Private School News

Caterham School – Record Breaking A Level Results in Summer 2010

The largest ever cohort of 139 students in the Upper Sixth Form at Caterham School achieved an outstanding performance in this year’s A-Level examinations breaking all the School’s previous records.

~ 9 students achieved three or more A*
~ 28 students achieved four or more passes at A*/A grade
- of which 8 achieved 5 and 1 achieved 6
~ 25% of the grades were A*
~ 66% of the grades were A/A* up from 60% ‘A’ grades last year
~ 92% of the grades were A*/A/B up from 85% ‘A/B’ grades last year
~ 100% pass rate at grades ‘A – E’

Headmaster Julian Thomas said ’’I am thrilled that all the hard work by this year’s Upper Sixth students has enabled them to achieve the best A Level results ever recorded by Caterham School. With university places at a premium this year, it was more important than ever to achieve strong results, and I am delighted that the students and teachers rose magnificently to the challenge.’’

Mr Thomas added ‘’Whilst we can celebrate the successes of the exam results today I would not want to lose sight of the fact that these pupils have also made an outstanding contribution outside the classroom. This is a very important aspect of their education. We believe that a truly excellent education is about more than academic achievement alone and we seek to ensure that our students leave with a breadth and depth of experiences that will have helped to prepare them for life at university and beyond.’

Photo: (L-R)Alex Clark, Matthew Fenton, Headmaster Julian Thomas, Hannah Wright, Emma O’Brien
The four students all achieved 4A* grades

ROYAL ALEXANDRA AND ALBERT SCHOOL, SURREY – WHACKY MATHS

Maths and fun were combined when ‘Murderous Mathematician’ Kjartan Poskitt visited the Royal Alexandra and Albert School on the 1st and 2nd of July. Pupils aged 9 to 13 took a break from lessons so see how maths could be viewed in a totally different, and very entertaining, way.

Over 370 Royal Alexandra and Albert School students attended the event which was held in the School’s chapel. Pupils from other local schools (Warwick, Reigate, and Oakwood) were also invited to the event, and around 100 attended.

Kjartan entertained his audience by using a number of maths tricks and activities, some of them were, ‘How to get rich using a chess board’, ‘making a ball from two hexagons’, ‘the mystery of the number 1089’ and ‘how the number 3 was invented’. The talk lasted an hour but his young audience were completely captivated by his numerical dexterity and lively presenting style. Kjartan Poskitt mixed maths and fun and he really did make it work.

After attending the performance, one 10 year old pupil commented “It was the funniest show I have ever seen, it was amazing”

Emma Moran (Head of Maths) comments “Kjartan is so enthusiastic, you can’t help but be amazed by the maths tricks he performs! It was great to see the students enjoying themselves and I hope that we can repeat the experience next year with even more students from our area being able to participate. Kjartan’s presentation was a big success as it educated pupils and they had fun at the same time.”

Headmaster Paul D Spencer Ellis commented “As the Lead School for Gifted and Talented in the area, we are always seeking innovative ways to encourage learning. Kjartan’s visit has inspired pupils, and his enthusiasm and energy are infectious. I am pleased that so many children from local schools were able to join us to benefit from his unusual approach to delivering mathematics.”

Photo: ‘Murderous Mathematician’ Kjartan Poskitt

CATERHAM SCHOOL SURREY – FOUR STUDENTS RECEIVE GLIDING SCHOLARSHIPS

Four students at Caterham School have been awarded Gliding Scholarships by the RAF. The four students are part of the School’s Combined Cadet Force RAF contingent. The scholarships are awarded to cadets who have shown appropriate interest and talent. Each cadet will have about 40 launches in a glider until they are judged capable of flying solo.

The four students are:
~ Sam Thompson, (Lower Sixth), who has already completed the course with 615VGS (Volunteer Gliding Squadron) at RAF Kenley.
~ Ashley Goulding, (Lower Sixth), with train in summer with 624 VGS Chivenor, Barnstaple.
~ Andrew Ramsdale, (Fifth Year), with train in summer with 642 VGS RAF Linton on Ouse, York.
~ Joanna Odling, (Lower Sixth), will train in summer with 643 VGS RAF Syerston, Newark.

