above this sum would be very welcome. Released Saturday Nov 29 at the Christmas Fayre.
Pre-orders most welcome and please buy for family and friends for Christmas! 6
the lion Autumn 2008
Bablake_news_aut08.indd 7
3/11/08 17:05:26
Bablakecreative
‘...it was a great week, and soon we will be getting ready for Edinburgh 2009’
‘The Talented Bablake Students’ ‘The Talented Mr Ripley’ at the Edinburgh Fringe All in all, this was an excellent experience for the 17 students. To be given the opportunity of performing at the world’s largest and most famous international festival, having to go out and sell a show, to bring in an audience to see your play, rather than the hundreds of others that people could choose to see, is a daunting prospect. Once more though, Bablake pupils did a first rate job. We needed audiences of 30+ to meet our budget, and we managed this over the week, which was very encouraging. This was a difficult piece to perform, as everyone knows the film version with its beautiful people, and the playscript, following more closely the style of the novel by Patricia Highsmith, is more abstract and testing than the film – comparisons were always going to be a problem. The cast got more confident and relaxed as the week went on, and the performance given in the Bablake school theatre
this term showed what could be done in a bigger and better equipped theatre than in our lovely, but very hot and much smaller venue in Edinburgh. We saw some excellent shows and stand up as well. Michael McIntyre and Jason Byrne were the most popular comedians, with several of the cast enjoying the ritual front row embarrassment, and several of them actually ending up on stage for the final number with Jason Byrne. Probably the best play we saw was Deep Cut at the Traverse. This strongly reviewed play delved into the army’s failure to resolve the issues surrounding the ‘suicides’ at the notorious training camp, and left the audience shocked and angry. Again the group had self-catering accommodation in a large flat within walking distance of town. The boys, tired of pasta and health, went for cooking the steak and chips option, red in tooth and claw. The culinary highlight was the teachers’ final catering option of a retro-70s style buffet, complete with cheese and pineapple chunks and quiche-a-plenty, even balls of haggis on a stick… haggis balls... mmmmm! There were a few hitches and glitches, but it was a great week, and soon we will be getting ready for Edinburgh 2009.
West Side Story Rehearsals are well under way for this term’s production of West Side Story. The musical celebrates its 50th birthday this year, and the school was extremely lucky to be given the performance rights. The show runs from 10th – 13th December, and there will be a letter sent out with full details later. Already it promises to be an energetic and uplifting experience.
BABlAke SChool
Bablake_news_aut08.indd 8
7 3/11/08 17:05:29
Bablakeevents
A tasteful event The staff took part in Macmillan’s Biggest Coffee Morning for the fifth year running and this year raised £460 – the highest sum yet. Mrs Dianne Surgey, Head of HE, rallied us to get baking and we not only produced a wonderful range of tempting home-made cakes but also paid handsomely to eat them. We also arranged a raffle on the day and one member of staff sold some surplus books. It wasn't just staff though who were active in fundraising. Ambika Sharma was one of a group of U6th pupils who raised £79 by arranging a cake sale.
Make your heart jump At the end of the Summer Term, all the girls in the first four years of the school took part in “Jump Rope for Heart”. This is an event initiated by the British Heart Foundation to raise money for further research into heart disease, while at the same time raising awareness of the need for fitness in young people. This is the second year that Bablake has taken part. The girls skip for 2 hours in relay and are very happy to do so, provided they are supplied with a constant supply of loud music and drinks! The singing and dancing alongside the skipping made the sports hall a very vibrant place to be. This year the school raised over £1200, which was a tremendous achievement. Thanks to everyone who took part and to the staff who helped run the event. I hope we can repeat it next year.
Bright sparks A team of six budding Bablake entrepreneurs entered the Enterprise Spark competition and were winners of their category ‘Make it Count’ with their ‘Solar Cooks’ idea. They received vouchers and a trophy at the recent Awards Presentation, which was attended by other category winners. The team consisted of Devan Pankhania, Jayson Parmar, Kenny Sangha, Abhi Bose, Stephen Taylor and George Skalka.
8
the lion Autumn 2008
Bablake_news_aut08.indd 9
3/11/08 17:05:35
Bablakeevents
Designers of the future? Our Lee Cooper competition this year was closely contested with two strong entries. In the end the runner up was so close to the winner that Lee Cooper decided to make up both garments for the girls. The winner was Roseanne Elkington in 5H and the runner up, Pippa Collison in 5B. Both girls also had a second garment made so that we can put one on display while they wear their own versions. They were thrilled with the results and can been seen below proudly wearing their very own creative designs.
shorts Funky knitting The funky knitting club, which started last year, has been successful in teaching some pupils how to knit. One pupil in particular, Kalika Puri, who couldn’t knit at all last year, has knitted a funky scarf and over the summer holiday knitted a huge Dr Who type scarf. She plus the other members of the club are now knitting squares for a blanket for Africa.
