Bablake Diary

In this issueNews

Creative

Travel

Music

Action

Sport

2

4

6

10

12

15

LIONTH

E NEWS & VIEWS FROMBABLAKE SCHOOL

ISSUE 41AUTUMN 2006

Monday 27 November – Friday 1 DecemberBook Fair – School Library

Tuesday 14 NovemberAutumn Concert – 7:30pm TheatreBlock

Saturday 2 DecemberParents’ Association Christmas Fayre

Tuesday 5 – Saturday 9 DecemberSchool Play – The Threepenny Opera

Monday 11 and Tuesday 12 DecemberSenior School Carol Service

Thursday 14 December1st XV Rugby v KHVlll

Friday 15 DecemberAutumn Term ends

Wednesday 3 January 2007Entrance Examinations

Thursday 4 January 2007Spring Term begins

New Head on the blockJohn Watson began as Bablake’s new Headmaster in September. He hasmoved with his family to the Midlands from South London, where he wasDeputy Headmaster of Trinity School in Croydon. He is a Modern andClassical linguist, who previously taught at Millfield and Sevenoaks. He isalso an erstwhile athlete and rower, and is already enjoying watching themany different sports at Bablake.

He was immediately struck by the friendly and vibrant atmosphere ofthe school: “The pupils are bright and sparky. They are obviouslyencouraged to grow in self-esteem and self-confidence, but withoutarrogance or pretension. They are conspicuously happy to be here, andthat seems to apply to the staff too! A real sense of pride andpurposefulness pervades the community.”

His beginning of term assemblies were about ‘dreaming dreams’. Hechallenged pupils to dare to dream exciting dreams, both for themselvesand for others. They should believe in themselves, believe that they canmake a difference, and believe that they can change the world.

Mr Watson is excited about the school’s future: “Today’s world andsociety continue to change at a frenetic rate. Bablake is a school on themove, and we shall ensure that our pupils are both inspired and wellprepared for a life of learning and discovery.”

‘The pupils arebright andsparky. They areobviouslyencouraged togrow in self-esteem and self-confidence, butwithoutarrogance orpretension’.

Bablakenews

Bablake School2

This year, however, it was an extra special occasionbecause the Sixth Formers, who were running theevents, had stood in exactly the same place as thenew Shells, at the inauguration of the event sevenyears ago! It was also special because it was Mr.Watson’s first school occasion in his new role asHeadmaster, and we were very happy that it was aHouse event.

Once again the sun shone and great fun washad by all as each of the Shells had a go at wellywanging, netball and hockey shooting, a penaltyshoot out, a relay race and obstacle course. In factwe were very surprised that the Sixth Formersrunning the latter event, (Ben Cave, Paddy Hyslop,

Mr Neil Price has recently arrived from ruralShropshire and has happily settled into BalsallCommon and more particularly Bablake Junior School.

“Bablake is a fantastic place to be,” he said. “Ifpeople are not familiar with The Junior School,they should be aware that our school offers anoutstanding environment for young people todevelop and learn. Pupils enjoy coming to school,and are given many opportunities to acquire skillsand interests that will equip them both for theirfuture and also life in general.

Bablake Junior School is also a small schoolwhere boys and girls are nurtured as individuals.This helps them to achieve all that they arecapable of academically, artistically and on thegames field. Most of our pupils continue theireducation through Bablake until they completetheir A Levels. Throughout the school we ensurethey make the most of the outstandingopportunities that exist.

I would welcome the opportunity to showinterested parents around our school. Pleasetelephone Ruth Mohamed to arrange a visit. I lookforward to meeting you.”

Richard Perry, and Jenny Bullas) had any voice leftat the end of the morning, after all theenthusiastic encouragement they gave to each andevery competitor that undertook the course,including Mrs Yates, House Head of Crow, whocompleted the course, though not in record time!

Although the morning is an introduction tothe House system at Bablake for the Shells andtheir parents, and is all about having fun, thedifferent events are also scored, and this year therewere joint overall winners. Fairfax and Wheatleyshared the honours and were jointly awarded thetrophy by Mr Watson.

Shell Formers were entertained on October 5by a visit from award-winning children'sauthor Stuart Hill who spoke to them abouthis writing career and signed copies of hisbooks The Cry of the Icemark and Blade of Fire.

Getting a Head

Award-winningauthor visitsBablake

SHELL ACTIVITY MORNINGThe seventh Shell Activity Morning took place as usual on

the first Saturday of the new school year.

On the 15 September, 226 Prize Winners, supported by family, friends, teachers,governors and invited guests, filled the Coventry Methodist Central Hall for theannual Prize Presentation, a celebration of endeavour and achievement.

Councillor Nigel Lee welcomed everyone,especially our new Headmaster John Watson, who wasthen invited to give the Headmaster’s report.Academic, dramatic, musical and sporting successeswere applauded, as was the wide range of other extra-curricular activities provided by Bablake’s enthusiasticand dedicated staff. The commitment of students andstaff to the wider community was also highlighted,with an amazing £17,000 raised for local andinternational charities during the year.

At the start of this new era, Mr Watson stated that, as a vibrant, forward-looking school, Bablake can look to the future with confidence and excitement.

We were left in no doubt that each individualat Bablake, not just those present at PrizeGiving, will be enabled to discover and nurturehis or her individual gifts and abilities.

