Private School News

Budding Picassos Showcase Talent

Polam Hall School is giving art lovers the opportunity to see the work of budding Picassos at an exhibition, which features pupils from schools across Darlington and the surrounding areas.

The exhibition, entitled ‘Our Heritage Matters’, will display various forms of art, entered by school pupils as part of a competition organised by Polam Hall School, Darlington.

Youngsters between the ages of 3 and 11 from local nurseries, primary schools, and independent schools have submitted pieces in four categories around the topic of why their heritage matters to them.

Members of the public can see all the entries and winners, which are yet to be announced, in Polam Hall’s Liddiard Theatre on Saturday 6th February between 10.30am and 12noon. The entries will then be on display at Darlington Town Hall the week commencing 15th February followed by an exhibition at Darlington Arts Centre between 20th and 31st July 2010.

Angela Foster, Headmistress of Polam Hall Junior School, said: “Some of the artwork that has been submitted is fantastic and really demonstrates the creativity of young people from across the area.

“As a school, we pride ourselves on the learning and development of our pupils, and felt that the competition would not only highlight the skills of our own students, but would show the strong artistic development that is evident across the town.

“I hope that people enjoy the exhibition and that it gives them a taste of the talents of Darlington’s budding Picassos.”

Charterhouse Outclassed by Canford: Boarding Schools Cup

Charterhouse outclassed by Canford

Boys’ Hockey – Boarding Schools Cup

Charterhouse 0 Canford 7

Goal scorers Simon Hanley, 5 Tom Darby 2

Canford’s entire team played very well, especially after only one practice game. The bad weather over the past few weeks may have caused postponements of all the warm-up matches, but this has allowed the players to improve on their fitness levels.

The team was captained superbly by Simon Hanley who managed to score five of the seven goals, with Tom Darby adding the other two. Charterhouse pupils and parents were also a credit to their school, applauding the display of hockey the Canford players had shown. However, as our players will know, the score could and should have been into double figures, so there is still work to do on the practice field.

Charterhouse School’s match report:

Charterhouse tumbled to their worst ever home defeat against another school on Tuesday 19th January. It would be reasonable to point to a total lack of pre-season practice plus the loss of Charterhouse’s lynch-pin midfielder, Alex Rozier-Pamplin, after only a few minutes play as some form of explanation, but the simple truth is that Canford were a very slick unit who dominated the game from start to finish and who might well have scored even more than the seven goals they achieved.

The visitors pressed from the opening minute and only an outstanding display of goalkeeping from Joshua Doble kept them at bay. It was ironic, therefore, that a slip by the Charterhouse keeper should allow Canford to open the scoring after just seven minutes. The barrage continued throughout the half and it was remarkable that Doble was able to keep his goal intact. Then, in the 28th minute, Charterhouse finally got into the game: a quick break found Oliver Greenhalgh in front of goal and a cynical foul on him gave Charterhouse a penalty stroke. The thought of drawing level after such a bettering was evidently too much for the home side and James Kinsey’s feeble effort gave the Canford ‘keeper little trouble.

Just when it looked like Charterhouse might get to half time just one goal down, the opposition scored from a short corner two minutes before the break and doubled their lead. Ian Hamilton, the Charterhouse coach, exhorted greater efforts from his men and they came out after half time in determined mood. They came close to scoring, too, earning three short corners but were unable to convert any of them. Canford, on the other hand, had a whole variety of possibilities and the second half became little more than a chance for the visitors to go through the full range of their routines.

It says much for Doble’s goalkeeping that all the goals scored in the second half came from short corners, for Canford certainly created enough chances in open play to have scored more.

In the end, Charterhouse had been taught a lesson by a team which was not only a very efficient unit but which also displayed the vital ability to keep the ball and to pass it on with pace, while harrying like terriers when they lost possession. They are likely to go a long way in this year’s competition.

British Rowing Junior Trials

Anastasia Chitty and Alex Wilding took part in the Junior Rowing Trials on the Great Ouse, Lincolnshire in snowy conditions.

