SPRING 2017
NEWS FROM CHIGWELL
CHIGWELL SCHOOL
CELEBRATING SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE CHIGWELL SCHOOL COMMUNITY
In this Issue Opening of the Risham
02 Sarao Sixth Form Centre Record-breaking Chigwell
12 Run for Charity
Girls’ Hockey: Most
22 Successful Season Ever!
and much more...
The Risham Sarao Sixth Form Centre Opens FIND A WAY OR MAKE A WAY
SIXTH FORM CENTRE
The Opening of the Risham Sarao Sixth Form Centre Our new sixth form centre named in memory of Risham Sarao OC was officially opened at the School by her family and the television presenter Ben Shephard OC. Mr Michael Punt described The Risham Sarao Sixth Form Centre as a “hub for learning” with six classrooms, study and social spaces and a centre for careers and university advice. Risham’s family are among the benefactors who have made the project possible and they and her relatives were joined by TV presenter Ben Shephard OC for the official ribbon cutting ceremony. Risham attended Chigwell from the age of eleven until she left at the end of her Sixth Form studies (1999-2006). She went on to study Business and Spanish at Manchester University but she sadly died in a road accident while travelling in Peru in 2009. She was just twenty one. Risham’s uncle, Dr Malvinder Sohi, said of the opening: “It is a very emotional day for us; it is sad but also a matter of great pride for us to be associated with such a brilliant child.” He added: “The only way to keep her name living is to create such a thing as the Centre where we are going to create many Rishams by giving a wonderful environment. This centre will live probably many generations beyond those Risham would have thought she would have lived. The family’s loss and the School’s loss left an enormous vacuum. It became very important to replace that with something
that would be permanent and beneficial for future generations. Risham was denied a beautiful life. In her name we had a duty to the future generations of the School to ensure that they can benefit from Risham’s life and aspirations. The Centre will provide a place and opportunity to all those who want to achieve world-class education in the most modern and natural environment and enhance those who are inspired by Risham’s life.” Ben Shephard said: “It’s just an extraordinary facility and I’m very envious. I was lucky enough to come to Chigwell and had an amazing time here. It is a really, really fabulous tribute to Risham.” He added: “This will allow Chigwell sixth formers to grow and become well-rounded individuals that will be able to take on
any opportunities that come their way – to be inquisitive, to be adventurous, to be courageous – all of those really vital elements as you go into professional life are incredibly important. The sixth formers will be proud to be in here; they will want to do their work here; they will want to see their other classmates here. They are going to be filled with a huge amount of pride and that’s something you can’t put a price on.” The opening ceremony was attended by some two hundred and fifty parents, staff, Governors, Old Chigwellians and friends of Risham, as well as those who had designed and built the Centre. The Chaplain, Father Simon Paul, led a brief reflection of Risham’s life and blessed the Risham Sarao Sixth Form Centre. n
SIXTH FORM CENTRE
News From Chigwell | Spring 2017
02 | 03
ACADEMIA
Oxbridge Bound: Chigwell University Applicants on Cloud Nine For the second year in succession, nine Chigwell students have received an offer to study at either Oxford or Cambridge University. Offers from Cambridge have been made to: Emma Cadman (Natural Sciences at Newnham College), Marija Marinovic (Law at Murray Edwards College) and Kathy Peng (Economics at Murray Edwards College), while offers from Oxford have been made to Rachel Bu (Engineering at Trinity College), Michael Chamberlain (History and Politics at St Edmund Hall), Payaam Kapur (Physics at St Peter’s College), Lauren Keiller (Medicine at Balliol College), Julia Kotowska (Medicine at St Catherine’s College) and Lewis Wait (Spanish and Linguistics at Exeter College).
