2005-2006: A look back
Welcome to the look back on the academic year 2005-2006. Please use the links below to navigate through a range of stories from last year.
Download a list of school governorsIntroduction by Alison Horne
Dear Parents
It seems incredible that yet another year has passed since I last put pen to paper. Once again, an amazing amount seems to have happened in a very short space of time!
We have had several long-serving governors come to the end of their terms of office during this year. Their commitment and expertise will be badly missed but we are in the enviable position of having been able to replace them with other talented volunteers. Our new governors are full of energy and enthusiasm, and are already making a significant contribution to the governing body.
The school also lost 50% of its senior management team at the end of last year. Karen Morgan and Helen Holman have gone on to further promotion in other schools, and Neil Spurdell has taken a sabbatical to travel round the world with his wife and four young children! Again, we have been fortunate to replace them with very able new additions. Along with our other newly appointed staff, the school can look forward to standards of teaching and leadership continuing at the highest level.
This section would have something wrong with it if I was not to mention yet more improvements to the school site! We have added new art classrooms, new science labs, and additional office space over the last twelve months. Add to this the great improvements to the outdoor space, plus the extension to the dining area, and the end result is a superb social and learning environment for all our pupils.
I am certain we can all look forward to another productive year ahead! Thank you for your continued support.
Best wishes, Alison Horne, chair of governors
Tributes to Laura and James
Laura Edwards
Laura Edwards was an inspiration to so many people, young and old, in so many ways.
Always the life the soul of every party and social event, Laura was someone who everyone wanted to be friends with. Her utter strength, determination, unique spirit and charisma touched everyone who knew her and so many who knew of her.
Diagnosed with chronic myloid leukaemia, Laura was never one to complain. She faced her battle with incredible courage and bravery. With the support, love and dedication of her remarkable family, medical team and friends, Laura embarked upon the most challenging journey of her life. Any obstacle she faced along the way she “took the bull by the horns”.
She fought tirelessly and lived each and every day of her journey with utter focus and determination. Life dealt us all a cruel blow when Laura was taken from us – she will always be here with us; her spirit giving us a legacy of hope and inspiration.
Sophie Isaacs
Whenever I think of Laura, the most amazing image comes into my head. I think of her laughing and her beautiful smile that was just so infectious. She was an outstanding person and I really am proud to be able to say that she was my friend. When Laura was first diagnosed with leukaemia, she knew that she had a long battle in front of her, but not once did that ever stop her from thinking of anyone else or keeping her chin up. Laura made such an impact upon Charlton Kings as a community and Balcarras as a school. She thrived in school, often without knowing it, and really gave inspiration not just to those who knew her but everyone to excel and achieve their goals. Laura will always be remembered as a courageous, compassionate and a kind-hearted girl.
Abby Pearson
Laura Edwards was not only a pupil at Balcarras school, she was a best friend to everyone who knew her well. She inspired her friends, other pupils, parents and teachers. Laura was braver than most adults have to be throughout their lives.
When she walked into a room her smile would brighten it up. She would never put herself first. She would make sure everyone else was happy before she would even consider herself. Laura is missed and loved by a great number of people. She will never be forgotten.
Amy Taylor
James Chacko
James Chacko was a member of 9 Ottewell 2, but was diagnosed as suffering from an inoperable brain tumour while in his first year at Balcarras. Although his time in school was limited, he loved being with the friends made via his tutor group; school was something he always looked forward to. He was a witty young man, whose patience and wisdom were something we will all remember, and he always put others before himself. In and out of school, he was determined to try his best in those lessons he was capable of attending, even when he found it difficult. His visits and e-mail messages put into practice the values taught to us beyond the formal curriculum – to be kind, to work together, to think of others, and to make every moment count.
The most vivid example of this was his desire, realised by the Make a Wish Foundation, to hold a party for all his friends at Warwick Castle in November last year. There were many smiles that day, but James’ generosity humbled us all too. He is much missed, but will always be remembered.
Gayle Bennett, 9O2 tutor
Farewell to three long standing governors
This summer saw the terms of office end for three members of the governing body who have made considerable contributions to the school for many years.
Carol Wardell became a parent governor in 1996, just as Mr Healy took up post. She took a leading part in discussions about the sixth form and was one of the original committee overseeing the introduction of vocational courses. As her daughter moved from Year 7 to Year 13 and then university, Carol took a keen interest in all pupil issues and was an active member of the Admissions, Curriculum and Discipline committees.
David Pierce joined the governors in 1991 expecting to serve for four years and stayed on for fifteen! As partner and head of corporate and family business at Hazlewood’s, his financial acumen was crucial as the school took up Grant Maintained status soon after his arrival. For several years he was Responsible Officer, overseeing all the financial processes in the school, and has continued as a critical friend on the Financial committee throughout his period of office.
Vera Thompson bids her farewell to the school in the piece below. She has served in a variety of roles, the last one being Chair of the Curriculum Committee.
The contribution made by each of the three over so many years has been invaluable and we send them both our deep appreciation and our best wishes.
“My term as partnership governor finished on 31 August and I decided not to stand again after about 15 years with the school as a governor under various titles, through numerous stages of school governance reform. I have been privileged to be part of this enterprise for such a long time and feel that I have perhaps earned the right to make a few comments on my experiences.
I first joined the governing body as a parent governor, motivated by a desire to have a say in the standard of education that my children were receiving. Balcarras has always had many strengths but was at that time transforming itself from a secondary modern school into a comprehensive school and had yet to develop the ability it now has to cater for the needs of children of widely different academic abilities, interests, ambitions and talents and to challenge all of them to achieve their very best.
It has been exciting over the past 15 years to witness this transformation at close quarters. Many factors have contributed: strong leadership, the appointment of many able and enthusiastic staff members, the creation of the highly successful Sixth Form, the focus on getting the basics right, critical self-analysis of performance, injection of funding through Technology College status, to name a few. Some courageous (but responsible) decision –making by the governing body has also played its part.