Anastasia sculled well in a highly competitive field of 56.
The Canford girl set out to achieve a place in the top ten so coming home in 6th more than fulfilled her ambitions for the day.

The following day Anastasia joined pair partner Sarah Lonergan to row the 5 kilometre course coming home in fine style in 2nd place. This is an encouraging performance for the sixteen year old who has carved a niche for herself amongst her older rivals for a place on this year’s British rowing teams.

Alex Wilding, one of Canford’s top boys, came home richer for the experience finishing 40th in single sculls and 36th in the coxless pair.

Bedford Modern School Politics students visit Edinburgh as part of Devolution studies

21 Bedford Modern School AS Politics students attended a three day trip to Scotland as part of their studies into Devolution and the operation of the Scottish Parliament.

During the trip the students went to the University of Edinburgh to hear Dr E. Hepburn on Devolution and also Dr Swanson on studying Politics at University – both excellent talks and the students were able to ask lots of questions.

After a tour of the Parliament, students had a series of meetings with MSP representing Labour, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats plus the SNP who are in government. Each speaker provided valuable information on the current state of Scottish Politics and their plans for the forthcoming UK General Election. Students were also able to ask questions directed at each politician.

The BMS students were also able to attend a Committee Hearing on Scotland’s response to the Lisbon Treaty and their relations with the E.U. In the evening students went on a Ghost Walk of Edinburgh and explored the hidden side of the city.

Stuart Baker, Head of Politics at BMS said: “It was a fantastic trip for the students who learnt a great deal in a very busy programme of events.”

Photo: Bedford Modern School AS Politics students visit Edinburgh Parliament

Former BMS pupil, Professor Stephen Wildman talks at Ruskin Society

Professor Stephen Wildman, OBM 1960-69, Director of the Ruskin Library and Research Centre at Lancaster University, was the guest speaker at the Ruskin Society’s Birthday Dinner at The Athenaeum in London on Monday 8th February.

Stephen’s talk, entitled Black Wind and White Fire: Ruskin’s visit to Sicily in 1874, was illustrated with letters and drawings by Ruskin and others, as well as photos taken by Stephen in Sicily last September.

Sicily was the furthest place ever visited by the great art critic, John Ruskin (1819-1900), who was born on 8th February, although he saw only Palermo, Monreale and Taormina in the north and east of the island. He was invited to Palermo by the family of Sir Henry Yule, a retired army officer and colonial administrator, whose vivacious daughter Amy, 33 years Ruskin’s junior, not only acted as Ruskin’s guide but corresponded with him and wrote about their friendship after his death in long footnotes in books about her father. At the time Ruskin was hoping to marry the ailing Rose La Touche, but, as Stephen was able to show in his talk, there is evidence that strong mutual affection may have existed between Ruskin and his “little Sicilian witch” (as he called her in other letters).

Only fragments of Amy’s and Ruskin’s correspondence have survived, but from these and other sources Stephen has reconstructed their friendship, focused on the 1874 visit, during which Ruskin commented on a “black wind” from the north, and observed the “white fire” of the volcano Mount Etna. He made drawings of the tomb of the Hohenstaufen Emperor Frederick II in Palermo Cathedral, with its fusion of Classical and Gothic styles, and admired the Byzantine mosaics of Monreale.

Amy, who never married, eventually moved to Scotland and became a supporter of the revival of Gaelic, prior to her death in 1916. So far no photograph or other picture of her has come to light.

Professor Stephen Wildman is the brother of Richard Wildman OBM, Bedford Modern School Archivist and OBM Club Secretary. The BMS archives include records of the School’s pupils and history, including over 2,000 photographs since about 1860. It is Richard’s task to sequence, conserve and interpret the material – a mine of historical information – to current staff and students, as well as to OBM’s and their descendants.

