INDIVIDUAL PUPIL SUCCESS

INDIVIDUAL

PUPIL SUCCESS

Caterham Busker Creates

CHRISTMAS CLASSIC!

Caterham School Performing Arts are always delighted to share news of our pupils’ achievements – and this one is particularly exciting! Nathan in the Lower Sixth has had a song released by Scouting for Girls.

Nathan (stage name Jackson Freedman) has been busking in Bligh’s meadow since he was twelve, but on the side has been writing his own songs. Last summer, his father challenged him to write a Christmas song without the word Christmas in the lyrics and it being about watching telly. As his father puts it, “It seemed like a song we could agree on. A grown up song about loving the holiday, loving each other, but mostly loving watching telly on a big day off.” After 20 minutes he came back with a hook about wanting to stay home watching re-runs rather than visiting relatives, “It’s not you, it’s not me, it’s your family.”

The song is called ‘Let’s Not Go Away’ – recorded with Roy Stride from Scouting For Girls.

It is a bonus track to the new Scouting For Girls album, ‘The Trouble With Boys’ through Sony Music and will be out on all platforms mid-November.

Scouting for Girls will be debuting ‘Let’s Not Go Away’ live on their current UK tour and Nathan will be singing it in Bligh’s Meadow as he busks in amongst his set.

Ben Qualifies for

NATIONAL GIGAFINAL

A huge well done goes to Benjamin (First Year) who qualified for the National Chess Gigafinal in the Under 12 category in June.

All chess tournaments have been cancelled due to the pandemic, however the organisers of this huge event managed to move the tournament online. With the date hot on the heels of school exams, Benjamin had not had the chance to practice as much as he would have liked to. However, he managed to achieve the gigafinal qualification score of 3.5 out of 6 in the final round. This ranks him inside the top 100 Under 12 chess players in the UK. For his first ever online tournament, Benjamin has every right to feel very proud of himself. Well done Benjamin!

CHIEF SCOUT PLATINUM AWARD

Congratulations to Matthew, Lucy and James (Fifth Year) who achieved the Chief Scout’s Platinum Award.

This requires outstanding effort and commitment over a long period of time and few Explorer Scouts achieve this honour. All three pupils are greatly involved in the scouting movement being young leaders in Beavers or Cubs. It was presented at the United Reformed Church by the Scout District Commissioner. Congratulations for achieving this prestigious award!