This was also the ethos of Bablake whenour Guest of Honour, Melissa Kite, attendedthe school. Having presented the Prizes,

Trophies and Certificates, Melissa, who is currently Deputy Political Editor of theSunday Telegraph, gave us insightful glimpses into her time at Bablake. Sheencouraged us not only to dare to dream, but also to dare to be different.Melissa’s descriptions of her current role as a journalist were engaging andentertaining. School Captains, Mark McKelvie and Kiranjit Juj, gave the vote ofthanks, which brought an enjoyable and inspiring evening to a close.

The Lion | Autumn 2006 3

This popular and successful eventwas held at the end of the SummerTerm for all the Fourth Year. Threedelegates came in to lead theseminars run by the BusinessDynamics Company, in partnershipwith the Coventry and WarwickshireLearning and Skills Council. TheFourth Year completed variousexercises designed to test theirunderstanding of the qualitiesneeded to be successful in the worldof work. Inevitably they are the samequalities that universities and we, atBablake, are promoting.

Pupils were given problems tosolve that stretched their innovationand creativity. They had to work as

ROYAL LIFE SAVING SOCIETY BRONZE LIFE-SAVING AWARDThe following pupils were successful in the examination at the end oflast term’s 10 week course and have been awarded the Royal LifeSaving Society’s Bronze Award: Mayanka Patel 2A, Amy Thompson 2A,Clare Greevy 2I, Helen Porter, 2H, Matthew Overton 3H, Will Thornhill3H, Jemma Williams 3H, Declan Jones 3H, Rory Moynihan 3B,Christopher Lee 3D, Roseanne Elkington 3L, Conor Jones 4F, MaxGoodyer 4F, Charlotte Smith 5H.

Bablake Reunitedover 1,075 membersRegister online today for regular updates on school activities, news and forthcomingevents. Just use the link on the schoolwebsite: www.bablake.com

members of a team and tocommunicate successfully, whilstshowing initiative, drive anddetermination, enabling their ideasto come to fruition.

There was a real buzz of activityand excitement when the lastexercise, building the roller coaster,occurred. Here, the laws of physicsand aesthetics, combined withpractical skills, produced someoutstanding team efforts.

Well done to all pupils wholistened attentively and respondedenthusiastically throughout the day, receiving much praise from the delegates!

Bablake prize giving 2006

KEY SKILLS AT WORK

Bablakecreative

Bablake School4

In the picture...THE ART DEPARTMENT AND THE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENTHELD THEIR ANNUAL EXHIBITIONS OF GCSE AND A LEVEL WORK,WHICH WERE ATTENDED BY STAFF, STUDENTS AND PARENTS.

THE DISPLAY OF WORK IS A CULMINATION AND CELEBRATION OFTHE HARD WORK AND CREATIVITY WHICH THE STUDENTS PUT INTOTHEIR WORK.

THERE WAS, AS USUAL, A WIDE RANGE OF PROJECTS ON DISPLAYINCLUDING TEXTILES, PAINTING, PHOTOGRAPHY, SCULPTURE,CERAMICS, PRINTING AND FURNITURE. THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF OURUPPER SIXTH PUPILS WAS FULLY RECOGNISED IN THEIR EXAM RESULTS.

ADAM FRAY (A LEVEL)

HANNAH ELLIOTT (A LEVEL)

AMANDA HUXFORD (GCSE) FRANCESCA MALHUISH (GCSE)

JENNIFER MAUDSLEY (GCSE) ELEANOR DONALDSON (GCSE)

MERVYN TASKER (A LEVEL) GARY GREWAL (A LEVEL)

LAUREN IRWIN (GCSE) SIMRANJIT ATWAL (GCSE)

CHUN HO (GCSE)

The Lion | Autumn 2006 5

This year will prove to be a busy time indeed for Drama within the school. Theauditions for the end of term play revealed a strong and enthusiastic, andthankfully, large group of talented students. A cast of thirty was chosen andthey are now well into rehearsals. The early readings and character rehearsals arevery promising, and the signs are good. The play is Brecht and Weill’s TheThreepenny Opera, and will be performed in the school theatre from the 6th tothe 9th of December. Watch out for news about tickets and dates after half term.

Next term will see the House Drama Festival, with all four Housesproducing a short play, and also our involvement in the School ShakespeareFestival. We will be performing The Tempest, and casting will take place at thevery end of term. Sixth Form students will also be involved in the NationalTheatre’s Connections Programme, performing a new play, specially written forthe project. Work on this will begin in January.

So, with a total of seven new productions this year, we are entering a veryactive period.

Last year’s production of The Merchant of Venice got Bablake and otherschools into the Guinness Book of Records!

“While I was on holiday in Ypres, Belgium, with my family in mid-August, I hadthe pleasure of listening to the Bablake School orchestra and choir in themarket square.

They were very good. In the evening at the Menin Gate, where the lastpost has been played at 8pm each evening for the past 80 years, the choir sang three solemn songs and finished with the national anthem.

At the end of the service, the very large crowd applauded them and I feltso proud to be a Coventry kid abroad.

Well done Bablake School; tears were shed by many a nationality thatnight as well as by some of the choir.”

A Coventry Resident

On the morning of Friday 23June, 24 pupils from theChorale took part in theLeamington Festival in theschool choir section. Thesingers gave a livelyperformance of For theBeauty of the Earth by JohnRutter and Five Eyes byArmstrong Gibbs, achieving86 marks and receiving acertificate for second place.The adjudicator particularlysingled out our pupilaccompanists, Michelle Jieand James Ross, whoacquitted themselvesadmirably. The contrastingprogramme was appreciated,and the performanceregarded as commendableand enjoyable in everyrespect.

Mrs Tatum would like tothank everyone who tookpart.

