Trent College | News Feed

Academic Lunches

2013-06-18T00:00:00

Congratulations to all of our students that have been selected by members of various departments for Trent's recent weekly VIP Academic lunches.

The following Year 8 students were selected for an Academic Lunch on Monday 3rd June as they did well in the recent examinations:

C.Bovell
L.Gale
J.He
C.Henderson
R.King
S.Redgate
H.Rhodes
J.Cooper-Isark
J.Demetriou
G.Hampson
J.Lumby

The following Y7 students were also invited to an Academic Lunch in the Obolensky on Monday 10th June:

A.Bashir
D.Buckley
Y.Chung
L.Degnan
D.Fawcett
I.Flint
J.Hampshire
A.Nanthanail
J.Pitt
H.Scott
R.Sood
M.Stentiford

Well done to all of the students and keep up the hard work!

Katie Experiences Life in Ghana

2013-06-17T00:00:00

Former student Katie Elcock left Trent in July 2012. Having always wanted to do a year in a third world country since she was in Year 11, Katie decided to join ‘Project Trust’, who let young people experience life in Asia, Africa, Latin America or the Caribbean, not as a tourist but as a valued member of a local community.

Katie had a desire to work abroad since year 11 and enrolled in Project Trust. Katie initially wanted to go to Peru, but near to when she left in July, she was allocated Ghana as the country she’d be spending a year in.

Upon arrival in Ghana, Katie quickly adjusted to a new lifestyle, with a very different approach to here in the UK. For example, in Lolobi Kumasi (the small, rural community that Katie was staying), they only have access to electricity for 3 out of 7 days in a week and they have to fetch water every day to be able to shower and have a daily supply.

Katie writes, ‘Having lived in or near a city all my life, it is great to have come to Lolobi Kumasi and be introduced into a small, rural community. Everyone is incredibly friendly and made my partner and I feel very welcome.’

Unfortunately, due to injury, Katie had to return to the UK after nine months of being out in Ghana, however, she intends to go back in the next three weeks to complete the incredible experience that she became a part of.

Whilst teaching English to the children over there, Katie got 50 of them to write letters to our Year 9 students at Trent College. During a talk in Assembly this morning, Katie asked our Year 9’s to volunteer to write back to the children in Ghana and she will personally hand deliver the letters when she goes back out there.

If you’d like to find out more about Project Trust, visit www.projecttrust.org.uk

Calling Trent’s Potential Doctors!

2013-06-14T00:00:00

For the first time this summer we will be opening our doors to the Medical Education Consultancy, who deliver training and advice to students who want to be doctors.

The two day conference (26 and 27 June) will cover all aspects of the application process, including work experience, the BMAT and UKCAT, interviews, ethics, and the NHS. We believe that all aspects of the Conference will be invaluable, giving students an edge in the increasingly competitive world of medical applications.

Any student from year 9, 10, 11 or 12 who is genuinely interested in applying to study medicine in the future should sign up, either through their Head of Year or directly to Conference Organiser Lucy Matthews (Head of Sixth Form). Please note that although all students are welcome to attend both days, students from years 9 and 10 might prefer to attend Day 1 only.

Attendance would normally cost students around £80; we are delighted to be able to offer it at no charge to our students.

To find out more about the conference schedule please click here and to see the conference details click here.

Doing their bit for Cancer Research...

2013-06-13T00:00:00

Two members of the Trent College community took part in the Race for Life on Sunday in aid of those affected by cancer. The first runner was Jeejee Akl in Year 7, who ran the 5km race for Jessica Gauntley who passed away earlier this year, who was also a Trent College pupil.

Jeejee gave her account of the race, “I walked, jogged and ran the 5km ‘Race for Life’ with a few friends at the Trent Embankment last weekend. It felt good to be running for a good cause, because I was running for those people who couldn’t be there to run, the people who had lost their battle and some of the ones who have survived. I ran for Jess and I had her name pinned to the back of my t-shirt. I ran 5km for Cancer Research and for Jess!"

The second runner from Trent College on the day was Miss Hills, a geography teacher. Miss Hills ran the race in just 22 minutes and 58 seconds, coming in 4th place overall! Miss Hills ran to raise money for cancer research in light of her Mum’s succesful fight against breast cancer earlier this year.

Well done to both Miss Hills and Jeejee, a great achievement for both!

Sixth Form Academic Enrichment Days

2013-06-12T00:00:00

Last week Year 12 returned from their AS study leave and were immediately involved in a two-day series of opportunities to think, discuss and explore ideas away from the constraints of the curriculum. One group of students spent the day engaged in EPQ activities and attended sessions on research, report-writing, presentation, using resources, referencing and evaluating their projects. Trent also welcomed a group of EPQ students from local academy George Spencer who joined in with the sessions, as well as sharing ideas and experiences with our own students.

Organiser Karen Sunderland commented; ‘As those of us involved in the assessment and delivery of the EPQ know, the exam board are setting an increasingly higher standard regarding the stringent application of the assessment objectives. At the same time, top universities are prepared to make alternative offers for the high grades predicted in the EPQ, and value highly the independent learning skills achieved by students completing the extended project. First year under-graduates who completed the EPQ state that it acted as a solid introduction to the independent learning skills that are required at university. I was very impressed with the vigour and energy that the students brought to the EPQ workshops. They were enthusiastic and engaged from the outset, and with renewed impetus now to go forward positively with their projects.’

Also taking place was the Sixth Form Debating Day. Students were introduced to the Mace Debate style of debating , learning the procedures and rules as well as winning tips and tactics. The day ended with a series of competitive debates with students pitting their wits against each other on the motions they had earlier voted for. All in all it was both an educational and enjoyable day, uniting intellectual thought with high-level competition – always a winning combination!

For the second day we welcomed three Philosophers from the Philosophy Workshop, who work in schools with the aim of encouraging students to think critically, creatively, cohesively and autonomously. Research has shown that students able to think philosophically – to ’think outside the box’ – thrive in the world of Higher Education, where independent thinking is absolutely crucial. One student commented; ‘I really enjoyed the interactive nature of the workshops. They gave me a different perspective on Philosophy and I found them very beneficial’. At the end of the sessions Head of Sixth Form Lucy Matthews reflected; ‘I believe very strongly that in today’s highly competitive world of university and job applications, students need to be equipped with transferable intellectual skills which set them apart from others. The experiences that they have had here are very much about enhancing those skills – and in doing so, providing a thorough preparation for life.’

Lower School Experience Normandy!

2013-06-11T00:00:00

Over the half term break, 50 Lower School pupils and 6 members of staff took part in a cultural, linguistic, gastronomic and historical trip to Normandy. The trip began very early on Saturday morning, with a 6.00am departure from Trent. We travelled by coach down to Folkestone, for our mid-morning departure on the EuroTunnel, and arrived at the hotel, a little later than expected, for our first evening meal. An early night was certainly in order as we had a busy schedule ahead of us.

Our first full day in Normandy focused on the history of the area with visits to the Bayeux Tapestry, a war cemetery, the landing beach and accompanying museum at Arromanches. For many of the pupils it was a chance to experience first-hand what they had studied in the classroom and was a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by so many throughout the ages. Thanks to our wonderful bus driver, Neil, who was integral to the success of our trip, we travelled to a local beach in the early evening to make the most of the beautiful weather we had had that day.

Day two focused on food typical to the area and began with a visit to a goat’s cheese farm where the pupils learnt about the whole process involved in making the cheese. Most fully embraced the day and tried various ‘vintages’ and got up close and personal with the goats roaming the accompanying fields. Unfortunately, the planned trip to the Boulangerie in the afternoon was cancelled but again Neil came to the rescue and took us to an even better beach, where the pupils swan, sunbathed, played cricket and touch rugby in glorious sunshine.
The third day of the trip saw us visit a local French market and a bell foundry. Although slightly abstract, the foundry proved to be a real highlight, especially the opportunity to play a tune on bells of various shapes and sizes. The afternoon was spent at leisure at the beautiful, Mont St Michel. Everyone took full advantage of the tourist paradise stocking up on souvenirs, sweets and the obligatory ice cream(s)!

Our fourth and final day started with a fond farewell to our hotel and it’s fantastic staff. The accommodation, food and location were ideal and we certainly aim to return there on any future trips to the region. We then headed to the Calvados region to visit a very picturesque Cider brewery. Having toured the various part, there was opportunity to sample the end product, apple juice for the pupils and a refreshing cider for the teachers; a nice perk! We then set off on our long drive home but with Neil’s smooth driving and various DVDs, the journey passed by relatively quickly and we arrived back at Trent just before mid-night.

Overall, the trip was a huge success. Our pupils were excellent ambassadors for Trent and there were many occasions when tour guides and members of the public complimented them on their attitude and conduct. I would like to add a personal thank you to Miss Walker, Mr Webster, Mrs Webster, Miss Berry and Miss Bletsoe-Brown for their good humour and continual support on the trip.

Peak District fun for DOE Bronze Students!

2013-06-10T00:00:00

In the last two days of term before the half-term break, 84 pupils from Year 10 set off for the Peak District to complete their Bronze qualifying expedition. Being the end of May, it was reasonable to expect some warm weather. However, winter had still not finished tormenting Trent’s 2013 expeditions and the groups faced some wild weather as they made their way along the chosen routes. Strong winds with frequent squally rain and hail storms battered the groups, creating an extra challenge. However, they were all successful in navigating themselves to their campsites where they pitched their tents. Even this was affected by the weather, with a strong blizzard (complete with proper snowflakes) blowing in just as some groups were getting their tents sorted out. This pattern of storms continued through the night, but morning came with slightly drier conditions, allowing the teams to get up, cook, pack up and set off without getting soaked. Day two continued with very strong winds and some heavy rain. Despite a few navigation issues, all the groups made it successfully to the finish and to the debrief with their assessors.

The groups did well to cope with the adverse conditions and the supervising staff were impressed to see considerable determination, resilience and good humour from all the participants. It was also clear that they had enjoyed the experience and learned much about expeditions. Thanks must go to the 14 Trent staff who assisted with supervising the groups and to the 4 external assessors who came out to help. The final challenge for the participants is to get the various sections in their D of E booklet signed up and entered into D of E, so that they can complete their Bronze Award.

Trent’s George makes the small screen!

2013-06-05T00:00:00

Trent College sixth former George Boden will be starring tonight in the new ITV1 comedy-drama, Love and Marriage. George joined an all-star cast along with Larry Lamb and Alison Steadman to name a few, playing Nathan Paradise in the series.

Having been in acting since he was four, George has starred in many musicals and plays here at Trent College including last year’s successful production of Guys and Dolls.

George began filming back in January through until the end of April, commuting to and from Coventry for 6am starts. This was all in addition to maintaining his As-Level work and also whilst taking part in the running to become a Senior Prefect for next year, which he was successful in!

George said that,” I enjoyed filming the show; it was very different for me, having taken part in theatre mainly before and only having been on camera once. It was a real experience and it is what I want to do. The entire cast had a great bond and the whole thing was a lot of fun too”.

Look out for George tonight on ITV1 at 9pm!

Year 9 Students Experience Jordan!

2013-06-04T00:00:00

Fourteen pupils from Year 9 and two staff travelled to Jordan over half term, to experience middle-eastern culture and visit historical sites and places of interest, including two UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Following on from their Peak District team-building event in April, where the group waded through metre-high snow drifts as part of their training, the group were immediately struck by the 40 degree heat upon arriving in Jordan, but soon acclimatised and became accustomed to eating falafel and hummus three times a day.

The first major challenge for the students was to negotiate the busy streets of Amman in search of a bank and mobile phone shop, so that they could begin organising their accommodation and transport for the week. With limited knowledge of Arabic, the students successfully coordinated movement from the capital to Aqaba in the south of the country and back again, ensuring that they would have sufficient funds to complete their itinerary.

After a full day in Amman, the group were relieved to spend the next day in the relative peace of Dana, a nature reserve in the heart of the country, packed with a diverse array of wildlife and plant species. On their second day in the reserve, the students were able to camp out and enjoy the thrill of watching the sun rise and set on the same day in the most tranquil of environments, before moving further south.

Listed as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, Petra was to be the highlight of the expedition. Despite the intense heat and overwhelming stench of camel dung, the Nabatean city fully lived up to expectations and will provide some fantastic memories for all involved.

Next on the itinerary was a 4X4 experience amongst the outstanding scenery of the Wadi Rum, as well as the opportunity to camp out under the starlit sky in a Bedouin camp.

As a break from the heat, the final two days of the expedition were spent in the water, firstly snorkelling in the Red Sea at Aqaba and then floating in the Dead Sea, before returning back to Amman for a final opportunity to practise the art of haggling for souvenirs.

The hospitality received in Jordan was overwhelming. The group were made to feel very welcome in all parts of the country and there was clearly a keen interest in developing tourism. Despite the geographical location of Jordan, there was very little evidence of the difficulties being experienced in its neighbouring countries. This friendly and historic country with its many attractions will provide the group with numerous happy and lasting memories.

A full presentation of the expedition by the students, with stories and photographs, will be given in the Thai Lecture Theatre on Wednesday 26th June at 6pm for anyone who would like to attend.

Learning French in Montpellier!

2013-06-03T00:00:00

Recently Sixth Form students Penny Marshall and Keira Boddington spent time in Montpellier on an exchange trip with the LSF language school to further enhance their French speaking just in time for their upcoming exams.

Whilst the girls were in France, they were immersed in Montpellier life. They stayed with French host families and took part in various visits with the school, including a Montpellier vs Brazil handball match and an excursion to Nimes.

Penny said of the trip, “Overall it was extremely beneficial trip, not only for our exams but also to improve our confidence when speaking.”

For further information on the language school visit the LSF website is http://www.lsf-france.com/.

Congratulations to Trent from Fairtade Foundation

2013-05-24T00:00:00

Trent Geography students from Lower and Main School participated in Fairtrade Day back in March to raise money for the Fairtrade Foundation. The tuck-shop that was set up in school was a great success and helped to raise our donation to £189.56, which is a great achievement.

The fundraising team at Fairtrade Foundation said, “Please tell the children in the Lower and Main School their hard work and effort will make a real difference to farmers and their families in the developing world. We were all delighted to see your activities in the photos! Please congratulate all the Runners-up and winners in the Mug competition”.

Trent has been sent our very own certificate from the Fairtrade Foundation. Well done to all involved.

OT Leads Beeston Hockey Club to Glory

2013-05-23T00:00:00

England Club Champions 2013, Men's England Hockey Premier League Winners 2013, Euro Hockey League England no 1 seed and Ladies North Champions 2013 - huge achievements for a hockey club whose manager had no interest in the game until he joined Trent College as a pupil nearly 50 years ago.

Old Trident Graham Griffiths, known as Griff to all his friends and members at Beeston Hockey Club could put his success in developing the club to its dizzy heights of success down to inspiration taken from his school days at Trent College.

Graham attended Trent from 1964 to 1970, as a boarder in Wortley House. Thinking he would be going to school and playing football, Graham actually became the first XV Rugby Captain and Vice-Captain of the boys hockey team! Having spent 17 years with West Bridgford Hockey Club and the last 27 years with Beeston, he has never looked back. Graham recently featured in The Derby Telegraph due to his success, to them he said the following.

“I went as first team captain and then replaced myself and became the first manager of the Club. They’ve only ever had one. There was a change in hockey around that time. Up to then the first team captain did everything. He would coach the side, cut the oranges at half-time and paint the balls during the week. But in my late 30s, the legs weren’t working but the mind was, so I went down that route and it’s worked very well”.

The club continues to develop under the watchful eye of Griff, with Co Chair of the club Martin Keeling at grassroots level with the Colts, the junior section of the club which boasts nearly 500 members from ages 6 to 18 years. Many of junior members are from local schools, including a number from various year groups at The Elms Junior School and Trent College.

“A lot of the kids from the local schools who want to improve come to us because our coaching is better than anyone else’s. As long as we can keep on top of that then it will grow and grow, hopefully. When I came to Beeston, they were a sleeping giant, very low down in the Midlands structure and going backwards. We need to put the brakes on and, since then, we’ve been moving forward a couple of inches each year. We took the Play-off title for the first time in 2011 and had won the Cup four times, three of them in succession, and that was the platform we built it on”.

So, having anticipated a keen interest in football, Old Trident Graham Griffiths can be very proud of his achievements and those around him at Beeston Hockey Club, which all started with that long barrier, or maybe short corner at Trent College!

Trent Students Compete in Allman Trophy

2013-05-22T00:00:00

On the afternoon of 16th May, in fine conditions, golfers from Trent College competed in the Allman Trophy at Trent Lock Golf Centre. The Allman Trophy is in its third year and the two previous winners (Olivia Kelly, handicap 4 and Daniel Van Helden, handicap 9) were amongst the competitors. The competition is run on a Stableford basis over 18 holes.

This year the Trophy has a new name on it: James Smith who came in with 39 points. His back nine of 22 points was remarkable. Questions were being asked over his handicap of 11 and it seems only a matter of time (probably after his examinations) before it comes down into single figures. Consecutive birdies on the last two holes sealed his victory. Max Pinchbeck came second, again with a very strong back nine and Olivia Kelly was third. Some pictures from the day can be seen below:

James Smith driving the ball long and straight – that is why he won!

Max Pinchbeck with an excellent chip shot – unlucky it did not go in.

Daniel Van Helden putting as the storm clouds gather in the distance (we just missed the downpour)

The water feature on the last hole at Trent Lock – thankfully none of our golfers ‘got wet’

James, Harriet and Olivia ready to drive off on the first.

Sir John Thomson Memorial Sword Success for Will Moon

2013-05-21T00:00:00

CWO William Moon – Winner of the Sir John Thomson Memorial Sword

We are extremely proud that Cadet Warrant Officer Will Moon has been selected as the 2013 winner of the Sir John Thomson Memorial Sword. This is a national award for the best CCF (RAF) Cadet this year. Will faced stiff competition from the other candidates in the final interviews and we are delighted that his commitment, enthusiasm and achievements within the Contingent and wider Air Cadet Organisation have culminated in this prestigious award.

CWO Moon will be presented with the sword by Lady Thomson at Air Squadron Day on 23 June.

Salters Chemistry Festival

2013-05-20T00:00:00

On Tuesday 14th May, four Year 8 pupils attended the Salters Chemistry festival at the University of Nottingham. The day was split into two challenges. The morning session involved the pupils tackling a “who killed the principle” challenge. They were left to their own devices, with no help from the teachers being allowed. They correctly solved who the murder was, but unfortunately didn’t make the top 3.

The afternoon session was an egg challenge, think Red Bull FlugTag. They had to construct a structure that would be projected off a platform 4ft high and not only survive the landing, but the winner was the egg that travelled the furthest and remained intact. Our team triumphed and came 1st out of 18 over schools; they even beat the 4 teacher teams.

The day was rounded off with the famous thunder and lightning demonstration.

This is what some of our Year 8 students thought of the day:

“The day was great. It started with a forensic challenge in which we succeeded but didn’t make the top 3. However in the second challenge of the day we won, beating all the other schools and even the teacher’s team. Finally we ended with a fantastic practical lecture of blinding flashing lights and deafening explosions.” – Al, 8Z“

The day was split into two – a forensic task in the morning and an egg-splatting afternoon. The forensic morning consisted of us trying to solve a murder; this tested our scientific techniques and evaluating skills. The afternoon challenge involved making a structure out of the materials given. This structure had to be able to hold an egg and be able to fall from a catapult without the egg breaking. Ours won and we beat all of the teachers!” – Lucie, 8X“

On 14th May, Al, Jacob, Lucie and I went to the University of Nottingham. It was an extremely exciting day. The first activity included flame tests and salt tests. The situation was a murder at a school where we had to investigate “who did it?” Eventually we agreed on Alex Squash, the P.E teacher, as the murderer. The second challenge involved making an egg fly off a catapult without cracking but trying to get the furthest distance. In the end, our “egg-carrier” won and we even beat all of the teachers! We ended the day with a Thunder and Lightning lecture which had plenty of smoke, loud bangs and flashes. Of course, we did not leave empty handed, we won the University Challenge 1st prize for our egg-carrier and each received a Chemistry molecule making set. Overall it was an explosive experience.” Julia, 8Z

"The first task that took place was a Chemistry forensic challenge which required us to find out the various salts. We found out who the murderer was, but we didn’t come in the top 3. In the second challenge we had to launch an egg from a catapult and get it to land safely. We came first and got some incredible prizes. The last activity of the day was a lecture. There were lots of incredible experiments and lots of loud bangs. As my ear drums tickled my trousers rippled. It was a brilliant day out and I had lots of fun.” – Jacob, 8Y

Hitting the Wall!

2013-05-17T00:00:00

Old Trident Robert Avery-Phipps (Wortley 2002-2009) will this Saturday be running the Great Wall Marathon, a 26 mile race which not only will be a race of endurance due to the hot and humid temperature of China, but also as there are over 5000 steps which form part of the route.

Robert left Trent College in 2009. It was his desire to study overseas, and following an internship with Jaguar Land Rover in Shanghai, Robert was awarded a substantial scholarship from the Rotary Foundation giving him the opportunity to study in a country of his choice. Robert chose to study a Masters at the University of Nottingham China Campus in Ningbo, one of China’s oldest cities.

The International Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarship is a program which promotes international understanding and friendly relations among people from different parts of the world. In receiving this valuable scholarship, Robert will serve as a goodwill ambassador to his chosen country, China, providing knowledge through presentations about his own culture to local Rotary and other groups.

During his time in China, Robert has spent time helping the Rotary Club of Shanghai donate wheelchairs to people suffering from Polio. It was during this time that he became inspired to do something himself, to raise money and awareness for the disease.

Robert says “polio is a terrible disease but thanks to a global drive by NGOs [Non Governmental Organisations] to eradicate it, it is on the brink of extinction. The donations I collect will go towards immunising kids in pockets of the world where polio is still a threat”.

Robert has made a short video which explains what he is doing and also shows some of his training regime, amongst the local community in which he studies. Watch here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuUMnirKEIw

Donations can be pledged by visiting Robert’s “Hitting The Wall” JustGiving page: http://www.justgiving.com/robavery-phipps

Robert will return to the UK later this year, and as part of the Rotary program will be able to share his experiences which will help to deepen the understanding of the culture he has himself experienced in China.

May Day Cabaret Evening at Trent!

2013-05-16T00:00:00

Our first ever May Day Cabaret was a brand new innovation and a roaring success.

Styles ranging from swing, jazz, orchestra and indie rock all had to share the same bill, so a whole new approach was needed to bring this to life. The evening began with refreshments in the May Hall foyer, accompanied by guitarists Phoebe Badcock and Georgia Hammond, the Derwent string quartet and the smooth jazz piano of James Calder. The May Hall itself was transformed for the event with tables, candles, low lighting and three stages set for different types of musical acts. There was a relaxed cabaret ambience, with wine and snacks at the audience’s tables throughout the evening.

The programme had a light and popular theme: film music was presented on the main stage with the Philharmonic Orchestra offering music from Star Wars and Pirates of the Caribbean, and Cyclone Wind Band performing music from The Magnificent Seven. The String Orchestra also played contemporary pieces including a blues for strings. Two of our exciting percussion ensembles, Syncopated Stix and Paradiddles played on the second stage, together with the Sassy Sax ensemble. The third stage was mainly for our rock acts, The Suburbs and Field Studies, as well as individual items from Joe Goodhead and Kasper Sandstrom. The main stage was also home to our Jazz Band, who performed the standards Ain’t Misbehavin’ and Black Satin, as well as our headline act, the Swing Band. The evening ended with the Swing Band’s set of seven pieces, ranging from the theme to Hawaii Five-O to On Broadway and Tuxedo Junction.

The evening was such a popular success it seems certain to return again next year. The tickets were taken up quickly and the hall was full so do watch out for the ticket announcement next time.

Trent Students make County First Team

2013-05-15T00:00:00

Trent Students Olivia Kelly and Harriet Evans both played in the Derbyshire Ladies Golf Championships on Friday and over the weekend at Erewash Valley Golf Club. In testing conditions due to the rain, both came through Friday’s 36 hole stroke play competition to qualify for the knockout stages.

Harriet was drawn against the top seed in the last 16 draw and played well enough to take the match to the 16th hole playing scratch golf against her opponent who had a handicap 12 shots lower.

Olivia won both her last 16 and quarter final matches on the Saturday, but lost a close semi-final on the Sunday morning on the 18th green.

Both girls were selected for the Derbyshire Ladies squad for the coming season on the strength of their performances in the competition which is a great achievement. We wish them good luck for the next season with repeat success.

Trent Cricketers Visit Dubai

2013-05-14T00:00:00

After 14 months of excitement, planning and anticipation, March 29th finally arrived and the 30 boys representing Trent U15 cricket congregated on the terrace at 3am for the long journey to Dubai. All the players were looking forward to this exceptional opportunity to play cricket in some of the best facilities in the world, against quality opposition in exciting locations. They were to compete in the Arch Trophy against 7 other teams picked from independent schools in the UK and some from the UAE.

The team flew out to Dubai to be greeted a fantastic hotel and an excellent base for the next 8 days of competitive cricket and cultural activities. The boys then spent 8 days playing in an A and B team scoring a win against one of the biggest teams in a crucial match against Eton.

The boys also had some free time to take in some of the sights in Dubai, go on a desert safari and visit the waterpark, which were great opportunities for the team to all forget about the cricket and to enjoy themselves. Not forgetting meeting Warwick Davis!

The team arrived back in England after a hard and eventful week, having learnt things about ourselves and the game. Playing in such different conditions in a 35 degree heat was a challenge and the team had to adapt quickly. Everyone had the most fantastic time and this was an experience which the team will never forget.
The team would like to thank Mr Boswell, Mr Barr, Mr Gallagher and Miss Thornton for putting together a brilliant cricket tour.

Supporting The Jessica Hope Foundation

2013-05-13T00:00:00

As many of you will know, sadly earlier this year Jessica Gauntley, a Trent pupil lost her battle with brain cancer.

There are 500 children and teenagers in the UK are diagnosed with brain cancer each year. The number is so small that it is easy for governments and the pharmaceutical industry to ignore, which is treatments for brain cancer in young people have not changed for decades. Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of UK children and young people and are more common in children than meningitis and murder. Brain tumours are the second most common cancer in children after leukemia, yet children with leukemia have a much better chance of long term survival than children with brain cancer

This tragic and sad loss has however formed one positive outcome – The Jessica Hope Foundation. The Foundation has been set up as a tribute to Jessica and to raise money for brain cancer and charities close to the heart of Jessica’s family. The below story was written by Jess’s mum, Dr Karen Gauntley.

“Our Jess was born and raised in Long Eaton. She was a normal 15-year-old girl in her first year of GCSEs at Trent College. She loved hanging out with friends, singing, listening to music, going to concerts, playing netball, skiing and surfing. Jess had the usual teenage preoccupations: homework, friendship worries, boys and everything to do with her appearance but she also had hopes and dreams for the future: completing her education, following a career, falling in love, marrying and having children of her own.

All those dreams came to an end on 27th April 2012 when, after suddenly falling ill with headaches and vomiting, she was admitted to the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham. An MRI the following day showed that Jess had a large tumour deep in her brain. An emergency operation removed some of the tumour and sadly histology showed that it was an Anaplastic Astrocytoma - an aggressive brain cancer.

She struggled through her operations, weeks of radiotherapy and months of chemotherapy with tremendous strength and dignity. Our beautiful, gentle, teenage daughter lost her hair, gained weight, lost all her energy and had to give up sports including her beloved netball.

Despite all of this Jess managed to return to school in September 2012 and attended hospital for chemotherapy infusions every other week. She was always smiling, never complained and still took time to listen to and support her friends. Jess even completed her silver Duke of Edinburgh practice expedition in October even though she had to return to QMC for a further chemotherapy infusion in the middle of it; she went back to the expedition the following day.

Jess completed the autumn term at school but over Christmas 2012 she fell ill and it was discovered that the tumour had grown again and become even more aggressive than before. She had a further major operation in early January this year, at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, but we knew there was no hope of a cure and that it was simply to give us as much time together as possible.

Jess lost her battle and died peacefully at home surrounded by family and loved ones on February 26th this year. Only 10 months after diagnosis.

We filled those 10 months with as much living as possible: Trips to London Theatre-land, Harry Potter World, Musical Concerts, spa and pamper days, holidays in Cornwall with family and CentreParcs with friends, Jess saw Usain Bolt Win gold live at the Olympics and she even managed to go skiing in the French Alps.

Jess leaves behind her dad John, 18-year-old brother Sam, 14-year-old brother Tom and myself.

Her loss is devastating and our hearts are broken but she is our inspiration. This foundation has been set up as a tribute to her grace and bravery. It is Jess's legacy. The foundation's aims are: to raise awareness of brain tumours in young people, to fund research into causes, prevention and treatment of brain cancers in children and young people (they are not necessarily mini versions of the adult cancer) and to help brighten the lives of young brain cancer sufferers and their families.

The charities we are giving to are close to our hearts: HeadSmart: The Children's Brain Tumour Research Centre: the Teenage Cancer Unit planned for QMC and Rainbows Hospice (who kindly cared for Jess in their Quiet Room after her death).

Many thanks for your support”

Trent Appoints Senior Prefects!

2013-05-10T00:00:00

After an extensive selection procedure, the following students have been appointed as our new Senior Prefects:

Sarah Ashcroft
George Boden
Harriet Dilks
Ben Trembling
Jack Sproson

The new Senior Prefects were voted for by all staff, current Prefects and Year 12. They then wrote a letter of application to become a Senior Prefect which was followed by an interview with School Council Representatives and current Senior Prefects.

Upon hearing of their new appointments, the students were all very enthusiastic about the time ahead for them as Prefects. George Boden explained that the process was “difficult and long but all worth it in the end” and Harriet Dilks added that, “it is an honour to be selected to represent the school as a role model to younger years and step up to our responsibilities.

Jack Sproson said that he is, “looking forward to the challenges that next year will bring, following the example set by the previous team and doing Trent proud”. Sarah Ashcroft finished by saying that she is, “really excited to have been chosen” and is looking forward to “what we can do for the school next year”.

We are sure they will be an excellent team and welcome our new Senior Prefects to their new roles.

Japanese Day!

2013-05-09T00:00:00

At the end of last term, Mr Kelly and Mrs Price took 6 students to experience the language and culture of Japan. The students; Lucy Hands, Ellie Hands, Hannah Smith (all Year 11), Daniel Cawsey-Rosher, Finley Willits and John Dilks (all Year 9) were split into teams with other schools from the Midlands and were asked to complete a business task – create a new character for Japan’s ‘kawaii culture’ (Cute culture – think Hello Kitty!). Not only did they have to come up with an original idea, but think of an advertising and merchandising campaign and present to the board. Whilst this was the morning’s task, the afternoon gave our students the chance to learn about Japanese culture, including: kimono, business etiquette, chopsticks, calligraphy, sushi making and of course Japanese language. The students were an asset to the school and Daniel’s team even won the Business challenge!

Lucy Hands, Ellie Hands and Hannah Smith gave their account of the day, “When we arrived we were given name badges and split into groups named after Japanese cartoon characters. We met our teammates and had to compete in pairs in an icebreaker by walking around the room greeting people in Japanese. Then, we had a speech from Steve Crane, who recently led a trade mission to Japan. He was very interesting and told us about his life and business in Japan. Then we were taught the numbers up to ten and basic Japanese phrases. We were then introduced to our business challenge for the morning in which we had to design a cartoon character, produce a prototype of merchandise and then present our ideas to a panel of judges later in the day. The pupils from Trent produced a range of products in their groups such as phone cases and portable speakers, and overall Hannah’s team came 2nd with their educational game and Dan’s team won the competition with their karaoke machine. We sat down to a lovely lunch and looked forward to the afternoon ahead.”

Daniel Cawsey Rosher explained the afternoon they spent with Yo Sushi, “In groups of 12, we prepared Japanese sushi. Our group then split so one group could do their presentation. The other group then learnt how to use chopsticks as they are used heavily to eat in Japan”.

John Dilks goes on to explain, “We learned how to write properly in the Japanese language. A lady gave us a sheet of paper and showed us on a white board the way of writing the different symbols. We wrote words that we had learned in the morning like konnichiwa-こんにちは. We learned the different alphabets: hiragana, kanji and katakana. We all found it very intriguing how the symbols were formed and created. We also learned about the clothing of Japan, as in the past people used to wear a kimono, which is like a robe worn on the body with an obi - belt - around the middle of the stomach. The kimono used to be made of silk but now made out of cotton for financial reasons. People don’t usually wear a kimono much now but will wear them at a festival or a wedding. People now wear modern clothes and set new crazes like onesies”.

Finley Willits was very enthusiastic about the visit, “The other two sessions during the carousel of activities revolved around Japanese business. Firstly, we were placed around a rectangular table and our teacher spoke of how the higher along the table you were, the more important you were. We also looked at how businessman would bow to one another and what was considered respectful when entering and leaving your host business' boardroom.

Throughout the day each of the groups had created a project based upon a small cartoon figure which they created from scratch. We were helped by a team of experts including a professional cartoonist to bring our ideas to life. During the afternoon activities we then presented these to a team of judges. It was an excellent experience which helped massively with presentational skills and our general Japanese understanding.

I speak for all of us when I say what a wonderful day we had and would like to thank the organisers for their superb activities and the things we learnt from them”.

Trent College welcomes Mark Powell

2013-05-08T00:00:00

On Wednesday 24th April Mark Powell from the University of Leicester came into Trent to give an inspiring talk to our Sixth Formers on everything Deserts.

The purpose of the lecture was to recap on previous work done but to also enthuse and encourage the next generation of Geomorphologists! Of particular note, was the vast importance of water shaping and forming the desert landscape we see today, a definite oxymoron.

Huge thanks to Mark himself; and the students who diligently listened and took part.

Post Winter Season Cricket Highlights

2013-05-07T00:00:00

First team captain Ross Carnelly provided some post season cricket highlights from last term. The squad were faced with different challenges and tasks for the season and some changes off the field also.

Ross talked about visits during the winter season, “A couple of the highlights of the winter for not only the squad, but myself were the two trips to Loughborough university and Derby county cricket club to take advantage of both top class facilities respectively. Russell Cobb the Head of cricket at Loughborough watched over our session and offered some advice to our players. The facilities were excellent at DCC and I’m sure all of the boys were as grateful as me for getting the opportunity to take advantage of them. Everyone had the unique opportunity to use the Merlin bowling machine, every county in the country has at least one of these machines and I believe it was only the first or second time that the majority of the lads had batted against one of these machines. It is a spin bowling machine which can recreate the bowling of Shane Warne, again this was a challenge to the batsmen, but I’m sure we will only be better players for it”.

Ross explains how much progress the team has made this season so far, “One thing that has stood out for me over the winter has been the attitude the squad have put into their training which has been matched by their effort. There have been many younger boys coming through and impressing throughout the winter with the likes of Tim Wyatt, Daniel Andrews and Josh Pavis. All have improved and shown what they can do at training and I can safely say the future of Trent cricket is looking bright beyond this season.

Ross concludes with, “I want to thank Mr Boswell and Mr Hartley for all they have done for the squad this winter; they have both given up their free time to help us during lunchtimes. I massively appreciate all they do for us and hopefully as a team we can repay them with a successful season. I would also like to thank the ground staff for their hard work in preparing the nets and the wickets ready for the cricket season; they always do a fantastic job”.

Click here to read the full report and we look forward to watching the team’s progress over the next season, following on from this Sunday’s success.

Bronze Practice Expedition in the Peak District

2013-05-03T00:00:00

The second half of the Bronze D of E group, with 43 pupils and 9 adult staff, travelled to Wetton in the Peak District to complete their practice expedition from Monday the 15th – Wednesday 17th April.

The weather had a spring-like feel about it, with generally dry conditions and some sunshine, which was a relief after the recent cold, snowy conditions. Over the three days, the Year 10 pupils put their training into practice, completing three treks and two nights camping. The focus was very much on safety in all activities and effective navigation when on the move.

The groups improved all these aspects over the course of the expedition, learning important lessons about taking care over route finding and with their equipment. They are now ready to tackle their Qualifying Expedition on Thursday 23rd and Friday 24th May, also in the Peak District.

Thanks as always must go to the staff and parent who volunteered to come out with the pupils in the holiday to help them complete the practice venture.

Trent Students Compete in the Four Nations

2013-05-02T00:00:00

Over Easter two Trent students played hockey for England at International level. Olivia Hopkisson from Year 11 was asked to play in the Four Nations tournament England under 16’s and Chris Proctor from Year 13 was the captain of England U18’s boys in the 4 Nations Tournament held in Valencia. This is such a great achievement for both students.

Olivia maintained her school work whilst keeping up her hockey commitments. She said of her experience, “In April I was selected to play in the 4 Nations Tournament for England U16 Girls pending a rigorous selection process beginning in November. Alongside revision, it was a very busy time for me however a challenge I was more than happy to undertake.

Our starting match was against Scotland and was our introduction to international hockey. Scotland, a newcomer to the tournament, proved to be a decent squad who were determined to come out on top. However, we were able match this, and came away with a win of 2-0, an excellent start to the tournament. The Saturday saw our toughest match against the highly regarded Dutch team. They showed star quality, extreme skill, and great fitness that proved too hard to beat as we lost 6-1; however just playing against them was an incredible learning curve for me individually. On the Sunday we faced Germany, a talented squad, who we hoped to defeat. We played some great hockey but it just wasn't enough. Success was harder than anticipated and unfortunately we did not manage it. This result put us in the 3rd place play-off where we would play against Scotland again! The Monday’s performance had to be our best of the tournament; the whole team dug deep and used each other to our advantage, allowing us to come out 4-0 victors.

Winning a bronze medal was a great achievement and something that an English Junior girls team hasn't done for a while. It was a challenging, rewarding and exciting six days that I hope to be able to do again. I have been selected to play against Ulster this coming weekend and we have three games over the bank holiday weekend. There are further international camps in June and July when we play Belgium and Germany.”

Chris also had a successful experience, explaining that, “Over Easter I played for England U18 Boys in the 4 Nations Tournament held in Valencia. This was the second year for me playing at this level and it was a great experience. It was an amazing feeling of honour to captain my country against the best teams in Europe including Germany, Spain and The Netherlands. Although results didn’t favour us in this tournament with two losses and a draw it was a good learning curve heading into the Europeans this summer. Last weekend I enjoyed more success with Beeston H.C. winning the U18 Indoor National Championships.”

Mark Wadsley, the Head of Hockey here at Trent said, “It was great to have two Trent College pupils representing England this summer and continues the strong hockey tradition here. Chris was lucky enough to captain his country which is a great honour few manage to achieve. He should now set his sights on pushing for a place in the Junior World Cup in December. This will be a tough ask but if he keeps developing he will stand a good chance. Olivia has worked really hard this year and should aim to pick up as many caps as she can over the next few months. We wish her well in the future.”

Well done to both Olivia and Chris on their achievements playing for England.

Boarders' Achievements Celebrated!

2013-05-01T00:00:00

The Boarders Assembly on Monday 22 April celebrated the achievements of some of our boarding community. There were over 150 in the Chapel at the awards assembly, all sharing in their appreciation of what particular individuals contribute toward make our boarding community a better place.

The evening started with Mr Cowie reflecting on some of the global events which happened over the turbulent April holiday period. Mr Cowie stressed the importance of keeping abreast of world events and the being aware of the complexities of the issues facing many parts of the world (including Syria, North Korea and Mali) which have recently been in the news. Adding that despite some tragic events (including natural disasters and acts of terrorism) it is a wonderful world that is full of so much that is good. All were encouraged to share the highpoints of their holiday with others within the boarding community so we understand each other better and focus on the positive.

The awards were presented by the Boarding Housemasters and Mistresses and these were:

Bates
For the most improved academic progress this Term Sarah Smart
For making the house ‘a happy place to be’ Emma Kok
The most commendations this term Lucy Lidgett
Most enthusiastic in joining in House activities Lily Chin

Blake
For their consistent work ethic Jack Broughton
For their acts of kindness and for looking out for others Jay Heath
For their work for the Blake community Joe Bonser

Shuker
For Academic Endeavour Daniel Tong
A most valuable contribution to the life of Shuker House Joe Walton
For their consistent work ethic James North
For their consistent work ethic George Livesey

Martin
For masterminding the Valentine Ball Tilly Murphy
For House administration Kelsey Taylor
For excellent January module results Hazel Man
For her work ethic and community spirit Presi Karastoyanova

At the end of the assembly Mr Cowie passed a special thank you to the staff present who provide all our boarders with the support, care, time and encouragement needed to be happy and high achieving.

The weather didn't stop the Jordan Expedition Training!

2013-04-29T00:00:00

Over the Easter Holiday, 14 Year 9 pupils and two staff braved the freezing conditions of the Peak District in preparation for their expedition to Jordan, later this year. The training exercise allowed group members to form a strong bond and practise skills that will become vital to the success of their summer expedition.

Though temperatures were far from the 35 degrees that they expect to face in Jordan, pupils were able to experience many of the challenges that they will come across as a group, such as personal organisation, security and hygiene when in in a foreign climate and learn about environmental and cultural factors that they may encounter on their expedition.

