Badminton House Matches

Year 7

1st Graveney

2nd- Selvey

3rd – Ottewell

4th- Foley

Year 8& 9

1st Selvey

2nd- Graveney

3rd – Ottewell

4th- Foley

Year 10 & 11

1st Selvey

2nd- Foley

3rd – Ottewell

4th-Graveney  

Netball House Matches

Year 7

1st - Selvey 

2nd- Ottewell

3rd – Graveney

4th- Foley

Year 8& 9

1st -Selvey

2nd- Graveney

3rd – Ottewell

4th- Foley

Year 10 & 11

1st- Selvey

2nd- Ottewell

3rd – Foley

4th-Graveney  

Football House Matches

Year 7

1st- Graveney

2nd Ottewell 

3rd Foley 

4th Selvey 

Year 8& 9

1st- Graveney

2nd Ottewell 

3rd Foley 

4th Selvey 

Year 10 & 11

1st- Foley

2nd Graveney

3rd Selvey

4th Ottewell

Staff Leavers

This Easter we say goodbye to two members of staff. Miss Kate Ball has taught drama here for the past 18 months and also co-directed our school production before Christmas. Mrs Elaine Shonbeck has worked in the Finance Office for over 10 years more latterly looking after the finances of our teaching school and maths hubs. We thank them both and wish them well for the future.

Gloucestershire Research School SEND Conference at Balcarras

On Monday Balcarras hosted the Gloucestershire Research School’s conference on Special Educational Needs. We have a great relationship with the Research School which is based at the Gloucestershire Learning Alliance. The focus on SEND is timely because the government are proposing all sorts of change in this area.

Prefect Assembly

In 1961 at his inauguration President Kennedy said: “Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans.” Well at Balcarras on Tuesday the torch was passed from one leadership group to another. The Year 11 House Captains were present to hand out prefect badges to their counterparts in Year 10 who now assume leadership of the student body in the lower school. I would like to congratulate those pupils who were appointed to House Prefect and Prefect positions and Senior Prefect positions.

Concert at the Town Hall

On Tuesday lunchtime our A level musicians gave a concert at the Cheltenham Town Hall. I wasn’t able to go but apparently it was excellent.

Young Carers Event with CKJS

Thank you to the judges! We are delighted to announce the winners are:

Ellen - KS3

Alice  - KS4

Here they are with Mrs Saunders after winning. Huge thank you to Mrs Saunders and Mrs Ford. Thanks to all the pupils who came today to buy a piece of cake for 50p and raised over £60!

Here are some of the amazing cakes!

And some photos from the tea party!

Check out our donor wall https://balcarras.hubbub.net/donor-wall/

A reminder that tickets are available for the concert tonight (7pm) on Scopay.

It will also be possible to pay on the door. Please do come along and support.

We shall be cutting our birthday cake tonight which has been lovingly crafted by Mrs Saunders. Thank you Mrs Saunders!

I spent Monday breaktime with the Year 9 pupils who designed our 40th Anniversary logo. I congratulated them all and we spent time chatting over cookies and juice/tea. They are a lovely bunch of pupils and I enjoyed catching up with them. Mrs Swanepoel joined us as well.

STEM Week

From Monday 9th to Friday 13th March, we celebrated British Science/STEM week at Balcarras. There were lunchtime talks from a range of professions and topics, competitions and themed activities in lessons for some year groups. All Year 7 science classes enjoyed a science lesson delivered by our very own Year 12 STEM ambassadors. Our ambassadors threw themselves in to the task with their meticulous planning, careful practice, assessment of risk and delivering the lessons with enthusiasm. The lessons were brilliant and enjoyed by everyone involved. My thanks to Mrs McRitchie for her superb organisation.

Young Enterprise Final

On Tuesday both of our Year 12 YE Teams competed in the Gloucestershire YE Finals at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester. Both Balcarras teams (Grounded and CuppaByCalm) performed exceptionally well throughout the competition. After submitting detailed company reports, each team presented and pitched their business ideas to a panel of judges.

Team CuppaByCalm impressed the judges with their strong brand and strategy, proudly winning the Marketing Award.

Team Grounded achieved outstanding success, securing the prestigious title of Best Overall Company. They now go onto the Regional Final held in Taunton in May.