However, the success has not stopped there for the 94 students in their final year of A level study. Even though universities have until early May to make an offer, already three-quarters of Chigwell
applicants are holding at least one offer from a Russell Group university, to read a wide range of subjects, it is hoped that there will be more to come. (The Russell Group represents 24 leading UK universities.) Other
students have sensibly opted for courses at other institutions because they serve their interests better. Congratulations go to these students and to the teachers who have worked so hard to support them. n
Uniplus Mock Interviews
Chigwell Hosts Practice Interview Events Chigwell Sixth Form students got a taste of life beyond school when they were interviewed by a wide range of industry professionals at the Uniplus mock interview afternoon. Many Chigwell parents and friends generously donated their time to interview students in preparation for university interviews and beyond. Whilst students do have mock interviews within school, this was the first time that many of them had been interviewed by a professional who they had not previously met. With the interviewers well-versed in recruiting, the students were given a taste of a real-life
interview situation, and the feedback they received after the interview provided areas to focus on in preparation for those allimportant university interviews. We received great feedback from the volunteers on the event and the calibre of the students. The Risham Sarao Sixth Form Centre also hosted the Uniplus mock medical
interviews later that evening. Being interviewed by a mixture of professional medics was an invaluable experience for students who hope to read medicine at university. All the interviewers were parents or friends who had very kindly given up their evening to come in and put the students through their paces. Chigwell students were joined by medical
applicants from Beal School, who were also interviewed and the evening received a great deal of positive feedback from both the interviewers and their interviewees. One interviewer commented: “I really enjoyed it – and learnt a thing or two from the students!” Head of Sixth Form, Mr Long, commented that he would like to thank all those involved in both events. n
News From Chigwell | Spring 2017
ACADEMIA
Learning+ Initiatives Learning+ is a suite of initiatives designed to offer Chigwellians the chance to learn and think outside the classroom. These initiatives include philosophy clubs, internal essay competitions, Higher and Extended Project Qualifications (HPQ and EPQ) along with preparation for the most competitive courses and universities. Included in these initiatives is The Pilot which is the school’s academic and creative journal. It publishes a wide range of high-quality academic essays, opinionpieces, short stories, poetry and artwork from students, teachers, and visiting speakers which
when published constitutes an excellent resource. Another initiative is the CAN which stands for Chigwell Academic News. These are a collection of subject-specific email groups to which any student can sign up. There are a wide range of subjects available, from school ones like biology and English to university subjects like medicine, law, philosophy, sociology and architecture. Chigwell teachers also use the CAN to share interesting articles they find online. One of the best established elements of the Learning+ initiative is the Williams Project. This is named after the Old Chigwellian Bernard Williams who was one of the most famous British philosophers of the late 20th
should you be compensated when things go wrong?’ Both thought-provoking topics led to much insightful debate. We were delighted to have with us Patricia and Jonny Williams (widow and son of Sir Bernard) at this meeting. n
John Gardner century. The Williams Project is a fortnightly speaker society for all pupils from 11-18, on just about every subject. This project provides opportunities for pupils at Chigwell School to broaden and deepen their intellectual life. Among the many speakers who have come to Chigwell was John Gardner (Professor of Jurisprudence at Oxford). John discussed ‘Holding on and letting go: why keep the life you already have?’, and ‘How
Patricia Williams
Higher and Extended Project Qualification changes in the brain affect the personality of an elderly person with Alzheimer’s disease?’, ‘How far do gender stereotypes in children’s literature during the 1950s to the present day influence children aged five to eight?’, and ‘Radioactive wolves: Are Chernobyl’s Myths True?’.