Mock Interview Morning This year's U6th presented our Mock Interviewers with excellent paperwork and were a delight to work with. On the day, every candidate appeared and achieved. The interviewers were, as ever, highly pleased with their batch of interviewees and many stated the calibre of candidates was again higher than the graduate contingent seen in real interviews. There were many top performances but the best CV was presented by Nisha Panchal and the best Interview performance was shared by Katherine Hull and Faith Hannon. The significant comment came from a student who, with genuine surprise said: 'We know now how to sell ourselves. We did not realise we were as special as we are.' There was no hint of arrogance in the statement- she was stating a fact; Bablake pupils grow up surrounded by peers with multiple talents and naturally assume everyone has these skills! We know they are quite special and it is our job in the Careers Department to help them realise they do stand out and then take advantage of being ahead of their competitors.
Key Skills Day The fifth Key Skills Day was yet again extremely successful. Dave Routh, the programme manager, together with his team, commented on how motivated, polite, focused and enthusiastic our pupils were in their work. The objective of the day was to bring ‘business to life’ for our pupils. They learnt about enterprise skills, wealth creation and the importance of key skills that are fundamental to business. The activities and seminars all used methods and information from the business world. Pupils were equally enthusiastic in their response, with virtually everyone rating the programme good or very good. ‘’I thought it was a very informative and interesting experience. I have learnt more about business and the team environment.’’ ‘’I really enjoyed my day and learnt a lot and appreciate what the speakers and seminars have done.’’
The Debating Society The debating society made a triumphant start to the season when two Fifth Year pairs travelled to Solihull to compete in the first round of The Taylor Trophy, a prestigious local debating competition for GCSE pupils. Jay Brahach and Christopher Starkey performed well, arguing in favour of a difficult motion, but it was Millie Ross and Caitlin Edwards who advanced to the semi-finals, opposing This House Believes that the Olympic Dream is dead. The girls will try to achieve a place in the final next term, and hope, at least, to repeat the success of last year when Christopher Lamb won the Best Speaker Award for Bablake. bablake school
Bablake_news_aut08.indd 10
9 3/11/08 17:05:38
Bablaketravel
Hopping off to France... In the early hours of Friday 27 June, a group of 42 Shell pupils and six staff set out for a long weekend in the Pas de Calais. We got an early Shuttle crossing to France and headed for Etaples where we had a traditional French breakfast in a café before mooching around the market and practising our French for an hour. We then had an enjoyable few hours at Aqualud, a water theme park in Le Touquet, with plenty of water rides and a pool with a wave machine. Afterwards we had a thought-provoking stop at the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery nearby where we had a minute’s silence at the grave of a Bablake Old Boy who was killed in World War One and laid a wreath from Bablake School at the Cenotaph. We then whizzed off to visit a chocolate factory and had a traditional meal in a restaurant, football in the evening and then to bed, perchance to dream. Breakfast early on Saturday morning was followed by a trip to Nausicaa Sea Life Centre in Boulogne. After lunch we “went ape” doing an aerial obstacle course in the trees. Even though it was a bit scary in places, it was quite safe as we were harnessed at all times and, despite a lot of physical exertion, great fun was had by all (even the staff who all had a go...)
10
On Sunday, it was off to Bagatelle Theme Park for lots of rides, thrills and spills. Unfortunately the weekend was soon over and we arrived back at school late on Sunday evening, ready for school on Monday.
the lion Autumn 2008
Bablake_news_aut08.indd 11
3/11/08 17:05:47
Bablaketravel
...and hopping off again! This summer a group of Third and Fourth year pupils spent five days away from home on a full immersion trip to improve their French. They stayed at the Château de la Baudonnière, just outside Avranches. On the first full day in France, pupils did a combination of archery, rock climbing and a French lesson ending with dinner at the château and a game of Pictionary (in French, of course!) Day three was spent in Arromanches, where pupils visited the D-Day museum, and the 360º cinema, which was very moving, followed by an American war cemetery. On the last action-packed day in France, the group went to a French market in Villedieu and finally on a surprise trip to a high ropes course called ‘Go Ape’. This wasn’t a lot of fun for those who are scared of heights! To round the day off, everyone sampled a savoury and sweet crêpe at a crêperie. A good time was had by all and even the teachers seemed to enjoy themselves!
