Main News Archive

Underage sales

Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Estimates reveal that every year more than 200,000 children in the UK start smoking.
Almost 2/3 of adult smokers report starting before the age of 18.
50% of 15 and 16 year olds in the UK have been drunk at least twice during the last 12 months.
13,000 hospital admissions linked to young people’s drinking each year.

Shocked by the statistics?

Kingston Council’s Trading Standards Team are responsible for ensuring children do not have access to potentially harmful products such as alcohol, cigarettes, fireworks and knives and we need the help of parents, friends and teachers to help target unscrupulous businesses who deliberately flout laws designed to protect our young people.

Whether you have been in a shop and seen items sold ‘no questions asked’, or have spotted an area in a park where teenagers meet to drink and smoke, please report it to us so that we can investigate and cut off the problem at its source. You can remain anonymous, it only takes a few minutes and you could potentially save lives.

Help us tackle the statistics. Report your suspicions to: trading.standards@rbk.kingston.gov.uk

Spelling Bee May'13

Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 +0100

After a tense regional round of the Spelling Bee competition in North London, we are pleased to say that two Year 7 pupils will be going onto the national round of the competition in Cambridge in July!

Sarah Poli, Ella Wallis, Maya Rowley and Tanya Ali battled it out against many other schools. All 4 girls were in the top 97 of 5000 pupils who entered in London. Maya competed in the German category, Tanya for Spanish and Sarah and Ella for French. The girls were up against tough competition including pupils from a number of grammar schools. After the a number of semi-finals and then a final, Maya came 2nd overall for German and Tanya came 4th for Spanish to make it through to the national round which will take place in Cambridge on 5th July. The girls will have to learn another 50 words, bringing their total to 200! We wish them all the very best for the national final!

Inspection update

Fri, 17 May 2013 00:00:00 +0100

A huge thank you to everyone for all the support during our Ofsted inspection. We should hear the outcome in around two weeks and will inform everyone as soon as it arrives.

Ofsted Inspection

Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 +0100

We have been informed this afternoon that we are to undergo an Ofsted inspection on Wednesday 15th and Thursday 16th May.

High Ashurst'13

Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 +0100

As a culmination of Year 8 students’ work on My World this year, the school has once again arranged two days of activities for all Year 8 students. On one day, students will visit the High Ashurst Activity Centre run by Surrey County Council and on the other, participate in Eco-Coombe at school.

Student Punctuality

Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Please find a letter concerning punctuality in Year 7 & 8 students below:

Punctuality May 2013

Eco-Action Sum'13

Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 +0100

The Eco-Action Group have arranged lots of fun activites for the Summer term.

Summer Term Activity TT 2013

To find out more about the great work that the Eco-Action group do please visit their webpage:

http://www.coombegirlsschool.org/eco-action-group

Year 10 Exam TT

Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Please find the Year 10 Summer 2013 Examination TT below:

Year 10 Summer 2013 Examination TT

The Parker Building Opens

Tue, 07 May 2013 00:00:00 +0100

The Parker Building opened today. Students got to use the three science laboratories, three geography classrooms, the geography resource room and the ICT suite for the first time. The official opening will take place as part of 'Coombe Creates' on Thursday 6th June. More details will follow.

The £1.2 million building is named in honour of Penny Parker. Penny Parker was the Chair of Governors at Coombe from 2001-2012 before sadly passing away last year.

Measles Outbreak

Sat, 04 May 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Measles is back and causing outbreaks in England and Wales. We are writing to let you know that measles is circulating again, with over 1000 cases of confirmed and suspected measles amongst children in England and Wales. The affected children have been of all ages, from nursery to secondary school age, and some have required hospital care. We would be grateful for your support to help prevent measles infections and outbreaks occurring in school.

Letter to parents - May 2013

Year 9 Exam TT

Thu, 02 May 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Please find the Year 9 Summer 2013 Exam Timetables below;

Year 8 Exam TT

Thu, 02 May 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Please find the Year 8 Summer 2013 Exam Timetables below:

Year 7 Exam TT

Thu, 02 May 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Please find the Year 7 Summer 2013 Exam Timetables below:

Gamelan workshops are a musical inspiration

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Last week, the music department were visited by Mike Simpson, a specialist in Balinese Gamelan music. Every student in year 7 participated in an hour long workshop in their teaching groups. The students had a great time at the workshop and said that the experience made had inspired them to create some of their own compositions.

There were seven workshops over a couple of days and so all students have been able to work in their usual teaching group and have all had access to the workshop. The students played authentic instruments as an orchestra and worked together to produce a whole class performance. It was a great privilege to be visited by Mike Simpson an experienced musician who originally trained as an orchestral percussionist at the Guildhall in London.

The workshop is the final part of the year 7 My Journey project which all students have completed across all subjects. The cross cultural dimensions of the project have widened the students’ musical knowledge and Deborah Wells, Head of Music, said that she was really pleased by the positive reactions of the students and looks forward to similar projects in the future.

May 2013 Newsletter

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0100

The May 2013 newsletter is now available http://www.coombegirlsschool.org/Mainfolder/Newsletters/2012-2013/May--2013.pdf

Enrichment TT Summer '13

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Please find the list of enrichment clubs and activities on our website by clicking here.

Spring Concert 2013

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0100

PFA Raffle'13

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Your daughter in years 7, 8 and 9 will be coming home with 2 books (10 tickets) of raffle tickets to sell. Please sell as many as you can (£1 each) to friends, neighbours and work colleagues (more are available from the school office).We would like all the girls to buy one themselves too- and they have been told not to knock on peoples’ doors or approach strangers.

There are great prizes on offer:

1st Prize £100
2nd Prize £75
3rd Prize £50

PLUS………

- £100 hair and beauty voucher for Gina Conway in Wimbledon
- 4 tickets Banana Comedy Club at Bedford Arms, Balham
- Round of golf for 4 people Malden Golf Club
- 3 hours private French tuition
- 2 tickets Wimbledon Stadium
- 1 months membership Malden Centre gym
- Headmasters cut and blow dry
- 2 theatre tickets for the Rose Theatre for a play of your choice
- tea for two at Warren House
- beauty treatment at Louise James
- 3 bottles of wine
- Brunch for 2 (including Bucks Fizz) at the Canbury Arms, Kingston

Return stubs, cash (or chq made payable to CGSPFA) and unsold tickets to the office by Thursday 16th May in an envelope marked “RAFFLE”.
There is a £50 voucher (of her choice) for the girl in each year group who sells the most tickets (minimum 20 tickets sold) and house points for the best house.
Money raised will be used to buy items for the new Geography and Science blocks, and books for the English classrooms.

Many thanks for all your support.

PFA

Enterprise Workshop with Kingston University

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0100

I was very excited to be able to organise an Enterprise workshop for our KS4 students. Unsurprisingly, it has been a very successful session, which was well-attended by our Y10 and 11 Business Studies students. The workshop was delivered by Dwain Reid who is the Enterprise Coordinator at Kingston University. Dwain grabbed the students’ attention right from the start with his great sense of humour and engaging activities. The guest speaker, Lily Rice, who is the founder and designer for Lexie Sportswear made a great impact on the students as an inspirational role-model. She is not only a successful and young female entrepreneur but also is passionate about what she does and our girls were very impressed to meet such a businesswoman.

The students had an opportunity to create their own fashion brands in teams, decide who their target audience will be, how they will budget for their production and marketing and what they will do to launch their brands successfully. They presented their ideas to Dwain and Lily, both of whom were very impressed with the skills, ideas and abilities of our students. Two students, Salonee and Joo Eun said “We both enjoyed staying after school for a twilight session on learning how to start up a business! We would love to have this opportunity again and would recommend it for other Business Studies students. Thank you Ms Aldemir and Mr Sundaram!”

All in all, it has been a lovely afternoon where students enjoyed being in the company of professionals who have strong connections in the business world whilst they were practicing their enterprise skills such as teamwork, communication, finance, creative thinking and problem solving. A big well done to all the girls who attended the workshop!

Ms Aldemir
Head of Business and Economics
Young Enterprise Coordinator

Parents' Workshops

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Gill Hines is running a series of her entertaining and informative evening workshops for parents in Twickenham:

How to say No - and have it work!: Monday 6th May
Developing Self Esteem: Monday 13th May
Increasing Resilience: Monday 20th May
Communicating with Teens: Monday 3rd June
5 steps to positive behaviour management: Monday 10th June
Preparing for the Teen Years!: Monday 17th June

For more information and online booking go to www.gillhines.co.uk
(Places are available for parents with low income)

April 2013

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Like everybody else, I am glad to see the return of longer, lighter days and even the possibility that Spring is finally here with what seems to be warmer weather at last! I always find this a particularly optimistic time of year when the focus is very definitely on anticipation and looking forward with renewed energy as we enter one of the most exciting but crucial phases of our school year. There is definitely a sense of excitement as new opportunities become available to our students and, like anxious parents, we watch with pride as they progress successfully to the next stage of their educational and vocational careers.

The Summer Term obviously marks the beginning of the exam season and we are aware that students are focussing seriously on revision and targets. As always, members of staff are constantly on hand to provide support, guidance and encouragement. Nerves and anxiety are an inevitable element of the lead up to final exams, but we really try to ensure that students see these effects positively and as a spur to the effort and commitment that produces outstanding results. Obviously, we wish everyone the very best of luck and look forward to their continued outstanding achievement this summer!

Whilst the last term was short, it was as intense and exciting as ever with high-profile events and activities during every busy week! However, the production of Little Shop of Horrors was clearly a resounding success. The students performed to the public with gusto, surprising many of us with the considerable range of talent. Not only were the students singing, acting and dancing but also playing in the band and supporting the cast backstage. Comments were made that this was the best ever Coombe performance - a definite challenge for next year’s potential performers!

I would like to thank parents, students and staff for supporting the Sixth Form during this year’s fantastic Rag Week. Sixth Formers raised money by washing cars, running interhouse competitions, a sponsored cycle ride and a bake sale, to name but a few of the many activities on offer. Over £2,000 was raised over the 2 Sixth Form Campuses and this will be paid to the Rag Week charity Momentum. Well done to all involved!

As the new term begins, it is clear that exam-success is not the only thing on the agenda! As ever, there is a breathtaking range of activities and events to pack in during this half term – all of which will be posted on the website in the usual way!

Lastly, I would like to bring your attention to an important feature of our work this term - our newly refreshed vision statement. We have revised this to help everyone to fine-tune and focus their thinking about key features of life and success at Coombe.

Coombe prepares each student for their World of Opportunity by enabling individuals to flourish through:
• innovative teaching that is inspirational, compelling and fun. It engages every learner in their journeys of self-discovery, fulfilment and academic excellence;
• a community in which empathy, tolerance, integrity and shared purpose promote exemplary behaviour and outstanding relationships between all;
• developing confident learners who are happy, resilient and committed to shaping their world. They are proud of their abilities, highly ambitious and excited about their potential.

We hope you enjoyed the Easter break and look forward to another successful term.

