PARENT PARENTMEET FORUM 5.00pm – 6.15pm 5.00pm – 6.15pm Dates for 2020 Dates for 2020 •Tuesday, 12 May •Tuesday, 23 June
For further information and to book a place on the next meeting please visit the College website www.ivybridge.devon.sch.uk THE COLLEGE ECHO IVYBRIDGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE ISSUE NO. 82 SPRING 2020
SPORTING EXCELLENCE
NEW YEAR HONOUR FOR HELEN Welcome to Ivybridge Community College College News 1 It is with great pride and joy that I welcome you to this Easter edition. Student Leadership 2-3 The wealth of personal development and enrichment opportunities at the College continues to be second to none and this can be Character Education 4-5 demonstrated by the on-going dedication of staff and students News 6 alike, ensuring students continue to be exposed to high quality moral, social and cultural experiences. Governors’ News 7
Science 8-9 Consequently, our outstanding successes in competitions, charity work and our continuing sporting prowess makes the College a very Learning Resource Centre 10 special place indeed. English 11 However, I am acutely aware that as I write this message, we find Human Science 12 ourselves in extraordinary times. Therefore, please stay safe, be kind, Mathematics 13 be responsible and look after your family, friends and others in our community. Sporting Excellence 14-15
Creative Arts 16-17 We have provided all our students with academic work and we ask that you support your child in continuing their education, albeit not Design Technology 18 in College. For further information, please refer to our website. Modern Foreign Languages 19
Gymnastics 20-21 Rachel Hutchinson, Principal Performing Arts 22-23
Staff Fitness and Wellbeing 24
Sport 25-27
Sixth Form 28
For more information on any of the news articles please go to our website: www.ivybridge.devon.sch.uk
Follow us - @ivycomcol @IvybridgeComCol Summer Term Upcoming Events Term Dates 2020-21 Summer Term 2020 Summer Term Starts Tuesday, 14 April 2020 MPayle Daays e F rirdeafye, 8r Mtoa yt h20e2 0College Half Tewrme bsite for updated Mondinayf,o 2r5m Maayt i2o0n20 r-egarding Friday, 29C Moalyle 2g02e0 inocpluesivnei ng. Term Ends Friday, 17 July 2020 Autumn Term 2020 Autumn Term Starts Year 7 only Thursday, 3 September 2020 Years 7, 11 and 12 only Friday, 4 September 2020 All Students Monday, 7 September 2020 Half Term Friday, 23 October 2020 - Friday, 30 October 2020 inclusive Term Ends Friday, 18 December 2020
Spring Term 2021 Spring Term Starts Monday, 4 January 2021 Half Term Monday, 15 February 2021 - Monday, 22 February 2021 inclusive Term Ends Thursday, 1 April 2021 College News 1 Helen Reddy Awarded BEM in Queen’s New Year Honours List Helen Reddy, Head of Performing Arts at Ivybridge Community College, has been awarded a BEM in the Queen’s New Year Honours list. Helen has been awarded the BEM in recognition of her Services to Educational Gymnastics. Helen is also a Board Director and coach at Honiton Gymnastics Club. Formerly a gymnast, Helen took over the running of Honiton Gymnastics Club with Pam Burns and Emma Smith aged just 21. While running the club, Helen started teaching at Ivybridge Community College where she is now Head of Performing Arts, Head of the Gymnastics Academy and a former Director of Sport. “This is a huge privilege and something that I never dreamed of being awarded,” said Helen, “Gymnastics has been a major part of my life for the past 37 years and something I love, so to be recognised in this way is an absolute honour.” Rachel Hutchinson, Principal at Ivybridge Community College, said, “Words cannot describe Helen’s passion and endless commitment to her work in education and, the Gymnastics Academy at the College. Helen’s relentless drive and boundless energy is infectious and in turn, Helen has created a truly remarkable and unique flagship for the College”. She now runs the most successful school gymnastics team in the UK. Training at lunch times and after-school, Helen’s team won more national titles than any other school in the UK at the past three year’s BSGA floor and vault and acrobatic gymnastics championships. Helen not only oversees the development of 300 plus students at primary and secondary level each year but also she creates and directs the College’s Performing Arts Show, which includes performances by more than 500 children. To meet the growing demand for the sport by young people, Helen has created a sustainable coaching structure at the College which sees young people taking their first steps as young gymnastic leaders. Her programme at the College has been recently endorsed by governing body British Gymnastics, which selected the College as one of only a handful of apprentice hubs in the UK. Sir Gary Streeter attended a gymnastics performance at the College, based on the theme of ‘The Hunger Games’. This event was organised in recognition of Helen Reddy, Head of Performing Arts, in receiving a New Year’s Honour. He stated, “I watched the students smile as your name was mentioned, and this shows what a difference you make to all of their lives, you work in a special school, and Helen, you are a special teacher.” He also complimented the College by saying, “I have seen quite a few school performances and I have never seen anything like that, it was astonishing and it was powerful. All teachers make a difference and I know how hard teachers work.” Sporting Leadership Opportunities for Students Sporting Leadership students at the College are regularly involved supporting the local Primary Schools’ sporting events, both at the College and in the wider community. Their commitment to helping the younger children in the various activities has been wonderful and a true reflection of their positive attitudes to helping others through sport. Events included: the Years 5 and 6 Primary School Netball Competition, the South Hams Area Primary Cross-Country event held at Filham Park, the Primary Inclusion Festival and the Ivybridge Learning Community Sports Hall Event.
Devon Youth Workforce Academy Students from Years 10 and 12 were selected as role models to be part of the Devon Youth Workforce Academy. The leadership experience they will gain will not only help them to become a more effective role model and mentor for this project; it will also support their wider achievement in College.
2 Student Leadership College Celebrates Girls’ Nationwide Football Initiative The College is delighted to announce that, together with the Football Association (FA) and Youth Sport Trust (YST), they have joined in a nationwide initiative to give every girl access to football, and therefore increase the number of girls who play football in England, by 2024. The College has been chosen to be the football 'hub' school, to deliver and host many of the girls’ football activities in the local area. Game Of Our Own (GOOO) is the name of the new FA and YST initiative that we will be promoting at the College with our own students recruiting and delivering the football sessions. Four Year 9 students have been selected to raise the profile of girls’ football at the College, namely Lucy Hack, Tiana Campbell, Chloe Moore and Ellie Sara. The students are all members of the College’s Girls’ Football Academy, the Girls’ National U14 and U15 squads and the successful FUTSAL squad that became National Champions last year. They attended a recent training day to help recruit and deliver football sessions to enable them to deliver all that they have learnt to other students.