In addition to the basic skills that were covered, the group were also given the responsibility of navigating a 10Km trek, and cooking for themselves throughout the training. Food shopping proved to be a new challenge for some, though when split into small teams, each member learned the value of forward planning and budgeting, with some impressive results. A very well prepared Spaghetti Bolognese turned out to be the highlight of the group menu, and it would appear that 20 Litres of lemonade is sometimes unnecessary, and that 20 frozen sausages for £1 is perhaps a less attractive offer than it would seem.

When in Jordan, the group are planning to visit the Dead Sea, the Dana Nature Reserve, the Wadi Rum, snorkel in the Red Sea, camp out under the stars with the Bedouins and see the amazing sights of Petra.

The Jordan expedition departs on 24th May and returns on 1st June. For anyone interested in seeing photos and video from the Jordan Expedition and hearing stories of how the group got on, please come to the expedition presentation in the Thai Lecture Theatre on Wednesday 26th June at 6pm.

Easter Ski Trip in Montgenevre

2013-04-26T00:00:00

Most skiers talk with fond memories about the occasional trips where the snow conditions have been exceptional for the time of year. This was definitely the case for the 40 pupils from Year 7-10 who travelled to France at the start of the Easter holidays for a week’s skiing in the Alpes. Leaving the cold and wet of England behind we travelled overnight to reach the historic resort of Montgenevre in the southern Alpes. A traditional ski village, it is one of the oldest ski resorts and is located on the French/Italian border making it possible to ski both countries in the same day. It was in Montgenevre that some of the earliest ski races took place, mainly as a test for the mountain guides of the time.

Passing Grenoble on-route it was clear that the group were in for some good conditions, as where normally we would be looking out of the coach onto green fields and spring flowers, we were faced with high walls of snow created by the ploughs as they had worked to keep the pass over into resort open. On arrival the Hotel Rois Mages offered a simple but convenient location for our stay, being directly opposite the slopes and ski school meeting point. The pupils were divided into 4 levels of ski ability and each had two 2hr lessons per day.

Conditions were exceptional with the snow maintaining its quality throughout the day despite the warm sun. With the considerable depth of snow remaining from the winter acting like a refrigerator we avoided the normal slushy afternoon conditions experienced at this time of year. The groups progressed well, quickly gaining confidence on the slopes and soon even the beginners were travelling further up onto the mountain and enjoying the thrills of skiing the more expansive slopes. Several members of the advanced group, having skied during the week with their instructor, were entered into the Fleche slalom race on their penultimate day with Fin Shaw and Harriet Evans both taking first place in their respective categories. The Fleche event is held weekly by the Ski School and is open to skiers of all abilities, so their achievements deserve praise. Mention should also go to Ed Dove and Carmen Calland who also gained places in the top three for their categories. As if the general conditions during the week had not already been kind enough to us, fresh snow on the final evening meant we had spring powder to ski in for our last day. Conditions really don’t get much better!

Outside of skiing the evenings were filled with various après ski events which this year included a high speed bobsleigh ride from the top of the first lift station back into resort. This provided many screams of excitement from the students as they hurtled down the mechanical track descending through the trees securely fastened into the cars, controlling their speed with a mechanical brake. It also gave the opportunity for some good photographs. Other evenings were spent bum-boarding, visiting Briancon, a nearby historic fortified town, and participating in an in-house games and movie night.

The behaviour of our students was excellent and this was commented on by their instructors, who praised them on their general attitude and progress during the week as well as the Hotel staff for their general good manners and co-operative nature. Another successful trip with no real issues and not even a single trip to the medical centre.

Year 7 Alice Hogan becomes Annie!

2013-04-25T00:00:00

Year 7 student Alice Hogan was part of large production of Annie at Loughborough Town Hall, from 12-16th March 2013. Alice gives a full account of her experience below, from the audition stages right through to the perfomances.

“I had decided to audition for the Loughborough Town Hall production of “Annie” (12-16/3/13) after hearing about it through my theatre group, ‘Stagecoach’. On the day I was really nervous and scared. We walked into a room where lots of other girls were sat waiting. We were given a brief explanation of what was going to happen in the auditions and then we were split between two rooms, based on ages.

I was really nervous when it finally came around to my turn. I walked into the audition room and started to sing. Once I had finished the panel clapped and said “Thank you Alice, you may go now”.

Then came the dance audition, which also went really well. Then the panel (made up of the director, choreographer, musical director and two chaperones) made a ‘cut’ of nearly half of the girls (out of over 50 who had auditioned).

I made it through the ‘cut’ and then had to do some acting and was asked to ‘read in’ for Annie. Once all this was over, they called me and 3 other girls back in and asked us to sing, act, and sing again for the part of Annie. They then made another ‘cut’. I made it through again! The remaining 19 girls were split into two teams. I was in the ‘Manhattan’ team, whilst the other was ‘Brooklyn’.

They first read out who was playing who for the Brooklyn team. Then it was ‘Manhattan’s’ turn. They said “The person playing Annie is… Alice”! I was really surprised and I burst into tears of joy. I ran out to my Mum who had been nervously waiting and told her I had been given “Annie”, she was so so happy.

A few weeks later we started rehearsals. The whole process for me was absolutely amazing, with many fun-times creating many memories. All my new friends, Maddie, Joey, Grace, Evie, Casey, Hannah, Amelie (to name just a few) were so kind, so talented and I miss them all so much.

As the show got nearer, things were getting stressful - having to balance homework with rehearsals and then on top of that, nerves were getting my voice. But none of that stopped me, and on the opening night I went out there and sung, dance and acted as best as I could and I loved it. On the Friday and Saturday performances I was given standing ovations. When the last show was over it was so sad for me because I had loved the experience, the people and just doing what I loved.

The lessons I learned from my experience in ‘Annie’ were to never give up and to always aim for the best.
I would like to say a big thank you to the Teachers at Trent College for being so supportive throughout my time as ‘Annie’.”

We would like to congratulate Alice on all of her hard work and wish her every success in acting for the future.

Sixth Formers in Barcelona!

2013-04-24T00:00:00

From April 14th - 20th, eleven students studying Spanish in the Sixth Form spent a week in Barcelona, during which they spent the mornings attending a Spanish course provided by Linguarama and the afternoons and evenings visiting the highlights of the Catalan capital.

The 4 hours of lessons each morning provided invaluable and intensive practice and revision ahead of this summer's AS & A2 examinations.

The group also enjoyed visits to Gaudí's Barcelona (Parc Guell, La Sagrada Familia, La Pedrera) and the Picasso Museum, as well as spending time along Las Ramblas, Port Vell, Parc de la Ciutadella, the beach at Barceloneta, and in the Gothic Quarter. Some of the group visited the Camp Nou, home of FC Barcelona, whilst others chose to see the gardens and castle of Montjuic. In addition to the sights, students also made the most of the superb weather and local cuisine!

Silver Qualifying Expedition in the Peak District

2013-04-23T00:00:00

The unusually cold and snowy conditions of late March put the Silver expedition in doubt, especially as they had caused the Gold training expedition to the Yorkshire Dales over Easter to be postponed. However, after repeated checks of the weather forecast and a pre-expedition recce of the area a few days before, it was decided to go ahead as planned with the ventures.

The 51 pupils from Year 11 assembled in the Sports Hall on Sunday 7th April for a full kit check, safety briefing and initial contact with the expedition Assessors. They were then able to go home for final preparations, before returning to Trent ready for the 0800 departure on the Monday morning. There were 10 groups in total, with 5 different start points in the area around Darley Bridge, Winster and Hartington. The weather was dry, windy and bitterly cold while conditions on the ground proved challenging. Many of the lanes, bridleways and tracks were still full of snow drifts, making progress slower than had been anticipated. However, all proceeded effectively to their chosen campsites where they could refresh themselves with hot food and drink, then try to find some shelter in their tents for the night. Some groups took quite a battering from the biting easterly wind.
Day Two proved to be a long day for several groups, again largely due to the difficult conditions. The groups proved themselves to be good at navigating, but again progress along the snow-filled lanes was slow. Some arrived quite late at their next camp where they experienced another very cold night, down to -3oC. Fortunately it was followed by a beautiful sunrise and clear, dry conditions in which to tackle their final day. The routes all ended up at Ladybower car park where the groups then had a debrief with their Assessors and gave their oral reports about the expedition aims. Finally, everyone had arrived safely and the minibuses were loaded up for the return to Trent.

The expedition was very successful despite the cold and snow, with the groups showing an impressive level of skill in navigating and campcraft. It was also great to see how well they worked as teams to get through the tough conditions. The individual determination to keep going was very impressive as fatigue set in and feet, backs, shoulders and hips became sore,. All the supervisors and assessors were impressed with the cheerfulness of the pupils and there is no doubt that the groups can be proud of themselves.

It is also important to acknowledge the vital role played by the adults who came out during the holiday to help make the expedition both possible and successful. Trent is lucky to have so many volunteers who show such care and give such encouragement to the pupils during their expeditions. It is rewarding when the groups also remain so positive. Thanks to all the supervisors (teachers and parent), the additional leaders from Evolution Outdoors, the three Assessors (Paul, Nigel and Phil) and to JF for helping with transport at the start and end of the expedition. Hopefully, the pupils will now proceed quickly to completion of their Silver Awards through eDofE. This is the final challenge!

Rugby success for Will Allman

2013-04-22T00:00:00

The first week of the Easter Holiday was an exciting one for Will Allman who spent it playing for the England South U16 Rugby Team at the Wellington College Festival. Will had been selected for the team after a great season in which he has played for Trent College First Team, Nottingham, Lincolnshire and Derbyshire U16s, Leicester Tigers U16s and captained the Midlands U16s. During the week at Wellington, he played in 3 games for England in which they drew with France, beat Scotland and beat USA U17s.

Guy Hope, head of rugby at Trent commented, “This is a great achievement for Will, he has been a superb acquisition for the Trent College 1ST XV this season and it’s terrific that his form has carried on into his international duties.”

Will has now begun training with Northampton Saints Academy and we wish him the best of luck.

Step into Spring PSA Evening

2013-04-11T00:00:00

The next PSA Event is fast approaching! The ‘Step into Spring Evening’ takes place on Friday 26th April in The Prince Obolensky Building from 7-10pm. Tickets are priced at £5 per person. Friends and family are all welcome!

For one-night only; the PSA have pulled together a group of local Beauty, Lifestyle & Wellbeing experts as well as a select number of artisan designers and crafts-women all intent on showcasing their skills & services and helping to create what is hoped to be a very enjoyable & fun evening. The event promises to be one of the best yet where you can receive advice from the experts such as No.7, Elemis, local beauty businesses Nails by Katie and Yessenis. Or treat yourself to something new from candles by Michelle Severn to art from Mish Mash Gallery.

The event is taking place in order to support two local charities, Treetops Hospice & the Jessica Hope Foundation. The Jessica Hope Foundation is something very close to many hearts here at Trent College which is why your support is so beneficial.

To make it all even more not to be missed, through the generosity of some of the key sponsors, the PSA are now planning to present ‘free goody bags’ to the first 300 guests through the doors on the night!

Please support the event and charities by booking your ticket through Belinda Freestone (befreestyle@hotmail.co.uk) Tel: 07734 304884, Sarah Hands (Lower Elms), Mandy Cullen (Upper Elms), Haughton Lodge or any member of the Trent College PSA.

Alternatively, use our website: http://www.trentcollege.net/secure-payments Reference quote: PSA SSE – your name. Please also email gilliandodd@ntlworld.comwith your name, address & ticket requirements if selecting this route so that tickets can be dispatched directly.

Olympic Superstars Inspire at Trent College

2013-04-08T00:00:00

We hosted our Olympic Sporting Dinner on Thursday 21st of March with a little help from Olympic double gold medallist Rebecca Adlington, British cycling supremo, Sir Dave Brailsford, and Olympic bronze-winning swimmer and BBC commentator, Steve Parry, plus two-time silver medallist rower, Debbie Flood and other members of TeamGB rowing.

Students, staff and guests were treated to an astonishing insight into the makings of Britain’s recent Olympic successes as well as hearing what work is on-going to ensure that is sustained.

The annual sporting dinner is held to raise funds for our Sporting Tours to help accelerate the school’s talented sportsmen and women towards fulfilling their potential and achieving their sporting dreams.

Rebecca, who became Britain’s greatest Olympic swimmer ever when she won double gold at Beijing 2008 before clinching two bronze medals at London 2012, retired from competitive swimming in January and has set-up an initiative to get every child in Britain to swim 25m by the time they leave primary school. She revealed even in an individual sport like swimming the experiences of being away with your teammates can shape you as an athlete and a young person.

Rebecca said: “You get experiences of different cultures and ways of doing things… My best friends are all in swimming, we grew up together. That closeness means you can all support each other.”

Sir Dave has masterminded Britain’s cycling renaissance over the past decade. He reflected on the power of creating a strong team in both individuals and teams achieving their goals.

“Elite performance is about clarity, of roles, responsibilities, values. Everybody involved has absolute clarity and there is security in structure which allows risks to be taken. The whole idea is continuous improvement; to help someone achieve and continually improve.”

Debbie was a British junior judo international and county-level 1500m and cross-country runner and shot-putter before she took up rowing. She is adamant the ball must be kept rolling from London 2012 to enthuse more young people into, and continuing with, sport.

She said: “Sport's been massive part of my life. Sport engaged me, it took my attention and I realised through working hard you could achieve things. I used to watch the Olympics on TV and thought the Olympians were superhuman! Sport makes people and it can make lives. Parents, don’t underestimate the little words of encouragement, they mean so much”

Compere for the evening Steve, who won 200m Butterfly bronze at Athens 2004, admitted the success of London 2012 changed the landscape for British sport. He believes the momentum still evident from the Games will continue into Rio 2016.

He said: “The success of the Olympics wasn't just about British sport it made the whole country realise what we can achieve. London was about the people; the athletes, volunteers, audiences, the general public. It made me exceptionally proud to be British. For Britain to win 29 gold medals at London 2012 was just ridiculous. The legacy is what YOU make it.”

Among the guests were Trent College’s sports captains, including Nick Gray (rugby), Chris Proctor (hockey), Sarah Ashcroft (tennis) and Emily Hopkins (netball).

Nick, a Scotland Under 17 international and son of former Scotland lock Chris Gray, added: “The professionalism you learn off-the-field on tours means you go on to the pitch knowing you have given yourself the best chance to perform. We are very grateful to everyone who has supported this event. It is incredible to have had so many great Olympians here.”

We would like to thank all of the sports stars for their contribution to the success of the evening.

Fairtrade Fun & Games!

2013-03-28T00:00:00

During Fairtrade Fortnight, Miss BB, Mr Marriott and the Geography department ran two tuck shops, one in Lower School and the other in Main School. Both sold a wide range of Fairtrade products from flapjacks & Geobars to chocolate and cookies. The aim was to not only raise awareness of Fairtrade amongst Trent pupils, but also highlight and contribute to the work that the Foundation does in countries such as Ghana, Uganda and the Dominican Republic.

Year 8 are presently studying Development and their Geography lessons were focussed on Fairtrade and the students also enjoyed a talk as part of their activities on Field Day raising money for the Kenya project.
The tuckshop took over £680 during the two weeks meaning that the department has not only supported a great cause through the purchase of the produce but will also be able to send the Fairtrade Foundation a cheque for £190 of additional profit.

The Lower School Mug Competition ran by Miss Hills, had lots of excellent entries and it took Mr Webster and Miss BB a long lunchtime deliberating over them. The final three runners up were Daniel Turner (Yr 8), Nina Apoola (Yr 7) and Saskia Redgate (Yr 8) with joint winners Tanvi Tambe & Jasmine Cooper-Isark (Yr8). The runners up will receive Fairtrade Easter Eggs and the winners will have their mugs printed and filled with Fairtrade Goodies.

The department has been thoroughly impressed with the way the Lower School in particular, have engaged in this topic and contributed to the activities. The Geography Department look forward to making the tuck shop an annual way to raise awareness and funds as many students developing a liking for Fairbreak bars and Fairtrade Dairy Milks!

Warm Clothes Collection for Operation Orphan

2013-03-27T00:00:00

Early next term the Trent College community have offered our help to a very worthy and practical cause, the Operation Orphan Warm Clothes Collection. The Operation Orphan charity was set up in 2003 by a local couple with the aim to make a direct difference for orphans and vulnerable children.

Through their hard work and the good will of friends and local companies, this charity is growing and has a number of projects in progress to address issues such as extreme poverty, harsh winter conditions, HIV/AIDS, urban slums, human trafficking and inadequate access to health care, education, clean water and safe sanitation.

Operation Orphan deliver funds and practical aid directly to where help is most needed through personal contacts on the front line. All of their UK administrative costs are underwritten, which means that 100% of all the donations they receive are used to fund these projects.

At Trent we are helping by providing a collection point for Warm Clothes donations, a very simple but very effective way to directly help poor children in Central and Eastern Europe. Much of this region remains below freezing throughout the winter and, shockingly, many children each year are at risk of dying from hypothermia. The reality is that children freeze to death, even in their own homes.

Operation Orphan need help from our community in response to this problem, to collect unwanted warm winter clothing that they can distribute directly to children in time for winter.

You can help by:

1) Sending in warm winter clothes to Trent College for collection on Friday 3rd May. Children and parents can bring these to the Obolensky Building throughout the day. Members of the pubic who don’t have children at the school are also very welcome to contribute and Haughton Lodge reception will be happy to collect donations from the public during office hours throughout the week of Monday 29th – Friday 3rd May.

2) If you don’t have clothing to give, but still want to help out please make a donation. Additional items of clothing will need to be purchased and transport to deliver all clothing to Serbia and Hungary also needs to be provided.

3) If you know any other organisation that would like to be involved please contact Operation Orphan on KACW@operation-orphan.org.

You can help to reduce unnecessary fatalities next winter simply by donating, whether it’s a coat or a £1, it can make the difference between life and death.

Please raid your wardrobes and cupboards to ensure we can provide a collection that will really make a difference.

Please watch the video below, showing last year's collection and the delivery of warm clothes to children.

Find out more about Operation Orphan here.

Jack Shines in Rugby

2013-03-26T00:00:00

Jack Dickinson has achieved considerable achievements with the Independent Schools “Lambs XV” rugby team.

The team is selected from all the Independent Schools throughout England, so his inclusion is a fine achievement in itself.

Jack has actually captained the side recently for the second year running which illustrates the high regard that the coaches have for him.

Guy Hope, Jacks Rugby coach said “As a sport scholar at Trent College, Jack sets the standards in terms of on and off the field conduct and is a super role model to others”.

Jack Captained the Lambs in a warm up fixture against Merchant Taylor's School U14/15. The Lambs won 47 nil in a far from one-sided game although the quality of some of the Lambs play was exceptional.

Some background on the team from www.isrugby.net:
‘The Independent Schools Rugby Football Club known as ‘The Lambs’ was set up in 2006 to provide representative rugby opportunities for talented young players where they did not exist before.
It culminates in the players potentially playing for the ‘Lambs XV’ more fully known as the English Independent Schools XV. Our initial motive for setting this up was to try and stem the huge tide of players leaving the game as soon they left school.
We hoped that by providing additional opportunities to play beyond the school playing field that we could enthuse those players and entice them to remain in rugby for life, for the overall benefit of the game.’

Students Learn to Lead

2013-03-25T00:00:00

On 4th July 2009, Stewart Hill was leading 160 men in a close combat fight against the Taliban in some of the fiercest fighting seen by UK forces in Afghanistan. He led from the front. Eight hours later medics battled to save his life after shrapnel from an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) tore in to his brain.

Trust, Compassion, Courage. These are the three vital components of leadership according to Lt Col Rtd Stewart Hill. Afghan veteran and a Trent parent, Stewart gave an inspiring talk about leadership rooted in the context of the Afghan conflict as part of the Whole School Lecture Programme. Severely injured on his last tour of duty and invalided out of the forces, Stewart has now put all of his efforts into sharing the lessons learnt in the theatre of war and applying them to individuals and organisations.

The Sixth Form were privileged to welcome Stewart to Trent and have hopefully taken away many lessons for later life.

Young Engineer for Britain Award Winner

2013-03-20T00:00:00

An innovative ‘Bunny Dome’ A-level project landed former Trent College student, Jess Storey, a hugely-prestigious Young Engineer for Britain Award at The Big Bang UK Young Scientists and Engineers Fair 2013 at ExCeL London last week.

18-year-old Jess who completed her A Level studies last summer, was the overall winner of the 'Award for Marketability' prize for her Geodesic Rabbit Hutch, awarded from over 200 projects that made it through to the National Finals from thousands of entrants across the UK. With judges including Stephen Timms MP and celebrated engineer, Lord Alec Broers, Jess’ Bunny Dome was showcased to over 65,000 visitors over the four days of the Fair, which, as part of the National Science and Engineering Week, has grown to become one of the largest celebrations of Science and Engineering for young people in the country.

The hutch is a contemporary take on the traditional product and based around the work of legendary American designer and inventor, Buckminster Fuller, who developed the geodesic dome idea. The Bunny Dome is supplied as a flat-pack to reduce transportation costs and is constructed from durable foamed PVC, which is wipe-clean and both rabbit and rot-proof.

This produces a novel, durable and customisable product, which is easy to clean and maintain. The hutch contains a perimeter rabbit run and separate sleeping area. It has an easy access front door and rear ventilation and cleaning access. Jess also scaled the concept down to produce a polypropylene laser cut vet transportation box to extend the project.

Jess, now studying Chemical and Materials Engineering at Leeds University, devised the Bunny Dome and entered the National Science and Engineering Competition while studying for A-levels in D&T, Maths and Physics here at Trent College last year.

Jess progressed through to the National finals after claiming first place in the 16-18 years Engineering Category, being named Regional Winner of the Young Engineer For Britain Award and taking the Merchant Adventurer’s Prize for the most Creative Project at the regional round, which took place at the Yorkshire Air Museum last July.

Mr James Prince, Jess’ Design and Technology teacher, said: “Jess has produced a creative and contemporary solution to a traditional design problem. She has an excellent grasp of mathematics and materials and has combined both areas well in her concept for the Bunny Dome. She has been a great ambassador for the subject and I hope she inspires other young people to consider a career in Engineering.”

The National Science and Engineering Competition is open to all 11-18 year olds living in the UK and in full-time education. It aims to recognise and reward young people's achievements in all areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Year 9 Students Interview GB Ice Hockey Players

2013-03-19T00:00:00

On Tuesday 12th March, Trent students Poppy Barnes and Savannah Parker travelled to Sheffield to interview members of the Sheffield Steelers ice hockey team. Their interview was conducted as part of the school’s involvement in the BBC News School Report, in which year 9 will spend a morning as roving reporters.
GB and Sheffield Steelers Captain Jonathon Phillips and his teammates Mark Thomas, Jason Hewitt and Ashley Tait gave these budding journalists an insight to the world of competitive sport, the pressures of playing for GB and their advice to the sports stars of the future.

Phillips advised students to “Enjoy it. It’s a great experience to go out to other countries to meet people.” Tait added, “It helps to start young and it’s all about practice. Everything you do, like work in the gym and practice sessions help. Work as hard as you can”.

Savannah and Poppy both enjoyed the opportunity immensely and are looking forward to editing their final article for the News Day next Thursday 21st March. Come back to the website on the day to have a look at the journalistic talent of our year 9 students!

Trent Achieve Double Success In The Rugby 7's!

2013-03-18T00:00:00

Trent College senior 7’s side has achieved a double success over the past two weekends. At the prestigious North of England Tournament on Sunday 3rd March and now in its 25th Year, Trent enjoyed a successful run in the Plate Competition, having lost their opening group game to a very strong Ellesmere College team. In overcoming Kirkham Grammar, the side secure second place and a meeting with Denstone in the Quarter Final. Despite going down to 5 men at one stage, the team stayed calm and ran out 24-12 winners. The Semi-Final proved a bruising encounter, but Trent ran out comfortable winners 38-12, with Jacob Heath, Joe Livesey and Myles Costello all scoring a brace of tries each. The Final, against Wirral Grammar School, was no less tough and under the lights a strong first half display earned the team a 24-7 victory. Will Allman capped off a fine tournament with a try, as did Ben Trembling and Jack Mason.

The squad then went into the inaugural Manchester Sevens on Sunday 10th March with high hopes of doing well. Despite the ‘artic’ conditions in which the pool games were played, the team started where they had left off the previous week. Opening wins against Rishworth (46-0), St Lawrence (36-5), Millfield (36-0) and Wirral Grammar (14-10) secured a top spot in the group and an easier semi-final, if there is one against Ampleforth! Under improving conditions the team were irrepressible and through the strong touch line running of Ben Trembling, the sniping of Myles Costello and the strength of Jack Mason and Will Johnson, a 34-7 victory was nothing less than they deserved. Warwick School looked favourites from the other semi- final, but Wirral caused an upset and our third encounter with them in a week was set up in the Final. Trent proved too strong in the opening exchanges and through a hat trick of tries from Joe Livesey, and two more from Jacob Heath and Ben Trembling, Trent built an unassailable lead. Wirral, to their credit, did not lie down, but it was to no avail and the Competition was won with a 27-19 victory.

The whole squad have played with credit in the three competitions to date and have only lost one match in the 18 games played. This sets them up for a crack at Rosslyn Park, to be played on the 19th and 20th March.

Congratulations go to; Jacob Heath (Captain), Jack Mason, Nick Gray, James Fish, Kartar Soar, Oli Mantle, Ben Trembling, Will Johnson, Ed McCrorie, Tom Kent, Joe Livesey, Will Allman, Myles Costello and Ben Cooper.

A Kenyan Field Day For Charity!

2013-03-15T00:00:00

As the nation raises money for Red Nose Day, we have also been very busy raising money for the Nyacaba and Gowan Mount schools in Kenya, our two partner schools. Our aim for the year is to raise a minimum of £10,000 for projects at these schools. We hope to run annual trips to the schools where we can assist them with their projects and also provide our own students with memorable and educational trips during their time here at Trent College. The first trip’s preparations are well underway and students from Years 11 and 12 are eagerly anticipating our visit to the schools this July.

So today, as part of their ‘Field Day’ the majority of students have been split into ten groups and participated in a range of activities in support of the schools in Kenya and have donated £2 each.

The day started with a presentation about the Kenya project from Mr Cowie and followed by African themed activities throughout the day. This included a sponsored run/walk around the grounds of the school by the students, all of whom were sporting some great onesies and morph suits!

An African theatre group gave an outstanding dance, drumming and storytelling performance and a Fair Trade talk was given by guest speaker. Students involved in this then had the opportunity to take part in a debate on this.

We would like to thank everyone who participated in Field Day for your continued support.

Concert Spectacular!

2013-03-14T00:00:00

The Spring concert has established itself as the centrepiece of the musical year at Trent College. This year the whole of year seven joined pupils from year eight, Schola Cantorum, parents, staff and friends to form the Trent College Choral Society.

Setting the tone for an evening of breath-taking drama, the Symphony Orchestra started the concert with the musical interpretation of hellish hilltop happenings that is Mussorgsky’s Night on a Bare Mountain. College Strings brought some beautiful daylight to the programme in the form of Elgar’s Chanson de Matin. Four of our sixth form students performed solos with orchestral accompaniment: Christopher Bailey and Stephanie Berwick wove an intricate performance of the first movement of Vivaldi’s concerto in G minor for two ‘cellos; Harriet Dilks carried the audience to a place of supreme calm with the second movement of Shostakovich’s second piano concerto; and no one could fail to have been moved by William Moon singing Bring Him Home from Les Miserables. Hurricane Wind Band continued the Les Miserables theme, concluding the first half with a performance of I Dreamed a Dream.

During the interval the stage was re-set with two grand pianos and a battery of percussion. Over one hundred and fifty singers took their places alongside the pianists and eight of our student percussionists to perform Carl Orff’s intense choral masterpiece, Carmina Burana. The piece was written specifically for a choir of children’s voices alongside a choir of adult voices and three soloists. For our young singers, from year seven upwards, it was a chance to perform alongside – and draw inspiration from – some outstanding professional artists. The piece often takes performers to the extremes: the extraordinarily high solo parts are sometimes at the limits of possibility, and our students took their courage and bravura in both hands to reach as high as a top C with aplomb. As the timpani beat out and the gong, cymbals and bells rang out for the finale, our students finished creating a memorable experience which, doubtless, will stay with them for life.

007 … Mission Accomplished

2013-03-13T00:00:00

Greeted by a Bond classic, the Aston Martin Vanquish (kindly provided by Stratstone Derby), over 130 guests attended the 2013 Old Tridents’ Society Annual Dinner, held on Saturday 9 March.

A red carpet led guests into the Prince Obolensky Building, which was dressed with framed Bond movie prints and life size banners of famous Bond girls. A drinks reception serving Vodka Martini awaited guests together with a musical treat from Trent ‘Strings’ students.

Each year attendance at the OT Dinner increases and this was certainly no exception. Not only was it wonderful to see so many Old Tridents return once again, but also to bring along with them more friends from the OT Community. It was also a delight to welcome former staff joining Old Tridents’ Society President Nigel White, Head of Trent Gill Dixon and Head of The Elms Junior School Keith Morrow for an evening packed with 007 intrigue.

A three course Bond inspired dinner was served, during which Magician Alex Michael, who had returned for a second year following requests from OTs, wowed guests with his fantastic and mesmerizing magic tricks. OT Subhashis Basu (Wortley 94-99) and his band mates provided the music, which included a Bond soundtrack medley, during dinner.

Just for fun, guests participated in a Bond themed table quiz which kept them guessing all night as to the answer to the tie breaker question: What is the connection between James Bond creator Ian Fleming and the founder of Trent College, Sir Francis Wright? There were a few guests who did find the correct answer!
Finally, in true Bond style, the Casino opened its doors giving guests the opportunity to try their luck on the Roulette, Blackjack and Caribbean Stud Poker tables. The evening’s Casino winner, holding just over £1,200, swapped his ‘play money’ for the prize on offer, A Trent College Woolen Scarf and considering it had just started to snow outside, a very timely prize!

If you have any photographs taken at the event that you would like to share with Old Tridents and the wider Trent community please send them to jo.slater@trentcollege.net

Tiebreaker answer: Ian Fleming created James Bond in 1953 with the novel Casino Royale. He visited Yeldersley Hall on several occasions, primarily to see Muriel Wright with whom he had a passionate, but doomed wartime affair. Muriel Wright was the Great Granddaughter of Sir Francis Wright, the Founder of Trent College. Apparently a great beauty, and a skier and polo player of some repute, it has been suggested that she could have stepped straight into the pages of a James Bond novel and it is thought therefore she was inspiration for Ian Fleming’s famous ‘Bond Girls’.

Clayton Soars Onto Stage

2013-03-12T00:00:00

We are very proud to announce that Clayton Callum Wildwoode from Year 8 will take up the role of Michael in Peter Pan at the Nottingham Playhouse. Clayton will star in three shows on Wednesday 20th March, Friday 22nd March and Saturday 23rd March

Clayton is a talented aspiring actor and although it is not his first, this is a huge role. He has dreamt of studying performing arts and pursuing an acting career since he was 7. Clayton auditioned for the role of Michael in Peter Pan after joining Stagecoach in 2009, ‘The original and largest network of part-time performing arts schools for 4-18 year olds’. The workload has been extremely heavy, with Clayton working hard rehearsing up to 4 nights a week with the Carlton Operatic Society in the run up to the play, whilst continuing to study here at Trent College.

Being involved in such a large stage production has given Clayton the opportunity to learn so much, both on and off the stage and he has formed close bonds with the other actors, describing the experience as being like part of another family. Playing Michael is very exciting for Clayton but he does admit he is a little scared of flying - he will soar across stage on wires during the show!

Clayton’s English teacher and Head of Lower School, Mr Webster, describes him as: ‘Exceedingly creative; he loves getting involved in the dramatic and poetry aspects of English’. Furthermore, Clayton has participated in the Shakespeare Festival at Trent College as Demetrius in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and will play a role in this year’s production of ‘Skellig’.

Before Peter Pan, Clayton has also been involved in smaller productions both at school and with the Stagecoach, having played the parts of ; ‘Timone’ in ‘The Lion King’ and the ‘Cheshire Cat’ in ‘Alice in Wonderland’. Clayton is hoping this is the start of big things to come, with more shows and maybe making the jump into TV and Movies!

We wish Clayton the best of luck in the forthcoming show and we’re sure we will more from him in the future! Listen out for Clayton on BBC Radio 2 at 2pm tomorrow.

Jamie & Ruebyn Win Gold!

2013-03-11T00:00:00

Recently, Jamie Spencer-Pickup in Year 8 attended the Independent School Judo Competition in High Wycombe.

There were a number of students taking part in the competition from different Independent Schools from around the country, with 2 pools of 4 Judoka's. Jamie managed to dominate his pool with ease winning all 3 fights with powerful throws.

In the final Jamie came up against a student who had previously beaten him. It was a tense contest, but Jamie set up his opponent and managed a throw and score to give him a well-earned Gold.

He is now the Independent Schools Champion in the Under 46KG category and may hope to follow in the footsteps of Old Trident, Ruebyn Richards, who has recently claimed Gold in his first A-Class tournament success, beating Turkey’s Muhammet Talha Sari last week. Ruebyn won six fights in all, including two by sudden death, after dropping down a weight division.

We wish Jamie and Ruebyn well in their forthcoming competitions.

The Jessica Hope Foundation

2013-03-07T00:00:00

We are proud to announce that we as a school are supporting The Jessica Hope Foundation.

We hope that the wider Trent community, including pupils, parents and staff, will also lend their support as a lasting tribute to the life of Jessica Hope Gauntley, a much loved pupil, who battled cancer for 10 months before passing away on the 26th February 2013. So many people have wanted to help in a practical way over the past few months, but there has been only a limited amount that most could actually achieve. Giving very generously to this fund is now the only way to help.

The Foundation has the following aims:

- In the short term - to help provide a teenage cancer unit at the Queens Medical Centre

- In the medium term - to raise awareness and help fund research into the prevention and treatment of brain tumours in young people

We hope we can make a difference for young people diagnosed with brain tumours.

There are 3 ways of giving:
- Cheques or cash (in a clearly labelled envelope) to the Accounts office made payable to The Jessica Hope Foundation

- Cash or Cheques to The Jessica Hope Foundation, c/o Jessica Blanche, 48 Springfield Avenue, Sandiacre, NG10 5LZ

- Online bank transfer: HSBC, The Jessica Hope Foundation, Sort code: 40-35-18, Account number: 64622146

Thank you in anticipation for your generous donation.

Please complete the Gift Aid declaration and post to The Jessica Hope Foundation, c/o Jessica Blanche, 48 Springfield Avenue, Sandiacre, NG10 5LZ or give to the Accounts office.

For more information on The Jessica Hope Foundation please click here.

Bang Goes the Theory!

2013-03-06T00:00:00

Student Peter Nathanail reports:

“Over Christmas my family and I were filmed by the BBC for episode one of their new series of Bang Goes the Theory, a science program presented by Maggie Philbin.

My dad was contacted by them regarding an episode to do with the safety of plastics in food because we are an environmentally minded family, and we try to recycle where possible! Also, we don't use cling film because of the risk of contamination of the food wrapped in it by plastics.

The episode as a whole considers the problems and benefits from using plastics, and looks at ideas such as turning plastic into fuel and recycling plastic waste.

As someone who is interested in science and especially recycling and the environment, this was really exciting. During the filming we had to empty our house of plastic, but this was a much harder task than we first anticipated, as plastic can be found in things as diverse as fleece jackets and tin cans.

The most dangerous chemicals found in plastics are called BPA and phallates, so we also had samples sent off to a laboratory to confirm if we had any plastic in us, but if you want to find out if we are all poisoned or not, you will have to watch the episode! It is available on BBC iPlayer now, until next Monday.”

Click here to watch the episode featuring the Nathanail family!

(spot the Trent College product placement in the bottom photo!)

Success at the National Hockey Finals

2013-03-06T00:00:00

Trent College Finish 3rd at U16 National Hockey Finals

Vs Arnold KEQMS: Won 3-0
Vs Ipswich School: Won 3-1
Vs Cranleigh: Lost 3-1
Vs St. Georges College: Won 2-1 (3rd Place Play-Off)

Last week, Trent College U16 Girls competed in the National Schools Hockey Finals at Cannock H.C. A solid first win against Arnold KEQMS, last years’ champions, set up the platform for a successful two days. Two early Sophia Lewyckyj goals put the game out of the opposition’s reach before Sophie Byrne sealed the win. Following this, a tough fixture against Ipswich School, a traditionally strong hockey school, proved more difficult. The game was tied at 1-1 and in the balance, until two goals midway through the second half put the match beyond Ipswich. Lauren Whyld scored the crucial second goal and after this Trent controlled possession. This result meant that Trent College topped the group overnight and needed just a point against Cranleigh to reach the final. Trent College started the game magnificently scoring within the first minute; however, Cranleigh soon came back and after a long spell of possession equalised before half time. In the second half, Trent dominated but were undone by two very well taken counter attacking goals. With 15 minutes to go, Trent still looked as though they would get back into the game; however, they missed several glorious chances and many short corners opportunities. The girls regrouped admirable and beat St. Georges 2-1 to earn third place. Trent dominated early spells, but had to weather some heavy pressure towards the end of the game. A goal a piece from Lucy Adams and Kira Schmitz sealed the win and the bronze medal.

Over the two days, the team played some fantastic attacking hockey, and worked tirelessly as a unit defensively. On another day, Trent could have come back as National Champions, but credit must go to Cranleigh who took their chances well at crucial stages of the tournament. The whole squad performed to its potential but a special mention must go to Lauren Whyld for leading the team so well, Olivia Hopkisson for dominating the midfield and to Kira Schmitz for her mesmerising attacking skills.

Fairtrade Fortnight

2013-03-06T00:00:00

The Geography department are continuing their annual tradition of supporting Fairtrade Fortnight, and this year are not only running a competition for Lower School pupils to design a Fairtrade Mug, but are also running a Fairtrade Tuck Shop. Our Year 8 students are learning about the merits of Fairtrade and working in groups to use a variety of media to spread the good work of the Foundation.

Mr Marriott and Miss Bletsoe-Brown ran the tuck shop in Lower School last Friday and were staggered by how well the students got involved. Many enjoyed the chocolate covered flapjacks, Geobars (a department favourite), along with chocolate and cookies. The event was also well supported by staff, with Mrs Michael, Mr Webster and Miss Hills all getting involved and buying the goods. The first sale was made to a parent who was dropping off some sports kit to a student!

The shop was so well received that the department are branching out into Main School this week, with the aim being to raise as much money as possible for the Fairtrade Foundation, whilst getting the students learning, researching and spreading the word. Goods in the shop range in price from 30p to £1, and all proceeds go direct to the Fairtrade Foundation. The department urge all students to get involved and buy something.

The deadline for the Mug competition is Friday 8th March and judging will take place the following week. The winner will have their mug printed and will win some Fairtrade Produce.

Premier League Winners

2013-03-05T00:00:00

Beeston won the Premier League, securing a place in the end of season play offs, and more importantly guaranteeing a place in next season’s Euro Hockey League whilst increasing their lead to 15 points, at the top of the England Hockey Men’s Premier League.

The squad included Trent College pupil Chris Proctor who also represents England at U18 level. Head of Hockey at Trent College Mark Wadsley, also in the squad, commented:

“It is a great achievement for the club to win the league for the first time in our history and at such a relatively early stage of the season. The team now look ahead to its European Campaign and the domestic Play Offs. It is also a huge honour for a school boy to break into this squad filled with senior international players. The future looks bright for Chris if he keeps his head down and works hard.”

Congratulations to Chris and Mark and all at Beeston Hockey Club!

Sixth Form Apprentice Competition

2013-03-04T00:00:00

Over the short space of three weeks, the Sixth Form showed off their entrepreneurial spirit in the ‘Apprentice’ House competition. Three members of our Marketing Department were allocated a virtual £10,000 each to invest in the products that really impressed them.

The Houses each formed their own company and were tasked with designing, sourcing and selling a branded product for use by our Marketing Department. They worked extremely well throughout this activity and it showed through the quality of their pitches as well as their ability to field, at times very searching questions from the panel.

A strong range of products were pitched, including branded M&M’s, Mouse Mats, Lanyards and a combined pen/USB stick. Despite the obvious effort of all the Houses, a clear winner emerged. A confident Kemp team who had designed a credit card style USB. They had covered all bases with a confident pitch and a well designed product. They wowed the judges with their techinaical understanding of teamwork and passion for their product. In doing so, they secured provisonal profits of over £4,500, over £1,500 more than their nearest rival.

This was a great event enjoyed by staff and students alike, and with the possibility of Kemp’s product being adopted by the school, it is a great example of how the House system is contribuitng to the wider aspects of Trent College.

Politics Students Explore Downing Street

2013-03-01T00:00:00

On Monday 25th February, all of our Year 12 Politics students went to on an educational visit to London. Upon arrival, the group had a quick tour around the Palaces of Westminster before being shown both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

The students then had a unique opportunity to visit Downing Street. The Prime Minister was in at the time of the tour of the building, but was unfortunately too busy to meet the group; apparently he was entertaining the new US Secretary of State, John Kerry!

Although David Cameron was busy, the students did get the chance to meet our local MP, Jessica Lee, in one of the committee rooms.