Parents' Drugs Workshop

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0100

If any parents want the documents from the recent Parents' Drugs Worshop please email the school at enquiries@cgs.rbksch.org

April 2013 Newsletter

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Our April 2013 Newsletter is now available to view: http://www.coombegirlsschool.org/Mainfolder/Newsletters/2012-2013/April-2013.pdf

Student Council Mar'13

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0100

In the last week of term, members of the school council from Years 7 to 9 attended The Kingston Youth Council. They heard about the work of the Kingston Youth Council which has a number of representatives from Coombe Girls’ as well as sharing what our student council has been doing recently and hearing about the work of councils in other schools. The mixed team debates were good fun and demonstrated how articulate and thoughtful the students are.

Parents' Evenings 2013

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0100

We have had two very successful Parents’ Evenings this term for students in Years 7 and 8. Once again for the Year 7 evening, the hall was transformed into the Coombe Museum to show off the excellent work students had completed as part of the My Journey project and we are grateful to staff and students for the huge amount of effort that went in to the display.

Both evenings were very well attended and results from the questionnaires completed on the night made great reading. In Year 7, 100% of respondents said they would recommend the school to another parents and 99% reported that their daughter was happy and making progress at school. In Year 8, 100% of respondents agreed that the school was well led and managed, and that their daughter felt safe in school. 98% agreed that their daughter was taught well.

We use the results of the questionnaires and your comments to evaluate what we do in school and to plan future improvements so thank you to everyone who took the time to fill one in.

Speak With Confidence

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Coombe Girls Speak With Confidence …

…at Sutton Grammar School on Tuesday 5th February.

Lucy Rowan, Bethany Downey and Aimee Churchouse proudly represented their school in a challenging public speaking competition hosted by the English Speaking Union. Aimee and Bethany chaired and questioned a speaker from another school, while Lucy spoke eloquently on the thought-provoking topic – “Marriage is a Corrupt Institution”. Judges praised the team for their self-assured presentation and style. Bethany’s astute questioning in particular earned her the title of ‘Best Questioner’, and the team beat six other schools to win this round.

…at the School of Oriental and African Studies on Saturday 12th January and Saturday 9th February.

Two sixth formers – Rosie Hudson and Gaby Corry-Mead – and two Year 11s – Bethany Downey and Georgia Bell – debated at the School of Oriental and African Studies annual debating competition for ages 15 – 18. Their exceptional skill saw them winning several debates throughout the day, fending off competition from the likes of Eton College, Westminster and Wallington.

Four keen Year 10s participated in the annual International Competition for Young Debaters, with an eager desire to prove their debating skills against a range of private and selective schools. Earning high marks for each debate, Elsie Jones, Rumaisa Khan, Nadia Barakat and Laxshana Chandrakanthan demonstrated intellectual rigour, excellent teamwork and effective interaction in all their debates. Mr Magnoff is highly impressed by the skill and standard exhibited by the intrepid Year 10s on the day.

…at the New Malden Methodist Church on Thursday 17th January.

Two teams of three – each with Chair, Main Speaker and Vote of Thanks – represented Coombe Girls’ at the Rotary Youth Speaks Intermediate Competition. Presenting inspiring and motivational topics on ‘The Truth About Beauty’ and ‘Smart Phones Make Stupid People’, our Year 9s earned high and well-deserved praise from the judges for their eloquence, sense of humour and ability to deal with the larger issues that face today’s generation. In a superbly remarkable way, the girls came both first and second place. Nina Kyriacou, Ella Narain and Imogen Lindsley won the coveted Geoffrey Cole Cup, while Charlotte Schofield-Sinden, Maeve Shaw and Ruhi Walsh earned a well-deserved second place.

…at Brooklands College on 26th February and Oasis Academy, Coulson on 5th March.

Our winning Intermediate team continued to wipe the floor with their exceptional team work and outstanding presentation skills, bringing back the District Shield and beating the defending champions – Royal Russell – with their superb poise. This has been the first time in at least ten years that Coombe Girls’ have won the District Heat AND Final. A huge congratulations to Nina, Ella and Imogen.

Anstee Bridge Project 2013

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0100

I was delighted to be invited to the grand opening of this year’s Anstee Bridge project on Tuesday 26th March. This project is a part-time alternative provision for Year 11 students in Kingston and it has been attended by 5 of our girls this year. The theme of their ambitious and highly impressive artwork is “A Carriage through Time” and the launch event was attended by many local celebrities, including the Mayor of Kingston, who opened the exhibit. It was lovely to see our girls proudly talking about their work and I would recommend that you go and visit it if you are in Kingston.

Here is a little more information from the leader of the Anstee Bridge project, Katherine Greening:

A Carriage through Time
At Anstee Bridge we work with Year 11 students aged 15-16 to raise their confidence and self-esteem as well as help them to qualify for college or find suitable training. “Project 353” is a creative learning project celebrating the 150th anniversary of the London Underground, led by London Transport Museum and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and The Friends of London Transport Museum. Inspired by a visit to the London Transport Museum our students worked with local cartoonist, David Lewis, and local musician, Aaron Norton, to produce the visual and audio exhibit, “A Carriage through Time.”

Our students came up with the idea of representing the carriage’s 150 year existence by themselves taking the place of passengers, in costume, and with David’s help, drawing and painting themselves inside the carriage. Accompanying the visual realisation of the carriage’s journey is the creation of audio loops by the students and, with the help of Aaron, they produced poems and music telling the stories of their own journey through life, so creating a visual and audio work of art focused on a multitude of journeys.

The combination of individual work which becomes part of a shared final piece of art really concentrated the minds and ambitions of the students and focused them on attending and contributing for the sake of the collective whole, instilling in them a sense of achievement and fulfilment. The fact that the artwork is to be shown in Kingston and is then on display in All Saints Church, both local to the students and somewhere their families can easily visit, adds to the sense of community involvement.

www.ansteebridge.co.uk
www.davidlewiscartoons.com
www.aaronnorton.co.uk

Date of exhibition: March 2013
Tues 26th, Wed 27th and Thurs 28th March 10.30am- 2.30pm each day at The Market House in Kingston Market Square
The exhibition will then move to All Saints Church, Kingston from Fri 29th March onwards.

The inspiration for this project was the restoration of Metropolitan Railway “Jubilee” Carriage No. 353.
… from the London Transport Museum:
The Metropolitan Railway “Jubilee” Carriage No. 353 was built in 1892 and ran on what is now part of the Circle line. The carriage has been restored to full working order and is going to be at the centre of the celebrations in 2013 to mark the 150th anniversary of London Underground, the world’s oldest underground railway.

London Transport Museum has worked with volunteers from partner organisations across London to work on touring exhibitions inspired by the restoration of this early underground carriage, thought to be the world’s oldest surviving example.

The restoration project has been made possible thanks to the generous support of the Heritage Lottery Fund and the London Transport Museum friends.

Mrs Knight

Article in Surrey Comet

Science & Engineering Week

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Year 7 & 8: Come and join us for some fun Science and Engineering activities at lunchtime this week

Monday 18th March Room 72
Antibubbles, flaming bubbles, screaming Jelly babies & Supercooled water

Tuesday 19th March Room 67
Vacuumed marshmallows, Eggsucking Bottles, Folding eggs and scented playdough.

Wednesday 20th March Room 11
LED Masks

Thursday 21st March Room23
Maths Bingo, Maths Millionaire

Friday 22nd March Room67
Science Spelling Bee (Yr 7-9)

Merits and prizes will be awarded!

Neal Zetter Vist

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0100

On Wednesday 13th March performance poet Neal Zetter came to Coombe Girls’ School to run two voluntary workshops for pupils from years 7 & 8. To tie-in with the Year 7 project ‘My Journey’ and the Year 8 project ‘My World’, the theme chosen for the day was ‘My favourite Place’.

Neal began each session by performing a selection of his own comedy poems. This informal start relaxed the pupils and got them thinking about how they might like their own poems to sound. The groups then discussed the things they should consider when writing poetry, including; layout, language, rhythm, repetition and whether or not to rhyme.

Neal also gave some tips on planning and drafting for poems, such as creating a spidergram to help you when you get stuck. Before pupils started work on their own poems, Neal asked them to think about their favourite place and write down the things they could see, smell, hear, taste, etc. Neal also suggested that the groups worked on their drafts without worrying about spelling – although spelling is important, it’s something that can be checked and corrected before writing up a neat copy and Neal didn’t want worries about spelling to stop the creative process!

Both groups worked extremely well, putting Neal’s advice to good use and producing a wonderful variety of poems that are now on display in the LRC. Well done girls – you were a credit to the school and Neal was impressed by your talents and enthusiasm. If you would like to hear/see more of Neal’s poem (or email him a query about your poem) please visit www.cccpworkshops.co.uk for more information.

Literacy Cup Success

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0100

On Thursday 14th March 2013 the Coombe Yr10 team attended the Literary Cup Quiz Final, where the winners from Kingston were taking on top-performing pupils from Hampton. The first round was held on Thursday 14th February 2013 and Coombe successfully won this round by an extraordinary 8.5 points! As a result they were teamed with the second and third placed teams (Holy Cross and Tolworth Girls’) to then compete against the winning teams from Hampton in the quiz final.

As in the first round, the first questions were related to a selection of pre-set books (Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner; All Fall Down by Sally Nicholls; and The Killables by Gemma Malley) and team players swapped places to answer questions on their specialist books. The quiz then moved on to general book knowledge and included a dingbats-style picture round and a first to the buzzer round. There were also random on-the-spot questions and the majority of our team walked away with a free book or book voucher.

Throughout the quiz, both Kingston and Hampton performed strongly, but there could only be one winner, and as Vanessa, Kate and Mike from Kingston libraries totted up the totals, the room held its breath until Kingston were declared the overall winners! Well done girls, you have worked extremely well together and really know your stuff! You’re all a credit to the school and it’s been a pleasure taking you to the quizzes these last few years.

Trampolining 2013

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Well done to the 20 pupils who represented coombe at the Borough Trampolining Competition on Tuesday 12th March. They all performed extremely well and were a real credit to Coombe.

The Year 11 A Team made up of Lucy McSweeney, Katie Drewett, Zara Robinson and Abi Elliott came in third place winning bronze medals! Well done girls! Look out for Trampolining Club starting in the Summer Term.

Miss Pipe

CERN Trip 2013

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0100

On Friday we got to school very early in order to catch the coach to the airport, for our flight to Geneva – it was so foggy! We travelled by train and tram to the hostel. After dropping off our bags we headed to the chocolate factory where we had a tour and got to eat lots of chocolate and had a melted chocolate shot. After some people spent extortionate amounts of money on chocolate, most of us had to have a sit down outside before returning to the hostel and checking into our rooms. The place even had Wi-Fi so we could talk to friends and family. We then walked to the old town and took a boat across the lake and saw the cathedral and the famous ‘pave’ stones. We were quite tired by this time! For dinner we had Italian food in a food court.

The next morning we woke up early so we could go to CERN. We took the tram and went to both of the museums, which had lots of information on quarks, hadrons, mesons, bosons and the four fundamental forces. We learnt all about the experiments that the scientists are carrying out at the four experimental sites – Alice, LHCb, ATLAS and CMS and what they have found out so far about the early universe. After lunch in the CERN cafeteria and a trip or two to the gift shop, we got a guided tour of the ATLAS site by two scientists: Marco, who was Dutch and Bora who was Turkish. They were really excellent at explaining about particle physics and how the superconducting magnets worked. After returning from our busy day of physics, we went out for dinner in a nice Italian restaurant. We all had a really brilliant time and learnt a lot, and so did our teachers Miss Davidson, Miss Pettersson and Miss Johnston.

