Barley Agency - A Creative Approach to Lockdown by Barley House

LOCKDOWN 2020

a creative approach to lockdown

Junior School

ART

Despite being confined to our homes, Art in the Junior School continued to thrive as we had to find ingenious ways to be creative with the materials to hand. From turning ink splats into pictures in Year 3 to improving our observational drawing of the eye in Year 6, the girls have so many pieces of work to be proud of and it was very hard to choose only a few to show here. Another new and fun aspect of Art in lockdown was our ability to post comments about one another’s work on the Junior School learning portal; it was lovely to see so many messages of support and encouragement from each class community. Here is a selection of the wonderful artwork posted during lockdown. Victoria Kay Teacher of Art

Senior School

LESSONS Music in Lockdown Though we have been in lockdown, we have not ceased to learn about the wondrous world of music. Of all the subjects to teach virtually, music faced some significant challenges: How do we sing together? Where do we get instruments from? How will lessons be as fun and engaging as they were in School? In true FHS spirit our fabulous Music Department rose to the occasion and showed us the unexpected. Our teacher, Miss Davidson, planned a plethora of incredible activities and lessons for us to do while in lockdown. My favourite topic was the radio show host where we had to interview a celebrity guest; I chose Billie Eilish. By editing together YouTube clips on GarageBand and voice memos, I was able to make it sound like she was in

a recording studio with me; we had a wonderful conversation! Most of our clubs were cancelled but we still did chamber choir. We rehearsed and filmed ourselves singing ‘You will be found’ from Dear Evan Hanson. We wanted to spread a positive message to our friends, family, teachers and NHS workers. We recorded more songs and

danced alone in our rooms so that we could make more videos to share. Years 7 and 8 also made a song based on the timeless ‘Friends’ theme song. I am really impressed with our music teachers bringing a bit of song into our quarantine and it has been a joy to sing and dance in my room. Eva Fleury Year 8

Art in Lockdown How would I continue teaching Art whilst in the confines of my abode in deepest Pinner? The answer came in the form of a summer gazebo at the end of my garden. This would become my new home over March, April and May. I decided that short YouTube video workshops would be the most userfriendly way of demonstrating different creative techniques, from watercolour to drawing skills. My wife did a wonderful job taking on the role of 'camera woman'. At the time of writing, the summer gazebo is being replaced by a new wood log cabin that will survive the autumn and winter seasons and the venue of many, many more art workshops. David Edes Teacher of Art

Senior School

CLUBS Afternoon Tea Group

Curious Club

Not even a national lockdown could stop the Afternoon Tea Group from meeting! In the normal state of affairs, the Sixth Form Afternoon Tea Group consists of several Sixth Formers and staff visiting a museum, gallery or exhibition one Friday a month after School and then discussing what we have seen over tea. Instead, we adapted to circumstances, visited an online exhibition, and then met together on Friday afternoons to share ideas about what we had seen in the exhibition, good books to read and to chat together about how things were going. Part way through lockdown some Year 11 pupils joined, as well as a few alumnae from last year’s Upper Sixth, so our meetings were a true gathering of Francis Holland past and present.

I am part of Curious Club, which is an invitation-only club for Years 7 to 9. This year it has been run by Mrs Sanderson and then Miss Davidson. The purpose of Curious Club is to make us think about issues in our world and then to debate and talk about them. Curious club in lockdown has been quite different from our usual in-school sessions! We have been meeting on Zoom with Miss Davidson and so far we have organised an assembly to encourage pupils to be curious during lockdown. We have also discussed countless women who have contributed in many different ways throughout history. One of my favourite things we have done is when I learned some British Sign Language and Sindarin – an elvish language from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings in order to demonstrate that there was still lots to do and learn while we were away from School.