JENNY BULLAS (AS LEVEL DT)

JAMES PLESTER (AS LEVEL DT)

DEAN HESSON (GCSE DT)

JESS BLAKE (GCSE DT)

The Threepenny Opera

To the point

LeamingtonFestival 2006

Bablake School6

Bablaketravel

Day 1: Sunday25 pupils and three staff arrived at school at12.30am to set off on an opportunity of a lifetime.

Our guide for the week, Ragnor, met us atKeflavik International Airport and we proceeded ona tour of Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital. On our arrivalat our overnight stop, Reykjavik City Hostel, wefeasted on lasagne and then 16 of us decided towalk down the road with Mr Enstone for a quickswim in the geothermal swimming pool. Ourgreatest shock was the changing rooms, which Ithink we will always remember, as the sign in theshowers read:

‘Every guest is required to wash thoroughlywithout a swimsuit before entering the pool.Please respect this Icelandic custom.’

Day 2: MondayDespite the light coming through the curtains allnight, we all slept well and were raring to headeast into the highlands. We travelled over the onlypart of the Mid Atlantic Ridge that can be seenabove the sea. As our tour continued we began torealise why our bus looked like a 4x4. Our driver,

Siggy, took us along some rather small steeptwisting tracks (referred to in Iceland as ‘roads’),before we crossed a river. The next thing we knewwe found ourselves driving along the riverbedagainst the flow of water.

We stopped for photos of the volcano, MountHekla, before another stop to collect pieces of lavafrom a lava field. We finally found other life atLandmannalaugar where we stopped for lunch by acampsite, which had piles of rocks to hold yourtent up because the ground was simply too hard toplant pegs in.

Day 3: TuesdayGlacier day! Everyone was eager to start today’sexpedition. On our journey to the Ice Lagoon wepassed the world’s largest moraine. Despite thedisappointing weather, most of us made the mostof an amazing photo opportunity on the IceLagoon where films such as James Bond, BatmanBegins and Tomb Raider have been filmed.

As the rain got heavier we put on orangelifejackets and ventured out onto the lagoon in anamphibious boat. As we travelled around the many

IN FROM THE COLD

ICELANDEXPEDITIONDIARY 2006

The Lion | Autumn 2006 7

icebergs we looked for seals but had no luck. Wespent a whole five minutes at Iceland’s smallestHEP station (literally one room of loud machinery),which in Mr Enstone’s very own words was‘cosmic’. But we did learn from our guide that theVikings in Iceland didn’t have electricity. Our nextstop was at Skaftafell, another waterfall.

Day 4: WednesdayWe headed westwards along the southerncoastline. We each made cairns to represent ourpast, present and future, before lots of running upand down mini volcanoes as a warm up for ournext climb. We struggled against the strongestwinds we’d ever experienced. We enjoyed moreclimbing up columns on the beach near Vik whilsttaking photos of the basalt needles in the sea. Thesulphurous smell got stronger as we approached aglacier, but it didn’t put us off as we walked rightup onto its edge.

For a change of scenery, we were guided roundthe Skogar folk museum by the eccentric curator.He sang us an Icelandic song whilst playing aninteresting string instrument. At the nearby Skogar waterfall, the spray soaked us, and we tookthe 378 steps to the top of the waterfall for animpressive view.

Day 5: ThursdayOur main attraction of the day was Thor’s Wood.To get there we had to cross several rivers, whichhad strong currents due to recent rainfall andglacial melt. Before we tackled the rivers again, wetook a scenic walk up through Thor’s Wood withviews at the top of the rivers we had crossed. Onthe way back we stopped for a walk along thenarrow gorge of Stakkholtsgja, a u-shaped valleyformed by a previous glacier.

After a short bus journey, we were at anotherimpressive waterfall. This time we could walkbehind it to cleanse our souls of past bad things wehad done. Back at Reykjavik City Hostel, where wewould spend our last three nights, we were in luxury accommodation, as everyone’s room had an ensuite!

Day 6: FridayWe got on the coach ready to leave for the GoldenCircle, the classic Icelandic tour. We arrived atNesjavellir Power Plant, and then we walked in thepouring rain and strong winds along the wall ofthe North American tectonic plate. On the coachwe passed from ‘No man’s land’ (between the twoplates) to the Eurasian plate.

We then went to Geysir, the geyser from whichall are named, but we didn’t see it spout as it onlydoes so twice every 24 hours. However, we did seeStrokkur, the world’s most active geyser, spout to aheight of about 30 metres. It took some skill tocatch it on camera, especially as the rain soakedour cameras as we waited for the sudden spout.

Day 7: SaturdayWe walked along a path through steam holes andbubbling mud, before a walk onto lava that juttedout into the sea, to look at the breaking waves.Most of the group got too close to the edge, andthey got drenched! It wasn’t long before wereached the world famous Blue Lagoon, a brightblue mineral-rich geothermal pool in the middle ofa large lava field. We all enjoyed natural lumpyfacemasks and relaxed in the cloudy warm water,despite the wind and rain on our faces above the water.

Day 8: SundayIf the contrast between Icelandic and Britishsummer was not great enough, we returned toparticularly high temperatures in the UK. We alltook off the jumpers and ski jackets that we hadlived in all week and found ourselves back on theusual congested motorway, rather than a narrowtrack with no other vehicles in sight.

