Autumn 2018 Alumni News Issue 7 striving to improve pupils’ attendance, particularly for those from Welcome disadvantaged backgrounds, and so we have introduced a reward Welcome to Issue 7 of system reflecting our ongoing commitment to this. For every week Alumni News, our a pupil has 100% attendance, a raffle ticket is issued for a prize draw newsletter for former in July, with 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes. In our first year of this initiative pupils of Sawston Village we were supported by ‘Life on Bike’, who generously donated a bike College. This is both the as our first prize, and in 2018 ARM donated an iPad for the 1st prize final newsletter of 2018 winner. Prizes of such significant value provided both motivation and also my first as and inspiration for our pupils and were key in ensuring that good Principal of the College, attendance remained high profile within the College. If you can help having taken up this post us by donating a prize or offering support in any way, we would very at the start of term in much like to hear from you. There is a letter giving further details of September. I am, this initiative on the Alumni page of our website which you can find however, not new to the here: http://www.sawstonvc.org/alumni/alumni-news. school: I feel privileged For this edition of our newsletter we have had a look in our archives that I have already worked and have shared a few of the photographs we found there. While in the College for 13 years; knowing so much there have been many changes to the College over its 88 year about the College - the wonderful people that history, it is also interesting to note what has not changed and, in work for us and the community we serve - has addition to our original buildings, this includes our ethos and values, made adjusting to my new role far easier. which continue to remain true to the vision of our founder, Henry In this edition of the newsletter we invite you Morris, who saw the village college as at the heart of its community. to help us with our Year 11 Interview Day We have a portrait of Henry Morris in the main hall and have planned for January. (See below.) We are included this for you too in this newsletter. always grateful for any support former pupils We are always delighted to hear from former pupils and invite you can offer and we are also always delighted to to contact us with both your news and memories of Sawston Village welcome you back into school. College at [email protected]. In the meantime, we send you We further invite you to support us with our our warmest wishes for the Festive Season. attendance raffle if you can. We are always Mr Jonathan Russell, Principal Year 11 Interview Day than 20 interviewers to help. You do not need to have had a huge amount of experience in interviewing to be involved; this is more just Monday 21 January 2019 an opportunity for our pupils to engage with adults from a On Monday professional background to build confidence and resilience. If this is 21 January something that you believe you can help with, or if you would like to 2019, we find out more about what is involved, please can you send an email to would like all me at [email protected]. Year 11 Dan Burgess, Assistant Principal pupils to receive a 5-minute professional interview, with 5 minutes of feedback. The main aim of the day is to help pupils prepare for some of the challenges of applying to Post-16 centres, and also to prepare them for the world of work beyond. To make the morning a success, we need to recruit more Pupils will have a 5-minute interview with feedback. Below are some photographs from our archive. We would love to hear from you with any memories they prompt. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, visiting Prince Edward at the opening Sawston Village College. of the College in 1930.. ‘Warden’ was the initial title used for the head of school to highlight the broader community The Henry Morris Hall was aspect of the role. originally used as a dining hall and for PE. The Walnut Gallery has not changed much since 1930 and looks similar today. The portrait on the left depicts Henry Morris, the school’s founder. Henry Morris was Chief Education Officer in Cambridgeshire for over 30 years and wrote the now famous memorandum which led to the establishment of the village colleges, of which Sawston was the first. The portrait was presented to the school by the niece of Henry Morris and hangs on the We would like back wall of the main hall, the aptly named to wish our Henry Morris Hall. The portrait was painted alumni and by artist John Hookham and appears to be their families dated 1929, which would mean Henry all the best for Morris was about 40 years old at the time it the Festive was painted. Season. .