Parents’ Newsletter 29th September 2016

From the Principal Welcome to the new look Ely College Newsletter. We hope that it will be a valuable source of communication and information for our parents, but also for all those interested in our work and progress. Year 6 Families

The first few weeks of term have been an exciting time for us all, with Between now and the application many new systems to embed and relationships to build. It has been deadline for Year 7 places in 2017 particularly pleasing to see the new houses and vertical tutor groups (31st October 2016), Mr Spencer is taking shape so well. Parents and visitors have been complimentary happy to meet with families to of the changes to our uniform and the improvements we’ve secured provide a tour of Ely College and to the site, and we are pleased that students have responded so answer questions. positively to the challenges we have set them. I am asking for more from everybody involved with the College, and we are seeing a great Mr Spencer has set aside Friday response to that message, many examples of which you can read mornings for this. about below. If you would like a tour with Our new and returning teachers are benefiting from the support and Mr Spencer, then please contact networks, they are now able to draw on from our partner schools in the school office so that an the area, and I’ve been very proud of the calm, purposeful and appointment can be made. engaged atmosphere I’m seeing in classrooms. It has been a real pleasure to visit our partner primary schools and meet so many prospective parents, as well as welcome many of them to the College for daytime tours. Uniform Donations We have now unveiled our exciting plans for ‘Bishop Laney Sixth Form’. Working in close collaboration with Village College, we Don’t forget you can donate any are confident that these plans will secure the long term future of old, unwanted Ely College polo excellent academic and vocational 16-19 provision at Ely College. shirts or other uniform items into the collection bins positioned in Over the coming few weeks we will be building on the strong start our main reception. we’ve made to this term with further site improvements, a really impactful Open Evening on 13th October, and a strong focus on In conjunction with Re-Imagine, ensuring that we identify where students require deeper challenge , all items will then be and support to secure the progress they should be making. The wide donated to African school children.

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Ely College, Downham Road, Ely, CB6 2SH T: 01353 667763 E: [email protected]

range of ‘Session 6’ and other extra-curricular opportunities on offer are attached with this newsletter, and we will be seeking to add to this as we roll out our ‘PLEDGES’ programme. This will challenge Student Absence students to take full advantage of all that is on offer, as well as contribute to charitable and community events. We are also seeking As the winter months approach, to sharpen our website, adding more detail and information through please may we remind all parents the term. and carers that if your child is absent from College due to Please don’t hesitate to contact us with feedback, ideas and sickness and/or diarrhoea they suggestions. We have a number of new leaders and colleagues who should not return to College for a are settling into their roles, and we welcome your input. Points of clear 48 hours following the last contact are listed on our website, and the house offices will always episode of sickness/diarrhoea. be happy to direct any query you have. With the support of CMAT, This is to prevent spread of bugs to we are building a team and delivering on a clear plan for the College other students and staff. that we can already see is bringing benefits and change for students. We look forward to serving you over the coming years!

Richard Spencer – Principal Student Appointments

If your child has an appointment during the school day and needs to sign out, please may we ask you to put a note in their planner. Please also write the name of who will be collecting your child.

Thank you.

th Post-16 Event – 5 Oct

Ely College leadership: Jayne Brown (Vice Principal), Lee Mawby (Vice Our Post-16 Information Evening Principal), Richard Spencer (Principal) and Lisa Tomlinson (Business will take place in the Assembly Hall Director). and Dining Hall from 7pm onwards. This is for Year 11 students/families. Parents can find out more about the courses and options available to them upon Page 2 completion of their GCSEs.

Ely College, Downham Road, Ely, CB6 2SH T: 01353 667763 E: [email protected]

Reporting We know that clear communication and reporting is very important to you. We will be sending home progress reports to all parents three times a year with information about your child’s progress and Student Librarians achievements, attendance, behaviour and attitude to learning. These reports will be followed up with an academic mentoring meeting with Students are being given the tutors and contact with home from the tutor. The first reporting opportunity to become Student dates for the year are as follows: Librarians whereby they can issue and return books, serve in the  Year 8 – Week commencing 10th October school shop, organise the shelves  Year 10 – Week commencing 31st October and help their peers.  Year 7 – Week commencing 14th November  Year 9 – Week commencing 28th November Students who have embarked on  Year 11 – Week commencing 9th January this scheme are being taught the importance of teamwork and are proudly wearing their new librarian badges! Head Boy and Head Girl “As Head Boy and Girl, we believed it was time to introduce Some student librarians have gone ourselves. My name is Ellie Staines and I work alongside Bartek on to work in the local public Szalla. We were elected by students and staff of Ely College in April library and further afield, including after weeks of poster designing, assemblies and general campaigning. Cambridge University Library. Since then we have established a successful council system, worked on house names and contributed to positive change regarding behaviour and reward policies. We have also attended several evenings for catchment primary schools in the area which received Accessing Music fantastic feedback and enthusiasm. Tuition

Having come back to College after so many changes were undertaken Music lessons are available at the over the summer, we are very excited to see what is to come and College on most musical work closely with CMAT, staff, parents and students to ensure a great instruments and are provided by a future for the College.” team of experienced tutors.

