Ely College students visit children and teen cancer wards after an epic ‘12 Hours of Sport’.

Twelve students from Ely College were selected to be part of a special trip to Addenbrooke’s Hospital today (19^th) to offer holiday cheer and gifts to children on the cancer wards after sweating for 12 hours to raise money.

The students all participated in the ‘12 Hours of Sport’ event, which gives Key Stage 3 students at Ely College the opportunity to raise money on behalf of the Malcolm Whales Foundation (MWF).

Students arrived at the college before 7am and worked solidly for 12 hours in the gym and fitness suite, raising over £2000. Staff were very impressed with the dedication and effort shown, but also the leadership qualities that shone through on the day as students supported each other and steered their own pace to keep each other motivated. Mr Patman, PE teacher at Ely College and trustee of the MWF said “While we like to keep it interesting for them by facilitating games and different sports, this year students really stepped up and worked exceptionally well together.”

For going above and beyond, twelve students were invited to take £500 of the money raised and become elves for the day. They visited the C2 children’s oncology and haematology ward in Addenbrooke’s to deliver sacks full of presents, board games and puzzles that would benefit the ward for months to come and help to put a smile on poorly children’s faces this Christmas.

Year 9 student, Josh Lawrence, said: “A lot of kids are going through painful treatment now so they can spend recovery time at home for Christmas. It was nice to play a game of Connect 4 with them and put a smile on their face. They were so grateful for the gifts, as were the nurses at Addenbrooke’s.”

Ely College will continue to cherish their link with the Malcolm Whales Foundation and we look forward to next year’s fundraising efforts with the Dorset Walk in July. Any other local schools keen to join us for our 12 Hours of Sport 2018, are welcome to contact Mr Patman via the college.

Students at Ely College share their fascination with Rubik’s Cube puzzles and compete in House challenge

A common interest in Rubik’s Cube style puzzles has led to students collaborating in a friendly inter-House competition to speed solve this classic toy.

A maths lesson in cubed numbers with Mrs Goodey at Ely College shed light on a popular hobby shared by a number of students: “It was lovely to see passion and confidence in students as they shared their hobbies linked to maths and problem solving”. In their spare time, Year 7 Cameron Lamb and Year 10 Oscar Barter, push themselves to speed solve different types of Rubik’s Cubes. Both have competed in national competitions and their teacher was keen to help them share their hobby after they impressed their class mates. Demonstrations have prompted some friendly competition and the possibility of starting a ‘Session 6’ afterschool club.

Session 6 at Ely College extends the learning day to 4:15pm for students who wish to stay for after-school activities or additional curriculum assistance. Enrichment opportunities like inter-house competitions and extended curriculum day, including PLEDGES and Futures Days, allow students to explore leadership and personal skills that can be taken into their adult life.

 

 

Fourteen Year 11 students from schools across Cambridgeshire gathered in Westminster last Thursday night for the grand final of Lucy Frazer’s Parliamentary Inter Schools Debating Competition 2017. 

The competition final was judged by BBC special correspondent, Lucy Manning. 

The motion debated in the final was ‘this house would legalise all drugs’.  Arguments on both sides were well considered, well articulated and persuasive.  

The finalists, all winners of their school’s initial in house round, were representing Ely College, Soham Village College, King’s Ely, Bottisham Village College, Impington Village College, Linton Village College and  Witchford Village College.

Lucy Frazer MP reacted to the evening saying, “When I first came up with the idea to hold an inter school debating competition, I could not have known that I would have so much support and positive feedback from all the teachers who make the competition possible,  giving so much of their time to helping organise the students. Four years on, the level of commitment and calibre of debating is clear to see and I am glad I was not the one judging as it was so hard to choose a winner.  I hope everyone involved, including all the students who didn’t make the final, have gained a taste for how exciting it is to have the confidence to speak in public and that they will take this forward with them as they continue into higher education and the workplace.” 

The winning students were Katie and Ellen representing Soham Village College and Ely College respectively.

They agreed this accolade was a great end to the winter term and a nice early Christmas present! 

Katie said “It was a really great opportunity and really exciting to get into the final. I'm thrilled to have won and had the chance to visit parliament”. 

Ellen added “After working on these debates in school, we were all excited to enjoy the culmination of our hard work as we visited Westminster last Thursday. We entered the House and being there in person, in this iconic building, was very inspiring.  It has given me some strong aspirations for the future.  There was some hot competition and great debaters with a lot of experience.  I’m just so grateful for being offered this opportunity. I enjoyed the feeling of a debating environment and seeing how the House of Commons works; gaining an insight into the diversity of voices.  I had never done anything like this competition before, this is a new skill which I am keen to build upon.  We have discussed the potential for a Debating club which I’m sure would be well supported in school.”

Also present at the debate were representatives from the charitable organisation ‘Debate Mate’ whose philosophy that debating skills are the key to social mobility, higlights the importance of initiatives such as this.  

