The College offers a wide range of sport and other physical activities and the majority of
our students choose to participate in one or more of them. Many take part for exercise and
enjoyment alone whilst others are members of one or more of our successful College teams.
Team sports at the College go from strength to strength. We run the following men’s and women’s
teams:
- Badminton
- Basketball
- Cricket
- Cross country
- Football
- Hockey
- Netball
- Rounders
- Rowing
- Rugby
- Squash
- Table Tennis
- Tennis
- Volleyball
Many of these teams compete in the Cambridgeshire leagues, the university inter-colleges leagues,
and national schools competitions. We also take part in British Colleges’ competitions, which gives
students the opportunity to compete at national level and be selected for British Colleges’ national squads. You can
see from the current honours list that the College has been successful at national level in badminton, hockey,
football, table tennis, tennis, and swimming. Many sportswomen and men from the College have represented
Cambridgeshire, and in recent years we have had national representatives in cricket, hockey, rowing, triathlon
and tennis. The department organises sporting tours (both home and abroad) and trips to major sporting events,
e.g. Wimbledon, and we host numerous touring sides including schools from Australia and South Africa. The netball
squad and sports leaders toured South Africa in February 2008, including a visit to our partner school in Ndamase.
Students may choose to follow the Sports Leadership award. Students have gained much from this course, particularly those
considering sport or teaching as a career. There is also the opportunity to gain various governing body coaching
and officiating awards. Whilst promoting sporting excellence, there are numerous opportunities to play just for fun,
such as fun five-a-side football, badminton and basketball tournaments. Social players and elite performers alike
have access to some of the best indoor and outdoor sports facilities in the region.
Drama in the Robinson Theatre has always been one of the College’s strengths, where students can get involved both on
stage and behind the scenes. Through the Enrichment programme, performers, directors and technicians will be offered
many opportunities to develop their skills. Dedicated technical training is offered under the guidance of
our staff theatre technicians. A team of student technicians runs the theatre and its up-to-date, computerised sound
and lighting systems. Some students may involve themselves with the administration of the theatre, while
others, normally in Year 13, may be offered the chance to direct their own production. Last year saw a range of
productions, including:
- A staff-written and directed production Hou Hou Shahou’s Chorus of Descent (returning from the Edinburgh
Fringe Festival)
- A student directed production of David Ives’ hilarious absurdist sketch play All in the Timing
- A cross-college production of Threepenny Opera
- A staff-directed production of Aristophanes hilariously rude ancient Greek comedy Lysistrata
- A student-directed production of Jason Robert Brown’s witty and exhilarating romantic musical Last Five Years
- A staff-directed production of George Brant’s extraordinary tale Elephant’s Graveyard
Hills Road’s experienced dance teachers run a weekly jazz technique class and a performance group called Up and Running.
These offer a fun way of getting fit, staying fit and developing your creativity. The class will offer a regular session
in which to learn new skills and develop existing ones. Up and Running will provide keen students with a chance to
learn about choreography and with opportunities to perform on stage. In recent years we have performed at Cambridge Arts
Theatre, The Junction, The New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich, Jerwood Dance House, Ipswich and have been back stage at Covent Garden. Music, dance and drama
staff and students often work closely together. Examples of work this year include:
- Plea for Help – student choreography and repertoire
- Two Too - an evening of performances of dance practical examination work
- Dance Fragments -new dance pieces created alongside student textiles work
- Ether Ore - student and staff choreography and performance.