As a firm believer in comprehensive education, I was active in the campaign in the 1980s for a fully comprehensive school system in Gloucestershire. It is very pleasing to see the comprehensive ideal so well realised at Balcarras, and reflected partly in the striking real term improvement in academic results. Having achieved this level of academic excellence, the school has also begun to refine its ability to cater more effectively for diverse talents and needs and I believe that continued efforts in this direction will allow Balcarras to become even more successful in the future. I shall continue to watch its progress with great interest.
I would like to give my best wishes and thanks to all the staff at the school. I have always found everyone very open, welcoming and inclusive and have thoroughly enjoyed my association with them.”
Vera Thompson
Appointing new members of staff
This year the departure of several valued teachers, including both deputy heads and the head of sixth form, as well as one of our longest-serving teachers, Dilys Jones, our site manager Garry Pargeter and Balcarras stalwart, school secretary Marjorie McClenahan.
First of all, the governors would like to pay tribute to the contribution made by all those people to the school, which has been immense. All will be greatly missed.
Parents will be interested to know the process by which teachers and senior leaders are appointed. We try to make this as effective and scientific a process as we can.
To appoint a teacher, an ad is placed in the Times Education Supplement. This costs around £500 - £800 depending on the size of the ad.
Information is available by post on request, or can also be accessed on the school’s website, as can the application form. Applications then begin to arrive, in varying numbers according to the subject – we are pleased with ten for maths but might have as many as fifty for history, art or PE.
In teaching, references are taken up prior to shortlisting so we know quite a lot about candidates before they arrive for interview! All arrive together at 8.45 and the decision is made at the end of a long day of interviews and activities. The morning is spent in a tour of the school, teaching a lesson, meeting key staff and brief interviews on both teaching their subject and on being a tutor. At lunchtime, all the evidence is shared by the interviewers while the candidates have lunch with the teachers in the department they are hoping to join. Formal interviews of about 30-35 minutes follow in the afternoon and by 6 o’clock we hope to have a new colleague. Sometimes, however, it can take longer because a choice has to be made, somehow, between two or even three outstanding candidates.
Appointing a deputy head or a head of sixth form includes all of the above, plus other exercises and assessments. These will usually include a presentation, an appearance before a panel of pupils and an assembly. It may also involve a session working on a current issue with the senior management team. The programme takes two days and at the end everyone is exhausted but a crucial appointment has been made!
This year there was a steady stream of adverts and interviews from January through to June as we recruited fifteen new teachers, as well as two particularly important support staff members. The contribution of governors, who take part in all appointments, was crucial and they bring a vital added dimension to the selection process.
Chris Healy, headteacher
Catering
The much heralded healthy eating regulations, which came into force in September, has coincided with Harrison’s Ltd being awarded the new catering contract at Balcarras. Harrison’s are a family run business based in Thame, Oxfordshire, who have been committed to healthy eating in schools for many years.
Currently, all food products are made on the premises, including biscuits and cakes and everyone is encouraged to buy a wholesome two course main meal. There are no crisps, chocolate, or carbonated drinks available in school and all vending machines, except a Fair Trade one dispensing tea and coffee, have been removed.
Fresh fruit, fruit salads, freshly made sandwiches and baguettes, hot Paninis, bacon rolls and a range of healthy snacks and drinks are available at breakfast, break and lunchtime. There is plenty of variety for vegetarians; indeed, these options have proved so appetising that demand has sometimes outstripped supply. Chips have not entirely disappeared from the menu but have become an occasional delicacy appearing no more than once a week.
To enable the new home cooking style of catering to be managed efficiently, we will be totally refurbishing the kitchens, in stages, during the next twelve months. This, together with the extension to the dining rooms completed in January will bring all our catering facilities up to a high standard and fit for purpose. Our aim in partnership with Harrison’s is to provide an environment at Balcarras where healthy living is encouraged and where every pupil can buy good wholesome food at a reasonable price.
Ian Davidson, assistant headteacher
Site improvements
Once again the school has benefited from almost £300,000 worth of improvements this year. All the corridors have been re-decorated, some rooms re-carpeted and the sixth form has been fitted with additional lighting and air conditioning.
Our rolling programme of creating extra social areas saw a new path around the astro turf, a revamped pond area and an improved playground with extra seating and, soon to be installed, mature trees. In the region of 600 metres of low level fencing has been erected to both protect grass areas and provide extra seating for the pupils.
The ever expanding staff has necessitated additional provision of office space. Two new offices have been created in the sixth form and a careers room is soon to be constructed along with a new lift in one of the stairwells in block 3.
New signage has been positioned to help direct visitors to the key areas of the school.
Kingpins Badminton Club and Sara Roylance have managed to acquire new lighting for the sports hall by successfully bidding for a Sport England grant. This has created perfect conditions for not only badminton but also a wide range of indoor sports.
The gymnasium changing rooms and toilets have been re-furbished, bringing them up to the standard of the sports hall.
Phase 1 of the new art block is now in use and provides excellent facilities. We look forward to the final handover at Christmas.
Andrew McClelland, assistant headteacher
PTFA
The Balcarras School Parent Teachers and Friends Association has had a successful year in furthering our aims to support the school and help parents feel more involved in the life of the school . The most memorable event was probably the Midsummer Music evening in June, a great showcase for the talent in the school and good fund-raiser as well. The quiz night was, as ever, very popular and successful.
We also support various productions and other music events in the school. As in past years there have been curriculum evenings and a parents’ information evening - this time on drugs awareness. We have plans with the school for more such events in the coming year to help parents understand what the children are learning.