‘Every guest isrequired to washthoroughlywithout aswimsuit beforeentering the pool.Please respect thisIcelandic custom’

Bablake School8

Bablaketravel

BABLAKE INVADESFRANCE AND BELGIUM

At 5.30am on Sunday 3 Septemberwe assembled inside the Schoolgates and waited expectantly. Wewere not confused about when thenew term would commence; wehad forsaken the final few days ofthe summer to experience someadditional learning.

The aim of our three dayexcursion was to familiariseourselves with the conditions oflife on the western front duringWorld War One. Our guides, MikeSalt and Murray McVey, would helpto recreate the scene, entertainingus with tales of heroism but alsobringing home to us the harshrealities of war. Some of the staffhad made the trip before, but old and new alikewere eager to get underway.

Having arrived in Calais we quickly over-ranthe meagre resistance offered by the localauthorities and continued our steady progresstowards the Allied lines.

Over the next three days weexplored trenches, glimpsing thelast remnants of a system offortifications that stretched fromthe North Sea to Switzerland. Weexamined artefacts, visitedmuseums and cemeteries.

This was the sixth year that thebattlefields trip has been offered toour GCSE students and once againthey upheld the character of ourSchool.

With our invasion of mainlandEurope a success, avoidingcasualties and loss of life, we wereable to return to school in time forthe new term.

Bablake’s invasion party: Field Marshall M Salt,General M McVey, Sergeant-Major J Grantham,Sergeant-Major C Imber, Captain J Drury, Captain A Chowne, Captain C Friebe, Captain R Blattner,Captain P Tatum, Captain C West, Captain BBramley, 86 GCSE Privates.

After a long, but not so hot summer, staff and pupils from the Fifth Form were desperate

to return to BablakeGeology has this year returned to Bablakeas a full A Level, bringing lots of extrafieldwork with it.

This summer’s trips visited Derbyshiretwice, Shropshire and Park Hall at Stoke-on-Trent.

Ancient reef environments, sea floorripples and river beds choked with hugepebbles, all in old quarries, quicklycaptured the imagination of this smallgroup of intrepid staff and students.

Inspired bythe past

The FringeThe school’s production of Sondheim’s Assassins

which was performed at the Festival Fringe in

Edinburgh this summer sold out for most

performances. It proved a very successful final trip for

Mr Appleby and the Upper Sixth students involved. The

group of 29 Bablake students also saw a range of plays

themselves, ranging from classical opera to cutting

edge controversial stand up comedy. Will we go again?

Oh, but most certainly.

The Lion | Autumn 2006 9

Charitynews

The first matches against Windhoek High were atough baptism for the players, the 1st Team losing20–3 and the 2nd going down 14–0, but both werevery spirited performances against two very good sides.

The second day of matches was against MoriaSchool and Edugate Academy; this was a singlegame, that Bablake led in the first half 6–5, but, letdown by handling errors, ultimately lost 15–6.

There was then a two night stay in EtoshaGame Reserve after which we drove to thespectacular west coast and the sand dunes thatrun along the coast line.

The final match in Namibia was a 2nd teamgame against Senior Secondary De Duine in WalvisBay. The opposition were not big but were veryswift on their feet and the close game finished in adraw 12–12.

The party then flew into Cape Town andstraight to Strand High School, which looked aformidable force. The 2nd team, who were largelyU16 players on tour, won 8–0 in a very tough game.This victory led to the opposition rolling out anenormous side containing U18 and U19 playersagainst Bablake Firsts who were only U17. The team

put up great resistance but went down 36–3. Brett Chatwin, Mark Lam and Ashley Coles playedextremely well in this fixture and deserve special mention.

The second match in Cape Town againstBosmansdam High School was reduced to a single fixture because of injuries. The match waswon 12–10.

The final match was against Nianga Townshipin a very fast and entertaining game whichBablake led until the last 15 minutes; someextremely fast legs were our undoing and thegame was eventually lost 33–22.

Our visit to Cape Town ended with a visit toRobben Island and Cape Point, and a stroll up TableMountain.

This was a great tour experience which wasmade very enjoyable by the good behaviour of theplayers and most of the staff.

PLAYING THE GAME IN AFRICA

Bablake’s rugbytour to Namibiaand South Africa

BABLAKE CHARITY UPDATE

This year we are supporting ‘Send a Cow’. In thisour Harvest Term we like to think of people whoare much less fortunate than ourselves, people for whom hunger and thirst are an everydayoccurrence.

‘Send a Cow’ provides direct practical, tangiblehelp to some of the poorest families in Africa.Help has a long-term impact, enabling families tobring about permanent changes in their lives.

As I will be in Rwanda at half-term, I hope tovisit some of these projects.

ICT DEPARTMENT CHARITY NEWS

“What does happen to all the used computers,monitors and keyboards we upgrade?” This is aquestion often heard around school.

Well, the ICT department donates them to the‘Inside Out Trust’ which carries out project work in prisons.

The equipment is delivered to the computerworkshop at HMP Stafford and HMYOI SwinfenHall, where it is overhauled and refurbished. Theprisoners are skills trained in computer building;they rebuild the machines which are then sent toBulgaria, Romania, Africa and schools in thiscountry.

The Trust is very grateful to Bablake forproviding this equipment to enable it to run thisproject for inmates while providing essential ITequipment for charities in the UK and abroad.

Bablakemusic

Bablake School10

As ever, the special spirit of the school salvagedthe gig with hours to spare. The Upper Cuts (led by James Aucutt) stepped in with a rousing setof punk covers while Mike Murphy, father offormer student, Luke, donated his time andequipment, allowing us to raise nearly £200 forBreast Cancer charities.