This was a time of opportunity for the Tea Group as dropping in at Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum after School is not usually an option, so it was great to be able to do a virtual tour of its Gallery of Honour where we could ‘see’ Rembrandt’s Night Watch and Vermeer’s Woman Reading a Letter, among other treasures. Who knows what September will bring but, one thing is for sure, the Afternoon Tea Group will continue to meet whether in real life or virtually, because a month without art, history and culture, plus the inspiring conversation of pupils and staff, just wouldn’t be the same. Emily Boon Head of History

Each Curious Club session is always interesting but never the same. Before lockdown Curious Club did many exciting activities from live chats with scientists, to hosting other Schools to talk about political and scientific happenings. I always enjoy going to Curious Club and learning something new! Andrea Johnson Year 9

Gardening Club Gardening Club began with an idea of Mr Bartram’s and soon became a nine-programme set of videos called Gardening with BK (Bartram-Kenny). Each programme focused on a range of different gardening skills, plants and even a visit to a garden or two. We tried to grow a range of vegetables, we deadheaded plants, repotted even more plants, and talked about the importance of water, feeding and staking.

There was a range of guest contributors including teachers, their dogs, children and students. Highlights included Mrs Francis talking about slugs, Mrs Ramage discussing her window boxes and Mrs Dixon showing us her beautiful garden. The series finished with Father Kenny opening his garden to us (remotely), and Mr Bartram giving us a tour of his allotment. Father Mark Kenny Director of Spiritual Care | Head of Debating

Quarantine Bakes During the period of remote learning, our Pastoral Ambassadors (and baking enthusiasts!) Clara and Amy launched FHS Quarantine Bakes. Each week, members of the FHS community were challenged to bake something new, focusing on a different theme each time. From pryaniki biscuits to french madeleines, pupils and staff showcased their most innovative bakes and awaited the crowning of star baker in eager anticipation. We enjoyed photos of giant meringues, cookie pizzas and NHS inspired cupcakes. It was a wonderful way of unleashing our creativity and bringing our School community together during remote learning. Thank you Clara and Amy!

Senior School

WEATHER During the period of remote learning, Year 7 geographers seized the opportunity to create their own weather stations. Creative, resourceful and inquisitive, the girls monitored their recycling bins and thought on their feet as they created barometers, rain gauges, wind vanes, temperature boxes and made observations about the clouds. After monitoring the weather and keeping notes in diaries they were able to make weather reports; some even fine tuned their news voices! It was fantastic to see so much ingenuity and skill from all of Year 7. Charlotte Mackenzie Head of Geography

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Lower Remove

Izzy designed and made an amazing 3D photo frame Ethan was very creative whilst completing a Maths Investigation Maya did a great job making a 3D volcano as part of our Geography topic.

Jesse designed and made a wonderful photo frame. He chose to put a very special picture in of him as a baby with his Dad and Grandfather.

Jamie created an amazing poster on famous Scientists and Inventors

Bailey worked so hard to create an amazing 3D volcano for part of our Geography work.

Seb did a great job carrying out a volcano experiment. Kiran did a great job creating the effect of a Tsunami in his garden 104

Hayden enjoyed making his very own ice cream cones.

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Transition C: Lockdown Poetry Nate’s Life in Lockdown When coronavirus is spreading around the world, I am learning. When coronavirus is spreading around the world, I am walking. Lock Down Poem Every day I do some art and I like to paint a horse and cart. Me and my sister loved to bake a rainbow unicorn cake. My mum and I love resin, we make all kinds of letters, bookmarks, rings and hearts. My family and I always go play tennis, on a sunny day and we shout out Yay! My dad loves to surprise my sister, mum and me with a BBQ,

When coronavirus is spreading around the world, I am playing. When coronavirus is spreading around the world, I am cycling. When coronavirus is spreading around the world, I feel sad. When coronavirus is spreading around the world, I feel angry. When coronavirus is spreading around the world, I feel scared. When coronavirus is spreading around the world, I feel lonely. When coronavirus is spreading around the world, I can’t cuddle. When coronavirus is spreading around the world, I can’t touch. When coronavirus is spreading around the world, I can’t swim. When coronavirus is spreading around the world, I can’t shop.