Money raised this year has been used to support the sixth form ball and the music department
For the first time we had a role in Sports Day and we hope to build on this in the future. We are now committed to raising money to help fund improved sports facilities in the school through the Fit4life campaign and have so far identified £6,000 toward this project.
Adam Moliver, chair PTFA
Charities
Characteristically an altruistic vein of generosity again coursed through Balcarras School last year. Parents, pupils and staff all helped to support many needy causes. Not least was the Pakistan Earthquake Appeal for which over £2,000 was raised quickly.
Donations of £2,500 each from the sponsored walk were presented at the Christmas assemblies to International Children’s Care and The Thomas Charles Trust, while £500 was donated to the local charity Holiday Support for Children.
Cake sales have been held in support of the Breast Cancer Campaign while staff all donned something pink for the same cause and raised over £150.
Operation Christmas Child is an annual success with 150 shoeboxes sent off this year. The Philippines Trust is also supported by one tutor group through the sponsorship of a child, while the Heart Foundation and cancer charities have featured strongly in the fund raising. A cake sale for Macmillan nurses again raised a considerable sum while the Poppy Day and Red Cross collections were to the fore. ‘Make A Wish’ fundraising has continued to roll, helping to support the bereaved children’s charity, Winston’s Wish.
The sheer amount of time and effort contributed to all the activities is commendable, not just because of the money gallantly raised but also from the perspective of the educational value and enhancement of the lives of our pupils who are reaching out to the wider, often more needy world.
In total, nearly £15,000 was raised in Balcarras for a variety of good causes, therefore sincere thanks is owed to everyone who helped so magnificently.
Mary Flood, charities co-ordinator
Balcarras Sixth Form
September 2005 saw 276 students in the sixth form, maintaining our size from the previous year’s rise in numbers. As last year, about 25% of our new Year 12 were from other schools, with Winchcombe and Pittville again sending us a large cohort of excellent students. Our retention rate was very high, with just 17 students deciding not to continue into Year 13.
Almost as soon as the year began, we had an Ofsted inspection. We were delighted with the sixth form’s contribution to the ‘outstanding’ classification awarded to the school. Below are some extracts from the inspection report, about our sixth form:
o “The sixth form is outstanding
o The curriculum, which includes both academic and vocational courses, is timetabled…to provide all students with a considerable range of choices.
o Students benefit from ……access to very good resources, a highly supportive environment and regularly supervised private study… it is no surprise, therefore, that they achieve very high standards.
o Teachers’ enthusiasm for their subjects makes for inspirational and exciting lessons. Students rightly say that this makes sixth form teaching quite exceptional.
o A very good PHSE programme looks at confidence building, sexual health, diet, nutrition and staying safe as a young adult.”
We continue to be convinced of the direct relationship between our results and our system of supervised private study. The new computers installed last year have been a real success and raised even higher the standard of facilities available. As usual the art students spent a great amount of their study time in the art studios to progress their coursework, which culminated in another fantastic exhibition towards the end of the year.
A level results were again strong. Our Year 13s, who had lost some ground in their AS results, more than made up for this in their excellent A2 results, achieving an average point score of 317.5 per student. 50% of all grades were A or B, and 74% were A, B or C. At the other end of the spectrum, only three students were awarded a disappointing U grade. We continued to run a one-to one mentoring system for those students who were struggling, or under-achieving in some aspects of their studies. Our AS results were the best ever, with an average of 182 points per student.
The vast majority of students went on to university, spreading their wings as far as the USA on sports scholarships, as well as the ever popular ‘local’ universities such as BUWE, Warwick, Bristol and Gloucestershire. Although our ‘Oxbridge’ numbers were down from five last year to one – Max Lozinski started Archaeology and Anthropology at Cambridge - we are seeing a consistent increase in the number of our students gaining places at the top universities, like Bristol, UCL and Warwick. Our art department shone in the national stakes, with two of the five top performing A level students in the country coming from Balcarras – a truly outstanding achievement! Motorsport engineering proved a surprisingly popular choice for students this year; business management courses featured as strongly as ever and eight students took up art foundation places. Six students decided to take a Gap year. For the 12 who eschewed further education for employment, the weekly visits from our connexions adviser, Angela Wingard, proved most helpful.
We strengthened our pastoral system of care by arranging for a counsellor from SHARE to come into the school once a week. This service is entirely confidential and although set up for sixth formers originally, it has quickly become a whole school resource. The personal and social development of students stays a very high priority for the sixth form. Our Futures and PSHE programmes add to the one-to-one tutor interviews, careers advice and mentoring to help our students leave Balcarras as confident and successful young adults. We were delighted that our annual feedback questionnaires from the students once again made clear that the majority find their time with us productive and enjoyable. Nonetheless we do not sit on our laurels and the feedback is used to undertake a thorough review of our practices every year.
Although the teachers might have been exhausted from Ofsted, the students had enough energy to enjoy a variety of extra-curricular opportunities. Skiing, theatre trips, the increasingly loud house music competition, (sixth formers keep a fierce loyalty to their old ‘House’) and the drama production of ‘Grease’ all informed sixth form life. Another World Challenge Expedition started its planning, this time with 46 students – more than double the last two trips - going to India in 2007. The number of students working towards their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award continues to grow and the current group will complete their award next year. 
It is becoming a sad repetition to report that yet again we were robbed in the final heats of the Bar Mock Trial, but we are determined that one day we shall prevail! However, our In-Tuition business group saw off all comers to take the County Cup in the Young Enterprise competition. Work shadowing is a very valuable taste of the employment market and careers, and the Year 12s worked very hard to make their week ‘on the coal-face’ rewarding and useful. Our thanks go to all the employers and individuals involved. Our Wednesday games lessons were enhanced by golf and power-walking as well as the more traditional sports. We were however, sorry that the sixth form social committee did not take off this year and hope for a successful re-launch next year.