In the afternoon the students visited the UK Supreme Court, which is the highest court in the country. They went into the public gallery to hear the cases that were being heard and were enthralled by the lively debate. Year 12 student Harriet Dilks commented, ‘It was incredible to believe that any decision made by this court is the final decision and will have major implications on the lives of people in the UK.’

On the whole, it was a great day out and the students look forward to further discussion and debates about their visit back in the classroom!

Creative Writers succeed in National Competition

2013-02-28T00:00:00

This week, our English department were delighted to receive the news that 120 of our Year 7, 8 and 9 students will have their creative writing published. The Young Writers competition required students to write a short story with the theme ‘Around the World in 80 Words’.

The successful entries explored a wealth of different experiences and countries which were inspired by holidays, school trips and literature. The students’ work will appear in the Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire anthology which is published in May.

It is fantastic to see the enthusiasm and effort that students put in to these National competitions. Congratulations to all of the students involved!

Year 12 Explore Cambridge University

2013-02-22T00:00:00

A group of students from Year 12 were the guests of Churchill College, Cambridge last week as part of our programme of preparing students for making university applications. The students heard a detailed talk about applying to Cambridge University and their tour of the college took in everything from a fellows’ seminar room to the bar and student accommodation. After lunch in the Hall, the trip included a short walk into central Cambridge and a tour of the much older Pembroke College with its ancient quads and the chapel by Christopher Wren.

The trip was a tonic of inspiration for students in the middle of Year 12, focusing minds on the importance of achieving as well as possible in their AS level exams this year, and the rewards of world class study opportunities that can follow.

Students Explore Music at Nottingham University

2013-02-18T00:00:00

Mr Foster, Head of Academic Music, took a group of twelve Trent College musicians from Years 10, 11 and 12 to the university of Nottingham, where he studied music as an undergraduate. Our students were able to spend time looking around the university music department and talking with the head of department and current students about a range of musical and university topics. They were also able to take part in a lunchtime recital and sit in on a performance class with current undergraduates.

Hopefully this trip will have helped inspire and given our students a real insight into what studying music at University would be like.

Young Boarders Embrace School Life

2013-02-15T00:00:00

Over the years, there has been a significant change happening in boarding schools across the country. The horror stories of years past are long gone and today’s modern boarding school looks and feels very different.

At Trent College, we provide a warm, homely atmosphere in each of our five boarding houses, allowing pupils to make friends and also to establish their own identity. Our new Lower School Boarding House is no exception, it has been purpose-built to house younger girls and boys who are just starting their Trent College adventure.

Professional rugby coach and parent, Mr Glenn Delaney has two children within the Trent College community. He says that when boarding became an option for his children, “it was a no brainer”.

His daughter Hannah in Year 5 at the Elms and his son Alex in Year 7 at Trent College. Both started boarding within the Lower School Boarding House after Mr Delaney’s job was relocated to Surrey. “With my move to London Irish, we would be relocating from an hour down the road from school to Kingston in Surrey. Our kids were happy at their school and, with life in professional sport meaning I work anywhere, continuity in education was massively important to us.”

Boarding at Trent College is the perfect solution for busy families, with hectic timetables, long commutes and long working hours (for parents and children!). Boarding helps to provide stability and support for children and helps alleviate some of the stress on modern families.

Of course, many families fear sending their children to boarding school but the fear usually starts and ends with the parents. Mr Delaney himself attended an independent school back home in his native New Zealand. Although he didn't board personally, he saw first-hand the boarding experience of friends to know that the two worlds are very different now.

He continued: "The trepidation was more our's’than Alex and Hannah’s. They have taken to it like ducks to water. My experience of boarding in the late ‘80s / early ‘90s was very much sleep, get up, go to school, eat, sleep. But the boarding environment our kids are in now is totally different. It is a very homely environment and we are 100% comfortable our children are being looked after in the best way.”

Boarding also allows pupils to get even more out of the school and to develop essential life skills: independence, self-reliance, the ability to live in a community and, as they move up through the year groups, preparing for life at university.

Mr Delaney adds “Although it was the well-rounded education that especially drew us to The Elms and Trent College, the kids’ academic output has increased since they have been boarding and they are definitely doing more work. Having tutors in the boarding houses helping is working really well for them. They are also not spending two hours every day travelling to and from school now, meaning they have more time in the evenings to study and do other activities and aren’t so tired”.

Trent College has been committed to providing a boarding school education since our foundation in 1866. Our commitment to exceptional standards of education, combined with our broad curriculum and outstanding pastoral care, continues to give the school its distinctive ethos to this day.

Author brings Ancient Rome to Trent College

2013-02-12T00:00:00

Tales of gladiators and Ancient Rome gripped our pupils as author Simon Scarrow visited our school ahead of National Libraries Day last Friday.

Mr Scarrow read extracts from his new children’s book, GLADIATOR: Son of Spartacus, and took questions from pupils before signing copies of his latest publication to mark National Libraries Day the following day. The author also set a Roman History quiz with three teams. The two highest team scores from his whole school tour will get invited to the Bath Festival of Children's Literature to battle it out in a live final later this year.

National Libraries Day was a culmination of a week’s worth of celebrations in school, college, university, workplace and public libraries. The event aims to show why librarians and information professionals are so loved and vital to our communities, and celebrates how they are improving literacy rates, encouraging learning and promoting reading for pleasure.

Simon Scarrow’s GLADIATOR trilogy brings the magnificent, gory, dangerous and exhilarating world of Ancient Rome to life for a new generation. As well as this popular children’s series he has also published 13 novels for adults. His books have been translated into over 20 languages, with UK sales of over one million copies.

Ms Scothern, Head of Library Services, said: “It’s great to have the opportunity to invite authors in to talk to pupils. It creates a real buzz and helps promote reading for pleasure. Simon has many fans at Trent College who were eager to talk to him about his new book. His visit also encouraged pupils who had never read his books to give them a go, which is certainly a good thing. Coinciding with National Libraries Day was an added bonus helping to raise the status of libraries and librarians.”

GCSEs to Remain

2013-02-11T00:00:00

We have welcomed the announcement that the government is scrapping plans to abandon GCSEs in favour of a new English Baccalaureate (EBacc).

Although, as an independent school, we wouldn't be directly constrained to follow the proposed EBacc, Dr Peter Kelly, Deputy Head (Academic) at Trent College, warned that the independent sector was unlikely to be immune to the proposed changes when the reform plans were announced in last autumn.

Independent schools have traditionally maintained autonomy in setting their own curricula, but, amongst his concerns, Dr Kelly said the sector may have little choice but to adopt the new EBacc if university admission became dependent on the qualification.

However, with the announcement last week that GCSEs will be retained, Dr Kelly admits he is relieved at the decision, but remains staunchly in favour of "any scheme which removes controlled assessment".

Dr Kelly said: "There were several elements of concern regarding the implementation of the E-Bacc. Prominent amongst these was the lack of consultation, the choice of participating subjects and the loss of school choice a single examination board would cause."

"Overall I'm relieved the impending change has been abandoned but Im certainly in favour of any scheme which removes controlled assessment. The current coursework approach is another example of a poorly planned change, which are still all too common in education."

Juicy Geographers explore new techniques!

2013-02-07T00:00:00

As part of the Lower School enrichment programme, Mr Marriott and his ‘Juicy Geographers’ have this term been using Worldmapper.org to look at differing patterns around the World. The program uses data and distorts countries size and shape to show how patterns vary around the World. The students began by looking into television usage and internet and then branched out into health and poverty and even went “cross curricular” looking at war deaths and armed forces.

Alongside this, as part of the Development topic in Year 8, students have undertaken a different approach to learning through simulation games in their Geography lessons. The students were given limited resources, four basic rules and 40 minutes to produce as much money as possible. After changes in mark values, some theft from one country and teacher led “aid”; the students soon got into the swing of things and began working as a team. The game was designed to “replicate the real World” with different countries having very different availability of resources, knowledge, money and technology and showing just what an impact this could have on trade. There were some frustrated groups who had little and nothing to trade with and some definite students to keep an eye on in the future.

Our students really enjoy the different activities and alternative approaches to learning in their lessons when given the opportunity!

High achievers choose Trent on route to Oxbridge

2013-02-06T00:00:00

We have had record numbers of new students applying to Trent College for our September 2013 entry including a number of very bright, high achievers who are looking forward to starting their Trent College adventure within our Sixth Form community.

We have offered a number of academic scholarships to incoming pupils joining the Sixth Form in September including four Girls and three Boys. All are on target to gain the minimum required standard of 9 A to A*s in their GCSE examinations, including at least 6 A*s.

These students have looked to Trent to meet their academic ambitions, including several who aim to go to Oxbridge and we look forward to guiding them to success. Their options choices cover the spectrum of choices including Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, History, Modern Languages, English, Politics

Several will also be joining the boarding community, maximising their time at Trent and taking advantage of all the added opportunities that come with living amongst teaching staff and fellow students. Not only will they be encouraged to pursue a breadth and depth in their academic study and develop and demonstrate the skills of an independent learner. They will also involve themselves in extra-curricular cerebral activities such as the Whole School Programme and Academic Forum and be expected to take a full and active role in all areas of school life.

We look forward to welcoming all of our new students to Trent later in the year.

Mud No Obstacle

2013-02-04T00:00:00

Eight runners from various age groups qualified for the County Cross Country which was run at Catton Park, Leicestershire on Saturday. The course was wet but extremely well laid out and gave the runners a mix of park land and undulating terrain to run through. Unfortunately, Brandon Joss withdrew through illness, but all those who ran acquitted themselves well. Five Trent pupils qualified in the top ten and have gained selection for Derbyshire at the English Schools Championships.

The results were:

Year 7 Girls: Ellis Cullen - 6th and Kasia Chmiel - 34th

Junior Boys (Y8/9): Alasdair McCulloch - 31st

Junior Girls (Y8/9): Madeleine Moore - 7th (ESAA Qualified)

Inter Girls (Y10/11): Emilia Larkin - 6th (ESAA Qualified)

Inter Boys (Y10/11): Hedley Hardcastle - 8th. He ran 5km in 17.33 a PB! (ESSA Qualified)

Senior Boys Jack Sproson - 3rd and Jo Wilkinson 4th -who ran the second lap with no shoes on as he lost them in the mud! (ESAA Qualified)

Congratulations to all who took part!

Chemistry Students visit Nottingham University

2013-01-31T00:00:00

On Wednesday 30th January, our Chemistry A-Level students went to the University of Nottingham for a series of lectures to further enhance their Chemistry knowledge.

With the highlight of the trip being the spectacular thunder and lighting demonstration, it was also very useful for the students to attend lectures to learn about the importance of science in everyday life, the history behind their outreach project, the different paths and routes you can take to become a chemist and deciding whether Nanoscience is a friend or foe! The group also took part in a fun treasure hunt looking for clues in the building.

Overall it was a great day and the students learnt a lot that they can now incorporate into their Summer examinations.

Miss Hunter Achieves International Call Up

2013-01-29T00:00:00

Jo Hunter has been selected to play for England Women’s senior team in The Investec Cup in South Africa in February. The tournament involves England, South Africa, Holland and Australia. She is said to be delighted in receiving the news of her first cap. Miss Hunter, currently a hockey coach and Sports Administrator at Trent College, is departing with England in late January. She currently plays at Leicester Hockey club having previously been Beeston 1st XI captain. She is a role model for many of the pupils at Trent College as she has gone all the way through England Hockey’s single system. Her strong performances for England U21s this summer and her consistent club form have been the major factors in her selection. She will be joining a squad which recently won a bronze medal in the London Olympics as Great Britain.

Miss Hunter said "I am extremely proud to have been selected for my first senior tournament; hopefully this will be the first step to achieving my ultimate goal of representing Great Britain at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

Mr Wadsly, Head of Hockey at Trent College added "Miss Hunter has been a great addition to the staff at Trent College this year and we are delighted with her recent call up. She is an excellent coach and the pupils have really enjoyed learning from her. She has worked really hard and stepped up a level to be competing for a senior place alongside several Olympic bronze medallists. We wish her all the best with her first senior caps in February and hope that her achievements inspire pupils at the school."

Congratulations Miss Hunter and good luck!

Rob Glass Inspires Year 9 Students

2013-01-28T00:00:00

As part of their weekly enrichment activity, ten Year 9 pupils are embarking on a course to learn the art of presenting, shooting and editing short films using iPads. Former BBC Radio & East Midlands Today presenter, Rob Glass, leads the sessions which take place every Monday afternoon. His experience and guidance is valuable to the pupils' progression and, having made over 500 films, Rob has been nationally acknowledged within the BBC as one of their most creative practitioners.

The pupils are learning vital story telling skills through the use of iPad software, and hopefully by the end of the course will produce and edit their own short film. It is their aim to be involved in Field Day, capturing inspiring moments of the day and being able to edit the footage in a way to delight their audience.

2012 GCSE League Table Update

2013-01-25T00:00:00

As you may be aware the BBC news website and subsequently some local media sources have reproduced Department of Education league tables which placed Trent College 2nd from bottom in Derbyshire Schools, stating that only 35% of students attained at least 5 A*-C grades at GCSE when including English and Maths.

This figure is wildly inaccurate, as in fact 92% of our pupils achieved 5 or more A* to C grades (88% when including English and Maths), which would place us 3rd in Derbyshire in these tables.

We are very proud of our pupils’ excellent exam results which overall were in fact the second best ever results in the school’s history, with many students managing to secure straight A* and A grades across all of their subjects. A massive 46% of all GCSE exams taken last year were graded at A* or A grade. In addition Trent College students achieved a value added score of + 0.33 (which measures progress from age 11) and we are confident in our ability as a school to help each pupil achieve their best.

Please click here to see our GCSE results from 2010-2012 and please click here to see our A Level results across the same period.

New National Educational Conference at Trent

2013-01-23T00:00:00

On Friday 7th June we will be hosting a new national Heads & Governors Conference - entitled a 'A Time to Lead'.

The conference will explore the best ways Heads and Governors can work together for the common good of their school and pupils. With issues such as curriculum and exam reforms and the government’s Academies programme, impacting on both the state and independent sectors, strong, co-ordinated leadership is critical in ensuring schools, and their pupils, can continue to prosper and flourish both in the immediate and long-term.

It will give dedicated time outside of school hours for Heads and Governors to reflect on the current issues in education. It will also give them the opportunity to network and share ideas with other Heads and Governors, as well as hearing the thoughts of the keynote speakers. Schools from both the independent and state sectors (junior and senior) are invited.

The speakers for this event have been confirmed as:

Mr David Hanson - Chief Executive, Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS) - on Junior and Senior Heads working together effectively with Governors
Mrs Christine Ryan - Chief Inspector of the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) - on what excellent governance looks and feels like in outstanding schools
Mr Bruce Potts - renowned educationalist & founder of Primary Transformation - on ensuring schools are thriving, happy places where children love to be
Mr Humphrey Walters - leadership expert - on the value of building high performance teams in schools

David Hanson insists schools boast a wealth of talent, skills and expertise to build sustainable models to create the future, but success only comes from working together. He believes schools can only benefit when Heads and Governors take advantage of dedicated time outside of school hours to reflect on the current issues in education, and the opportunity to network and share ideas with other Heads and Governors.

He said: “Education is facing enormous challenges, not just economic but also political pressures on our schools. Strong leadership is a key factor in all successful schools yet leadership can be a very lonely job. In the challenging environment we’re experiencing it shouldn’t be one group of people going it alone but everyone working together. “In successful schools people can be open, share ideas and listen to and learn from each other for the common good of the school. The governors can take care of the strategic issues but trusts the Head to get on with the day-to-day running of their school. Any joint events for Heads and Governors, such as this inaugural ‘A Time to Lead’ conference, are hugely-valued experiences.”

Gill Dixon, Head of Trent College commented "we are delighted to be hosting the inaugural Independent Schools Heads' and Governors' Conference here at Trent College in June. The strategic leadership of our schools is key to maintaining the independent sector's reputation for innovation and excellence, but there are very few opportunities when Governors and Heads can spend time out of school together. This conference is an ideal opportunity not only to hear from an impressive list of speakers, but to spend time reflecting on everything we do and crucially, to meet fellow Governors and Heads."

Keith Morrow, Head Master of The Elms, Junior School to Trent College commented "what makes this conference unique and potentially very exciting is also the opportunity it gives to bring Heads of Junior and Senior Schools together with their Governors. Building and sustaining a strong relationship and common purpose between junior and senior heads is the key to ensuring schools can continue to prosper in these economically challenging times. "

New Cathedral Partnership

2013-01-18T00:00:00

Trent College and The Elms have secured a new partnership with Derby Cathedral paving the way for more young singers to flourish as part of the Cathedral’s nationally-renowned choir.

The new partnership aims to strengthen both the Cathedral and the schools’ recruitment of talented choristers and maintain and develop their choral traditions.

Pupils who successfully become choristers will benefit from the excellent choral traditions and tuition from Derby Cathedral while the Cathedral benefits from recruiting choristers who are already enjoying a very strong musical education our schools.

The ultimate aim of the partnership is for us to attain formal Choir School status, recognised by the Choir Schools’ Association (CSA), whereby no less than 50 percent of the Cathedral choristers would be students at The Elms and Trent College.

Derby Cathedral, which boasts an excellent reputation for choral music and has well established boys’ and girls’ choirs, will continue the recruitment of children into its choirs from Derby and surrounding areas too.

Mr Morrow explains: “Trent College and The Elms enjoy an excellent reputation for instrumental music and singing, with children in Year 3 beginning to learn orchestral musical instruments and participating in ensembles. This new partnership will enrich Chapel life at Trent College and The Elms by widening pupils’ access to a first-class musical education through the schools’ association with Derby Cathedral.”

The Very Revd Dr John Davies, Dean of Derby, added: “Choristers, Cathedral music and the life of the schools will all be enhanced by this new development. Benefits of membership are numerous, with probably the best being a complete musical and religious education and the chance to be a member of a professional organisation that performs to the highest professional standards. We are delighted to enter into this new and creative relationship.”

As well as Cathedral worship at Derby, choristers at our schools also have the opportunities to perform elsewhere in Britain and internationally, plus contribute to recordings and broadcasts for the BBC. This year, to celebrate the 100th birthday of Benjamin Britten, the Cathedral will be performing his music in services and concerts.

Elms pupils, brothers Alex and Owen Archer-Dyer and William McKenzie-Howes are already Derby Cathedral choristers as well as being part of The Elms choir.

Alex, who is also studying the bassoon at The Elms, is a member of the school swing band and bassoon ensemble and is taking piano lessons externally, said: “I joined the Derby Cathedral Choir because you get the opportunity to travel to Italy, Ireland and France and we’re soon visiting Westminster Abbey. It’s a great way to make friends. I’ve improved as a singer as I’ve been lucky enough to receive singing lessons where I’ve learnt to read music, sight read and we can progress through the different music tests.”

Annual Sporting Dinner

2013-01-15T00:00:00

On March 21st 2013 Trent College will be hosting its Annual Sporting Dinner. As with previous events the evening will celebrate sporting talent at Trent College, The Elms and within the local community. This year’s theme will be the Olympics and we are expecting a number of Olympic stars to attend.

Starting at 7.30pm in the Prince Obolensky Building there will be a three course meal followed by the usual auction, games and raffle and to end the evening a question and answer session from some of our Olympic guests.

Tables of 10 will be £400.00 and individual tickets will be £45.00.

Places will be limited, to book please contact Louise Whaley, Events Co-ordinator louise.whaley@trentcollege.net or 0115 8494967

Ski Trip is a Huge Success!

2013-01-14T00:00:00

This year, 48 very excited students from Year 11 to 13 travelled to Les Deux Alpes in France for a week of skiing and snowboarding galore. After the long trip, all of the students settled into their accommodation and were issued with their ski equipment, passes, snowboards and boots ready for the week ahead. The afternoon of arrival was left for them to recuperate and explore the resort.

On the second day, everyone headed out onto the slopes, which were in great condition, providing some superb skiing for all. Due to the heavy snow that had fallen, the skiers had an excellent opportunity to ski on the glacier and there was a great deal of opportunity to make fresh tracks in the daily-replenished powder!

The snow really couldn’t have been better and the quality of instruction offered by the local ski school was fantastic. This was also shown, through no injuries at all on the trip, not even a trip or graze!

The nightlife in the resort was also really enjoyable for everyone, with the help of the traditional games evening, ice skating and bowling. Bowling was a great way to spend the evening and to allow each year group to integrate, allowing new friendships to be formed.

It is safe to say the group had a fantastic time and made some great new friends during the week. Thanks must to go to the bus drivers and the ski representatives for helping make the week run smoothly. Also a big thanks also to the Trent Staff who went along on the trip; Miss Hills, Mr Stevens, Mrs Rimington, Mr Bruzon, Mr Jones and Mr Saville.

Calling all parents

2013-01-11T00:00:00

The next PSA Event is fast approaching.. an evening of mystery and intrigue wrapped round a 3-course evening meal. The event will be professionally presented, get involved and show off your acting skills or simply sit back and enjoy guessing ‘who done-it’ …

The event will take place in The Prince Obolensky Building on Friday 8th February 2013 at 7:30 pm.

Tickets cost £35 each, Please email gilliandodd@ntlworld.com to book your places in advance. For full information click here to see the poster.

Find out more about the Parent Social Association in the parent section of the website.

Lower School Cross Curricular Project

2013-01-10T00:00:00

All Year 7 and 8 pupils now participate in an individual cross curriculum project which they begin at the start of Lent Term and submit after Easter. The aim of the project is to provide an opportunity to develop independent learning and research skills which are vital for students’ academic success.

On average, students will spend approximately 30 minutes a week on the project with the help and support of teaching staff and tutors throughout the school.

For Year 7 students, as we are launching a whole school charity project to fund infrastructure development work in two schools in Kenya this year, the general title for this year’s work is “Kenya” and this will provide students with possibilities to explore areas across a range of subject areas.

Year 8 students are asked to choose a topic of their choice, and pick an aspect of it that they would like to explore in more detail. This may take the form of a presentation, a piece of literature or art, a collection of photographs or a report.

Good luck to all of our Lower School students and we look forward to seeing the best projects displayed at this year's Speech Day!

The Ivy Opens to Sixth Form Students

2013-01-09T00:00:00

Yesterday saw the opening of the brand new addition to The Wortley Sixth Form centre, The Ivy Café opened its doors to a very excited group of Year 12 and Year 13 students all eager to try out their new space. After the official opening courtesy of William Moon, Head of School, students happily tucked into a spread of pizza and sandwiches and settled into their new home.

The Café has been named The Ivy as it is a very important plant to Trent and its history. Not only are both The Wortley and our Main School building covered in the climbing plant, it also helped save the lives of a group of Trent boys in 1922. The Main School building caught fire, and the boys from Shuker House escaped the blaze by climbing down the ivy to safety.

The development is intended as a relaxation space for our oldest students away from the hustle and bustle of main school life. Sixth Formers will have the option to purchase drinks and snacks as well as selection of hot and cold food at break and lunch times.

We hope that all of our current and future Sixth Formers enjoy their new space for socialising, re-energising and when they need some time away from the pressures of study.

Thank you to everyone involved in creating this lovely space.

Trent Pupils Reach Out to Children in the Community

2013-01-08T00:00:00

On the morning of Thursday 20th December, a small group of Year 11 Community Service pupils, set off from Trent College to the Women’s Centre in Nottingham. They were armed with party bags, colouring books and crayons for 20 young children who would be attending the Christmas Party at the Centre.

The Centre is run by women for women and provides a safe and supportive environment to help women achieve their aims, become stronger and more independent.

When the girls arrived, they were greeted with the very excited faces of young children waiting for Santa Claus to arrive. The girls played games with the children and when it was time to leave they gave out the party bags, colouring books and crayons. They were very happy to take them from the girls and it was a very humbling experience for them.

Chloe Hallatt said, 'It was a very rewarding experience, especially when seeing the young children's faces as they opened their presents and it gave me an insight of less fortunate women and children's lives'.

They all had a wonderful time and have asked to go back again as soon as possible armed with ‘Story Bags’ this time for the children’s reading time.

Operation Christmas Child

2012-12-13T00:00:00

Students at Trent College have once again been creating and filling shoeboxes full of gifts for this year’s Operation Christmas Child appeal.

Operation Christmas Child is the largest children’s Christmas project in the world and has been running since 1990. The project involves children and adults from across the UK filling shoeboxes with gifts, which then get sent to disadvantaged children in Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Last year, many churches, schools and workplaces got involved in Operation Christmas child, wrapping, packing and sending nearly 1.1 million shoeboxes.

This year, the Trent College community have produced and wrapped 180 shoeboxes in total, which will now be sent off to underprivileged children across the world by Operation Christmas Child.

U16 Girls Hockey Team are Midlands Champions

2012-12-11T00:00:00

Trent College U16 girls hockey team became Midlands Champions for the first time beating Denstone College 10-9 on penalty strokes. The team played some fantastic attacking hockey throughout the day, winning their group to reach the semi-finals. In the semi-final, The girls started with real purpose and took a two goal lead early on. As the game progressed, Repton came back into it and scored with five minutes to go, but the Trent girls held on for a well-deserved win. The final was a repeat of the group game against Denstone. With tiring legs from both teams Trent College could not find a winning goal, although created some good opportunities and wasted several short corners. Denstone took the advantage in the stroke competition but some great saves from Brooke Butler kept Trent in the competition. After this Chaplin, Schmitz, Gale and Hopkisson all dealt with the pressure admirably and eventually Trent won 10-9. This was a fantastic effort from a squad full of quality, which worked tirelessly throughout the day. The girls now take their place in the Schools National Finals taking place at Cannock H.C. on Tues/Wed 26/27th February 2013.

Congratulations girls!

Boarders' Achievements Recognised

2012-12-10T00:00:00

In recognition of an excellent term within the Trent College boarding community, we held our first Boarder's Awards assembly on 5th December. The Awards Assembly was held in the Chapel and all 143 boarders, our boarding Housemasters, Mistresses, Assistant Housemasters, Assistant Housemistresses, Matrons and members of our Senior Leadership Team attended.

The evening started with a prayer from Father Whitwell and was followed by a brief summary of the term by Mr Cowie, Deputy Head (Pastoral). He stressed how proud he was of everyone gathered together & the manner in which the community had supported each other in academic studies and in general school life throughout this term. Some of the highpoints were mentioned, such as the Boarders Ball, the Christmas Supper and Dance, the Advent Service, Remembrance Service, Children in Need day and the Boarder's music concert on the evening of Children in Need. What characterised the events was the full participation of the boarding community and the support the boarders provided to each other. This was true within our four boarding houses and across the houses.

It was particularly pleasing to see boarders encouraging students from other Houses to participate, enjoy and excel. This speaks volumes for the boarding staff who set the tone within the houses and deliver the individual care so everyone feels valued and has the confidence to participate and contribute.

The Housemasters/mistresses presented awards to the following boarders for their contribution to their boarding house this term:

Blake House
Hardest Working Boarder	Calvin Lui
For Helping other settle into the House	Richard Sommerville
For Supporting others in their Academic Studies	Josh Wainwright
For Organising House Events	Will Garland
Martin House
Highest Effort Scores	Tilly Murphy
For Helping other settle into the House	Clare Steele
For Supporting International Boarders	Mandy Sze
For Organising House Events	Ellie Frost
Shuker House
Hardest Working Boarder	Dominic Kalantary
For Helping other in the House	Jack Mason
Most improved Academic Endeavour	Brandon Middleton
For Organising House Events	James Bowmer
Bates House
Highest Effort Scores	Victoria Zuza
For Helping other settle into the House	Emma Kok
For Supporting others in their Academic Studies	Victoria Zuza
For Organising House Events	Tori Bate

Mr Shuttleworth Receives Long Service Award!

2012-12-07T00:00:00

Mr Shuttleworth has received a long service award for being active with the Duke of Edinburgh's Award programme at Trent College for over 22 years. His enthusiasm and efficiency has seen the number of students participating and completing the gold award grow over the years. He has overseen and organised all sections of the award at all levels and has also encouraged a much greater involvement among staff and parents to help him run the training and expeditions. Not only do our students enjoy taking part, it also helps add value to their education as it fosters independence, encourages teamwork, leadership and the willingness to learn new skills.

Congratulations Mr Shuttleworth!

Rugby Star Trains With 1st XV

2012-12-05T00:00:00

On Tuesday 4th December, Ben Woods, recently retired Leicester Tigers player, came to Trent College to take a coaching session with our 1st XV Rugby squad.

Graham Walker, uncle to Sixth Former Kate, successfully bid for this opportunity at a Charity Auction for the British Neurological Research Trust, who support the University College of London research programme concerned with stem cell therapy for spinal injury repair.
Our 22 members of the team benefited from training and advice in off-loading through contact skills and conditional games. In addition, Ben gave the boys some tips from the professional game on skills and game understanding.

The session was great timing as the Trent 1st XV are now down to the last 32 teams in the country in the Daily Mail Cup competition, with the next game against Warwick School taking place on 12th December.

As a thank you, the boys have decided to all make personal donations to the Matt Hampson Trust. Matt is a former England and Leicester Tigers player, who was paralysed from the neck down after an accident when practicing with the England U21 team. He has previously visited Trent College and does a huge amount for young people who suffer spinal injuries whilst playing sport.

If you’d like to donate to the Matt Hampson trust, please visit http://www.justgiving.com/matthampsonfoundation.

CCF (RAF) Eastern Area Competition

2012-12-04T00:00:00

Last Sunday, a team of 13 RAF cadets from Trent College CCF took part in the Eastern Area heat of the Air Squadron Trophy Competition at RAF Cranwell, where they competed against 15 other schools. This was the first time that Trent has taken part in the competition and the cadets trained really hard in their own time during lunchtimes, after school and even in half term to ensure they were prepared. There were six elements to the competition; Drill, Shooting, First Aid, Aircraft Recognition, Fitness and Command (Leadership) Task. The Trent team enjoyed themselves and performed consistently well, finishing in fourth place overall. They learned a lot and have their sights set even higher for next year. Well Done!

Jennifer Represents Great Britain!

2012-12-03T00:00:00

Year 11 student Jennifer Pickering has recently returned from Germany after representing Great Britain in Speed Skating. Jennifer started Speed Skating five years ago and since then, has broken four British records and is looking to make it five when she goes to Belgium this month representing Great Britain.

The Junior Programme that Jennifer was involved with took two years to complete and she now trains on and off the ice at Nottingham everyday.
Looking to the future, Jennifer hopes to be involved in the 2016 and 2018 Winter Olympics and is also hopeful to be a part of the Junior World Championships next year.

Jennifer advises that to be successful in a competitive sport you need to stay positive, train hard, stick to your schedule and simply love what you are doing.

A Busy Time for The Music Department

2012-11-30T00:00:00

This weekend marks the start of Advent, the busy period of preparation before Christmas. There is more to it than chocolate calendars, of course: our Schola Cantorum will sing in seven services during the next fortnight, from the beautiful Advent service this Sunday evening to the final carol service on the last evening of term.

Our talented student musicians have already performed in a wide range of very successful events this term. Six concerts have been held in our newly restored Recital Room, including this week’s concert given by the Strings department. As well as virtuosic solos, duets and small ensembles, the concert also featured impressive performances from both of our new string quartets: the Derwent Quartet played the first movement of Mozart’s string quartet number one and the Trent Quartet played the slow movement from Dvorak’s notoriously challenging American Quartet.

Last week’s concert in the May Hall on St Cecilia’s Day was a musical centrepiece of the term. Many of the school’s large ensembles performed, including the Swing Band and Jazz Band, two wind bands, two string orchestras, a percussion ensemble, Schola Cantorum and the Symphony Orchestra. The audience were thrilled by all of the groups, but a breath taking performance of the full orchestral version of Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances by the Symphony Orchestra was particularly memorable.

Amongst all of those carol services to come, there is also one last concert of term. This will be on Thursday next week in the Recital Room, given by Brass Department. As always, everyone is welcome.

Old Tridents Get Gold!

2012-11-29T00:00:00

On Wednesday 14th November, nine former students who are part of our Old Tridents Community collected their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Awards at St James’s Palace in London.

At Trent, a large number of students are enrolled on the D of E programme and many progress through the Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards.
The OT’s that received their Gold awards recently were Ellie Shouls, Rachel Glendening, Anna Wilding, Ashley Walker, Fran Marshall, Harriet Kent, Holly Rainford, Cat Bralesford and Bobby Fishel.

This is the largest group of Trent students at one time who have been called to the Palace.

Bates Girls Cheer on the Nottingham Panthers

2012-11-28T00:00:00

Earlier this month, the girls in Bates House enjoyed a memorable night at the Capital Arena in Nottingham where they supported the Nottingham Panthers in their victory over the Braehead Clan. They received a warm welcome from the team and even got to meet the squad’s Vice President, David Clarke. Tori Bates, Head of Bates House tells us more…

Being a fierce GMB Panthers supporter, I organised a house activity to go to the Capital Arena and watch them in action. We were all really excited and armed with our smoothies, we settled into our seats ready for the game ahead. The Braehead Clan are a tough team so the game was intense, we were cheering our heads off, willing the Panthers to win. At the end of the first period, we were lucky enough visit the VIP section and meet David Clarke – vice Captain. He was lovely, very chatty and open to signatures and photos. By the end of play, it was 4-4 and with 5 minutes extra time, Panthers won 5-4 and the Bates’ girls celebrated and cheered! The atmosphere was phenomenal, we even got a special welcoming mention on the live screen!

We finished the night with burgers and chips at McDonalds, a wonderful, memorable experience was had by all!

Tori Bates Head of Bates House

Where Are They Now: Matt and Harriet

2012-11-27T00:00:00

For the third in our series of ‘where are they now’ features, we catch up with former Trent College pupils Matt Shuttleworth and Harriet Livesey, who are currently working as GAP students at Geelong Grammar School in Melbourne, Australia.

Matt was a pupil at The Elms from Year 1 and Harriet started Trent College in Year 9, where she boarded until leaving last year.

Matt and Harriet were involved in all aspects of Trent life: they were both involved in the Duke of Edinburgh scheme where they achieved their Bronze, Silver, and Gold awards, they took part in the Borneo Expedition in 2011 and Matt was a Corporal in Trent’s Combined Cadet Force, whilst Harriet was a Sergeant.

Both worked really hard to gain an A*, A and B grades at A-Level, and they are now enjoying living away from home and experiencing different ways of life before they start their university studies next year. Matt plans to study Geography at Birmingham University whilst Harriet plans to study an Art at Loughborough University.

Harriet has sometimes found it very hard to be so far away but reports that everyone at Geelong Grammar School is so friendly and the students are great.

Matt reports that it has been an enjoyable challenge being away from home for such a long time. He feels it is helping him gain life skills that will prepare him greatly for going to University and beyond.

Whilst out in Australia, they have both had the exciting opportunity to travel to Cairns and Port Douglas, the Great Barrier Reef, the Rainforest, Cape Tribulation and the Daintree River.

Matt says that his time at Trent helped him to prepare for his GAP Year a great deal, as he gained leadership, life and team skills through captaining the 1st XI hockey team, being a Corporal in CCF and taking part in group expeditions to Mongolia, Borneo and Turkey. Harriet has found that boarding for five years helped her gain independence and experience of living away from home. She also valued the opportunities to go on school trips, such as sports trips to Australia and New Zealand, Holland and Germany and Dubai along with other cultural trips to Russia and an Expedition to Borneo.

We all wish Matt and Harriet all the best for their futures and hope to catch up with them again when they begin their university adventures next year.

Year 12 go back to Nursery!

2012-11-21T00:00:00

Last week, the Year 12 Psychology students visited the Elms nursery and pre-school. This was to enhance their knowledge of Developmental Psychology, in this topic, they study day care for young children and its effects. It was a great opportunity for the students to think about the theories we have studied and to play with the preschool children. For some of the students, it was the first time that they had been in a nursery for many years, or at all! We are very lucky to have this facility on site and special thanks must go to Mrs Green, Mr Hankinson, Mrs Shakespeare, Mrs Ramshall and all of the other staff in the nursery and preschool who welcomed the students so warmly.

RAF Cadets learn a few tricks!

2012-11-20T00:00:00

On Thursday 8th November, the first eight Year 10 RAF Cadets went to Cranwell for their first flight in the Tutor aeroplane. Conditions were perfect and after some safety training, the cadets were kitted out in flying suits, gloves, helmets and sunglasses. They all ‘had control’ of the plane at some time during their 25 minute flight and the luckiest ones got the chance to do some aerobatics.

They experienced ‘G’ force and one intrepid Cadet performed the Pencil Test to prove zero gravity. Everyone had a great time and they cannot wait to try gliding next!

It is anticipated that by the end of the year, all the Year 10 RAF Cadets will have experienced flying at least once.

War of the Words

2012-11-19T00:00:00

On Friday 16th November, Trent College hosted ‘The War of the Words’, a French debating challenge organised by Business Language Champions. In two teams of four, members of our Sixth Form French classes competed against six other independent schools in the East Midlands. The performance of our students was impressive - both teams won their first round debates, but unfortunately lost narrowly in the second round. Ratcliffe College went on to beat Repton School in the Grand Final. Roger Helmer, MEP spoke at the event about the importance of communication skills in the global work place. In addition, there were professional training sessions in public speaking, as well as the opportunity to talk to international business people.

Voces8 Provide an Unforgettable Experience

2012-11-16T00:00:00

Trent College was hit by a force of inspiration this week as we hosted the international award-winning a cappella vocal group Voces8. The day was an unforgettable experience and will last long in the memory of all involved.

In the morning, the group worked with all the pupils of Year 8, leading vocal games and exercises and creating improvised pieces with them. Year 8 ended their session by singing a multi-layered performance of Jessie-J’s Price Tag along with Voces8.

The afternoon session belonged to Schola Cantorum. Voces8 led an extensive vocal training session focusing on derestriction, ensemble and performance skills. Over the course of three hours the change in our students was clear to see. Their performance improved tremendously and their confidence grew as they bonded more strongly as a group.

In the evening, Voces8 gave a breath-taking performance in the May Hall. The entire performance was highly polished and technically flawless, but most of all enormous fun and completely compelling. The programme ranged from renaissance polyphonic church music to the music of Freddie Mercury and Queen. With so many outstanding moments it is difficult to pick individual high points: their rendition of Only You by the Flying Pickets was beautiful; their medley of opera tunes was hilarious; their performances of early classical pieces were so well presented that they became instantly clear and understandable to everyone in the audience.

As a testament to the hard work of our students, and the quality of the afternoon workshop, Voces8 included Schola Cantorum in the concert. Our students performed two pieces themselves, as well as being joined by the members of Voces8 to perform The Bluebird by Charles Stanford together.

Even students who had not been able to make it to the concert had heard how good it was and came along afterwards to see the group who were chatting with the audience and signing autographs.

Emerging Golf Talent

2012-11-15T00:00:00

Over the past month two Trent pupils have achieved National recognition as part of the Junior Golf Programme. Olivia Kelly (left) has built upon her success as part of the England ‘Birdie’ Squad in the past two years with selection for the Midland Region England training squad. This select squad consists of 6 girls, with only 5 of these squads in the country.

Olivia (Year 10) is the Derbyshire U18 Champion and U16 Champion and she has also won the Derbyshire 36 hole Ladies Medal event and the Nottinghamshire Scratch Trophy this year.

She has represented Derbyshire County Juniors in the ‘scratch’ team and has won all but one of her matches this year. At the age of only 14 she has been selected to represent the full Ladies Derbyshire County 1st team at Ladies ‘County Week’ this year.

Harriet Evans (right) has also achieved notable golfing success through selection for the Wales Development Squad. She was one of only three Year 9 girls from across the country to be picked, based on past performance, handicap and technical assessments for the squad. Representative honours are achieved at U18 level, so there is some way to go for Harriet, but she is part of the system and will hopefully achieve national success.

Pia Rose is a Derbyshire Young Achiever 2012

2012-11-14T00:00:00

Year 9 student, Pia Rose is to receive a Derbyshire Young Achievers Award to recognise her extraordinary musical success. Unbeknown to Pia or her parents, she was nominated by Councillor Carol Hart and will receive her award at the awards ceremony on Friday 7th December 2012. The evening will be attended by a 'popular celebrity', street entertainers and the local press.

Pia Rose plays flute, piccolo and piano. She also sings both classical and music theatre songs. In March she gained a distinction and Grade 8 on her flute and next year she is hoping to take her GCSE in music - two years early. Pia Rose is a member of the National Children's Orchestra and has been singing for five years, achieving distinctions at Grade 5 classical and Grade 6 in music theatre".

Last year, Pia Rose received an award for 'Most Promising Musician' at the Nottingham Young Musician of the Year and she won the Year 8 & under Woodwind Solo Class for the last four years at The Derby Arts Festival.

Congratulations Pia Rose, we wish you every success in your future music career!

Congratulations to all Academic Lunch Nominees

2012-11-12T00:00:00

Congratulations to all students who were invited to join staff and other star students at the academic lunches held on the 8th, 15th and 29th October and the 5th and 12th November.