I like his chicken and steak.

Coronavirus please stop spreading so I can go to school; see my friends and teachers, then I will be happy again.

I am missing school a lot,

Nate

especially my teachers and my friends. Kyra

Lockdown is boring. I can’t go to restaurants,

My last three Months,

But I can cook at home.

As I’m locked up in this house,

I can’t go on holiday,

It feels so quiet like there’s a mouse outside my house.

But I can play in the garden.

It feels lonely and it’s scary,

I can’t see my friends,

When I’m walking down the road.

But I can talk to my friends on Zoom.

Door’s slammed shut,

I hate Lockdown because I have to stay at home.

Nobody to say hello,

Rafaan

It feels like I don’t have any friends, This is never going to end. Ava Lego being played Online searching Clothes drying Kind brother Dinosaur learning Oat flapjack making Waiting for packages Next package ordered Usnab Locked Down Lovely walks Olivia and I playing Cooking with my mummy Knowing how to do my work Excellent behaviour!! Dog Walks Dancing Obviously missing my friends Wanting to go back to school New topics to learn Sophia

105

LOCKDOWN

Lower Remove

Izzy designed and made an amazing 3D photo frame Ethan was very creative whilst completing a Maths Investigation Maya did a great job making a 3D volcano as part of our Geography topic.

Jesse designed and made a wonderful photo frame. He chose to put a very special picture in of him as a baby with his Dad and Grandfather.

Jamie created an amazing poster on famous Scientists and Inventors

Bailey worked so hard to create an amazing 3D volcano for part of our Geography work.

Seb did a great job carrying out a volcano experiment. Kiran did a great job creating the effect of a Tsunami in his garden 104

Hayden enjoyed making his very own ice cream cones.

LOCKDOWN

I like his chicken and steak.

Coronavirus please stop spreading so I can go to school; see my friends and teachers, then I will be happy again.

I am missing school a lot,

Nate

especially my teachers and my friends. Kyra

Lockdown is boring. I can’t go to restaurants,

My last three Months,

But I can cook at home.

As I’m locked up in this house,

I can’t go on holiday,

It feels so quiet like there’s a mouse outside my house.

But I can play in the garden.

It feels lonely and it’s scary,

I can’t see my friends,

When I’m walking down the road.

But I can talk to my friends on Zoom.

Door’s slammed shut,

I hate Lockdown because I have to stay at home.

Nobody to say hello,

Rafaan

105

I wanted to say thank you to the school and the staff for managing the children’s remote learning. What a fantastic job all the teachers are are doing in these difficult times. James Morgan, Parent

We also realised that however clear your instructions were, there would still be a proportion of students who were unsure what to do. In short, you can’t beat face-to-face contact when briefing the pupils on a task. The children dealt with this in various ways. For some the thrill of being able to post messages on the chat was almost overwhelming, whilst others took a more surreptitious strategy and quietly lurked in the background of meetings, timing the end of their task to perfection. It definitely suited some more than others, but nearly all gave it a good shot. Days online began with registration and then Chapel delivered by Mr Wilson, with Mr C. Phillips helping with the readings and music. It proved to be a lovely start to the day. Likewise, there were some other benefits for us, not least the chance to spend time at home with the family and perhaps a less frenetic existence. As we moved through the term, our Year 8 leavers started to build towards their final exams, culminating in an exam week shortly after half term. I can’t fault their efforts and despite being at home, they worked so hard to complete what proved to be a successful set of papers. Another highlight for all proved to be the Outdoor Learning Day with pupils taking the opportunity to approach their studies in a different way, be it fractions in the garden, mapping their local area or even designing a squirrel picnic table! And then suddenly there was light at the end of the tunnel – regulatory advice changed and a return to school looked imminent. Our Reception, Year 1 and Year 6s were the first to be back,