Students and Staff qualify as First Aid Trainers In December, students and staff at the College were invited to participate in First Aid training sessions led by Jill Chapman, MCSP SRP.who is a qualified First Aid trainer and Physiotherapist. They had basic lifesaving skills, CPR and defibrillation training given. Many of these students are now qualified as trainers, and in the New Year they will teach as many of the Year 7 students as they can. We currently have 78 students and numerous staff who are already trained. All qualified students and staff are identified by a British Heart Foundation badge.
Character Education - Courage, Honesty and Authenticity Proudly Representing the College We are delighted to announce the new Head Boy and Head Girl for each Year Group. The students went through a rigorous selection process which involved writing a detailed letter of application and explaining what qualities they had to ensure they would lead their own Year Group successfully. The shortlisted students were then invited to deliver a presentation to the Pastoral Leaders, Academic Performance Leaders and members of the Senior Leadership Team about a cause or person that inspires them. Following this, students were interviewed by the panels. As the standard of applicants was so high, the decision was made to create Deputy Head Boy and Girl positions to support students undertaking examinations in Year 11 and in the Sixth Form. The following students were selected: Sixth Form - Freya and George Sixth Form Deputies - Lara, Ronan and Grace The students are off to a fantastic start already, having Year 11 - Samantha and Connor supported as Ambassadors, on student panels and Year 11 - Deputies - Grace and Joel delivered speeches to parents. They will be working to Year 10 - Poppy and Jacob develop student voice in the College in four key areas; Year 9 - Freya and James Teaching and Learning, Facilities, Charity and Community Year 8 - Jasmine and Thomas and finally, Student Voice and Well-being. Year 7 -Amara and Alex Student Leadership 3 Mentoring at its Very Best In January, 41 Year 12 students attended a two hour training session to become Year 12 mentors in English and Mathematics. The first hour involved Mr Willow, in Mathematics, and Miss Pepper, in English, providing training sessions to support the mentoring of the Year 11 students. This was then followed by Level 2 Safeguarding Training, to ensure that the students in Year 12 are able to understand the expectations when working with other students.
The Year 11 Mentoring Programme is a unique project aimed at providing a personalised approach to support individual students by those who have just completed their GCSE examinations themselves. Not only do they provide empathetic understanding, but are able to support students to become resilient and to provide academic expertise within these two core subjects. College Achieves Eco-Schools Award The College’s Sustainability Group has been running for several years and has managed to support many positive changes both throughout the College and in the wider community. The club has improved both the College’s recycling system and the biodiversity of the College grounds with a wild - flower meadow and tree planting, and also supported community events such as the river clean. Year 12 student, Ellie, writes, “We recently conducted an environmental review of the College and with the data collected we produced an action plan for continued change. This year, our focus areas are energy, the marine environment and waste. Being part of the group allows us to have the opportunity to discuss our ideas with teachers and staff and achieve action. The group is led by students which gives us a voice for change. As a result of our actions so far, we recently achieved our Eco-Schools Bronze Award, and are now working towards the Silver.” Gill Taylor, Deputy Principal, congratulated the students on their fantastic achievements and said, “It is a fine example of students’ voice and leadership making a positive difference to our College and community.”
If you would like to help Ivybridge Community College to become more sustainable, or have an idea of how we can help in the local area then please contact Mr Nick Paskin via the College on [email protected]. Thank Cards for Charity Last term, Year 8 Creative Arts students you produced a range of beautiful handmade Christmas cards using a range of textile from techniques and fabrics. Pudsey! The students took part in a series of workshops, which was an excellent opportunity for them to learn new skills whilst also raising money to support the local community. Students in Year 12 were asked to spend at The bespoke Christmas cards were least one hour a week volunteering. It is clear sold to students and staff at the that they have made an impressive College to raise money for contribution to the wider community and Rowcroft, a South Devon Hospice gained vital skills in the process, and we are Charity. The Creative Arts very proud of them. Department chose to support One Year 12 student said, “I have been Rowcroft as a member of the cleaning and arranging/picking flowers for my Department had recently lost a local church twice a week. I can show that I family member to cancer, and care and you don’t need money to give back the charity was a huge support to the community.” during this time. 4 Character Education Becoming a School of Character As part of the College’s continuous professional learning, five members of staff have signed up to take part in a training programme regarding Leading Character Education in Schools: Becoming a School of Character, in partnership with the University of Birmingham. This is a pilot programme, involving a number of staff interested in character education – ‘How do you do it?’ and ‘What does a ‘School of Character’ look like?’ The course aims to provide a comprehensive overview of both the theory and practice of the leadership of character education within a secondary school setting. The programme itself involves professional research, a self-evaluation activity and how to develop a culture of Character Education, within our College. “We are all very excited about the possible impact this may have on helping to develop our students’ further understanding of our key virtues and how this can be developed within and outside of the class, as well as in our community.” Gill Taylor, Deputy Principal. GCSE Options ‘Taster Sessions’ As part of Ivybridge Community College’s commitment to helping our students to develop a greater understanding of different GCSE Options courses available to them, the College ran a weekly lunchtime ‘Options Taster Sessions’ for students to gain further insight and knowledge in subjects that they were considering taking at GCSE. The students were able to meet the Heads of Departments and were led through what to expect in the lessons, and possible careers opportunities that could be achieved from studying certain subjects. They also had the opportunity to take part in example lesson scenarios, and ask questions regarding the subjects.
On Wednesday, 4 March the Year 8 Options evening was held, so that students and parents alike could find out more about the wide array of subjects on offer in Year 9. The Head Girl and Head Boy of Year 9 provided a personal insight into the options process and gave their own ‘top tips’ for students in the formal presentations during the evening.
Email: [email protected] Website: www.ivybridge.devon.sch.uk Our FUNdraising Sixth Form! At the end of last term Sixth Form students were involved in many fundraising activities, all in support of local charities. These events ranged from book and cake sales to the highly anticipated Christmas Quiz. Year 12 student, Lauren Pollard organised the bake sale and said, “The purpose of the bake sale was to raise money for Woodside Animal Shelter. At the time, Woodside was experiencing a shortage of food for their animals while they were preparing for the Christmas period, so I decided to raise money for the shelter because it is a charity that is close to my heart. I raised £75 which was spent on food and treats for the dogs, cats and other animals at the shelter.”