Students wishing to study an instrument should make enquiries direct with Mr I Mann, Music Subject Leader, either in person or via email [email protected] Page 3

Ely College, Downham Road, Ely, CB6 2SH T: 01353 667763 E: [email protected]

Debate Mate Trip As we enter uncertain times, the only thing we can be certain of is a good argument! The ‘Debate Mate’ charity is one which helps Duke of Edinburgh students from all walks of life come together in order to improve their debating abilities. Through the endeavours of Lucy Frazer, Scheme Nikisha Burke, Kieran Burke and three students (Nicola Emery, Sophie Adams and Ellie Staines) were able to take part in a training course We are running a D of E Expedition th th on debating. The students worked with others from schools all over on the weekend of the 15 /16 , beginning the October in Little Gidding, process of creating new links Huntingdonshire. The expedition is between our schools. Our assessed and will go towards students thoroughly enjoyed students completing their Bronze their time, and look forward award. Students will take part in to the next event. an overnight camp and will cook their own meals and hike along the route card they have created.

Fixture results for Ely!

Congratulations to Yr 8 and Yr 10 students who represented Ely Reading Group College in the recent netball and The Reading Group meets every Monday morning break in the LRC. rugby matches against Witchford All students from all years are welcome. Village College.

Every Wednesday lunchtime staff read aloud in the LRC. Our first Ely won four out of the five novel is ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ by Charles Dickens. matches played.

The LRC is open 8.00am until 4.30pm every day. Students are Yr 7 and Yr 9 won both their Rugby encouraged to stay after school to complete homework and matches against Neale Wade and coursework. There is a free after-school minibus available, leaving one of the netball matches. College at 4.30pm, travelling to , Little Downham and This is a tremendous start, keep up the good work!

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Ely College, Downham Road, Ely, CB6 2SH T: 01353 667763 E: [email protected]

Littleport. Students wanting to use this service need to sign up in the LRC on the day they are going to use it. There are only 14 seats available, so students need to sign up early in the day. House of Lords Visit

We are very proud of one of our newest students in Year 7, Harvey Shakespeare School Festival 2016 Caley. We are delighted to announce that Key Stage 3 students from Ely Harvey visited the House of Lords College will be participating in the Shakespeare School Festival last week as part of a project and 2016. Mr Agboke will be directing the students in an abridged version of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at the Mumford Theatre, performed a rap song he’d written Cambridge on 16th November. Tickets can be booked by contacting to a selected group. They were the theatre directly on 01223 352932. really impressed with Harvey’s performance and talent. Well done Harvey!

Year 9 Battlefields Trip As part of Year 9’s history course, some students will be taking part in a trip to the Battlefields of Northern France and Belgium to enhance their knowledge and understanding of the First World War. The trip will take place 17th to 19th November 2016.

In conjunction with the trip, Mrs Mustill will be running some 'Session 6' meetings for students that will take place on Mondays in D2 until 4.15pm from 19th September. These meetings are really beneficial to students in terms of their understanding of the places they will visit on the trip. They will also form part of the College PLEDGES programme, details of which can be found on our website.

Mrs Mustill is holding a parents’ meeting on Tuesday 18th October

2016 in the hall at 6.00pm which will provide parents with all the finer details of the trip, we hope you can come along to this.

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Ely College, Downham Road, Ely, CB6 2SH T: 01353 667763 E: [email protected]

Meet your SSAs! Over the coming weeks we will introduce you to our wonderful team of dedicated SSAs (Student Support Assistants). Lost Property

We would like to start with Scott House and introduce Ms Nikki We already have a growing pile of Pritchett. lost property….and it’s only week four! Please may we remind you “I’ve been a member of the support team here at Ely College for 14 to label all of your child’s years, so your children are in very safe hands! My role is to ensure all belongings so that items can be students in Scott House are settled, happy, engaged and have returned to the correct child. everything they need during the day. I’m on hand to offer help and support to parents and carers, please give me a call if you have any queries, no matter how small. The Scott House office is located within the Downham block (opposite the Music department) if your Term Dates 2017-18 child is unsure where to find me.” Please make a note of next year’s term dates when thinking about booking holidays to avoid taking children out of school.