followed by the rest of the school a couple of weeks later. I cannot emphasise how brilliant it was to be back in front of a class. I was assigned the Year 7 ‘bubble’ and we certainly got to know each other quite well as we were with each other all day! We held an unbelievable Sports Day (the Egg and Spoon, Putting and Foot Golf were all new events) and then a fantastic Global Beatles Day where all manner of activities was organised, all themed around the band. The children barely had time to catch their breath. Most of all they got to see each other and chat, laugh, fool about and have a great time. The last few months have highlighted to me all of Lockers Park’s strengths. Staff, pupils and parents have worked hard together as a community, showing tolerance, patience, kindness and strength to make everything and anything possible. I feel incredibly lucky to have shared it with you all and look ahead to September safe in the knowledge that we can meet whatever else is thrown at us. Mr Dawes

Huge thank you to all the staff for the effort put in. Lockers has embraced the technology and done a cracking job in record speed. Lianne Gatti, Parent

Lockers Park is doing a really good job at this challenging time. Please send my love and admiration to all staff. Particularly those trying to teach their own at the same time. Ella Kenion, Parent

LOCKDOWN

SENIOR

LOCKDOWN 2020 In February, the UCS community followed news of the Covid-19 outbreak in Wuhan with increasing concern. Reports suggested there was a lack of protective equipment available to prevent the virus infecting doctors through the eyes. To that end, staff at UCS arranged for 350 pairs of safety goggles to be transported to Wuhan’s hospitals on 4 February. Mr Reynolds explained, “Every year, a small amount of Community Action fundraising money is held back to enable us to respond if a crisis occurs. The outbreak of Covid-19 in China demanded a swift response and we were pleased to dispatch the protective equipment for use by the doctors.” As the pandemic spread, UCS carefully followed guidance from the Department for Education. Sport fixtures were cancelled on Monday 16 March and, throughout that week, teachers prepared for the seemingly inevitable closure of the school by learning how to use a variety of online educational packages that would enable them to deliver their lessons remotely. Departments collaborated and shared their ideas regarding how to ensure their pupils could make the most of the final week of term, and perhaps beyond. The IT department at UCS made sure that every pupil would have access to the online lessons by organising the loan of chromebooks to pupils who did not have access to a computer. Almost all school events were cancelled in that penultimate week of term but, following the guidance of the DfE carefully, the Spring Concert was staged in the Great Hall on Thursday 19 March with all performers and 16

THE GOWER 2020

members of the audience seated at least 2m away from each other. On Monday 23 March, UCS Hampstead was only open to a very small number of pupils. UCS Virtual was born and at 8.45 am, pupils of all ages were registered online by their form teachers and over a hundred teachers logged onto Google Classroom to start the delivery of their lessons. Few would have anticipated such a smooth start to the online experience. Teachers reported a high level of engagement from their pupils and it was evident that the challenge of teaching their charges online was bringing teachers’ creative streak to the fore. Dr Dell delivered a practical Chemistry lesson using a demonstration of reaction rates in her kitchen and Ms Hess remotely guided her Shell pupils through the preparation of croque monsieurs using a recipe written in French. Pastoral staff checked in with their tutees every day throughout the week. Some form groups used Google Hangouts to maintain a sense of community, while others, like Lskh, played Connect 4 against each other. Dr Quirke and Mr Hind led an online UCS chess competition, Mrs Isaac started several book groups with pupils in the Underwoods Deme and Mrs Anthony’s allotment group shared photos of their experiences gardening at home. Mr Vliegen, Mr Roberts and Mrs Bull organised the donation of PPE equipment for NHS workers and a collection of food was arranged for a local food bank. All public examinations were cancelled and Mr English worked tirelessly, liaising with Ofqual and other educational organisations, to make alternative arrangements to help our pupils conclude