The Estate Agents, an eclectic 4 piece, 75% of whom were ex-Bablake students, opened theevening. Cherry Bang Records, a label run byformer student, Olivia Broadfield, provided thesass for the evening with Abi Lanagan and SuzyIndygo stunning the audience with their powerfulvocals and exquisite guitar-playing.

The evening concluded with a Magic showfrom Ashley Hawkins (left 2005). His mix of cardtricks and mind magic held the audiencecompletely spellbound.

A fine evening of entertainment, everyoneagreed, and just a taster for the concert being heldon 23 Nov where Jessica Blake will be able toshowcase her fine musical talent on the samestage as professional musicians Jane Taylor, ClaireToomey and the Ten O’Clock Scholars. Tickets (£5each) are available from Mr Woodward.

BREASTCANCERGIG

An email just over 24hours before our firstcharity gig of the termleft us without aheadline band and PA system.

Bablakecareers

The Lion | Autumn 2006 11

THE TRISHA SHOW

A party of 19 eager L6th students and2 apprehensive teachers headed toMaidstone Studios to view therecording of Channel 5’s cult TVprogramme, the Trisha Show.

Thanks to Mr Sat Dhaiwal(Media4All), who has introduced aMedia Project in Bablake this term,the party had a fascinating insightinto the production of a live chatshow and the real life dramas. Withthe theme of Families at War, anumber of our students offeredpertinent, astute solutions from thefloor to the two families who hadsought advice from the show.

The party now eagerly awaits thetransmission of this particular showlater in the term.

ASDA CHALLENGE

Congratulations go to KatherineHull, the proud recipient of theKillers’ new album, as a result of hernarrowly winning the 4th Year ASDAChallenge. Eileen Hudleston, of theWalsgrave Asda store, once againstoically marked ‘Part-time jobapplications’ submitted by our 4thYear at the end of the Summer Termas part of their Careers PSHE.

MOCK INTERVIEW MORNING

Our Interview morning for the U6thnow takes place at the end ofSeptember, giving timely advice forUCAS applications and other routes,while also teaching students to viewinterviews as conversations ratherthan formal Q&A sessions. Most ofthe U6th attended the event and facedthe expertise of 76 interviewers whokindly devoted a Saturday morning tofine-tune the skills of the students.

Stephanie Gardner from theU6th enthused about the event’svalue, and offered some excellentadvice to future interviewees: “Beprepared to think on your feet andjustify your answers. Look and actconfidently even if you don't feel itbecause interviewers pick up on thelittle details. Smile and make eyecontact with them. Dressappropriately. Prepare well, knowabout current affairs and stay in thenight before!’’

The team, led by Mr Woodward, held a press conference with Jo Cameron fromthe Apprentice (pictured left), visited ETC magazine in Harrogate and contacteda number of key figures for interviews. Student Editor, Claire Baldwin, wrote afascinating article on Japanese culture and contributed one of her creativepieces. Fed eagerly by Laura Treharne, our food correspondent, keyphotographer Richard Smith and leading writers Imogen Hill, Rhea Morgan andFiona Brown were all indebted to the sharp headlines of Sarah O’Donnell andrallying of Katie Weeden. The issue can be downloaded from www.stretch-mag.co.uk and we are already planning Issue 4.

The Careers Department has developed its suggestions for how the L6th should stay ahead by producing abooklet for this year’s cohort. Students can record progress made on each of 11 key steps for staying ahead oftheir peers in and outside Bablake. The booklet will act as an aide-memoire as well as being closely surveyedbefore important applications and forming part of any portfolio taken to interview. Once completed then thebooklet will be certificated by form tutors and the Careers Department.

STRETCHING IT...The 3rd issue of our student magazine has a particular political edge

and is the product, as ever, of our L6th Work Experience week.

11 STEPS – STAYING AHEAD

‘With spirits andmorale high, everygroup crossed thefinish line – somewith blisters thesize of footballs ontheir feet’

Bablakeaction

Bablake School12

DofE ON THE NORTHYORKSHIRE

MOORS

The final part of the expedition was the dreadedde-brief by the assessors. Up until this point thegroups did not know whether they had passed orfailed. The assessors soon delivered the good news– every group had been successful. The very happy,yet exhausted (and smelly) pupils then made theirway back to Coventry for a well deserved rest.

It was up to them in their walking groups to devisea route from the start point – the whale bone archin Whitby, to the finish – Roseberry Topping in theNorth Yorkshire Moors. The route had to cover adistance of 50 miles, which the groups would walkin just four days. They also had to carefully plantheir daily menus and organise what equipmenteach person in the group would carry.

Seven months later, with A2 exams completedand University places secured, the five Gold groupswere waiting apprehensively at the whale bonearch to begin their expedition. Luckily the sun wasshining and all pupils were in good spirits andraring to go.

Over the next four days, the groups carefullynavigated their way across the bracken-coveredmoors. Some pupils had already developed blistersafter the first day, but were determined to carryon. Their external assessors sporadically jumpedout of bushes (where they were hiding) as thegroups walked by, just to make sure they werewalking the correct route!

Day four, the final day, was soon upon thegroups. With spirits and morale high, every groupcrossed the finish line – some hobbled in withblisters the size of footballs on their feet, otherseven had enough energy left to run the last 50m!

Most of the pupils have now completed thefour sections of the Gold Award and look forwardto receiving an invitation to the Palace to meetPrince Philip who will personally present them withtheir certificate and badge.