Headmaster Julian Thomas said: ‘’I am delighted for these four pupils. This is quite an achievement for each of them. The Combined Cadet Force is one of many co-curricular activities that we offer to pupils as a way of developing their talents and interests outside the classroom. This is an integral part of fulfilling our intention of developing the potential of each and every pupil thereby helping to prepare them for their life at university and beyond.’’

Photo: Cpl Odling, Cpl Goulding, Sgt Thompson

PARKSIDE SCHOOL’S sporting prowess secures them success in athletics, swimming and tennis tournaments

Parkside School, based in Stoke D’Abernon, has regained the Epsom College Super Teams trophy for the 10th year in a row. The school entered teams in the U9, U11 and U13 age categories with all boys performing extremely well, notching up points in the swimming, football, hockey, distance running, sprints, basketball and gym tests. Parkside took 1st place in the U9 and U11 age groups, 2nd place in a competitive U13 age group and finished in 1st place in the overall competition.

Further success came as Parkside won the Seven Schools trophy this year with a strong performance by the entire athletics team. The school took the title after five years of dominance from Frensham based school Edgeborough.

Eight individual winners and wins in the U10 and U12 relays ensured Parkside finished top of all competing schools at the event, held at The Spectrum Centre in Guildford. Aldro School was 2nd and Edgeborough took 3rd place.

Congratulations goes to Parkside’s winners: Harry Thursfield, U10 600m, Alfie Bloomfield, U10 Cricket Ball Throw, Sergui Celebidachi, U10 High Jump, Charlie Kerslake, U12 Shot Put, James Odunsi, U12 70m Hurdles, Oscar Newson-Smith, U14 Triple Jump and 800m.

Nick Embling also took 1st place in the 1500m, breaking the Spectrum record which was set in 1984!

The boys put in another exceptional performance at this year’s IAPS National Swimming Championships held at the K2 Centre in Crawley last month. Ian Stamp, director of sports at Parkside said, “We had more Parkside boys taking part in individual races at this national event than ever before, which demonstrates the depth of swimmers the school now has.” All Parkside boys swim every week in the school’s indoor swimming pool under the instruction of top class coaches.

Congratulations to the U12 team who came third overall to clinch the bronze medal in the Freestyle relay and Max Herne who took the bronze medal in the 25m Freestyle.
Parkside’s Tennis teams have also been outclassing their rivals with the U9 team through to the Surrey Schools League semi finals and the U10’s beating all opponents in their path to reach the finals at the end of June. The school’s U11 team will play Kings School later on this month to see who makes it to the final.

Parkside, renowned for its excellent sporting reputation, has also been hosting its own tennis tournament – ‘Road to Wimbledon’ which has seen boys taking part in matches during their break and lunchtimes. The final will see brothers, Ben and Jack Draper, go head to head. The winner will represent Parkside at county level.

Photo: Parkside School’s swimming team took part in the IAPS National Swimming Championships held at the K2 Centre Crawley last month.

CATERHAM SCHOOL Pupils Run to Raise Money for Charity

On Sunday 16th of May, a team of students and teachers from Caterham School dressed as their favourite superheroes and went to Brighton to join over 1500 runners in the annual charitable event, the Heroes Run.

The students and teachers will be going to Tanzania in Summer to visit Lerang’wa Primary School, as part of an ongoing charitable project. The purpose of the run was to raise money for Lerang’wa School and to test their fitness for the challenging climb of Mount Meru, which is also part of their itinerary.

Every member of the team completed the run with Tom Ganley and Lisa Mill winning the men’s and women’s 5km events.

The funds raised for Lerang’wa Primary in previous years has provided money for books, desks, accommodation for teachers, solar panel electricity and food. The current building project is the new kitchen to be followed by a dining area. The Caterham School teachers and students will undertake practical tasks around the school, teach some English, play sport with the pupils and learn about the Maasai culture. The teaching staff will also assist with training the teachers and examine future possibilities for the project. So far the team have raised over £6,500 this year.

Headmaster Julian Thomas, who is one of the team going to Lerang’wa School this year and who took part in the 10K run, said ‘’I was so proud to see the Caterham Superheroes in action. I am always impressed by the time, effort and energy that our students will freely commit to charitable causes.’’