See article here:

https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1447

Balcarras has now won the Gloucestershire YE Competition for 11 of the last 14 years. We really are the Real Madrid of YE!

Lessons from Auschwitz

On Tuesday 6 Balcarras Year 12 pupils visited Auschwitz as part of the Lessons From Auschwitz project. They flew early morning from Birmingham Airport and travelled to Auschwitz in Poland. The visit is part of a wider project that the pupils are involved in to further understand the horrors of the Holocaust.

Governor Visitation Day

The day will feature a memorial rugby match kicking off at 2:30pm, alongside live music, two bars open throughout the day, a variety of food options, and activities for children, making it a great day out for all ages. We’ll also be welcoming special guests, as well as hosting auctions and raffles with some fantastic prizes to be won.

*All proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to Maggie’s Charity, chosen by Zac’s family as a charity that means a great deal to them.

For further information and how to buy tickets, click here.

PLEASE NOTE: We have secured some tickets for MATILDA THE MUSICAL IN BIRMINGHAM WITH SHOPPING....NOW LIVE ON OUR SYSTEM. 

This includes A FREE ICE CREAM...

Mrs Massey

ljm@balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk

There have been plenty of other outfits displayed in the school today as we enjoyed our annual Sixth Form Dress Up Day. It’s great fun and I am always struck by the creativity on display. My thanks to Mr Leatherbarrow and his team for organising it. The photo below shows the sixth form gathering for their annual photo. Zeus (Mr Leatherbarrow) is in the foreground. 

Our donor wall is already looking fantastic and we are so grateful to those that have made a donation!

https://balcarras.hubbub.net/donor-wall/

Anyone who would like to make an advance donation to one of our amazing causes, the link is here:

https://balcarras.hubbub.net/coming-soon/

Wednesday 25^th March

The Big Tea Party featuring “Balcarras Bake off”

Your cake needs to be labelled with ingredients and well presented. Due to allergens – no nuts please – your cake could be vegetarian, vegan or gluten free. No nuts please.

40^th Anniversary Concert

Tickets are on sale now on scopay! £15 per adult and £7 per child, available to purchase on scopay in the usual way. The concert will start at 7pm with an interval at 8pm with a bar and bbq (for an additional cost on the evening) for 45 minutes with the second half starting at 8.45 pm. We hope as many people as possible will be able to come along – pupils, friends, alumni, family, everyone is welcome. There will be a range of great performers!

Thursday 26^th March

Own clothes day

Own clothes day in school for all pupils, pupils can come to school with a donation on scopay in the usual way.

Round the World Ping Pong Competition – 1.50 pm - £1 entry

Back to the 80s School Dinner!

Minced beef and onion pie and mash, sausage and mash and chocolate concrete with pink custard!

Payable as usual via canteen cards. No need to pre-book!

Join the Balcarras 40th‑Anniversary 7‑a‑Side Football Tournament!

Coming soon….Pupil for a day…..Lunch with the Headteacher……

We will be running a small raffle, if you can donate a small prize we would be very grateful, please email fundraising@balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk

If you have any questions or queries about the fundraising please email fundraising@balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk

All proceeds to every event will go to our fundraising campaign.

Balcarras Win Bronze Medal at the England National School Squash Finals

On Wednesday the Balcarras Boys’ Squash Team came third at the National Squash Championships held at Edgbaston in Birmingham.  This is our highest finish at a National Final since we won the National Young Enterprise Competition in 2013. The team met in my office at break for a special well-done ceremony with me, Mr Lane and Mr Critchley. Well done to the boys! See article here:

https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1431

PTFA Comedy Night Tonight

There are some tickets available for the Comedy Night tonight. They are great events so please do support it if you can.

The Spring Concert

On Tuesday night we had the Spring Concert. This event serves as an opportunity for GCSE and A level musicians to practice their assessed piece in front of an audience. I have to say it was a wonderful evening. My thanks to Mr Armstrong, Mr Howell, Mrs Watts and Mr Horne.  

Apprenticeship Rehearsals

On Monday and Tuesday this week I attended presentations given by 4 Year 13 pupils who this week have apprenticeship interviews. We think it is a good idea for them to have a run through before the real thing. I was very impressed by each. It is always such a busy time to year as we support Year 13 in looking at next step opportunities.