A number of departments once again organised very stimulating trips – although the new customs regulations to enter the USA were quite exasperating for the business students en route to New York! The raised awareness that the history trip to Berlin always brings was brought into sharp relief by a visit from Leon Greenman, a concentration camp survivor and we are extremely grateful for the time he spent with our students.
The sixth form tutors continue to be a source of strength and support for the sixth formers. The tutorial system is crucial to the successful running of a large sixth form, not least as the tutors are at the forefront of our constant drive to improve our 95% attendance rate still further. If there is one single issue that works against all our efforts on behalf of our students, it is the disappointing number of parents who still insist on taking family holidays in term-time. Their son or daughter is put under considerable pressure on their return with the amount of work to be caught up, as well as completing new homeworks. Parents are asked regularly not to plan holidays in term-time, but the lure of cheaper holidays can still seem to outweigh the potential cost to their child’s education.
Towards the end of the year, the school had to plan for a significant number of staff changes. In particular, our Head of Sixth Form, Miss Morgan, was offered a post in Bristol, managing a consortium of sixth forms – and she got married as well! We wish her every success in the future and she will be sorely missed, even though we have appointed a worthy successor – Mr Neil Baxter takes over the mantle of Head of Sixth Form from September 2006. He will be ably assisted by Mrs Rebecca Atkin, who becomes Head of Year 13 and Mr Peter John, our new Head of Year 12. Mrs Woodford remains in post as sixth form administrator.
Helen Woodford
Comenius Project
We have now reached the end of our three-year Comenius 1 project entitled “TeenageIdentityinEurope.com” funded by the European Union through the British Council and Socrates.
For the project, we were linked with:
o Marco Polo School in Fabriano in NE Italy
o Karlbergsskolan in Köping, near Stockholm, Sweden
o Collège Villejean Malifeu, Rennes, France
During the first year from 2003 to 2004, most of the work was concerned with Year 10 forming links with fellow students through letter writing, sharing of experiences of their lives etc. The work was organised through Louise Young and other members of the Modern Languages Department.
During the second Year, Mr Healy, Mr Tamlyn and Mr Smith visited Köping with fellow teachers from the Comenius partner schools. Some highlights of the Swedish school system:
o Teachers are responsible for giving the students their final grades
o Lessons are optional!
o Classes are small (rarely greater than 20)
o Each tutor group has two tutors
Next we did a healthy eating project with the mathematics (Mr Coombs and Mr Smith) and science (Mrs Kedge) departments getting involved. Students and teachers did two bleep tests, one month apart. All students recorded their eating habits for a month. Some decided to ‘go healthy’ whilst others kept the same diet for this period. We shared our results with our Comenius partners and analysed results form the different schools.
At the end of 2004, we visited our partner school in Rennes where our French hosts organised a full itinerary including a formal reception in Rennes ‘Hôtel de Ville’ with the deputy mayor and a tour of a local F.E. college.
Also during the second year, students from Year 8 interviewed members of their family (three generations) about their opinions of the food they eat and how it has altered over the past few decades. The results of these interviews were shared both via tapes, videos (digital and analogue) and written questionnaires.
To mark the end of the second year we held a conference at Balcarras. All project members brought teachers and student representatives, who stayed with host families. Students met for a two- hour lesson/meeting at school and spent the majority of their time with host families. Many teachers at Balcarras offered their ‘taxi’ services and helped make the guests feel welcome. We would also like to express our thanks to the parents who offered assistance as host families. The Comenius teachers and pupils were given an audience with the very-newly-appointed Mayor of Cheltenham.
The final year started with our sixth formers getting involved for the first time. Miss Iskra also worked with her Year 11 students on influences in our society. Students completed presentations and essays in French and English. November 2005, we met in Fabriano to compare the projects. Representatives from Year 11 and the sixth form came to share the contrasting cultural experience.
For the final phase of the project, partner schools looked at different aspects of Europe in the future: Italy chose Education, France – the Media and Sweden – the environment. At Balcarras, the project ran for the final part of the year and involved approximately 35 Year 9 and 10 students who volunteered to take part in during lunch times and after school. Recruiting was done through a promotional assembly. Students were invited to produce a vision of how they saw the London 2012 Olympics. They could produce a board game, video, posters, 3-D model, computer simulation, essay, or plan drawings of their vision. The project was run as a competition with the winners (Mike Hindle, Laura Jeffries, Alicia Sutton-Jennings, Sam Cooper and Robert Kingscott) taking a trip to Sweden to share their work and meet fellow partner school students. On our return, the students spoke about their trip in a school assembly. They were also able to share their experience of being on Swedish television!
All students and staff involved in the project have found it a thoroughly rewarding experience. The students who have certainly had their eyes opened to Europe and I am sure their perspectives have been altered for the better. During visits, host students have been able to share their lives and schools with their peers. The comments from staff have been similar to those of the children and visits to other schools have provided us with fascinating insights into the different education systems in place throughout Europe. It has been a pleasure to have taken part in such a wonderful venture.
Kieron Smith, Comenius Project leader
Sports Development Manager's Report
Balcarras continues to be a successful member of the Cheltenham School Sports Partnership (SSP) and has excellent links with the seven primary schools within its cluster: Naunton Park Primary, Holy Apostles’ Primary, Charlton Kings Junior, Charlton Kings Infants, Coberley Primary, Glenfall Primary and Andoversford Primary. There has also been a substantial development with links to local sports clubs. Pupils who have attended ‘taster’ sessions of non-curricular sports are now more likely to continue their interest within an established club outside school.
The range of activities continues to expand; a junior recreational badminton club and a table tennis club were both new to this year’s options, and a one-off taster for cheerleading was particularly popular. It will certainly feature in 2006-7 as a lunch time club.