Lucy has involved Debate Mate at the initial stages of the competition for the last few years. Debate Mate organised a training day for students selected by schools in the constituency, sponsored by Marshalls of Cambridge.  

Representative Alex Dugan said,  “It was fantastic to see the progression in the students, from the first debating session in September to the final on the 7th December. Everyone spoke with confidence and brought some very interesting arguments, particularly when analysing the potential effects of drug legalisation on the NHS. We hope that they all carry on debating, and continue to develop the critical thinking and public speaking skills that debating develops.”

Bishop Laney Sixth Form’s newly appointed Student Council visited Ely Cathedral on Wednesday for the first stage of training in their new roles.

The Student Council visited the Cathedral as its staff set up for the annual Christmas Food Fair. During their visit, students gained an insight into the steps of organising and running a large scale event, gaining skills they can now implement as they organise future events at Bishop Laney Sixth Form.

During the day, the Student Council saw each stage of setting up and the importance of teamwork in creating a successful event. They took part in a mock committee meeting, where they were able to help make important decisions and learnt to consider different viewpoints. They also learnt how to take responsibility as a team for organising and planning an event, the etiquette of working in a team and had an introduction into the types of functions that can be run.

Adam Steels, leader of Bishop Laney Sixth Form said: “We are delighted to have been able to re-establish the Student Council at Bishop Laney Sixth Form this year. We feel it is a vital aspect of the student experience and provides the opportunity for the students involved to take responsibility and organise events, benefitting not only their fellow students, but the Sixth Form as a whole and the wider community.

“The time the students invest and the skills they develop are recognised through the PLEDGES Plus Scheme we run at Bishop Laney Sixth Form. The scheme recognises students for their involvement in extra-curricular activities which enhances their employability and the skills needed at university.”

Sydney Owen, Chair of Bishop Laney Student Council said: “We would like to thank Ely Cathedral for inviting us along for the day. It was really informative and hands-on and we have learnt so much that we can use in the planning and hosting of our own events at Bishop Laney Sixth Form. It has really helped us to bond as a team and we are excited for the year ahead where we will be working with other students in the school to organise a calendar of events they would like to take part in.”

The council comprises of 10 representatives with responsibility for a range of areas including student support and welfare, as well as coordinating students’ charitable contributions. 

Bishop Laney Sixth Form is now taking applications for its September 2018 intake. They offer a range of A Levels, technical, applied and professional qualifications at Level 2 and Level 3. If you would like to find out more information about the Post 16 provisions on offer at Bishop Laney, please contact reception on 01353 652818 or visit the website www.bishoplaney.org

 

Ely College young thespians tread the boards and gain crucial life skills in world’s largest youth drama festival.

Last week students took to the stage at the Mumford Theatre in Cambridge to perform an abridged adaptation of Shakespeare’s ‘The Comedy of Errors’.  They joined young people from across the UK to take part in the world’s largest youth drama festival this autumn, run by Shakespeare Schools Foundation.

The cultural education charity has recruited over a thousand schools across the country to perform as part of its annual Festival. These students are the latest cohort of a record 280,000 young people to have participated in the Festival since it began. 292 performance nights will take place throughout the UK between 16th October and 8th December. After months of preparation, Ely College students made their community proud as they bravely stepped onto the Mumford Theatre stage to a paying audience.

   

The experience can give young people confidence and self esteem to last a lifetime. Ely College student, Sam, who took one of the lead roles this year, said: “I have made a lot of friends around school now and am a lot calmer and happier. I have learned that there is nothing to shy away from. I am proud of what we have achieved.”

Other students added: “I was so nervous on a professional stage but now I just want to do it again and again.”   “It was a great experience, but it was challenging to learn so many lines, and olde English ones at that!”  “Working as an ensemble member was demanding, any slight movement out of place would have been noticed.  It’s taught me how important team work is!”

Kolade Agboke, drama teacher at Ely College, said: “At the College, we work hard to provide a wide variety of opportunities for our students, ensuring they have high aspirations for themselves and go into the world as well rounded individuals capable of anything. Over the course of the night our students showed that they have these skills and more as they took on a complex Shakespearian play and made it funny and accessible to their peers, whilst retaining the dialogue and atmosphere that a paying audience fully appreciated. Their hard work shone through and they made us all proud.”

   

Taking part in the Festival leaves a real legacy. SSF Chief Executive Ruth Brock says: “Every workplace needs people who are confident and can work as a team and every community needs people who can get on with other people of very different backgrounds. Taking part in the Festival teaches these things - and, crucially, it helps young people make friends and have fun.”

Ms Seymour, Head of Drama at Ely College and Mr Agboke are determined to continue this legacy and are planning for a repeat performance of the Comedy of Errors at Ely College, Needham’s Hall on December 14^th.  Tickets will go on sale later this month. The Festival brings over 65,000 people from the local community to the theatre. Of these, 43% say they had never been to their local theatre before. Join these students for another great show!