Lara Battershill and Emily Gitlin, both in Year 12, said, “The annual Christmas Quiz proved a great success! It was extremely well attended by Sixth Form students and teachers, who created the lively and festive atmosphere. The quiz, organised by the Sixth Form Student Charity Committee, raised a grand total of £172 for the charity, Shelter. It was our hope that by supporting Shelter, we could do our bit to lessen the widespread problem of homelessness, especially at Christmas. Character Education 5 Sweet Charity! College staff and students have brought in more than 120 empty confectionary tubs for a fundraising initiative organised through the College’s Key Stage 3 Office, raising essential funds for Dartmoor Zoological Park. The tubs will now be recycled by local company, DCW, with all profits being donated to Dartmoor Zoo. Coral Jonas, who is the Deputy CEO of Dartmoor Zoo and also a Governor of Ivybridge Community College said, “Thank you so much to staff, students and parents, for taking part in our latest fundraiser for Dartmoor Zoo. By collecting the tubs you have helped Dartmoor Zoo with their £4,500 a day running costs, contributed to the development of new enclosures to take part in vital conservation programmes and you have given us the chance to continue more research into animal welfare. On top of that you have kept reusable plastic out of landfill.” Supporting the Local Community At the end of last term students, parents and staff were invited to donate food and gifts to support local community projects over the Christmas period. Helen Ryder, Head of Human Sciences at the College, who organised the collection said, “A huge thank you to all the students, parents and staff that have helped to make this the most generous donation of food, beauty products and gifts ever! We were able to make a substantial donation to the Ivybridge Food Bank, supported the Christmas Day activities at the Watermark by collecting little presents for Christmas Day for those who do not have family – simple gifts like scarves, chocolate and sweets, and also provided starter packs for the Salvation Army.
A wonderful way to support our local community, thank you for making it a much more positive Christmas and start to the New Year than it could have been.” Jackie selected for England Hockey Masters Team Ivybridge Community College Humanities Resource Assistant, Jackie Anning, is celebrating the news that she has been selected for the England Hockey Masters Team. Jackie said, “I have been playing hockey for a very long time now, but this year I have finally reached my full potential. At the end of last year I attended four very tough, day-long trials in various parts of the country, which were all completely exhausting. However, it has proved well worth the effort as I have recently found out that I have been selected for the England Masters Team. This year that means travelling to Edinburgh for the Home Nations, but even more exciting is the prospect of a trip to Cape Town, South Africa to play in the Masters World Cup. The hard work and training starts now!” We wish Jackie the very best of luck! Donkey Hoaty in New Zealand Many thanks to Bryony Spowart in Year 11 for taking Donkey Hoaty to New Zealand. Donkey has hitched a ride with Bryony to see the snow-capped mountains. Questions - What is the capital city of New Zealand? In which city in New Zealand was there an earthquake in 2011? When did the All Blacks last win the Rugby World Cup? 6 News Head of Department: Heather Lilley Student to star in Swan Lake Dreams Year 7 student, Harriet Meadows, has successfully secured a place to perform in Swan Lake with The Birmingham Royal Ballet on Tuesday, 31 March at Plymouth's Theatre Royal in a production called ‘Swan Lake Dreams’. Harriet competed against approximately 300 other dancers for one of the prestigious 69 places. Measurements for two costumes and publicity photos have already been taken and the six month vigorous rehearsal schedule is well underway. Harriet who has been dancing since the age of three said, "It's a dream come true to perform in this famous ballet." Outdoor Education Believe in Yourself Lee Spencer ‘The Rowing Marine’ visited the College Opportunities in February to deliver a variety of sessions to students. In February, students attended a Duke of To support our focus on Character Education, Lee Edinburgh training day with Dynamic was keen to deliver a key message to our students to Adventure. The College has 14 teams taking “believe in themselves, believe in their dreams and part in the expedition section of their award. The day not be defined by what they can do.” involved a range of activities including; First Aid "Lee was an inspiration to me. His talk about his life training, pitching a tent and navigation. These and struggles really made a difference to my students will be completing their practice expedition mind-set. I would recommend Lee to anyone having during the Easter holidays with the annual Ten Tors a tough time because if he can cross the ocean, event taking place over the first weekend in May. anyone can do anything." Alex, Year 11 student. They have endured some pretty wet conditions It is important that we share the positive message of underfoot but are proving that determination and hope and resilience. Lee has asked that the College endurance is the way forward. Please follow the ups continues to share his positive message that we are and downs of the Outdoor Education Department on "Not defined by twitter@ivybridgeOEd. disability" and that "if you haven’t ever failed then you haven’t dreamed big enough".
Character Education - Respect, Ambition and Charity Mrs Kim Tamlin, Head of History, Mrs Kelly Olive, Assistant Deputy Principal and Mr Michael Saltern, Chair of the Governing Board, who are members of a recent interview panel at the College.
Governors’ News 7 Sustainability Club Tutor Fancy Dress Competition Visiting Author,Tanya Landman and Mr Michael Saltern, helped Presentation to judge the KS3 Fancy Dress Competition for World Book Day. Each tutor group had chosen a book theme to dress up as. Mr Hitt’s tutor won in Year 7 as characters from Alice in Wonderland. Once again, Mrs Snodin’s tutor in Year 8 wowed the judges with their brightly coloured creations from Truffala Valley from Dr Seuss’s environmentally relevant The Lorax. Tree Planting Ceremony Following a presentation to a number of Governors by Staff, students, their parents and Mr Michael members of The Sustainability Club, Mr Michael Saltern Saltern, Chair of the Governing Board, recently said,”The Governing Board is absolutely committed to participated in the ‘Tree and Wild Bulb’ planting environmental improvements within the College and ceremony. The College is very indeed in helping bring about wider achievements proud to have been part of the where we can help in any way.” Woodland Trust Pledge to Plant. Pen Portrait - Richard Peachey Richard grew up in Modbury and has lived or worked in Ivybridge itself for over 30 years. He has lived in South Devon all his life and understands the smaller towns and villages as well as the Plymouth area that feed into Ivybridge Community College. Richard has been part of, and chaired, a number of Ivybridge Community Groups such as the the Ivybridge Regeneration Group and Chamber of Commerce. He has a Business Degree and owns and operates a Commercial Property Business from Ivybridge for over 25 years. Richard enjoys travel, exploring and sport. Having an interest in Geography and History he finds travelling exciting and educational. Richard's Governor areas include the Teaching School and Teacher development as well as Pupil Premium and disadvantaged children. 8 Science Week - What Amazing Experiences!
Environmental Science talk Our students had the opportunity to meet John Bull, an Environmental Scientist from Plymouth University. They were given the chance to analyse the air quality using samples from Ivybridge, Plymouth and Newton Abbot.
