News from the School
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Alpha Trust
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The Governing Board of CCHS has announced that, after an extensive consultation process, they will be forming a multi-academy trust, the “Alpha Trust”, working with the Gilberd School. The Trust will ultimately include the Trinity Free School to be built in North Colchester. In forming a multi academy trust, they sought like-minded partners, with similar ethos and values. By working collaboratively they aim to raise standards and expand the range of opportunities for students. They will also be able to provide greater opportunities for professional development for teachers, governors and school leaders. Economies of scale also mean they can negotiate contracts and services that represent better value for money. The two Governing Boards hope to provide an outstanding education for their students, while protecting each school’s role at the heart of its community and retaining its unique qualities and strengths.
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BBC School Report
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Students from the school made the news, on 15 March, 2018, as they took part in BBC News School Report. Year 9 reporting teams were busy all day and working through lunch, well supplied with snacks by the English department, to complete and upload their reports before the 4pm deadline. Items uploaded to the BBC site included reports about teenagers and sleep, term time holidays, plastics in our oceans and the dark side of dog agility classes. They have also been interviewing staff and students about university tuition fees.
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Inspirational Speaker, Steve Brown
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Steve Brown presented awards at the Sixth Form Celebration Evening on 12th January. He is a British Wheelchair Rugby athlete and former Captain of the Great Britain National Wheelchair Rugby Team. He led the GB team in Wheelchair Rugby at the 2012 Summer Paralympics.
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Royal Society SchoolPartnership Grants
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The Biology Department has been awarded one of only 20 partnership grants to work with scientists from the prestigious Babraham Research Institute based in Cambridge. Babraham are world leaders in biological research into the molecular processes that cause aging and disease.
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The grant is to fund research into the epigenetics (inheritance of characteristics but not due to changes in the DNA) of C. elegans, a little nematode worm (1mm long). Students will be addressing a real research question that has not been investigated before and could lead to scientific publication. The project will run for the academic year, involving all year groups and led by Year 12 and 13 biologists. The school will be supported in the research by scientists at Babraham who will visit the school and students will attend scientific meetings at the Royal Society and at the Cambridge Science Festival to present their results. There will also be trips to the Babraham labs to undertake more DNA based research throughout the year.
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