This year we were proud to have our pupils representing Balcarras in local competitions for golf, table tennis and girls’ football. In fact it was the third time in four years that our girls represented Cheltenham at the Gloucestershire Youth Games; sadly this year we didn’t win, but it was not due to lack of effort or enthusiasm on behalf of the girls.
Information about the Cheltenham SSP and Balcarras can be found at www.sscocheltenham.org.uk
The primary schools within the cluster have enjoyed some excellent tennis and dance coaching this year. The latter was evident at the second Balcarras Dance Festival that was held in June, where pupils from all seven cluster schools were able to perform, from reception to Year 6. The variety of dance on show was quite amazing and the pupils certainly enjoyed the opportunity for a non-competitive celebration of their talents.
To round off the summer there was an all day Top Link Sports Festival for Years 5 and 6 pupils, organised by a dedicated group of Year 10 Balcarras pupils. The morning was spent with a selection of activities with everyone having a go at Kwik Cricket, then in the afternoon there was a cricket tournament. Everyone went home having had a wonderful day, but exhausted!
Finally, the community use of Balcarras Sports Centre is almost at full capacity especially during the busy hockey and football season. The Astro pitch is one of the best in the area and is in much demand, to the extent that a waiting list is in operation for clubs hoping to make this their home ground. Also, the range of activities in the sports hall continues to grow. As well as the well-established badminton, basketball and indoor football clubs, there is now a very successful Saturday Sports Club for 4-16 year olds, Mini Tennis and we can even host Go Kart Parties for 4-9 year olds!
Sara Roylance, sports development manager
Physical Education Department
The end of the 2004-2005 academic year saw Mr E J Luscott retire as Head of Department after 20 years’ service to Balcarras. The PE Department would like to wish “Eddy” a happy retirement in his gite in France. Miss L McCarthy became Acting Head of Department for two terms until Mr M Harvey joined at the start of the summer term. Miss McCarthy was then appointed to her new position as Head of Foley House. Miss S Clemow also joined in September and brought the department up to six full time staff.
The Physical Education Department would like to thank the following staff and parents who helped with teams throughout the year: M Dean, P Downing, L Robinson, K Smith, C Healy, E Baker and S Ratcliffe.
Girls' Achievements
All the girls at Balcarras were given the opportunity to participate in extra-curricular activities during their lunchtimes and after school. These activities included netball, hockey, tennis, rounders and athletics. Participation levels were high for all clubs resulting in the emergence of at least two strong teams in each year group for each activity. One hundred and eighty nine games were played in total and teams were entered into the schools county tournaments for their respective sports.
Each age group and sporting activity produced good match results but certain year groups were extremely skilled and the season was very successful. Some of the highlights included:
The Year 7 rounders team had a good start to their rounders career. They came 4th at the schools’ district rounders competition.
The Year 11 and Senior hockey teams– were outstanding. Both teams were 3rd in the county schools’ tournament and were the best placed state school.
Cricket
This summer saw the introduction of girls’ cricket. They won all their matches and Fiona Brunt and Anna Houston were selected to play for Hatherley and Reading Cricket Club in a match against Scotland U13 girls.
Athletics
We also had a good season on the track and field, retaining our position in the first division for both the Minors and Seniors Athletics Competitions held at The Prince of Wales Stadium.
Outstanding Individual performances
Hope Saunders, Sian Evans and Samantha Cook. Samantha continued on to gain 4th position at the English Schools’ Championships.
The school’s lunchtime practices and after school clubs combined with community links ensures that the girls at Balcarras have the opportunity to compete at the highest levels.
This year Balcarras School has once again seen girls gaining representative honours in their chosen sport.
Netball
U12 Netball satellite Academy – Adele Holder, Emily Coote, Jenny Lewis, Clarice Elliot-Berry
Under 13 Netball Satellite Academy – Jemma Jones, Laura Masling
Under 14 County squad – Samantha Cook, Alisa Hickey
Hockey
Under 15 County squad – Shona Pratt, Sian Evans
Under 17 County Squad – Ruby Coulston Jenkins
County Athletics Squad – Sian Evans, Emma Slee, Grace Thompson, Samantha Cook
The P E staff at Balcarras are extremely proud of the girls’ sporting achievements and wish them continued success for the future.
Boys' Achievements
Extra–curricular sport thrived both at lunchtime and after-school. Activities available included basketball, cross-country, football, rugby, athletics, cricket and tennis. Clubs were well attended and the school produced strong teams. Over 150 fixtures were played.
Basketball
The Year 9, 10 and 11 teams again entered the Cheltenham and District leagues. Year 9 have a good mix of height and speed and look a promising side having lost just one game, their first, through lack of experience. Year 10 had a disappointing season and lost all but two games - a lack of attendance to practices was a major factor. Year 11 has been a real success story, improving beyond all recognition since Year 9. A very hard working team throughout their time at school, they finished strongly winning all but two of their games.
Cross-Country
All year groups entered the District Championships. Years 8/9 and Years 12/13 won their respective age groups.
Football
Years 8-11 all played in their respective leagues. Year 9 reached the semi-final stage of their competition. Year 10 reached their final where they lost to St Benedict’s 1-0 in a tight final. The 1st Xl completed a full fixture list reaching the semi-final stage of the County Cup where they lost to the eventual winners Cleeve. Individually, Craig Holder represented Gloucestershire at U16 level, while Craig Baker, Matthew Masling and Tom Russell played for the U15 District team. Felix Elliot-Berry played for the U14 District Team.
Rugby
Alec Brittain and Matthew Moliver were selected to play for the Cheltenham and District U15 Developmental Squad. The 1st XV showed promise for the next academic year. Fielding a very young team they put in some strong performances throughout the autumn term.