Way back in January some U6th studentswere set a veryimportant task. They had to beginplanning their GoldDofE Expedition

The Lion | Autumn 2006 13

CCF ANNUAL SUMMER CAMP

‘After being taught how to make a fire, collect water and build a shelter,the cadets began the task of making a rabbit stew!’

At the start of the summer holidays, twenty eightcadets and four members of staff set off forNesscliff Training Camp, near Shrewsbury, to begintheir week-long annual summer camp.

On the first training day the cadets enjoyedadventure training at Ellesmere Lake in brightsunshine. After passing a swim test andundergoing a capsize drill, they were launchedfrom fishing jetties in a variety of Canadian canoesand kayaks. All who took part enjoyed paddlingtheir way to the other side of the lake, where theytook part in a number of games, which guaranteedeach cadet a good soaking!

Monday was military day. After a ‘short’ jogonto the training area, cadets applied camouflagecream to their faces before spending the morningtaking part in a series of lessons. Lance CorporalTasker and Cadet Nolan proved to be excellentsnipers, getting closest to the enemy in the tankstalk. The survival stand proved to be the highlightof the week. After being taught how to make afire, collect water and build a shelter, the cadetsbegan the task of making rabbit stew! First of allthey had to skin, gut and cook the rabbits beforestripping them of their meat. After adding a fewherbs and spices – voilà! Gordon Ramsay wouldhave been proud of our budding chefs! Thecasualty evacuation was also very entertaining.Cadets had to rescue a casualty and bring him tosafety. The only problem was the large gully of verysticky mud which separated him from them. Thegirls were very gutsy and were quickly slidingdown the hill straight into the mud, where they allgot well and truly stuck! Lance Corporal Birdproved to be the group’s saviour, however, andwith judicious pushing and pulling, soon had allthe girls freed. With not inconsiderable effort andteamwork, the casualty was eventually rescuedand dragged to safety.

Tuesday was our own contingent day and, bypopular demand, we took our cadets to AltonTowers. The next day, cadets enjoyed activities at alocal paint balling centre. They were split into twoteams (naturally boys v girls) and each got a turnat being the attacking enemy, as well as playingthe defensive role. It did not take the teams longto establish their roles and they were soon‘blatting’ each other with paint. Top shot honoursmust go to Lance Corporal Raison, who managedto ‘shoot’ Sgt. Major Robson within the first fewminutes of the game. Staff are still nursing bruisesfrom the eagle eyed cadets who proved to be verygood shots. Paintballs really hurt!

Thursday was probably the most important dayon the camp: competition day. Cadets had tocomplete a team assault course, immediately

followed by a 3.5 mile route march and then a 25mshoot. Because of the very hot July weather, itmeant starting the competition at 7.00am.However, after a thorough warm up with the PTinstructor, all cadets were fully awake and raring togo. Bablake Team One made an excellent start and,after completing the assault course in record time,were soon on to the march. Team Two, led byCorporal Gardner, were next to go. They all attackedthe assault course and route march with grit anddetermination, and, after a quick breather, weresoon taking carefully aimed shots down the 25mrange. The last group to go was Team Three.Captain Hall made herself an ‘honorary’ cadet tomake up the numbers and led her team over theassault course and around the march.

Despite the tough competition, Bablake CCFwon the best overall room inspection, as well asbeing the fastest team over the assault course that year. We were also congratulated on theimpressive range shooting of Corporal Gardner, Lance

Corporals Woodward and Payne, and Cadet Dawes.On the Friday, cadets enjoyed rock climbing

and abseiling, as well as completing a series ofexciting shoots on the simulated indoor range.The shoot allowed cadets to take part in a series ofdifferent scenarios, including an ambush andvillage patrol. At all times cadets had to keep aclose eye on the video screen and take well-aimedshots at the enemy.

The final day arrived all too soon, and, onceour contingent had said their goodbyes to newfriends, it was time to head home. Congratulationsmust go to all the cadets for their enthusiasm andwillingness to give every activity 100%. Onceagain, they were all a credit to themselves and the School.

GIRLS’ SPORTThe girls quickly got back into the routine of hockey and netball training,matches and tournaments. Congratulations go to Joanne Mitchell and JessicaThompson on their appointments as senior netball captain and vice-captainand to Kathryn Brindley and Jade Payne on their roles as senior hockey captainand vice-captain.

The U14 teams enjoyed their trip to Millfield andperformed very well in netball, with a competitive14–23 loss to Millfield for the ‘A’ team and a welldeserved fifteen all draw for the ‘B’ team. At theLoughborough Festival the U12 netball team playedwell and came fourth out of twelve teams.

The U15 hockeyteam reached the semi-finals, losing toDame Alice Harpur 1-2 in the last minute.

The following girls have been selected torepresent Warwickshire: U16 NetballAcademy: Lauren Carpenter, Lara Jackson,Roxana Ziaie, Rachel Blakemore, Emily

Burns, Amy Harwood, Georgia Horn, Ella Morrell,Alice O’Connor and Shannon Thompson. U14Netball Academy: Aisling Flanagan, Emily Masonand Beth Sargent. U13 Satellite Academy: RebeccaAppleton, Aiza Asghar, Eva Ball, Ashni Desai,Clare Greevy, Louise Poole, Victoria Aldridge,Ashleigh Green and Erin Hushon. U17 Hockey:Lauren Boon, Lucy Horn, Jodie Neale, Holly Payne

and Abigail Rewhorn. U15 Hockey: Rachel Hollinrake, Rebecca Sewell and RoyaZiaie. U14 Hockey: Aisling Flanagan, Georgia Horn, Jessica Horn and AliceO’Connor. Well done to all.