Monday 12th November

Maths L.Hannah (10)
Mod Lang H.Smith (11)
Drama R.Lampon (13)
Mod Lang K.Gillingham (10)
Art L.Adams (11)
Art L.Fessey (10)
Chemistry A.McCulloch (9)
Geography S.Cobb (9)
Bus Studs J.Hill (12)
Bus Studs S.Bender (12)
Economics E.Hopkins (13)

Monday 5th November

Geog K.Boddington (12)
Drama A.McHugh (11)
Economics W.Ojinere (12)
Mod Lang L.Hands (11)
RS P.Forsyth (12)
Art C.Bailey (13)
Maths K.Xu (11)
Chemistry L.Gale (8)
English Y.Chung (7)
Bus St K.Arthur (11)
Class Civ L.Mounteney (8)

Monday 29th October

English P.Marshall (12)
Politics S.Okonkwo (13)
Art T.Dunn (11)
Physics U.Ashan (10)
Chemistry Z.Chaplin (9)
Maths R.Nash (11)
Psychology P.Karastoyanova (12)
Geography K.Boddington (12)
Bus Studs H.Jackson (13)
RS A.Birch (13)
Drama A.McHugh (11)

Monday 15th October

Bus. St. J.Dunn (13)
Chemistry H.Evans (9)
Latin R.King (8)
Psychology V.Zusa (12)
Art Z.Buckberry (12)
English E.Morley (7)
Drama A.Khan (7)
Physics J.Gan (10)
Geog H.Dilks (12)
RS A.Broughton (13)
Biology W.Freestone (13)

Monday 8th October

English C.Deane (12)
GD Drama J.Doddy (10)
PDK Geog J.Sproson (12)
CS Psychology K.Walker (13)
DB Biology S.Lilley (13)
SH Bus St D.Kalantary (11)
Physics S.Apoola (10)
Art T.Murphy (13)
RS I.Ishraq (10)
D&T J.Divine (10)
Politics A.Harrison (13)

A Successful Term for Trent Rugby

2012-11-09T00:00:00

Trent rugby hit the ground running this term with the success of the 1st XV rubbing off on many of the teams lower down throughout the school. At 1st XV level, four confidence boosting victories laid the platform for what turned out to be the 1st XV’s finest performance of the season to date against a well-respected Uppingham team in the Daily Mail Cup. The fixture showcased the very best talent; school boy rugby has to offer with notable performances coming from forwards Nick Gray (Scotland U17), James Fish (England U16) and Will Allman (Leicester Tigers EPDG). In the backs, Max Johnson (Northampton Saints) controlled the game perfectly at scrum half with Joe Livesey and Jacob Heath adding the cutting edge to a fine team performance, the scoreboard 34-03 in Trent College’s favour as the final whistle blew.

The prize for this victory was an away trip to Nottingham High School on a cold and wet Tuesday afternoon. With the game on a knife edge, Trent College managed to hold on to a narrow lead to win 15-11. Man of the Match Ryan Tomlin produced his finest game of the season and looked a constant threat in attack as did William Johnson who beat off a number of defenders to score a superb individual try.

Lower down the school, the U15A/B/C teams are also enjoying a fine season of rugby with one of the high points being the half term tour to Cardiff alongside the U13’s. Touring offers a great opportunity to visit new places, play against new teams and form new friendships. Adding to this, both teams did themselves proud with victories on a muddy Welsh rugby field and not too many Englishmen can lay claim to this accolade!

Wednesday afternoon Sport for Years 7 and 8 have remained a hive of activity with a host of fixtures and inter team competitions to suit all levels and abilities. Notable performances coming from the U12C team against St Anslems in their first ever game for Trent College and also from the U12A and U12B squads who triumphed over Oakham in two evenly contested fixtures.

As the season draws closer to the Christmas break the pace of rugby at Trent College continues relentlessly with up to sixteen teams being fielded throughout the week that incorporate players of all different ages and ability.

Rugby at Trent College remains the place for the 1st XV school boy international right through to the Year 7 boy in the C team experiencing the thrill of his first ever competitive game of rugby and long may it continue.

Bates House Halloween Celebrations

2012-11-08T00:00:00

The girls in Bates House enjoyed an array of spooky activities to celebrate All Hallows Eve last week. Games included eating doughnuts from a string draped across the common room - all participants were blind-folded with their hands behind their back. Next came the traditional apple bobbing and everybody got very wet trying, only managing to 'bob' 7 apples!
The final game was a Bates tradition – a chocolate eating twist involving eating a frozen bar of chocolate blindfolded using a knife and fork! .

The Bates girls love to get involved and dive into any challenge with a healthy level of competitiveness.

The house was roaring with laughter and there was chocolate everywhere!

Overall they all had a great night and munched on some fabulous treats!

Where is Ella Now?

2012-11-07T00:00:00

For the second in our series of ‘where are they now’ features, we catch up with former Elms and Trent College pupil Ella Holloway.

Ella was a pupil at the Elms from Year 1 so was therefore part of the Trent College community for most of her life. She always fully immersed herself in school life at The Elms both academically and through Music, Drama and Sport which she says really helped her prepare for life at Trent College.

Ella continued to be involved in all that Trent had to offer her; she was heavily involved in the Duke of Edinburgh programme where she gained her Bronze, Silver, and Gold awards, she took part in the Borneo Expedition in 2011 and many other trips including those to Australia, New Zealand, Germany and Holland. Ella also boarded from Year 9 until she finished her schooling here last year.

After gaining a strong set of A level results, 2 A’s and a B, Ella is currently having a GAP Year working in Wychwood School in Oxford to gain valuable experience in preparation for her chosen career path as a teacher. And if she wasn’t busy enough, Ella is also working as a lifeguard at a leisure centre in Oxford. She has secured her place at Durham University to study Geography and Education Studies and will begin her course in September.

Ella reports that she has continued with her enthusiasm and willingness to get involved. As a keen hockey player during her time at Trent she is now playing for Oxford Hawks Hockey Club and coaching students both at the club and the school where she is working. She hopes this will all contribute towards her experience needed to become a teacher.

Ella has many fond memories of her time at Trent but notes that the ‘opportunity to get involved as much as possible’ and ‘being able to give back to the community in her last year’ were some of the best things about being a Trent College student. She also added “I miss Trent but I value all that it has taught me, especially how to manage a large workload whilst still being able to have lots of fun!”

Inspired by all the travelling she experienced during her time at Trent and having gained a strong sense of adventure through her D of E explorations, Ella also plans to go to India in March before packing her bags and starting university in Durham next year. We all wish Ella the best for her future and hope to catch up with her again after she starts her university studies.

Latin Students Experience Roman Britain

2012-11-05T00:00:00

At the end of the half term, 17 of our pupils who make up the Year 9 Latin group paid a visit to the Roman Baths Museum in Bath. The museum houses the best example of a Roman bath house to be found in Britain and includes the much-photographed Main Bath with its unmistakable green-tinted, hot and steamy natural spring water. The site was originally the centre of a local healing cult which incorporated use of the warm spring waters in the worship of the goddess Sulis. As the Romans occupied our island traditional cults were merged with new Roman beliefs, and Sulis now became Sulis Minerva. The town of Aquae Sulis (The Waters of Sulis) expanded into a major centre of worship alongside healing. The Museum houses many artifacts from the area, and our pupils had a fantastic, and rare, opportunity to see for themselves the very objects which are pictured in their textbook and which form the basis of our discussion and stories in the classroom.

Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme is Growing

2012-11-02T00:00:00

Over half term, 90 students set out on practice expeditions as part of their Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh Awards. 60 pupils from Year 11 with a Silver Award in sight and 50 pupils from Year 10 aiming to get Bronze Awards ventured into the depths of the Derbyshire Peak District in preparation for their full expedition next year.

Mrs Dixon added, 'The Trent Duke of Edinburgh Scheme over recent years has burgeoned, with very large numbers of our students now involved in the Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards. My Congratulations to all those who completed their training expeditions over the half term break'.

We also have three students who have recently gained their gold awards. Congratulations to Emma Duxon, Katy Trinick and Hannah Jackson. They will be invited to a Derbyshire presentation at County Hall, Matlock and after Christmas, they will travel to St James’s Palace in London for the official Gold Award Presentation, perhaps with the Duke himself.

Trent now has over 200 students taking part in the scheme encouraging community service, independence and leadership adding tremendous value to their extracurricular portfolio.

Good luck to all students taking part in the scheme!

Hockey Success for Trent Students!

2012-11-02T00:00:00

Chris Proctor, Year 13 has recently returned to school after playing in the European Hockey League (EHL) with club side Beeston H.C. Beeston beat Polish champions Grunwald Poznan 6-0 before playing Amsterdam in their second group game. Beeston eventually won an epic encounter 5-4 beating an Amsterdam team full of senior internationals including 5 Olympic silver medallists from London 2012. Beeston will now play in the knock-out stages of the tournament in April.

Chris is one of many Trent pupils who play club hockey at Beeston and this link along with ties to other local clubs allows pupils to learn the latest skills of the game from some of the top coaches in the country.

Head of Hockey, Mark Wadsley, also playing for Beeston in the EHL and who scored the winning goal against Amsterdam commented on the achievement:

“It is great to play with Chris at this level, he is technically good enough and therefore deserved his selection. Playing against the top players in the world will only make him better. It is great to see him rise from the juniors into the 1st XI squad so quickly!”

Chris, who played for the under 18 England Hockey Team last year also hopes to be selected again this year following an unfortunate foot injury he sustained whilst playing for Beeston.

Four other Trent Students, Sophie Byrne in Year 10, Livvie Hopkisson and Yiannos Kozakis in Year 11 and Josh Pavis, in Year 9 have also begun their campaign to join the under 16 England Hockey Teams.

Sophie, Livvie and Yiannos have all been selected to play in the U16 Futures Cup teams. Players who compete in The Futures Cup Tournament are also trialled for the England squad. Josh Pavis will be playing in the U15 HIPAC tournament and also has the chance to be selected for the Under 16 England squad.

Good luck to all of our hockey stars and congratulations on your success so far.

Geographers Venture to Malham

2012-11-01T00:00:00

On a dreary Monday morning 27 A2 geographers and Miss Bletsoe-Brown, Mr Marriott, Mrs Harris and Mr Shuttleworth began the journey up to Malham for their 3 day residential trip in preparation for their A2 skills exam. As they headed nearer to the destination of the Field studies Centre, surrounded by undulating hills, limestone pavements and the mightily impressive Malham Cove, the clouds left to reveal glorious sunshine. On the first afternoon, the students went into the grounds of the field centre to investigate the differing characteristics between two areas of a temperate deciduous woodland. The students recorded data such as height of tree, trunk circumference, depth and PH of soil and light intensity to return to the classroom and compile a scale drawing and reasons for the differences they had found in the field.

Mr Shuttleworth wasted no time in surveying the area and gave an impromptu “hands on” lesson on lithosere succession using a rock which hosted lichens, mosses, small plants and even a tree!

On the Tuesday the students followed the enquiry process from aim and hypothesis through to conclusion and evaluation studying succession in a hydrosere. They donned their wellies and headed out onto Malham Peat Bog to collect data on species abundance and richness and soil PH. The weather didn’t dampen spirits as they broke the usual Trent curse of heavy rain and enjoyed another beautiful day. The students worked hard in the evening as they compiled, presented, analysed and evaluated their data and investigation – they were working so hard, that they even missed the local sighting of the Northern Lights!!

On the final morning, the students walked from the centre to Malham Cove taking in the amazing scenery and learning a little more about the geology of the area. This included the sink holes which never fail to amaze students as the water disappears below the ground and into underwater caverns and also the yearly re-enactments of Harry Potter as they crossed the limestone pavements, that the area is so well known for.

Overall the group had a brilliant 3 days, the students were a real credit to themselves and the school and made it a pleasure for the teachers who accompanied and worked with them.

Drum Legend Pete Brings the Beat Back to Trent College

2012-10-31T00:00:00

Old Trident and British drumming legend, Pete York, brought his own beat back to Trent as he jammed with current students during a reunion event held at the school earlier this month.

Pete, a member of the Spencer Davis Group and Eric Clapton's Powerhouse and who founded the Superdrumming series was joined by a number of students to perform, in front of an OT audience, some of his biggest hits including Keep on Running and I'm A Man in Trent’s newly-refurbished music school.

A member of Trent’s Jazz Club, School Orchestra and Combined Cadet Force Band in his schooldays before finding drumming fame, Pete attended the reunion event with friend and television producer, Michael Maschke, who is currently making a documentary about the drummer’s life to celebrate his 70th birthday this year.

Year 13 guitarist, Kasper Sandstrom, played with Pete throughout his drumming session while year 11school band The Irish Chemists, aptly named after their Chemistry teacher Mr McKenna, also picked up their instruments during the informal musical session.

The Trent College ‘60s Reunion was an all-day event welcoming more than 160 former pupils (Old Tridents), spanning four decades, their guests and staff past and present back to the school.

Pete said: “I thoroughly enjoyed myself being back at Trent College. It is great as an Old Trident to return to the school nearly 50 years after leaving, meet today’s students and hopefully give them some inspiration as to what they can achieve.

“The facilities here are fantastic and the years at Trent offer a great opportunity to budding musicians. I would welcome the opportunity to return to the school and offer expertise, advice or just enjoy another jamming session!”

The reunion included a Chapel service, with an impromptu Old Tridents (OT) choir and violin recital by year 11 student, Oscar Sinfield, with one OT bringing along the music and words to the ‘Trent College School Song’, sung by students back in the day! The event concluded with evening supper hosted by Gill Dixon, Head of Trent College.

For more information about the Old Tridents’s Society please contact Jo Slater.

Madi Jumps Straight in!

2012-10-29T00:00:00

Former student and Head of School Madeleine Smith, updates us on her new life as a fresher at The University of Edinburgh. This is the first in a series of…. ‘Where are they now’ features, focusing on our most recent leavers.

Madeline has been part of the Trent College community since she began her journey with us at The Elms in Year 3 and during her time here she excelled in both her academic studies and her involvement in the whole community.

Not surprisingly, Madi has taken her enthusiasm and motivation with her to university and she has already got stuck into her studies. She tells us, ‘I’ve completed two essays which contribute towards my final grade. It’s very different at Uni as all of the work you have to complete is independent’.

She has also been expanding her studies by studying Linguistics and Sociology alongside her English Literature degree course. As well as being proactive with her work load she has also started to integrate herself into some extracurricular activities. She says, ‘I’ve been really enjoying my time at Uni in Edinburgh and have been getting involved straight from the start, especially with sports including hockey and writing for the student newspaper. But, the variety of opportunities available to all at Trent is not replicated fully so I would definitely urge everyone to get as stuck in as possible whilst still at school'.

Madeleine was also a boarder here at Trent and reports on how grateful she was for the experience boarding gave her as it prepared her for living life away at University. ‘Boarding at Trent prepared me for staying in Halls at Uni. I still find it quite difficult being away as I miss my family lots but am a lot more comfortable than some of my peers after having experienced living away from home in the past’

Madeleine left Trent having gained two A* and one A grade in her A levels and it is great to hear that she is enjoying herself and settling into her university studies. We look forward to seeing her in the New Year when she returns to talk to our current A level students.

Swim Star Awarded Young Sportsman of the Year

2012-10-26T00:00:00

Congratulations to Oliver Davidson, awarded The Erewash Young Sportsman of the Year for the following array of achievements this year.

Age Group National Championships in 100 Freestyle and 100 Individual Medley Relay at Ponds Forge, Sheffield
Midland Age Group Championships, having qualified for all events
Won County (14 year old) Championships for third year with 10 Gold, 4 Silver and 2 Bronze medals and Under 16 County Cup for 200m Backstroke
Selected to attend the ASA England Talent Development Program;1 of only 21 places for 2012/2013
Awarded Full County Colours for representing Derbyshire in the Inter-county Galas

Oliver trains with Derventio eXcel, the Derbyshire performance squad, which has only 37 members and swims for Long Eaton Swimming Club. He trains 9 times a week, clocking up 20 hours and 60,000m in the pool. This is mainly early mornings before school at 5.30 am to 7.30am.

Oliver was Invited to compete for Derbyshire at the National County Team Swimming Championships in Sheffield where he swam in the relay event and individual 100m Backstroke. He was also awarded his Full county Colours for his achievement. (Derbyshire only swim as a County once a year at the National Championships).

In November last year, he took part in the County 50m Sprint Championships and won 2 Gold, one Silver and one Bronze medal in the 4 available races.

Well done Oliver!

Harvest 2012 at Trent

2012-10-23T00:00:00

‘Come, ye thankful people, come'

With over two hundred parents, pupils and staff present on Sunday, 14th October so Trent College gathered to celebrate our annual Harvest Thanksgiving service giving thanks to God for all the many good and wonderful gifts that we daily receive, especially the gift of creation and life in all of its fullness.

The Reverend Philip Waller preached a reflective sermon about sufficiency and communal interdependence in a world where the rich are called to help the poor. As the Joint Project Manager of the Long Eaton & Sawley Foodbank, the Reverend Waller promoted the need for local people to care for their neighbours, especially those who struggle to pay for food throughout the year.

The newly formed Schola Cantorum sang a most tender setting of For the Beauty of the Earth with music by John Rutter. The Head of School, Will Moon and Governor, Mrs. Gregory also participated in the service which was followed by a wonderful reception for parents in The Fenn.

There was much joyful and hearty singing of well-loved harvest hymns and the Head of the Boarding Houses read biblical readings and poems as well prayers, alongside the Housemasters and Housemistresses who each offered various harvest gifts on behalf of the whole congregation.

Many sincere thanks to all the pupils who generously gave many harvest foodstuffs and toiletry items for the charitable work of The Canaan Trust, The Padley Centre and Long Eaton & Sawley Foodbank. A retiring collection was also made for the College’s charitable support of schools in Kenya.

Thank you for a brilliant Harvest Thanksgiving.

All good gifts around us

are sent from heaven above;

then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord,

for all His love.

Fr. Whitwell (Chaplain)

Year 8 Student Climbs Europe's Highest Mountain

2012-10-17T00:00:00

Mont Blanc (4800m) on the French-Italian border was long considered the highest mountain in Europe, and in any case is only beaten by mountains like Mount Elbrus (5600m) on the European-Asian frontier.

Pierre Mills in Year 8 climbed Mont Blanc with three others on 12^th August 2012. He climbed from 2000m-3100m and stayed in a mountain hut overnight before scrambling up 700 steep metres of rock to the final mountain hut at 3800m. On the third day, he got up at 2am, roped up and climbed the last 1000m in just 3.5 hours with crampons and ice axe to reach the summit at dawn. It was extremely cold and windy. Removing gloves for even a minute meant risking frost bite.

The team then descended the mountain right back down to 2000m with all the gear. The final 1000m up and the 3000m descent took 14 hours of hard graft.

Training had involved acclimatisation by camping in the snow for several nights at 3400m, climbing the neighbouring Mont Blanc du Tacul (4200m), and practising with crampons, ice axe and rope on glaciers and on narrow exposed ridges of rock and ice.

The next youngest person climbing Mont Blanc that day was 18 and he was also on our team. The majority of the 60 or so climbers summiting that day were experienced adults.

Well done Pierre, what a fantastic achievement at such a young age!

A Busy Term for the Music Department

2012-10-15T00:00:00

It has been a busy term so far for the Music Department at Trent College with an array of different events taking place.

Following on from the success of our Piano Department concert, our second concert of the term was the Vocal Department concert which took place on the 2nd October. It was now the turn of singers to take to the stage. Once again the Recital Room was full to brimming and the audience had enjoyed refreshments in the foyer area before the concert began.

The youngest performers were from Year 7, and whether as soloists or in one of the groups, they performed on the same platform as their older role models. After some enchanting performances of solo songs and songs from well-known musicals, some of our sixth-formers presented beautifully realised performances of Italian operatic arias.

Our open choir, the Chorus, began the programme with a lively performance in three-part harmony of the traditional South African song Freedom is Coming. Mrs Grange’s Vocal Ensemble performed Any Dream Will Do by Lloyd-Webber, and in their first concert performance, Schola Cantorum concluded the evening with a four-part arrangement of You’ve Got a Friend in Me from Toy Story.

For our next event of the term, we welcomed musicians from the Corps of Army Music who made their first of two visits to Trent College on 9th October. This time it was the turn of the Minden Band, who brought a Wind Quintet and a Brass Quintet to work with our students. It was a little daunting at first for our students to be met by a group of uniformed military personnel, but as soon as they realised that they were all musicians with the same interests everybody got along very well indeed.

All the students enjoyed the day and appreciated the great experience of playing as part of an ensemble of such quality. The brass players had not played together as a chamber group before and through hard work and musicality they blended to form an effective outfit during the course of the workshops.

The newly formed Trent College Wind Quintet particularly welcomed the chance to develop their ensemble skills alongside professional musicians before their first performance in Derby Cathedral the next evening.

Following on from the workshop with the Minden Band from the Corps of Army Music, our Wind Quintet performed in their first concert the following day. Derby Cathedral was holding its annual concert to celebrate the work of the Padley Homeless Centre in Derby and we were invited to take part alongside several local schools.

The quintet performed Dream City by Sir Malcolm Arnold: a thought-provoking piece which combines some lyrical lines with challenging harmonies, encouraging the audience to consider how beauty and difficulty exist side-by-side.

On the whole, the first half of term has been extremely busy for the Music Department and we look forward to more inspiring and exciting events due to take place after half term.

Geography Students Learn Outdoors

2012-10-12T00:00:00

On a bright and very early September morning, 65 Year 11 Geographers and 5 members of staff travelled to the Holderness Coast in support of the GCSE Coastal Zone topic. After a long, but comfortable coach journey we arrived at our first stop, North Landing Beach, Flamborough Head. The aim here was to see first-hand the erosive power of the sea and the resultant land forms. We were lucky that the tide was out, allowing us to walk on wave cut platforms, explore sea caves and get up close and personal with bedding planes. A short journey down the coast to Flamborough Lighthouse gave the opportunity to appreciate the scale of arches and the resultant stacks and stumps. A chance sighting of a pod of seals in the sea below was a real treat! Our next port of call was the coastal town of Hornsea. Here our focus was on sea walls, groynes and rock armour which are the coast defences which protect the seaside resort from being washed into the sea. After refuelling with some well-deserved fish and chips, we headed to our final destination Mappleton. Here the pupils were able to see the knock-on effects of the coastal defences to the north and gets hands on with geology of the area. We were very lucky to have a fantastic day weather wise and not only did the pupils leave with a series of photos to add to their notes, but also a much deeper understanding of the material that had been covered in the classroom.

Nuffield Science Bursaries

2012-10-11T00:00:00

The Science Departments at Trent encourage pupils to develop their understanding of scientific principles through independent research projects outside their normal curriculum time to ensure they have the competitive edge when putting forth their university applications. The Nuffield Foundation offer up to 1000 Science Bursaries nationwide for Year 12 to work alongside practicing scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians. The scheme has been taken up for the first time by the Biology department at Trent College, and Sixth Form pupils who show real flair for the biological sciences are invited to apply for a Nuffield Foundation Bursary that will enable them to become more involved in real, novel innovative research within a leading university research laboratory.

Successful pupils carry out their own individual research project over a period of four to six weeks during the summer vacation. During this time they are exposed to novel concepts whilst performing exciting experiments using state of the art equipment. On completion of their project work, the students write a project report and construct a poster that summarises their work and conclusions. The work of the first Nuffield Foundation Bursary winners can be found on the walls within the Biology department.

Last summer, Sophie Lilley and William Freestone, carried out four to five weeks of innovative research within the science laboratories of the University of Nottingham. Sophie’s project looked at how phosphate concentration affects root growth in Arabidopsis and wheat varieties, while William looked at comparing diagnostic techniques for detecting phytoplasma diseases in plants.

Sophie recalls “The Nuffield Bursary and the consequent CREST award has proven to be invaluable; right from the beginning I was thrown in at the deep end of PhD level science and expected to swim. It has been an unforgettable experience from pipetting minute Arabidopsis seeds on to hundreds of agar plates, to analysing the root phenotypes of wheat varieties. I have thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the four weeks I spent at Nottingham University; it allowed me to gain experience which has allowed me to stand out from the crowd on my UCAS statement, and it has confirmed my choice of degree, which is priceless.”

William says “The placement was an extremely valuable experience for me; it allowed me to learn new scientific methods and hone the skills that I already had. It has helped me decide what I want to do at university, and has aided me greatly in writing my personal statement. Not only did it help me academically, but I believe it has helped improve my communication skills and time management. Overall it was a great opportunity that I would recommend to future students interested in doing a placement.”

On Tuesday 24th September Sophie and William took part in the Nuffield Bursary Celebration event, held this year at the University of Loughborough. During the afternoon they had the opportunity to talk knowledgeably about their work when they were assessed for their Gold CREST Award. The CREST award scheme is a nationwide scheme which gives formal recognition to students for their hard work and creativity in STEM subjects. Sophie and William will have to wait a couple of weeks before they know if they have been successful in achieving a coveted Gold CREST Award.

Sophie, William and Trent College would like to express thanks to Professors Matt Dickenson and Malcolm Bennett for providing placements, and to their technicians and PhD students who helped Sophie and William gain so much from their work.

‘STOP PRESS’

SOPHIE LILLEY has been awarded a GOLD CREST AWARD for her project on the effect phosphate concentration on root growth in Arabidopsis and wheat varieties. After a recommendation from her reviewer at the Nuffield Bursary celebration event, Sophie has entered her work for the BIG BANG (UK Young Scientists and Engineers Fair) to be held in London in March 2013.

Trent Students Attend ‘Study Abroad’ Event

2012-10-10T00:00:00

A group of students and staff recently attended the Student World Fair in Manchester, eager to find out about the global opportunities in Higher Education. There is an ever-growing trend for UK students to pursue their post-A level education abroad, and the International Student Fair gave our students the chance to talk to admissions staff from Australasia, the Far East, the USA and European universities – all under one roof!

The advantages of studying abroad can be academic and personal as well as financial. Total immersion in a different culture teaches a higher level of independence and maturity, whilst offering the exciting prospect of becoming truly international in one’s outlook. Entry requirements to international universities are often lower than in the UK, and there are often favourable comparisons to be made in terms of work placements, contact time and class sizes. Tuition fees overseas are often cheaper and sometimes free, and a further advantage can be a lower demand (and therefore higher acceptance rate) for notoriously over-subscribed courses like Medicine, Veterinary Studies, and Dentistry.

Students were also able to find out about important factors such as the reputation and ranking of international universities compared to their UK counterparts, as well as how a degree from such a university would be viewed in today’s job market. Trent’s Head of Careers and Entry to HE, Mark Field, commented; ‘We were delighted to give students the opportunity to explore global HE opportunities, and this event was perfect for gathering information about all aspects of an international application.’

Year 12 student Callum Bates was particularly interested in the US universities represented, and commented; ‘This was a really worthwhile day which enabled me to research my international university options.’ Will Rimington (also year 12), who was more drawn to the institutions from the Netherlands, added; ‘This has opened more doors for me and given me a global perspective on university choices.’

Head of Sixth Form, Lucy Matthews, commented; ‘At Trent we are committed to providing every student with a thorough preparation for life. In the Sixth Form this can be about the post-A level choices to be made, and with the HE picture being more exciting and varied than ever, we will ensure that our leavers are fully equipped to explore every opportunity open to them.’

DON'T FORGET: Trent College Community Golf Day

2012-10-09T00:00:00

On Sunday 14th October we will be hosting the annual Trent College Community Golf Day at Horsley Lodge with the kind permission of Richard Salt, an OT, who is the Director of the Club. Pupils, Parents (past and present) and OT’s are all warmly invited to participate.

It was a highly successful competition last year with many competitors of all ages and genders. It gave everyone a chance meet new people and compete against other members of the Trent College Community.

Horsley Lodge Golf Club has a wonderful course, often hailed as one of midland’s top golf courses and recently ranked Number 1 in the HSBC course rankings for Derbyshire as well as being a Midland EGU Qualifying course.

It promises to be a fantastic event and will be run on a Stapleford scoring format, with three or four ball pairings. Tee-off times will begin at 1pm. There is the possibility of having food at the Club if you so wish, there is usually a Soup and Sandwich lunch or after match Dinner.

Please register your interest, with Handicap, if you haven't already done so through to Adam Benstead (Director of Sport) adam.benstead@trentcollege.net or telephone 0115 849 4954.

Year 8's Explore Upper Burbage Bridge

2012-10-08T00:00:00

On Field Day, 105 Year 8 students travelled to Upper Burbage Bridge to undertake some hydrology fieldwork and a conservation project in the Peak District National Park.

As the sun shone, the students had great fun and got stuck into the fieldwork measuring the width, depth, bedload and speed of the river. Due to the heavy rain earlier in the week, many misjudged the depth and there were shrieks of laughter as the water filled their wellies.

Many learnt how important team work could be as data sheets were retrieved with metre sticks from the rivers and dog biscuits chased downstream by staff and students in a bid to measure speed. This was an extremely valuable exercise as it related back to what the students have been learning in their Geography lessons.

In the second half of the day, students undertook a sweep of the forest picking up litter and helping rangers clean up the National Park. The students were absolutely fabulous and worked hard together to top the mountain of rubbish collected by last year’s Year 8's. The National Park was extremely grateful for all their efforts and our students were an absolute credit to Trent College.

A great day was enjoyed by all and the trip was a huge success as the students can now use the theory they have learnt on the trip in class over the coming weeks.

The first project that the students will be working on is using the data they collected on Field Day in their Geography lessons to complete an enquiry on river hydrology.

British Racing Driver Finds his Pole Position at Trent

2012-10-05T00:00:00

Currently competing in the 2012 European Le Mans Series, JMW Motorsport’s racing driver James Walker this week took time out of his busy schedule to visit his old school and give an inspirational talk to Trent Sixth Form students, provoking thought and discussion as to their own career choices.

James, who in recent weeks was crowned European Champion, is originally from Jersey. He boarded at Trent College during 1999-2001 to study for his A Levels and it was during this time he found the courage to seek out his dream career to become a British Racing Driver, having no previous experience.

Speaking to a packed lecture theatre, James gave some great advice to students, encouraging them to embrace these final years at Trent. “My two years at Trent were the most important" James told students “Trent offered me the opportunity to study, whilst at the

same time pursuing my dream job, so the chance to come back today and tell my story and

pass on my techniques for achieving success to you all is really exciting”. years of my life so far. They played a key part in my future, dictating where my career started”.

His final words to students, quoting Winston Churchill were “Find a job you love, and you will never work again”.

Field Day is a Resounding Success!

2012-10-04T00:00:00

On Friday 28th September, all of the students from Trent College took part in a variety of different activities for ‘Field Day’, a day in which the whole school comes together to support our local community.

Our Year 10’s were the first ones to start off their Field Day experience as they left school on Thursday afternoon in their CCF kit for an overnight training exercise at Swynnerton Army Barracks to learn some vital team building skills and experience the great outdoors!

Friday morning saw the opening of our very own Macmillan Café, which ran throughout the day to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.
Pupils from Year 9 were involved in making the café a huge success by baking cakes and acting as waiters and waitresses throughout the day.

Daniel Harper, a Year 9 pupil said;
‘I had to wear a yellow apron to represent Macmillan Cancer Support, which the money for the cakes was raised for. There were quite a few people from in and out of Trent College who paid a visit to the coffee shop. It was nice to be a part of this activity and I felt really good knowing all the money was going to charity’

Year 9 pupils were also involved in other activities throughout the day including Gardening, Deaf Awareness and Art.

John Dilks, also a Year 9 pupil, said;
‘The Deaf Awareness activity was great fun, and the people who came in were from the Royal School for the Deaf. They were excellent. In the 1 ½ hours that we spent with them, I learnt a lot of different signs. First of all we learnt how to say hello and greet the other person. After that we learnt the alphabet and how to sign our names.’

Our Year 7’s were rehearsing throughout the day in preparation for a concert to their grandparents in the afternoon.
There were a number of different acts in the concert including the Year 7 choir, solo performances, Drama and Dance performances and a very special performance of ‘Sing’ by our Music Scholars.
The grandparents of our Year 7 pupils really enjoyed themselves and see huge potential in the future for our young performers!

We also had some special visitors to Trent College in the morning who came and had a look around our campus and enjoyed our facilities.
Pupils from Year 10 through to Year 12 greeted pupils with disabilities from local schools and toured them around our campus. They all enjoyed playing the drums and other musical instruments in our recital room. They ended their visit by joining students for a delicious lunch in our Prince Obolensky Building.

On the whole, Field Day was a resounding success and all of the pupils felt like they had taken part in something very rewarding to give back to our local community.

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Presentations

2012-10-03T00:00:00

Ten students travelled to Matlock on the evening of Friday 21st September to receive their D of E certificates and badges at a Derbyshire award group presentation. Rohan Desai, who left in July, collected his Gold badge and will soon be invited to a national Gold Award Presentation at St James’s Palace in London to receive his certificate, possible from the Duke himself. Keira Boddington and Lizzy Gibney got their Silver certificates, while Nicola Hodson, Sophia Lewyckyj, Shannon Hamilton, Dominic Kalantary, Yiannos Kozakis, Laura Pritchett and Harriet Manson were presented with Bronze certificates. Congratulations to all those present, and also to those who were invited but could not make it on this occasion.

The ceremony included some words of welcome from Ian Price (DCC Head of Sport, Outdoor and Residential Education) and the awards were given by the Chairman of Derbyshire County Council, Councillor George Wharmby. The audience was also treated to an entertaining and inspiring speech by Nigel Vardy, a well-known mountaineer who has lost all his fingers and toes to frostbite pursuing his passion for expeditions, but who refuses to let this stop him from continuing to go out into the mountains.

There is another presentation due in November and it is likely that there will be plenty of Trent students invited along to get their awards.

Dreieichschule Student Exchange Programme

2012-10-02T00:00:00

Our friends from Dreieichschule in Langen, Germany visited Trent for their fifth visit on the 20^th September 2012 and the partnership is as strong as ever. After having welcomed Friesland School into the exchange last year, they have enjoyed their second year of being co-hosts to our German counterparts.

The students and teachers from Dreieichschule stayed for an action-packed week, and despite the weather, a fantastic time was had by all! After a short flight to Birmingham, the German students were picked up and brought to their respective hosts to meet their exchange partners, before going to their partners’ homes for some British hospitality. The following day, the students got the chance to experience a busy school day at Trent, before meeting the Mayor at Long Eaton Town Hall.

Whilst our students were working hard in school on Saturday morning, the German students went to Derby for a bit of retail therapy in the Westfield Centre. In the afternoon, they supported their new friends on the sports fields. Sunday was spent with the host families, who had planned various excursions and trips for them.

Monday saw the rain fall, but it did not dampen our spirits! It just added to the drama – as today was the Drama Experience Day hosted by Friesland School. The students worked in groups at Friesland to write and direct a ghost story, before getting the coach to Newstead Abbey for the filming. The rain certainly helped the moody atmosphere around the vicinity.

The next day was a day for thrill-seeking as Alton Towers was the destination. Once again, despite the rain, all had a great time! On Wednesday morning, the Dreieichschule students were treated to a tour of Nottingham Castle and Caves where they were mesmerised by the bloody history of England. In the afternoon, Trent hosted an afternoon tea party for everyone involved, before watching the videos of the ghost stories from two days ago.

As always, the Trent students were excellent ambassadors for the school.

Macmillan Café a huge success!

2012-10-01T00:00:00

Last Friday, we held our Macmillan Café in The May Hall, which turned out to be a huge success. We raised over £560 on the day, which will be donated to Macmillan Cancer Support who improve the lives of many people who are affected by cancer.

People from inside and outside Trent College donated lots of delicious cakes and biscuits that were sold alongside tea and coffee during the day.

Year 9 waiters and waitresses were also on hand to serve the Trent College community, alongside members of the public, who came along to support such a worthwhile cause.

Thanks to all who got involved throughout the day!

Secret Millionaire Inspires Students

2012-09-28T00:00:00

Last week, we welcomed Mr Karl Hopkins to visit Trent to speak to our Sixth Form as part of the Whole School Programme, an enrichment programme to broaden the horizons of our students.

Mr Hopkins, who sold his own marketing agency in 2007 and has recently appeared on Channel 4’s ‘Secret Millionaire’, gave the students an insight on what it is like to run a business and to network with people in different industries.

The students found the talk exciting and inspirational. They learnt a great deal, including some interesting advice about setting goals, becoming invaluable as an entrepreneur and how to market a product in a competitive industry.

Over the next few weeks, we look forward to welcoming more fascinating speakers to speak to our students including Andy Cope, Rob Lilwall and Sir Paul Smith.

Trent Piano Department Concert Success

2012-09-27T00:00:00

Although we are in only the second full week of term, the first in a full schedule of musical events took place last week in front of a capacity audience. The Piano Department Concert was a first in other ways too. It was the first time that the newly restored Recital Room had been used since it was returned to its original purpose. The room is an attractive space which provided the perfect setting for this event. Pianists and audience alike found it to be a very rewarding acoustic for music.

The concert was also the first to be offered by an instrumental department at Trent College. This new format means that musicians from Year 7 through to the Sixth Form all perform in the same programme. Relative beginners are able to draw inspiration from their more experienced colleagues.

The programme included a wide range of solos and duets, with many highlights including the Boogie-Woogie duet The Cat’s Whiskers, a Shostakovich Waltz and Debussy’s Clair de Lune.

Come and visit our Macmillan Café!

2012-09-24T00:00:00

On Friday 28th September, as part of Field Day, students from Year 9 are running a Macmillan Café in aid of cancer support. This is part of the national Macmillan coffee morning project.

Macmillan Cancer Support improves the lives of so many people who are affected by cancer. As treatments improve for cancer, more and more people are living with it in their daily lives. That is why Macmillan needs to be able to continue providing the much-needed support to help cancer sufferers along with their carers, families and communities.

We’d love you to be able to come and join us to help us support this worthy cause.

The café will be open all day from 9:30am until 4:30pm in the May Hall and any donations of cakes and craft would be much appreciated.

If you wish to make a donation, please contact Lisa Yates via email at lisa.yates@trentcollege.net or call 0115 849 4949.

Our Year 9 team of waiters and waitresses will be on hand with their aprons and hope to see you there!

Drama Students Visit Stratford

2012-09-21T00:00:00

On Thursday 20th September, the Year 12 and 13 Drama students were privileged enough to go and see a production of ‘The Comedy of Errors’ by William Shakespeare at The Waterside Theatre in Stratford.
The Royal Shakespeare Company took one of Shakespeare’s oldest plays and brought it to a more modern point in time.
After the long drive to Stratford, all of the students enjoyed a well-deserved break before making their way to the theatre.

Inside the theatre, all of the audience were sat on three various levels and the actors made sure they were performing at all angles to ensure everyone had a good view. In Shakespearian times this would have been how the actual audience sat; therefore I personally felt more connected and had a better understanding towards how a real Shakespearean audience would view a play.

The Director, Amir Nizar Zuabi, made it very easy for the audience to distinguish between the two Dromios which added dramatic irony to this performance while also providing comedy when the other characters got them mixed up!
One actor in particular stuck out for me as he used the stream of consciousness to connect with the audience so the audience had a better understanding of certain situations. This personal connection with the characters can often change how we feel towards a character and I think both the director and William Shakespeare understood and used this well.

Overall the whole day was a total success and thank you to all the staff; Mrs Bolton, Mrs Edwards, Mrs Harris, Miss Bradbury and Mr Singleton for organising it all!
We had a really great time and look forward to learning more about it in our lessons over the coming weeks.

Chemistry Coats Project!

2012-09-18T00:00:00

One of our Year 13 Chemistry groups completed their exciting ‘dyes’ project at the end of Year 12 and are very pleased with the results.

They undertook a project where they had to research and present the chemistry involved in various dye procedures. A professional poster also had to be produced and these are now displayed in the Chemistry building.
It has helped with their independent learning and increased their confidence in being able to stand in front of their peers and explain their work.

The project is not on the A level specification so it has broadened their awareness of chemical applications. The students finished off by dyeing a lab coat of their own which they now get to keep when they leave school.

Year 7 Induction Adventure

2012-09-17T00:00:00

On Friday 8th September, 100 new smiling Year 7’s departed Trent College for a two-day residential trip to Thornbridge Outdoor Centre near Matlock.

The main aim of the trip was for all the pupils to get to know each other and make friends with people who they may not have met before.

Upon arriving at Thornbridge Outdoor Centre, the pupils were divided into ten groups and were then told whether they would be camping outside or staying in the provided accommodation at Thornbridge.

The groups took part in a minimum of three activities during the weekend. The first of their three activities took place on the Friday evening and the remaining two on the Saturday.

Alexander Nathaniel, Year 7, gives a brief overview of the activities his group were involved in;

‘Each group took part in different activities at different times, giving us all the chance to do three over the space of the two days. My group were able to do 5 activities because there was time to spare! We tried the low ropes, tunnelling, the cargo net, a tree climb, and BMXing, all of which were really enjoyable.

The low ropes consisted of lots of obstacles going through a forest, including: a long tunnel, Tarzan ropes, a wobbling balance beam, and many other challenging obstacles.

We then moved on to tunnelling. There were two tunnels going in and one coming out, all meeting in a big space in the middle. One tunnel was easy but the other was really challenging!

The cargo nets required a great deal of team work as one person had to climb up a high net whilst some of us held the bottom of the net to make it easier for the climber, and the rest of us pulled the rope attached to the climber's harness to make sure they didn’t fall! We rotated so everyone had the chance to hold the net, pull the rope and climb.