Chess Dynamics workshop Year 9 students had the opportunity to use a gyroscopically controlled thermal imaging camera similar to those used in the Royal Navy for surveillance. They discussed careers and routes into Science and Engineering including Apprenticeships and Graduate training.
Filham Park Vets workshop Former student, Alan Johnson, a vet from the Filham Park Veterinary Clinic visited the College with Beth Walker, a Veterinary Nurse. The students were taught how to suture and they practiced on oranges and bananas. They discussed the types of volunteering work they would be advised to undertake to help them make their applications to Vet School more successful. Pyromania show Roy Lowery from the University of Plymouth spoke to the students about careers in Chemistry, such as the use of Pyrotechnics in music concerts, productions and firework displays. The students were awed by many of his demonstrations, including burning a biscuit that had been soaked in liquid oxygen. Volcanic Hazards Workshop Dr Jodie Fisher from the University of Plymouth, along with a fellow Geologist and a Volcanologist, visited the College to talk about her career in Geology and to run a Volcanic Hazards workshop in which students had the chance to use the data from the site of a volcano to predict when it might erupt and how this information can save lives.
Follow us - @ivycomcol @IvybridgeComCol Science 9 Students’ Science Club Commitment Rewarded Students at the College have been rewarded for their participation and commitment to their extra-curricular ‘Science’ and ‘Sustainability’ lunch time clubs by celebrating with hot chocolate and a big bang! Since the autumn term the Loyalty Card reward scheme has been in place for students who attend each of the science-related clubs. Every time a student attends one of the clubs they get a stamp on their card; once students have achieved 10 stamps on their card they are invited to come along to have a hot chocolate drink and watch a fun science demonstration.
“The first students to achieve their 10 stamps celebrated with hot chocolate, doughnuts, and a presentation on the theme of ‘Rocket Fuel’. The chemistry demonstration showed the explosive reaction of hydrogen and oxygen gas when heat is added. The students enjoyed finding out about how rockets could be fuelled by hydrogen, and celebrating their love of science!” said Jane Hooper, Teacher of Science.
Science week - What amazing experiences! Climate Change Talk Dr Martin Coath came through the Speakers for Schools programme to talk about his career in Science and to give the students a chance to ask him questions about his areas of Science and what being a scientific researcher involves and how you can enter a career in scientific research.
Dartmoor Zoological Park We were joined by Coral Jonas from the Dartmoor Zoological Park who talked about careers in zoos and conservation. We had many wildlife-loving students sign up for this session and some even had an opportunity to hold the
snake. One of Coral's key messages, which matches that
of the other speakers, is that students should try to gain some experience, for
example by volunteering, to help make their CVs really stand out in the future.
Ocean Science and Marine Physics talk Dr Tim Poate from Plymouth University gave a talk to students about his work in the field of marine science, particularly physics. He gave an excellent informative presentation about his own career path and the work he does in the south west. He demonstrated how his work contributes to managing coastal defences in the area. 10 The Learning Resource Centre Author Tanya Landman Wows on World Book Day On Thursday, 5 of March it was World Book Day and the Learning Resource Centre was eager to celebrate. The librarians were excited to be hosting award winning author Tanya Landman. Tanya has written murder mysteries and dyslexia friendly books, but is best known for her Young Adult historical fiction. ‘Buffalo Soldier’ won the 2015 Carnegie Medal, and many of her other books have been nominated for prestigious awards. Tanya did a reading in assembly for Years 7 and 8, emphasising the importance of reading and gaining knowledge. After, she ran a creative workshop for KS3 students who have made good progress in the Book Voyage Reading Challenge. In the run up to World Book Day, the Learning Resource Centre ran a 500 Word Short Story Competition. There were some fantastic entries and Tanya, chose Year 8 student, Levi, as the overall winner. Levi’s story was about a down on his luck kid with a wild imagination, and Tanya said “It had a great sense of voice; you can really hear the character’s personality.” The Big Book Quiz was a very close competition. A dozen teams took part with the winners being Elizabeth, Willow, Katie, and Ruby in Year 10. Triumphant Day for the Triwizard Tournament The College celebrated the third annual Harry Potter Day on earlier this month, with amazing events organised by Learning Resource Centre staff. This day is celebrated all across the world for people to show their appreciation for the wonderful wizarding world of Harry Potter. This year’s theme was the Triwizard Tournament, from Harry Pot - ter and the Goblet of Fire. Mrs Hull dressed as Dobby the House-Elf, while Mrs Trafford went a bit more miserable as Moaning Myrtle, both of whom helped Harry during the tournament. Even Flossie the Therapy Dog got involved in the day! The raffle raised over £70 for Lumos, J.K. Rowling’s charity of choice. There were seven winners, who won magical gifts such as a Harry Potter trivia game, a magic wand pen with invisible ink, and Harry Potter journals. Overall the day was a big success, made even better by the wonderful help of the dedicated Student Librarians. For further information regarding activities and events held in the College’s Learning Resource Centre please follow @Lr - cIcc. Character Education - Tolerance, Empathy and English 11 Theatre Performance - Positive and Invaluable On Thursday, 5 March, 150 students from Years 10 and 11 attended a stunning performance of our key GCSE text, ‘An Inspector Calls’ in the Theatre Royal Plymouth. The students were thrilled to see the performance live, as well as this being a key revision tool for Year 11 students. Many students commented that it enabled them to see the play as a construct and a comment on society rather than considering the characters as ‘real people’. Year 11 students felt the performance was invaluable for their revision and found they were saying the lines to themselves alongside the actors on the stage. Mrs Hewish said, “It was a privilege to take these students to watch this performance and we are certain this will impact positively in the exams in May.” ‘Parents Book Club’ This term has seen the beginning of the English Department opening the curriculum to the parents of our Year 10 students for the first ever Parents Book Club. In February parents of Year 10 students were invited into the College to receive their own copy of the play, ‘An Inspector Calls.’ Parents are encouraged to read this play alongside their child and discuss key characters, themes and plot twists. Key dates for parents to become involved are as follows: Tuesday, 14 April 4pm – 5pm, Location LRC – Charles Dickens, ‘A Christmas Carol’ Tuesday, 19 May 4pm – 5pm, Location LRC – Discussion on key text. Creative Writing Students are Published Poets Students taking part in the Creative Writing lunchtime club entered the Young Writers Poetry Competition last term. Entrants were asked to write an inspirational poem from another person’s perspective. Cole, together with five other Year 7 students, had his poem selected from over 11,000 entries nationwide to be published in a book, showcasing young adults' work, called ‘Through Their Eyes - Twisted Words.’ Cole said, "I'm thrilled that I have this chance to have my poem published. I've always loved reading and I hope that comes across in my writing." Miss Board, who is the Literacy Coordinator for the College, said, “The Creative Writing Club is held every Wednesday lunch time to give students an opportunity to enter competitions and to hopefully get their work published. It’s a really fun session and the children love it. I was over the moon when I found out that all six Year 7 students namely, Rosemary, Livy, Caitlin, Olivia, Evelyn and Cole were successful with getting their fantastic poetry work published. Each and every student worked very hard, as well as having a lot of fun writing from another perspective in order to fill the competition’s criteria. Well done to you all, superstars!” 12 Human Science Nancy Astor - Inspiration for our Generation The College, together with Drakes Jewellers, launched a Nancy Astor inspired competition in celebration of 100 years of women in Parliament. Students were asked to choose a quote from Nancy Astor and express what the quote meant to them. The three finalists were invited to Drakes Jewellers, in Plymouth, where Ophelia, in Year 8 was announced as the winner. Ophelia cleverly linked Lady Astor’s quote “The main dangers in this life are the people who want to change everything... or nothing” to modern day global warming and environmental issues. She bought the thoughts and feelings of Nancy Astor into the 21st Century, highlighting how ahead of her time this powerful, inspirational woman was. Helen Ryder said, “I am very proud of all the effort and enthusiasm our students had shown for the competition and how inspiring the winners are, and how they are the powerful women of the future.” Ten per cent of all sales from Drakes exclusive Nancy Astor collection will be donated to the Lady Astor Statue Appeal and the Legacy Project, helping young girls enter into politics. Exploitation Awareness Time To Talk Day 2020 In February, the College welcomed Alter Ego Creative On Thursday, 6 February students and staff were Solutions. The production for Year 9 students focused encouraged to spend time talking about mental on County Lines and Child Criminal Exploitation. health. We know that talking about mental health can Students were immediately engaged in the captivating feel awkward, but the more we talk, the less awkward it production and really understood the need to be will become. aware of dangers that they could potentially face. As part of Children’s Mental Health week some of our A real focus of the production was not only about Year 7 and 8 students have been working on the ‘Find protecting themselves, but also to spot changing Your Brave’ awareness activities which explore what characteristics in their peers. At the end of the being brave really means and how it helps develop production, students were able to ask questions positive mental health. relating to our community. Our aim is to make conversations We also had representatives from Devon and Cornwall about mental health everyday Police, as well as counsellors from Young Devon to practice. support our students with any questions or issues that In addition to this we have the were raised. Wellbeing Hub where trained In addition to this, there was an session later in the day Student Ambassadors are available extended to parents and carers in the community. to talk to students at every lunchtime and break time.
Email: [email protected] Website: www.ivybridge.devon.sch.uk Mathematics 1133 Plymouth University Mathematics Taster Day Last term, Year 10 students attended a Mathematics Taster Day at Plymouth University. Thirteen students attended the course, which included a presentation on an insight into Mathematics beyond GCSE, and also the benefits of having an A Level qualification in Mathematics. This informative and interesting day was divided into three main activities. The first was titled ‘Distinguishing footballs from doughnuts’! in which the students investigated the Euler characteristics. Activity 2 was split into two parts with the students using the university’s wave machines to measure the impact that different waves have on a sea defence and look at the different ways they could reduce the impact. They also used a machine that allowed them to change the flow of a river in order to reduce erosion. The students then undertook a surveying task to estimate the height of an object above sea level, using a theodolite and other survey apparatus. In the final activity the students were shown how some simple mathematics enables them to look at real-world problems in a new light. The day proved very thought provoking and was enjoyed by all students who attended. UKMT Team Success On Thursday, 5 March, students Katie and Ayden, both in Year 8, and Lucy and Matthew, in Year 9, represented the College in the regional finals of the UKMT Team Challenge which was held at a local Devon School. Teams were made up from Gifted and Talented students from schools and colleges across the county, and this year saw fifteen teams taking part. At the end of stage one in the Challenge, there was only one point separating the top five teams. The Ivybridge team took the lead in the second Challenge, but eventually took second place.
Caron Russell, Mathematics Resources Assistant, who accompanied the students said, “Our students performed well above average to finish in second place, an outstanding achievement! Congratulations are well deserved.” 14 Sporting Excellence U15 Academy Rugby Team is off to Twickenham! On Wednesday, 4 March, the College hosted the National Schools’ Rugby Cup competition semi-final between the U15 Academy Rugby Team and Harrow School. It was a hugely close and competitive event with Ivybridge progressing to the final, by the narrowest of margins. The game ended in a 22-22 draw, but Ivybridge were announced as the winning team, as they had scored the first points of the game. Chris Brown, Director of Academy Sport at the College said, “The day was a fantastic advert for schoolboy rugby and the values the game teaches you. Our team should be as proud of themselves as we are of them”. He added, “The College provided a fantastic event and Matt Shepherd, Director of Rugby, and our Rugby Coaches have done a great job. Thank you to the students, staff and visitors who watched the game and of course the players who played. The Team thoroughly deserves their day at Twickenham”. The final will be held at the home of English Rugby, Twickenham. We wish our Team the very best of luck! Netball Team are SW Champions On Tuesday, 3 March the College hosted the U13 State School South West Netball Championships. Nine visiting schools took part in the competition, and we are delighted to announce that our U13 Team ended the day, following a very close final, securing the winning position! We are very thankful for David May for sponsoring the Netball Team kit, allowing them to look the part in their dresses throughout the year. Mrs Mitchell, Assistant Head of PE, said, “There was a high standard of play throughout the tournament and the girls were a credit to the College both on and off the court. Our Year 9 leaders were also fantastic in helping organise and run the day.” Netball Academy Teacher, Miss Dent, said, “I am so proud of the Year 8 Team, they have been committed and resilient in their training and deserve this win. I look forward to seeing what they can achieve in the future.”
Character Education - Courage, Honesty and Authenticity Sporting Excellence 15 U15 Girls’ Football Team makes College History The Ivybridge U15 Girls’ Football team travelled to Brentwood, Essex in March to play Shenfield School in the National Cup Quarter Final and came away from Essex with a fine 1-0 win courtesy of a goal in the sixtieth minute. The Girls have made College Football history in being the first Girls’ 11-a-side team to reach a National Semi Final. U15 Boys’ Football Team Qualify for National Cup Semi-Final In March, the Boys’ U15 Football Team qualified for the ESFA National Schools Cup Semi-Final after an outstanding 8-1 victory at home against Dorothy Stringer School from Brighton.