Notes: OBM = Old Bedford Modernian

Photo: Former Bedford Modern School pupil, Professor Stephen Wildman

Lancing College celebrates 110 years of its Combined Cadet Force

Special events to commemorate this landmark anniversary will take place on 10th March 2010

Rear-Admiral Sir Robert Woodard OL, great-grandson of Rev Nathaniel Woodard (the founder of Lancing College and of the Woodard Corporation of schools), will attend, with his sons Commander Jolyon Woodard RN OL and Captain Rupert Woodard OL. They will arrive in a Sea King helicopter.

This year, Lancing College celebrates 110 years of its Combined Cadet Force (CCF). 2010 is considered by members of the Cadet Forces as an historic year, as it marks the 150th anniversary of cadet activities in the UK. The Cadet Corps at Lancing was founded in 1900 by the Head Master, Ambrose J Wilson, and CCF at the College is now more popular than ever. There are 150 cadets – with girls making up roughly a third of those who take part.

Pupils at Lancing can choose to take CCF on Wednesday afternoons, as part of their extra curricular activities. These students compete annually at the National Shooting Centre in Bisley, take part in adventurous training camps at Easter and in summer, as well as local exercises in the Ladywell Valley (part of the College grounds). The RAF section also has annual camps at RAF stations, as well as field days where cadets can learn to fly, glide or parachute. The training activities help to develop military knowledge, drill, map and compass skills, fieldcraft, skill at arms, life saving and first aid.

The aim of a CCF training is to help pupils develop powers of leadership, responsibility, self reliance, resourcefulness, endurance and perseverance. This training also helps to build confidence. CCF is not a pre-service organisation, although it encourages those who have an interest in the services to become Officers of the Regular or Reserve Forces.

A number of OLs (Lancing alumni) have gone on to careers in the armed forces. Commodore Richards RN (at Lancing 1972-77) recalls,
“I left Lancing in July 1977 and walked through the gates of the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth in September of the same year. I have been ‘in’ ever since, in jobs ranging from commanding the Destroyer HMS Exeter… [and] designing the Ministry of Defence’s Middle East engagement strategy to teaching at the old Royal Navy Staff College at Greenwich… Did the CCF help me on my way – you bet… The CCF training set the scene well for the military training to follow, offering an early insight into both the discipline and friendship of a service career,”

The 110th Anniversary Celebrations: Wednesday 10th March

These will commence at 2pm with a Parade, with the inspecting officer, Major-General David Rutherford-Jones OL, followed by a range of activities throughout the afternoon. A Thanksgiving Service, when a new CCF banner will be presented, will take place at 5pm in the famous Lancing College Chapel. This will be followed by a Reception and Dinner for VIPs. Invitees include OLs with military careers, OLs who participated in CCF at Lancing, and present and previous staff who have commanded CCF at the College.

Photo: CCF at Lancing in the 1930s

Extended Project Qualification

The Extended Project Qualification is a new AS level which we are introducing into the Sixth Form. It gives students the opportunity to develop their skills in research and in independent study which are the foundation for university level work. The students can develop ideas covered in their A level studies, use cross curricular themes or research an entirely new area. The work involves
research and writing up an extended essay (a ‘dissertation’) or students could produce a piece of artwork, drama or music. They will be awarded an AS grade (A* to E) based on their journal,
which contains the write up, analysis and reflection on how they managed the project.

Helen Seymour (U6), under the guidance of Mrs Penny Huntsman, has almost completed her EPQ and, as part of the final award, she presented an overview of her project to a mixed audience of students and tutors. Helen has spent the last eight months researching the works of Damien Hirst, a well‐known
contemporary (and controversial) artist about whom there is relatively little documented. This did not put Helen off, rather it fuelled her interest and she visited galleries to see the works firsthand, researched through the inter‐library system and bought gallery brochures to inform her writing.

Her final presentation, which focused on memento mori, was fascinating, inspiring, informative and in true Helen‐style entertaining. Her explanations were clear and demonstrated her very
high level of understanding of the man and his works, but she managed to bring the difficult concepts down to a level which the audience could relate to and connect with the ideas.