We then went on to the tree climb. This activity involved an ordinary ladder leaning on a tree. However, when we reached the top, we had to climb lots of wooden blocks attached to a tree. I was second to have a go at this activity. On my first climb, I did it in 1 minute, 42 seconds which was one of the best times. The two twins beat me! On my second climb, I did it in 1 minute, 5 seconds which put me in first place. However, my victory was short-lived when Harry did it in 55 seconds and Tom completed the climb in an amazing 45 seconds!’

Once everyone had returned from the Friday afternoon activities, Miss Appleton, Ms Morley, Mrs Wakerley, Mr Webster and Mr Thompson demonstrated their cooking skills by making spaghetti bolognese for all the pupils and staff.

The following day, the pupils woke up to hot chocolate that had been made by Mr Marriott and Mrs Wakerley and after breakfast, the groups set out on their final two activities.

Although returning to Trent on the Saturday evening extremely tired, all the staff and pupils thoroughly enjoyed the trip!

Students Study in Sunny Spain

2012-09-14T00:00:00

On 16th July 2012, 31 Year 9 and 10 students went on a study trip to Cantabria, Spain, accompanied by three members of staff, Mrs Price, Miss Braddow and Mr Bruzon. The aim was to enhance the students’ linguistic skills and improve their cultural awareness. The group stayed in Hotel Cuevas, a family-run hotel in the picturesque town of Santillana del Mar, near to Santander, in Northern Spain. In the area, little English is spoken and students were obliged to practise their language skills. It was very clear that the students enjoyed communicating in Spanish and a daily ‘Phrase of the Day’ competition encouraged spontaneous speech when they were out and about. Each day there was an excellent level of Spanish used in a bid to win the prize.

During the stay, they attended language lessons at the Academia New in Santander and visited the region. Excursions included trips to the beach, a day at los Picos de Europa, a visit to Carbaceno nature park, karaoke and finally, a visit of the world famous Guggenheim museum in Bilbao.

The students created an extremely positive impression and their behaviour was exemplary. They were keen to learn, receptive and courteous at all times.

Intrepid Trent Adventurers Discover Greenland

2012-09-12T00:00:00

Departing the day after speeches, 7 intrepid adventurers, accompanied by Mr Price and Mr Saville set off for the arctic and a 22 day adventure of a lifetime. After a year of detailed planning this self-organised expedition to the Angmagssalik area of East Greenland had finally begun. Situated 66° North on the fringes of the arctic circle, the area provided a massive unspoilt and wilderness in which the group planned to spend 15 days making an unsupported journey, carrying with them all the food and equipment they needed for survival.

The group set off with heavily laden rucksacks for the expedition phase of their trip. Carrying camping equipment, ice and rock climbing gear and all the food needed for over two weeks in the field and the paint and equipment required for the community project later on in the trip. The initial phase of the expedition was to be spent in the high mountains climbing various peaks and exploring the glacial systems, using a Mountain Hut as a base. Whilst there, the group also agreed to repaint the mountain hut to help secure its continued use for future expeditions and adventurers. This gave a secondary focus to their time in the mountains and definitely formed an important aspect of the expedition

From the hut the team made a number of technical mountain ascents, including exploration of the Karali glacier to reach the summits of Kunigelborg, Hutten Kogel and Peak 1240, giving lots of scope for ice-climbing and Alpine style mountaineering.

The second phase of the expedition involved valley walking along Dolemhans Dahlen to the spectacular Sermilik fjord which took two long days of effort clambering over broken rocky moraine fields and crossing numerous glacial streams, but it proved worthwhile as the group experience some truly amazing views.

Having completed the mountain phase of their trip, the group returned to Tasiilaq where a visit to the small local museum gave the boys a chance to absorb some of the culture and history of the area. Seeing the reconstructed turf house in which up to 5 Inuit families used to live over the winter months, with up to 25 people sharing a space probably little bigger than most of the students bedrooms brought home the harshness of existence for the Inuit over the hard and dark winters with near permanent darkness. Reading about their fight for survival over the last 150 years also brought home the remoteness and specialness of the area in which they had spent the last few weeks. A true wilderness!

Flying back into Iceland at the end of the trip gave some time for rest and relaxation, with a visit to the Blue Lagoon, and a trip to the cinema, along with the chance to do some souvenir shopping and lots of eating to make up for any weight loss during the trip, before being returned to the care of their parents.

This was a very successful trip with all the components that a true expedition should have. The pupils were heavily involved in the planning, self-reliant in approach, carrying all the food and equipment needed to survive for the extended 15 day phase on their backs. The additional community project also added to the experience with all members of the group feeling they had contributed something to the area they had visited and left a permanent reminder of their time in the mountains.

Like all expeditions, there were high and low times for all, but the boys were a credit to the school and hopefully will take some very valuable memories away from their experience in what is a dramatically changing and delicate arctic environment.

Students Experience French Life

2012-09-12T00:00:00

On Sunday 8^th July, 17 students from Years 9 and 10 travelled to Montpellier to enjoy the delights of the South of France and work on improving their language skills in preparation for their GCSEs. The students stayed with host families and consequently gained a better understanding of French culture and their way of life.

They attended lessons every morning from Monday to Friday in LSF (Langues sans frontières), a school owned by Old Trident, Mr Andrew Kinselle. They were put into groups with other students from different nationalities (Australian, Italian, Spanish and Czechoslovakian to name but a few) according to their level and were taught entirely through the medium of French. In the afternoons and evenings various activities were organised to keep them entertained – a visit to the caves, the aquarium, two afternoons at the beach and the finale was a disco which was enjoyed by all! The weather was perfect, the students became more independent and autonomous and all became more aware of the importance of learning a foreign language in order to better improve communications. We look forward to returning next year!

A Warm Welcome Back to a New Year at Trent

2012-09-07T00:00:00

This week we welcome over 200 new students who join Trent and The Elms, including 23 international students from Germany, Russia, Nigeria, China, Croatia and Hong Kong. We also welcome a number of new staff today including seven new teachers to the Trent Common Room; please click here to see the full E-Newsletter which includes details of these new members of staff.

As we continue in our development as a school, the direction of travel for Trent remains the same, the big picture is a constant. We continue in our academic development, build stronger relationships and reputation, ensure very good recruitment of very good pupils and further strengthen the business that supports us.

Over the years the size of Trent and The Elms has steadily increased and we begin this year with over 1160 pupils, the biggest community we have ever been. Our boarding houses are also full, for the first time in many, many years, so we have created more bedrooms over the Summer and plan further expansion of our boarding facilities through the next year. We hope to be able to offer the opportunity to board to many more of our students, including the opportunity this term for flexible boarding at Trent from Year 7 upwards.

Though some of us have rested for our long holiday, many of our staff here have worked non-stop throughout the summer to get our campus ready for this week and a significant amount of work has taken place:

• Business Studies and Economics Departments have relocated to a refurbished Wortley Sixth Form Centre, with new classrooms and an IT Suite.

• The English Department is now based on the first floor of the Swallow.

• RS and Latin Departments have moved into the Kelvin, LAMDA has moved to the old RS Department, the Geography Department is in the same place but has grown, the old Melton Theatre has transformed into a really impressive IT teaching suite.

• Within the Science block, we now have established a very new and a very stylish Graphics Department.

• Our new Music Department has begun to emerge, with the first step taken to establish a more spacious entrance, better instrumental storage and a much improved recital and rehearsal space.

• In Bates House, there are new carpets to bedrooms and Common Rooms. In Blake, a new kitchen space an office and some better showers.

• The Main School Common Room space has been increased significantly with better furnishings and lockers and the Main School Boys’ Changing Area has been fully refurbished.

• We have removed the old Shuker House fence and are landscaping a new Terrace Garden.

• Catterns and Lower School Tennis and Netball Courts have been repaired and re-covered, new windows have been placed into many buildings, with new pathways and better roads laid.

• In The Elms, we have added two new classrooms, developed a new Art and Design Technology Building and created a Science teaching area within Catterns, with much of the lower and upper Elms also redecorated.

We are still awaiting planning permission from the Local Council before we can complete the new Wortley Bistro Café and also our new Drama Department next to the May Hall. You will see the holes in the ground ready and waiting… impatiently. We expect to get the go-ahead in the next couple of weeks and have these completed quite early this term.

So all is in place for a thrilling year to come … talented students and staff … heaps of ambition and aspiration … it is good to be back!

Gill Dixon

Head of Trent College

Students Celebrate GCSE Results

2012-08-23T00:00:00

Following on from the success of the recent A Level results, Trent College GCSE students also secured outstanding results this year, the second best ever results in the school’s history. Many students managed to secure straight A* and A grades across all of their subjects and now progress on through to the Trent Sixth Form to begin their A level studies.

A shell-shocked Sarah Ashcroft and Luke Fessey had the accolade of being the year’s top performers, Sarah achieved 9 A*s and an A, and Luke achieved 9A*s.

Sarah said: “My results were a lot better than I was expecting, especially in English, in total I got 9A*s and an A! I was nervous waiting for the results, some of the exams were difficult, very difficult, but overall I found them a bit of a mixture really. I’m going to stay on for Sixth Form, to do three Sciences and Maths but I’ve not a clue what I want to do after that yet though!”

Still digesting all the result sheets in his hand, Luke, when asked how he’d done said: “From the look of it, I got straight A*s! So I’m pretty happy, it’s about as good as it gets! I wasn’t expecting such good results, but I was hoping for them, I wasn’t sure that I’d done that well in History, English and Physics, those were the exams that had more surprises in them! I’m staying on for A Levels to do three sciences and Maths because I’m thinking of doing Medicine at Uni.”

Delighted Ella Gregg from Wollaton and her proud parents couldn’t contain their excitement with her wonderful results. Ella said “I got 4 A*s, 4 As and a B, my best result for me personally was my Physics because I got an A and I really didn’t expect that”.

Stephanie Berwick (7 A*s and 3 As) and Jack Sproson (6 A*s, 2 As and a B) also did extremely well and are both staying at Trent College to take their A Levels with an aim to go on to study Law degrees at university.

Stephanie said, “I’m so pleased with my results, I’m particularly happy with my sciences as I didn’t think I’d do as well in that area but I actually got A*s in both. Exam preparation was stressful but it paid out in the end, I’m going to do English Literature, Geography, Spanish and Maths for my A Levels and I’m thinking of Law after that for university.”

Mrs Dixon commented, “Our aspiration at Trent College is to help students achieve their absolute personal best in whatever they do. Trent is renowned for a broad-based education reflecting the highest academic standards while inspiring young people to develop their individual talents. These results are, therefore, testament to the hard work and enthusiasm of our students, and also to our teaching staff who have supported them with such dedication.”

A-Level Success Again for Trent College Pupils

2012-08-16T00:00:00

There were plenty of smiles and relieved faces at Trent College this morning as students celebrated their very strong batch of A-Level results with the realisation that all of their hard work had paid off.

Trent College’s 96 final year students secured an outstanding overall pass rate of 99.3% with a third of all results at the top A* and A grades. Amongst those with the biggest smiles included a large group of students who all scored at least three A grades.

The top performing students this year were Blaise Dowell and Emma Young who both secured four straight A*s. Blaise will be taking up her place at Cambridge University to study Economics and Emma will go to Bristol University to study Maths.

Blaise, after finding out how brilliantly she had done, said, “I’m really shocked and I’m excited to be going to Cambridge. I can’t believe it, I’m just so shocked. I’ve worked really hard and I’m really happy with my results.”

Emma Young was also very excited with her four straight A*s, “I got 4 A*s so I’m really, really happy! It’s what I was hoping for but, obviously, I didn’t really think that it would happen! ”

Charlotte Gregson should also be mentioned after receiving three A* grades and one A grade which will allow her to study her chosen degree of Chemistry at York University. Charlotte said, “I’m really happy to be going to go to York, which is my first choice university, to study Chemistry, I’m really happy! I’m also relieved that Tennessee got in as well.”

Charlotte is referring to Tennessee Hickling who achieved his two As and a B, and will join Charlotte on a Gap Year together before taking up their places at York. Tennessee commented, “I’m really happy that I got into my first choice university to study Computer Science, I felt that it could have been 50/50 as to whether I got in, as with one exam I wasn’t sure if I had done enough – but in fact I got an A, so, I made it!”

Rohan Desai has secured his place to study medicine at Nottingham University with his achievement of one A* and two A grades in Biology, Maths and Chemistry. Frances Marshall has also achieved her required grades for a place on the much sought after Brunel University Physiotherapy course, with an A*, A and B grade from her studies in Physical Education, Geography and Biology. Frances achieved these grades whilst also competing throughout her studies in regional and national swimming competitions.

Trent College students will be heading off to a number of other prestigious universities including Warwick, Birmingham, Durham, Manchester and Leeds.

Tom Hutchinson who’s A, A, B grades have secured him a place at Nottingham to study Mechanical Engineering, was delighted, he said, “I got two As and a B! I’m psyched! I didn’t get any sleep last night, but now I’m ready to celebrate! The results are pretty much what I expected, good overall, and I’m in and that’s all that matters!”

Madeleine Smith who undertook the busy and prestigious role of Head of School in her final year scored two A* and one A grade. She said: “It's a great way to end a fantastic seven years at Trent. I am delighted that the hard work that my teachers and I have put in has paid off. I'm a little sad to leave Trent, but very excited to be off to Edinburgh for four years to study English.”

Not everyone is going to be heading to university immediately however.

Katie Elcock and Rebecca Butcher have each chosen to spend next year as a volunteer with Project Trust, working on charitable initiatives in third world areas. During Year 13, as well as their successful A Level studies which will allow them to take up university places on their return, they each had to raise over £5,000 through conducting their own sponsored events such as concerts, raffles and quizzes which took considerable time and dedication.

Mrs Dixon said: “We are again so proud of the achievements of our students and teachers. In the ever-increasingly competitive higher education market, securing the grades needed to meet the requirements of a student’s first choice university becomes ever more important. It is our priority that our students get to where they want to go and the chance to become what they want to be.”

Congratulations to all of our Year 13 students!

New Lower School Boarding Option at Trent

2012-07-20T00:00:00

We are delighted to announce that a new boarding house for pupils in Years 7 & 8 will be opening at Trent College in September 2012.

Our new Boarding House will have a family atmosphere in which all pupils feel happy, valued and confident that they can succeed in all they commit to. It will be a co-educational house with boarders encouraged to get on with everyone in the House, as any child would in their family home.

Our resident staff will be present at all times to ensure all pupils get the support and guidance they require so they are happy, busy and high achieving.

We will be proud to welcome our first group of Year 7 and 8 boarders into their new House in September 2012.

With the opening of Trent College Lower School Boarding House in September 2012, Year 7 and 8 students will have the opportunity to 'Flexi Board' at Trent.

Flexi boarding gives students the opportunity to board for 2 - 4 nights per week to coincide with regular sport, music, academic or extra-curricular activities and commitments.

You may consider flexi boarding because your child usually has a long journey into school and this will reduce their time travelling during the week, or to give your child the opportunity to see if they like boarding, or just because that’s how many nights away from home you feel comfortable with and is most appropriate for your family.

Work on the new boarding house is progressing rapidly and we are all very excited to see the end result!

Trent College Dragon Boat Racing

2012-07-17T00:00:00

Congratulations to all of the members of the Trent College Dragon Boat racing team that participated in the dragon boat race on Sunday 1st July to raise money for the Nottingham Hospitals Charity.

An estimated £500 was raised on the day!

Nottingham Hospitals Charity exists to benefit patients, staff and facilities at Nottingham University Hospitals - NHS Trust’s City Hospital, Queen’s Medical Centre and Ropewalk House campuses.

Donations help provide the added extras that make a real difference to patient care at Nottingham’s hospitals, such as specialist equipment, improved facilities, medical research and staff development programmes.

http://www.nuhcharity.org.uk/

Year 13 Student Wins Young Engineer Competition

2012-07-13T00:00:00

Congratulations go to Jess Storey, Year 13 who won the regional round of the Young Engineers for Britain Big Bang Competition last week at the Yorkshire Air Museum, with her A Level Project, a Geodesic Rabbit Hutch. Jess was selected as a finalist for the National Science and Engineering Competition, to be held at the Big Bang in London in March 2013, from the 106 students present.

Jess won the following prizes.

· First Place in the 16-18 Engineering Category.

· Regional Winner of the Young Engineer For Britain Award.

· Merchant Adventurer’s Prize for the most Creative Project.

· Selected as a finalist for the National Science and Engineering Competition, to be held at the Big Bang in London in March 2013.

Taste the Boarding Life

2012-07-09T00:00:00

Trent College were delighted to invite our youngest students to get a taste for boarding life at Trent.

Students from Year 6 joined us after Family Day on the 23^rd June for a weekend of fun, treats and a taste of boarding. The students joined our boarders for a Treasure Hunt around the grounds, a cinema trip, an art class, water polo, board games and hot chocolate -comments included ‘Brilliant fun’, ‘Delicious food’ and ‘The staff were really helpful and made us feel welcome’. Keep your eyes peeled for our next Boarding Taster Weekend in the Michaelmas Term.

Mrs Dixon out for a Spot of Leisurely Canoeing

2012-07-06T00:00:00

Mrs Dixon took advantage of one of Trent's latest features this afternoon, the newly formed lake on the bottom playing field.

Due to the vast amount of rain we have experienced in the last few hours, a large 'lake' has formed on Trent's bottom playing fields - large enough to canoe on it seems!

Gill Dixon, Head of Trent College

James Gregory, Director of Operations

Boarders Enjoy a Day at the Theatre

2012-07-05T00:00:00

Last weekend, the boarding community embarked on a trip to London to see Shrek at the Drury Lane Theatre. It was a truly memorable occasion for all, below is an account written by Chloe Lidgett,Year 10 student from Bates House.

"The boarding trip to London at the weekend was great! We travelled on the bus to London, the train would have been quicker but the bus journey was a fun start to the day! When we got there, our first adventure was a tube trip to Harrods. We all bought chocolate to munch on whilst watching Shrek. We then made our way to the theatre and relaxed in time for the start of the show. We were all pleasantly surprised at how great the show was, we were all laughing and singing along to the songs we knew throughout! It was one of the best trips I have been on with school. I can't wait to go again!!"

Pupils Follow the Torch to Chatsworth

2012-07-05T00:00:00

On Friday 29th June, 40 Year 9 and 10 pupils visited Chatsworth as a reward for their scholarly endeavours this year. They were treated to a special picnic by the catering team complete with strawberries which they munched whilst enjoying the very beautiful surroundings. After lunch 'the tribe' had the opportunity to test out the adventure playground, farm, parkland and gardens. At 3.37pm the best bit, the Olympic Torch was carried through the gardens and we watched the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire greet the torch bearer before they set off on the journey towards Derby.

Mr Shuttleworth to Complete Charity Cycle Ride

2012-07-04T00:00:00

Later this month, Mr Shuttleworth is planning to cycle from John O’Groats to Land’s End with a group of 10 people. The venture (JOGLERS2012) started out simply as a challenge for the group, but have subsequently decided to use the trip to try to raise funds for charity. The group chose the Meningitis Research Foundation as a result of first-hand experience among the team of the severe consequences of meningitis. The website address is below if you would like to support the fundraising effort of the group.

www.justgiving.com/JOGLERS2012

The photo shows the cyclists and the support team. Ages range from 18-62, cycling experience also varies widely, while two of the group will be riding a tandem!

Speech Day - This Saturday!

2012-07-03T00:00:00

Please e-mail enquiries@trentcollege.net to register your places. Please note, only Year 13 families will receive tickets.

The Chairman of Governors and Head of Trent College warmly invite all parents and guardians to join the School as we celebrate a successful year in the life of Trent College at our Prize Giving and Speech Day on Saturday 7th July 2012.

This year's Speech day promises to be a fantastic event for all the family with an array of musical performances, speeches, exhibitions and presentations. It is a fantastic opportunity to experience what all have achieved at our wonderful School during the past year.

You will also hear from our guest speaker Helen Fospero, Television Presenter and journalist.

Guests are welcome to buy ready-made individual picnic hampers which will be available to buy in the Prince Obolensky building to enjoy around our beautiful grounds during the afternoon cricket.

We look forward to welcoming you on Saturday to what promises to be one of the best events in our school calendar!

Schola Cantorum of Trent College

2012-07-02T00:00:00

In September 2012 music at Trent College will take off in an exciting new direction. The school’s current main choir, the Chapel Choir will be replaced by something new, and with a much wider scope: the Schola Cantorum (‘school of singing’).

We intend to challenge perceptions and to present performances of the very highest quality in the very best of venues. During 2012-2013, choristers’ experience will include, free singing lessons, workshops, performances in and out of school and an exciting five-day European tour during the Easter holiday.

In the future, we also hope to do recordings, broadcasts, competitions and performances in further prestigious cathedrals and other national venues

It’s a great opportunity for our students to be a part of a brand new exciting venture.

Click here for the letter

Year 11 Prom

2012-06-29T00:00:00

Year 11 students celebrated in style at their prom on Friday the 23rd June.

Students and staff enjoyed an excellent Year 11 prom held at the Trent Lock Golf Centre. Mr Wood, head of Year 11 commented, “This was a wonderful evening which allowed the students to relax and reflect on their achievements during their time in the Main School. Trent students are always smartly presented, but they looked incredibly stylish and glamorous in their dresses and tuxedos this evening.

A lot of planning and preparation has gone in to making this event run smoothly and I thank the students for their immaculate behaviour and all the staff, in particular Mrs Moulds for her hard work in making this such a special occasion.”

Photos Taken by Sumpters The Image Makers, Nottingham.

Click here to view and buy prints.

Sports Scholars Visit Loughborough University

2012-06-28T00:00:00

On Monday 18th June, 24 Lower School sport scholars were inspired by their visit to Loughborough University where they participated in a series of interactive workshops and introduced to some basic fitness training. They were lucky enough to talk to a GB Paralympic cyclist and receive a guided tour of the campus and all of its top class facilities. Callum Roberts (Year 7) and John Dilks (Year 8) have both given a brief summary of the day’s events.

The day at Loughborough was full of exciting sporting events. We started off with a tour around all of its hi-tech gyms, sporting equipment and sports facilities. The gym was very impressive-a massive hall bursting with the latest treadmills, weights and much, much more. However my favourite was the athletics centre. It was truly magnificent! It had two parts, an inside one which was used for the pole vault, high jump and training for hurdles, and an outside one which was used for the running. We all stood in awe at this fantastic scene! We then stopped for a quick lunch break and after lunch were a series of fitness tests. We started off with the speed test, which had two lasers which triggered movement, to time us. Then it was the jumping test where we had to stand on a foam mat and jump, without tucking our feet in, and land back on the mat. Finally we had the flexibility test where we had to sit with our knees flat and stretch our hands out as far as possible. None of them were physically exhausting but still pretty nerve wracking. To end a fantastic day we played some ultimate Frisbee, which really was the icing on the cake!

I believe that having this day has really inspired me to aspire to my sporting ability, and truly try the hardest I possibly can.

Callum Roberts, Sports Scholar - Year 7

The thing I most enjoyed about the trip to Loughborough University was when we met a Paralympic cyclist as I really enjoy biking and she was a great role model for everyone. I learned a lot from her as well, what it takes to become an athlete and how it affects your social life. The athletics track was very good and the gym was very impressive. Ultimate Frisbee was a fun way to end the day. I am hoping that I can become a professional athlete and go to Loughborough University. It was a fun experience that I will never forget.

John Dilks, Sports Scholar - Year 8

Trent College Family Golf Day

2012-06-27T00:00:00

On the afternoon of 24th June, in blustery conditions, 18 golfers competed in the Evans Shield at Trent Lock Golf Club. The competition was run on a Greensomes format, where each player drives off from the Tee and the best ball is alternately played by the pairing. The 9 teams were composed of one parent (or grandparent) and one child (who is currently a pupil at Trent College or the Elms). There was a full range of handicaps at play, ranging from 5 to 36. It was also good to see the full range of year groups represented, with players from years 4 to 13 competing. There was also a broad range of ages: with the youngest aged 9 through to the ‘most senior’ aged 79.

The main prize was the Evans Shield, kindly donated by the Evans family & awarded to the pairing with the top Stableford points. This was hotly contested and eventually won by the Foulds, Matthew and his Father, with 43 points. Tom Booth and his Grandfather were runners up with Olivia Kelly and her Father in third place. Nearest the pin on the eighteenth hole was won by Matthew Foulds. The longest drive, on the 7th hole, was won by Spencer Taylor. The best front 9 was won by Jane Cowie and her Father & the best back 9 was won by Nick Tatlock and his Father. Magnus Cowie presented the prizes at the end; thanked everyone for supporting the event (which is now a regular feature of the school year) and Trent Lock for agreeing to host it for us. The list of all competitors is given below:

Everyone who competed enjoyed the experience and the friendly family atmosphere. Some pictures from the day are shown below.

OT and British Racing Driver to Race at Donington

2012-06-26T00:00:00

Old Trident and British Racing Driver James Walker, will be racing in the UK round of the 2012 European Le Mans Series at Donington Park on Sunday 15th July.

Recently competing in the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans, James is excited to be racing at Donington, so close to his old school. OTs, Parents and Friends of Trent are welcome to join us in full hospitality to support James in the race for the discounted cost of £89 per person. In addition, for that ‘money can’t buy’ experience, James will personally organise for a tour of the garage and for guests to meet the JMW Motorsport team.

If you would like to attend, please contact jo.slater@trentcollege.net. Please note places are limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

This Weekend: Join us for a Day of Family Fun!

2012-06-22T00:00:00

You are warmly invited to join us for a day of family fun and games.

Trent College is holding its annual Family Fun Day this Saturday from 11am - 3pm for all friends of our School community. With an array of games and activities, fairground rides, food stalls and a petting zoo, the day promises to entertain the whole family. We are even holding a Royal themed fancy dress competition for the younger members of our community with a family ticket to Alton Towers up for grabs!

We look forward to seeing you all tomorrow to enjoy our beautiful grounds in a fun, relaxed atmosphere!

Win tickets to see Nottinghamshire County Cricket

2012-06-21T00:00:00

For your chance to win tickets for four people to attend one of the following t20 matches to see Nottinghamshire County Cricket in action please answer the following question;

Question: Which famous Cricket Commentator and ex Captain of Bedfordshire County Cricket Club was a former student at Trent College?

- Friday 29th June v Durham Dynamos 6:00pm

- Tuesday 3th July v Lancashire Lightning 6:10pm

- Thursday 5th July v Yorkshire Carnegie 7:00pm

- Sunday 8th July v Leicestershire Foxes 2:40pm

Tickets are available of a first come first served basis, please e mail your answer along with the match date of your choice to marketing@trentcollege.net

Trent Exchanges in Germany

2012-06-20T00:00:00

On Sunday 27th May 2012, 10 students accompanied by Mr Kelly and Mrs Bruzon flew to our twin town Langen (near Frankfurt) for the return leg of the German Exchange. After a short flight, they were met at the airport by smiling faces and were whisked away to their host families. Most spent the evening enjoying the hot weather, although there was a lot of bonding through the PS3 and X Box!

On Monday, the group met up with another visiting school; Friesland School (Sandiacre) who had also hosted students from Langen last September. All were all treated to a day trip to Saalburg Roman Fort, where they were given a tour of how the Romans used to live – the girls were not too impressed with their make-up tips though – spider’s legs instead of mascara! They were then given a crash course on being a soldier with spear throwing and archery. After an interesting day, the students went back to their host families for further activities!

Another day, another trip – however this was going to be a long trip. Studnets had to meet at 6am! Once they arrived at the destination, ‘Bergwerk Merkers’ Salt Mine, they soon realised it was worth the early start. This was a real roller-coaster ride – through twists and turns at 30mph in our guide’s truck (although it felt like 80mph!), they were given full access to one of the biggest mine’s in Germany, including the underground concert hall. All were agreed that this was a great trip and were very happy to get a small sample to put on our chips!

Wednesday was ‘Film Day’ at the host school (Dreieichschule). The purpose of this day was to find out more about our twin town. In small groups, equipped with their mobile phones as cameras, the students made some informative and often very funny videos about various aspects of Langen, such as ‘how to make friends in Langen’, ‘how to be cool in Langen’, ‘being creative in Langen’ and ‘shopping in Langen’. The afternoon consisted of a scavenger hunt around the town ending with a treat in the ice-cream café. The students now know Langen like the back of their hands!

The following day the group had the chance to gain an insight into the daily life of a German school. Our students visited various lessons all in German (of course!). They were then invited to a speech given by the Mayor of Langen who welcomed us wholeheartedly to the area. A party was then thrown for the 3 schools, after which, Friesland departed for the UK.

As Friesland were on their way back to the UK and lessons were in full swing in Langen, the Trent students ventured back into Langen for some final souvenir shopping and one last ice cream! The afternoon and the following day were then spent with their host families who had organised trips to Frankfurt and other activities for them.

On Sunday a very tired but happy group of Trent students met at the airport to say goodbye to their host families. A few tears were shed as they waved goodbye to an incredible time in Germany. Our students were impeccably behaved and were excellent ambassadors for Trent College.

Trent Hosts England vs Nottinghamshire Cricket Match

2012-06-11T00:00:00

Today (Monday 11th June) we are very happy to play host to the Twenty 20 encounter between Nottinghamshire 2nd XI v England Under-19s.

The match will feature our very own 17-year-old student Simon Webster whose cricketing career has really taken off in recent months. He is a Nottinghamshire Academy player and has represented both Notts 2nds this season and toured Bangladesh as part of the England U19 squad earlier this year. He could have therefore been asked to represent either team, but today is playing for Nottinghamshire.

The decision to host the game at Trent College is a nod to the school’s Head Groundsman, Peter Flewett, and his team. Well done all and good luck to Simon!

(photo: Simon Webster to the right)

Trent Economists impress visiting Nottingham University

2012-05-31T00:00:00

Our students have really embraced independent learning this year and many students entered the Royal Economic Society essay writing competition. They had a choice of five very varied essay titles from development economics to behavioural economics. Many chose to answer the more contemporary topics covering issues such as UK manufacturing and the Euro crisis.

We were truly impressed by the standard work our students achieved. We sent the top seven entries to Professor Peter Swann from Nottingham University as part of our internal competition. Peter Swann then visited Trent 12^th May 2012 where we had an award ceremony and lunch.

The professor was really impressed by the all the essays he read and admitted to the students that he found it hard to choose the top 3. However, he eventually settled on the Kate Sotheran 1^st Place: with an essay on how to revitalise UK manufacturing, Anna Wilding 2^nd place: with the same topic and Blaise Dowell 3^rdplace: on whether austerity was the answer to the debt crisis. He made the following comments.

1st Place: Kate Sotheran

A beautifully written essay that was very well organised and very clear. I thought that it offered a very good account of the various supply side measures that might help. Well researched and good use of evidence.

2nd Place: Anna Wilding

A very nice overview of whether 'manufacturing matters' from various different perspectives, with some good use of analysis. This answer provided a good account of the problems of over-dependence on one sector. Well researched and good use of evidence.

3rd Place: Blaise Dowell

In some ways this was the hardest of the questions, but this essay offered some quite sophisticated thinking and discussion of the problems of austerity. Again, it was well researched and there was a good use of evidence.

From Left: Kate Sotheran, Peter Swann, Anna Wilding, Blaise Dowell and Max Stevens

Lower School Tree Project Results

2012-05-29T00:00:00

The submissions for Trent’s first Lower School independent study project have been a huge success. The project theme of ‘trees’ was decided on as Trent has one of the best school arboretums in the country and it therefore seemed fitting for pupils to carry out their projects with ‘trees’ as the main theme. All students have had from the start of Lent Term through to the start of the Trinity Term to undertake their projects and they were prompted to consider how trees might be related in any way to a topic of their choice.

The aim of the project was to provide an opportunity for independent learning and research skills to develop. The general title was designed to give students the inspiration to explore areas across a range of subject areas. Suggestions from each academic department were given to guide students’ ideas on how they could link trees to the subject of their choice. From an Art inspired project to the History of trees and how they are used in Design and Technology in our world today. The possibilities were endless!

Form tutors were available to help guide and monitor the progress of the project but the management of time, accumulation of resources and production of the final product was organised entirely by the students. This project has given Lower School an introduction to independent study which will be invaluable to them during their time at Trent and beyond.

The projects have been assessed and the best ones will be displayed at Speech Day with prizes awarded.

Well done to all pupils for their hard work and an excellent standard of submissions!

New Subject Offered from September

2012-05-28T00:00:00

From September 2012, Graphic Products will become the latest addition to the portfolio of D&T subjects offered at GCSE, alongside Resistant Materials and Electronic Products. All three options will allow students equal access to the Product Design A’ Level course offered at Trent.

Students who opt to take the Graphic Products course will be able to tailor their work to suit their own design interests, such as: fashion, architecture, graphic design, interior design, advertising, computer game design or film/theatre set design, to name just a few.

Graphic Products will offer students the opportunity to further develop their creativity, improve their drawing and presentation skills, and explore concepts through a range of outputs including; virtual media, textiles, two dimensional print, three dimensional packaging and display material, and web-based products.

Paper architecture

Adobe Illustrator workshops

Typography

Branding and corporate identity

Kinetic studies

Drawing and presentation skills

Point-of-sale and packaging

Engineering drawing

Magazine cover design

Adobe Photoshop workshops

Applying graphics to textiles

Industrial printing methods

Web and virtual media analysis and design

Assessment of the GCSE Graphic Products course will be based on 40% theory exam and 60% controlled assessment (through a design and make task completed in year 11), allowing students to achieve a high grade through demonstration of the designing skills that they have developed throughout the course.

Rugby Star England Selection

2012-05-25T00:00:00

Congratulations to Jim Wigglesworth, last year’s 1st XV vice-captain who has gained selection for the full England counties squad.

On leaving Trent College last summer, Jim signed for Championship side Nottingham RUFC and has spent a season on loan at Hull RUFC who are in National League 2.

Jim has represented NDL 20s, Midland 20s and Yorkshire in the England 20s counties side this season, which has led to the fantastic achievement of his England selection.

Details regarding the England counties team can be found on the RFU website by clicking here.

OT Features on BBC Programme Tonight

2012-05-24T00:00:00

BBC broadcast for Old Trident as he celebrates the Diamond Jubilee with memories of his place in the Queen’s Coronation Choir.

Old Trident David Overton (Hanbury 1956-1960) will be celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in an interview with Sian Williams this evening, as part of the National Treasures programme.

At just 10 years old, David was one of the youngest choristers to sing at the Queen’s Coronation in Westminster Abbey in 1953. From the age of 9, David was a member of the Westminster Abbey Choir for five years. “Being a chorister in the Abbey was a huge privilege, not just singing at the Coronation, but being part of the Choir generally was a wonderful start to my musical and spiritual life”.

David has enjoyed a long musical career, in singing, conducting and producing choral and orchestral music. To read more about David’s experience as a chorister and musical success please follow the link

Your new Prefects are ….

2012-05-23T00:00:00

Congratulations to all of our newly selected prefects! We’re sure you will do a fantastic job of running the School next year. Special congratulations go to all of our Senior Prefects and our new Head of School, Will Moon.

Below is a list of all of the new Trent College prefects and the roles that they will be undertaking during the next school year. We hope that you will all give them the support that they deserve.

Congratulations!

Will Moon prepares to lead his new team of

Senior Prefects next Term

Head of School

William Moon

Senior Prefects

Freya Crocker

Alice Doleman

Nicholas Gray

Kate Sotheran

Prefects

Eleanor Bowness

Amber Clough

Gareth Coleman

Charlotte Downs

Charlie Hayes

Emily Hopkins

Hannah Jackson

Jack Mason

Olivia McDonnell

Amiti Nath

Jamie Praditngam

Hollie Preston

Christopher Proctor

Benjamin Smith

Clare Tidy

Katy Trinick

Joshua Wainwright

Joseph Wilkinson

Sam Woodford

Tori Bate – Bates

James Fisher – Blake

Tilly Murphy – Martin

Roy Weir – Shuker

Kartar Soar – Leadership

Emily Dench – WSP

Andrew Harrison – AF

Kasper Sandstrom – Events

Kate Walker and Nicole Sellers – Wortley

Trent College PSA Masked Ball

2012-05-22T00:00:00

BOOK TICKETS BY THE END OF TERM: Don't miss out on what promises to be a great event!

Saturday 29th September 2012, The Prince Obolensky Building, Trent College

The Trent College Parents' Association are delighted to hold what promises to be a memorable and entertaining Black Tie evening with optional masks in keeping with the theme of a masked ball.

The evening will begin with a Champagne Reception at 7pm followed by Dinner and music performed by a live band, Lost in Music who have a set list comprising of over 270 songs with a very wide repertoire catering for all tastes. There will even be a disco to finish off the night ending at 1am.

Tickets are £55 each and places are limited. There are 10 guests per table but if you are not able to make up a party of 10 then let us do it for you!

Please return the table booking form with full payment to: Alida Butler, 15 Sutton Passeys Crescent, Wollaton Park, Notts. NG8 1BX by Friday 6th July 2012 or call 07905851122 with any queries. Cheques should be made payable to ‘Trent College PSA’. Tickets and further information will be sent to you at the beginning of the Michaelmas Term.

Latin Students Engage in Ancient Artefacts

2012-05-21T00:00:00

The Latin Department were pleased to arrange this half term’s activity for the Main School Academic Forum. 30 pupils from Year 9 and Year 10 paid a visit to the Archaeology Museum at Nottingham University. The Museum has recently been relocated and is now housed at the Lakeside Arts Centre, and the contemporary setting provided a bright, fresh atmosphere within which to engage with the ancient artefacts. The Museum is home to a broad variety of objects ranging from flint axe heads of the Palaeolithic, to Roman objects from everyday life. A mammoth tooth, Roman funerary urns, jewellery and a selection of Roman weapons were some of the artefacts on display. Amazingly, the majority of these have been recovered from the Nottinghamshire region. Our pupils were given a guided tour of the exhibits by a resident PhD student who encouraged them to think about the ways in which the objects were decorated and what the imagery can tell us. The pupils also participated in a hands-on session with the museum’s curator. Equipped with latex gloves, the pupils were able to pass around and examine for themselves a number of ancient objects: ancient Egyptian representations of gods, Greek perfume vases, part of a large Roman amphora, Roman brooches, and a device for cleaning one’s ears with to name but a few.

The afternoon provided a rare opportunity to become fully engaged with the ancient artefacts both through guided appreciation and through personal handling. And in a broader respect, pupils were able to gain a little insight into the world of archaeology.

Success for Trent College Business Network Members

2012-05-17T00:00:00

Since its inception in January 2012, the Trent College Business Network has seen its members benefit from some notable successes as a direct result of the recent networking event. Some have secured large contracts, others have seen an increase in orders after exchanging details via the Membership Business Directory and some have even offered work placements to young Old Tridents alongside their degree course as a result of networking through the LinkedIn group.

The Trent College Business Network is open to parents of both The Elms and Trent College, Old Tridents as well as local and wider community businesses. For more information or to join, please contact Jo Slater on 0115 849 4994.

Sixth Form Production Trestle is a Resounding Success

2012-05-15T00:00:00

The Sixth Form production Trestle took place last week and was a resounding success. Things got off to a fantastic start when tickets for the three day show sold out within days. Year 13 student, Tom Singleton provides further details below.

It was the first production directed by Year 12 student, Kane Oliver. Four other Year 12 students, Charlie Hayes, Kate Walker, John-Michael Fairless and Laura Karai played starring roles whilst Jay Heath and Anna Pidcock designed the lighting and costumes for the production. Our Drama Assistant, Benji Bailey also featured in a starring role and Trent's very own Stage Manager/Designer, Rebecca Bradbury constructed a very well designed set that really helped capture the essence of the production.

Synopsis:
Naomi Wallace’s poetic dialogue captures the confusion of the hard times of 1936 rural America at the height of the Great Depression in her ‘The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek.’ She uses flashbacks to tell her two level story. We meet two teenagers empty of hope for their future who find comfort and purpose in the potential exciting challenge of running a trestle before an oncoming train enters the bridge. Dalton (Charlie Hayes) is the curious 15 year old who is enchanted by the 17 year old ‘tom-boy’ Pace (Kate Walker) – who tempts the shy Dalton to become adventurous and join her in preparing to run the trestle before the oncoming train approaches. The two teens are playing out their crushed emotional desires through preparing for the daredevil stunt.
After the flashback, Dalton’s confusion leads him to feel guilt and responsibility for Pace’s tragic death.

Below is an account of the production by Mrs Edwards, Drama Teacher.

Review : ‘Trestle at Pope Lick Creek’

"Last Wednesday evening I witnessed a production that has to be up there with the best professional theatre I have attended, and I have seen a lot of theatre believe me. In the intimate studio space the audience were swept through an overwhelming array of emotions. ‘Trestle at Pope Lick Creek’s’ director, Kane Oliver, will be the first to tell you that this quality of theatre can only happen thanks to the stunning writing of Naomi Wallace. For a young director to have the ambition and skill, alongside his super-talented cast and crew, to stage such a challenging text and to do so with such subtlety, detail and integrity is truly humbling. Every corner and moment of this piece was professional to the last from its insightful earth covered floor (so intelligently used throughout) to the particularly clever costuming of Pace Creagan. Kate Walker’s breathtaking choreography was a particularly inspiring alongside the depth of characterisation and the meticulously observed relationships of its actors.