their courses in the most satisfactory manner possible under extremely testing circumstances. Internal exams were conducted remotely during the Summer Term and the Upper Remove and Sixth, who ordinarily would have been taking exams during May and June, enjoyed Enrichment courses which broadened their academic horizons and, in the case of the Sixth, gave them a taste of undergraduate study. UCS Unlocked, our virtual online arts festival, kept spirits high during the second half of the Summer Term with inspiring daily music, drama and dance recitals on YouTube. During lockdown in April and May, the children of key workers were supervised by teachers and we are grateful to the teachers and support staff who enabled this to happen. A phased return to school began with selected years from the PrePrep and Junior Branch returning in early June. The Remove and Transitus followed in the final two weeks of term. It is fair to say that staff and pupils were overjoyed to return and the term concluded with a rousing rendition of Paulatim put together on YouTube. The Spring and the Summer Terms were certainly unconventional at every school across the UK but throughout the lockdown, the whole UCS community pulled together. Lessons were taught and extra curricular activities run. Pupils showed resilience and responsibility towards their learning and on the following pages, pupils and staff give their reflections on this period. E Roberts

LOCKDOWN

LOWER SCHOOL

UCS made adjustments over the Easter break. Zoom lessons and form periods were introduced, homework was removed, five-minute breaks between lessons were brought in and period 3 was brought forward to avoid a run of four consecutive lessons. Lower School boys also got their heads around the use of emails, partly thanks to Form Tutors being able to remind boys in form periods. This important life skill enabled teachers to communicate with boys outside lessons, chasing up work and enquiring as to whether boys who had issues in lessons (technical or understanding) could be offered help to catch up. The introduction of form periods had other benefits too. On top of the WellBeing Check-Ins, they were a further opportunity for teachers to gauge whether one of their tutees might be struggling and therefore might need a call home. These sessions also allowed boys to interact with their Form Tutor and other boys in their tutor group. Form Tutors introduced quizzes, riddles and games. We even had a Bring Your

Pet to Form Period, something we all could never have thought possible until recently. For the Shell, we were able to talk to them about the end-of-year assessments and the Deme allocations process, both of which can be quite stressful for some boys. Gleb Chalov, in SSMH, took a form period himself by doing a presentation on his design – a reusable butane candle lighter – that earned him a place in the final of an international competition organised by the Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands. The introduction of Zoom after Easter had further benefits. Teachers could explain things in the way they would in a normal lesson, particularly using the screen sharing function. They could also spot more easily when boys were struggling. It was easier for boys to get help and some boys found their motivation levels increased when they could see and hear their teacher. Some of the fun activities that teachers conventionally do in the classroom were reintroduced, such as bingo and Kahoot! After half-term, the innovations progressed further with a Science experiment and a Maths-based whole-class knockout competition. The boys also took a brand new Sports Science course.

competitions in football (keepyuppies), Art, public-speaking, Music and photography were launched. There were also magic trick and chess competitions, as well as one to recreate iconic sporting moments. The Entry had a knockout Step Cup and boys from both year groups took part in the remote running fixture. All in all, lockdown was unforgettable, albeit we were hugely looking forward to returning to Frognal. A Barnish

There were also plenty of extracurricular activities going on outside lessons. The Lower School play continued by becoming an audio play. Over the Easter holidays, house

PUPIL VIEW “Going into lockdown, I was very nervous about school. I thought it would be boring and confusing. I was wrong. As soon as we started, it was clear that every lesson made the very best use of the resources available, whether it was videos, quizzes, power points, or virtual whiteboards. Music was especially interesting: using a website we composed our own pieces. Even the practical subjects were made interesting by the fun, interactive projects we were tasked with. But it got even better! After Easter, almost every lesson had a video meeting, which I think put the UCS remote learning well above any other schools’. The meetings truly created the special, iconic UCS spirit, even from afar. Furthermore, the effort which had clearly been put into our remote learning was utterly astounding. Morning registration allowed us a chance to connect with our friends and form teachers, and we did debates and quizzes just like at school. Finally, we followed a school timetable, giving us a structure to our days which I think made lockdown twice as easy. A scheme to award Paulatim points was created, not to mention the inspiring Headmaster messages. The incredible uniqueness of UCS was felt so strongly, with each lesson having its own special plan and the school day feeling not dissimilar to physically being in school. It really made this lockdown pass by in a flash and made my friends and me as interested and excited by school as we always have been.” Jake Park Lovering (Shell)