Bullying Update - Mar'13

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Although we are fortunate enough not to have a great number of bullying issues we are mindful that we must not be complacent. We are proud of our record but are conscious that we can always do more by listening to student concerns. During the last Academic Mentoring Day we conducted a survey of all year groups to get their views on bullying around the school. Some of the questions we asked were based on the responses we received from previous parent surveys. They were also developed by the pastoral team to find out whether our perceptions of the school were accurate.

The results we are sharing with you are from over 400 student responses. We are confident that this is a fair representation of students’ opinion.

Question: Teachers deal with bullying really well in school

Question: There is someone I can talk to if I feel I’m being bullied

Question: Have you experienced bullying at this school?

As you can see from the data the results were overwhelmingly positive with no more than 7% of students feeling that bullying was not dealt with or that they had nobody to talk to about it. The fact that 73% of students from the sample reported that they had never been bullied speaks volumes for the supportive atmosphere of the school.

We recently worked with groups of students to dig deeper into some of the issues and pastoral practice has already been updated as a result of their responses. We are continuing this work by talking again but with different students.

It is unlikely that we will ever stamp out bullying altogether but by gathering data like this and listening to our students we can do our best to limit its effects on the lives of Coombe Girls’.

Y7 Indoor Athletics '13

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0100

The Year 7 Indoor Athletics Team competed in the North Kingston Competition earlier this year where their outstanding performance resulted in winning the competition. Their strong team efforts collectively earned them most points overall beating Hollyfield, Tiffin and Holy Cross. The team consisted of Anne-Lise Cogoli-Bel, Any Colquhoun, Amy Fendley, Jessica Nguyen, Eleanor Bibby, Samantha Edmonds, Anais El-Kadiri and Olenka El-Kadiri.

The team then went on to compete in the Kingston Borough Finals at Richard Challoner School and put up a good fight against the other competitors. Unfortunately two members of the team fell ill on the day of the event and so, Laura Stefanikova and Danielle Keogh stepped in to compete and performed well. Well done to all of the athletes who were involved and we will look forward to the Athletics season which will commence after Easter.

Neal Zetter Visit

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Come and see some poetry in action!! Poet Neal Zetter is visiting the school LRC on Wednesday 13th March, P1&2 or P3&4.

Please come and sign up in the LRC NOW if you would like to come to this event.

Y10 Netball Mar'13

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Well done to the Year 10 Netball Team who played at the Borough Netball Tournament held at Tiffin’s on Wednesday 27th February.

You all played brilliantly against some tough opposition and were a credit to Coombe.

Y11 Netball Mar'13

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Congratulations to the Year 11 Netball Team who played in their final Borough Netball Tournament on Wednesday 27th February.

The team has been very similar since Year 7 and all of the girls have been very committed to training and playing matches over their five years at Coombe.

At the tournament they played six matches against all of the local Kingston schools. They won four of the matches convincingly, only losing to Tiffin Girls and Surbiton High. This meant they finished in 3rd place in the tournament, a very good result!
The team were also runners up in the Year 11 league this year fitting in their matches between their commitments to their Year 11 school work. They only lost one match all season and played excellent netball.

Ski Trip: Folgaria 2013

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0100

43 students and 6 staff went on a ski trip to Italy during February half term. We were very fortunate with the weather, blue sky and powdery snow for four days out of the six we were there. Our hotel was next to the nursery slope and chair lift which meant we had a really good location once again. If would like to read the blog or see a few photos, please see the ski trip page on the school website. The staff took over 300 photos in total and a few video clips; these are available to the students via the school student resources drive.

Skiing

Geri and Matteo’s groups skied mostly on blue slopes once they had learned to basic skills. However, many of the beginners skied down a few red runs before the end of the week. Diego and Arvin’s groups skied all over the resort, red runs, a black run and went to the snow park. These groups found some jumps on the sides of the slopes; the off-side terrain was exciting and bumpy and some of the jumps had been carved up but we made most of them with only a few wipe-outs. The students all skied on the big slalom course at the end of the week and the winners were rewarded duly.

Evening Activities

We went to Folgaria village centre to a karaoke bar. The teachers sang us a One-D song with masks on. The students then took over and finished the evening with a group dance! The quiz was hosted by Joe (the ski rep who was with us last year as well); the winning team were given a chocolate prize. We went to a bowling alley one evening where some students showed off their skill. Dannika, Kristina and Lotte had the highest scores amongst the group.

The disco was a big success for us all as it was a real nightclub opened especially for the Equity groups. It was an experience we will remember for a very long time; everyone was really excited and the dance moves were of high quality!

Thank you

I would personally like to thank all the Year 8, 9 and students and staff (Mrs Pellett, Miss Crompton, Miss Jackson, Miss Humphreys and Miss Wilkinson) who were on this trip and for making it so successful. (Miss Howarth, Assistant Headteacher).

Green Pen Week

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0100

All pupils will be given their own green pen and asked to mark their own work for one week.

- We want all pupils to experience what it is like to mark work from a teacher’s perspective against specific criteria.
- We want all pupils to think about how they can improve their work.
- We believe that this can help you improve in the future.

Maths Challenge Feb'13

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Congratulations to the following students who have recently achieved a medal in the Intermediate Mathematics Challenge.

Year 11

Eunjung Kim (Gold)
Mollie Giuffrida (Gold)
Zara Robinson (Gold)

Sana Ellahi (Silver)
Natasha Howard (Silver)
Anjali Gohil (Silver)
Julia Duke Vinton (Silver)
Katie Belej (Silver)
Annabel Biggs (Silver)
Aswathy Warrier (Silver)
Maria Paradinas (Silver)
Isabel Slatter (Silver)

Sarah Lewis (Bronze)
Emily Scott (Bronze)
Alisha Ahmad (Bronze)
Salonee Udani (Bronze)
Vaishnav Manimaran (Bronze)

Year 10

Ji Sun Mok (Silver)
Caroline Ball (Silver)
Jennifer Barr (Silver)
Jinee Kim (Silver)
Rumaisa Khan (Silver)

Juliyana Robinson (Bronze)
Maggi Thornborough (Bronze)
Caitlin Dimbleby (Bronze)
Alisha Mak (Bronze)
Rosie Barwick (Bronze)
Elsie Jones (Bronze)
Isobel Wilson (Bronze)
Sophie Ambrose (Bronze)
Boin Kim (Bronze)
Zunera Bashir (Bronze)
Natasha Baugh (Bronze)
Christie Mallett (Bronze)
Catherine Bishop (Bronze)
You lim Son (Bronze)

Year 9

Mia Delrieux (Silver)
Emily Board (Silver)
Laura Hawksworth (Silver)

Ruxaana Hutton (Bronze)
Katie Todd (Bronze)
Abiraami Udayakumar (Bronze)
Darcy Ward (Bronze)
Hayah Taimuri (Bronze)
Imogen Murchie (Bronze)
Lisa Waugh (Bronze)

Leaving Age

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0100

The communication below is a standard letter that is being sent by the local authority to the parents of students in all Kingston schools to explain the changes that have come into effect under the Raising of the Participation Age Legislation.

Letter to Parents Feb 2013

MFL Spelling Bee 2013

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0100

In September, when the Year 7s had just started school and were beginning to learn their first or second foreign language, all pupils were given the chance to compete in a Foreign Language Spelling Bee. The pupils were given a list of 50 words in English and either French, German or Spanish which would be introduced to them over the course of the term. The pupils’ first challenge was to learn the alphabet in their language. The aim of the Spelling Bee is for the pupils to practise and improve their vocabulary, spelling, pronunciation and memory skills in the Target Language.

At the end of the Autumn term, each language class had a mini-spelling bee and pupils were tested on their 50 words. Different to a monolingual Spelling Bee, students were given the word in English, and had to translate it into the Target Language and then spell it out correctly using the alphabet in the Target Language. Pupils were given one minute to correctly spell as many words as possible.

From each class in Year 7, the two pupils who managed to spell the most words in a minute were chosen to go onto the Whole School Stage. At the end of the Class Stage our winners were Harely Wood, Medhavi Seeburrun, Eiman Ali, Nimra Khan, YunGyung Kim, Nour Abbas, Huda Abdellaoui, Tanya Ali, Prablin Taneja, Ella Wallis, Sarah Poli, Ruby Snelling, Tatyana Koliva, Maya Rowley and Anne-Lise Cogogli-Bel. Each pupil received a certificate for their amazing efforts. Mrs Blanchard, Head of Year 7, said she thought it was fantastic that there were representatives and winners from all the teaching groups!

These pupils were then given 50 more words to learn. This was the biggest challenge yet: the girls now had to be able to translate and spell out all 100 words! The nail-biting School Stage final was held at the end of Spring Half Term. The teachers, and the Year 8 pupils who cheered them on, were so impressed with the huge effort the pupils had put in. All the pupils worked incredibly hard and were able to translate and spell a great number of words within the time limit. The final four pupils managed to spell between 13-16 words each in just one minute! The winners will now be given another 50 words to learn and will compete against other local schools at the Regional Stage of the competition. Congratulations to Maya Rowley, Sarah Poli, Ella Wallis and Tanya Ali. We will keep you posted on how these four do!

We hope that next year’s Year 7 students will also be able to enjoy the Spelling Bee and that the current Year 7s will relish their roles as Language Leaders by helping the new Year 7s learn their words!

Thank you to all of the teachers who worked so hard to support the pupils and helped to organise the final round.

London Eye Literacy

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0100

During our Literacy sessions on a Friday afternoon, we have really enjoyed reading “The London Eye Mystery” by Siobhan Dowd. In the book, Salim goes to London’s South bank with his cousins, Ted and Kat. A stranger gives Salim a ticket to ride on the London Eye and his cousins watch as the giant wheel goes round, but when Salim’s pod returns to earth and opens, Salim is nowhere to be seen!

It therefore seemed highly appropriate for our Literacy group to visit The London Eye for ourselves! We had our own pod and our host, Tayrah, gave us a really interesting talk about The Eye and other major London landmarks that were visible, such as, St Paul’s Cathedral, Wembley Stadium and the tallest structure in Europe, The Shard.

Fortunately, we all emerged safely from our pod, unlike Salim. Ted narrates the book and has various theories about how Salim disappears, many of which we were able to disprove; we found out that you cannot stay on the Eye for a second ride, for example. So, how did Salim disappear? Perhaps he spontaneously combusted or was abducted by aliens, but if you want to find out, you will just have to read the book for yourselves!

Mrs Blanchard, Mrs Mason and I very much enjoyed the afternoon. The girls behaved beautifully and were great company. They were a credit to themselves and the school.

Mrs Knight

Literacy teacher.

Meat Suppliers

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Please find the following statement from our caterers 'Wilson Jones Ltd'. It outlines the measures that they have taken to verify the source of all the meat used at Coombe Girls' School.