Congratulations to all who contributed to this memorable production of such a beautiful and unsettling play. If this is what Kane Oliver can produce at 17 he is a director to watch out for and I await his next project with baited breath. It is so good to know that the theatre, a long standing passion of this aging director, is in such good hands!"

Mrs N Edwards

Congratulations to all involved with this fantastic production!

Visit our Arboretum, Among the Best in the Country

2012-05-14T00:00:00

The Trent College Arboretum is among of the best in the East Midlands and one of the best school arboretums in the country. The collection is renowned for its attractive spinneys set around the games fields of the school. The arboretum contains several hundred trees belonging to about 200 species and cultivars. Other arboretums in our area include Nottingham Arboretum and Nottingham University, Derby Arboretum, Elvaston Castle, Darley Park in Derby, Evington near Leicester and Bluebell at Smisby, near Ashby-de-la-Zouch. All arboretums contain species from all over the world. About 35 species of tree are thought to be native to Britain.

About 30 of the trees in the Trent College Arboretum are rare, most of these are in one particular spinney called The OT Spinney, named after former members of the Trent College community, The Old Tridents, .

The arboretum is a private collection but tours may be arranged by contacting Mr. David Pinney, formerly Head of Biology at Trent College. Tel: 0115 877 9669 e-mail: pinneydavid@hotmail.com .

A guided tour will be taking place this Saturday 19th May, 14.00 - 16.00 in aid of the Mayors charities. Tickets are £5.00 and include refreshments. Click here for more details

Students Prepare for Greenland Expedition

2012-05-11T00:00:00

Students, Harry Tatham and Jack Mason report on their Greenland training expedition in The Lake District which took place on 30^th March - 3^rd April

The training expedition began immediately at the end of Lent term. As everyone else was leaving to go home for the holidays the Greenland team were on the M6 heading North to the Lake District. The first night was spent at Hollows Farm in the Borrowdale valley near Keswick. At the crack of dawn were woken by Mr Saville to the lovely aroma of porridge made with water! We needed as much energy as we could get for what was to come.

Our first walk began by ‘gaining height early’ climbing Sour Milk Gill, before scrambling up Base Brown to Green Gable. It soon became clear that Mr Saville did not like taking the easy path as we scrambled up the broken cliffs to the summit. This was a steep start to the journey especially as we were carrying everything we needed to survive independently for the next few days on our backs. We continued along the ridge up to the summit of Great Gable were we enjoyed a well-earned rest. We found that the vertical trek ‘to gain height early’ drained our energy rather quickly, but we had our limited supply of chocolate bars to keep us going. From Great Gable we then headed west over Kirk Fell before dropping steeply back down into Ennerdale valley. By now we were all really starting to feel the effects of the first days walk but it was far from over! With Mr Saville’s words of “not far now, just over the next hill” and the thought of a warm meal we all romped up Pillar Rock and onto the atmospheric peak of Steeple. From here you could see back over the very tiring route we had travelled, with Great Gable dominating the skyline. Our first nights camp was in an almost surreal spot known as Scoat Tarn on the west edge of the Lake District, with views out over the sea toward the Isle of Man and North up to the Scottish borders.

The second day our hike began with a scramble from our campsite to get back to the ridge of our existing route. After spending a good hour recovering with a gentle downward slope, we came face to face with Yewbarrow. This steep ascent was a true scramble, relying on every member’s balance to keep them from a slight tumble, especially with an 18kg bag on our backs. This was a very rewarding climb and at the summit we were greeted by some beautiful views over Wasdale and our next checkpoint, Scafell Pike. Descending Yewbarrow proved to be a challenge with there being no clear footpath the slope was covered in scree but every man came down alive. The next challenge ahead was Scafell Pike which looked daunting when at the foot of the mountain, so as a result we had a tactical half hour siesta in the valley base. Scafell Pike (England’s highest mountain) and the ensuing journey to our second nights camp, proved to be the most challenging part of the training expedition both physically and mentally as none of us had any energy reserves left to climb the seemingly endless series of path and ridges. By the time we had all made it to summit there wasn’t a man in the team who wasn’t taking the weight off their feet and enjoying the spectacular view that we could have had if we hadn’t been fully surrounded by thick cloud and fog! Here we had the most amazing, well-deserved Twix any of us had ever eaten. From here to our next camping spot, it was a steady downhill slope to another beautiful spot beside Sprinkling Tarn, and for the first time Mr Saville wasn’t the first to the campsite and, for once didn’t find the best spot to pitch the tent, as Matthew Walter beat him to it. A second night of dehydrated food beckoned and of course the luxury of Oat-so-Simple with water for breakfast. Yum-yum-yum!

The next morning brought great news as we realised that at the end of today’s activity we would finally be able to shower and recuperate. After packing our tents we made the shorter hike down to the minibus which took us back to Hollows Farm from where, after a short café stop, we re-grouped ourselves and spent the rest of the day climbing on Wodens Face a 25mt high rockface just a short walk and river crossing from the campsite. Watching the varied first attempts at crossing what was only a very small river it became clear that we all needed to practice this important skill before we leave for Greenland although we did provide amusement and an amusing spectacle for a few tourists resting by the river. Alex Taylor gained the Muppet of the trip award when he removed his shoe to cross to avoid wetting his trainers and promptly threw them to the opposite bank, where a slightly short throw resulted in them landing in the water; Uncomfortable wet feet and wet shoes. We spent about 4 hours rock climbing putting our rope skills to the test on a number of different climbs. The following day we had hoped the overnight rain would have filled the rivers so we could undertake some river crossing practice, however, after waiting until midday for the rain to clear, the rivers had still not changes noticeably from the previous day, so we decided it was time to pack up camp and head back home, dropping Jack and Dougie off in Ambleside for a revision camp at Windermere School. We returned to Trent tired, and with lots of wet kit but also some good memories of what had been a hard but rewarding few days spent in the hills.

Positive Boarding Report for Trent

2012-05-09T00:00:00

Mrs Dixon, Head, is pleased to announce that Trent College has received a very positive boarding welfare report from the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI).

The new report highlighted how Trent College works to ensure pupils settle in well through the use of peer mentors, that boarders are able to engage in a wide range of enrichment activities, enjoying good sporting, music, drama, and design and technology facilities, and the robust arrangements that are in place for safeguarding and promoting pupil welfare.

Pupils reported they feel well cared for, while the school’s boarding houses are regularly maintained and the rooms are in good condition. Boarders also benefit from a good range and quality of nutritious food, with choices to meet all needs, according to the report.

The report comes at the perfect time for our school as we prepare to host the first national ‘Introduction to Boarding’ event on Saturday 16th June, supported by the Boarding Schools' Association (BSA) and UK Boarding Schools.com, and ahead of our new Lower School boarding facilities opening in September.

Mrs Dixon said: “We are very pleased with the outcome of the ISI report and welcome the inspectors’ recommendations to enable us to keep evolving the home-away-from-home family community we strive to nurture in our boarding houses.

“We recently conducted a survey of our boarders’ parents and words such as ‘homely’, ‘friendly’, ‘happy’ and ‘family’ came up time after time. This strength of our boarding community provides solid foundations from which pupils are able to thrive both academically and in their chosen areas of extra-curricular interest.

“There is currently a definite trend in British independent schools whereby more and more pupils are choosing to board, whether part or full time and we look forward to offering new boarding opportunities for younger pupils from September.”

To view the full report please click here

Year 10 Camped their way to Bronze

2012-05-03T00:00:00

On Monday 2nd April, 62 pupils from Year 10 gathered at Trent to load up the minibuses before heading out to the Peak District for their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Qualifying Expedition. The fleet of five minibuses with all the pupils and nine supervising adults along with two trailers made their way to Hassop Station on the Monsal Trail, just north of Bakewell. After sorting out all the rucksacks and having a final briefing with the supervisors, the groups set off on their various routes. Each of these routes, planned in detail by the pupils over the previous weeks, was about 12-14 kms long and was due to last about 6 hours.

All nine groups displayed good navigational skills and worked very well as teams. There were a few minor detours, but nothing that delayed the groups too long and they all made their way safely to their campsites at Haddon Grove or Monyash. Once in camp, the groups again showed good campcraft skills in the way they set up their tents and got on with cooking their food. In the morning, despite some light rain, the story was similar with all making suitably early departures on their second day. Once again, there were no major mishaps during day 2 and the groups ended up back at Hassop Station, where they had a debrief with their Assessor and gave a detailed oral report about their chosen topic.

This expedition went very smoothly. Credit for this must firstly go to the pupils who proved themselves competent, well-organised, positive and resilient. Thanks also go to the eight staff and one parent who took such good care of the groups, and finally to the three Assessors (Paul, Tom and JP) for their time, enthusiasm and expertise.

Lessons from Auschwitz

2012-05-01T00:00:00

Year 12 Students, Will Moon and Gareth Coleman report on their trip to Auschwitz.

We were fortunate to be chosen to represent Trent College as Ambassadors for the ‘Lessons From Auschwitz’ (LFA) project. After writing letters to Mrs Sunderland underlining our interest in regard to visiting Auschwitz and being part of the larger Holocaust project, we were then invited to a Seminar at the Nottingham Albert Hall. There, we were given a talk by a Jewish ex-prisoner of Auschwitz, Ziggy Shipper; the 82-year-old gave us his testimony of experiencing the Holocaust as a 10-year-old Jew, and being a prisoner at Auschwitz. Both of us were extremely moved by his words, and the harsh reality of being part of such an atrocity. It accentuated our bewilderment as to how human beings could treat their own countrymen like animals in such a short time period. We then discussed the whole prospect of visiting Auschwitz, and how we could prepare ourselves as much as possible emotionally before the day.

On Wednesday 29th February we were flying to Krakow Airport from the East Midlands. After the 2½ flight, we found ourselves on the wrong side of the road travelling through Poland in a coach to the small town of Oswiecim. Here we examined the pre-Jewish life before Jew’s were targeted as the public enemy during the build-up to WW2. After looking at the sights where seven Synagogues were burnt to the ground by Nazis in an area which was home to eight thousand Jews, we felt harrowed at how human beings could be so cruel and disrespectful to members of their own society. We then went inside a refurbished Synagogue which wasn’t burnt down (the Nazis used it as a weapons armoury) where Rabbi Marcus informed us about Judaism as a religion, and the way Jews lived in ‘tremendous harmony’. Again, this made us feel sick about the discrimination of such a peaceful race.

We then took a short coach journey to Auschwitz 1, the original concentration camp, where Jews and other ethnic minorities such as Gypsies and the disabled were farmed like animals. We observed the tiny rooms in which many prisoners were forced to sleep, and we saw photographs of Jews participating in backbreaking labour - like digging or building (maybe the very building in which they were to be gassed or have their bodies burnt to ash). The different blocks we explored had different rooms in which stored the confiscated belongings of the prisoners. Some of these sights were horrendous; the quantity of possessions that were stacked from floor to ceiling in these rooms brought the whole prospect of ‘The Final Solution’ to life, and emphasised are disgust as to how an entire race could be so harshly mistreated. We saw rooms full of glasses, shoes, pots, hairbrushes, prosthetic limbs (which may have been taken from ex-German soldiers who had fought for Germany in WW1) and probably most spine curling of all, a room full of human hair (that the Nazis used or sold to make carpets or uniform). Unfortunately, the sights weren’t going to get any more pleasant. We made our way over to Block 11, probably the most famous block in the whole of Auschwitz 1 in which prisoners were experimented on, tortured or murdered. We went down to the cellar and looked into starvation chambers, and tiny areas where about four prisoners were squashed and forced to stand for long periods of time; this certain punishment lead to their death via starvation or exhaustion. Outside we visited the shooting range between Blocks 10 and 11, where several thousand prisoners were shot. We could not believe that we were effectively standing in the death place of so many innocent people; it just didn’t make any sense. Finally we walked over to the only remaining gas chamber (which wasn’t burnt down because the Nazis used it as bomb shelter), which was used before they decided to gas prisoners on a much larger scale at Auschwitz-Birkenau. No amount of words can describe how emotionally drained I felt as I walked into that large room. The fact that hundreds of people were once screaming, clinging onto their loved ones and banging on the doors made us shudder. We were told that two Nazi motorbikes were revved up to drown out the screaming (that lasted for about twenty minutes), but even that couldn’t drown out the horror. Next door was the crematorium, where bodies were carried through and burnt. I cannot express my hatred towards the Nazis at that point.

We then took another coach journey down the road, where we followed a train track that led up to the infamous entrance of Auschwitz-Birkenau, which was a wide building where the train track led straight through. We climbed the stairs to the watch tower where the SS guards used to overlook the camp. From here we could see row upon row of huts that continued into the distance; the scale was mind blowing. A small moat – probably dug by the prisoners – surrounded the camp with lines of barbed wire; guard towers were also present about every twenty metres around the camp’s perimeter. Afterwards we walked down where the tracks split into three, and we could imagine the chaos of the sorting procedure that would have occurred around seventy years ago. This was the place where millions of people would never see members of their family again. On the track was a preserved horse carriage in which prisoners were transported in. Eight horses could fit inside, but the Nazis managed to cram up to ninety people in, with one bucket and few air holes.

We had a look in some of the reconstructed huts, including the women’s latrine which had holes cut in stone for toilets, no washing facilities and lack of privacy. Another hut was stuffed with bunk beds, with three levels. In each layer of these wooden beds slept seven people, and in one hut alone could contain hundreds. This caused many diseases to spread rapidly throughout the camp as people were literally living on top of each other. We walked down the path next to the train track, which for thousands were their last walk; we approached the gas chamber. What we saw were ruins. The Nazis had tried to clear all evidence of what they had done to prisoners; this clearly depicted how the Nazis knew that what they had done was wrong, and so it was confusing as to why so many went along with the idea. We could still see the gas chamber, and the steps leading down to it; this sight was very harrowing as we knew that millions had been murdered in there. Next to it was the crematorium where bodies were burnt to ash. Again this had been demolished by the Nazis, but we couldn’t believe that this was the spot where so many people had their bodies burnt. We visited the cleansing building, where prisoners were taken to be ‘sterilised’, and inside saw where people had to strip naked, shower (in either burning hot of freezing cold water depending on the season), had their hair cut off (usually with blunt instruments that tended to injure the victim) and then the space where prisoners changed into their blue striped pyjamas. The whole building was like stepping into a nightmare, but it had actually happened.

As it became darker, we made our way over to the end of the railway track, and Rabbi Marcus discussed what we had just seen. He then sang a Jewish call to prayer, and everything else was completely silent. It was such a magical moment for all of us, and is a feeling which we will never forget. After the service we all laid down candles over the end of the railway track, and this again was a very magical sight.

Trent students ski their way through the Easter break!

2012-04-30T00:00:00

The Easter holidays once again provided opportunity for a group of adventurous youngsters to experience the delights of skiing on our annual Year 7-10 trip to the French Alpes. 43 pupils and 6 staff spent the week in Risoul, a relatively small but well-appointed resort situated on the French Italian border. Departing on Good Friday, we experienced a quicker than expected coach journey and smooth ferry crossing which soon had us settled in resort. Staying at the Hotel Morgan, adjacent to the slopes we almost achieved doorstep skiing. On arrival, conditions were predictable for the time of year with adequate snow cover on the pistes, but looking a little thin elsewhere as the last real snowfall of any significance in the Alpes had been on Feb 2^nd! The group were quickly settled into rooms and equipped with boots, skis, helmets and poles ready for the next day’s skiing although in some cases there was an air of apprehension about the week ahead, with almost half the group falling into the novice category and a larger than usual Year 7 representation, the first days skiing was always going to be enlightening and a little nerve wracking. It was great to see the way they all approached their lessons however, and it soon became apparent that, despite their lack of previous experience, some were quite natural on skis. Brandon Middleton (Y9) deserves special mention here as he took to the sport particularly well and was accelerated through the tuition groups on the first few days as a result of his progress. Elliot Bowman (Y7) after a challenging day one where he wasn’t sure if skiing was for him, got the most improved skier award after the second day and from that point on was always disappointed to reach the end of a session and have to return to the hotel. The first few days were predictably sunny although cold at night, resulting quite icy conditions first thing in the morning, perfect snow for a few hours in the middle of the day and then wet and slushy towards the evening. This all changed however, at the end of day three when it started snowing and we woke the next morning to a fresh fall of approximately half a metre of spring powder. It resulted in a winter wonderland of conditions for the group to enjoy over the rest of their week. The fresh snow totally transformed the landscape and opportunities to explore the mountain to the full. It also meant a change of skiing style, learning to control both speed and direction in the deep snow rather than on the super smooth and carpet like pistes from earlier in the week. With 4hrs lessons each day in addition to some opportunity to ski with their peer group it was tiring work for the legs, but despite the level of exercise each new day was greeted with good spirits and a positive outlook. Whilst the days were actively spent skiing both in and out of lessons, the evening also provided plenty of opportunity for apres-ski. This included, a town trail and Easter-Egg hunt, bum boarding, an in-house movie and games night complete with many activities and games, as well as a lightning fast and exhilarating run down the mechanical luge track. This involved being seated in a bobsleigh type sledge, with only a seatbelt and brake for comfort and then following a rollercoaster track down the wooded slopes adjacent to our hotel. Judging by the screams of delight this was a particularly popular activity with quite a large number queuing again immediately to have additional attempts. The food provided by the hotel was plentiful and the service friendly and efficient despite this being the last week of the season for school groups.

We were once again fortunate with the weather managing to ski every day and making the most of our time in the resort. Everyone enjoyed the nature of the activity and the group as a whole bonded very well, supporting each other and getting the most out of their lessons. It was in the main an injury free week, apart from a very minor sprained ankle. Otherwise it was a very smooth trip to run, enjoyed by both the staff concerned and the children. Next year it’s Montgenevre and judging by the response to my announcement on the return journey we will have quite a number of return skiers.

Cricket Boys Tour Desert Springs

2012-04-27T00:00:00

20 boys ranging from Year 9 - Year 13 and 2 members of staff ventured to Desert Springs in Spain for a pre-season cricket tour. The team had access to some excellent facilities including a bowling machine, nets and grass wickets and they were served first class food throughout their stay in top accommodation facilities.

The boys played in two teams of ten, Captained by Curtley Read and Jake Trembling. They played a floodlit game, a 20/20, two 10/10s, they took part in lots of cricket scenarios as well a quiz. Their stay was packed with other sporting activities as well as cricket including a football match, a round of golf and morning runs at 7.30am!

Hopefully this will assist the boys in making an excellent start to the cricket season this term!

Sixth Form French Students Study in Montpellier

2012-04-27T00:00:00

9 students from Sixth form participated in a trip to the beautiful city of Montpellier in the South of France during Easter. Old Trident Andrew Kinselle owns the language school LSF in the city and came into Trent to encourage us to start a trip there.

The group left early on Saturday and students were collected from Montpellier airport by their host families. They received a warm welcome and were shown the sights of this city, the fastest-growing in France. On Easter Sunday they visited le pont du gard, a splendid Roman aqueduct and Avignon, famous for its pont and le palais des papes. They went bowling on Easter Monday and it was clear that students were making the most of the stay with their host families (who could not speak English for the most part), were discovering important cultural differences and learning how to put their linguistic skills into action.

On Tuesday lessons started in the school where they took part in different activities in the afternoons and evenings – cinema, ice-skating, and restaurants.

The students were complimented on their excellent behaviour and the week should prove to be extremely beneficial as the oral exams are next week. We hope that this link will prove popular in the future. There really is no better way to improve your French!

Students go for Gold!

2012-04-25T00:00:00

Towards the end of the Easter holiday, twenty one students from Year 12 headed north to the Yorkshire Dales to complete a practice expedition for their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award. The first night was spent at Hawkswick Cote campsite near Arncliffe and after a cold night, the sun rose early over the frosted tents. This turned out to be a cold but clear day, allowing the groups to complete their route and practice the vital navigational skills they need. All were pleased to make it in good time to the campsite in Stainforth, Ribblesdale.

The second day’s trekking involved ascending the first of the famous Yorkshire Three Peaks, Pen-y-Ghent (694m). Luckily for the groups, the weather was again rather kind, allowing for a challenging but enjoyable route with good visibility. The evening’s campsite was in Horton-in-Ribblesdale where everyone got on with putting their tents up, cooking meals and keeping warm. The forecast for the night was stormy, so checks were made that the tents were strongly pegged down.

Sure enough, at about midnight it began to blow a gale and rain very heavily. This continued almost unbroken for the next ten hours, meaning that the plan for the day needed some amendment. There were few complaints when first the groups were encouraged to stay in their tents until about 9am and then ferried down to Settle for a café breakfast. Fortunately, the weather was better in the afternoon, allowing for the planned routes up Ingleborough (724m) to be completed, albeit a little later than originally intended. However, there was still time for a short blizzard at the top!

The aim on the final day was to complete the Yorkshire Three Peaks by getting up Whernside (736m). An early start saw the groups on the ground by 8.15am, trekking up the mountain which had its head permanently in the clouds. It was blustery and cold along the ridge, but all groups made good time, allowing the whole party to return to Settle for well-earned fish and chips.

Congratulations to all the students involved for showing such a positive attitude and willingness to learn new skills. These will be important when they attempt their Qualifying ventures in the North York Moors in June. Thanks also to the Trent staff, former staff and parent who supervised the groups and enabled the expedition to go ahead.

Sixth Formers Study in Spain

2012-04-24T00:00:00

On 8th April five Spanish students from Year 12 made an early start on Easter Sunday to travel to Madrid for a week. The aim of the trip was to enhance the students’ linguistic skills ahead of the AS examinations and improve their cultural awareness.

On arrival, the students headed straight to the beautiful Parque del Buen Retiro to relax and watch the world go by before going to the Prado Museum to contemplate the masterpieces of artists such as Goya and Velásquez. Each morning for the rest of the week, students had 4 hours of intensive Spanish lessons with native speakers at the Linguarama language school, where they were encouraged to communicate entirely in Spanish and practise their AS topics.All involved found the lessons highly useful, enjoyable and valuable, and the students impressed the staff with their enthusiasm.

Afternoons and evenings were spent visiting the sites of Madrid, such as the Puerta del Sol, the Reina Sofía Museum (in which students saw Picasso's 'Guernica'), a tour of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, the Royal Palace, and a trip out of Madrid to Toledo. The highlight for many was experiencing at first hand the incredible atmosphere at the the Vicente Calderón Stadium for the crucial Madrid derby - the La Liga battle between Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid in which Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick. Spanish food was also high on the agenda, with patatas bravas, oysters, churros, paella, rice cooked in squid ink, and eggs, chips and eels all devoured!

Trent Sports Stars Shine in Memorable Term

2012-04-18T00:00:00

Head of Sport, Mr Benstead, has paid tribute to Trent College’s talented young sports performers at the end of a hectic Lent term during which many of our teams and individuals shone on the national, regional and county stage.

No fewer than four Trent College teams reached their respective National Schools Finals’ –U14 girls’ netball and hockey, U18 boys’ hockey and indoor hockey – while the school ended the term with one Regional Championship-winning team and six County Champion teams.

In addition rising hockey stars, Kim Leiper and Chris Proctor, were both selected to represent England Under 18s at their respective Easter Four Nations European Tournaments last week. Chris scored in a dramatic penalty shoot-out as England boys won tournament gold in Holland while Kim helped England girls claim bronze also on penalties in Germany.

Second row rugby union prospect Nick Gray, son of Scotland’s 1990 Grand Slam hero Chris Gray, represented Scotland Under 17s against England at the end of March while Jamie Spencer-Pickup was crowned British Schools’ Judo U42kgs champion, adding to his Nationals and Midlands’ titles earlier this year. Meanwhile Elena Frankland (squash), Jenny Pickering (speed skating), Oliver Davidson (swimming), Olivia Kelly (golf), Ziggy Chmiel (canoeing) and Jack Dickinson (rugby) continue to impress in their respective county, regional and national age-groups squads.

Last month also saw Trent College host the inaugural Olivia Murphy U16 Netball Tournament, named after England’s double Commonwealth Games bronze medallist netball star who herself was in attendance at the event along with another former England player Julie Malinski. The tournament welcomed six teams, including two from Trent College plus Derby High School, Robert Sutton Sports College and Ockbrook School.

Mr Benstead admits barely a day passed during the term when we weren't acknowledging another notable achievement.

He said: “All the staff and students who have been involved in what has been such a memorable term of sport for Trent College deserve massive praise and congratulations.

As well as the more high profile achievements we have also gained equal satisfaction from seeing pupils like Freddie Hopkisson be named Player of theTournament at the Oakham U12s’ 7-a-side Hockey Festival while we still have the U18 boys’ National Schools’ Hockey Finals to look forward to in Cannock at the end of April. I think the fact our sports teams perform so consistently well is due to the strength in depth of competition for places we have at each age-group in each sport, namely that our B, C and D teams remain competitive. Without this our A teams would not be as strong.”

Trent Sixth Formers Investigate Business in London

2012-04-05T00:00:00

On the dawn of Friday 23rd March 2012 at precisely 6:30, 30 Trent Sixth Form students assembled on the terrace to depart for London on a Business and Economics trip. Despite the obvious deprivation of sleep, morale was high and we were all extremely excited to see what the day would bring!

After a long bus journey we finally arrived at The Westfield Centre in the Borough of Stratford in London for a quick pit-stop and to collect our joyful tour guide. After this and with our tour guide on the bus with us, we headed for a tour around the Olympic Park. It was on the bus driving past the Olympic Village that we discovered that it has been budgeted that there will be a consummation of approximately 2.7 million bananas by the athletes during their stay! There were many fun facts like this which were very interesting to everyone.

Whilst walking around the Olympic Park we took some time taking pictures and admiring our view of the Olympic Stadium, the Velodrome and the Orbit. I personally was particularly fascinated by the height, impact and investment of millions of pounds into the Orbit which plans to hold a massive three hundred people!

After a walk around the Olympic Stadium we took a tour round various venues discussing: different architects and builders, creating employment, new housing (much of it social so not too expensive) business opportunities for example – Westfield creating more jobs (the Multiplier). We learnt that some of the venues are to be moved after the games helping regenerate other parts of London – for example the Basketball venue which will be re-used (in a way re-cycled) for the Olympics in Rio in 2016. Following on from this we visited other venues such as the Excel centre and had the pleasure of seeing the cable car being built into the O2 Arena (which will not be called this during the Olympics as O2 are not sponsoring the Olympics!)

Subsequently we had lunch at the Thames Barrier Park where the budding photographers and I took the chance to take many photos of the beautiful scenery. After doing so we clambered back onto the coach for a trip into the city. On our way in we passed the old Docklands area which has been regenerated providing homes and business opportunities. Preceding this we took a tour of the city seeing iconic buildings such as the Gherkin, Lloyds of London and the Shard. All of these famous pieces of architecture were designed to make London an attractive city for investment.

We learnt that there used to be one hundred and seventy different banks there however now there are only one hundred and five (which they aim to increase). We then finished the tour at the Bank of England which is the centre of the London financial district, Lombard Street where Italian merchants moved to increase trade. Overall it was an extremely beneficial and I enjoyed every minute of it!

Trent House's Charge Towards the House Cup

2012-03-30T00:00:00

It has been another action-packed term for the House system, with a variety of events which have completely changed the scores. It just goes to show that this really is anyone’s game and it is not just a one horse race.

This term has seen a wealth of house events which has bought the whole school together, with students working together across all age groups to claim the winning title.

The first event was the House Magazine giving the Houses an insight into the stressful world of journalism. Kemp took the title with ‘The Kemp Chronicle’ beating stiff competition from the other Houses.

The Sixth Form took on some physical activity in the form of mixed basketball, where Wright came out victorious – it was great to see so many Sixth Formers involved and to see them supporting their Houses.

Meanwhile, the Lower School were taking on their own physical challenge with the Lower School Indoor Sports. Mrs Harris organised a brilliant event where everyone in the Lower School got to score points for their House through throwing, bouncing and catching balls, relay running, skipping and sit ups! There were lots of tired but happy faces at the end of this event! Again, Kemp came out on top scoring the maximum points!

Then came the Whole School Debate – the platform for our future politicians! The Lower School raised important points about exams, mobile phones and sport; the Main School argued their cases for and against CCTV, Facebook and banning GCSEs and the Sixth Form tackled thorny issues such as competitive sport, women bishops and wind farms. Kemp came out on top again! Certainly a running theme for this term! Notable performances from Peter Nathanail and Hannah Buchanan!

Flash fiction was the next event for our budding novelists. Writing a story in 100 words exactly is not as easy as it sounds, but we had some excellent entries. The individual winners for each year group were: Year 7 – Luke Mounteney & Lucie Gale Year 8 – Emmett McDonnell Year 9 – Irteza Israq Years10/11 – Kelly Hopkinson Sixth Form – Deanna Martin. Even the staff got involved with an anonymous winner from Kemp. The overall winners were Wright, narrowly beating Owen to the top spot.

The final event was the 3 Legathon. There was a great atmosphere down on the bottom field with lots of closely contended races from the Houses. The staff race was a highlight with a faster than lightning partnership from Mr Wright and Mr Boswell! When the totals were put together, Kemp again came out on top!

Below are the scores – the leaderboard is totally unrecognisable as the different houses flourished and floundered through the events:

In 5^th place with 323 points – HANBURY

In 4^th place with 349 points – CAVENDISH

In 3^rd place with 409 points – OWEN

In 2^nd place with 451 points – KEMP

In 1^st place with 455 points (only 4 points in it!!) – WRIGHT

The Houses have been working hard to put their fashion collections together and I am sure we will have a brilliant end to the term with the fashion show today.

It is still all to play for and I am sure we are all looking forward to what is in store for us next term!

Year 7 Pupils Enjoy Chemistry Chaos

2012-03-28T00:00:00

Thirty two very excited Year 7 students have taken part in Chemistry Chaos this term as part of an enrichment option. Some of the things they have done are: setting fire to money (and watching in amazement and anticipation as it didn't burn), making polymers of slime and polymorph, writing their names in fire and testing diet coke and mentos to see how high the fizz would go!

Some of the feedback from students was "it was the best enrichment ever", "I liked the bouncy polymorph ball best" and "I like setting fire to the chemicals and seeing the different colours".

At Trent our teachers work very hard to make learning an enjoyable and exciting experience, another great example of bringing lessons to life!

Trent Students make Tissington Trail a Better Place

2012-03-27T00:00:00

This field day, pupils from the Nature Conservation service activity went to Alsop en le Dale, near Ashbourne. The day's project was to thin an area of woodland and clear overhanging trees from a cutting on the Tissington trail.

The trunks and branches were stacked to make a habitat for insect-life. The remaining wood was disposed of on a fire, which the students used to cook baked potatoes and bananas and custard with, much to everyone’s delight. It was a positive and enriching experience for the group who worked very well together on this pleasant Spring day.

U18 Boys Qualify For National Finals

2012-03-26T00:00:00

After the disappointment of finishing runner-up in the Midland Finals, Trent had a difficult match away at King’s College, Taunton to qualify for The U18 National Schools Championships 2012. Despite a long journey, the boys arrived focused on the task ahead. Nerves were clear to see in this winner-takes-all tie, and the game began with several mistakes from both sides. However, as each side settled, some quality hockey was played. Both teams created good chances but neither side could find the finish required. The home side had the advantage in the first half with several short corners being brilliantly defended by Oliver Mantle and the Trent back unit. In the second half, the momentum slowly swayed towards Trent. Quality passing moves out of defence allowed Simkins to surge forward down the right channel and link with Shuttleworth, winning a couple of short corners for the visitors. Before the game, short corners had been discussed as playing a pivotal role in the outcome, as each side were very strong from this set play, but both schools misfired when it mattered! In the end it came down to a piece of individual brilliance from Captain Matthew Shuttleworth to settle the tie. His run from the half way line, beating three players before evading the goalkeeper and scoring from an acute angle, was a fine way to win any match. After the game Shuttleworth commented “It is a pleasure to play with such a group of close friends who have been through so much over their Trent hockey careers and there is no better way to finish than to compete in the Nationals again!”

Mr Wadsley added “This team remains unbeaten this season, apart from tournament length matches, and it is a pleasure to see such a talented group of players care so much about school sport and their school in general. They are a credit to Trent College. It should also be recognised that this team, with one exception, all started at Trent in Year 7, and are a throw-back to school teams of the past. This type of model has changed over more recent years at other schools and our boys have done well to still be competitive at a National level.”

Trent College will compete in the U18 Boys National Finals on Wednesday and Thursday 25th-26th April at Cannock H.C. They open against Watford Grammar school at 2pm on Wednesday 25th April. Both sides met at the National Schools Indoor Championships in a thrilling game and Trent will be hoping for a repeat result.

Mr Wadsley

Head of Boy’s Hockey

Extra Rewards for Trent’s Keenest Readers

2012-03-23T00:00:00

Numerous studies in the UK and abroad have shown that reading for pleasure is vitally important for students to achieve their academic goals. Furthermore, it has been found that children who read are happier and healthier than those who are not.

This is why, at Trent College, we are promoting reading for pleasure with lots of initiatives. Every student has the opportunity to talk to an experienced librarian at any time to help with their reading and with a stock of over 12.000 books in the Duke of Devonshire Library, there is something for everyone! As librarians, we support students on a very individual basis and strive to recommend books to them that they will enjoy and allow them to develop their own taste.

Students who prefer to purchase books can do so from our School Bookshop and we are proud to be able to supply any book currently in print. However, the vast majority of staff and students borrow their reading material from the School Library and the Librarian will reward the tutor groups with the most loans this academic year with extra house points. Currently, it looks like a win for Hanbury – so come on Owen, Cavendish, Wright and Kemp!

Hat Trick for Oliver

2012-03-22T00:00:00

Year 9 pupil, Oliver Davidson became Derbyshire's County Swimming Champion for the third year in a row last weekend!

Oliver swims for Long Eaton Swimming Club but trains full time with the Derbyshire performance squad Derventio eXcel. He trains up to 8 times a week for 2/3 hours which includes 5 mornings from 5.30am to 7.30am.

The Derbyshire swimming championships took place over 2 weekends - 3rd & 4th of March in Matlock and the 10th & 11th of March in Chesterfield.

Oliver recieved his award from Alan Fennel, OBE President of Derbyshire ASA. On Saturday the 10th March. He was also presented with his first county cup, The Etwall Eagles Trophy for the top junior under 16 year old for his 200m backstroke.

Over the two weekends of the Championships, Oliver won the following medals

100m IM gold

200m IM gold

400m IM gold

50m breaststroke gold

100mm breaststroke gold

200m breaststroke gold

50m backstroke gold

100m backstroke gold

200m backstroke gold

200m backstroke Jr U16 gold + county cup

1500m (60 lengths) free silver

400m freestyle silver

50m fly silver

100m fly silver

50m freestyle bronze

100m freestyle bronze

Many of Oliver's times attained at the Derbyshire championships gave him qualifying times for the British Gas Midland Age Group Championships at Coventry in May.

Congratulations Oliver for an amazing performance!

Cameron in Year 8 Prepares for Mini Moto Championship!

2012-03-21T00:00:00

Cameron Fraser in Year 8 is among the many pupils at Trent excelling in various sporting and arts related hobbies. He has just returned from a Mini Moto race practice trip in Spain!

Mini Moto's are minature motorbikes, usually less than 50 cm high and 1 m long. Maximum speed varies between 19 to 40 mph.

Below, Cameron has written an account of his trip.

On the 4th of March 2012 I went to Spain with my Dad to do a week of racing practice. This was the first time I had raced outside of England. The track I raced at was called Finestrat, it is a karting track but bikes can use it as well. The hotel we stayed at was called the Grand Hotel Bali, it is in Benidorm on the South coast of Spain and only 5 minutes away from the track. On the 5th of March it was the first day of racing, it was intense because we were being watched and were racing with a professional racer called Scott Redding. He races in a world championship called Moto2. For more information about him here is a link http://www.scott-redding45.co.uk/. The reason I went to Spain was in preporation for the Junior British championship in Mini Motos. Mini Motos are a small 40cc two-stroke engine bike. My first race in the Championship starts on the 23rd of March in Wales, and ends in October, later in the year.

Whilst I was in Spain, I also had a chance to put my Spanish into practice, they spoke very fast so it was hard to understand everything they were saying but I enjoyed trying!

The days were very long and tiring but at the end of the week I would like to think that I improved. I enjoyed myself greatly and I hope it has improved my chances of winning the races I am entering this year.

Congratulations Cameron and good luck in your forthcoming competitions!

Daniel Scott's Youth Music Theatre Success

2012-03-20T00:00:00

Last week, Year 10 GCSE Drama student Daniel Scott was offered a place in ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’, one of the Youth Music Theatre UK’s summer productions.

Daniel was chosen after impressing the directors with his ‘openness, energy and creative spirit as well as his vocal and physical skills.’

The performance will be an ensemble production, so Daniel will have a fantastic opportunity to throw himself into lots of exercises that will allow him to work with others in creating a fantastic piece of theatre!

Alison Bolton, Head of Drama & Theatre Studies said: ‘I’m really pleased for Dan. This production will give him the chance to showcase his potential.’

We wish Daniel the best of luck with his production with the Youth Music Theatre UK group this summer!

SCHOOL MUSICIANS LEAP INTO SPRING AT ALBERT HALL

2012-03-16T00:00:00

Swing and symphonic wind bands, a jazz ensemble, Orchestra and Choir all got the chance to shine in front of an audience of more than 500 at Nottingham’s Albert Hall as 200 of Trent's many musicians and singers took part in our annual Spring Concert on Friday (9 March).

Pupils from Year 7 to Sixth Form, along with staff, parents and friends of Trent College, performed a diverse programme of arrangements, which included music from artists and composers as varied as the Beatles, Holst, Vivaldi and Phil Collins.

Highlights included Emma Young’s solo saxophone performance on the sultry Harlem Nocturne by Ray Noble, accompanied by The Jazz Combo, Kate Brooks also on saxophone performing Against All Odds by Phil Collins with The Swing Band, and the Symphony Orchestra’s rendition of the Klaus Badelt’s Pirates of the Caribbean film score. The Orchestra was led by Oscar Sinfield, who after enjoying five years as a member of the National Children’s Orchestra is now part of the Birmingham Symphony Youth Orchestra.

There was a moment of poignancy too when the Massed Choir, including the Trent College Chapel Choir, all Year 7 pupils, students, staff and friends of Trent, with a reduced Symphony Orchestra, paid tribute to Britain’s heroic military men and women with a performance of Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace. This included a solo of the Last Post by National Children’s Orchestra trumpet player and Year 8 pupil, Francis Sinfield.

Bates get Pampered

2012-03-15T00:00:00

Last weekend, Trent held a Pamper Day for the girls of Bates House to enjoy! With lots of treatments available including manicures, pedicures, foot spas and massages galore, we ensured all of our girls felt completely relaxed and well and truely 'pampered'.

Agnes Lau of Bates house said 'I had two treatments – Toe nail art and a mini body massage. Its the first time I have ever had crystals on my toes and they look really pretty! My mini body massage was great and I felt very relaxed. I really enjoyed the day as we could all relax together in our common room! - Thank you Mrs Daykin.'

Emma Kok also enjoyed the day and explained, "For the pedicure I had my nails cut and reshaped then I got to have a foot bath, it was extremely relaxing!! Once my feet had soaked, I had the paraffin wax - it was like candle wax and made my feet feel really nice and soft. I then had a foot massage using moisturising cream so my feet were even softer! To finish off the pedicure I got my nails painted. I chose a really nice purple colour and a stick on transfer".

Im sure they are all looking forward to whatever other activities our boarding activity programme has in stall for them!

TRENT COLLEGE NETBALLERS STEELED FOR NATIONAL CHALLENGE

2012-03-13T00:00:00

Trent College Under 14 netballers head to the National Schools’ Netball Finals in Essex next (Saturday 17 March) aiming to provide the highlight in what we hope will be a triumphant week of championship action for its rising sports stars.

As well as the Under 14 girls staking their claim at being crowned the country’s top Year 9 netball team, Our Under 14 and Under 18 boys’ hockey teams will do battle for their respective Midlands championship titles and the right to seal their place in the finals of the National Schools Championships for Boys.

Meanwhile, the Under 13 girls’ netballers also head to Chesterfield for the Derbyshire county championship tournament.

The Under 14 netballers are gearing up for the biggest tournament of their lives when they travel to Basildon to take on the cream of England’s school netball talent after claiming a hard-fought runners-up spot at the Midlands Regional Finals in Northampton in January.

For many of the team it will be their second shot at a national title in as many weeks, with no fewer than seven of the 10-strong squad having also recently represented Trent at the National Schools Hockey Championships for Girls.

Miss Thornton, Head of Netball, believes that experience will stand her Derbyshire county champions in good stead.

She said: “The most important thing when preparing for a competition of this scale is making sure the players are confident and don’t feel overawed by the occasion. The girls have earned the right to be at the National Schools Netball Finals with some determined, gritty performances. The fact so many of them played in the national hockey finals can only help in them understanding what to expect in terms of the logistics of a national event, the likely standard of competition and what it means to represent Trent College at this level.”