Hills Road Sixth Form College Sporting Honours 2009–2010
Badminton (men) British Colleges East, 3rd
Badminton (mixed) British Colleges East – champions, British Colleges National Finals - Gold medal
Badminton (team) British Colleges KO cup - runners-up
Basketball (men) Cambridgeshire League Champions, County Cup Champions
Basketball (women) British Colleges East – 3rd
Cross Country (women) British Colleges National Finals – two qualifiers
Equestrian (team) Inter-schools dressage - 2nd
Football (women) British Colleges National Plate – runners-up
Hockey (men) British Colleges East – 2nd
Hockey (women) British Colleges National Finalists, British Colleges East – champions
Netball County Cup – champions
Rowing Winter Head Eights - division winners, City sprints (doubles & singles) - winners
Rugby (men) British Colleges East Premier League - champions, British Colleges East Knockout Cup – champions,
Daily Mail under-18s Colleges National Cup – 5th round, East Region RFU 10s - finalists, Cambridgeshire 10s – winners
Squash (men) British Colleges East – champion
Squash (women) British Colleges East – champion
Swimming British Colleges National Finals - 2 swimmers selected
Table Tennis (men) British Colleges East, doubles – 3rd
Table Tennis (women) British Colleges East, singles – champion
Table Tennis (mixed) British Colleges East - 3rd
Tennis (men) British Colleges East, singles – 3rd, British Colleges East, doubles – 3rd, Senior Students
Winter League National Finals – runners-up, Cambridgeshire Schools Senior Students League - champions
Tennis (women) British Colleges East, doubles - 3rd, British Colleges East, singles – runner-up
Tennis (mixed) British Colleges East - champions, British Colleges National Finals – Gold medal
Trampolining (women) British Colleges National Finals – qualifier
A large variety of musical activities are offered as part of the
Enrichment programme. These activities are open to all students regardless of subjects studied.
Some of the ensembles are auditioned and some are open to all:
- Symphony Orchestra
- Chamber Orchestra
- Wind Orchestra
- College Choir
- Chamber Choir
- Jazz Choir
- Jazz Orchestra
- Folk & Roots Group
- Brass Ensemble
- Music Technology
- Radio shows
- DJ workshop
- Live electronic music.
There are regular concerts, both formal and informal, held at West Road Concert Hall and in the
Recital Room at Hills Road, with plenty of opportunities for ensemble and solo performances.
There is an annual carol service which takes place at Great St Mary’s church. The chamber orchestra and
chamber choir tour every two years, and visited Tuscany, Italy in July 2008. Instrumental and vocal
tuition is offered at the College, with specialist teachers employed by the College. These lessons are
timetabled in free periods, lunchtimes or after college, so they do not clash with academic commitments.
Practice room facilities are good and are available to all students. We encourage students to create
their own ensembles and support musical enterprise amongst the student community!
Activities provided in the Art and Design centre always prove very popular and include
ceramics, life drawing, fashion, photography and an architecture project (ideal for
those contemplating architecture as a career).
Each year many students enjoy a work placement with a local employer. There is also a large
voluntary work programme through which students volunteer to work with hospitals, schools and individuals.
In 2008–2009 approximately 35 students ran businesses under the Young Enterprise scheme.
Young Enterprise offers participants the opportunity to set up and run a scaled-down limited company.
Many business skills are developed including teamwork, running meetings, producing a business plan,
working with budgets, marketing and presentation skills. Students of AS German have the opportunity to
attend work placements in Hamburg. A large number of students learn organisational and managerial skills
by helping to organise the College Balls.
Many students enjoy discussing ideas and issues and there are a number of opportunities to do this both in the
Enrichment programme and in the many clubs and societies which may have a political, philosophical, religious or
cultural basis. All of them involve argument and analysis of current ideas and issues that can be further developed
through Critical Thinking, World Development and Science in Society in Year 13.
If you don’t want to take a language at AS or A level, a number of other opportunities are available
to enable you to try a newone. Beginners courses in Spanish, Italian, Japanese and Chinese are all offered in the
programme.
We have a thriving Duke of Edinburgh Award unit at Hills Road Sixth Form College. Students do not need to have
completed the bronze and
silver awards to join the unit. They start their skill, physical activity and service sections and train for the
expedition section in Year 12. This award is demanding but enjoyable and highly regarded by employers.