Letter from Wilson Jones Ltd

Y11 Netball - Feb 2013

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Congratulations to the Year 11 Netball Team who played against Tolworth Girls School on Wednesday 13th February after school. It was a great match especially as it was played through the snow!! At half time the Coombe Team were losing but showed great resilience and finally won the match 7 – 4!! Well done to you all and good luck for the Borough Tournament on Wednesday 27th February.

Y10 Netball - Feb 2013

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Well done to our Year 10 Netball Team who narrowly lost to Tolworth Girls 8-6 on Wednesday 13th February. You played very well & your commitment to playing and training is fantastic.

Don’t forget the Borough Tournament is the first Wednesday back after half term (27th Feb). Training for this will be on Monday 25th Feb at 1.45pm.

Little Shop of Horrors

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Coombe Girls have impressed audiences with their production of Little Shop of Horrors. The students, who play both male and female roles, performed twice on Monday to an audience of primary school pupils and an evening audience of friends, family and members of the community.

Evie Evans-Wright, who plays Audrey 2 the man-eating plant, said “performing in front of an audience was amazing. The audience stood up and went crazy at the end.” Members of the cast, who are now Coombe superstars as a result of the production, have all been rehearsing hard since the auditions in September.

Julia Solomon, who plays the Rick Moranis role of Seymour, said “It’s great to play a geeky, shy role. It’s lots of fun and I find myself believing that the plant is actually real! There aren’t many shows like this. The audience was really supportive yesterday. Some of the primary school pupils left saying that it was the best show that they had ever seen.” There is a serious side to the show though and Julia is aware of this: “the plant is supposed to represent capitalism and the way that money draws you in.”

Supporting the students is a team of dedicated staff including Musical Director Ms Wells and Director Ms Burwell. Ms Burwell said “It has been a privilege to work with such a talented cast, crew and band. We are immensely proud of all the students involved and their hard work and commitment to the process. I will really miss the show when it’s finished.” The school is very proud of all the students and hope that the next few nights of performances are as successful.

Stan Belton Cup 2013

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Congratulations to Lucille Fletcher, Gaby James and Darcy Ward who took part in the `Stan Belton Cross country Cup` on Saturday 26th January 2013, at Richmond Park. The 3 girls represented Coombe and their athletics club: Kingston Polytechnic Harriers. The weather was freezing cold and wet....perfect running conditions for cross country!

Lucille Fletcher won the race, winning two gold medals (1 gold medal for winning the race overall and 1 gold medal for coming first as part of the Coombe team) Lucille also won a silver medal as the Coombe team finished second overall. This is a fantastic achievement, well done Lucille!

Gaby James won two silver medals: 1 silver medal for coming second in the race overall and 1 silver medal for the Coombe team. Darcy Ward won 1 silver medal as part of the Coombe team.

Well done and Congratulations to you all!

Y7 Netball v CCC

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0100

The Year 7 netball team played in a well fought match yesterday (Tuesday 5th February) after school against CCC. It was freezing conditions outside and Coombe only had 6 players against CCC’s seven! The team played well in a difficult game against some very tall CCC players! The final score was 7-0 to CCC but everyone played very weel. Bethan Walsh was the player of the match, well done Bethan.

Netball Club is on every Tuesday after school new players are always more than welcome. We have one league match left and then I will be selecting the team for the Borough Tournament in March.

See you all next Tuesday after school 3.40 – 4.40pm

Miss Pipe

Drug Awareness

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0100

We would like to invite parents to attend a workshop on Monday 4th March 2013 from 6.00-7.00 p.m. at Coombe Girls’ School, Clarence Avenue, New Malden. Please use the entrance by the main School Hall. The aim of the session is to help parents support their teenagers develop into successful young adults. This is an opportunity for parents to find out more about drugs, drugs use and misuse and how to tell fact from fiction.

The workshop will be run by Bob Tait from DredUK. He has run similar workshops before which have been very popular.The parents have found them to be both informative and interesting. They are open to parents of students from all year groups.

If you would like to attend the workshop please complete and return the reply slip below marked for the attention of Dr Hodges – Parent Workshop to Coombe Girls’ School office.

Reply slip

Solar Panels for Coombe

Sat, 26 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0100

The Eco-action group has been accepted in the British Gas ‘Solar for Schools’ programme. This means that 37 solar panels will be installed by British Gas free of charge. These panels will generate over 9000W of electrical energy. This is enough to power 120 strip lights and will greatly reduce the school’s electrical bill and carbon footprint.

Blue Peter Eco Badge

Sat, 26 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Coombe Girl, Maariya Yahya, has been awarded a prestigious Blue Peter badge for her work in the school garden and with the Eco Action Group.

Maariya wrote to Blue Peter back in November to let them know that about the Coombe vegetable garden and the Land Girls who had successfully sold their home grown produce to Waitrose customers and to teachers. Maariya enthusiastically related her experiences of taking home vegetables that she had participated in sowing and cultivating. She told Blue Peter “the club is open to all year groups and we are shown how you can grow your own food that helps you to eat healthily.”

In addition, Maariya was proud to talk about the work undertaken by the school Eco Action Group whose projects included recycling and reducing waste and cutting the school electricity bill by 10% during The Big Switch Off. She said “I had to stand up in front of my classmates and tell them about the project. I was really embarrassed but proud that I was doing something to help the environment.”

The Eco Action Group has so far achieved the Silver Eco Schools Award and continues to meet weekly in order to gain The Green Flag.

Norovirus Jan 2013

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0100

We have a number of students who are particularly vulnerable if they are exposed to infections and viruses. Please read the following information regarding norovirus and measles carefully. Please do not send your child into school if you are at all concerned that they may be infected. Exposure for some of our students, who have other medical issues, may have an extremely serious effect on their health.

HPA Update on Seasonal Norovirus

Exam Success Jan 2013

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Last Thursday students were able to breathe a sigh of relief as mock results are the best ever. Having waited in anticipation over the Christmas break for the results, students were encouraged by their achievements which indicate that they are well on track to achieve brilliantly in the summer.

Pupils also received their Maths examination results. A significant proportion of pupils now have A/A* grades in Maths and 63% of the year group already have an A* to C grade. We expect this figure to rise in the summer and aim, like last year, to be the most successful comprehensive school Maths department in the local area.

School Photos 2013

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0100

On Friday 1st February the school photographer will be in school to take individual photographs of pupils in years 7 – 10.

They will also be taking photos of Siblings, Class Group photographs and Sport Group photographs on the day.

Please note that there will be no obligation to purchase a photograph. Ordering information (on-line or by post) will be included in the Proofs Pack issued by Horizon Photographic.

January 2013

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Welcome to readers of my first blog in 2013 and I would like to wish all students and parents a very happy and outstandingly successful new year !

Eagle-eared listeners in my assemblies at the start of term will recall my key theme – using time profitably because it passes incredibly quickly and we never know what new opportunities will present themselves ! ‘Carpe Diem’ – or ‘seize the moment’ is a motto of mine and a belief that I’d like all of my students to hold close to their hearts!

Well, barely had I finished my assemblies than I received a call on Tuesday morning informing me that Michael Gove, MP, the Secretary of State for Education would be visiting Coombe at the end of the week ! I was told that he would also be attending with a host of dignitaries, including the MP for Richmond and North Kingston, Zac Goldsmith and Cllr Andrea Craig.

Many of you will be well aware that Michael Gove is the most senior politician in government with responsibility for policy that impacts every single school in this country. As a school, we were immediately clear that this was both an enormous privilege and a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate the outstandingly positive, happy and unique learning environment that is Coombe Girls !

Whilst the visit was only planned to be an hour long, we were determined to pack in as much as we possibly could to ensure that Mr Gove met as many staff and students and visited as many classrooms as we could manage. On reflection, I feel that we certainly achieved that and he had a hectic hour with us last Friday ! If you would like to know about one of the key events, please read Year 12 student Alex Mackie’s write-up of Mr Gove’s answers to our student question panel which was absolutely fascinating. Mr Gove seemed relaxed, frank and open as he answered a myriad of questions about his life, education and journalistic and political career.

As a Headteacher, I am intensely interested in the politics of education and as you may imagine, there were questions that I would have loved to have had time to raise. However, time was extremely tight and it was abundantly clear that Mr Gove was determined to spend the maximum amount of time talking to our students and finding out exactly what they felt about their school !

From the comments that I received both during and after the visit I think that I can say that impression that he received was very clear ! Coombe students are happy, extremely focussed and an enormous credit to their school and themselves.

Strangely, we had no real idea why we were visited by such illustrious company until Mr Goldsmith explained that he had wanted to ‘showcase an outstanding local school’ in his area. Mr Gove was also clearly particularly interested in the highly successful federation arrangements that link the boys’ and girls’ schools. If you’d like to know more about the visit, please see the Surrey Comet website, or look out for us in the paper next week.

However, as I mentioned at the outset, time does not stand still and we have an enormously busy and exciting term to look forward to ! A huge number of our students are currently sitting January modules for the last time that these will happen and our Year 11s have just received their Mock Exam results. They are now about to begin the crucial final four months of preparation for their GCSEs.

Meanwhile, we are looking forward with excitement toward our Sixth Form RAG week, the Spring Concert, the school production and a host of other activities! Excitingly, we are also resurrecting outstanding events from the school’s past including the Isle of Wight Sixth Form team- building trip and our famous New York and Washington USA visit ! We are also launching a whole new programme of study to ensure that Coombe students have the best possible chance of success at the very best universities both in the UK and abroad.

All in all, Mr Gove’s visit has marked a great start to a new year at Coombe and it is clear that 2013 is well under way !

Healthy Schools Jan13

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Please find the January 2013 Healthy Schools Newsletter below.

Click on the image to download the file.

PFA Quiz Feb 2013

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Quiz Night Friday 1st February 7.30pm

Yes it’s back. Get those brain cells working again after the Christmas festivities. Expect the usual quirky questions, fiver raffle and amazing prizes (!) Tickets are £5 adult / £3 pupil or £30 per full table of 8. Full details will follow shortly, but if you are very keen, please return this form (with money) to the school office by Friday 25th January in an envelope clearly marked – PFA QUIZ NIGHT. Cheques to be made payable to – CGSPFA (pughie@fsmail.net for information)

PFA Quiz Night Tickets
Name and telephone/email
Pupil's name, year and tutor group

Second Hand Uniform

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Washed, good quality uniform always needed…..please send to reception.

PFA News

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Christmas Fair

The fair raised £2835…and Barclays have match funded that by £700…so grand total is £3535!!! This will provide much needed items for the Music and Drama Departments. It was a great event…stallholders were impressed by how many people attended, and many want to come back next year. Thank you to all who helped on the day and everyone who supported us through tombola prizes, mufti donations and attending the fair.

Secretary of State for Education visits Coombe!

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0100

The Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove MP, visited Coombe Girls' on Fri 11th January. He was accompanied by local councillors, borough education officials and Zac Goldsmith MP for Richmond Park & North Kingston.

The visit was a very exciting moment in the work of the school and involved a wide range of students and staff, many of whom met Mr Gove during his visit.