We are hoping that Helen will be able to deliver her presentation to a wider audience, and that the Lower Sixth will be inspired to take on this very worthwhile challenge next year.

West Side Story comes to Bedford Modern School – March 2010

Bedford Modern School students will be performing West Side Story at the School on Monday 8th March, Tuesday 9th March and from Thursday 11th March to Saturday 13th March 2010.

Set in New York in the mid-1950′s, West Side Story explores the rivalry between two teenage gangs of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. When young American Tony falls in love with Puerto Rican immigrant, Maria, a tragic chain of events is set in motion that will rip apart their worlds forever.

This musical re-telling of Romeo and Juliet features some of the greatest songs of the 20th Century including Something’s Coming, Maria, America, Somewhere, Tonight, I Feel Pretty and Cool.

Tickets for the production are on general release priced at £5.00 for adults and £3.00 for concessions. To book, or for more information about this and other productions at BMS including Bugsy Malone and the Strawberries and Cream Concert, please contact the Bedford Modern School Box Office on 01234 332664.

Bedford Modern School Table Tennis players to represent their country

Four Bedford Modern School students and talented Table Tennis stars have been selected by The English Schools’ Table Tennis Association (ESTTA) to represent their country at the International School Sport Federation (ISF) World Schools’ Table Tennis Championships to be held in the Czech Republic between 25th and 31st March.
Bedford Modern School’s Table Tennis Team includes Year 11 student Alex Farmer, Year 10 student Joshua Robinson, Year 9 student Nishanth Narayanan and Year 11 student Harpreet Rupal.

Paul Birch, Bedford Modern School Table Tennis Coach said: “This is only the second time in the School’s history that BMS has been invited to take part in the ISF World Schools’ Table Tennis Championships. The last time the School competed was in 1995 and to be picked again this year is absolutely fantastic.
“This generation of BMS table tennis players can now experience the honour of representing their country and Alex, Joshua, Nishanth and Harpreet have all worked very hard to get where they are today.”
The Bedford Modern School squad will compete in the initial stages of the Tournament by playing teams from Ireland, Poland, Malta and Slovakia. The BMS team will be led by No. 1 player Joshua Robinson.

Photo: Bedford Modern School Table Tennis Team who will be representing their country (l-r: Alex Farmer, Joshua Robinson, Nishanth Narayanan and Harpreet Rupal)

Sixth-formers interview author Philip Pullman

Budding sixth-form journalists Seb Sutcliffe, Aja Garrod-Prance, Maddie Kirk, Ben Honey, Jonny Davidson and Jonny Frost recently interviewed celebrated author Philip Pullman. The pupils spent half an hour with the Whitbread-award winner for the first issue of EXEPRESS, a creative writing and arts magazine that is due to be launched later this term.

They asked Mr Pullman about how he approached the process of creating a narrative for his new book, about characters in his novels, and the latest book The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ, due to be published in the spring.

Year 12 pupil Seb Sutcliffe said: “We were a bit worried that some of our questions might be a bit closed, but he gave us lengthy answers we could feed back from. He was a charming, charismatic and interesting person.”

PREP SCHOOL SPRING CONCERT

The weather may have been icy outside but inside Farlington’s Courtyard Hall the Prep School’s Spring Concert put a spring in everyone’s step. It was lovely to see all the girls in the Prep School involved, with those who weren’t performing greeting visitors at the door and assisting with the staging. The audience all rose for the initial rousing rendition of God Save the Queen from the Prep School orchestra and then sat back to enjoy a wonderful variety of performances. There were a number of outstanding individual performances, among them Summer Raemason’s charming guitar solo on her bright pink guitar and Kitty Scott’s beautiful flute solo, enhanced by the knowledge that Kitty had been off sick and had come in especially to take part. The Samba Band played a wonderful ‘Rhythm Grid’ which was impressive in the complete concentration maintained by the girls in keeping the beat. One of the most interesting and atmospheric pieces was a composition by the Year 5 girls, entitled ‘Journey into Space’. Playing a variety of instruments, including a large cardboard tube (!), the girls created a complete journey through space from the rocket launch to the landing on a strange and haunting landscape, created by the tinkling and chiming of triangles and xylophones.
All credit must go to Mrs Anne Stearns, Director of Prep Music, for inspiring the girls to create, not only such a high standard of junior music, but also for making it so obviously enjoyable and fun!