Athletics
Athletics was a real success during the summer term. Year 9 led the way being placed runners up in the District Championships. Year 7 were a respectable 4th in their competition while there were many praiseworthy individual performances in Year 8. Individually the following boys won their respective events – Jake Flowers (800m), Jacob Salter (800mB), Charles White (1500mA), Raff Scagnomelio (1500mB), James Courtney (Hurdles and Shot), Felix Elliot-Berry (100m and Long Jump), James Slee (Pole Vault) and Leo Gadsby (Hammer). Charles, Felix, James Courtney, James Slee and Leo went on to represent Gloucestershire in the National Finals.
Cricket
Jake Flowers played for Gloucestershire at both U12 and U13 level. Harry Oates and Mark Cooke represented District. Tom Ratcliffe, Robbie Baker, Joe Conway and Seb Hawkins all represented County. Year 9 won all their fixtures and look to be a very promising team for the county cup next year. Ollie Gibbs, Tom Coote and Tom Collinson all represented district in their age group. Alec Brittain and Craig Baker both represented district.
Tennis
A full Years 7-10 inter-school fixture list was established with weekly fixtures played over an eight week period. The Year 7/8 team demonstrated a high level of skill throughout the season winning the majority of their matches. Year 9/10 could only win a limited number of matches but always played with determination and commitment.
Kielder Challenge
For the first time we entered the Kielder Challenge. The Kielder Challenge is a national competition for teams of eight pupils from Years 8 -10 from each school. Four must be able bodied and four with disabilities. We took part in the regional heat at Crickley Hill. The pupils took part in a number of teambuilding tasks and points were gained on their success in planning, communicating, working as a team and finally evaluating their performance as a whole.
Everyone had a fantastic time despite heavy downpours all day. We were pleased to come 2nd in the heat and thrilled to hear our score registered in the top 20 nationally. We will definitely enter a team again next year and hope to improve on our result.
Physical Education Department
Modern Languages Department
The modern languages department was as busy as ever last year. We entered groups in both the French and Spanish speaking competition held at Beaufort School and in February we once again hosted the Spanish sixth form day to which schools came from all over the county to participate.
The Modern Languages Chamber Choir, along with several of our A-level language students, sang in the carol concert at Holy Apostles Church. We sang a French carol: “Noel Nouvelet”.
Three members of the languages department have also been working with a variety of local primary schools promoting language learning from an early age, and they have been received with enormous enthusiasm. Sarah Kelly has even been involved in training primary school teachers on the delivery of French. Soon modern foreign languages will be compulsory subjects at primary level.
There was also a good deal of travel opportunities. The Year 7s were given the chance to visit St Auban sur Mer on the Normandy coast. They sampled French food and tried out their French in the shops.
A group of 43 Year 8 students went to Barcelona, visiting the famous arena Nou Camp, sampled tapas on La Rambla and had a fantastic time in Port Aventura. In addition several sixth form students took up the chance to participate in a work experience visit to Spain.
The trip to St. Petersburg was another highlight. Twenty-five students from Years 8 to 12 flew off for five days and gained some experience of Russian life, history and culture. They visited the Hermitage and Peterhof Palace, shopped on the Nevsky Prospekt and learnt to barter with the market sellers.
Some of the senior pupils went on the Homestay trip to Paris and Reims. They were staying with French families and it was a great opportunity to learn more about French life and culture. There were visits to Reims cathedral and the Mercier champagne house. One day was spent having a look around Paris……but the highlight for most students was a lovely sunny day spent in Disneyland.
Lucy Evans, head of modern languages
Music
This year has been another successful year in music. The House Music competition was once again a lively competition with hundreds of pupils in the school taking part in a friendly yet competitive atmosphere. Ottewell were walking one thousand miles to victory in their Wellington boots at their Glastonbury style festival. October also saw another successful PTFA music night which went with a bang. Primary liaisons were strengthened by the innovative concert given to Charlton Kings and Holy Apostles primary schools. This event gave Balcarras pupils the opportunity to perform in the autumn term. The Senior Orchestra, Jazz Band, Junior Jazz, and some sixth form items offered a rich experience for all involved. Three songs were also arranged so the primary school children could sing with the accompaniment of our orchestra.
Grease was a huge success for everyone in the department. The show was put on in an incredibly short space of time but proved to be equally excellent. Very soon afterwards the soul band was off to Cheltenham Racecourse to perform during Gold Cup week.
The summer term saw the music department as a hive of activity while students prepared for the Picnic in the Park, a five-hour richly-filled musical evening. Ensembles ranging from string orchestra, junior jazz band, brass group, year seven and eight choirs, solos duets, a battle of the bands competition, and senior bands all came together to show the range of activity that has been taking place.
Elizabeth Hayes, head of music
Science
2005/6 was another busy year for the science department with the usual round of trips and visitors. Year 7 were involved in the Cheltenham Science Festival in June, taking part in workshops and visiting the Discover Zone. Year 8 had a fabulous day at @Bristol visiting the Wildwalk, Explore and IMAX and we took Year 11 on our annual trip to London to the Natural History and Science museums.
Sixth form activities continued with the biology field trip and a physics trip to Nympsfield Gliding Club, both visits forming part of the students’ studies. Year 13 physics students visited Birmingham University to carry out workshops in materials engineering as part of our partner scheme with the Institute of Materials and Mr Clancy had Year 12 students working with Stavros Popadopolis of Alan Dick as part of an engineering competition. This involved several hours of collaborative design work and a residential course at Leicester University.
Science Club continued to attract good numbers last year and will take place again this year so we hope to see lots of pupils from our new Year 7 joining in.
We celebrated record SATs results from Year 9 in May with over two thirds of pupils achieving a level 6 or 7 and we have increasing numbers applying for sciences in the sixth form.