Many girls are involved in Midlands hockey: Jessica Horn in the U15Development, Rebecca Sewell in the U15 Performance and Lucy Horn and HollyPayne in the U15 Squad. Both Lucy and Holly have been training hard for theNationals, held in half-term at Millfield.

Congratulations go to Jennifer Gardner onrepresenting the West Midlands in the pole vaultevent at the first United Kingdom Schools Gamesheld in Glasgow at the start of this term. After theirsuccess last term, the U13 tennis team of OliviaBattle-Welch, Roseanne Elkington, Georgia Horn andRebecca Wells, have made it to the Regionalknockout section. They have been drawn against StMartin’s, Solihull.

Bablake School14

Bablakesuccess

CONGRATULATIONS GO TO

The Chorale, for coming second in the school choirs section ofthe Leamington Festival.

Jamie Stefaniak, for gaining one of the five top marks nationallyin five of his GCSE subjects, a remarkable achievement.

Someit Sidhu, Lee Harrison, Jodie-Leigh Angus and AmarpalJandoo, for winning the Midlands section of the Shares 4 Schoolscompetition, and for being placed third nationally. Theyincreased the value of their shares by 20% over a six monthperiod. They have donated their prize money of £100 to CancerResearch UK.

Brothers Paul and Mark Best, on outstanding performances forWarwickshire cricket: see separate article.

Philip Walker, on competing for the Great Britain sailing team inthe British, European and World Championships during thesummer. His boat was placed third at the Worlds in the SilverFleet, behind USA and Argentina.

The intermediate girls and the junior boys, on becomingAthletics Coventry Schools Champions, and winning through tothe Midlands finals.

The U14 and U15 rounders teams and the Girls’ U14B tennisdoubles team, on winning their respective tournaments.

The U14 and U15 Boys’ hockey teams on a so far undefeatedseason.

Declan Jones, Oliver White, Alex Popplewell and WilliamKenney Herbert, on representing Warwickshire in U14 hockey.

The U14 rugby team for remaining unbeaten since March 2005.

Brett Chatwin and Ryan Birch, on representing WarwickshireU18s in rugby.

Dominic Ainsworth and Robert Thomason, on representingCoventry at the Children’s Games in Bangkok.

The numerous girls (see separate article) who have been selectedto represent Warwickshire or the Midlands in netball or hockey.

Lucy Horn and Holly Payne, for being selected to play for U15Midlands hockey at the National Regional Junior Championships,held at Millfield at half-term.

Jennifer Gardner, on representing the West Midlands in the polevault at the United Kingdom Schools Games.

U13 Netball

U12 Team in action

U15 Hockey Team

Lucy Horn and Holly Payne

Jennifer Gardner

BOYS’ HOCKEYThe Boys’ hockey teams have made a great start to the term. New hockeymanager, Mike Johnson, is delighted with their attitude, commitment andenthusiasm for the sport and is looking forward to developing their potentialwithin the game. The 1st XI has made a sound start and continues to trainhard to improve. The highlight so far has been an excellent match againstWarwick School. A fast end-to-end game finished in a narrow 1-0 defeat.

So far, both the U15s and the U14s are unbeaten. Highlights include the U15s 3-2 win against Warwick School, four goals scored by Philip Catherall (4H) for theU15s in a 6-2 win against Princethorpe College and four goals scored by DeclanJones (3H), for the U14s in a 10-1 victory, also against Princethorpe College. TheU13s have also shown promise with one win and one defeat.

4 boys have represented Warwickshire at U14 level: Declan Jones, Oliver White(both 3H), Alex Popplewell (3C) and William Kenney Herbert (2I). Ronan Jones(Shell G) has also been selected aspart of the development squad.

BABLAKE RUGBY100% records for the 2nd XV andthe U14s.

There has been much to celebratein Bablake rugby over the first half-term. Two teams, the 2nd XV andthe U14s have maintained a 100%record, whilst the 1st XV has lostjust one match, a narrow 14-5defeat to Nottingham High School.The 2nd XV has built on thefoundation of a number of SouthAfrican tourists together with anumber of talented Fifth Yearpupils. They have played with paceand skill to record some big wins.The U14 team is now unbeatensince March 2005 and continues torecord big scores, playing withathleticism and determination.

The Lion | Autumn 2006 15

A number of boys have been successful in gaining representative honours thisterm. Brett Chatwin and Ryan Birch have represented the County at U18 level.At U16 level Robert Thomason, Dominic Ainsworth, Daniel Jack, AdamSimmonds and Sam Bristow were all selected for Coventry. Kai Hartshorn, AlexMyers, Max Goodyer, Harry Gogarty, Toby Donaldson and Kristian Ostrowskiwere all selected for the Coventry U14 team. Our congratulations go to all ofthese boys.

DOMINIC AINSWORTHDominic reached the EnglishSchools Athletics Finals atGateshead for the 100m. He finishedfifth in his semi-final and thereforereached the ‘B’ Final. He alsorepresented Coventry in theChildren’s Games in Bangkok alongwith Robert Thomason. Dominicreached the semi-final of the 100mand was part of the Coventry teamthat came fourth overall in the4x100m relay. Robert was also amember of this relay team andreached the final of the high jumpcompetition.

PAUL BESTPaul Best recently represented theMidlands Cricket team at theBanbury Festival. Despite averaging 73 for the tournament, he unfortunatelydid not make the final England U15 Squad. He captained the Warwickshire U15team throughout the season. He also played for the U16s in one game scoring101, and for the U17 Team, in 3 games, scoring 113. Paul was also selected toplay for the County U19 team. He was one of the first players to be selected forthe U19 as an U15 age group player since Ian Bell, nine years ago.