bablake school
Bablake_news_aut08.indd 12
11 3/11/08 17:05:56
Bablakeachievement
D of E gold During the last week of the summer holidays, 63 Sixth Form pupils and five members of staff made the four hour journey up to North Yorkshire to embark on various aspects of their Gold expedition. Four groups were to complete their assessed expedition, which had been carefully planned at the beginning of the year. With routes passed and verified, the members of the groups met their external assessors who explained the expectations of their 50 mile expedition, which would end four days later at Roseberry Topping, near Middlesbrough. Although some pupils were slightly apprehensive about the task that lay ahead of them, they were all eager to begin. Six groups of L6th pupils were based at Miss Hall’s aunt and uncle’s farm for the week, having the luxuries of a portaloo, cold water tap and sheep field as their home comforts! Each day five groups carried out 20km practice walks, carrying all their kit, whilst one group completed their practice on bikes, covering a distance of 40-50km each day. The groups ‘enjoyed’ a costal walk along the Cleveland Way
12
and much walking and cycling across the open moorland and tracks in and around Goathland (Heartbeat land) and Whitby. On the final day, a couple of groups managed to get lost in the nearby woods, and as darkness was approaching two groups were rescued by Miss Hall and her auntie! One group wasn’t that lucky. Having not made it back to the farm by 8pm, the rescue team of Miss Hall, Mr Hyde, Mr Binsley, Miss Hall’s cousin and a local farmer began the search. Although the staff could hear the group, it was hard to locate them in the pitch black. The rescue team beat down bramble bushes, crossed streams, picked their way through bog and moorland until at midnight they had found them. There was however one slight problem, the staff were at
the bottom of a ravine, and the missing group was about 30 feet up on the other side of a steep bank. After much deliberation, the decision was made to leave the group in the woods for the night – after all, they were carrying a tent and had plenty of food, water and warm clothing with them. The next morning at 6am the staff went back and retrieved the group from the woods bringing them safely back to the farm to be reunited with the rest of the groups – a night they will never forget! Congratulations must go to the 21 U6th pupils who successfully passed their Gold Expedition and to the L6th who can now look forward to planning their assessed expedition that will take place in the Brecon Beacons next July.
the lion Autumn 2008
Bablake_news_aut08.indd 13
3/11/08 17:05:58
Bablakeachievement
‘On the final day, a couple of groups managed to get lost in the nearby woods, and as darkness was approaching two groups were rescued by Miss Hall and her auntie!’
CCF The only specialist item of kit that we all forgot to pack for this year’s CCF summer camp was our wet suits! Rain, rain and more rain, pretty much summed up the first couple of days at Crowborough, East Sussex.
D of E silver With much intrepidation, 42 members of the fifth form set off to Wales to complete their Silver D of E assessed expedition. It had been a very cold practice expedition so good weather was due. With a few people borrowing 1980’s style water proofs, everybody set off in high spirits. The rain came and went on the first day but it was dry by the time it came to set up camp. A sweet sixteenth birthday was had under canvas with the help of a chocolate caterpillar cake. The final night was spent on a five star campsite but unwelcome midges caused a disturbance. It was a fantastic three days with everybody passing. Now it is time for gold!
Unfortunately, this meant that our planned activities had to be cancelled. However, the skies eventually cleared to allow training to commence. Throughout the remainder of the week, 27 cadets, lead by Colour Sergeant Stefaniak, took part in an eclectic array of stands, including paint balling, laser questing, archery, rock climbing, clay pigeon shooting, mountain biking, raft building and military skills training, such as signals, first aid, 25m full-bore rifle range, indoor .22 rifle range, patrolling and command tasks. The highlight was the final competition day. This comprised ten competitions, which tested our cadets’ skills and knowledge gained from the training that they had been given throughout the week. The day started at 0630 hours with the March and Shoot. Our team did very well; Cadet Ryland, the only female in the team, deserves special mention for
her grit, determination and enthusiasm. The toughest competition was the drill with rifle. Nevertheless, our 10 man team, with Lance Corporal Thornhill as the drill instructor, demonstrated an almost foot-perfect series of movements, reflecting the hard work that they had all put into their preparation. A special mention must also go to Corporal Barrett-Brown and Sergeant Lambert who did exceptionally well in the first aid and patrolling competitions respectively. After a very long and tiring but exhilarating day, cadets had the opportunity to relax at the BBQ; but this was once again cut short as the heavens threatened to open! The next day, after saying our goodbyes, we travelled back to Coventry in bright sunshine to begin the summer holidays after our wettest camp on record!