Author and Broadcaster Simon Singh MBE Visits Caterham School

On Monday 10 May, Simon Singh MBE visited Caterham School to deliver a lecture on Science in the Media. His presentation explored the difficulty the media can experience in seeking to report scientific studies and gave an insight into how the media can, through omission or exaggeration, misrepresent these scientific achievements.

Simon Singh is a scientist and mathematician who is a leading author, documentary filmmaker and journalist. He attended Imperial College London, where he studied Physics and then he completed a PhD in Particle Physics at Emmanuel College, Cambridge and at CERN, Geneva. He has worked for the BBC on programmes such as Tomorrow’s World and Horizon. In 1996, he directed Fermat’s Last Theorem, a BAFTA award-winning documentary about the world’s most notorious mathematical problem. He has also presented The Science of Secrecy, a five part series for Channel 4. He has also written several books including Fermat’s Last Theorem, The Code Book, Big Bang and Trick or Treatment? Alternative Medicine on Trial.

Headmaster Julian Thomas said: ‘’Simon has established a well-deserved reputation for presenting scientific and mathematical topics in an accessible and entertaining way. He also explained that scientists can sometimes be hesitant about publishing scientific facts for fear of litigation by large organisations and corporations. His lecture was witty and thought provoking. I think the audience will have taken the message that we should be sceptics about claims for scientific achievement until all the facts have been established.’’

Cheeping chicks charm children at ROYAL ALEXANDRA AND ALBERT SCHOOL

A new generation of residents has arrived at the Royal Alexandra and Albert School. The school’s flock of Dorking hens has produced three lively chicks and pupils have been helping to care for them. The chicks, two girls and a boy are three days old, are fit and healthy and the females are destined to be the egg-layers of the future. The male is likely to be used for showing.

Chickens arrived at the school a year ago and have been providing a steady supply of eggs as part of the Countryside and Environment BTEC course. Younger pupils have also helped look after the chickens and there are many enthusiastic members of Chicken Club which takes place after school.

Dorking hens are a local breed with royal connections as their eggs were favoured by Queen Victoria. On a recent visit to the School, the Duchess of Gloucester was presented with eggs from the flock. The breed has distinctive plumage and is unusual in having an extra toe (most chickens have 4)

The chicks were hatched in an incubator but will join the rest of the flock in a few weeks time. Teacher, Mr Greenhalgh comments “The animals that are raised at this school are important element in the curriculum for the BTEC. Pupils learn how to look after them and also how to ensure that they are commercially viable. Our chickens have been very successful and the new chicks will be a welcome addition to the flock.”

Photo: A junior pupil with one of the Dorking chicks

Caterham Students Win Another Award at The Leatherhead Drama Festival

Drama students from Caterham School performed at the 2010 Leatherhead Drama Festival in May and were delighted to collect the Richard Houghton Award for Outstanding Contribution. The award, which was for the opening sequence; the visual effect, movement and make-up, was presented to the Sixth Form students by Sir Michael Caine CBE at the Awards night on Saturday 15th May.

The play that they performed was “Silent Scream” which was written and devised by the students for their A-Level Drama and Theatre Studies coursework. They were naturally delighted that their work was also nominated for the “New Writing” Award.

The students who performed were Rebecca Ward, Hannah Spence, Anjali Bhat, Emma O’Brien and Imogen Ware.

The Leatherhead Drama Festival is the largest of its kind in the UK and takes place at Leatherhead Theatre over two weeks with three different groups performing each night.

Head of Drama at Caterham, Lisa McMullin said, “I am absolutely delighted with the students’ achievement. This is the second year running that this group of students has returned from the festival with an award and all credit goes to them for their commitment and creativity in producing a piece of innovative theatre.”

Ballet success for Barrow Hills’ pupil

Barrow Hills’ pupil, Molly Howard has recently achieved exceptional success with her ballet. Molly, who has been dancing since the age of four at Barrow Hills has just competed at the Ealing Festival where she won not only the ballet solo but also the duet and the duet trophy. At the end of the festival Molly was invited to take part in the prestigious Stella Mason Memorial Award. This is presented to the best dancer across all the categories, including, ballet, tap, modern and jazz and it is a tribute to her tremendous talent that Molly was the proud recipient of this award.
From this, all in the same week, she went on to the Aldershot Festival where she came second in the duet and again won the solo. Not only did she win, but she was awarded the highest mark for all the ballet solos. This achievement means that Molly now goes forward to the regional finals of the All England which will take place next year. At only 10 years old she really is a star in the making!
Ballet teacher, Anna Holford said, “Barrow Hills places a strong emphasis on the performing arts and we are delighted to see Molly doing so well. She really is an inspiration to all the pupils and we are all very proud of her.”