Year 12 pupils visit to Oxford

On Tuesday Mr Niblett took a group of 47 Year 12 pupils to Oxford. They visited Lady Margaret Hall (which is our link college at Oxford) and St Hilda’s. Mt Niblett runs our ‘Boost’ programme which aims to encourage and widen participation in university. As part of the visit our pupils met up with Balcarras alumni; James Pearne, Daniel Morgan and Emily Crook, who shared their experience of life at Oxford.

Maths Hub Strategic Board

On Wednesday morning I attended the latest meeting of the Glow Maths Strategic Board. GLOW Maths continues to do sterling work supporting maths educators across the region. I am ever so proud of the contribution Balcarras makes to the wider educational landscape in the southwest.

Meeting of the Chairs

On Wednesday morning I met with the Chair of Governors and the Chairs of the Governors Committees to plan for the next full governors meeting. I am ever so grateful to the governors for the time they give to Balcarras.

Sporting Highlights of the Week

Aside from the Squash we have also had a number of other great sporting highlights this week. Well done to the Year 9 Netball Team who were undefeated in winning the Cheltenham District Netball Championships. They beat Cleeve in the semi-final and CLC in the final.

The Year 11 Boys Football Team beat Chosen Hill in the Quarter Finals of the District. They now head on to the semi-finals. The Year 8 Boys Football Team beat Bournside 3-0 and are making good progress in their qualifying competition. The Year 10 boys beat Cleeve 5-1 whilst Year 9 drew 2-2 against the same opponents. The Year 7 Girls Football Team are enjoying a highly successful season—their latest result: a 7-0 victory against All Saints. There were lots of fixtures last night as well and I haven’t yet caught up with all of the results. A highly successful week for our sports teams!

40th Anniversary Celebrations

There are some nice things planned for our 40th Anniversary Celebrations.

If you haven’t already then please do take a look at our fundraising platform:

https://balcarras.hubbub.net/coming-soon/

Here are a couple you can get involved with:
⚽ Join the Balcarras 40th‑Anniversary 7‑a‑Side Football Tournament!

Dust off your boots, gather your teammates, and get ready for a fantastic afternoon of football fun as part of our 40th‑anniversary celebrations!

On Thursday 26th March from 4pm, Balcarras will be hosting a mixed‑gender, mixed‑ability 7‑a‑side tournament, open to the whole school community. Whether you’re a seasoned striker, a casual kick‑about player, or someone who just wants to enjoy the atmosphere, we’d love you to be part of it.

Who can play?

Absolutely everyone!
Parents, staff, alumni, Sixth Formers, and friends of the school are all invited to take part. (Unfortunately, no pupils in years 7-11 are able to take part, 6th form only).

There will also be a bar open for participants and spectators.

Entry Details

• £10 per person (payable via ScoPay)
  👉 https://www.scopay.com/product/6627020
• Sign up as part of a team or as an individual
• You will also need to fill in this form 40th anniversary football link to fill in form
• Teams can have up to 10 players
• If entering a team, please nominate a captain and choose a team name
• Team Captains should list all players on the form
• Team Members and individuals should also complete the form so we can organise the squads

The team competed against the strongest school sides in the country and showed excellent determination, teamwork, and resilience across three highly competitive matches.

In the quarter-final, the team produced a superb performance to defeat Aylesbury Grammar School by 4–1, with confident displays across the courts securing a well-deserved victory and a place in the semi-finals.

The semi-final proved to be a tough challenge against King Edward’s School, who went on to become the eventual champions, despite a determined effort and some very competitive matches.

Showing great character, the players responded brilliantly in the third-place playoff, facing Epsom College in a closely contested match. The team held their nerve to secure a 3–2 victory, earning the bronze medal and confirming their place among the best school squash teams in the country.

The students should be extremely proud of their achievement. Throughout the event they demonstrated fantastic teamwork, constant support for one another, and a positive attitude both on and off the court.

Thank you to Mark Toseland for supporting the team during the matches.

Congratulations to the whole squad on a fantastic achievement.

Mr Lane

All proceeds from this will go to 2 Wish, a bereavement charity who work with people who are impacted by the sudden death of a young person. 