During the season, Paul has also played with success for the Leamington 1stand 2nd teams, as well as the U16s Club who reached the finals of the LordTaverners Regional Cup. He is now about to start his second winter as aWarwickshire Academy player.

MARK BESTMark Best is following quickly in his brother Paul’s footsteps. He opened thebatting for Warwickshire County U11s throughout the season. Mark producedthe highest number of runs ever scored in a season by a Warwickshire U11player. He captained the Bablake Junior School U11 team that won the CountyHardball Competition and also captained the Leamington U11 team whoreached the Final of the Warwickshire Club U11s competition. Mark hasrecently represented Bablake Senior School Cricket teams at U12 and U13 levels.

Bablakesport

1st Xl in action

2nd XV versus KES Camp Hill

Dominic Ainsworth

Bablake 1st XV versus King Henry Vlll 1st XV

Thursday 14 December 7:00pm

Coventry RFC – Butts Stadium

Tickets: adults £1.00, pupils free

I have quickly discovered that Bablake is a very exciting place! Ithas been delightful to see the look of eager expectation and sheerenjoyment on the faces of our new Shells, as their imaginationsare fired in the classroom, or as they partake of the numerousextra-curricular or house activities in their first few weeks. I havealso witnessed the care and encouragement of staff and of ouroldest pupils, as they have nurtured our new intake. The UpperSixth are preparing for the next chapter in their lives, and I havebeen most impressed to read about their numerous and variedtalents in their university references. I am sure they find it hard tobelieve that they will soon be leaving Bablake.

Such are the energy and vibrancy of our community, that half-term is already upon us as I write, and a huge amount has beenachieved by many individuals and groups, in myriad ways. There isalso much to which we can look forward, and challenges willundoubtedly abound. It is therefore vital that we live experiencesto the full, committed to the cheerful hard work and dedicationwhich are the prerequisites of success.

In any education, there must also be space for quieterreflection, as we seek answers to those important questions aboutourselves, about our lives, and about our existence in relation toothers, both at Bablake and in the wider world. Many of thebroadening and deepening experiences narrated in this newsletter,coupled with the PSHE programme and other opportunities bothinside and outside the classroom, help our pupils on the nextstage of this essentially ‘spiritual’ journey.

‘Carpe diem!’ (‘Seize the day!’) is sound classical advice to allof us as we aim to make the most of opportunities, and to supportothers through difficult times in their lives. This is the spirit of Bablake.

I have now met many of you in numerous contexts, and Ithank you all for the warmth of your welcome. Please indulge meif I ask your name a second or third time; it is a formidable task fora new headmaster to get to know his nine hundred pupils andtheir parents! However, I look forward to working with you all, aswe ensure that Bablake continues to move forward and to thrive.

John Watson, Headmaster

STAFF NEWS

Miss Rachel East leaves at the end of this term, to become Head ofA level PE at King Henry VIII School; we wish her every success inthis role, and thank her particularly for her contribution to Girls’hockey. She will be replaced by Miss Vanessa Hawkins, who isalready working on Wednesdays at Bablake. Miss Hawkins is agraduate of Bath University, where she studied SportsDevelopment and Coaching. She has coached hockey at Royal HighSchool, Bath, and Repton School, and has herself played hockey tointernational standard.

Mrs Jane Price (Head of Home Economics), Mrs Pat Goodyer(Head of History) and Mrs Felicity Chapman (English) will all retireat the end of this academic year; they are all long-servingcolleagues who have made a very significant contribution to thelives of Bablake pupils. Their replacements will be announced inforthcoming newsletters.

Mrs Judith Smith has been appointed to teach German andFrench during the maternity leave of Mrs Helen Billings. Mrs Smithhas a Modern Languages degree from Exeter University. She waspreviously Head of German at an Essex school, and has morerecently taught at Trinity School in Leamington Spa. She has livedin Switzerland, the United States and Turkey. We wish Mrs Billingswell, and look forward to hearing good news in due course. Mr RobJeanes has been appointed as part-time General Assistant, to helpwith daily minibus maintenance and caretaking.

ACADEMIC NOTES

This summer’s public examination results again placed Bablakeamongst the highest performing selective schools nationally.

At A level, there was a 100% pass rate for the fourthconsecutive year, and the proportion of A grades exceeded 50% forthe first time. Over 80% of grades were at either A or B, and thevast majority of students have proceeded to their first choice of university.

On the basis of these results, we are again likely to be placedamongst the very top value-for-money schools in the country. AtGCSE, all pupils again gained 5 or more passes at grades A* to C,with many individuals celebrating personal triumphs.

Jamie Stefaniak deserves special mention for gaining one ofthe five top marks nationally in five of his subjects, anunprecedented achievement for a Bablake pupil. Appeals haveresulted in upgrades for several pupils; the most spectacular (andworrying) was in GCSE ICT, where 112 of the 131 candidates wereupgraded by one grade.

We still await the outcome of another appeal, but a currentfull analysis of both A level and GCSE results is attached to this newsletter.

Bablake School16

STAFF NEWS & ACADEMIC NOTESHEADMASTER’S NOTES

Bablake School, Coundon Road, Coventry CV1 4AU

T +44 (0)24 7627 1200 F +44 (0)24 7627 1290

E info@bablake.coventry.sch.uk W www.bablake.com

Designed & produced by Mustard: www.mustardhot.com

Bablakeupdate