Dear parents and guardians,

It was a privilege to be part of the Cambridge Model United Nations hosted by the Stephen Perse Foundation. The organising committee made up of our 6th Form students demonstrated their outstanding leadership and organisational skills that contributed to the  overwhelming success of the event. I know that the students who took part thoroughly enjoyed the experience and in addition to honing their debating skills, they have also benefited from making friends with students from Moscow to Portugal.

On the topic of leadership, in the last week we have started the process to elect the new student president team at the 6th Form College. The Year 12 students who are interested in being part of the team have been invited to submit a letter of application. We will conduct a student vote later this week to determine the candidates who will make up the team and who will ultimately be considered for the role of student president. It will also be time to say thank you to the outgoing team for the contribution they have made to the College and for them to reflect on their experience and what they have learned about themselves and working as part of a team.

It was a great pleasure to attend the Spring Concert at West Road on Tuesday evening where I was delighted to see so many members of the College perform. This was a great credit to the Music department and to the students themselves.  Congratulations go to the soloists Maddie A (alto), Annabel J (Oboe), Alex L (Piano) and Anna P (Violin) who all gave outstanding performances which I know were the result of much dedication and hours of practise.

Best Wishes,

Naomi Atkins

Head of 6th Form and Vice Principal, 11-18

Head of Sixth Form - Announcement

As you are aware Miss Naomi Atkins was appointed as Vice Principal 11-18 in September last year alongside her role as Head of Sixth Form. At the end of the academic year, Miss Atkins will be stepping down as Head of Sixth Form to focus on her role as Vice Principal 11-18. Miss Atkins will continue to lead the 11-18 Leadership Team and ensure we are delivering on our aim and values with both the Sixth Form Colleges and Senior School.

We are delighted to welcome Spencer Pinkus as our new Head of Sixth Form from September 2019. A Cambridge English graduate, Mr Pinkus initially practised as a Chancery barrister in London before joining the teaching profession in 2011. He is currently Head of Enhancement and Enrichment at The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School, as well as a teacher of English and Drama. Mr Pinkus has also acted as a Sixth Form tutor and university applications adviser for several years.

Tricia Kelleher is looking forward to meeting with Mr Pinkus during the Easter holidays and learning more about him which will be captured in a new podcast.  

Mr Pinkus will be attending the next Sixth Form Colleges Open Evening on Thursday 2 May and looks forward to meeting as many of you as possible.

You can register for the event here.

Listen to the first episode of the SPF Podcast, a series of conversations between members of the Stephen Perse Foundation, staff and students alike.

After the successful Cambridge Model United Nations conference at the beginning of March, Principal Tricia Kelleher sat down with Secretary General and 6th Form student Justin. They discuss the conference and why it is important that young people collaborate internationally in the current political climate.

Listen to the SPF Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfdrKmqYA9c&feature=youtu.be

Read more 6th Form news here.

Sports Round-up

The netball season is now in full swing and the fixtures are flowing with regularity. In the last three weeks the 1st team have recorded wins against Dartford Grammar, The Leys and Kimbolton. Their winning streak ended on Saturday where they narrowly lost to Stamford 26-28 in an extremely tight game.

On 13 March the 1st team took part in the Kelsall U19 tournament. Led by Phoebe D, the team arrived ready to warm up in extremely strong winds. The first match was won with the players digging deep using short strong passes. Unbelievable shooting from Phoebe E and Emma S led the team into the semis and then straight to the finals. The final was sadly won by Brentwood 5-4, but the team played exceptional netball in exceptionally hard conditions. Very well done to all.

Finally congratulations to Francesca T who, having qualified to compete at the Cross Country Nationals, ran a very strong race finishing quickly in 133rd position. Coach Les Paul commented that ‘this was her best  XC Nationals race by far’.

For all the other fixture news and results remember to check the website www.stephenpersesport.com and follow us on twitter @SPFSport.

See the full 6th Form calendar here.

Don't miss the IB and A Level Visual Arts Spring Exhibition! Friday 29 March, 18.00-20.00 at the Visual Arts Centre

PFA Notices

Second-hand uniform sale

A team of dedicated volunteers, ably led by Bing Chai, ran a successful second-hand uniform sale at the Senior School on Friday 1 March.

We're very grateful to all parents who donated uniform or came by on the day - the cut-price offer made over £1,200 for the PFA to invest into activities and events, and we're always open to ideas on how best to spend it.

Next PFA meeting

If you'd like to make suggestions for PFA activities and events, or otherwise get involved in organisation and volunteering for these, please do come to the next PFA meeting at the Senior School at 8pm on Wednesday 1 May 2019.

We're trying out the 8pm start to get around bedtimes for kids, so I hope this helps..! We'll lay on some refreshments for anyone who comes, and will send out the invitation to all via ClassList.

Summer Fair 2019 - survey results

Finally, we recently ran a survey for the Summer Fair 2019 with some great feedback. The preferred date and venue for the fair is Friday 28 June 2019, from c.5.30-8.30pm at the Senior School (to be confirmed!).

This should allow us to make use of the outdoor stage that the PFA has committed funds to supporting - we might be able to arrange some musical performances from the students (maybe even from the odd parent too - hands up, please!).

Get involved!

If you'd like to add your 2p on any or all of the above, then please do get involved by contacting the PFA directly either via your year-rep / the PFA committee on ClassList or by email on: stephenperse.pfa@gmail.com