Drama workshop at Farlington

Farlington’s Drama and Music Departments are beginning a new trend of inviting in outside speakers and performers to talk to senior students about their experiences and give them tips and advice.

Nikky Griffiths was in the original cast of the musical Wicked in the West End, Hairspray, and in the touring productions of Mama Mia and Grease. She talked to the girls about her own path to the West End stage; the underlying message being that it involved huge determination, a lot of hard work and a great deal of luck. Nikki, who comes from Cranleigh, and whose mother runs Cranleigh Dance and Theatre Arts, performed Popular for the girls, and Farlington’s teacher of Drama, Ray Gabbard, not a stranger himself to the stage having performed on Broadway, sang Stephen Sondheim’s Company.

During the workshop which followed Nikky helped the girls with character development and gave them tips on how to project a strong presence when on stage. The girls were inspired by the live performance and felt that Nikky’s workshop had given them a really useful insight into the world of show business.

Howell’s School, Llandaff Oxbridge Offers

Students at Howell’s School Sixth Form College are celebrating a bumper crop of offers from colleges at Oxford and Cambridge. Piers Kennedy (18) will be heading to St Peter’s College, Oxford, to read Music, where he has also been awarded a Choral Scholarship. He said, “I am really happy about getting an offer from Oxford, simply because it’s such a good place to study music and it will give me so many opportunities in the future. More than that, because so much of the application process comes down to chance, I feel so incredibly lucky to have these opportunities awaiting me, and I’ll be sure to make the most of them”.

Jasper Warner, who has a place to read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at St Hilda’s College, is currently taking a gap year, having gained grade As last summer in History, Maths and Physics at A Level and a distinction in the Advanced Extension Award in History to add to his As in AS Biology and Critical Thinking taken the previous year. An outstanding debater, he represented Wales in the World Debating Championships in Athens, where he was ranked in the world’s top ten debaters, and he was also a member of a group of four students from Howell’s selected to represent the UK at the Junior 8 summit in Tokyo which ran parallel to the G8 summit. Others who have had offers from Oxford are Camille Ivinson (18), who will read Law at St Hugh’s College, Rachel Patel (17), who has a place at University College to read Medicine, Anna Sambrook (17), who will study German at Trinity College and Joseph Thorne (17), who will head to Corpus Christi College to read English.

Successful applicants to Cambridge University are Ellen Brookes (18), who will study Natural Sciences at Sidney Sussex College, Eleanor Richardson (18), who has a place at Magdalene College to read Classics and Rachel Thomas (18), who has been accepted at Murray Edwards College to study for a degree in Medicine.

Photo: from back left – Rachel Patel, Ellen Brookes, Rachel Thomas, Joseph Thorne

Front from left – Piers Kennedy, Eleanor Richardson, Camille Ivinson, Anna Sambrook.

Oxbridge success at Exeter School

Sixth-formers celebrate offers of places

Exeter School Sixth Formers and staff are celebrating further success at the colleges of Oxford and Cambridge this autumn. The school has received twelve offers of places so far, in a range of subjects, with particularly impressive achievements this year in Engineering: two pupils have secured Cambridge offers and four at Oxford in that discipline. Competition for Oxbridge places is very keen and the school is proud of its pupils’ performance in such a demanding environment.

Headmaster Bob Griffin paid tribute to the teaching staff, whose dedication and thoughtful approach have played a major part in these happy outcomes. Please see below for details.