Payment on Scopay.  Please pre-order by Monday 9th March. 

https://www.thebalcarrastrust.co.uk/page/?title=EXHIBITION+%26amp%3B+EVENT+GALLERY&pid=34

Well done to all those pupils who have had their work selected. 

Dear Parent/Guardian

As a valued member of the Balcarras School community, I’m excited to invite you to participate in our 40^th Anniversary Celebrations taking place on 25th-26th March 2026. This is a powerful opportunity for our entire community including current and former parents, staff, alumni and friends to come together and make a lasting impact on the lives of our pupils while celebrating the School and what we’ve achieved so far. 

Our promotional video explaining what we are trying to achieve can be found by here:

The celebrations will include an exciting series of activities and events for all to get involved with (more details to follow soon) and an online fundraising challenge. We are very grateful to some early donors who have contributed to the Match and Challenge funding pot which will make your gifts go further!

We have set a bold target of trying to reach £40k in 2 days - £40k for 40 years!

When OFSTED visited last year, they judged Balcarras to be “outstanding” in all areas. We constantly strive to provide all of our pupils with the best education and opportunities, but in real terms our funding continues to fall year on year.

We’re asking our entire community to give at a level that’s meaningful to them, to make a difference in the following areas:

• Developing our outside space to enhance the wellbeing of all pupils.

https://balcarras.hubbub.net/p/balcarrasproject1/

• Resourcing our school to ensure that all pupils have access to the very best facilities and technologies for learning.

https://balcarras.hubbub.net/p/balcarrasproject2/

Here is how you can get involved:

Make a gift - visit our fundraising platform to make a gift now, gifts of any size will really help to make a difference

https://balcarras.hubbub.net/coming-soon/

Raise awareness - Spread the word far and wide by sharing and our messages and liking our social posts. Find us on X, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Take part - look out for more details of a variety of events and activities taking place and sign up!

We’re incredibly grateful for your ongoing support in many ways, and I hope you’ll consider this opportunity to make an even greater difference as we work together to secure a bright future for Balcarras School and our young people.

Yours sincerely,

Dominic Burke

Headteacher

P.S. If you are interested in adding to the match and challenge funding pot please email fundraising@balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk

Welcome back to term four of the school year. I hope you had a nice half term. It has been a sombre start to the term here at Balcarras following the very upsetting news the school community received during half term. We have done everything we can to support our youngsters through the week and will continue to do so in the weeks ahead. Year 12 exams were postponed by one day but did start as per the timetable of Tuesday and I understand they are going well.

Thank you to Geoff Sparkes OBE

Cheltenham Education Partnership Mars Rover Project

On Tuesday 5 Cheltenham Schools, Balcarras, All Saints, Cleeve, Dean Close and Cheltenham College, sent pupils to the first Mars Rover Event. The pupils involved seemed to have a great time. See article here:

https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1423

The CEP is a joint venture between the state and independent schools in Cheltenham (plus other organisations such as the Council, the Festivals and the University) and was established with the specific aim of offering opportunities to our students that are only realistically possible when schools combine their resources. A very popular challenge, which means the number of teams has to be capped each year, this year the Balcarras team were joined by students from a number of other CEP schools including Cleeve, Bourneside, All Saints, Dean Close and Cheltenham College. This was the first of two back-to-back workshops, with the other happening next week, that this year are also being hosted by Balcarras, and particularly by the D&T department. The launch event was at Cleeve before Christmas and the final testing - and judging - session will beat All Saints in the summer. However, these two sessions are very much about design development and the actual manufacturing, which is why the facilities at Balcarras are so useful.

And when you witnessed the students actually throwing themselves into the project during the day, you can understand why it is such a popular event. All day the workshop was swarming with students starting to build their creations, often utilising the machinery surrounding them. The fact that most of them had to be persuaded to stop for a very brief lunch was perhaps testimony to how enthusiastic they were about the challenge. Obviously, it will now be fascinating to see their final creations coming together over the next few months.  

Mrs Ebanja, Head of  RE

Balcarras Runners Prosper in the Mud!

Last weekend 12 Balcarras runners competed in the Regional Cross Country Championships. Apparently, it was more like a mud run than a cross country!