Ivybridge U15 Boys’ and Girls’ FUTSAL Regional Winners The College’s U15 Boys’ and Girls’ FUTSAL Teams both won through to the National FUTSAL semi-finals in Birmingham. Both teams beat the regional winners from the North, East, South and West of the county to represent Devon in the National Semi-Finals.
U13 Boys' FUTSAL Team through to National FUTSAL Semi-Final In February, the U13 Boys' FUTSAL Team completed a hat-trick of Ivybridge teams representing the South West at the National FUTSAL Semi-Final in March.
Please visit our College website ‘SPORT’ pages for further information on all of these news stories and more.... Year 7 Architecture Project
16 Creative Arts
Year 8 Abstract Art and Creative Careers Year 9 Low Relief
Creative Arts 17
Year 11 Photography 18 Design Technology Students Win Trophy at STEM In February, six Ivybridge Community College students attended the National Final of The Land Rover 4x4 in Schools Technology Challenge event hosted at the Bristol and Bath Science Park.
Team members battled against schools from across the Southwest having developed their unique radio controlled four-wheel drive (4x4) vehicle to the strict specification requirements for the event.
The students gained £500 sponsorship from the Army, and chose to theme their vehicle on a 4x4 pick-up that could be used as a support vehicle at the Ten Tors event. The team also managed to forge links with a local Plymouth based model shop, Nimrif RC, enabling them to fit light and tilt sensors linked to front and rear headlights, as specified for the competition. The body shell was vacuum formed from a wooden mould before been fitted with all the electronic components.
The team did extremely well in a gruelling eight part assessment throughout the day, including verbal presentations, a showroom and folder inspection, two track races and a scrutiny of their engineering and design choices.
At the prize giving ceremony the students won a trophy for ‘Best Track Performance in the Development Class’ and received high praise for their efforts across all aspects of the competition.
Well done to Dan, Erin, Lucy, Hayden, Tom and Ruby for their efforts and achievements!
Follow us - @ivycomcol @IvybridgeComCol Modern Foreign Language 19 Normandy Highlights A great College trip should leave a lasting impression and the MFL visit to Normandy didn’t disappoint! A total of 65 Year 7 students, together with Year 10 Language Leaders and teachers, travelled to Chateau Beaumont, in Normandy. On Saturday morning, the students headed to the bustling Laval market to try out their best French. Zip wire, archery and fencing with a ‘French twist’ were just some of the exciting activities waiting back at the Chateau before everyone tucked into frogs legs, snails and beef bourguignon for ‘French night’. The following day the students visited Le Mont St Michel, the abbey which is the inspiration for Hogwarts. They learnt about Norman history from their expert guide, Ben, who gave them a real flavour of what medieval life was like. The day was rounded off by a visit to Fougères Castle. One of the absolute highlights of the trip was the Sunday evening Talent Show. A sad farewell was said to the wonderful Chateau staff on Monday morning, and the students travelled back up to the coast to visit Arromanches and the D-Day beaches. “We had a fantastic trip and the students were an absolute credit to the College with brilliant feedback on their conduct and enthusiasm from the Chateau as well as from members of the public and even passport control! A big thank you to all the staff who supported the visit and made it such a success and thank you for all the lovely messages we have had from parents, they are very much appreciated.” Mrs Bindon, Lead Practitioner for MFL. Opportunities Achieved through Learning Languages In February we were hugely fortunate to welcome Mary-Jess Leaverland to the College, who gave an inspirational talk to our Year 8 students. Her mottos of ‘always having more than one string to your bow’ and ‘seizing every opportunity’ were her foundations for success. Mary-Jess decided that languages were going to be her ‘second string’ and she studied Mandarin Chinese when it was offered as an extra-curricular GCSE at school. She then continued to study Mandarin Chinese alongside Music at Sheffield University. Mary-Jess has gone on to sing for occasions such as the FA Cup Final as well as singing the vocals for the Downton Abbey theme tune. Through her unique selling point of beautiful singing with the ability to speak Mandarin Chinese, Jenni Bindon, Lead Practitioner for MFL said, “Our students were fascinated by Mary-Jess, her story and her extremely impressive ability to speak a very different language. Mary-Jess delivered a vitally important message to our students about making the most of every chance you are given as well as the breadth of opportunities learning a language can bring you, opportunities you can’t even imagine.” 20 Gymnastics Top Honours at South West Floor and Vault Prelims Ivybridge Gymnastics Academy Gymnasts took top honours at the South West Floor and Vault Prelims in Bideford, bringing back ten Gold, eight Silver and four Bronze medals. The results mean that 33 Gymnasts have qualified to represent the region at the National Schools’ Floor and Vault Finals in Stoke-on-Trent in May, including many Gymnasts from WeST primary schools.
“We took a huge team to the regional qualifiers,” said Helen Reddy, Head of Performing Arts and Head of the Gymnastics Academy, “showing not only our strength-in-depth but also some exceptional individual performances.” “Schools gymnastics is becoming more competitive each year, as many schools are affiliated to high-ranking gymnastics clubs,” added Helen, “but we have shown that by working on the core skills and keeping gymnastics enjoyable we can produce exceptional results that challenge the very best in the county.”
Character Education - Respect, Ambition and Charity PGeryfomrmniangst iAcrs ts 2213 Ivybridge Acrobats Claim 14 Places on South West Team
A day of podium positions in the regional qualifiers resulted in Ivybridge Gymnastics Academy Gymnasts claiming 14 spots at the National Schools Acrobatic Gymnastics Finals. The gymnasts will now travel to Stoke-on-Trent in May to compete against the best from 12 other UK regions.
Among the many successes, the three top performing Gymnasts of the day were Reece, in Year 12, and Alfie and Abigail, both in Year 10, all returning with three Gold medals.
“These three gymnasts performed exceptionally well. They will be very busy at the National Finals, having also qualified for the Floor and Vault finals which take place on the same weekend. However, we also had many more high-quality performances from Ivybridge students, providing us with an excellent opportunity to gain medals on the national stage in May,” said Helen Reddy. 22 Performing Arts Appreciation of Dance Show Entertains Audience Friends and family members were treated to some wonderful performances at the College’s annual Appreciation of Dance Show. The evening, which displayed a number of different dance styles, was a celebration of the dance activities that are currently taking place throughout the College. This included a demonstration of coursework by the College’s GCSE and A-Level students, alongside performances from Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 dancers.