In 2006/7 we look forward to bringing two new science labs on line, which will further improve our facilities at Balcarras and we can welcome four new members of staff to the department: Mr Sentance, our deputy head will be teaching science; Miss Taylor is our new biologist; Mr Heppell will be also be teaching biology and Mr Bell is our new physics technician. We wish them all well.
Karen Foster, head of science
ICT
The academic year of 2005 to 2006 was an exciting one for ICT. In October Mrs Hughes and Mr McLaughlin took a group of Year 11 ICT GCSE students to Holland to the European Space Agency. They visited the EXPO centre in Noordwijk. Here they were lucky enough to see work being carried out on the new ESA satellite system called Galileo. This really was a fantastic opportunity for pupils to take their experiences of ICT out of the classroom and see highly sophisticated and advanced technology first hand. Alongside this was the opportunity to practise a little Dutch (dank u wel), take a canal trip in Amsterdam and enjoy the sandy beaches of Noordwijk. A great time was had by all.
The Year 12 AS ICT students had an equally exciting opportunity. They took a trip to Disneyland Paris to take part in various lectures about the use of ICT in all aspects of Disney’s business from animation software and computer aided theme park design to hotel booking systems and rollercoaster safety mechanisms. After this pupils were able to enjoy the rides themselves safe in the knowledge that they were monitored constantly and that computerised safety devices were in place. 
Again the trip was greatly enjoyed and the content of the lectures was closely linked to their exam, so it was extremely beneficial too!
This academic year we have a completely new department. Miss Charlotte Rubringer takes on the role of Head of ICT after moving from Deer Park School in Cirencester. Miss Julie Preston, an experienced teacher from Sir William Romney’s in Tetbury has also joined the department full time and Mr Luke Perry has joined both the Business Studies and ICT Departments. The team are very enthusiastic about working at Balcarras School and as well as carrying on many of the exciting ventures that have previously existed in the department, they wish to introduce new ideas too. So far, we have seen the introduction of a new course at Key Stage 4 (Edexcel’s DiDA) and a new lunchtime animation club which has proved so popular, we have had to introduce a second weekly session.
Charlotte Rubringer, head of ICT
Drama
1] Take a measured selection of public performances as follows:
o An Inspector Calls,
o Bouncers,
o Stones In His Pockets,
o Oh What A Lovely War,
o 100,
o The Devil In Drag,
o The Pillowman,
o Oedipus Rex,
o Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
2] Add Grease
3] Mix with 10 GCSE and A level Improvised Exam pieces
4] Season with a series of Year 10 PSE performances to Year 9
…And…that’s the recipe for another busy year in the drama department!
In 32 or so school weeks plus ‘bits’ of holidays and weekends, we [staff, students, and a few parents too!] all worked together to deliver a wide range of fare for our generously appreciative connoisseurs!
There’s never a dull day in the ‘drama kitchen’, and, when we’re not preparing entertainment morsels, we’re busy doing our best to make our exam results rise!
In all aspects of the recipe, this was a memorable year. We were delighted to play to so many packed houses – both in the Hall and in the Studio. The support from families and friends was a massive boost to student performers, and was reflected in the great exam results for practical work at every level – GCSE, AS and A2. Big ‘thank yous’ are also due to my colleagues Rachel Steckbeck, Gayle Bennett and Cherise Osolin who shared teaching loads and directed ‘100’, ‘Devil In Drag’ and ‘Charlie’ respectively. Cherise and Rachel have both now left Balcarras but their legacy in terms of student development and achievement lives on.
Of course, none of this would have been possible without the efforts of some other pretty important people…All students worked hard last year and it was a great pleasure and privilege to work with such committed, supportive and conscientious pupils – well done everyone!
Overall, drama was amongst the top performing subjects at all levels in 2005/06. Now with increased time in Key Stage 3, another new studio space, the largest ever intakes in Years 10 and 12, and a great new full time drama specialist joining us – Mrs Marie Hood, there seems plenty to look forward to in the year ahead.
‘Where next?’ you may well ask… as we move our School Production to a more seasonal locale…
How about the Land of Oz? Hope to see you on the Yellow Brick Road!
Tony Bennett, head of drama
The Great Shakespeare Debate
The Shakespeare Institute in Stratford ran the first ever Great Shakespeare Debate in February 2006. The aim of the event is to allow sixth form students from around the country to develop both their debating skills and their knowledge of the Bard’s works and life. Students had to make a formal application to be a part of the event, explaining why they felt they would be the best students to take part and what they might gain from it. Despite very stiff competition, James Wilson, Edward Brown and Joe Watkins were invited to take part in the two day event.
Over the course of the two days, the students met the other teams, learned about playwrights in the Renaissance, received intensive debating tutoring from students at Oxford University and Shakespeare Institute academics, and even received lessons in rhetoric as Shakespeare himself would have done at school. Students debated a wide range of topics examining the villains in Shakespeare’s plays, his views about women, how love and war are presented and the relevance of such plays today. Having only 30 minutes to prepare for each debate certainly meant that students learned very quickly to work as a team and to formulate their ideas effectively under pressure.
After the first day, students were taken to see a performance of Miller’s The Crucible at the RSC theatre and then returned their traditional Stratford B+Bs for the night.
In the debating competition, the boys started off strongly, easily winning their first round and only losing to the eventual winners, Stratford Girls’ Grammar. The final took place that evening in front of many members of the press and the Mayor of Stratford. It was an exciting and challenging event that the students will remember for a long time.
(Picture, Gloucestershire Echo)
Heather Richens, English department
TES Newsday
Once again budding journalists in Year 10 came together to meet the challenge of producing a full newspaper in just a day. A slightly smaller team than in years past quickly demonstrated their skill and enthusiasm. The Inquisitor - The voice of Balcarras was an outstanding publication. Peter Ryan and Elli Baker worked particularly hard, making some tough editorial decisions and ensuring the team met the 5pm deadline without falling out.