In the Year 7 boys race Gloucestershire won the competition with Otto Davenport-Jones winning the event and he is now Regional Cross Country Champion. He was closely followed by Joe Bradshaw in second place and Charlie Neale who finished fourth out of over 60 runners, well done boys!! In the Inter Girls race Olivia Avery came 6th and in the Inter boys race Patrick Paul finished 4th.

Here is a photo of Joe Bradshaw, Otto Davenport-Jones, Charlie Neale and Lewis Shirlaw.

Look Who is Talking Judging

On Monday morning, I was one of three Guest Judges at the Cheltenham Look Who is Talking competition. All of Cheltenham’s 20 primary schools were represented and there were three heats to judge, Key Stage 1, Lower Key Stage 2 and Upper Key Stage 2. In all we listened to 50 youngsters speaking for 2 minutes on a topic of their choice. The standard was incredibly high and I have to say I enjoyed it tremendously. The winners now go on to the Gloucestershire finals.

RE Trip

On Monday the RE Department took about 80 Year 9 pupils on a trip to Gloucester. They visited Gloucester Cathedral and the Masjid E Noor Mosque. Apparently it was a great trip.

School Council

The School Council met on Monday this week. We discussed all sorts of things. I was particularly keen to hear pupils’ views on mobile phones, social media and ways we could improve the school site. It was a very interesting meeting.

Year 11 Effort Challenge Assembly

On Monday, Mr Towers hosted the latest Year 11 Effort Challenge Assembly. The Effort Challenge is a way we try to focus Year 11 in order to maximise their effort and commitment. At this assembly Mr Towers conducted a prize draw of 20 £10 prizes. Every week since Christmas teachers have been nominating pupils, commending them for their effort. There were hundreds of cards in the box—testament to the outstanding effort the Year 11s are showing. It was all good fun.

Year 11 Data Tracking

On a similar theme Mr Towers shared with the Senior Management Team our latest data tracking on Year 11. They are performing superbly and are on track to achieve excellent results.

Chess Team

Earlier this week the Balcarras Chess Team went to the Gloucestershire Championships held at Bristol Grammar School. There is an article on the school website here:

https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1417

Macbeth

On Tuesday, Year 11 watched a live performance of Macbeth in the Main Hall delivered by the Box Clever theatre company. We have organised this for a number of years but I have never had the opportunity to watch. I did on Tuesday and I enjoyed enormously. It was a high energy performance, delivered in the round, and afterwards everyone was raving about it. My thanks to Miss Heather for arranging it.

Visit of Chris Healy

On Tuesday Chris Healy, who was headteacher here from 1996 to 2016 visited for a tour and a catch up. I always enjoy welcoming Chris back to the school. By coincidence his visit was ten years to the day since my interview for the headship—10th February 2016. We both remarked at how fast the time seems to have gone since. It was lovely to see him.

Year 8 Art Trip

On Thursday two coaches full of Balcarras Year 8 pupils set off for the Annual Art trip to Pitt Rivers. The other half of the year group will go in March. My thanks to the art department for organising.

Year 9 Pupil Pursuit and GCHQ Talk

On Wednesday I spent time observing Year 9 lessons. I enjoy the opportunity to get into classes and observe teaching. On the same day Year 9 had a talk from the outreach team at GCHQ. I went in to listen and it was very interesting. As well as giving the pupils a run down on how UK intelligence is organised, the speaker also spoke about careers in MFL. My thanks to Mr Seguin for organising it.

Cheltenham Education Partnership: Horrible Histories Masterclass

On Thursday evening we had the latest History Masterclass run by our very own Mr Stoker. Pupils from across Cheltenham came together to further explore Twentieth Century history.

Year 13 Intervention Eve

On Thursday evening, Mr Leatherbarrow and Mr Constance met with Year 13 parents to discuss ways in which we will continue to support pupils in the build up to Year 13 exams. My thanks to both for organising this.

Year 10 and 11 Parents Forum

My thanks to those parents who came along to the Year 10 and 11 Parents Forum this Thursday evening. It was hosted by Mr Towers and Mrs Ebanja. I am also grateful to Paul Meathrel who represented the governors. There are more parent forum opportunities coming up later in the year.