Autumn Term 2017 th Training Monday 4 September Days Thursday 5th October

Term Starts Tuesday 5th September Half Term 23rd – 27th October End of Term Tuesday 19th December Spring Term 2018 Training Day Wednesday 3rd January th Term Starts Thursday 4 January Half Term 12th – 16th February End of Term Thursday 29th March Kenya Trip – October 2017 Summer Term 2018 Training Monday 23rd July The third African Adventures trip will take place in October 2017. Ely Days Tuesday 24th July will return to the Nakuru slums and work with two schools: Jubilee Term Starts Monday 16th April and Ungana Academies. On our previous visits we built and restored Bank Holiday Monday 7th May classrooms, painted, delivered care packages to slum homes and Half Term 28th May – 1st June taught lessons to classes for 40+ students from the age of 3 to 15. End of Term Friday 20th July

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Ely College, Downham Road, Ely, CB6 2SH T: 01353 667763 E: [email protected]

The schools have no running water or electricity. For most pupils the only meal they receive each day is the meal in school. College Open Evening Currently, Miss Watkins is recruiting students, 20 are already signed up! It is an expensive trip, so we are open to fundraising support, Our annual Open Evening for Year ideas and donations – so that students on low incomes in Ely can take 6 families will take place here in part in this ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’ to make a difference to College on Thursday 13th October the under-privileged in Kenya. 2016 – 5.30pm to 8.00pm.

We have worked with Habitat for Humanity and African Adventures We look forward to welcoming you successfully for the last 10 years, travelling to Romania, Malawi, and to Ely College. other deprived areas. If your child is interested then please contact Miss Watkins directly via email – [email protected] ______

Year 11 Presentation Evening

We have pleasure in announcing a

Presentation Evening for (past)

Year 11 students that left Ely

College in July 2016.

This evening will take place on 30th

November 2016 - 5.30pm to

6.30pm in our main hall and dining

room.

Students will be presented with

their GCSE certificates during a

formal ceremony and then have

the opportunity to catch up with

friends and staff over drinks and

nibbles.

Letters will be sent home shortly with further details about this evening. Page 7

Ely College, Downham Road, Ely, CB6 2SH T: 01353 667763 E: [email protected]

Extra-Curricular Activities Included, as a separate attachment, you will see a copy of our after school (Session 6) and lunch time activities timetable for this half term. Please take time to have a look at this and encourage your Bishop Laney Sixth son/daughter to attend. Form Open Evening

The activities on offer may help boost your child’s confidence and We are delighted to invite you to attainment, or provide a new hobby or interest. The more students the Bishop Laney Sixth Form Open put into College life, they more they get out of it! Evening which will take place on

Wednesday 2nd November 2016.

Bishop Laney Sixth Form This evening event will provide students and parents with valuable We are very excited to announce the launch of ‘Bishop Laney Sixth information when making Post 16 Form’ which will officially open in September 2017, although choices. Not only will you find out applications are being accepted now. what’s on offer, you will have the

opportunity to speak with key Bishop Laney Sixth Form has been set up by CMAT and the Staploe staff, look at the provision we can Education Trust (trustees of ). Both Trusts will provide and talk to current work together to provide a centre of academic and vocational 16-19 students. excellence for students in the Ely, Soham and wider areas.

We really hope to see you then. The Sixth Form will start small and focused in the first year and will continue to grow year on year. Bishop Laney Sixth Form will be mainly based on the Ely College site, with some classes taking place at Soham Village College too.

We hope to welcome many families to our Sixth Form open evening on Wednesday 2nd November where you will be able to find out more information about this new and exciting provision.

______

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Ely College, Downham Road, Ely, CB6 2SH T: 01353 667763 E: [email protected]

Ely in Action!

Year 8 students participating in a recent STEM day (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) hosted by Smallpeice Trust, an educational charity, at the school.

Students had to complete the “Smart Building Challenge” in which they had to design and build a system that filters,

collects, detects and pumps collected rainwater. This challenge involved using design technology, maths, science and engineering skills in order to stimulate the students’ learning.

Year 13 students running coaching sessions with Year 7 and 8 students during lunch break.

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Ely College, Downham Road, Ely, CB6 2SH T: 01353 667763 E: [email protected]