Trent feature in Pool B in Basildon, with nine teams contesting a round robin competition with the winners of that pool going head to head with the winners of Pool A for the national crown. The runners up in each pool will contest a third place play-off.

Meanwhile, the Under 14 boys’ hockey team will contest their regional finals at Cannock Hockey Club on Monday (12 March) and the Under 18 boys at the same venue next Wednesday (14 March), the same day the Under 13 girls bid for Derbyshire netball glory.

Congratulations everyone and good luck in all of your forthcoming competitions!

Old Trident and life in the City

2012-03-12T00:00:00

Old Trident and City trader Nigel Owen delivered an entertaining talk to the Sixth Form giving us a real taste of life working for a City bank. After leaving Trent – and running our school bank – Nigel moved onto greater things, firstly with the Royal Bank of Scotland and then, five years ago, moving to be a VP at The Royal Bank of Canada.

Nigel gave the students a warts and all run down of life as a city trader, the early starts, the information overload, the risks, the stress and yes, of course, the rewards as well. He invited students to voice the criticism so often levelled by press and public, about massive bonuses, the male dominated profession, reckless lending and greed. Nigel dealt with each point, putting the other side of the story, not exonerating the banks but suggesting that our credit crunch problems had multiple causes.

Over dinner Nigel gave advice to students who wanted to emulate his career path, stressing the need for a good degree from a good university and the importance of working hard and trying to make yourself stand out from the crowd.

A genuinely useful evening on many levels, the event was enjoyed by all.

Olympian Inspires Trent Students

2012-03-09T00:00:00

Olympian, table tennis champion, broadcaster and author Matthew Syed delivered his lecture to the whole sixth form in the chapel last Friday.

Champions are born with special gifts that single them out for success whilst the rest of us don't stand a chance? Not according to Matthew who puts it all down to practise.

Using evidence gained in his sporting career and his contacts with top sportsmen and women Matthew urged Trent students to apply his theories to their studies. He maintained that the 'gifted' argument led to some people giving up as they believed they had no talent, whilst those that did became complacent. A fascinating and uplifting lecture has lead to much debate and discussion in both staff and student common rooms.

World Book Day at Trent College

2012-03-07T00:00:00

Literacy in all its forms plays a crucial role in education. This is why reading, writing and listening is so paramount to the everything we do at Trent College and why, once again, we celebrated World Book Day in style.

The day began with registration during which everyone was encouraged to bring in their favourite book to talk about it.

At break and lunchtime, students met in the Duke of Devonshire Library to design a bookmark or enter a special World Book Day Quiz. Many students took advantage of the special offers from the School Bookshop and there was also a lot of interest in the book reviews written by Trent College teachers. Our Head Library Monitor congratulated Miss Stewart on her winning review.

An exciting exhibition opened in the Library Foyer: students from years 7-8 had designed new covers for their favourite books. The Art Department honoured the best entries with brilliant prizes, while a new design for The Guinness Book of World Records won the Library Prize.

Following on from the excitement in the Library was a themed lunch, this year dedicated to the Bicentenary of the birth of Charles Dickens. But as it was Trent Colleges Catering Department serving the gruel, people could be seen asking for more!

Celebrations went on the next morning, when Years 7-9 and 11 were enthralled by the contemporary storyteller Jo Blake. With her expressive voice, her style and a few great stories up her sleeve, Jo had the audience of several hundred staff and students in the palm of her hand. After an hour, students were reluctant to leave and one Year 9 student commented that this was the best Friday morning ever!

Going Solar

2012-03-06T00:00:00

New four kilowatts solar panels have been fitted to the south side of the Design and Technology building roof. This is a first for Trent and is another step towards becoming a greener school.

Mr Gregory, Director of Operations, is delighted with the installation and says:

"We hope that whilst being good for the environment, the solar panels will also be good for our utilities budget! Our students will be able to monitor the amount of electricity being generated which should be interesting, especially on sunny days"

http://121solar.co.uk/

Trent Launches Economics Essay Writing Competition

2012-03-05T00:00:00

Trent has launched an essay writing competition for our Year 12 and 13 Economics students to select entrants for the national competition run by the Royal Economic Society!

The Royal Economic Society national competition is open to all A level and IB Economics students accross the UK. All entries will be judged by a panel of 15-20 experienced Economics teachers drawn from a range of schools and colleges across the UK. The teacher panel will meet in June and shortlist 5-10 essay from an expected entry of 500. The shortlist judging panel will be Professor Richard Blundell (RES), Charles Bean (Bank of England) and Stephanie Flanders (BBC). The result of the competition is announced in late July/early August.

The school competition which was launched in February requires that all entries must be submitted by March 30th. The students were given a choice of 6 titles:

1. Africa is well-placed to achieve rapid and sustainable development in the decade ahead. Do you agree?
2. Over a million young people in the UK are unemployed. What should be done to address the problem?
3. A breakup of the euro provides the best hope for a durable recovery of the European economy. Discuss
4. To what extent can we use ideas drawn from behavioural economics to help address specific social and economic problems?
5. Manufacturing’s share of the UK economy shrank from 19% in 1998 to 12% by 2007. Does this matter and, if so, how could policy revitalise British manufacturing?
6. Is there a better way out of the debt crisis than austerity?

There is a 2,500 word limit and entries have to be submitted by March 30th 2012. We will then have a panel to judge the entries (hopefully including at least one parent/governor/local specialist) and will announce the winners (one for Year 12 and one for Year 13) on 26th April so we can enter essays into the national competition.

We hope that all economics students will enter this competition and are pleased to announce that there will be a cash prize and a trophy for the two winners; one from year 12 and one from year 13.

If any parents and or governors would like to be part of the judging panel, please would they contact Mr Stevens. max.stevens@trentcollege.net

Pupils Learn How to Scuba Dive

2012-03-02T00:00:00

A group of five pupils are the latest cohort at Trent to begin their PADI Open Water Scuba Diving course. We have had over 50 pupils qualify with us and later enjoy some fantastic diving expeditions to Egypt. Our training is run by Nottingham based Dive Barracuda, an organisation that has been running our training for over 15 years. The components of the training are:

· The initial signing on session and briefing for pupils (taking around 45 minutes). This took place on February 24th.

· Two pool sessions for training in using the equipment. The first of which took place in the Trent College pool on 26th February and lasted for around two hours. All five participants coped well as you can see from the pictures.

· One or two theory session at Trent during Lent term so pupils understand the fundamentals of diving and appreciate the risks inherent in this activity.

· An examination on the theory already covered. This will take between 60 – 90 minutes and will be run at Trent, late in Lent term.

· Two days diving so every pupil does a total of 4 dives to complete their training. The dives will include skills practice and will be in Trinity term. These will take place on two separate Sundays, one will visit Dost Hill Quarry and the other will visit Stoney Cove.

The dive qualification enables pupils to dive with any PADI centre around the world. Many of our pupils use the qualification to dive with us, with their families and with their friends. Some go on to become Dive Masters and Dive Instructors in exotic locations around the world.

All those who qualify are aiming to join us on our next dive expedition and, from the evidence of the first session we have another cohort of excellent divers bubbling under.

Netballers on Tour

2012-03-01T00:00:00

Over half term, our netballers ventured overseas to take part in a series of Netball matches in Jersey and Dubai where they played against other schools in an International netball tournament. The tours presented students with a great opportunity to experience another culture whilst playing their favourite sport. Below is a detailed report from each trip.

Lower School Jersey Netball Tour by Julia He (7Y)

During half-term, a group of Year 7 and Year 8 girls (35 in total), accompanied by Miss Thornton, Mrs Benstead, Miss Salisbury, Mrs Taylor and Mr Hope, went on a netball tour to Jersey. We all assembled at 7:30am outside the May Hall and set off to East Midlands Airport; everyone was really excited! At the airport, everybody bought lots and lots of sweets and chocolates! Soon we were flying….to Jersey!!!

We had lunch at Mayfair Hotel, where we would be staying for the next few days. It was a comfortable hotel, with cosy rooms. After lunch we went shopping in the town centre and also had a chance to look at what Jersey was like. We then went back to the hotel and ate dinner.

On Saturday, we went to the Netball Tournament. Although all of the teams may not have won many games, all of us put lots of effort in and had fun. We played against many teams, which were club level, such as Essex Open, Jersey, Trinity and Guernsey. When we returned to the Hotel we had a team building event and we all enjoyed it. We were all very tired after a hard day’s work and went to the Cinema to see ‘The Vow’.

The next day we continued with the tournament. Miss Salisbury’s Year 7A team went to play in the semi-finals of the plate competition. Unfortunately, they were beaten but they still worked very hard to achieve that. When the tournament ended we were all extremely tired. We went to Jersey Airport and departed to East Midlands. Everybody was glad to be home!

Overall, all of the teams did a great job and everyone had lots of fun. Personally, if I could go on a Netball Tour again, I definitely would.

Dubai Netball Tour - by Miss Thornton

During February half term, the 1^st VII Netball Squad and two staff members departed Heathrow, Dubai-bound, for a week of Netball and cultural excursions. One of the main purposes of this trip was to compete in the inaugural Dubai College International 1^st VII Netball Tournament, a tournament hosted in conjunction with the Dubai College Rugby 10’s competition. Having had a day to acclimatise, we arrived at Dubai College on Saturday 11^th February, ready and rearing to go. Unfortunately it seemed as though we hadn’t quite adjusted to the local conditions, as we were beaten convincingly by the host school in the first round. In the next round, we accounted for Dubai College’s club based team (the Cats) and then drew with BSAK in the third round. We were lucky enough to progress to the semi-final stages of the competition, thanks to a superior goal difference.

In the semi-final, we came up against some strong competition from The English College, but held our nerve and advanced to the final against Dubai College, the same team that had accounted for us in the first round. Having had time to reflect on our previous encounter, we devised a plan of attack. From the moment the girls stepped on court, they were fully focused and determined to upset the favourites…most of the other schools involved in the competition were actually supporting us!! For the next twelve minutes (6 minute halves) it went goal for goal! After full time, the scores were tied, meaning that 2 minutes of extra time were to be played. Unfortunately we were beaten by one goal in the final few seconds of extra time. Although the girls were shattered that they had come so close to winning the tournament, they were all extremely impressed with their achievement and their performance in the final.

The next few days involved exploring Dubai and participating in a number of cultural excursions (dessert safari, camel ride, sand boarding, river cruise, shopping-mall tours and a visit to the local theme park). Some of the girls were even lucky enough to see some penguin’s in the Dubai Ski village…yes Dubai does have its own ski slope!! We were also fortunate enough to have some competitive fixtures against Jumeriah English Speaking College, Dubai English Speaking College and The English College. On the final night of tour, all members of the touring party gathered for a ‘pool top party’ to hand out some serious and some not-so-serious awards for achievements and/or embarrassing moments that had happened throughout the week:

· Player of the Tournament – Tori Bate

· Coaches award – Christy Morgan

· Player’s player – Harriet Livesey

· Most versatile player – Claire Steele

· Most improved – Ellie Frost

· Most embarrassing moment – Abbi Last (What goes on tour….stays on tour Abbi!!)

On behalf of both Kathy Benstead and I, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the girls for their efforts over the course of the week. They were superb and were a real credit to themselves and Trent College. Well done ladies and good luck for the rest of the season.

Academic Lunch

2012-02-29T00:00:00

Once again, congratulations to all students who were invited to join staff and other star students at the academic lunches held on the 20th and 27th February.

Monday 20th February

English	E.Hinnells (8)
Chemistry	M.Young (10)
RS	G.Livesey (10)
Biology	L.Binch (13)
Economics/Politics	J.Trembling (13)
Bus St	A.Lau (12)
History	P.Scattergood (8)
Geog	K.Trinnick (12)
MS	W.Singleton (9)
Latin	P.Goddard (8)
D&T	L.Hadfield (9)

Monday 27^th February

English	J.Walding (10)
Chemistry	L.Hands (10)
Music	D.Giddins (10)
Biology	L.Binch (13)
Economics	N.Ying (12)
Bus St	E.Chan (12)
History	J.Wakerley (7)
Geog	J.He (7)
VI	M.Hama (13)
LS	R.King (7)
Art	H.Chaplin (10)

Guys and Dolls

2012-02-28T00:00:00

Over the past six months, students from years eight to thirteen have been rehearsing for this year’s whole school musical, ‘Guys and Dolls’, which is due to be performed from Tuesday 27th – Thursday 29th March in the May Hall.

With a cast and crew of over 50 students, ‘Guys and Dolls’ is sure to be a production to remember after the endless hours of work that have been put in by students and staff alike to ensure the production goes smoothly.

Director, Dan Brown says: ‘We have a first class cast in this year’s whole school production who are working very hard to bring the play to life. With design by Hilary Statts and Rebecca Bradbury, choreography by Kate Walker, Grace Hodgkin and Cath Chivers, I anticipate that this timely tale of debt and of one man’s attempt to do the right thing will be the highlight of our year’

‘Guys and Dolls’ is a musical fable about what happens to gambling men and the women who long to tame them. Set in the colourful city of New York, it all begins with a bet. Nathan Detroit (Oliver Hayes) bets high-rolling gambler Sky Masterson (William Moon) that Sky cannot persuade Save-A-Soul Missionary Sister Sarah Brown (Charlotte Howarth) to accompany him on a trip to Havana.
Whilst the worldly Sky works his charms on a wary Sarah, Nathan does his best to stay outside the matrimonial clutches of his long-suffering fiancée, Miss Adelaide (Emily Hammond).

Tickets are available for this fantastic production from Haughton Lodge. Alternatively, you can email mailbox_tickets@trentcollege.net or call 0115 8494949.

You can also follow the production updates which are now available on Twitter, @TrentMusical.

This amateur production is presented by arrangement with JOSEF WEINBERGER LTD. on behalf of MUSIC THEATRE INTERNATIONAL of NEW YORK.

Trent College Hosts Radio 4's Any Questions

2012-02-27T00:00:00

Radio 4's Any Questions on Friday proved to be a great success with some interesting topics being debated amongst the audience members and panelists. A few select questions were chosen to be debated including one from Sixth Form student, Hariet Livesy.

Mr Gregory who coordinated the event said; "It was a delight to host BBC ‘Any Questions’. The production and technical teams were a pleasure to work alongside and I was pleased that all the preparation and communication prior to the broadcast paid off. Also encouraging was the final audience number of 700, including many Pupils, Parents, Guests and Friends of the school. The pupils attending thoroughly enjoyed the experience and it was also great to welcome many new faces to Trent. My thanks to both the BBC and Trent production teams!"

Ashbourne Royal Shrovetide Football Visit

2012-02-22T00:00:00

The A level PE syllabus requires the students to understand how football developed from medieval times into modern day football as we know it. Mob football has been played in Ashbourne since medieval times, originally with a pigs bladder and two teams, the Up'Ards and the Down'Ards. Up'Ards traditionally, are those town members born north of Henmore Brook, which runs through the town, and Down'Ards are those born south of the river.

There are two goal posts 3 miles apart, one at Sturston Mill, the other at Clifton Mill. The ball must be tapped three times against the goal in order to successfully score. The game is played over two days on Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday starting each day at 2.00 pm and lasting until 10.00 pm. If the goal is scored before 5pm a new ball is released and play restarts from the town centre, otherwise play ends for the day.

Today, the game is played with a special ball, larger than a standard football, which is filled with cork to help the ball float when it inevitably ends up in the river. It is also hand-painted by local craftsmen specially for the occasion.The game has been known as Royal since King Edward VIII (then the Prince of Wales) turned-up in 1928. The Prince suffered a bloody nose. The game received Royal Assent for a second time in 2003, when the game was once again started by the Prince Charles. On this occasion, the Prince threw the ball into play from a raised plinth.

The students had the opportunity to watch the game and have a real understanding of how the game was played many years ago. The group visited the goal/wall as shown in the picture at the start of the match. It was a unique spectacle and well worth a watch!

Record breaking Bryony enthralls at Trent College

2012-02-21T00:00:00

Young record breaker, Bryony Balen, painted an inspirational picture of how she became the youngest Briton to ski the full distance to the South Pole last month when she addressed students on Wednesday 8th February.

Barely older than most of the gathered Sixth Form audience, 21-year-old Bryony, from Derbyshire, detailed the challenges her team endured in achieving their history-making goal of ski-ing 705 miles (1,100km) from the coast to the pole. She also explained her strict pre-trip training regime, which included gaining two and a half stones and the unusual body building technique of dragging car tyres around Newcastle, where she is at university.

Bryony, who told how she consumed 6,000 calories a day during the attempt and still lost two stone over the seven weeks, fielded questions from the enthralled students and demonstrated some of the hi tech gear that helped her carve her name in the record books.

Bryony’s visit was part of Trent College’s innovative Whole School Programme, which aims to introduce a range of diverse external speakers to address students on a variety of topics to stimulate and inspire them while providing them with a broader view and a greater understanding of the world of politics, the arts, science, business and the media.

Trent College Assistant Head (Curriculum), Mr Tidy, said: “We are grateful to Bryony for giving up her time to come to speak to the students. I think most of them were sat stunned for most of her talk! She really did highlight how you can make anything happen if you want it badly enough and are prepared to make the necessary sacrifices. I know the students took a lot from Bryony’s visit and have been talking about it ever since.”

Bryony skied for eight hours a day pulling a sled with a 60kg bag on her back containing food, equipment and a tent. She celebrated her 21st birthday during the adventure.

New Services for Parents

2012-02-20T00:00:00

Get interactive with Trent's new parent iPhone app and our new secure payment system.

iPhone App

Keep up to date with Trent at the touch of a button with our all new iPhone app. Displaying the School calendar, latest news, galleries, videos and fixtures. You can even contact us in an easy convenient way using the contact form.

Secure Payments

The new Trent College Website has a Secure Payments facility which will enable payments to be made online to the School. We accept most credit and debit cards including Visa, Mastercard, Maestro and Delta. There is no charge for Debit Cards. There is a 2% charge to cover the bank charges applicable for Credit Cards (or if greater, the amount charged by the card company). Secure Payments can be made for Registration Fees, Acceptance Deposits, Other Payments such as Trips, and Invoiced Fees. However the preferred method for the payment of Invoiced Fees continues to be Direct Debit or bank transfer directly into the School’s bank account, the sort code and account number are on the School Invoice. The Payment Reference for a Trip payment is the Place name or Country to be visited and the Teacher’s last name.

3 Trent Students Selected for National Youth Orchestra

2012-02-17T00:00:00

3 Trent Students tell us all about their experiences playing in the National Childrens Orchestra.

My NCO Experience by Pia Rose Scattergood

2011 was my first year as a member of The National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain in the Under 13 Orchestra, playing the flute and piccolo. I can honestly say I enjoyed every aspect of the experience; two nine day residential courses and a long weekend in London, producing three amazing concerts with varied programmes showcasing the music from Weber’s ‘Invitation To The Dance’ to William’s ‘Harry Potter Symphonic Suite’ all played in prestigious venues; The Brighton Dome, The Birmingham Town Hall and The Southbank Centre in London.

The training was intense (up to eight hours a day) but the arm and neck aches and very long hours were really worth it and truly showed when the whole orchestra played together and performed the breath-taking and enchanting pieces.

There were lots of opportunities to socialise and make some really fantastic new friends all of whom share a passion for music but enjoy just having a good time too. The NCO Social Staff (most of them are university students who themselves played in the NCO) were amazing and made you feel comfortable and at ease, so you could just enjoy the experience. The residential venues (Port Regis School and Wellington College) were brilliant with fantastic facilities and acres of space to chill out in.

I am very excited to have successfully auditioned again for the Under 13 Orchestra this year and I cannot wait for the first course to begin in April at Sherbourne School in Dorset. Our Director of Music, the amazing Roger Clarkson, has promised us a challenging programme with world renowned tutors from Edinburgh to as far as Venezuala resulting in a concert at The Anvil in Basingstoke. It’s another fantastic opportunity to extend my music repertoire and make even more new friends. I am really excited, I can’t wait to do it all again!

The National Children’s Orchestra by Francis Sinfield (Trumpet in the Under 13 Orchestra).

I have been in the NCO for the past 3 years and have a place in the Under 13’s this year. I will be taking part in three courses. One during Easter, one during the Summer holiday and one in London in December. What is different for me this year is that each course will end with a concert in a real public concert hall. The Spring concert is going to be at The Anvil in Basingstoke and the Summer one will be in Leeds Town Hall but I don’t know what the programme is. The younger orchestras do a concert for their families at the end of their course in the hall of the school where they have done the course. Last summer, the Under 12’s were at Port Regis School near Shaftsbury and we played:

3rd movement from Symphony No. 4	Brahms
Overture to ‘Hansel and Gretel’	Humperdinck
2nd movement from Symphony No. 7	Beethoven
‘Popular Song’ from Façade	Walton
Star Trek through the Years	Arranged by Custer
Theme from Mission Impossible	Schifrin

I enjoyed the Brahms because I was leading the trumpet section for that. I really liked playing Hansel and Gretel, Beethoven, Star Trek and Mission Impossible but I didn’t much like the Walton because I thought it was a bit too light. The Under 13 and Main Orchestra do complete pieces of music rather than just movements and I’m looking forward to that.

We have Sectional rehearsals and Full Orchestra rehearsals and we get time in between to run around and play football which I like doing. I’ve met some really nice friends who I’m looking forward to seeing again this year. The food is usually alright but I don’t really like staying away from home.

My National Children’s Orchestra (NCO) experiences by Oscar Sinfield

I have been in the National Children’s Orchestra for the last five years and I found every course a lot of fun. Although they are very entertaining they can also be hard work. In the main orchestra, for example, we played our instruments around eight hours every day.

My favourite course with the NCO was in summer 2011 where Natalia Luis-Basa from Venezuela was our conductor. She was very outgoing and brought the music to life. On the course, we worked on four pieces which, at the end of the week, we performed during a concert at the Sage in Newcastle. The atmosphere there was absolutely brilliant, especially when we played my favourite piece called Danzon No. 2 by Arturo Marquez. You can listen to it by clicking on the following link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G53X8GbwK7c. You don’t see much of me but you will see lots of Rachel Glendening’s brother playing his clarinet. I was very pleased that my brother Francis got into the orchestra again this year. Being in the NCO was such a fantastic experience; I loved every minute of it.

Although I am still playing in the Northerly Regional Orchestra of the NCO this year, I am too old to join again. In summer last year I auditioned for the Birmingham Symphony Youth Orchestra where the players are between 14 and 21 years old. I was very pleased when I got offered a place as the youngest player in the orchestra and had my first concert with them at the Birmingham Symphony Hall in October last year. Playing with the CBSO Youth orchestra means that I have to give up my time during the holidays because I need to travel to rehearsals to Birmingham every day. But I very much enjoy the rehearsals and look forward to our next concert at Birmingham Symphony Hall at the end of February.

Boarders Enjoy First Trent Masquerade Ball

2012-02-13T00:00:00

On a bitterly cold February evening much fun was had by all boarders at the first Masquerade Ball held at Trent College. The event was organised by 3 of the Sixth Form boarders from Martin House (Eve Linnington, Grace Hodgkin and Laura Wickes). Proceedings started for the Sixth Form boarders when they met up with their dates for the evening and made their way to the Obolensky (all in colourful and creative masks) for pre-dinner drinks and canapés. This gave everyone a chance to take pictures, chat and relax after all the January module examinations. Half an hour later, all the Main School boarders joined the party and soon after that all boarders and staff sat down for their meal. Our Catering Department made sure the tables looked great, the whole party was well served with wonderful dishes (selected by the Martin girls) and the whole atmosphere was fun. After the meal there was ballroom dancing in the Drama Studio. There was mixed success on the dance floor but much enjoyment. The first Masquerade Ball at Trent is unlikely to be the last. You will get a sense of the fun had on the evening from pictures.

Multiple Hockey Successes

2012-02-09T00:00:00

Everywhere you look around Trent College at the moment there seems to be smiling hockey players - that comes as no great surprise when you discover the successes our teams and players are currently enjoying.

The Under 18s boys, after finishing runners-up at the Midlands Indoor Finals played at Lilleshall in December, qualified for the National Indoor Finals, staged at Whitgift School in Croydon last month. Here they only narrowly missed out on a semi-final place and they should be proud of their achievements in finishing in the top six in the country. There were a few highlights from that event but arguably the stand out moment was captain, Matt Shuttleworth, scoring all five goals in a 5-2 win over Rossall Grammar from Lancashire. The team spirit throughout the whole weekend was also really pleasing.

Meanwhile, our newly-crowned Derbyshire Under 14 boys champions will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of the U14 Girls’ team as they have progressed through to the Zone round of the Midlands Championship, when they will compete for a place in the Midlands finals.

Mr Wadsley added: “It was great for the Under 14 boys to turn the tables by beating Repton in the final of this year’s Derbyshire County Championships after Trent College finished runners-up to Repton last year. A Sam Apoola goal was enough to split the teams and now the boys are looking forward to trying to make their mark at the Regional Finals.

The boys’ achievement means Trent College are impressively now Derbyshire County Champions in both the Under 14 girls and boys categories.

The Under 14 girls are ready to stake their claim to be crowned champions of England as the reigning Midlands Regional champions prepare to do battle at the Finals of the Man National Schools Championships for Girls at Cannock Hockey Club on 29th February.

Whatever happens at the Nationals, the Under 14 girls have already had a simply outstanding season. They were unbeaten throughout the entire Midlands regional competition, totalling 11 games, including beating Malvern College 2-0 in the final.

Mr Wood said “there have been many excellent performances, with joint captains Charlotte Gale and Sophie Byrne providing the driving force in midfield, the defence being well marshalled by Louise Hannah and the striking threat of Paige Gillott, Hattie Pickering, Hattie Evans, Pip Ryder and Emilia Larkin keeping opposition defences on their toes. We are looking forward to seeing what the rest of country has to offer at Cannock later this month”.

It is not only our teams that are enjoying success. Yiannos Kosakis is part of the Midlands U15 squad, Olivia Hopkisson is attending the England U15 Training Camp and there have been England Under 18 call ups for Sixth Form duo Chris Proctor and Kim Leiper.

It is no wonder the school’s hockey fraternity look so pleased with themselves! Our pupils’ success is due in no small part to the expertise and experience of our hockey head coaches. Head of Boys’ Hockey, Mark Wadsley, plays for Beeston Men’s 1st XI, is a much-capped England age-group international and represented England A, and is also assistant coach of Beeston Women’s 1st XI while Head of Girls’ Hockey, Steve Wood, was also capped to England Under 21 level and now coaches at Beeston HC.

Both have played in the European Hockey League (E.H.L.) over the last 3 seasons and this has allowed them to develop several links with top European sides. A recent 1st XI girls' tour to Cologne and an upcoming boys' 1st XI tour to Barcelona during half term will see them play against a number of prestigious European club junior sides.

For the full match reports on the recent boys' events please follow the links below:

U18 National Indoor Finals

U14 Boys' County Championships

Boarders Explore Birmingham

2012-02-08T00:00:00

Each weekend at Trent an activity is held for our pupils who board for the full week. Kevin Xu is a Year 10 pupil from China who joined us at the start of the school year, below he reports on his recent weekend trip to Birmingham.

"On Sunday 28th January, I went to Birmingham with other boarders. It only took us about 80 minutes to get there and we stayed there for 5 hours.

In Birmingham, I went shopping in a very big shopping mall and we found a massive chocolate store. It even had a chocolate fountain. That was so cool.

We also went into many other shops, there were so many to choose from! In addition to shopping, there were other events we got to see around the city centre. It just so happened that there was a Chinese New year celebration near the shopping mall. It was brilliant, there were many traditional Chinese shows. It really was a lovely trip."

County Cross Country Championships 2012

2012-02-07T00:00:00

On a bitterly cold Saturday morning nine Trent College pupils represented Erewash at the County Cross Country Championships. The course had survived a morning inspection and although the ground was frozen it was passed fit. With an air temperature of -6 degrees and a wind chill that took it down to a numbing -10 degrees, wrapping up warm was essential.

The opening race saw Rebekah King (Y7) run bravely to finish in 5th place in the Colts Girls age group and this would have been good enough for her to run at the National Championships, had there been an age group entry this year. In the equivalent boys race; Brandon Joss, Cameron Bovell and Ollie Chesshire all gave it their best shot as the wind picked up and the temperatures continued to cause a few problems. Brandon and Cameron finished inside the top twenty and Ollie just outside the top 30.

Hedley Hardcastle was Trent’s sole entrant in the Junior Boys race and although he finished in the middle of the field his determination saw him pass plenty of runners as the race wore on.

Jack Sproson and Joe Wilkinson had to run the furthest distance of the morning, almost 5km, and both achieved a good level of performance. Joe finished in 4th place in the Senior Boys age and this qualifies him to represent Derbyshire at the National Championships in Somerset later this year. Jack managed 9th place in his age group and he is now reserve for the same competition. Both were exhausted by the end and trying to breath due to the cold proved a real effort.

After waiting for 2 hours, Holly Hammond and Alexandra Taylor ran in the final race of the morning. By this stage the fun had gone out of the event and trying to stay warm was the main priority. They both ran bravely and completed the course, where a number of others did not. Their effort, like everyone else’s, was superb on the day.

My thanks go to all who ran and to the parents for coming to support their children and our school, in what proved to be extreme weather conditions. Well done everyone.

Students enjoy hearing from Top Scientists

2012-02-06T00:00:00

Earlier in the term 24 of our Year 10 students visited the ‘Science Live’ event at the Birmingham Symphony Hall. The day was comprised of a series of inspiring talks by some of Britain’s top scientists, all working at the cutting edge of their specialisms. Trent College pupils have provided some great feedback, with the consensus that the day was a very worthwhile and enjoyable experience.

Below is a report from student Dan Giddins.

“Professor Jim Al-Khalili was probably one of my favourite lecturers at the GCSE Science live show, because he talked about some of the most interesting subjects in physics.

He started off by talking about the theory behind time travel and how it is actually possible to slow time down. He explained that if you travel at the speed of light then time will pass by slower, by bending the space-time fabric. He also stated that it was impossible to travel backwards in time but it could be a possibility to slow time down by traveling forward in time, due to albert Einstein’s theory of relativity and .

Professor Jim Al-Khalili finished his talk by talking about black holes, and how there is a theory that they can be connected by wormhole, because space can be folded over like a sheet of paper. I enjoyed his talk as well as the rest of the Science lectures.”

Martin Gillingham Talks to Trent

2012-02-03T00:00:00

On the 1st February we welcomed Martin Gillingham, broadcaster, Olympian and Trent parent, to talk to the Sixth Form about his life in Sport and take questions from the floor. Martin’s life story, with the highs, lows, successes and failures was very entertaining and the inside knowledge of life on the track made fascinating listening.

Stories of forgotten heroes, David Hemery, Kriss Akabusi, Linford Christie, to name but a few, gave us an insight into the human beings behind the big names. Stories of embarrassing moments with ex England Manager Kevin Keegan also kept us amused.

The evening finished with questions from the floor, covering a wide range of sporting topics – training tips, personal views and sound career advice for those looking to the media made for an enjoyable and informative talk.

We are grateful to Martin for giving up his time

Congratulations to Kemp House for your Winning Magazine

2012-02-02T00:00:00

The House magazine competition created an opportunity for all students to get involved in producing a publication to highlight what has happened so far within the House system this school year. It was a chance for everyone to use their creative and journalistic talents to create something meaningful for the school.

The tasks needed to create the magazine were divided up by year group as follows:

1. FRONT COVER & CONTENTS (YEAR 7)

2. THE STORY SO FAR…HOUSE EVENTS (YEAR 10 & 11)

3. INTERVIEW A MEMBER OF HOUSE STAFF (YEAR 9)

4. LEISURE (EXTRA CURRICULAR) (YEAR 9)

5. PUZZLE PAGE (YEAR 8)

6. ARTS REVIEW (MUSIC, FILM, THEATRE, DANCE) (YEARS 10 & 11)

7. AGONY AUNT & ASTROLOGY (YEARS 10 & 11)

The project took 2 weeks and was judged on week 3. The magazines were all printed and given to each tutor group to decide as a team which magazine should be in 1st, 2nd , 3rd and 4th place.

Under 14 netballers reach National Schools’ Finals

2012-02-01T00:00:00

The under 14 netballers are gearing up for the biggest tournament of their lives after winning through to the National Schools’ Netball Finals next month.

The girls will travel to Basildon, Essex to take on the cream of England’s school netball talent on Saturday 17th March after claiming a hard-fought runners-up spot at the Regional Finals in Northampton on Saturday.

The reigning Derbyshire county champions completed a 100 per cent clean sweep as they marched through the group stages and semi-final unbeaten in Northampton, including overcoming Loughborough High School with an 8-5 victory in the semis.

But they couldn’t quite make it 12 county and regional match wins in a row as they went down to Nottingham High School in the final, having earlier edged to victory over their fierce local rivals in the group stages.

Miss Thornton, Head of Netball, said: “This is a brilliant achievement for the girls! They held their nerve in a few really close group games to go to the semis as group winners and then produced a superb performance to beat Loughborough in the semi-final. Despite not quite being able to get their hands on the Regional Championship trophy the girls will take a lot of heart from this tournament to fear no-one at the Nationals.”

Coached by Mrs Taylor, the Under 14 girls will be training hard ahead of the Nationals, with former England player Julie Malinski once again set to help the girls out with their preparations.

Trent College’s Under 19 and Under 16 teams narrowly missed out on following their Under 14 schoolmates into the Regional semi-finals at Northampton after both finished third in their respective groups

Trent College Business Network Resounding Success

2012-01-31T00:00:00

The Trent College Business Network was launched in style on Wednesday 25th January when over 80 business leaders came together for the first networking event, held in the Prince Obolensky building at Trent College. Indeed business was conducted within the first 10 minutes of the event, when one member who specialised in producing catalogues was approached by another member who was looking for a professional in that field to put together a new company brochure!

Sue Carr from V Formation gave a very thought-provoking presentation about marketing, making particular reference to the use of social media for marketing purposes, as well as addressing ways of marketing that do not necessarily have the high costs associated with some of the more traditional methods.

Members were then able to network with other members; business cards were exchanged and contacts were made in a friendly atmosphere that was very conducive to discovering new business contacts. Some valuable work experience opportunities for Trent College pupils were also secured on the evening.

An online business directory will now be created for the use of the Trent College community as well as the setting up of a LinkedIn group that can be found at Trent College Business Network Linked In.

New members are very welcome and should contact jo.slater@trentcollege.net for more details or go directly to LinkedIn.

Academic Lunch

2012-01-30T00:00:00

Congratulations to all of our students that were selected by members of various departments for Trent's weekly VIP Academic lunch.

Monday 23rd January

Music	A.McCullogh(8)
Mod Lang	R.Downs (10)
RS	E.Holloway (13)
Art	E.Marchetti (7)
D&T	E.Major (7)
Latin	J.Black (9)
MS	M.Sandstrom (9)
English	K.White (10)
Geog	D.Irons (8)
Maths	C.Hickling (10)
Psychology	J.Whitworth (12)

Monday 30th January

RS	E.Holloway (13)
Mod Lang	C.Downs (12)
Pol/Econ	T.Murphy (12)
Physics	T.Galloway (11)
MS	S.Berwick (11)
ICT	W.Blower (10)
VI	T.Perry (12)
LS	E.McDonnell (8)
History	S.Steele (10)
Geog	F.Hendry-Briars (8)
PE	J.Burnett (13)

BP Host Trading Challenge Roadshow

2012-01-27T00:00:00

Our Year 10 students took part in an engaging Trading Challenge activity delivered by an energetic team of BP presenters. Students worked in teams, competing to trade oil and make a profit, whilst demonstrating mathematical and enterprise skills and the personal qualities that can contribute towards success in business.

The game was introduced by a short film and presentation before they were asked to identify a name for their company and take on roles. The students had to chair and take part in company meetings and get involved with trading oil and competing against the other companies to maximise their profit.

It was a great opportunity for our Year 10's to put some of their business skills into action through an exciting simulation of real life trading. They were able to practise their personal, functional and thinking skills in a work related context and see how their studies in mathematics and business link to the world of work.

Mr Bratton, Head of Mathematics commented on "the fantastic opportunity for all involved, feedback from the students was very positive and they found the session interesting and engaging and relevant to their studies; thank-you to the representatives from BP who provided us with a fun and energetic Roadshow!"

Lower School Pupils Tackle Independent Study

2012-01-26T00:00:00

The decision was made to inspire our youngest pupils to think about research projects and with Trent as an arboretum in mind, pupils will carry out their projects based on Trees. From the start of Lent term through to the start of the Trinity term all Year 7 & 8 pupils will be undertaking an independent cross curriculum project with “trees” as the main theme. Students have been prompted to consider how trees might be related in any way to a topic of their choice. They will be allocating an average of 30 minutes a week to complete the project totalling 8 hours work.

The aim of the project is to provide an opportunity for independent learning and research skills to develop. The general title of the project is “Trees” but this should give students the inspiration to explore areas across a range of subject areas. Suggestions from each academic department will guide students ideas on how they can link trees to the subject of their choice. From an Art inspired project to the History of trees and how they are used in Design and Technology in our world today. The possibilities are endless!

Form tutors will occasionally ask about the progress of the project but the management of time, accumulation of resources and production of the final product is organised entirely by the student. This will give them an introduction to independent study which will be invaluable to them during their time at Trent and beyond!

The projects will be assessed in May and the best ones displayed at Speech Day with prizes awarded. We look forward to seeing the results and creativitity from our lower school community!

Skiing skills are put to the test in the French Alps

2012-01-24T00:00:00

41 pupils and 6 staff enjoyed a week skiing and snowboarding in Alpe d’ Huez in the French Alps over the Chrsitmas period. With fresh snow, and a piste covered in 30-40 cm of powder greeting them, the resort provided ideal conditions for day one of what would be a varied and interesting week of activity for the group.

Weather conditions proved unpredictable, and each ski day had different challenges and conditions. Starting on day one with blue skies and perfect visibility the rest of the week was unsettled, with some days challenging due to poor visibility and squalling winds, before returning to perfect conditions once again for the last two days. The varied conditions were good from a skiing perspective however, with the pupils having to cope with ice slopes ripped bare of fresh snow due to wind one minute, and managing the deep powder skiers dream of the next.

The hotel itself was ideally located with two ski lifts providing access to the slopes just outside the door. Its facilities were encouraging and provided an indoor pool and sauna accessible to the group. Apres-ski included a visit to the town’s ice rink, Go-Ape facilities and an indoor games evening held in the Hotel Beausloleil, in addition to the karaoke evenings within our hotel.

Mr Saville recounts "Our student’s behaviour was excellent throughout, coping well with the responsibility of being part of a ski group, both in lessons and also in the hotel. They were a credit to the school, and as the only school group being accommodated, it was comforting to see how well they integrated themselves into what was essentially and Adult and Family based hotel. In fact, they provided some memorable moments in the hotel when given the opportunity to perform alongside the musical entertainment organised for evening après ski. Of particular note was Will Moon, who brought both the students in our group as well as the hotel staff and other guests to their feet by his rendition of ‘Hey Jude’ in the hotel bar area, and then a combination of Will, Eve Linnington and Laura Clough combining their talent’s to sing and play for the audience. Quite humbling, to see them show their breadth of talent."

Mr Saville reports that the last day of the trip was one of the most memorable days of skiing. He accompanied the top group of skiers to the very top of the mountain on the Pic-Blanc glacier and enjoyed their final moments with their instructor skiing the 16KM Sarenne run completely Off-Piste, with many falls, spills and laughter amongst some atmospheric skiing.

For more photos click here

Radio 4 show, Any Questions comes to Trent College

2012-01-23T00:00:00

BBC Radio 4’s popular panel show Any Questions is coming to Trent on Friday 24th February and applications for free tickets are now open.

This is your chance to ask a question and influence the topical debate among the four-strong Any Questions panel, chaired as ever by Jonathan Dimbleby, one of Britain’s best known journalists and broadcasters.

Audience members are encouraged to play a positive role in the programme, which is broadcast live just after 8pm and repeated at 1.15pm Saturday lunchtime, and contribute questions on the most stimulating moral, political and social topics of the day. The minimum age limit for audience members is 14 years.

The panellists for the Trent College broadcast are to be confirmed, but over the years many distinguished figures from the worlds of Politics, Journalism, the Arts, Science, Business, and Literature have appeared as panellists. These include the most prolific panellist, Tony Benn, writer Beryl Bainbridge and newspaper editor Sir Max Hastings.

One of the strictest, unchanging rules of Any Questions is that the panel never see the questions in advance, hearing them at exactly the same time as the audience, both those gathered in the hall and at home. Any Questions was first broadcast in October 1948, and currently around 1.5m people listen to the programme weekly. Each week the production visits a different community in the UK and occasionally Europe.

Tickets for the Trent College Any Questions broadcast are available on a first come, first served basis. To apply for tickets, please contact Trent College Reception by email at enquiry@trentcollege.net or telephone 0115 8494949 before Friday 10 February 2012.

Taylor secures place on Arvon Creative Writing Trip

2012-01-20T00:00:00

One talented Trent College student is celebrating this week after the results were announced of the PSA Creative Writing Competition.