An Audience with Michael Gove, MP

By Alex Mackie

On Friday, 11th January 2013, Coombe Girls' School was chosen for a visit by the Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove MP. He arrived in the morning, and after a tour of the school - during which he was impressed by the pupils' attitude to learning - some students in Year 11 and the Sixth Form were given the opportunity to pose some interesting questions to him:

1. How do you feel that your own education has influenced your political thinking?

“Inescapably,” responded Mr. Gove, who went on to explain how the fact that he was adopted at a young age has made him acutely conscious of, “how fragile life can be,” and how what happens early on in your life can seriously affect what happens later on. Given this context, he spoke passionately about the need for schools to be aware that some students have to cope with huge disadvantages and his own belief that a child should “never [be] a victim of circumstance.”

2. Do you feel that your Oxbridge education has helped in your journalistic and political career (and should students should aim for the best universities)?

Interestingly, Mr Gove answered this question with “yes and no.” On the one hand, he admitted to being “poorly disciplined” in his first two years at university, which would not be feasible in his role as an MP. On the other, however, he likened the freedom of university life, and the pressure of the “high stakes” exams at the end, to his career both as a journalist and as a politician. Although he has freedom over how he uses his time, whether visiting schools or sitting in the office, he must work to strict deadlines, and above all he must get the balance right. If he doesn't, he'll pay for it when the next election comes round.

3. What would you say is the biggest challenge that you have faced in your career and how did you overcome it?

Admitting when he had got something wrong. Mr Gove was very clear that in his role, which he compared to that of a Head teacher, it was important to be seen to be “exuding confidence,” because people need to be able to trust their leaders, and know that they have a clear judgment. However, in his opinion, the best leaders are honest, can admit when they get things wrong and learn from their mistakes.

4. We know that you studied English at Oxford – did you enjoy it and would you do the same again?

The response to this question was a resounding, “Yes and yes!” Mr Gove described the time that he spent studying at Oxford as three years of reading fantastic books and getting to see some fantastic theatrical productions. He understood that young people are under pressure to choose courses that give them access to jobs, but he was keen to explain that employers prefer people who are enthusiastic and motivated. Choose a subject you love, work hard, and your passion will be well received.

5. What would you advise young people today who are keen to pursue a career in politics or journalism?

This would totally depend on the individual. Mr Gove found the subject of History “inspiring” because he could learn about both the mistakes and triumphs of the past. He felt that many people would feel similarly enthusiastic about Geography, where studying population challenges or climate change would inspire the pupil to 'take on' these issues. Journalism requires the capability to strike a balance between writing clearly and quickly, and taking care over grammatical precision is essential.

6. What in particular do you look for when you visit schools?

Mr Gove referred us to his list of three things which he looks for whenever he visits a school. One: he prefers to be shown round by the pupils, as they are the most important ones. Two: he wants to see pupils who are engaged and who have a lot to say. Three: he says it's always a good idea to check the boys' toilets, as you can instantly tell from what you see in there how much confidence the students have in the staff!

7. Is there anything that you have seen at Coombe today that you would like to see replicated in other schools?

“Lots!” Mr Gove was particularly impressed by the Performing Arts department, and said that the “music teaching was superb” and he was glad to see all the pupils getting involved in performing. Similarly, he enjoyed seeing a passion and enthusiasm for sport. Above all, Mr Gove was blown away by the “sheer numbers” of students studying Modern Foreign Languages, and was pleased to see there were as many female A-Level Physics students as their male counterparts.

The students asking the questions said afterwards that they were pleased to have had the opportunity to speak with such a high-profile figure in modern politics, and they found it enlightening to hear Mr Gove's thoughts and about his personal experiences.

Our student panel consisted of young people currently studying in Years 11, 12 or 13: Shalya Arumugathasan; La Young Ko; Olukemi Taiwo; Alice Clemens; Alex Mackie; Rishi Patel; Joo Eun chun; Hiba Al-Khaffaji; Maria Paradinas; Julia Duke-Vinton; Georgia Bell; Poppy Goddard.

Mr Gove’s tour of the school was led by Laura Timmins and Matt Britton.

Article in The Surrey Comet (11.1.13)

Seasonal Norovirus

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0100

The Heath Protection Agency (HPA) state - Norovirus is highly contagious and can be transmitted by contact with an infected person; by contact with contaminated surfaces or objects or by consuming contaminated food or water. The virus spreads rapidly in closed environments such as hospitals, schools and care homes.

Symptoms of norovirus include a sudden onset of vomiting and/or diarrhoea. Some people may have a temperature, headache and stomach cramps. The illness usually resolves in one or two days and there are no long-term effects.

If you are aware that your son/daughter is unwell and not fit to attend school please keep them at home. Any vomiting or diarrhoea should be given a clear 48 hour period to avoid the spread of viruses.

“People should be vigilant in their hygiene and we would like to remind anyone who has typical symptoms suggestive of norovirus infection to avoid visiting friends or relatives in hospital or care homes. Norovirus infection in hospitals is very disruptive as it can lead to ward closures.

“Having a norovirus infection is very unpleasant but it is short-lived and most people will fully recover in a couple of days. Make sure that you or anyone you are caring for takes plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. Over-the-counter medicines can also be useful in reducing headaches and other aches and pains”.

Advice for the public when managing a bout of norovirus:
•Do not visit your GP surgery or local A&E Unit. Norovirus infection is a self-limiting illness and you will recover naturally without treatment. It is, however, important to take plenty of drinks to replace lost fluids.
•Use NHS Direct's new diarrhoea and vomiting online health and symptom checker, to get advice on how to manage your symptoms at home or help to access the most appropriate health service: https://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/CheckSymptoms/SATs/DandV5AndOver.aspx
•Wash hands thoroughly and regularly at all times, but particularly after using the toilet and before eating.
•Do not visit friends or relatives in hospitals or residential care homes as there is a real risk that you would introduce the infection putting vulnerable people at risk.

Demolition of old block begins

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0100

The demolition of the old Geography and Science block started today. The building should take all week to demolish and remove from the school site. Over the Christmas break work will start on the foundations of the replacement block. The new building should be ready for use from April onwards.

The new building will house three Geography classrooms, a Geography resource room, the PHSE base, the careers office and three fully fitted Science laboratories. The building will also contain a lift making all the new and existing Science laboratories accessible to wheelchairs.

My World 2012

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0100

After weeks of hard work Year 8 finally completed their ‘My World’ projects and with the help of their tutors, placed the work on display for the rest of the school to see.

Girls had produced everything from in depth analysis of artists’ works to bold and beautifully finished dresses. At lunch time some of the students had the opportunity to show off some of the more visual results and fired up their volcanos off for their tutors and teachers to see. Mr Jones from Geography had to fight off the science department for the completed articles which will brighten up the new Geography block!

Reactions from the students were really positive with some describing the projects as ‘fun and creative’ and others finding it ‘a good way to learn new skills’. Lots of students thought that it was good for developing skills for GCSE and others just enjoyed the time to work independently.

Examples of the large products and written assignments will be put on display at the front of school to hopefully inspire Year 7 to produce the same high quality work

Image Gallery and more information about 'My World'

Going Global

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0100

For the second year running, Coombe Girls in year 8 have amazed and impressed staff with their submissions for the recent ‘My World’ project. The annual project, which started last year, is cross-curricular and allows students to work independently. The products, ranging from designer clothing to exploding volcanoes, have been on display in the school and represent a wide range of talent and cultural experiences.

With the support of staff at Coombe Girls’ School, the students can decide how they wish to tackle the project and what they would like to produce at the end. They then get the chance to display their work and receive an overall assessment. This is fantastic preparation for the Enterprise Week in year 9 and the students approach the task enthusiastically.

Wicked Writing

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Gabby Corry-Mead has done it again and been shortlisted for yet another writing competition. The competition was the Wicked Young Writers' Award 2012. This is an annual competition organised by Wicked the Musical and Gabby was free to write about anything on any theme.

Gabby, from the Coombe 6th Form was shortlisted for the 15-17 category and attended the prize giving, where she unfortunately didn’t win; however, she is included in the anthology for this year’s entrants. Michael Morpurgo, the competition’s judge, said “All the talented young people in this anthology have allowed their imagination to live and breathe”. Morpurgo, author of War Horse and Private Peaceful has been fully involved with the competition and handed out prizes to the overall winner of each category. He was particularly impressed by the older categories and what he said were “incredibly well-crafted pieces of writing”.

Judges shortlisted Gabby for her imaginative flair in her story called "Death Was Not The First To Wear Black". Gabby is positive about the competition and is happy with her position as a runner up. She said “there was huge competition. I’m just looking forward to entering another one as soon as possible”. We are incredibly proud of our resident writer and look forward to reading her future work.

Fun Run 2012

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0100

13 Year 11 Coombe Girls, along with their tutor, took part in the Santa 5k Fun Run at Richmond Park on Sunday. They hope to have raised a substantial amount for the Princess Alice Hospice. The run took place at lunchtime in Richmond Park. Students were delighted to be part of the run. Maya Farebrother from 11 Venus said, “it gives you a sense of achievement” whilst Hannah Oxford said, “Hopefully Santa will put me on the nice list this year for taking part!”.

Two main events have now been held by The Princess Alice Hospice on the 2nd and 9th December. Both runs follow established 5k Park Run routes and both venues opened the run to all ages and abilities. Coombe were amongst local companies, schools, social groups and family and friends to raise money to help the charity.

Lauren Crompton, a teacher at Coombe Girls’ School also took part in the 10K Greenwich Park Fun Run this Sunday.

As a charity, the Princess Alice Hospice needs to raise over £43,800 to provide all the care and support free of charge at the Hospice and in patient’s homes over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Year 7 Netball Teams

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Two Year 7’s netball teams played Holly Cross on Tuesday 4th December 2012. Both teams travelled to Holy Cross and played fantastically in their first ever match representing Coombe.

The Green Team played first and scored within the first 30 seconds of the match! The final score was 2-2 and was a great game. The team voted Katie Walden as Player of the Match for her excellent shooting skills. Well done Katie!

The second match was the Black Team. It was fast and frenetic game with the ball going from end to end. The final score was 0-0, but was very much enjoyed by both teams. Fiza Khan was voted as Player of the Match by the rest of the team.

The teams were:

Green Team

Bethan Walsh (Captain)
Fiza Khan
Safa Aly
Shawntel MbakopGeorgia Morris
Hana Williams

Black Team

Flora Scott (Captain)
Aoife Gaca
Genevieve Jenkins-Rees
Katie Walden
Delphine Peacock
Nijith Rodriguez
Maria O-Hagan
Gloria Chun

Use of Images

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Dear Parent/Carer,

We are looking forward to beginning work on our new 2013 school prospectus in the near future.

Our prospectus is an extremely important publication that is designed to demonstrate the vibrancy and energy of life at Coombe to prospective parents. Clearly, in order to show a true representation of our school, we will want to use images of students engaged in a range of positive activities. It is also possible that we will use some of these images on our website.

Before we embark on this project I would like to use this opportunity to remind Parents/Carers of our “Use of Students’ Images” Policy. Having read the policy should you wish your daughter’s image not to be used, please complete the form below and return it to the school office by Friday 21st December.

If you have any questions regarding this please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely,

Mr D Peters
Senior Assistant Headteacher

Use of Students’ Images Policy

At Coombe Girls’ School we look to promote the excellent curricular and extra - curricular work that students produce. We believe that the use of a student’s image in an article, newsletter or video often has a motivational effect on the student.