The TES day is always a long and industrious one but the team were once again rewarded for their efforts. The Inquisitor was ‘Highly Commended’ and the team invited to The Palace of Westminster to collect their certificates. This was a less exhausting day and we celebrated the success of the students with a flight on the London Eye.
Heather Richens, TES Newsday co-ordinator
Duke of Edinburgh
The Duke of Edinburgh Award continues to grow, particularly in this year that has celebrated the Golden anniversary of the Award nationally. Our Gold participants enjoyed a great weekend of celebrating at Berkeley Castle in June as part of national celebrations, with the event counting towards their residential section.
Within school the Gold Award has grown rapidly and we have a strong cohort currently going into Year 13, who should complete awards before they leave Balcarras, the hard tasks of the expedition and residential having been completed by most already. The Year 12s have a lot to live up to!
The Bronze Award remains successful at Balcarras, with yet again over 40 pupils involved in the scheme in Year 10 alone. The range of skills studied continues to amaze and challenge and also inspire. The pupils enjoyed a challenging expedition weekend this year when it failed to stop raining for the entire duration – some may have had their enthusiasm dampened! Although others showed real fortitude in adversity and can’t wait to join the Gold groups having already completed Bronze. A fantastic effort by all involved. Well done.
Vicky Bull, Duke of Edinburgh co-ordinator
Salt Lake City
The slopes of Salt Lake, Utah are a dream come true for both skiers and snowboarders and the opportunity to travel to this destination really was “once in a lifetime”. At the start of April 2006, as the rest of Balcarras finished for their Easter break, 42 students joined with four staff and their families and set off to the States.
After a long and exhausting journey (in which students patiently coped with an overnight plane delay at Cincinnati!), we arrived at Ogden, which was to be our base for the forthcoming week. From here we left for skiing or boarding early each day in order to make the most of the fantastic snow. What set this apart from a European trip was the quietness of the slopes – lots of room for minor accidents, which was appreciated by many of our team!
Impressively, there was still energy left for the evening activities – a meal at the Hard Rock café, bowling, shopping at the mall, and perhaps top of everyone’s list, going to see the Utah Jazz play basketball.
The whole trip was fantastic, both in terms of the skiing and behaviour of the students. It was clear that everyone got so much out of their week away – including justification to eat lots of Easter eggs upon their return!
Pete Coombs, trip leader
Young Enterprise
Young enterprise at Balcarras enjoyed another successful year. Trading under the name of in-tuition, a group of seventeen Year 12 students learnt from the experience of running their own business and generated turnover in excess of £1,000. Led by managing director Simon Dundas, the group manufactured and sold their own range of CD stands and jewellery, whilst also delivering roses on Valentine’s Day. The most profitable venture, however, was the 'music:ed' night that saw a lively and energetic audience watch rock groups of pupils demonstrate their talent. This event made a profit of £586, which the group decided to donate to the Anthony Nolan Trust.
As well as a fantastic learning experience, Young Enterprise is also a national competition. After successfully impressing the judges at the trade fair and submitting a company report, in-tuition were one of eight companies to reach the Gloucestershire final. Here the students were required to give a ten minute presentation, which Simon Dundas, Tim Harrison, Richard Luxton and Sheila Ng delivered in a confident manner. The judges were certainly impressed, as in-tuition won the awards for best presentation and best financial performance and came second in the other two categories. More importantly, however, this led to the team winning the overall trophy for Gloucestershire’s best young enterprise company and the opportunity to represent the county in the South-West finals in Taunton. This was the fourth time in eight years that a Balcarras company had qualified for these finals, but none of our previous teams had won an award at the event. We were therefore delighted when in-tuition won the trophy for best corporate governance, as one of only three schools in the South West to win an award.
Well done to all the students involved on an enjoyable and successful year.
Business department
Activities Week
For the penultimate week of the summer term pupils from Years 7, 8 and 9 enjoyed a week ‘off-timetable’. Lessons were suspended and an individual programme of enrichment activities followed.
High ropes, rafting, mountain biking and orienteering (Forest of Dean); indoor rock climbing (Gloucester); paintballing (Brookthorpe); skiing at Matson; and sailing and water skiing (South Cerney) were all heavily subscribed.
New this year was the opportunity to experience sky-diving. Everyone survived! Before you make representations to the headmaster, questioning our sanity, I can assure you that the sky-diving experience was inside a vertical wind tunnel at Milton Keynes.
Those who preferred a less daunting physical challenge were able to select from horse riding or a round of golf with a professional.
Pupils wishing to improve their sporting skill whilst building up a sweat were also able choose from a selection of school-based activities, many with professional coaching, including volleyball, badminton, table tennis, the martial art of Taijiquan, fencing, circus skills, football and tennis.
A balance of in-school, thought-provoking activities alongside exciting visits is encouraged. Pupils chose from a wide variety including Baker’s Oven, clay sculpture, Science Day, painting china, Profitable Pursuit, Health Farm, jewellery making, glass painting, networked gaming, and last but not least Dungeons & Dragons!
Activities Week would not be the same if it were not for the chance to get away from it all on one (or more) of the many coach excursions. This year pupils visited the Millennium Stadium and Cardiff Bay; the Sealife Centre, Cadbury World, Thinktank and Imax, all in Birmingham; Drayton Manor; West Midland Safari Park; and Amazing Mazes in the Forest of Dean.
Among the new activities this year, we were able to offer a trip to London organised by Miss Hoskins to see a matinee performance of The Lion King. Of course, the day would not have been complete without a shopping trip – to Hamleys and Harrods!
We aim to broaden our horizons even further in 2007 and suggestions would be most welcome especially if you have experienced something special or are able to pass on your experience in an activity that you think the pupils would really appreciate.
Malcolm Dean, activities week co-ordinator
Click here to view A Look Back 2004 - 2005
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