THE GOWER 2020 17

SENIOR

The first week of remote learning was initially challenging for many boys in the Lower School. Without being able to see and hear their teachers and classmates through Zoom, many felt left alone to get on with tasks. Their teachers were available via email and chat functions but psychologically, they found it tricky.

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MIDDLE SCHOOL SENIOR

Middle School during lockdown was a fascinating place and testament to the flexibility and resilience of the boys and staff alike. Live lessons were the norm and the way in which boys adapted and threw themselves into these was really impressive. Upper Remove had the challenge of online assessments following the disappointment of not being able to prove themselves in front of the examiner in the fashion they wanted and deserved. Stoic and mature, they moved from these to engage in the Gower Projects: two sessions of tutorials per week with research and reading leading to presentations that allowed them to start working like Sixth Formers and seeing what an EPQ course might look like. Such diverse fare as ‘Five questions that (should) keep chemists awake at night’ and ‘Code-breaking analysis, language and translation’ saw many stretched and enthused. Alongside these compulsory courses boys taught themselves to draw, took part in cookery lessons and were invited to enrol in a plethora of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses). Fiction Writing at the OU, Creating Your First Song at Sheffield University and Football: More than a Game at Edinburgh sat alongside the

more traditional such as AI with IBM, Japanese (Waseda) and Stargazing (Oxford).

PUPIL VIEW

The Lower Remove and Remove kick-started their term with normal timetabled lessons. Technical hiccoughs and the occasional Wi-Fi outages largely aside, boys engaged effectively with their classmates and teachers alike. They sat remote internal assessments either side of half-term. The number of academic commendations awarded for academic achievement only goes some way to indicating how well they adapted to Zoom and Google Classroom within their full programme of Guided Remote Learning. The PE department encouraged all to keep in good shape with lessons to keep everyone moving whatever space was available. Clear to everyone was how challenging it is to be sitting in front of a computer; it is not a way of working we would ever consider ‘normal’: the timetable was adjusted with longer change-over times and homework was relaxed to allow boys quality downtime with their families

“After saying my last goodbyes to the UCS grounds, I was rather excited about the first week of remote learning. A communication revolution happened in a matter of days and this helped a great deal of us to reconnect with the UCS community and ensure relationships were maintained. Many of my peers were initially worried about loneliness but the UCS community pulled through together and ensured that nobody was left behind. Even our exam week went smoothly!” Kristian Partridge (Lower Remove)

THE GOWER 2020

After the May half-term break, Upper Remove engaged in work associated with potential Sixth Form subjects they would start to study from September. The enthusiasm generated by these taster courses bodes well for the future.

after a long school day. It was possible towards the end of term to welcome Remove boys back into school by Deme in order to review their academic progress. They also had sessions at the Games Fields. Meeting face to face and hearing the noise and fun generated by these events reminded us all what we had been missing for so long and why we were so keen to return to school proper as soon as we could safely do so. Forms in all three year groups, often through their Deme Wardens and Form Tutors, met for a wide range of virtual activities from quizzes and book appreciation to student-led Desert Island Discs, Debating Club and Deme sports challenges. Along with lunchtime and after-school societies, clubs or seminars – including careers talks, the Joint Lecture Series with other schools, and the vibrant and exciting Drama and Music ‘Unlocked’ programme – there was a lot on offer.

