STAFF REPORT May 2014 Lisa Lewis Joanna Varnava Support Staff Governor Teaching Staff Governor Geography AS Geography Fieldtrip 16th to 22nd 2014 to Preston Montford Field Studies Centre, Shropshire All 136 AS Geography students spent 4 days at Preston Montford in Shropshire in two different trips over the week 16th to 22nd March 2014. The trip is a vital part of the AS Geography course and prepares students fully for the Unit 2 Geographical Investigations Exam in May. Students on the trip had a great time assessing the success of the food-based rebranding of Ludlow and also completing a flood risk assessment of Shrewsbury using GIS and mobile tablet-PCs. Students also complete a practical activity testing the flood impact of a range of surfaces and monitoring, recording and forecasting the weather during the trip. In the evening there is a programme of „compulsory fun‟ social activities which students have really enjoyed taking part in! A great deal of Geographical learning has taken place and hopefully students are now very well equipped to tackle the fieldwork questions in the upcoming unit 2 exam, and also they know their fellow geographers much better! Bilborough College Ski Trip 2014 to Folgarida, Italy A group of 31 students and staff travelled to Italy and spent a wonderful week skiing in the beautiful Italian Dolomites over the February half term break. The trip included 4 hours of expert ski lessons per day from the Italian ski school, a range of fun evening activities and plenty of opportunities to sample the tasty local cuisine. A great time was had by all and the students made a great deal of progress with their skiing – some students went from absolute beginner to parallel skiing in a week! Full details of the 2015 ski trip will be available very soon – look out for this and sign up to secure your place for February 2015 to Bormio! Page | 2 Bilborough College Expedition to Slovenia 2014 Final preparations are now well underway for the College Expedition to Slovenia in July 2014. The teams have now planned their itineraries, raised most of their trip funds themselves and made preparations for their two voluntary projects. The projects will include helping restore some WWI bunkers and relics around the town of Kobarid and also helping a remote rural community with some ecology and tourism projects, including re-opening a footpath from Slovenia into Italy! The teams will also be white-water rafting along the Soca River and completing two hiking phases in the beautiful mountains of Slovenia. A new expedition programme is planned for 2016 - more details will be available after the summer. Student Quotes ‘The trip allowed me to make new friends and have a better understanding of Geography. Before I went on the trip, I wasn't keen on Geography and it confused me, but now I feel a lot more confident. The trip has stopped me worrying about the Unit 2 exam.’ ‘I felt that the compulsory 'fun' was a good activity as you were able to talk to new people and also have fun within the groups. It was nice in the way that you were able to talk to some new people. I also felt that going out to do fieldwork was good as we were able to see for ourselves what the areas were like and also being able to ask our own questions and discover our own ideas.’ ‘I also thought that compulsory 'fun' was a good idea as it bought people together who would not usually mix in college.’ Page | 3 ‘I thought the standard of teaching and the equipment provided were particularly good. I feel like I learned a lot on the trip and I feel more prepared about my exam. I also think compulsory fun was a good end to each day.’ ‘I thought that the fieldwork was great fun, and definitely helped me to learn about fieldwork and research techniques for my upcoming exam. Yes it was hard work, but it will definitely be worth it when it comes to our Unit 2 exam in May! Thanks to all the staff at the centre and those who came with us, it was fab!’ Simon Holland Teacher of Geography Oxbridge On Wednesday 19th March a group of Oxbridge hopefuls met with some current undergraduates from Peterhouse College, Cambridge University to enable them to ask questions about courses, student life and making a successful application to Cambridge University. This was part of Cambridge University’s widening participation programme. Emma Walkers Teacher of German and Oxbridge Co-ordinator Page | 4 Bilborough students visit France, Germany and Spain A group of students studying French, Spanish and German spent a week in the countries in question on European exchange visits in February and March. The 22 students studying French stayed in Wissembourg, a small town in Alsace, and were hosted by French students from Lycée Stanislas and stayed in their homes experiencing the French family life and way of living. The students also had a day trip to Strasbourg, the home of the European Parliament. A group of 22 Spanish students spent a week in Cáceres staying with their Spanish partner‟s families from our partner college “Brocense”. The students had a trip to the beautiful National Park of Monfragüe and spent a day in an authentic Spanish fiesta in a small town called Malpartida. A group of 19 students studying German spent a week in Berlin in March. The students were hosted by German students from our new partner college Georg Büchner Gymnasium. Outside the family life Bilborough students got to practise their German in the classroom attending lessons as well as in the many activities the German hosts had arranged including bowling. The students also spent a day sightseeing in Berlin, visiting the main sights such as Checkpoint Charlie, the Berlin Wall, the Reichstag and the Brandenburger Tor. The 3-day work experience placements played a big part of the exchange visits. The students, who found the work experience placements highly rewarding as well as fun, worked in nursery and primary schools being a big hit with the small children. Katrina Straw European Liaison Officer Page | 5 Maths 14 AS and A2 maths students attended Maths Inspiration at the Nottingham Playhouse on Friday 21st March. Maths Inspiration is one of the largest maths enrichment programmes for teenagers in the UK. It's a chance for Year 11s and sixth formers to experience the UK's most inspiring maths speakers live, in big venues, presenting mathematics in the context of exciting, real-world situations. They really enjoyed the show with talks on Cracking The Code, Facebook and The Hidden Connections, and Weird and Wonderful Maths by inspirational speakers. Chris Watts Assistant Curriculum Manager - Maths Page | 6 Student Support Services Wednesday 12th March was No Smoking Day. Along with an interactive display including a jar of smokers tar and a model of a blocked artery, students and staff who smoke were offered the chance to test their C02 levels and estimated lung age. This proved very popular and was successful in starting conversations with students about how to quit smoking. Once again we collected tins, packets and jars of in-date, non-perishable foods in for the local Bilborough and Broxtowe community foodbanks. There are many families struggling to support and feed their families – mainly due to redundancy, ill health and reduced hours of employment. Over the last half term holiday alone this foodbank helped to support 16 families with meals, and food supplies are always needed. Five year 13 students have been nominated for a Helena Kennedy Foundation award. If successful the students will receive a bursary to help support them financially through university, as well as mentoring, training opportunities and work experience placements. The students were nominated for their commitment to studying through adverse situations, which have included homelessness, disability and depression in addition to severe financial hardship. They will find out whether they have been successful towards the end of May. Page | 7 Get involved in this year's Nottingham City cycle challenge! Register here: http://thebigwheel.getmeactive.org.uk/users/register?org=697 under 'Bilborough College' workplace > log your cycle/walking miles from the 7th April for 3 months > win prizes! It couldn't be simpler! And on top of the prizes already available Sarah from Sustrans is also offering up a prize for the most committed staff and student at the college. Plenty of reasons to get cycling and walking this Spring! Questions? Email [email protected] or phone 07876 711618, alternatively check out this section of the website: http://thebigwheel.getmeactive.org.uk/content/about . Please note, leisure miles can be included so you can get logging miles over the Easter holiday! Like to cycle to college but not got the confidence? Contact Sarah about FREE cycle training. ...lets see how many miles we can clock up! National Citizen Service (NCS) Daniel Grishin – Year 12 Bilborough Student NCS is a government backed program designed for 16-17 year olds to develop skills for life. The government spends around £1000 per student and it only costs £40. The program last 4 weeks and consists of four phases and each student is in a group of 15 students. The first phase is a residential Monday to Friday where students camp or stay in a youth hostel then take part in outward bound theme activities including rock climbing, kayaking and team building activities. Page | 8 Phase two is another residential Monday to Friday where you stay in student accommodation such as at Nottingham University.