Caterham School pupils take delivery of another Caterham Seven

On Thursday 29 April Caterham School Kit Car Club released the Caterham Seven that they had built over the past 18 months and took delivery of another collection of parts that will become the next car.

The Kit Car Club is one of over thirty five clubs and societies that Caterham School offer as part of their co-curricular activities.

The Caterham Seven is supplied by Caterham Cars. The Seven is the original British lightweight sports car which was created by Colin Chapman as the Lotus 7 in 1957. Caterham Cars has been selling the Seven since the late 1950’s and in 1973 purchased the rights to manufacture the car. One of the ways in which the car is sold to enthusiasts is in kit form so that they can assemble it themselves. The car built by Caterham School pupils will be checked for road worthiness and then sold by Caterham Cars.

Headmaster Julian Thomas said: ‘‘Whilst Caterham School has a reputation for high academic standards, we take the concept of all round education very seriously. The funding for the first car was provided by the Parents’ Association, which enabled us to add the Kit Car Club to our wide range of clubs and societies. Co-curricular activity is an integral part of our programme of enrichment which develops the potential of each and every pupil thereby helping to prepare them for their life at university and beyond.’’

PHOTO: New kit car being unloaded with the Caterham 7 that has been built.

Holly McGarvie Attends Caterham School Sports Dinner

On Friday 30 April, Caterham School held a celebration dinner which was attended by 120 students, teachers and parents.

The ‘black tie’ dinner was held to celebrate an excellent year of sport and the guest speaker was Holly McGarvie who is one of the world’s leading lacrosse players and winner of a World Cup Gold Medal with the USA team in 2009. Holly is coaching in the in the UK at the moment.

The two other speakers were students Ben Lewis and Loulou Rowlands.

Awards were given to Chris Kendell (rugby player of the season), James Hutchings (hockey player of the season), Joe McLaren (clubman of the year), Michela Scarpa (netball player of the season), Hannah Wright (Anne Collins Lacrosse Trophy), Loulou Rowlands (club woman of the year)

Director of Sport Rob Clarke said: ‘It was thrilling for all of us to hear a speech by one of the world’s top sportswomen. She is a fantastic role model for all our sports players having been to Princeton University and being voted the Ivy League Rookie of the Year in 2006 and then the Ivy League Player of the Year in 2009. No one could fail to be impressed by her consistency and commitment. I am sure that she will have inspired all of those attending.’

PHOTO: Sophie Colman, Hannah Wright, Loulou Rowlands and Holly McGarvie

9 year old becomes youngest member of the National Youth Choir

Jacob Kelly, a pupil at the Royal Alexandra and Albert School has passed an audition to join the National Youth Choir, and is now the youngest member of the Choir. The audition included singing two pieces of music with an accompanist and a music sight-reading test. The talented 9 year old was delighted when he heard that he had been accepted into the choir.

As a member of the National Youth Choir (NYC) Jacob will attend two courses each year (in the Easter and Summer holidays). These courses will provide choral training and an opportunity to perform alongside youngsters from around the country. Jacob has already attended his first course which was a 4 day residential course at Tudor Hall School over Easter. He coped well with the long days of choral workshops and training and enjoyed being part of the Junior Boys’ Choir.

Jacob was not the only new boy in the choir and he shared a dorm with some of the other new members. There was no time to feel homesick as the music lessons were interspersed with other activities to keep the boys entertained.

“A lot of the songs we had to learn were in another language which made it quite difficult but we had a break every 90 minutes” says Jacob “And as well as singing we did activities in groups like football and other games.

“The best thing was when all four choirs came together and sang Akakomborerwa. The final performance in Coventry Cathedral was really good as it sounded much better than in the rehearsal – it was much better with the echo.”