bablake school
Bablake_news_aut08.indd 14
13 3/11/08 17:06:01
Bablakesport
Playing the game: sport at Bablake News of Bablake’s sporting action
Invitation tournaments Bablake is invited every year to the Loughborough Festival of Sport which consists of U15 hockey and U13 and U12 netball tournaments. The girls performed very well in competition so early on in the season. In the U13 tournament, Bablake won four matches and lost two, finishing third in their section. The U12 netball team went a stage further, through to the semi-final which they narrowly lost 3-4. The U15 hockey team also reached the semi-final but could not maintain their form and lost 0-1. Bablake was also invited to the U19 King’s, Worcester netball tournament on the second Saturday of term. Bablake girls relished the chance to get back on the netball court. The standard was good, and Bablake displayed consistent good quality skills to finish joint first. Netball Three senior teams and two U16 teams from Bablake played in their respective Coventry Schools tournament. In the U19s, Bablake A team and King Henry VIII A team made it through to the final, which Bablake won by
14
9 goals to 6. It was the same final in the U16s with Bablake winning 19-5. Both the U19A and U16A teams now go on to play in the Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire Regional Tournament in November – the second round of the National Schools Competition. Girls selected to attend Warwickshire Netball training: U19: Ashleigh Green, Georgia Horn, Beth Hushon, Alice O’Connor, Beth Sargent, Danielle Smith. U16: Victoria Aldridge, Rebecca Appleton, Ashni Desai, Erin Hushon, Beth Jepson, Jenny Reay. U14: Lucy Smith. Girls selected to attend Warwickshire Satellite Netball training: Cara Mattu, Bethan Mordey, Aimee Piercy, Lucy Richards, Mollie Sargent. Hockey The U18, U16 & U14 age groups are all entered in the National Schools Championship for Girls, sponsored by the Man Group plc., with the county tournament being the first round of the competition. The U16 team had a fantastic tournament and have shown much improvement under the new P.E. teacher in the Girls’ department, Miss Symonds. The team reached the semi-final, only to face their arch
the lion Autumn 2008
Bablake_news_aut08.indd 15
3/11/08 17:06:04
Bablakesport
rivals, King’s High. After an exciting 1-1 draw, it went to penalty strokes to decide who went through to the final. The first 4 strokes from both sides were put away, Bablake scored their fifth so it was up to Beki Wells, GK, to make a save... and she did! The girls were overjoyed as this was the first time they had beaten King’s High. Bablake finished runners up after losing 0-1 in a close final to Rugby. The U18 team went one better and remained undefeated throughout the tournament. They too met Rugby School in the final, but a great goal by Lijana Kaziow sealed a victory and Bablake took the U18 Warwickshire trophy for the second year running. Bablake worked hard to reach the semifinals, and for the 3rd hockey tournament in 3 days a Bablake team met King’s High and for the third time went through to the final. At the end of the match the score was 1-1; after 2-2 in penalty strokes it went to sudden death. Keyleigh Herschell, who has only started to play in goal this year made a great save and Jessica Horn put the ball in the back of the net which meant the team met Rugby in the final. This was an exciting close game finishing 2-1 to Rugby. Girls selected to attend Warwickshire Hockey Development Centres: U17: Bethany Evans, Rebecca Sewell, Jessica Horn. U15: Georgina Mosley, Louise Poole. U14: Eleanor Davies, Ashleigh Green, Olivia Harrison-Dodd, Beth Jepson. Girls selected for the Midlands Mercian Lynx Squads are Jessica Horn at U16 and Lucy Horn and Holly Payne at U18 level. Millfield 2008 It was threatened to be cancelled due to several flood warnings, but not wishing to break with tradition, our U14 netball and hockey squads travelled to Somerset on the first weekend of term to play Millfield School. This weekend away is a great opportunity for the U14s to bond and a chance to experience the fantastic facilities at a school renowned for its sport. The netball fixtures had to be played inside due to the appalling weather, but both teams adjusted well . The A team kept the score close until half time, having drawn one quarter and lost one by 2 goals. However, in the second half Millfield pulled away, winning convincingly. Our B team also lost but put up a good battle. The netball was followed by tea before we went to our overnight accommodation in a Travelodge. All the girls and the staff enjoyed an evening in Yeovil bowling and having a meal at Pizza Hut. Back at the Travelodge, the
girls settled down early (or not, in some cases) in preparation for their hockey match against Millfield on Sunday morning. Bablake put up a superb fight finally losing 5-0 to Millfield but thoroughly enjoying the experience of playing on a water based pitch. The highlight of the weekend once again was the magnificent Sunday brunch provided by our hosts. We returned to school Sunday afternoon. We were tired but everyone had behaved well, worked hard and benefited from the experience. Many thanks to Mrs Smith, Mrs Mills, and Miss Symonds for their support.