The High School Leckhampton: We Will Rock You!

On Thursday evening I went to our sister school, THSL, to watch their production of We Will Rock You. It was excellent. Issac Costa Hall (Year 12) played the guitar in the band and Mr Armstrong assisted on the drums.

Sporting Highlights of the week

The Year 7 Girls team played superbly in achieving 3rd place at the Gloucestershire County Championships this week. Well done to them.

In other news the Key Stage 3 and 4 Boys Badminton teams came second in the County Championships on Thursday. The Key Stage 3 Girls also came second in their championships held on Wednesday. Well done to everyone involved.

More Attendance Awards for Balcarras

At the start of the week we received another 5 Star attendance award from FFT. Our attendance is currently at about 95%. Whilst that is good by national standards, I am still disappointed with it. I realise there has been a lot of illness around but I still feel we should be aiming higher.

Ski Trip

I’ll be back at Balcarras at 4am Monday morning to join 8 staff and 48 pupils on the ski trip to Norway. I can’t wait to hit the slopes!

Before then I’m heading to St Andrews to watch Leeds in the FA Cup. I really hope we win!

Whatever you are doing I hope you have a lovely half term.

Dominic Burke

OFSTED Inspection of GITEP

I’ve also spent quite a lot of time talking to the 6 OFSTED inspectors who were here to inspect the Gloucestershire Initial Teacher Education Partnership (GITEP). They arrived at 10.15 on Monday and I went to meet them at the front gate. I even provided valet parking service for one inspector who was struggling with the tight parking spots we have at Balcarras. The inspection has gone very well. I am delighted because the future of GITEP and teacher training in the county is so crucial to the future success of Gloucestershire’s schools including Balcarras. Training the next generation of teachers is one of our top priorities. Here is a photo of GITEP’s leadership team celebrating the result, from left to right: Chris Nicholas Director of Odyssey Teaching School Hub, Nat Roberts Secondary Programme Lead, Becky Rose Director of GITEP, Dominic Burke Chair of GITEP and Cariad Comfort Primary Programme Lead.

Our county receives £9086.75 per mainstream pupil which makes us the 26th worst funded authority in the country. Hackney is the best funded authority in the country receiving £14,181.59 per pupil. There are huge anomalies looking down the list. For example why would County Durham receive almost £1,000 more per pupil than Gloucestershire?

The funding for High Needs Education is equally unfair. Gloucestershire receives £1197.78 per pupil and is the 33rd worst funded authority in the country. The best funded, Camden receives £3831.71 per pupil. I don’t want to sound like I’ve got a problem with County Durham but again noticed that they get £1660.47 per pupil.

If you are interested in the work of F40 please visit their website here:

https://www.f40.org.uk/

This post code lottery needs to end. It is simply not right that there are such vast differences in education funding depending on where you live.

Dominic Burke

Over 80 students took part representing their house and merged their drama and language skills.

Each house was given a theme and had to create a performance based on this. The themes were: at the airport, in the tourist information office, at the café, and at the hospital.

Foley’s performance, at the airport, included humour throughout and even showcased student’s musical talents on the violin, flute and ukulele! Graveney pupils used a whopping 13 different languages and their narrator really helped to set the scene in the tourist information office. The third performance was by Selvey, who brought back to life one of the greatest series from the 90s and noughties: F. R. I. E. N. D. S. Selvey pupils recreated the first iconic scene of the series, and we saw this scene twice! The first was entirely in French, and the second was performed using pupils’ home languages! Finally, Ottewell, our new House Language champions took us on a journey through the eyes of a doctor in the hospital. The Ottewell team showed us several scenes, including a surgery, a broken arm, a concerning eye test and the importance of EpiPens all whilst using a range of languages.

Everyone involved did a fantastic job, and it was very difficult to choose just one winner. These performances were the product of several rehearsals over the past few weeks, which were overseen by pupils in year 12. I would like to express my thanks to our sixth formers who helped create these performances and to Toby Bentley 10F2 and Joseph Bricknell 10G1 for their work on the lighting on the performance day.

This was a great opportunity for all involved to use any language that they are learning or speak and was also, in my view, a celebration of the diversity that we have at Balcarras.  

Mr Foakes