Director of Music, Josephine Bryant comments “I suggested to Jacob’s parents that he be put forward for the audition for the National Youth Choir because of his obvious talent for singing and he has done really well to achieve a place in the Choir. The courses he will attend as part of the NYC will really help to develop his voice and enable him to achieve his full potential in singing. Jacob is the third pupil from this school to be accepted into the NYC and it is encouraging that there is so much talent and enthusiasm for music amongst our pupils.”

School pupils stranded by volcanic ash

As a boarding school the Royal Alexandra and Albert School has been hit harder than most by the ‘no fly’ crisis that has resulted from the volcanic ash which is filling the skies over England. Over 50 pupils are stranded at locations around the globe and are unable to return to school until flights start again.

Almost all teachers and boarding staff have managed to return to school despite some being aboard at the time flights were stopped. Arrangements have been made to cover for absent colleagues and those that are still away are making every effort to get back to school as soon as possible.

This is a vital time of year for Year 11 pupils who will be taking their GCSEs later this term. All pupils were given a CD rom to assist them with revision and the information is also available on the internet so pupils can continue their studies wherever they are in the world. Other pupils will be given support when they return so that they can catch up on any lessons they miss.

Headmaster Paul Spencer Ellis comments “Over 50 of our 800 pupils are stranded in locations all over the world including Australia, Brunei, Dubai, Spain and Hong Kong. Whilst many pupils might enjoy the extra holiday, it is not helpful for them to lose time at school.

“Many of the teaching and boarding staff made heroic efforts to get back to the UK when their flights were cancelled which means we have almost all our staff present. They have already made it possible for Year 11 pupils to prepare for their GCSEs by giving them a revision CD rom and this has been key to ensuring they are able to continue to prepare for their exams even if they unable to return to school.”

OPEN DAYS IN MAY 2010 at LALEHAM LEA SCHOOL, SURREY

Give your child the best start in life.

OPEN DAYS IN MAY
Thurs 20th 2– 4.30pm & Sat 22nd 10-12pm

For an appointment to visit
ring 020 8660 3351

LALEHAM LEA
Catholic Independent Primary School

Boys and girls aged 3 to 11.

Small classes with inspiring and dedicated teachers.

Excellent academic results.

Outstanding sports facilities.

Funded Nursery.

Laleham Lea School
29 Peaks Hill
Purley, Surrey, CR8 3JJ
www.lalehamlea.co.uk

National French poetry competition win for Homefield School

Homefield School in Sutton has ended the year on a high:

Year 6 pupil, Robin Hartland, has just won a national poetry French competition opened to students from Year 6 to 13! This competition is run by the West of England University (Bristol) and the French institute in London. Homefield School has already won it twice, 3 years ago and last year, won by Year 7 pupils!

Robin wrote a beautifully descriptive poem of a helicopter sea rescue and attended an official prize-giving ceremony in London at the Goethe Institute where he was awarded a £50 cheque.

Chess success for Homefield School

The under-9 chess team from Homefield School in Surrey have become the EPSCA U9 National Champions 2009 in the final round of the tournament, winning with a record score of 31.5 out of 35 points.

(EPSCA stands for English Primary Schools Chess Association).

The Homefield chess coach is Miss Bradley.

U13 1st XV National Prep Schools Rugby Winners

The Under-13 1st XV rugby team from Homefield School has won the National Prep Schools Rugby Tournament.

To win the tournament was a fantastic achievement, going one better than the U13 1st XV team of 2005 who reached the final.

Well done to all the boys involved and thank you for the parents for all their support.

Comedy comes to Gatton

Six talented young comedians took to the stage at the Royal Alexandra and Albert School this week at the first ever ‘RAAS the Roof’ stand-up comedy show. The lively teenagers started the evening with improvised performances in response to suggestions from the audience like ‘Things not to say when your phone goes off in chapel’ and ‘The world’s worst chat up line’.

Seated at tables laid out in the drama studio, in a setting reminiscent of classic London comedy clubs, the audience was not allowed to get too comfortable as the compère, professional stand-up comedian, John Soffe challenged them to a joke and limerick writing competition. The audience duly contributed with their own brand of improvised jokes and poems and the winners were awarded a certificate at the end.