Cambridge
John Broadbent Engineering Queens’
Hugh Collins Computer Science St Catharine’s
Adam Jackson Engineering Pembroke
Will Ouldridge Computer Science Homerton
Izzy Smith Natural Sciences Girton
Jocelyn Trayler-Clarke Land Economy Newnham

Oxford
John Baldock Engineering Exeter
Daniel Barnes Engineering Keble
Andrew Clay Engineering Lady Margaret Hall
Ben Glover Engineering St Hugh’s
Henry Renninson Modern Languages St Catherine’s
Michael Walker Physics Lincoln

Exeter School are Devon U18 rugby champions

19-12 win in closely-contested match v Plymouth College

Wednesday 2 December saw the final of the Devon U18 rugby cup, which was played at Exeter School between the holders, Plymouth College, and Exeter School. The two sides met last year in the final and once this season: Plymouth were the victors by a narrow margin on both occasions. This fixture had particular significance for both sides: it acted as a double-header, because it was also contested as the 6th Round match in the Daily Mail U18 Cup.

The match was competitive and athletic, in reasonable weather for early December, and took place in front of a large crowd. After an early Exeter break away try by James Collett, Plymouth narrowed the gap to one point by kicking two penalties. Two tries by Cameron Hansson gave Exeter a good lead, but Plymouth pushed them all the way, scoring two further penalties. Exeter held on to win 19-12, becoming Devon champions and qualifying for the last 16 nationally in the Daily Mail competition.
A number of the Upper Sixth (Year 13) members of the Exeter side, including the captain, Charlie Taverner, are now quadruple Devon champions, having won the U13, U14, U15 and U18 trophies in their time at the school.

Bedford Modern School student is part of International Youth Project

Bedford Modern School Year 13 student, Garry Hendry, has been chosen to join an International Youth Project as part of the E.U. Youth in Action initiative. The programme will involve Garry spending a week in Spain, learning how to organise, market and recruit for voluntary organisations.

“I have been involved with the International Youth Project, working with YouthCast for the last two years,” said Garry. YouthCast is something that Garry initially helped set up through the Youth Action network, with the purpose of providing new media skills training for young people in Bedfordshire. The training takes places at external organisations, recent examples being Connexions and Luton Council Groundworks.

“My role is that of general adviser and media trainer. I create, plan and edit audio and video podcasts. I have always been interested in the media and was delighted to be able to combine this with my youth action work. I first joined the School’s Youth Action programme when I was in Year 10,” he added.

Between 1st and 7th March, Garry will be travelling to Isla Cristina, in Spain along with representatives from several other organisations across Europe. “The invitation to take part in the EU Youth Scheme really came off the back of my Twitter marketing on YouthCast. Everyone participating in the European scheme will come together at this event to discuss issues affecting young people and how it affects them.

“Problems may include poverty, drugs and homelessness and we will be looking at ways to solve these issues through media solutions. Media solutions apply through advertising, marketing and giving people the tools they need to express themselves. This is an exciting opportunity to meet young volunteers from all over Europe and is sure to assist my personal development,” said Garry.

Whilst at Bedford Modern School, Garry has also been involved in re-developing the School’s Outreach website and designing a new website for the Development Office. After taking his A Levels this summer, Garry intends to study Advertising and Marketing at Bournemouth University.

Dr Andrew Rowley, Community Service Organiser at BMS and School Chaplain said, “Garry has worked very hard for Youth Action at Bedford Modern School over a number of years. He has made a commendable contribution in a number of ways, including inspiring and supporting younger students in their voluntary work. This project sounds made for him.”

In 2005, Garry also launched his own radio station. This is a small on-line community station that operates during half-term and school holidays. The station provides a blend of music, chat and general discussion topics and can be accessed at http://radio.gazzainc.co.uk/

Photo: Bedford Modern School Year 13 student, Garry Hendry

Bedford Modern School students are “Going Green”

Gary Jones, Head of Faculty – Art Design Information Technology at Bedford Modern School together with the school’s Academic Enrichment Co-ordinator, Dawn Costello, arranged for 25 BMS Year 9 students to take part in a session designing and constructing wind turbines as part of their Science, Maths and Technology syllabus. Students were selected based on their performance and potential in at least two of the three disciplines.