The winner, Taylor Buckley from Year 11, has won a place on the Arvon Foundation Creative Writing Residential which will take place this Easter. His piece, entitled ‘Inner Conflict’, was seen by the judges as ‘a thought-provoking and original piece which showed genuine promise’. Entrants from years 10 – 13 were set the task of writing a piece in any genre, under the headings ‘Conflict’ or ‘Resolution’; ‘Conservation’; or ‘The Future’. Judges Marion Howell and Juliette Abrams commented; ‘The standard of the entries was exceptional this year. It was an absolute pleasure spending time reading all of the work submitted.’ Chair of the PSA Karin Spenser added; ‘This course and the opportunities it offers is something that we feel very committed to, and are delighted to support it.’

Five students whose work was highly commended will also receive prizes towards their place on the course: Sav Fishel and Joe Emmerson (year 10), Sophie Chester-Nash and Lauren Marshall (year 11) and Kate Skeggs, who wins the Sixth Form prize. Head of English Liz Dunford commented; ‘The Arvon Residential is a fantastic opportunity for students to immerse themselves for a full week in the creative process of writing. We are very excited to be running the trip again this Easter and are indebted to the PSA for their very generous support.’

Any student interested in joining the trip, which runs from 16th – 21st April, should contact Liz Dunford in the English Department for full details, as there are limited places still available.

Year 11 to be inspired by Professor Peter Vardy

2012-01-19T00:00:00

Some of our Year 11 students are scheduled to take part in an RS trip at the end of February to witness lectures by Professor Peter Vardy and Charlotte Vardy. Professor Vardy is Vice Chancellor of Heythrop College, University of London, and an acclaimed speaker on Philosophy, Ethics and Religion.

Trent Launches New Business Network

2012-01-18T00:00:00

The Trent College Business Network is a business community, reaching out to all OTs, parents of pupils at both Trent College and The Elms as well as the local business community.

The aim of the network is to create opportunities for networking with like-minded business people as well as the exchange of business contact information.

The first networking event will take place on Wednesday 25th January at 6pm - 8pm in the Obolensky Building. The event will provide the opportunity to hear from guest speaker, Sue Carr of VFormation Marketing as well as business networking.

Business Networking Flyer

OT Sam reports back from Cambridge!

2012-01-17T00:00:00

Sam Ashcroft, who left Trent in 2010, is now reading Medicine at Magdalen College, Cambridge after gaining an impressive four A* A Levels in Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Biology.

After 3 years pre-clinical study at Cambridge, Sam plans to move on to a further 3 years of clinical study, either in Cambridge or London, before he decides on which area of medicine to specialise in. Outside of his studies Sam keeps busy training and keeping up his fitness levels, which as a Cambridge blue for tennis, is very important. He still manages to fit in some leisure time, making the most of college life.

For anyone wishing to follow in Sam’s footsteps and study at either Oxford or Cambridge, he has this advice: ‘You have really got to try and maximise your chances. The best way to start is to nail your AS Levels. You need to get good results and show them to the university when you're apply to Oxbridge. So just try and get the top grades in your AS year then you will stand out that little bit more academically on paper. Tailor your personal statement to show off your talents outside academic areas and work for the extra exams Cambridge set, don't just forget about them!

Talk to someone doing your course at the college you want to attend. For extra help for the interview, this is really important. They can tell you what kind of questions will come up, what weird things to expect and how to handle them. A good way to find these people is to attend on open days, find someone, and ask for their email, you can only try!

Attending Trent really helped me too. Although Cambridge looks for academic results, they are looking for well-rounded people and Trent really gives its pupils the opportunity to develop in every aspect. Also, there is no way of dealing with the stress of Cambridge without some outside relief so playing sport, being sociable, acting or playing music is a great way to step back from work and of course, you get lots of great opportunities to take part in these activities at Trent, so it’s really a natural progression.

Trent also helped to build my confidence and this, backed with a good understanding of the subjects stemming from good teaching and being pushed if needed by heads of departments and teachers gave me the confidence to tackle the interview and the subject now I'm here.

One thing about Cambridge is that you are never bored or have too much time on your hands; there are always things to do. At Trent it is the same, you can always find a sport to play or a lecture to attend or a club to join, and I recommend getting involved even if you seem busy, it will help in later life.’

Trent wishes Sam every success for his studies and future career.

New GCSE Subject Launches in September 2012!

2012-01-17T00:00:00

The Department of Design & Technology is delighted to announce that, from September 2012, Graphic Products will become the latest addition to the portfolio of subjects offered at GCSE, alongside Resistant Materials and Electronic Products. All three options will allow students equal access to the Product Design A’ Level course offered at Trent.

The Graphic Products course will be delivered predominantly through practical activity. Due to the nature of the skills being developed, this will involve a large number of small, exciting projects with a rapidly-achievable physical outcome. Assessment of the GCSE Graphic Products course will be based on 40% theory exam and 60% controlled assessment (through a design and make task completed in year 11), allowing students to achieve a high grade through demonstration of the designing skills that they have developed throughout the course.

EPQ giving students edge in university race

2012-01-16T00:00:00

The value of undertaking an AQA Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) in students boosting their university applications while getting an insight into the rigours of university study cannot be underestimated. That is the opinion of Ms Matthews, head of Sixth Form, as our Year 13 students receive their AQA Extended Project Qualification results.

This year, 19 highly motivated Sixth Former have completed an EPQ project, securing an outstanding 100% pass rate.

The nationally-recognised EPQ encourages the independent exploration and knowledge development of a subject of a student’s choosing. Each of our students invests around 130 hours into their individual projects, with independence, diligence and perseverance among the key skills developed through the EPQ.

Ms Matthews insists that while a student’s EPQ result is important to them, the most valuable benefits come from simply doing the project itself. She said: “We recognise young people face ever-increasing competition in both higher education and employment. The independence students need to show, and the perseverance they have to demonstrate, to complete an EPQ alongside their four AS level subjects adds invaluable weight to their CVs, while the skills they acquire stand them in good stead for their undergraduate careers.”

As a school, we introduced the EPQ in 2009, with 29 students completing in that first year. All of the 37 students who received their EPQ results this time last year either started university or took up a gap year, deferring their place until 2012. Among these, students are now studying at such prestigious universities as Durham, Imperial, UCL, Kings, and the other top Russell Group Universities such as Birmingham, Sheffield, Liverpool, Bristol and Newcastle.

OT, Andrew Walter is now studying Electronic Engineering at York after designing and building a remotely-controlled Robotic Rover for exploring hazardous environments for his 2010 EPQ. He said: “The EPQ helped greatly with the range and calibre of university offers I received. I loved that I was able to pursue an area of interest that I would not be able to look at academically. The biggest skill I developed was for independent research and believe I will continue utilising these skills well into the future.”

Current student Suniel Pillai from Lowdham undertook a project investigating the costs of treating a patient with a lymphoma to the NHS, inspired by seeing his mother treated for the illness. He said: “The most valuable skill I gained from project was to be able to extract important information from text books and other references and how to manage my time whilst doing the work. I started the process simply with a title - this helped me focus on what I needed to do. I first gathered information from my mother’s consultants and then from textbooks and the internet. I also spent six hours in the University Medical School library."

Congratulations to all of our EPQ students, wishing you the best of luck with your University applications!

Trent Rugby Teams Attend Presentation at Meadow Lane

2012-01-16T00:00:00

Yesterday, the U13 A and B rugby teams attended their awards presentation at Nottingham Rugby Club. Sixty-five boys, staff and parents attended and very much enjoyed the presentation, as well as the beef burger and chips lunch!

Awards were presented to the boys for player of the year, players player and most improved. Two Nottingham rugby players presented the trophies to the boys and also hosted a Question and Answer session.

Students prepare for Greenland Expedition

2012-01-13T00:00:00

Leaving early morning on the day after the end of the Michaelmas term, a group of students who will be taking part in this summer’s Arctic expedition to East Greenland departed for winter training in Snowdonia National Park, North Wales.

The group were keen to put into practice some of the skills they had learned in the classroom over the term and wasted no time venturing out to brave the challenging conditions. With the heavy wind and hail beating the cliffs, the group climbed until dark.

Day 2 saw a coating of snow in the area, an opportunity that the group quickly identified as being a great introduction to winter climbing. They donned their waterproofs and packed, ice axes, ropes, crampons and a survival kit. The group had to practice moving together as a group on a rope and using an axe. They weaved their way through the various obstacles, summiting in the early afternoon and descending from Far South Peak down to the welcoming coffee shop at Ogwen Falls.

On the last day, the group negotiated Snowdon itself. The heavy blanket of snow made the climb difficult, necessitating the use of crampons and ice axes to provide grip and security under-foot. They were able to put their navigation skills to the test and they eventually reached the summit and stopped for a brief lunch whilst marvelling at the ice formations which had been created by the action of both wind and snow.

The trip has been a great way to prepare the group for their summer expedition. It gave the the group a chance to bond and work as part of a team, and they had some great technical and involved mountaineering experiences to prepare them for whatever they may encounter during their adventure in Arctic Greenland.

Good luck in all of the planning and training for your summer expedition.

Re-launch at The Elms Nursery

2012-01-12T00:00:00

On the evening of Tuesday 10th January our Nursery at The Elms was officially re-launched, extending our support to even more local families in finding exceptional pre-school care with the addition of a specialist baby care area for babies as young as just six weeks old.

The Headmaster, Mr Kieth Morrow, declared “We have embarked upon on a new chapter in the school’s history,” as the new facilities were officially unveiled.

The Elms Nursery has always been about much more than a babysitting and play facility, providing a fun, engaging age appropriate curriculum to really stimulate and inspire little learners.

But with more new mums returning to work earlier, and both parents often working longer hours, we have responded to a demand from current and prospective parents to offer child care for younger children. Now babies, toddlers and Pre-School children can enjoy the happiest and safest nursery experience in the care of The Elms’ friendly, experienced staff.

Mr Morrow explains: “Over the past 12 years, The Elms has been building an enviable reputation for excellence in education. I am thrilled that we are able to take our expertise and passion for educating young children, and develop this into a passion for giving the very highest standards of nursery child care for the youngest members of the Trent College community.

“What continues to mark us out from other nurseries is our high standards of individual care for children, the quality of relationships with children and parents, excellent resources and a commitment to employing the highest calibre of experienced and dedicated staff.”

The baby care facility is the just latest addition to The Elms Nursery. In September, the nursery extended its opening hours to 51 weeks a year, with even more flexible drop off and pick up hours (7.30am to 6.30pm), to give parents and their children year-round continuity.

All aspects of a child’s development are catered for at The Elms Nursery, including fresh and healthy meals from the school’s onsite catering service. Meanwhile extensive outdoor play facilities - taking advantage of our beautiful grounds -and spacious indoor areas really encourage youngsters to flourish and grow.

GCSE Students to be Enthused by Top Scientists

2012-01-11T00:00:00

On 23rd January 2012, The Science Department has organised a visit to the event, GCSE Science Live at The Symphony Hall in Birmingham for 24 year 10 students. The day will consist of a series of talks specifically aimed at inspiring and enthusing GCSE pupils.

The event will provide students with the opportunity to listen to some of Britain’s top scientists, all working at the cutting edge of their specialisms. The aim is to further inspire them and show them that science really does offer solutions for many of the world’s great problems. They will also be given some top tips on examination success from an experienced science examiner.

The day will be fast-moving, exciting, thought provoking and will give students the chance to raise issues with the scientists.Another great opportunity for some of Trents' budding scientists!

Trent Geography Students Discover Italy!

2012-01-10T00:00:00

The Geography department have compiled a report about their exciting trip to Italy last Term.

21 students and 3 members of staff travelled to Italy last term to learn how the tectonic activity in the area has shaped the landscape and history of the country and experience the culture heritage.

The group of students, all keen Geographers, experienced diverse tectonic areas. From the bubbling volcanic mud puddles and gushing fumaroles of Solfatara, to the colossal size of Mount Vesuvius and the snowy conditions on top of Mount Etna. The highlight for many was ascending 500m to the very active crater of Vulcano; a volcanic island off the coast Siciliy. Here, basked in sunshine, we could see the seven other Aeolian Islands (all the result of rising magma), plumes of Sulphuric gas escaping from the ground and as an extra bonus, see how the coastline of the islands had been eroded by the sea.

Our visits weren’t confined to the physical side of Italy. Trips to the ancient towns of both Herculaneum and Pompeii showed how people lived nearly 2000 years ago and it was clear from the number of photos taken and discussion on the bus journeys following these visits, that the whole group was awestruck. Much of travel between sites was by coach, allowing us to see the varied landscape and there was no better example of this than the Amalfi Drive. Not even the breaking down of the bus spoilt this day and it was topped off by an impromptu boat journey in glorious sunshine.

A huge thank you to Miss Walker. Without her fluent Italian skills, the trip would not have been such a success and the pupils were hugely grateful for both her ability to translate what our various guides said and also communicating for extra toppings on pizzas! Mr Marriott, designer of our much admired tour hoodies, was chief navigator and for the most part got us to where we needed to be!An excellent trip over-all and now it’s time to start planning the next Geography adventure!

Trent is Transformed into a Magical Winter Wonderland

2012-01-04T00:00:00

Trent College pupils skated their way into the Christmas holidays as Santa’s reindeer warmed up for the big day with a special end-of-term Winter Wonderland! Real reindeer, complete with sleigh, an ice rink, a steam engine and hot turkey and stuffing rolls all made for the perfect Festive send off as the Trent College students waved goodbye to the classroom for the Christmas period.

Trent Junior Choir Spread Christmas Joy at Nursing Home

2011-12-16T00:00:00

Trent College Junior Choir visited the Alexandra Nursing Home on the morning of Thursday December 15th. They sang seasonal music, including the music they had sung at recent carol services, and also many traditional carols. The residents of the home thoroughly enjoyed meeting the children, hearing them sing, and joining in. The choir have been invited back to sing again, and they may well not wait until next Christmas for their next visit!

Well done to the choir for spreading a little Christmas Joy!

House Update

2011-12-15T00:00:00

We have had a busy few weeks within the House competitions, since the Guy making back in November. First of all, our students flexed their brain muscles with the various academic challenges. Over a 2 week period, the Lower School and Main School participated in a spelling and maths challenge and our Sixth Formers sat down to a civilised game of University Challenge. Owen came out on top in the Lower School Maths Challenge, Kemp won for Main School, whilst in the spelling challenges Cavendish came out victorious in both! Finally, the Wright team certainly had the right answers, winning the University Challenge.

The following week got the creative juices flowing for our Main School, where they had to decorate some Christmas cookies, decorate baubles and make Christmas cards in their House colours. The results were incredible, with so many excellent entries. The final scores for this challenge saw Cavendish come out on top, closely followed by Kemp. Meanwhile, the Lower School took part in a Christmas Quiz led by the Lower School prefects; another close battle, but Owen came out the winners. Finally, the Sixth Formers took to the badminton courts for mixed doubles, with Owen once more taking home first place.

The winning houses for each event, and recieving 20 points are as follows:

Event	House
Lower School Maths Challenge	Owen
Main School Spelling Challenge	Cavendish
Sixth Form University Challenge	Wright
Main School Maths Challenge	Kemp
Lower School Spelling Challenge	Cavendish
Main School Christmas Challenge	Cavendish
Sixth Form Badminton	Owen
Lower School Christmas Quiz	Owen

Leading to the final scores for this term as…

Total Scores

Cavendish	250 Points
Owen	237 Points
Hanbury	223 Points
Wright	215 Points
Kemp	191 Points

It is very close and still all to play for! Next term sees the launch of the House Magazine – watch this space!

Student selected as International Show Jumper

2011-12-14T00:00:00

Laura Binch, a Year 13 student has been selected to join the 2012 Show Jumping team of Junior GB Internationals!

Laura spends much of her time outside of school, training herself and her horse, Grangewood in Clover, (pet name - Ebony). She trains a minimum of 3-4 times per week with each session lasting up to 3 hours at a time. Laura also spends her weekends training, often starting at 6am on Sundays. When she is not studying for her A levels or in training, she regularly rides for Charity raising money for various causes across the UK.

Laura’s horse, Ebony is an 8 year old Black Mare. She is bad tempered when she’s not working and enjoys jumping so much she stomps around and often rears before entering the show ring.

Laura has competed in European competitions that took place in wales on two occasions and both times, placed within the top 10 out of the 400 competitors.She is now considered to be a Master of the Ride, having received her coat and button colours!

Congratulations Laura!

Laura's Horse Ebony (Grangewood in Clover)

Apply for Oxbridge!

2011-12-13T00:00:00

Jessica Egan left Trent College having gained 3 x A*s in Maths, Chemistry and Biology and is now on a 3 year course, reading for a BSc in Natural Sciences at Clare College, Cambridge University. She is currently studying neuroscience, experimental psychology and zoology as part of the Natural Science tripos, but hoping to specialise in either Neuroscience or psychology for her final year. Jessica hopes to stay on and do a Master in Philosophy after her initial studies, however her ideal job would be working in science communications, working on the scientific diplomacy and consultancy side. She would ideally like a job where she liaised with the government and other public bodies on scientific legislation.

When she is not studying, Jessica takes advantage of the great politics societies that Clare College offers, she attends talks as well as being able to meet and have dinner with many of the speakers. Over the summer Jessica travelled to Japan as part of a science research team for a Canadian university, she stayed in a rural area of Northern Japan for 6 weeks on an archaeological dig.She also tries to find time to attend some of the many plays and concerts that are showcased within the university and museums.

Jessica advises our current students to apply for the chance to attend Oxford or Cambridge as they are fantastic universities and she feels that too many good candidates miss out through not applying. She says; “Before I started at Cambridge, I had many preconceptions of what it would be like, nearly all of which had turned out to be false. For a start, you do not need to be a genius; just smart and you need to make sure you apply for a course that really interests you. Interest and enthusiasm in the course is what I believe they are really looking for. The interview was not nearly as intimidating as it was made out to be, but more of a discussion, reflecting the supervision system at Oxbridge”.

Jessica also tells us how Trent College has helped her achieve her dreams in life so far!

“Trent offered so much that allowed me to expand my interests far beyond what was covered on my A-level courses, such attending lectures and debates put on through whole school programme and academic forum, participating in sports and huge range of other extracurricular activities. I also did an EPQ in my final year, which really helped with my application to university as required self-motivation and showed in-depth knowledge of a topic of interest, in my case pandemic flu.I feel that Trent helped me build confidence, self-motivation and a good work ethic, which have proven to be invaluable skills in my university career and life in general”.

Good luck with your studies and your future career Jessica!

Cricket Star Visits Trent

2011-12-13T00:00:00

Recently, Chris Read Nottinghamshire CCC captain and England wicket keeper came into school. He performed an master class wicket session for all age groups.

The session involved Chris coaching all age groups wicket keeping- standing up to spin and medium pace bowlers and the technique standing back to fast bowlers. The boys had the opportunity to do some diving catching with the aid of crash mats laid around the sportshall. Chris will also be helping out with the 1st XI training sessions after Christmas.

Academic Lunch Mentions

2011-12-09T00:00:00

Congratulations to all of the students invited to attend Trent's most recent Academic 'VIP' Lunches. All of the below pupils were nominated by department heads to be recognised for their outstanding achievements or consistently excellent effort.

Well done to the following students:

21st November
English A.Nagra (10)
RS W.Moon (12)
ICT D.Kalantary (10)
History Z.Chaplin (8)
Physics W.Spenser(11)
D&T H.Pickering (9)
Music J.Calder (8)
Business Studies A.Rangaraj (11)
Drama O.Murad (9)

28th November
Art H.Shaw (7)
Drama J.Cuthbert (13)
Bus Studs A.Birch (12)
Physics W.Evans (11)
VIC.Morgan (13)
Music A.McCulloch (8)
Biology P.Nanthaniel (10)
Mod Lang R.Downs (12)
MS D.Punia (11)
LS J.Dilks (8)
English L.Hopkisson (10)

5th Dec
English S.Dargan (8)
MS L.Marshall (11)
LS L.Cooper (7)
Maths E.Church (10)
History M.Riley (10)
D&T J.He (7)
Chemistry L.Smith (11)
Music W.Garner (9)
Biology W.Doleman (9)
PE M.Shuttleworth (13)
VI M.Harvey (13)

Shuker vs Blake

2011-12-08T00:00:00

Boarding Houses, Shuker and Blake are all set to compete for victory on the football pitch this coming Friday.

Pupils, please join them on the Quarry Astro at 12.45pm to cheer them along!

Language Student Reports Back

2011-12-06T00:00:00

Recent OT, Lauren Henton has reported back to Trent as she nears the end of her first term at University, to update us on how life and lessons here have helped her with her languages course at The University of Birmingham.

"As a student of Spanish, French and Mandarin at the University of Birmingham, I have found that the Modern Foreign Languages Department at Trent College has prepared me incredibly well for studying languages at university level.

At Trent, the languages department offered many trips over the years; to name but a few Santander/Bilbao, Barcelona, Madrid and Montpellier. All of the trips included daily language lessons which, whilst they were intense, proved very useful for exam practice and preparation and improving our written and spoken language, and have also prepared me for grammar lectures at university. At the same time as becoming more confident of our language ability, we had planned activities which allowed us to experience the culture and explore the country we visited. One of the best aspects of studying languages at Trent in my opinion is the time we have with our oral assistants. For AS Level Spanish and French I had a one hour one-on-one lesson with a native language assistant each week for each language, which at A Level increased to 2 hours per fortnight. Not only did this allow me to achieve my best in my oral exams, but improved my confidence in speaking the language, which has come in very useful in university oral classes with 10 students!

What made studying languages at Trent so memorable for me was without a doubt the teachers. Any work I was unsure about or needed help with they were always prepared to make time to help me. When the time came to apply to universities and write my personal statement, they gave me so much invaluable advice and encouragement having been through the process themselves. They also have many contacts which have led to me being an Au Pair for a month in France this summer, something which has prepared me so well for living away from home whilst studying at uni. Another contact was an Old Trident who started up a language school in Montpellier offering a range of courses, some specifically designed for A-Level French. I spent a week there in Easter staying with a host family in the centre of Montpellier, which started the ball rolling for my all important A-Levels exams in the summer. I met so many amazing people in such a short space of time, and I got a taste for what my 3rd year of university abroad could be like!

I have so many fond memories of studying languages at Trent, and it has given me the best foundation possible for continuing to study my passion.”

Preparing for the future

2011-12-06T00:00:00

Exam and Coursework advice for our Year 13 students at a specialist A level conference in London

Earlier this term, members of the English department took a selection of Year 13 students to London to attend an English and Media Centre A level conference. Michael Rosen headlined the event, and was joined by a range of guest speakers; providing advice on the students’ future examinations and coursework.

The previous night, the group had stayed over in London after taking in a performance of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, starring Ralph Fiennes.

Year 7 student is runner up in English Literature Compe

2011-12-06T00:00:00

Congratulations Rebekah King of 7Z who took part in the GameCity Charlie Higson competition and came runner up! Rebekah created her very own halloween story called 'The Unseen' and submitted it along with twenty four other Key Stage 3 students from Trent College along with many other potential young authors from other schools.

Rebekah's succesful entry was read to an excited GameCity crowd by Mr Higson last month. She also recieved a signed set of three of the author's most popular novels. Maybe we will see Rebekah doing the book signing in the future.

Well done Rebekah.

Trent Features in Independent Schools Magazine

2011-12-03T00:00:00

Following the Wider Curriculum Conference hosted by David Tidy and Trent College, a report was published in the Independent Schools Magazine.

The Conference focussed on the value of co-curricular and extra-curricular activities in Independent schools and the value which they bring to students. The conference was attended by 50 delegates from across the UK, keen to listen to the contributors and share ideas.

http://www.independentschoolsmagazine.co.uk/resources/Nov-Dec_ISM2011forWeb.pdf - see page 48

Othello completes impressive Bard feat

2011-12-02T00:00:00

Trent College graduate Benji Bailey will achieve the impressive feat of having directed all four of the Bard’s major tragedies when the Trent Shakespeare Company’s new production of Othello enjoys a two-night run at Trent College next week (6^th and 7^th December).

This summer, Benji, who founded the Trent Shakespeare Company a year ago, received critical acclaim for his interpretation of Macbeth, which sold out three consecutive nights at the Nottingham Arts Theatre studio. He had previously directed Hamlet in March, having helped direct a Lower School production of King Lear the previous year.

An actor of note also, featuring in a number of plays at the Lace Market Theatre in Nottingham including a successful performance as the fool Touchstone in Dan Maddison’s celebrated As You Like It last November, Benji currently works as a gap year Drama Assistant at Trent College after securing three A* grades in his A-Levels this summer.

Now he can’t wait to bring to life another of Shakespeare’s heavy hitters in Othello.

Benji said: “This production of Othello is built on a number of precepts. First and foremost is the concept of ensemble, using a very strong chorus throughout who each play a number of roles and are as integral to the production as any of the principals.

“Secondly, we have worked on developing a strong visual language to match Shakespeare’s very rich text, a stylistic discipline common to all of my productions and heavily-influenced by the work and writing of eminent actor and writer Steven Berkoff. Finally, audiences can expect some very strong performances, as well as the fantastic work of our new designer Rebecca Bradbury.”

The lead role of Othello will be played by Trent College newcomer Jyuddah Jaymes, with new Drama scholar Michael Fairless, recently acclaimed in the lead role of a main-stage production of Kafka's The Trial at the Nottingham Playhouse, as Iago. The extremely talented cast also includes students Kate Walker, Laurence Herbert and Ollie Hayes.

Nottingham University Lecturer Visiting

2011-12-01T00:00:00

The Geography Department will be welcoming Colin Thorne from Nottingham University on Tuesday 6th December, he will be joining us to talk about Flooding in Bangladesh.

Tuesday 6^th December 4.30pm Thai Lecture Theatre

Insight into Scientific Food Shortage Solutions

2011-11-30T00:00:00

Sixth Form Biologists at Trent College are delighted that Professor Jerry Roberts will be visiting the Biology department on Thursday 1st December to deliver a lunchtime lecture to sixth form students entitled “Global food security – is there a role for the genetic manipulation of crop plants?”. Professor Roberts is the academic lead of the University of Nottingham’s multidisciplinary Global Food Security Priority Group, based at the Sutton Bonnington campus. The team aims to carry out world-leading research to find new ways of feeding a hungry planet and has just been awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education for its research on Global Food Security.

Sixth Form University Challenge

2011-11-29T00:00:00

University Challenge was a Sixth Form house event where staff impersonating Jeremy Paxman and asked the students a range of testing questions to really get their minds working over-time. Like the televised version, the students buzzed in to answer, it was a knock out competition and James Smith of Wright House won!

Congratulations Wright House and well done to all participants.

Trent Welcomes Angela Knight

2011-11-25T00:00:00

As part of Trent's ever-growing Whole School Programme, we will be welcoming Angela Knight to our school today (Fri 25th Nov) to talk to our Sixth Form students about her life and career experiences. The talk will take place at 3.25pm in The Thai Lecture Theatre.

After leaving Bristol University with an honours degree in chemistry, Angela worked for the American industrial gas company Air Products Ltd.

She was the product development manager for the application and sales of nitrogen as an inert carrier during the treatment of ferrous metal components.

She went on to set up and was Chief Executive of a specialist contract heat treatment company treating precision engineering components - Cook & Knight Metallurgical Processors Ltd - and associated process plant manufacturing company.

Year 7 get Free books

2011-11-24T00:00:00

Year 7 students were delighted this year to receive a free book each through the Booked Up scheme. This is run by the Booktrust charity and administered by school librarians all over the country. All pupils in year 7 could choose from a list of 12 titles, including current teenage fiction and non-fiction books as well as an audio book.

Pierre and Elliott in 7X said: "We really like getting a free book because we could choose what we wanted from a really good list!" Booked Up is designed to encourage reading for pleasure in order to improve literacy and creative thinking skills.

All students at Trent College are encouraged to read regularly and have access to an excellent and up to date bookstock in the Duke of Devonshire Library.

The School Librarian said: "As well as being one of the most important things you can do to succeed in life, reading for pleasure is just so much fun. Giving these books out is always a highlight of the school year because of the excitement and pleasure out students get out of it."

Year 12s Visit Corpus Christi College, Oxford Universit

2011-11-23T00:00:00

Recently, the Year 12 Oxbridge group travelled to Oxford for an insight into University life and what applying to Oxbridge entails. The day started with a quick quiz on the university itself, followed by a brief talk on Oxford University. During this time, we learnt about the collegiate system that Oxford is based around, and were made aware of the tutorial system that is very specific to both Oxford and Cambridge.

Tutorials are one-to-one sessions with an Oxford professor, which help develop further understanding into your chosen course. This was a major decider for the students who went on the trip as to whether or not they would apply, as the tutorial system is not suited to everyone.

Later we had two current students at Corpus Christi College come and talk to us about the intense interview process and student life at Oxford-we discovered that there is so much on offer! In the afternoon we had a tour round Corpus Christi College, and Merton College, two of the smallest colleges in Oxford, but both beautiful!

This day really helped the Oxbridge group (students selected based upon GCSE results) to decide whether or not they wanted to apply to either Oxford or Cambridge. Many came away with the determination that they would strive for a place at Oxbridge and so now we are enrolling in many activities every week in preparation for our application.

Freya Crocker, Year 12

Year 8 Tennis Stars... Among Top 16 in the UK!

2011-11-22T00:00:00

The Year 8 Tennis Boys (James Ashcroft, George Finney, Dom Praditngam, Ali McCulloch and Ben Goddard) reached the Quarter-Finals of the National Schools’ Competition which means they were among the top 16 schools in the UK! Unfortunately they didnt make it any further but I think we all agree that this was a fantastic effort from the boys.

Congratulations Boys!

Trent Launches New Literature Society

2011-11-22T00:00:00

Last Thursday saw the launch of Trent's 'LitSoc' society involving 13 students, ranging from Year 10-13.

LitSoc is a society the English department will be running throughout the academic year. Teachers will focus on a personal area of interest suitable to the subject, and to run a talk / discussion / workshop on that topic. Primarily LitSoc is available to Years 12 and 13, however we are also opening it up to the more capable students in Years 10 and 11.

Although it is yet to be confirmed, we are hoping for at least one session per month.

The Grand Central Chrous Descends on Trent

2011-11-17T00:00:00

Next Wednesday we have ‘The Grand Central Chorus’ coming to Trent, this proves to be a great, fun evening.

The Grand Central Chorus is an enthusiastic group of about thirty men who enjoy singing together in the four-part close-harmony barbershop style. They describe themselves as not being a group of highly talented singers with exceptional musical ability, but a group of very ordinary men, who, with a fair amount of enjoyable hard work have learned to sing well together.

During their visit we will be experiencing a workshop during which they will be encouraging the audience to sing, followed by a short concert…to show us how it is done!

Please do come along and enjoy what should be a very enjoyable evening (no tickets required).

What is England? Sir Roy Strong Tells All

2011-11-17T00:00:00

On the 16^th November the Whole School Programme welcomed the eminent Historian, gardener, writer and broadcaster Sir Roy Strong to deliver his lecture ‘What is England?’

Sir Roy introduced ideas of imagined ‘Englishness’ that encompassed empire, theatre, religion, music, the countryside and the monarchy. Exploring perceptions and icons of what it is to be English we were treated to a dissertation on English History from the Elizabethan age. The English and History scholars, guests and teachers were given much food for thought, culminating id Sir Roy’s views on the place of England today, in this uncertain and somewhat turbulent period of our history.

The lecture was attended by 110 guests in the chapel, a fitting venue for this renowned speaker who’s recent publications have included‘A Little History of the English Country Church’

A limited number of signed copies of Sir Roy’s books are available from the library.

Pupils Represent Trent: An Armistice Day Service

2011-11-17T00:00:00

As an ex Royal Marine, Mr Wright (Head of Main School) accompanied by two Trent College pupils, Sam (Year 9) and Livi (Year 10) were invited to help make The Act of Remembrance at Terrington Hall Prep School in York, a special one. After a guided tour of Terrington Hall, Mr Wright gave the Remembrance address ably supported by Livi who recited the poem ‘For the Fallen’ by Laurence Binyon. Sam then ended the service with a poem written about the Poppy –‘In Flanders Fields’ by John McCrea. After the service the school were entertained by the Ampleforth College Corps of Drums. Sam and Livi completed the morning with a Q& A with the Terrington Hall Year 7’s about life at Trent College.

At Trent, we also took part in a memorable service, with the whole school including pupils, teachers and support staff braving the cold on the School Terrace in an act of remembrance for all those, giving a special mention to Trent pupils, who lost their lives tragically during the war.

Students get creative with Children in Need

2011-11-16T00:00:00

Students at Trent relish any opportunity where they can help others less fortunate than themselves and as always, The Children in Need appeal will be benefitting from the wealth of fundraising events and activities organised by our boarding community, due to take place on Friday.

From the physically challenging 24 hour football match and the‘Fluorescent Pentathlon’ to the inventive ‘wheelbarrow campus taxi’ service, our students have been truly creative with their fundraising ideas this year.

There will be an array of cakes, sweets and drinks being sold throughout the day and if you fancy a taste of the states, pop into Bates House where they will be happy to serve you Coffee, waffles and hot dogs in their American Ranch style diner. Martin House will have a chocolate fountain on offer along with some delicious Crispy Kreme donuts. They are also raffling off some great prizes including a round of golf and a Thai massage.

A full list of activities:

Shuker

1. 24 hour football match   16:45 – 16:45 (Saturday) - Top astro
2. Sweet shop                  Break time and Lunch time - Follow arrows
3.Music Concert               20:30May Hall

Bates

1.Fluorescent Pentathlon 5:00am start - Around campus
Click here to sponsor the Bates Girls: http://www.justgiving.com/Michelle-Daykin-

Blake

1. American Diner Break time and Lunch time - Blake House Kitchen
2. Wheelbarrow taxi service - All day - Around Campus
3. Wheelbarrow across Yosemite National Park - All day - Around Campus

Martin

1. Madagascar Marathon   All day - Around Campus
2. Selling Crispy Kremes   Break time and Lunch time - Martin House
3. Chocolate Fountain       Break time and Lunch time - Martin House
4. Raffle                           Break times and lunch times leading up to Friday and during FridayY9, 10, 11 -                                       Quads & The Elms car park

Make sure you bring lots of change in readiness to help Trent College raise money for Children in Need!

Trent College, Helping to Make a Difference

2011-11-15T00:00:00

Trent College has had a charitable link with a school in Kenya (Nyacaba Primary School) for many years and has supported many projects that have made the school better for its pupils and staff. The projects have included, purchasing books, buildings, furniture, doors, roofing, flooring and tree planting (i.e. reorder). David Pinney (recently retired long serving teacher at Trent) was the main ‘friend’ to the school; visiting regularly and identifying the most needy projects. The donations from Trent made a major difference to the lives of pupils and teachers at Nyacaba. This was patently obvious during a recent visit to the school and all correspondence we have with staff and pupils.

With a view to further developing our charitable links with Kenya, a Governor of Trent College & the Elms (Paul Macildowie) and Magnus Cowie, (Deputy Head Pastoral), spent four days in Kenya looking at a range of potential partner schools & projects. The trip included visits to primary schools, secondary schools; meetings with Ministry of Education officials and other ‘key players’ in any ‘act of giving’. The schools were in Nairobi, two near Thika and one North of Nyeri in a town called Wiyumiririe.

We were greeted with an extremely warm welcome wherever we went & saw some very worthy causes. Education is highly valued in Kenya and a little money can go a long way if it is channelled effectively. The provision of free primary education to all Kenyans has proved a significant step forward for the Country. Whilst the education is free, there are additional costs to be met by the schools, ideally with the support of parents and any other donors. Such ‘partnerships’ make a tremendous difference to the educational experience in the schools (for example the classrooms, floors, roofs, teaching resources, food & drinks for pupils and staff). The Kenyan 8-4-4 system is made up of 8 years of primary education culminating in an examination to determine the entry level into 4 years of secondary education, culminating in summative examinations to determine entry into 4 years of tertiary education. Secondary Schools are National (for the highest achievers), Regional (for the next highest achievers) and District. The former are normally boarding (due to large distances) and this element incurs some additional charges.

We aim to help a small number of schools in Kenya in ways which are of direct benefit to them. Initially this is likely to mean targeted projects in infrastructure development. Our visit to Nyacaba made it clear that, with a clear focus on a particular area of support; our giving can provide a significant and lasting benefit to the community. This was clearly seen in the trees planted, the staffroom furniture donated, the toilet block built & the sturdy roofs and doors put in classrooms. The pride with which the staff and pupils showed us these, and other, developments provided through Trent; made a profound impression on us. It also convinced us that developing our link with needy Kenyan schools is the right thing for us to do.

In time, our assistance will also involve our students travelling out to a school in Kenya to help with local pupils’ study and aspects of their general education. This will obviously require thorough planning and is provisionally scheduled for summer 2013. We must ensure that our pupils are fully prepared to make a difference as soon as they arrive in Kenya, so they, and our partners in Kenya, get maximum benefit out of their time there.

The scope for Trent College and the Elms to make a difference to a number of schools in Kenya is tremendous and these are exciting times ahead as our plans take shape. I will be presenting thoughts and images from our recent visit to our pupils over the next 5 weeks. Undoubtedly, our links with Kenya will be the major focus for our charitable giving.

I will also be listening to suggestions from our pupils, staff and parents on how we can work together to make a difference in our partner schools. All ideas will be considered and shared with our contacts in our partner schools so they can guide us toward what they need most.

It is extremely exciting to be at the foundation of such a worthwhile project which will make such an impact on the lives of so many.

Images from our trip are shown below with a brief summary of what this shows. The pictures are from 3 schools:

Gowan Mt. View Academy, a primary school near Thika, which has recently been started up by Anne & Mungai Nginya; both long term friends of Trent College.

Nyacaba Primary School near Thika, the school we have enjoyed a long term link with.

Wiyumiririe Secondary School, a district secondary (Years 1-4 KCSE) approximately 3 hours drive north of Nairobi

AS Geographers Descend on Wales

2011-11-15T00:00:00

This year our AS fieldtrip saw 31 students accompanied by Miss Bletsoe, Mr Shuttleworth, Mrs Harris and Miss Hills head to wales for their annual Skills exam fieldwork. On the Monday, students collected fieldwork in an urban environment; collecting data on housing type, age, traffic management and observations on local populations. They returned to the field studies centre to collate their data and using GIS and GE Graph, learned a new ways to present their data.

Tuesday, was our rivers day and with no real sign of the torrential downpours of last year, we headed out onto the Afon Nant Peris for a day of data collection. The groups used flow meters, dog biscuits, ranging poles, metal chains, random number tables, calibres and meter sticks to measure depth, width, wetted perimeter, speed of flow and to measure pebble length and assess their shapes.

The department were impressed with the enthusiastic approach many took to the data collection, and a few students got a little closer to the river than they had planned when they fell in! Back in the classroom, they followed through the enquiry process from aim to conclusion and each group gave a presentation on their various findings.

The department were impressed with the way the students embraced the work and we look forward to seeing the results of these efforts in the January exams. All were impeccably behaved and with the weather in our favour, all enjoyed a delightful three days in a truly stunning outdoor environment.

Indoor Fireworks Display Brings Chemistry to Life!

2011-11-11T00:00:00

Top chemistry Professor, Dr Akhavan who specialises in explosives chemistry, visited Trent last Friday to explain the science behind modern fireworks, with a series of vivid demonstrations!

There were whizz and whistles galore as Trent College prepared for Bonfire Night with a captivating chemistry of fireworks demonstration.

Dubbed‘Pretty, Pretty, Bang, Bang’, Trent College students from all year groups enjoyed two hour-long presentations from Cranfield University’s Prof. Akhavan as she demonstrated upside down rockets illustrating the power of thrust, a ‘secret’strobe firework that will never go on public sale, gunpowder that didn’t go bang and contained detonations that definitely did!

The Students learned about how fireworks are made, what makes them fizzle, crack and pop and how they produce their different colours and effects. It was a very informative, chemistry inspired day at Trent!

REMINDER: Win a Place on the ARVON Creative Writing Cou

2011-11-11T00:00:00

Closing date: Saturday 19th November

Calling All Students in Years 10 – 13… Trent has launched its very own Creative Writing Competition.

Trent College PSA In association with The English Department are delighted to announce the launch of a Creative Writing Competition, open to all students in Year 10, 11, 12 and 13.

The piece can be Poetry or prose; it can be fiction or non-fiction, and can either be part of a longer composition or complete in itself up to 800 words in length.

Titles can be chosen from the following.

‘Conflict’ or ‘Resolution’
‘The Future’
‘Conservation’

All entries: to Ms L Matthews or Mrs E Dunford by Saturday 19th November

First prize: A place on the ARVON Creative Writing Course, April 2012 (supplied by the PSA and worth £450)

Three second prizes of £100 towards attending the Creative Writing Course

Get Writing!

Elena Frankland Wins Derby Open!

2011-11-11T00:00:00

Elena Frankland, a Year 8 student was successful in winning the under 13 squash Derby Open at Ilkeston at the weekend. After competing against players from all parts of the country in some hard fought matches, she reached the final and was victorious, winning 3-0.

Elena is going from strength to strength with her squash and will also be competing in the Manchester Open followed by the British Open at Sheffield.

Congratulations Elena, we look forward to hearing more about your future squash success!