“We have a tremendous amount of dance activities at the College,” said Natalie Gardiner, “including a Junior Dance Company for Years 7-9 and a Senior Dance Company for Years 10-13. The show is a wonderful opportunity for all of our students to display their recent work and demonstrate their creativity. Most pieces were actually choreographed by the students, who showed how thoughtful, inventive and well-executed their performances were. We’re immensely proud of everyone that took part and look forward to seeing their skills and creativity developing even further in the future.”
Workshops inspire Drama Students In January, the Drama Department welcomed the MED Theatre Company to the College. MED Theatre is a community theatre organisation based on Dartmoor, inspired by local history, ecology, and folklore. Students attended a workshop entitled ‘Moor Voices’, based around Dartmoor and Exmoor in the Bronze Age, and the history of the people that lived there at that time. Year 8 student, Iris, said, “I really enjoyed the ‘Moor Voices’ workshop as I got to learn about the Bronze Age and meet some new people. It was good for confidence and team building. The workshop was an interesting and fun mixture of both Drama and History. I have been considering taking Drama as one of my GCSE options next year. The workshop convinced me that Drama is the right choice for me. ‘Moor Voices’ gave me a really good insight on what doing GCSE Drama would be like and why I should do it.”
Email: [email protected] Website: www.ivybridge.devon.sch.uk Performing Arts 23 Stunning Performances in College Production Before the Christmas break, five performances of Walt Disney’s Beauty and the Beast were undertaken by the College’s Performing Arts, Dance, Drama and Music Departments. This wonderful interpretation was enhanced by a live orchestra, which provided superb music, as well as giving a true theatre experience. All the performances were a sell-out, with some members of staff even watching it twice! Both children and adults alike were entranced by the magical performances of students from the College. It was full of romance, comedy and beautiful singing. All cast members were superb, with an age range of 8 to18 years; which created a rich experience for the audience. The set was built by students from the College, including former student Sam Gingell, who returned especially to undertake this task. In addition, the superb lighting and sound production ensured that the audience were provided with the perfect setting for the performance.
“Every year I think that the students will never be able to surpass the previous year’s production, and every year I am amazed that the bar has risen yet again! It was a truly enchanting and magical experience for all the family.” Gill Taylor, Deputy Principal “I was completely blown away last night by the accomplishment of our students and staff in producing such a perfectly polished production. I felt exceedingly proud and privileged to be part of this College.” Lisa Sheridan, English Teacher “It never fails to amaze me the talent and dedication our students have to College productions.” Caron Russell, Mathematics Resources Assistant “I was there as a teacher of many of the cast, as well as a parent, and I couldn’t be more proud of their fantastic performance. What an amazing experience for all!” Jenni Bindon, Lead Practitioner for MFL
24 Staff fitness and wellbeing - The ‘IHveayd obf Dreipdartgmeent: HHeatehear Lillety h MOT’ The Ivybridge Health MOT has been developed to support the staff’s Wellbeing and Health for now and the long term. Strength, body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness are vitally important for your health. The additional benefits of being in better health have been shown to not only help you physically but, also mentally and help towards you functioning optimally, not just functioning! The Tanita Body Composition machine records your weight, body fat percentage, muscle mass, fat mass, bone density, total body water and your metabolic age. The assessments provide you with a starting point so you are able to see your progress over time which helps for motivation. An assessment of your strength is important and is conducted in our own fitness suite, and finally an assessment of cardiovascular fitness is calculated using the bleep test.
A personal insight from Teresa Ewers regarding the programme:
“The staff leading this programme are amazing and very professional. I have since come on board to help out when female staff join by gathering all their personal data, weight and measurements. I found it very interesting to have more knowledge about the collected data, for instance the Visceral Fat percentage, which is the hidden fat we don’t necessarily see (you could look fit, but,this fat is located near several vital organs, including the liver, stomach, and intestines). As we grow older we need to watch our bone mass so again that is why I have introduced weights into my exercises. Since the start of the programme the staff have been very supportive. They are there to help with all the valuable nutritional information and helped me start the weight’s programme. Fortunately I had already lost some weight the ten months before the data was collected but certainly having them help to maintain my weight and increase my exercise by just adding a few extra sessions in the week has been very beneficial. I soon realised that I was doing this for me and that is not a competition. Life is too short and it is never too late to start really looking after yourself!”
Character Education - Tolerance, Empathy and Resilience Sport 25 Students Dive into the Medals During the February half term six students were busy competing in the 21st Armada Cup Diving Competition, held at the Plymouth Life Centre. Lily, in Year 7, won the Gold South West Regional medal in the 1m Event and the Silver medal in the 3m Event. Lucy, in Year 9, won three South West Regional medals - Gold in the 1m Event and Platform Event, and Silver in the 3m Event. Her greatest achievement was the Gold ‘Age Group’ medal she won in the 1m Board Event. Year 8 student, Ben, won both Gold South West Regional medals for the 1m and 3m Board Events. He also won the Silver ‘Age Group’ medals for both of these Board Events. Maria, in Year 12, won Gold in the 1m Event, Silver in the Platform Event and Bronze in the 3m Event. Elite diver, and Year 9 student, Zach, had a great competition in the 3m Event, and finished in second place to take the Silver medal, and Gold in the Platform Event. Year 10 student, Josh, competed in the ‘Group A Elite Boys’ category against an experienced group of divers, including former Ivybridge Community College student, Matthew Dixon. Matthew took the first position in the 1m Board Event and Josh achieved the Bronze medal. In the Platform Event Josh controlled his nerves and managed to execute his new and difficult dives to win the Bronze medal. New Personal Best Time in England Athletics In February, Year 8 student, Adam, attended the England Athletics Championships in Sheffield. He competed in the U15 Boys’ Heats where he achieved a new 60m Hurdles Personal Best time. Adam was the youngest in his age group. He did amazingly well in the competition, which had a qualifying standard that had to be met to allow entry. Adam didn’t expect to win any medals, but instead he went for the experience, and with the hope of gaining a new PB time, which he achieved. He ran a new PB of 9.63 seconds, beating his last record of 9.82 seconds which he did in January, in Cardiff. Adam will now be focusing on qualifying for English Schools. We wish him the very best of luck.