The event, known as a Smallpeice STEM day, took place on Thursday 11th February. Smallpeice Trust STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) days provide short introductory sessions for students to enhance their understanding of, and aptitude for, problem solving, creativity, design and engineering.

Following an introductory session from the Smallpeice Trust, students were invited to design and construct a wind turbine to produce the greatest amount of energy. The Trust was set up by Dr Cosby Smallpeice, a self-taught engineer and founder of the Trust promoting. “Big things happen with the Smallpeice Trust including simplicity in design and economy in production.”

As part of the project, students learnt about renewable energy, wind power and wind turbines, electricity and circuits, structures and forces. The session concluded with the testing of each team’s model. A winning team was then selected based on points awarded for product performance, team working, aesthetics, cost and marketing. Members of the winning team won a small prize with two lucky BMS students gaining places on a Smallpeice Trust residential course at the University of Portsmouth.

“We are always looking for ways in which we can bring the curriculum to life. Experiences like the ones offered by the Smallpeice Trust and Network Rail are exactly what, as educationalists, we need. We are very pleased to be able to offer BMS students the opportunity to experience real world challenges, especially when they contextualise critical issues like sustainability and energy production. They also reinforce the cross-curricular nature of education, which the Faculty structure within Bedford Modern School was established to facilitate and promote,” said Gary Jones.

Maddie Reece, Year 9 student said, “The wind turbine session was enjoyable and presented a good challenge. We learnt the importance of teamwork and being able to compromise on ideas sometimes when working on projects.”

Edward Handford, another Year 9 student said, “We worked in small groups in order to pool our ideas. I have learnt the importance of going green to help the environment.”

Photo: Some of the Bedford Modern School Year 9 students constructing their wind turbines

Highclare Pupils Wear Hats for Haiti

Pupils across all three sites at Highclare School raised money for the Haiti Earthquake Appeal last week, raising a total for the whole school of £1,412.

Children at the school’s Nursery and Infant department at Highclare Woodfield, in Wylde Green, wore a great assortment of different hats on Friday 29th January to raise their money, and with the help of staff and parents raised £805. Their fund raising event was enjoyed by all the children from aged eighteen months to 7 years and saw the school awash with colourful, cosy and crazy hats!

“The idea came from the children themselves after their weekly reflective Assembly when Year 1 & Year 2 pupils discussed the current earthquake in Haiti and the impact it was having on children and their families. After looking at photographs of Kiki, the young survivor who was pulled from the rubble after eight days, they decided that as Woodfield is a
caring school, we should extend our caring hands across the world.” said Mrs Lin Jude, Head of Highclare Woodfield.

Eight members of the school council then took their cheque to the Oxfam shop in Wylde Green where the money was gratefully received by staff.

Junior pupils at Highclare The Abbey held their own raffle and a ‘Ten pence Trail’ covering all the letters of the words ‘Help Haiti’ in 10 p coins and pupils at Highclare St Paul’s paid £2 each to take part in a non-uniform day to raise further money for the disaster fund.

Action for Haiti

Cake Sale and Mufti Day raise £548

On Thursday 28th January, the Junior School enjoyed a MUFTI Day and arranged a cake sale, with the specific intention of raising as much money as possible for the relief operation in Haiti. There was an exceptionally positive response from parents and children, resulting in a contribution of £548.07 to the charity ShelterBox, which is already flying out aid to the islanders.
Well done to all involved!

Primary Maths Challenge 2009

On Tuesday 17th November 112 Exeter Junior School children sat this year’s Primary Maths Challenge. After some extremely hard work, we have been able to present an assortment of certificates to the candidates.
Worthy of particular note are Harry Tremlett of U1F (Year 4) who won a silver certificate and Amber Seaward of U2A (Year 6) who scored a maximum 25 out of 25. We are now waiting to see which of our children will be invited to sit the PMC Finals paper in February – watch this space.