It is recognised that care must also be taken when using a student’s image. Every care is taken to ensure that the image is only viewed by the intended audience and that students remain unidentifiable and therefore not able to contact when these images are used. Guidelines for the use of images are outlined in our “Use of Student Images” Policy.

It would be much appreciated if you could complete the attached slip to give your permission for the use of your daughter’s image. If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact the school.

Letter sent to Parents December 2012

Transition Group Tears

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0100

For National Schools Film Week, 22 Year 7 students from the Learning Development Department’s Transition Groups enjoyed watching the acclaimed War Horse at the Odeon in Wimbledon. The drama, full of blood, sweat and tears, kept everyone glued to their seats for two and a half hours, proving that, contrary to media opinion, today’s pre-teens have impressive attention spans.

War Horse is a 2011 war drama directed by Steven Spielberg adapted from the highly successful 1982 novel by British author, Michael Morpurgo, set before and during World War 1. It was nominated for 6 Academy Awards and, in the opinion of our Year 7s, deserved to win every one! If only a horse could win best actor!

The film (and the concession stand!) proved an instant hit. Huda Abdellaoui said “it was thrilling, intense and sad. I loved it and would definitely recommend it to my friends”.

Year 9 & 10 Volleyball Tournament

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0100

On Thursday 6th December, Coombe travelled to Chessington Community College to take part in a Year 9 and 10 Borough Volleyball competition. 5 local schools entered the competition. Coombe had been training hard and were ready for their games to begin!

Coombe A team consisted of:

Sophie Clements
Caitlin Dimbleby
Anna Parker
Kendra Quinn
Evie Grippaudo

Coombe A team beat Coombe B 25-13 and beat CCC 29-16. Coombe A team lost 20-19 to Tiffin B and 34-14 to Tiffin A. Coombe A team finished second in the tournament and won silver medals!

Congratulations to you all!

Coombe B team consisted of:
Olivia Bessa
Immie Lindsley
Eliza Jones
Lina Khalil

Coombe B team lost 25-13 to Coombe A, 32-19 to CCC, 33-13 to Tiffin A and 28-20 to Tiffin B. Coombe B team finished 5th overall in the competition.

Well done to everyone for representing Coombe so well – you were all fantastic!

Jack Petchey Achievement Awards

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0100

You do not need to be the cleverest, fastest, best behaved, best looking, neatest, most organised…

As participants of the Petchey Award Scheme we are able to make nine very special awards each year to students who have made an outstanding contribution in our community.

On Monday 26th November, last year’s winners were invited to attend the Richmond and Kingston presentation ceremony at The Richmond Theatre. It was a fantastic evening of celebration at which our winners were presented with their boxed medallions in front of an audience of VIPs, teachers, friends, family and students from other local schools.

Coombe Girls’ School, Jack Petchey Award Winners 2011-12:

Ellen Fraser
Caitlin Mills
Mary Cox
Sophia El-Engibawy
Laura Timmins
Erika Andrejustkinaite
Georgina Chapman
Hannah Oxford
Emily May

The awards evening included a number of performances from Kingston and Richmond students. Emelye Taylor from Coombe Sixth Form took to the stage and played a piano solo called Élégie by Cecile Chaminade. Emelye along with all the students once again proved themselves to be great ambassadors for the school.

Our three winners so far this year are: Bareera Javaid (9 Ve), Diana Simango (12 LH) and Haniyeh Shademan (11 Ma). If you would like to nominate anyone for an upcoming award, please use the nomination form on the CGS website and post in the box in reception or email it to jackpetchey@cgs.rbksch.org. The following awards are still to come:

Month	Target Group	Month	Target Group
January	Year 8	April	Year 10
February	Key Stage 4	May	Key Stage 3
March	Key Stage 5	June	Year 7

Physics in Action

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Year 12 and 13 Observe Physics in Action

On Wednesday 7th November 2012, year 12 and 13 pupils from Coombe Sixth Form attended a Physics in Action conference at the IOE, University of London. The conference involved five speakers sharing their current work in physics. Dr Karin Shmueli spoke about her work with MRI specifically how we can use strong magnets and radio waves to create maps of brain activity. Dr Andrew Steele showed a superconductor levitating with the use of some liquid nitrogen.

Superconductors are bizarre materials with a very exciting property: cool them to below a certain temperature, and they have no electrical resistance at all, so a current can flow freely through them without ever slowing down. Dr Andrew Pontzen’s talk was entitled, Entropy: how a steam engine tells us about the end of time. Understanding entropy now plays a key role in modern physics, not least because it is our best explanation of why time goes in one direction - forwards, not backwards. Dr Matt Pritchard who is a magician as well as a scientist explained the scientific secrets behind illusions and in addition spoke about some of the most inspiring and imaginative heroes of science and engineering. Finally, Dr Nicholas Harrigan gave a talk on the physics of everyday objects with many experiments which you could try at home. All the pupils thoroughly enjoyed the talks and most agreed that their favourite guest speaker was Dr Matt Pritchard who thrilled the audience with his magic tricks but who also revealed the secrets of them allowing us to try them out ourselves.

2014-15 Admissions

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Please find the RBK consultation information document for 2014-15 admissions below.

2014-15 RBK Admission Consultation Information

AFC Wimbledon

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0100

On Friday 30th November, Miss Butler took 9 girls to a football tournament at Kingsmeadow organised by AFC Wimbledon Football Club. 24 schools entered the tournament, making it the biggest competition in Kingston this year! Coombe had trained really hard and were ready to show off their fantastic football skills and team work.

The Coombe team consisted of:
Captain Shula Norman
Alex Freund
Beth Elliott
Emma Gallacher
Nina Patel
Samantha Edmonds
Danielle Keogh
Anais El-Kadiri
Ellie Irwin

Coombe beat Battersea Park School 1-0, beat Southfields College 3-0, beat Greenshaw High 3-1, beat HolyCross 3-0 and beat Platinos College 3-0. Coombe won their pool comfortably and were through to the Quarter Finals.

Coombe met Carshalton High School in the Quarter Finals. The game ended 1-1 and went to penalties. After 3 penalties each, both schools drew. The game went to sudden death! Coombe beat Carshalton High 2-1 and were through to the semi finals!

Coombe met Stanley Park in the semi finals. The game ended 1-1 and went to penalties again! After 3 penalties each, both schools drew. The game went to sudden death for a second time! Coombe beat Stanley Park 2-1 and were in the FINAL!

Coombe met St Philamenas School in the Final. Coombe lost 1-0 and were silver medallists! Out of 24 schools, Coombe finished 2nd which is a fantastic achievement!

Shula Norman scored 14 goals for Coombe throughout the tournament and Alex Freund made save after save as she shone in goal. Well done to everyone involved – it was a really enjoyable team experience and the silver medals should be worn with pride!

Top Marks for Debaters

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0100

This term has seen much success and achievement for our debaters. From recruiting new and upcoming debaters across the school to representing Coombe and the community, there has been much to talk about.

In October, Coombe was invited by Amnesty International to hold a debate on "Should Amnesty include poverty in its Human Rights work?" Gaby Corry-Mead and Rosie Hudson bravely responded to Amnesty’s borough-wide call for debaters in the borough.

Local Chair of the group, Pascal Egan, said: "We were incredibly impressed by the level of prior research and strength of arguments by both the 'for' and 'against' participants, plus the strict time-keeping and adherence to debating procedures. Considering this topic has perplexed Amnesty Kingston members for over 4 years, the Coombe Girls pupils really tackled this head-on.”

In November Georgia Bell and Lizzie Hensman signed up for the highly competitive Cambridge Schools’ competition, preparing on the motion of “This House Would Abolish the Veto Power of the UN Security Council”. Gaby and Rosie also represented Coombe at the first round of the English Speaking Union’s Mace Debating Competition on the motion “This House Would Ban the State Sector from Wearing Religious Symbols”, earning top marks for the team, ahead of King’s College Wimbledon, Surbiton High School and Tiffin Girls’.

Next term will see our girls battle it out at the School of Oriental and African Studies debate, as well as the International Competition for Young Debaters. Lots of stimulating debates will continue to be held at our weekly Debating Society where we believe “deliberation and debate is the way you stir the soul of democracy” in Jesse Jackson’s words. Pupils are advised to keep checking their emails and the school’s plasma screens for the latest motion.

Post-16 Choices

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Choosing courses for study in Year 12 is a really exciting time for Year 11 students. With such a variety of course choice available to pursue at Coombe Sixth Form, it is important that you take time to carefully consider the options open to you.

When making these important decisions please ensure that you research the courses of study, think about your strengths, what you enjoy and your future career.

In order to help ensure you make the right decisions regarding your post-16 courses of study, we are running subject information sessions on the dates below. All sessions run from 8.40-9.05am. Year 11 pupils should register with their tutors and make their way to the relevant venue listed below.

Year 11 post-16 subject talks

Subject	Date	Room
Psychology	Mon 3.12.12	77
English Literature, English Language and Literature	Tues 4.12.12	TR1
Maths & Mechanics, Maths & Statistics, Further Maths	Wed 5.12.12	77
Sociology	Thurs 6.12.12	TR1
Media Studies	Fri 7.12.12	77
Biology	Mon 10.12.12	77
History	Tues 11.12.12	TR1
ICT	Thurs 13.12.12	TR1
Art	Fri 14.12.12	77
Chemistry	Mon 17.12.12	77
Physics	Tues 18.12.12	TR1

(Subjects not listed above will run after the Christmas Holidays)

At the sessions Year 11 pupils will have the chance to find out more in depth information about the subject post- 16 and have an opportunity to discuss the subjects with current Year 12 and 13 students as well as asking any questions.

Please discuss the importance of attending the most relevant sessions with your daughter.

We wish your daughter the best of luck with her decision making and do remember the Year 11 tutors, subject teachers and Sixth Form team are here to help guide you through this important process so please do ask if you have any further questions.

Yours faithfully,

Miss Walsh
Key Stage 4/5 Manager.

November 2012

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0100

As the year progresses, we are always of aware of the many changes looming on the horizon, and in particular preparing for the many changes predicted for education. Many of you will already be aware of the Government’s proposal to replace GCSE courses with the EBacc which proposes a focus on Maths, English, Science, MFL and Humanities and to discontinue AS and A2 January modules from 2013. We will endeavour to keep you informed of proposals and updates and ask that you continue to support your daughter’s education in the usual way. Also, we cannot forget the Ofqual report recommending a change to the ‘retake’ culture so prevalent over recent years. Here at Coombe we have seen many changes and are confident that the changes will not have an adverse affect on the students. Indeed, we envisage a smooth transition.

Change is inevitable and it seems that the time is quickly approaching for our current year 11s to move on in their educational journey. Over the last few weeks, we have been interviewing our current students hoping to gain a place onto a course in the Coombe 6th form. The high calibre of the students never ceases to please me and, this year, I have been particularly impressed with how prepared the students are and how assured they are about what they want to do in the future. It is reassuring to see that our careers advice is encouraging the students to be aspirational and excited about the opportunities available. We look forward to continuing in the same vein with our careers programme in active tutorials, assemblies, PSHCE and IAG days.