Lasagne and nut roast by Underwoods boys from Mrs Isaac’s cookery class

The good will and support of parents and boys alike made this work well. No one pretends that it was easy, or indeed perfect. A steep learning curve across all schools led to varied responses but most would say that the experience was enhanced by the adaptability and good sense of our young people in particular. S FitzGerald

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SENIOR

PUPIL VIEW “The words ‘lockdown’ and ‘quarantine’ will likely never be heard in the same way for decades, if not centuries. Our ears prick at their every utterance despite their familiarity. I often wonder how these several months of self-isolation will be referred to in the history books. Can you imagine the irony of GCSE History students learning about how an entire year of GCSE History students didn’t have to take their godforsaken exams? Personally, the cancellation of GCSEs was an undeniable blessing in disguise, given I’d committed my blood, sweat and tears to the January mock exams. However I’m aware, among my friends at least, that this presented an implausible nightmare of misfortune. I hope they don’t label these unprecedented times with some sort of mechanical title: ‘The coronavirus outbreak’ or ‘The Covid–19 pandemic’ – these just don’t give credit to the human will shown and the myriad of emotions involved. I’m sure the history books will try to portray every facet of quarantine and so will be soiled with stories of protesters at Westminster Bridge who claim that 5G towers are actually to blame for worldwide chaos and crisis - simultaneously risking public health. Nevertheless, I remain hopeful that the societal efforts of compassion and generosity during this quarantine period are what prevail in the thoughts of future generations: the 5K Run for Heroes challenge which raised over £5 million for the NHS, over 300 boxes of food collected by the UCS community for North Paddington Food Bank and the 100-year-old WWII veteran Captain Tom Moore who single-handedly raised £28 million for the NHS, are just some examples of hope-reinstating altruism from the last few months. Personally, I have tried to forge some productivity despite the precariousness, and often depressing nature, of these times. Having been reminded by my optimistic mother of Sir Isaac Newton’s in-quarantine achievements during the Great Plague of London (casually developing Calculus and formulating the law of universal gravitation) I felt slightly pressured to explore my own interests outside the realm of Netflix and YouTube. As if urged by Newton himself, I found my attraction to reading and writing rekindled. Although I thought the GCSE system’s cogs of monotonous revision had permanently repelled me from laying my hands on another book, Arthur Miller, Philip Roth and Shakespeare remained enticing. And so, I managed to squeeze some valuable seeds out of my lockdown. Other mild remedies to the stress of coronavirus have been fulfilling the daily allowance of dog-walks (evidently popular with Hampstead residents on the Heath); contributing to the tacit reversal of social convention where it is comically polite to cross the street in avoidance of others; and conceiving new methods of virtually socialising with friends (although quizzes are rapidly growing old).” Charlie Benjamin (Upper Remove)

THE GOWER 2020 19

The Junior Berkhamstedian

Remote Learning When we were told we couldn’t come back to school I was so upset. We missed our trip to Windsor Castle but all the home activities kept us busy.

Poppy W, Year 2

I actually learned how to play the guitar when I was at home but then my brother got to go back to school and I didn’t. Our celebration week at home was loads of fun.

Benedict A, Year 2

I had so many internet problems that made home schooling tricky! I wanted to come back but it was so much fun to see and chat with our teachers online. They still gave us instructions!

Emilia V, Year 2

The Junior Berkhamstedian

I really missed my teachers and friends when working from home but we had so much to do so I wasn’t bored.

Jessica H, Year 2

At first I was confused but then I became so excited to be at home all the time with my family. We enjoyed school tasks together.

Felix S, Year 2

Life in Lockdown

The show must go on Locking down and socially distancing is not conducive to making music together. However, the Trinity community continued to put on a show, recording and sharing a number of beautiful musical performances, many featuring in the school’s “Lockdown Series”.

In Valencia, Trinity alumnus Joel Williams gave a masterful operatic performance of Verdi’s Brindisi from his balcony! Turn to p126 for more on Joel.