of the tournament. Chris Walters received the award for top bowler with a fine economy rate of just four per over. Mark Lam was the competition’s leading wicket taker with 15 over the six matches. Paul Best should also be congratulated on being selected as captain for Warwickshire U19s and the Midlands U17s. whilst Chris Walters has represented Leicestershire U19s. The 1st XI’s performance ended an outstanding season for Bablake teams. The U12 and U13 teams both won the Coventry Cup and lost narrowly in the Warwickshire semi finals. In the U13s, Mark Best scored an excellent century against Woodlands and represented Warwickshire, whilst Matthew Clements has represented Warwickshire U12. Ryan Parnell was also on fine form with bat and ball in the U13s. The U14 team also reached the final of the Coventry Cup but bad weather caused this to be carried over into the next season.
Athletics Congratulations to Lucy Smith on being selected to train in the throwing events at the High Performance Centre, Birmingham. Cricket The 1st XI capped an excellent season by winning the Bablake 20/20 competition. The team convincingly beat Warwick School in the final, chasing a total of 132. They lost just one wicket and Paul Best finished on 74 not out. Paul had earlier scored an enormous 132 not out in defeating Nottingham High School and rightly received the honour of top batsman bablake school
Bablake_news_aut08.indd 16
15 3/11/08 17:06:08
update
Headmaster’s notes
Diary Autumn Concert Tuesday 18 November 7.30pm Charity Concert Friday 21 November 6.30pm
This copy of The Lion is not exceptional in bearing ample testimony to the wealth of talent and opportunity which pervades and enriches the Bablake community. As highlighted elsewhere, pupils have once again gained the academic accolades which enable them to proceed confidently to the next stage of their education. Much of their success derives from inspiration, but the amount of perspiration required to achieve such goals should not be underestimated. At Bablake, this is a joint enterprise between pupils, staff and parents, and we all share enormous pride in the outcome. When expectations are high, so too are the aspirations, and this enables our pupils to ‘fly’. The individuals who emerge from Bablake at the age of eighteen are fabulous young people, who cherish many happy memories of shared enterprise, and who leave us, we hope, well equipped for life and with a generosity of
spirit which helps them to give of themselves and their unique talents to those around them. They will have enjoyed participation in sport, drama, music, clubs and societies, and will have taken responsibility for mentoring and guiding others. Some will have endured crises, either large or small, and they will often have achieved far more than they could have imagined. They will remember the supportive nurture and friendship of staff and fellow pupils who believed in them, even when they doubted themselves. So, at this time of economic gloom and some very difficult financial circumstances, I hope you can all believe that the sacrifices made to pay for a Bablake education represent the best possible investment. Our young people have only one chance at their schooling, and we are passionately aware of our responsibility to provide a rich and happy education for life.
Entry into Sixth Form Evening Wednesday 3 December West Side Story Wednesday 10 – Saturday 13 December Sixth Form Graduation Evening Monday 15 December First XV Rugby vs KHVIII Tuesday 16 December Carol Service Wednesday 17 December Autumn Term Ends Thursday 18 December Entrance Examination Tuesday 6 January 2009 Spring Term Begins Wednesday 7 January
Staff news We welcome our Language Assistants: Nicole Brunner for German, and Thomas Allard for French. Mr Bernard Sutton and Mr Derek Faulkner will be retiring at the end of this academic year. Both will have enjoyed distinguished careers at Bablake, making a very considerable impact on pupils’ lives. Mr Sutton will retire after a remarkable 37 years as Director of Music, whilst Mr Faulkner, having previously been Head of Sixth Form, is currently Head of Economics and Business Studies. We wish Mrs Louise Yates and her family good health and happiness during her maternity leave. Mr David Parkin will teach Mrs Yates’ English lessons. Mrs Lorainne Alexander will temporarily be Head of Crow House, whilst Mrs Ceri Rees will assume the role of Assistant Head.
16
PA Christmas Fayre Saturday 29 November 10am – 1.30pm
Bablake School, Coundon Road, Coventry CV1 4AU +44 (0)24 7627 1200 +44 (0)24 7627 1290 e info@bablake.coventry.sch.uk w www.bablake.com t f
Design: by Mustard: www.mustardhot.com Printed on paper sourced from sustainably managed forests.
the lion Autumn 2008
Bablake_news_aut08.indd 1
3/11/08 17:04:50