Finally, I must mention the selfless and mature support shown by our students for Remembrance Day. Poppy sales over the last few weeks were impressive and we were very proud that some of our students went to the New Malden memorial service on Sunday. As well as this, on Friday and Monday, assemblies were dedicated to the many people who have fought, died and lost loved ones for their patriotic duty. The Senior Performance Group showed remarkable empathy in their dramatized dedication and all students involved were able to reflect on the actions of others.

It is a testament to the Coombe students that they represent the Coombe Learner Profile so effortlessly. We look forward to supporting them further in their hard work in the upcoming Gym and Dance Display on 20th and 21st November and Carols by Candlelight on 12th December.

Home Language Exams 2013

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Do you speak another language at home? Would you like to give your child the opportunity to gain an extra qualification by sitting an exam (e.g. GCSE or A-Level) in this?

The exam usually involves listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Anybody who is confident in these skills can sit the exam and thereby gain very valuable extra qualifications.

- Not all languages are available as exams, but we will investigate all possibilities.

- If students are not sure, they should come and see either Ms Klinker or Mr Power. Alternatively, with specific questions, you can also email Ms Klinker at sklink1@cgs.rbksch.org

We have a collection of past papers which students may use for practice and to check whether they feel up to the exam.

Detailed information on all the exams we commonly run is available on the students p-drive under Modern Foreign Languages -> Additional Language Exams.

If you are interested, collect a ‘Home Language Exam Application Form’ from reception, and return it completed (signed by parents) to reception.

Ms Klinker

Physics in Action

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Year 12 and 13 observe Physics in Action

On Wednesday 7th November 2012, Year 12 and 13 pupils from Coombe Sixth Form attended a Physics in Action Conference at the IOE, University of London. The conference involved five speakers sharing their current work in physics. Dr Karin Shmueli spoke about her work with MRI specifically how we can use strong magnets and radio waves to create maps of brain activity. Dr Andrew Steele showed a superconductor levitating with the use of some liquid nitrogen.

Non-uniform days

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Dear Parent or Carer,

As you know, we occasionally allow our girls to wear their own clothes on special days at Coombe. The girls donate a small amount to charity for the privilege of wearing non-uniform clothing and these days provide moments of bright individuality in the school calendar. We would be very unhappy to lose them.

Friday 23rd November is a Non Uniform day to raise money for our PFA. If students wish to wear their own clothes they should bring in £1 for this charity. The dress code below is designed to provide guidelines on the appropriate style of clothing to be worn by students on school non uniform days.

Girls:
No leggings unless worn under a skirt or dress
No skirts or shorts that are shorter than mid-thigh in length
No low cut/thin strapped/strapless tops
No midriff on show
No high heeled shoes
No clothing with offensive slogans
No hats to be worn in the building

Boys:
No excessively low slung trousers
No clothing with offensive slogans
No hats to be worn in the building

Jewellery, mobile phones etc. must be in line with the usual uniform policy guidance.

Parents of any students who dress in a way that is deemed unacceptable will be contacted and the student will be sent home to get changed.

Thank you for supporting us in this matter

Yours faithfully,

Ms Buchanan
Head of Centre

Non-uniform letter Nov 2012

Borough Cross Country

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0100

On Tuesday 6th November 2012, 29 students represented Coombe by taking part in the Borough Cross country competition at Richmond Park. The weather was cloudy, cold and wet... perfect weather conditions for cross country running! Students had been training hard at cross country club, so were ready for the competition ahead.

Results for the Year 7 Coombe Cross Country Team

Anne Lise Cogoli Bel (7Pluto)	finished 6th
Ellie Bibby (7Venus)	finished 10th
Siobhan Gordan Smalley (7Mars)	finished 29th
Sarah Poli (7Pluto)	finished 56th
Amy Dunn (7Jupiter)	finished 57th
Bethan Walsh (7Venus)	finished 58th
Melody Peacock (7Pluto)	finished 71st

The Year 7 Coombe cross country team finished 5th overall - Well done to you all! An extra congratulations goes to Anne Lise Cogoli Bel and Ellie Bibby who both qualified for the Surrey Schools Cross Country competition that takes place in January...GOOD LUCK!

Results for the Year 8 Coombe Cross Country Team

Isabella Busa (8Jupiter)	finished 8th
Alex Shaw (8Saturn)	finished 18th
Shula Norman (8 Mercury)	finished 20th
KC Gardiner (8Jupiter)	finished 32nd
Amy Yuill (8Saturn)	finished 78th
Sophie Batten (8Venus)	finished 95th

Well done to Isabella Busa for qualifying for the Surrey Schools Cross Country competition!

Results for the Year 9 Coombe Cross Country Team

Lucille Fletcher (9Mercury)	finished 3rd
Gaby James (9Neptune)	finished 29th
Darcy Ward (9Mercury)	finished 43rd
Tara Sandiford (9Jupiter)	finished 52nd
Beth Giffaudo (9Mercury)	finished 56th
Maeve Shaw (9Mercury)	finished 71st
Laura Hawksworth (9Mercury)	finished 83rd
Georgia Elliott (9Pluto)	finished 94th

Well done to Lucille Fletcher for qualifying for the Surrey Schools Cross Country competition! The Year 8 and 9 team finished 2nd overall!

Results for the Year 10&11 Coombe Cross Country Team

Joseanne Killeya (11Mercury)	finished 24th
Shannah Alderson Quinn (11Mercury)	finished 25th
Pauline Oyella (10Mercury)	finished 32nd
Lucy Potter (11Mars)	finished 33rd

Results for the Year 12&13 Coombe Cross Country Team

Laura Timmins (Year 13)	finished 4th
Ed Tutcher (Year 13)	finished 14th
Matt Britton (Year 13)	finished 18th

It was great to have Head Girl Laura, Head Boy Matt and Deputy Head Boy Ed representing Coombe and setting a fantastic example for the lower school and upper school students. All sixth form students qualified for the Surrey Schools Cross Country competition – well done!

Well done to all students who took part in Borough Cross country. Cross country club takes place every Monday lunchtime at Coombe, so bring along your PE kit and trainers. All years and abilities are welcome!

Year 8 Netballers

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Well done to the Year 8 Netball Teams who Beat Holy Cross on Tuesday 25th September 2012.

A-Team won 5-4 Player of the match Ellie Williams
B-Team won 2-0 Player of the match – Alex Shaw

Well done everyone Netball Club welcomes new players—Tuesdays after school!

Gym and Dance Display 2012

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0100

It is that time of year again when preparations have already started for this year's Gym and Dance Display.

Dates of Performances:

Tuesday 20th November
Wednesday 21st November

Performances starting at 7pm, doors open at 6.30pm.

Tickets will be on sale from Monday 5th November, notices will be going out in registers.

Tickets will be sold and numbered for seating.

Performers:

Sunday rehearsal: 11th November 10- 3pm.

This is compulsory for ALL DANCERS AND GYMNASTS.

Yr11 Netball Match

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Coombe (Yr 11)
vs
Holy Cross

Wednesday 17th October 2012

C          Millie Laker (Captain)
GS        Ella Shaw
GK       Anjali Gohil
GA       Thavindini Thanasingham
GD       Annabel Biggs
WA      Vanessa Saunders
WD      Katie Mumford/Matilda Childs

National Army Museum

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0100

The trip to the National Army Museum was fantastic and educational. We learnt many useful and interesting skills and facts about World War Two including details about the food and uniform eaten and worn by soldiers. We participated in many varied and brilliant activities including handling objects from the time and exploring the gallery, where we all loved seeing the models of soldiers from different war eras. The most enjoyable activity was the role play with a Second World War soldier. An actor pretended to be a fighting soldier during the war and talked about his family, experiences in different parts of the world and general army life. From this we learnt about how soldiers felt during the war and the positives and negatives of it too. We also got to try on the costumes of different army uniforms which taught us how heavy the clothing actually was. It was very funny to see my friends wearing different uniforms from around the world, which were all actually from the real war! The trip to the National Army Museum was not only educational, but also great fun!

Written by You Lim Son and photograph from Janaki Mistry.

The Maths Corner

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Well done to all of the girls who have put in a fantastic effort in the run up to their exams!
I am sure you will all be rewarded with grades to be pleased with.

Tea Time Teaser

Here is the first of our Tea Time Teasers which have been designed to get you scratching your heads and thinking outside of the box.

Can you add 8 eights to make 1000?

The answers will be revealed next month.

Uniform Matters

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Could I ask that parents support us in maintaining a good uniform. If your daughter wishes to walk to school wearing boots, please ensure that she brings her school shoes with her in order to change into them as soon as she arrives. At school, we expect the girls to wear shoes and not boots in school; ankle boots are not acceptable. I would be grateful for your support in this.

Ms H. Buchanan—Head of Centre

Why Recycle Cardboard?

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Coombe Girls’ School has a proud record in recycling cardboard over the years. It was awarded the Sliver Eco Award for its outstanding work of consistently trying to look after the environment. Although the school recycles, we need more teachers and students to recycle so that the school keeps up with their exceptional level of work. So why should we recycle?

It saves space and reduces clutter.
It’s cost effective and can save the school money.
It reduces waste going to landfill, saves energy and helps tackle climate change.

The DT & Art Departments are particularly asking for your help in making sure that corrugated boxes don’t go to waste. DT & Art student Augusta Middleton says: “The use of recycled cardboard within the school helps with my modeling for both my AS & A2 product design course. I use the cardboard to model my initial design so that I can gain a visual idea of what my design will look like. It also determines how it will fit together, as well as measurements which will be useful for further developments. I also use recycled cardboard within my art course which I use as a mixing pallet, as well as a medium for a textual reference within my art book.”

The paper recycling bin has been moved for Health and Safety reasons, making it harder for teachers and students to collect used boxes. If possible we would like all members of staff and students to help by bringing boxes A3 size or above to DT, or letting Mr McConnon know. Ms Jackie Fry who manages the cleaning in our block and does a great job collecting boxes already may be able to help as well.

By Tiffany Gunn

Prospective Parents’ Evening

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0100

The Tardis takes parents to a World of Opportunity

The annual Coombe Girls’ School Prospective Parents’ Evening held on 3rd October, was an intergalactic success. With parents keen to get their daughter’s future off to a flying start, there were queues at the door by 6.15pm. Parents were greeted by 6th formers who welcomed them to the school and directed the nervous parents and prospective students towards the huge line of willing student tour guides.

Students took the families around classrooms offering a range of activities, displays and teachers ready to answer those all-important questions. The Dr Who theme for the evening inspired activities ranged from biscuit baking to live watercolour demonstrations to scientific experiments. The current students, from several year groups, were candid in expressing their views of the school. It was obvious to prospective parents that students felt strongly about the school and consequently were extremely positive about the resources, teaching and support offered. An overall evaluation of the evening revealed that parents were delighted with the tour guides and wanted to express their thanks for the helpful and mature attitude of the students.