After the brief interlude provided by the audience participation, the young comedians confidently delivered polished stand-up routines. There were tense moments for some parents and friends as the performers drew on real life experiences for their material. Needless to say, it was all in the best possible taste and the evening was rounded off by fulsome applause from the delighted audience.

Headmaster Paul Spencer Ellis, who had himself drafted a limerick during the evening when the audience were challenged to produce a poem containing both ‘libraries and Mrs Thatcher’, praised the pupils for their assured performances saying, “Performing stand-up comedy is not an easy feat. I was impressed that these pupils managed to captivate the audience and generate so much laughter in their first live show.”

The whole evening was organised by teacher, Emma Bennett who has inspired pupils to try new types of drama since taking on the role of Head of Drama in January.

Daley Thompson Launches Academy for Aspiring Athletes

Surrey children have met decathlon great Daley Thompson as the Olympic gold medallist opened a new athletics academy at the Royal Alexandra and Albert School.

The Academy, which starts in April, will give youngsters who have sporting potential the opportunity to follow in the footsteps in one of Great Britain’s greatest Olympians and develop skills in a number of athletics disciplines, many of which form part of the decathlon. The Academy is part of a programme devised by Daley Thompson to get children outside while developing them in all events of athletics.

Daley, who won Olympic gold in 1980 and 1984, visited the school and carried out a hurdles coaching session for junior pupils on the athletics track before taking questions from older pupils who were keen to learn how he achieved his Olympic success. He then presented the School with a trophy; the ‘Daley Thompson Athletics Cup’ to be awarded annually to a pupil who has demonstrated outstanding athletic achievement.

Daley has chosen the Royal Alexandra and Albert School for the Athletics Academy as it has an all-weather athletics track and other excellent sporting facilities suitable for training young athletes. “The Athletics Academy will provide youngsters of all abilities with the opportunity to develop their skills at a number of athletics disciplines many of which are part of the decathlon programme. Many children dream of participating in the Olympics and I am pleased to be able to provide this Academy to help them on their way, under the guidance of world class athlete, Nick Buckfield” says Daley.

Headmaster Paul Spencer Ellis comments “Our new sports facilities, including the all-weather athletics track have made a big impact on the amount of sport our pupils enjoy. We are pleased that we can make these excellent facilities available to local children through the Daley Thompson Athletics Academy. This provides another opportunity for children to keep fit, develop their athletics skills and possibly become the champions of the future”.

Daley Thompson Athletics Academy
•For children of all abilities aged 7-11
•The course is based on the decathlon events where they are suitable for junior children
•Open to pupils at the Royal Alexandra and Albert School as well as local children
•Starts Wednesday 28th April 4pm-5pm
•Every week during term time (i.e. April 28, May 5, 12, 19, 26, Jun 9, 16, 23, 30, Jul 7 )
•Course costs £10 per session and runs for the whole term
•Course leader is Nick Buckfield
•To sign up please call 01932 863240

Science casts a spell at Greenacre

As part of National Science and Engineering week, the Science laboratories at Greenacre School for Girls in Banstead were transported into the magical world of Hogwarts when the school hosted its annual ‘Science is Fun’ evenings.
Organised by the Greenacre Science Department with the support of the Royal Society of Chemistry (Downland Section), about 80 enthusiastic ten and eleven year-old girls and boys were entranced by the spellbinding scientific demonstrations and enjoyed participating in the many exciting hands-on activities.
Children from all the local primary schools were invited to take part, free of charge, and were accompanied by their parents, who seemed to enjoy the sessions just as much as the children!
This year, there was much magic afoot as Greenacre transformed into ‘Greenwarts Academy for Magicians and Muggles’. The children spent an hour each in Potions (Chemistry), Transfiguration (Physics) and Organisms (Biology).
There were flashes and bangs in the potions laboratory, where the children created magic mist and gooey slime. They also investigated mysterious materials and magnets, helped the wizard police improve on their fingerprint techniques and extracted DNA from a piece of fruit.

The children were delighted by all the weird and wonderful experiments. When asked what they had enjoyed most about the evenings, they said…
“I could see lots of tiny things with the microscopes – it was very exciting.”
“It was really cool, especially when we made the slime.”
“The coloured flames were great – like fireworks.”
“I made a star fridge magnet to take home.”