The guitar ensemble, the Axe Men, recorded a rocking version of Rainbow’s Since You’ve Been Gone, with Jasper Bew (top left) taking a tour of the school while part of the “key-worker club”!

The Lower School Concert series allowed pupils to share the music they were making. There was even an appearance from Darth Vader!

The Senior Guitar Quartet recorded a fantastic remote version of Ludovico Einaudi’s Questa Notte.

The Trinity Boys Choir performed a beautiful rendition of Sir Richard Rodney Bennett's Dormi Jesu from their own homes.

Despite their isolation, the Trinity Girls Choir performed Kenneth Leighton’s setting of Shakespeare’s Under the Greenwood Tree.

The Mitre

Trinity School Magazine 2019/2020

Sixth Formers Will Hardy and Beth Fitzpatrick took advantage of technology to record some incredible pieces in which they collaborated with themselves!

The Wind Band donned some funky accessories to record a remote version of soul classic Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.

Trinity teamwork Keeping active, both mentally and physically, was a crucial aspect of getting through the lockdown. For Trinity staff and students, there were plenty of opportunities to get involved.

Front runner In a virtual race featuring some 1,500 pupils from eight local schools, Lower Sixth student Ellie Osmond left everybody trailing in her wake. Though many of us tried to keep fit during the lockdown by going for a run, it was a little trickier for those who wanted to find some competitive action. However, thanks to the Strava running app, Ellie Osmond was able to do just that. Her time saw her crowned the fastest girl in her category in a 1,500m race featuring more than a thousand local runners, including nearly 30 Trinity students. Ellie said: “Running is such a huge part of my life, so it’s been a big adjustment to get used to not being able to train with my training group and coach.” “Fortunately, the extra free-time I’ve had in lockdown has allowed me to dedicate even more time to training, which I hope will benefit me greatly! In the meantime, I have been competing in a number of virtual races, such as this one, which have been really good for my motivation and focus.” Ellie has been running competitively for five years and is currently a member of Blackheath and Bromley Harriers Athletic Club and the Kent County and Surrey schools squads. “I am pretty happy with the result because I haven’t run a 1,500m in over a year,” she added. “It was in the middle of a big block of hard training with fairly poor preparation. I had to squeeze it in at 6:30am before my lessons! I really enjoyed it though and I thought it was a really excellent idea for the schools involved.”

First Year students were set a PE Monopoly challenge by Mr Giles, with each square representing a different activity. For key worker children still attending school, this even meant doing some exercise in the library!

Virtual masterclasses Throughout lockdown staff and students were treated to a series of online Q&As, organised by the Sports Department, with a host of international sports stars. Attendees got to hear from England rugby heroes Kyle Sinckler and Ugo Monye, England opening batsman Dom Sibley and Great Britain hockey forward Chris Griffiths. The Q&As for Sinckler and Monye were both attended by nearly 100 people, with students keen to listen in and pick up some advice from the pros, both of whom have been capped by England and the British and Irish Lions. The players were incredibly open and honest, inviting questions from students and staff and discussing a wide range of topics, from their careers to their musical tastes to diversity in the sport. Director of Rugby, Mr Kench, said: “The sessions proved to be a great forum to meet and provided great insight to all who attended. Our thanks to Kyle and Ugo for giving up their time and eliciting such meaningful thoughts and feelings from our students.” Similarly successful were the talks with Sibley and Griffiths, with both men offering an insightful look into life as professional sports stars and offering plenty of advice to our young aspiring professional cricketers and hockey players. Head of Cricket, Mr Schofield, said, “It was so kind of Dom to give up his time the day before he was due to join the England squad to prepare for the test series against the West Indies.”

The Sports Department put together a series of exercise videos to help staff and students stay fit and healthy at home throughout lockdown.

The Mitre

Trinity School Magazine 2019/2020