Chloe is a Channel Champion Year 7 student, Chloe, has swum the equivalent of the English Channel, all to raise money for charity. Chloe swam the 22 miles (the shortest distance from England to France) over a period of 12 weeks, while swim training with Dartmoor Darts Aquatic at Mount Kelly, and weekend swims at the Ivybridge Leisure Centre. So far she has successfully raised £262.00 for Aspire, a charity that helps change the lives of people paralysed by Spinal Cord Injury. Chloe said “I love swimming, so this was an ideal opportunity to do something I love whilst helping others at the same time.” 2266 SSpixotrht Form Representing Devon in Girls’ U15 Rugby The College is delighted to hear about the success of three of our students in their first match of the season representing Devon. Kayleigh, in Year 9, together with Hannah and Niamh, both in Year 10, are founding members in Girls’ Rugby, and have been with us from the very start of the Girls Rugby programme here at the College. At the Girls’ Rugby Festival at Okehampton College on Sunday 23 February, they played a variety of teams from across the South West, in both 15 and 7-a-side formats. It is very pleasing to see their hard work and dedication to the sport paying off in such a way. The Devon team brings together all of the best female players from the area so it is even more credit to the girls that their names appear throughout the match report, and detail the impact they had in Devon securing victories over other teams. Mr Kerswell, Head of Girls’ Rugby, said, “Well done girls, we are all really proud of you, and you demonstrate the progress we have made with Girls’ Rugby here at the College, and highlight the bright future the College has in continuing to develop the sport, and be the very best we can.” Ellie is Aiming for England Opportunities for all in Year 9 student, Ellie Sara recently attended an England U14 Girls’ Football Training Camp. She was among the Football Competition top 25 girls nationally in her age group being put through In February, the College hosted the their paces by the England coaches. Training included; annual U12 Belgium Cup Football coaching practices, one to one sessions and internal Competition, with local schools all small sided training games. bringing their teams. This competition is Ellie said, “I was selected for the U14 England Camp for students who haven’t had an through the Devon Football Association. My hard work opportunity to represent their school in and dedication together with support from coaches has any football fixtures yet this year. enabled me to reach the high level that I am at now. More than 40 Year 7 boys, making up I love playing the game because it’s competitive and three Ivybridge teams, participated in also it allows me to express myself on the field. I fit my this fantastic event. College work around my training, as I feel it’s essential to Two of the Ivybridge teams qualified for have a balance between the two because they are both the semi-finals, with our ‘Team A’ equally as important to me. My goal is to become a winning on penalties in the final. It was professional England Ladies’ Footballer.” a great afternoon of fun and Dave Leonard, Teacher of P.E. said, “Ellie is so focused on competition! her football and is dedicated to working hard at her game to be the best she can be. I have no doubt she can play at the highest level in the women’s game with her attitude and application.”
Follow us - @ivycomcol @IvybridgeComCol Sport 27 Students Selected for Girls Win Gold in National U18 County Tennis Junior Indoor Rowing The College is delighted to announce that In February, Year 13 student, Phoebe Lansley, and Year 12 Leighton Starkie, in Year 10, Grace Kellett, in student, Freya Waters, competed in the National Junior Year 11, and Joe Kellett, in Year 13, have all Indoor Rowing Championships. This was held at the Copper been selected for the Devon U18 County Box Arena, a multi-sport venue, located in the Queen Tennis Teams. Elizabeth Olympic Park in London. With tough competition the students have Phoebe and Freya competed in a team of eight girls, against successfully been selected as being teams from all over the country in a Relay Sprint race. amongst the top eight players in the county. The team won the Gold medal in this event, setting a new The U18 Team is the pinnacle of junior tennis time record of 16 minutes and 19 seconds, and beating the within Devon and other counties, and second place team by almost 200 metres. selection is always fierce. They will travel with the team to compete in this year’s Freya said, “Our club, the Plymouth Amateur Rowing Club, County Cup competition over a 4 day has won the Girls’ Relay Race four years in a row now. This is period. We wish them every success in the due to our immense training effort and ability to work forthcoming competitions. together in swift changeovers and motivating each other to push ourselves for the trophy.” Phoebe commented, “As the oldest Emily Competes in Winter Nationals m ember of the team, I have seen how the Emily Morgan-Hughes, in Year 11 team has changed over the years and I competed in the Swim England can still say that we’re as determined to be Winter Nationals, in Sheffield last on the top podium as we were the first time term. we picked up the handle to race the boat Emily said, “I competed in the race.” Open Women’s 200m Breaststroke. Although I didn’t get a personal best time I came 5th in my age group. This competition is extremely competitive as I am not racing against my age group; I am racing people much older and stronger than me. I am very pleased with my performance and I thoroughly enjoyed my swim and my time in Sheffield.” Political Awareness Students in Years 12 and 13 have recently had an opportunity to improve their political awareness. After researching relevant issues such as Education, the NHS, the Environment, LGBT rights and Transport - and of course, Brexit, key questions were selected for the Question and Answer sessions with local politicians. The same questions were used for both Sir Gary Streeter, the Conservative candidate and Sima Davarian, the Liberal Democrat candidate. Their answers were thought provoking and sparked quite a lot of political debate and comparisons of manifestos afterwards. Unfortunately, although invited, the Green candidate and the Labour candidate were unable to attend.
“The Sixth Former students were engaged, interested and informed throughout both sessions. I was very proud of them,” said Kim Daniel, Sixth Form Personal Development and Welfare Leader.
28 Sixth Form Sixth Form Students Gain Personal Career Insight Last term, the College welcomed former student, Joe Lloyd, who gave a presentation to a group of 20 - 25 Sixth Form students about his role at PwC, where he currently works as a Consultancy Apprentice. Year 13 student, Fran, who attended the presentation said, “It was presented confidently, through personal experience, which made it more enjoyable to listen to, as it helped us to understand his journey and the process. For me personally, it was very beneficial, as this position is similar to my future aspirations. It was very informative and all questions were answered clearly. Audience members were made aware of various opportunities in different departments within PwC, and through effective communication they were also given a general awareness of the firm and its operations.”
European Youth Parliament For the second consecutive year, Ivybridge Community College Sixth Form students have returned triumphant from the regional European Youth Parliament debate in Exeter. The Year 12 team consisting of, Eleanor Andrade May, George Flay, Emily Gitlin, James McCarthy-George, Lily Richards, Kira Tunnicliffe and Anna Wilson, spent the day at Exeter County Hall pitting their wit against five other schools from the South-West. This involved the attending schools discussing and debating issues in a civilised manner ending with a vote for whether the motion should or shouldn’t be passed. Not only did our victors successfully defend their own resolutions on combatting climate change, they also partook in a wide range of debates, covering such topics as the ongoing conflict in Yemen, encouraging young people’s interest in politics and restoring faith in the European Union.
The group were commended on their extensive research and thorough preparation, their ardent notetaking and the equal representation of the team by each member. It is due to this adjudication that the septet will travel to Liverpool in June for the national final, held over four days. From the final, there is subsequent opportunity to advance to Belgium and represent the United Kingdom.
Character Education - Courage, Honesty and Authenticity