The evening was full of creativity and inspiration and parents were invited to watch a theatrical sample of the curriculum areas by travelling with Malory Torr, Doctor Who’s assistant for the evening, to a future Coombe Intergalactic Academy. Among the student performers were dancers, basket ball and football players, cyber 6th form officials, language exchange partners, actors, entrepreneurs and the Student Profile Rappers. Finally, presented with Daleks repeating ‘Educate, Educate, Educate’, it was impossible for the parents to leave without knowing that the Coombe Girl’s School objective is to guide Coombe Girls’ students towards success in the world of the future.

Federation Headteacher Deborah Walls, after speaking to the parents before and after each of the three shows, said “The evening was an overwhelming triumph and we would like to thank the parents for visiting and all the staff and students for their tremendous work and effort. We look forward to welcoming the Coombe Girls’ of the future”.

The Land Girls' Gardening Club

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0100

The Land Girls' Gardening Club has been offered charitable support from Waitrose in Surbiton. The supermarket has said that they have chosen the two local schools involved in the recent School's Food Trust Produce sale in June to be recipients of the green token charity scheme.

Waitrose have promised to donate any money raised through the token scheme to Coombe Girls' School and Lovelace Primary School in recognition of the valiant efforts made by the schools to promote healthy living. We therefore hope that everyone will make an extra special effort to shop in Waitrose Surbiton and donate their green token to the Schools' charity box. Mrs Murza and Mr Fry are delighted that the students' hard work has been recognised and look forward to putting any donations back into growing more produce.

Under 14 Basketball League

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Under 14 Basketball League – Tolworth vs Coombe!

On Monday 5th November 2012, Coombe took part in their second basketball league game of the season against Tolworth Girls' School. Coombe had been training hard after the disappointment of losing to Holy Cross (by one point!) before half term....therefore Coombe was ready for a victory!

The game started very quickly with Shula Norman scoring a 3 pointer with her first touch of the game! Captain Beth Elliott led by example and scored 6 times, securing 12 points for Coombe!

The game ended 28 – 2 to Coombe!

Well done to the following girls for playing really well and representing Coombe brilliantly:

Captain Beth Elliott
Shula Norman
Alex Freund
Emma Gallacher
Nina Patel
Julianne Harvey
Bridget Hiza
Anais El Kadiri
Olenka El Kadiri
Samantha Edmonds

Thank you to Emily Hailey (Year 13) and Ana Cheang (Year 13) for coaching the girls at training and motivating them throughout their basketball game.

Basketball club is every Monday lunchtime. All years and abilities are welcome!

Under 14 Basketball

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Under 14 Basketball Game: Coombe vs Holy Cross

On Thursday 18th October, Miss Butler took Coombes Year 7 and 8 basketball team to Holy Cross to play them in our first basketball league game of the season. Coombe dominated the first 3 quarters but lost by one point in the last quarter! The game ended 12-11 to Holy Cross. There was non-stop action throughout the game and very impressive basketball skills from both schools.

Well done to the following girls for representing Coombe so well:

Captain Beth Elliott
Shula Norman
Alex Freund
Nina Patel
Julianne Harvey
Bridget Hiza
Emma Gallacher
Samantha M
Olenka El-Kadiri
Anais El-Kadiri

The next league game is against Chessington Community College after half term. Thank you to Ana Cheang and Emily Hailey in Year 13 who coached the team and supported them throughout the game. Well done to you all! Basketball club is every Monday lunchtime. All years and abilities are welcome.

Eco-Action Group Progress

Sat, 13 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0100

The Eco-Action Group have made an enthusiastic start to the new school year. The groups work from last year was recognised in September when they were awarded the 'Eco-Schools Silver Award' following their hard work last year in 'Big Switch Off'. This project resulted in the schools electricity use being reduced by a staggering 10%.

The group consisting of students, teachers, governors, parents and support staff are now working to develop several designated wildlife sites round the school site. In Spring 'Coombe Spring Watch' is planned, this will consist of two weeks of activities with an aim to raise awareness of the schools ecology within the Coombe community!

As well as the excellent work of the Eco-Action Group the 'Land Girls' have gone from strength to strength. They now regulary sell produce grown in the Coombe Allotment to staff and provide ingredients to the Food Technology department.

To find out more about the work of the Eco-Action Group please visit our webpage.

click here...

Parent Workshop

Sat, 13 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Parent Workshop - Parenting Teenagers

A 'Parent Workshop' with a focus on parenting teenagers is being held at The Hollyfield School. It runs for 7 weeks and is held on Thursdy evenings starting at 7pm.

Ring Marilyn Fuller - 020 8547 6942 for more details and to secure a space. These courses are excellent and very useful.

View Larger Map

October 2012

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0100

The Coombe Girls' School prospective parents’ evening takes place on Wednesday 3rd October and we look forward to welcoming year 6 parents who face one of the most important decisions they may ever have to make for their daughter. We are sure that visiting parents will find us welcoming and happy to answer any questions they may have. Don't forget that we are also open for visitors of prospective pupils on the morning of the 4th from 9.30 until 12.30, so feel free to come along and watch our working day.

You will see that there are many exciting opportunities here at Coombe and, as well as welcoming prospective new parents, we look forward to applications arriving for next year's 6th form.

Some of our Media Studies students have just returned from a visit to the Harry Potter Experience and we were pleased to welcome guest speakers last week to our Year 11 progression guidance day. During the day the Y11 cohort were involved in an exciting range of activities and sessions to enable them to develop and focus their thinking about the range of possibilities for their futures after the end of Year 11. The sessions included a range of different areas including an introduction to the UCAS website (University and Colleges Admissions Service), a talk on student life by representatives from Kingston University, guidance discussions on Post-16 study options by members of the sixth form team and current Year 13 students and information on apprenticeship career routes in the local area.

As prospective sixth form students, our Year 11 girls will be able to benefit from our new Study 6 facility and thanks go to our PFA who have opened this new study area for the 6th form in the LRC; there are many new books & resources on offer aimed in particular at the upper school. In addition, the school garden continues to flourish with vegetables sold by the pupil gardeners and, across the school, a range of new literacy classes are on offer to support class and coursework.

We are extremely proud to announce that we have recently been given the Silver Eco-Schools' Award and the Eco Action Group are working hard on their next projects for the prestigious Eco School's Green Flag. We hope that staff, students and parents will participate by making bird boxes and looking out for Spring Watch activities after Christmas.

This time of year is exhilarating as we embark on new projects and welcome new cohorts. The results and enrolment days at Coombe Girls' School have been the most successful to date. We are very happy with the progress made by all of our students and are ready to face new challenges brought by changes to the external examinations in the future. We are very aware that parents and schools alike have been outraged by some of the pressures put on our young people; however, we believe that changes bring challenges. Challenge is something that Coombe has always embraced. We are here to support the students and give them the chance to fulfil their potential and take full advantage of the opportunities available. We will continue do this no matter what form examinations take and how high the standards are raised. We hope that parents will continue to make strong links with us at the school and join our newly launched parent council so that we can work together to give our students the best that the future has to offer. Please do not hesitate to become part of the Coombe team; never has the partnership between schools and their communities been so important.

September 2012

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0100

We have had an excellent first week back at Coombe. It has been such a pleasure to welcome our new students and staff – we hope that they will all quickly settle in and enjoy being a part of our Coombe community. Please do read the pupils’ blog on the homepage, written by some of our new Year 7, for a personal update on the experience of the first week in a new school! We also have blogs on the homepage from some of our 6th form students who talk about their experiences of being back at school after the summer.

I always feel a sense of pride as I watch the progression of students through the school and approach their final examinations. Our new year 11s, 12s and 13s are already embarking on coursework and I’m sure they are prepared for the commitment and hard work that this will entail. Recently, many Coombe leavers were delighted with the results of their own hard work and relieved to find that it pays to be committed from the outset as they were rewarded with their desired course at university.

With all the visitors to London participating in and as spectators of the Olympic and Paralympic games, it was impressive to see our students’ art work on display along the South Bank as part of the Rivers of the World project. Our students’ dedication and the wonderful summer of sport that we have so recently experienced through the Olympic and Paralympic Games should certainly inspire us all to great achievements this year and we look forward to celebrating a new round of Coombe personal bests and academic successes during this term and into 2013.

Rivers of the World 2012

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Coombe Girls’ artwork is currently on display on the banks of the River Thames and in the Oxo Tower Gallery as part of the Rivers of the World Project organised by the Thames Festival.

In the summer term 20 year 9 pupils produced a collaborative artwork inspired by the Rio Del LaPlayta in Argentina. At the workshop, pupils worked with artists Shona Watts and Chloe Bonfield and each student produced a collaged bird exploring colour and texture; they also produced collaged crabs. The overall artwork represents a health farm in San Clemente on the banks of the Rio De La Playta, the health farm is a haven for tropical birds and it backs onto the banks of the river which is home to a large number of crabs. The artwork features the birds and crabs as well as a few of the health farm visitors in their dressing gowns.

Art teacher Kathryn Boal was delighted that the students had been given such a brilliant opportunity to display their hard work so prominently. The individual artworks were digitally merged to create the finished banner which is on display on the banks of the River Thames and also in the Oxo tower gallery where it takes pride of place. Both artworks are on display until the 7th September.

2012 GCSE Success

Fri, 24 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0100

GCSE results day is one of the busiest days in the school calendar. Not only are our previous year 11 girls anticipating the result of their hard work at Coombe, but they also have the opportunity to enrol in Coombe 6th Form.

The students arrived early, eager to put the months of waiting behind them. Fortunately for the Coombe Girls, these are the best GCSE results we have ever had. Therefore, many students were delighted with their achievements as they are now able to pursue their ambitions. The atmosphere during the day has been electric, veering between anxiety and elation. It has been a pleasure to be with them to celebrate their successes. With such excellent results and with a huge number of the girls continuing into year 12, we believe this new 6th Form cohort is destined for a very bright future. I would like to thank all of the staff who were at the school today for their support and congratulate all of our students.

Coombe Girls Strike Gold

Thu, 23 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0100

2012 GCSE Results Gallery

Coombe Girls’ School added to Britain’s Olympic celebrations today by achieving their best ever GCSE results in this 2012 Olympic year. Delighted with the results, Head of Coombe Girls’ School, Deborah Walls, said, “Despite harsher marking standards, the percentage of As and A*s has risen and the Maths results are up a staggering 10% to 87% A* to C; Science results are also significantly higher than in previous years. This demonstrates our commitment to fulfilling the potential of all our students.

Overall, the school has achieved 75% A* to C (including English and Maths) exceeding last years’ results. Some of the highest achievers are Eleanor Wilson with a phenomenal 9 A*s and 1 A; Danielle Hernandez with 7 A*s and 3 As; Aisling Elmer with 7 A*s and 3 As; Elizabeth Annis with 7 A*s and 3 As and Sophie Allin with an astounding 11 GCSEs including 6 A*s and 5As.

As well as these successes, Coombe Girls’ School is proud that its inclusive policy enables students to leave school fully equipped for the future with 91% of students gaining 5 A* to C. The school is particularly pleased that, in this Olympic year Coombe Girls’ School carry the torch of success, inspiring future students.

Enrolment is on Thursday 23rd and Friday 24th August from 10am until 2pm at the Clarence Avenue site for external applicants. After these dates, contact Dave Peters, Director of 6th Form at the school on 020 8942 1242.