HPQ students
Members of Years 11 and 13 have been giving their Higher Project Qualification presentations, and Extended Project Qualification presentations. Some Chigwell students have opted to take these qualifications in addition to their GCSE or A level subjects, and they are designed to broaden horizons beyond the confines of the standard curriculum and encourage independent research Leavers 2016
and thought. EPQ and HPQ students undertake a research topic of their choice and develop skills which include the use of academic journals, keeping an academic log, formal report writing and oral presentations. HPQ projects included: ‘Is it morally correct to genetically modify humans using CRISPR/ Cas9?’, ‘Has social media led to an increase of self-harm?’, ‘To what extent does female celebrity culture have an influence on the image and identity of girls aged 13-16?’, ‘To what extent do
This year’s EPQs included essays on Brexit, autism, financial regulation, black holes, ageing, capital punishment, mental hospitals, animaltesting of cosmetics, sugar and
euthanasia, and a film on the presentation of immigrants in 1915-29 American cinema. The presentations were well-attended and well-received by both students and staff; they were informative and engaging, and reflected the considerable effort put in by the students over the course of the previous year. Meanwhile, a new cohort of EPQ and HPQ students are about to begin the process of designing their own EPQ and HPQ. n
EPQ students 04 | 05
ACADEMIA
Epping Forest Youth Council Christopher Collins (Year 10) and Abby Whelan (Year 11) have been elected to the Epping Civic Office chambers as youth councillors. Serving a two year term, they attend two evening meetings a month, giving young people a voice regarding important local
issues. In recent years, the Epping Forest Youth Council’s activities have centred on the safety of young people in the district; antisocial behaviour and drug misuse; transport services; and environmental issues. Youth councillors take part in committee work, consult with the general public and organise community events in pursuit of these varied causes. n
Epping Forest Interschool Debating Two of Chigwell’s experienced debaters, Marija Marinovic and Daniel Trickov took part in this year’s Epping Forest Schools’ parliamentary debate. It was a lively evening with the audience loudly supporting the teams that supported
Come Dine With Us! Year 9 pupils in each of the four Senior School houses worked with the school caterers to create sumptuous threecourse meals for their families and teachers. The annual house PSHE dinner competition took place over four consecutive weeks.
The Year 9 pupils in each house agree the theme for the evening, the menu, decorate tables, prepare and then serve the meal, all with the expert help of the school caterers, Chartwells. The performance of each group of pupils was then judged for the house competition. Pictured are some of the pupils from Lambourne house, developing skills that will hopefully serve them well for the future. n
the idea ‘That Britain’s influence in the world would increase after Brexit’. In spite of excellent arguments the Chigwell team was not placed first but certainly showed how wellconsidered and researched speeches were superior to rather jingoistic platitudes. Both speakers represented the school admirably and gained many positive comments from other students. n
News From Chigwell | Spring 2017
ART & DESIGN
Art+ Workshop The designer and educator Wendy Chandler visited the school to lead a drawing workshop inspired by fashion. Each pupil created a number of drawings, experimenting with different art materials and techniques. Wendy is a very experienced practitioner. She has worked as a successful freelance designer in the film, television and event industries. Wendy’s work has included costume design, mask making, millinery, styling, prop making and set design. Her commissions include displays for Harvey Nichols, Starbucks, and Replay, while her promotional costumes include masks and head dresses for MTV and Swiss Telecom. Wendy has also created drawings at live events
including London Fashion Week. An experienced lecturer in further education, Wendy
currently teaches at UCA. Mrs Anna Aitken, from the Art and Design department, commented
that it was a brilliant workshop and the pupils made some fantastic work. n
Design Ventura This year, the design and technology department integrated the well-known Design Ventura competition into the Year 10 curriculum. Design Ventura is a creative design competition run by the Design Museum, London, which involves groups of pupils designing and making an innovative prototype product to be sold in the Design Museum shop, based on an annual theme. This year, the theme was ‘CHANGE’ and the Chigwell pupils responded to this with enthusiasm, determination and creativity. All four end results were extremely impressive and not only showed a quirky link
to the theme, but also boasted carefully considered packaging designs and a detailed budget plan, used to calculate exactly how much profit each product would generate. As only one group can be submitted from each participating school, the pupils firstly pitched their ideas to a Dragon’s Den-style panel (consisting of the Headmaster and other staff), and then also to fellow pupils. The final decision was that ‘Shadow Stories’ would be submitted; a set of laser cut discs that allow the user to cast pictorial shadows onto the wall and thus ‘change’ the way that we tell stories. Therefore, well done to Jaival Patel, Daniel Reazie, Leona Jayaratne and Luke Mulholland. A close runner-up was ‘The Box’; a multi-purpose stationery holder.
This idea is going to be posted on the Design Museum’s Twitter feed, and so Adam Sagoo, Gia Fellows-Taylor, Peter Petrov and Lucy Crouch should also be commended. A huge congratulations also goes to the other groups, who put an impressive amount of effort into this project and came up with equally as credible solutions. n 06 | 07
ART & DESIGN
Constellate Art Exhibition An exhibition of work by Chigwell’s, Miss Molly Wragg, was held in the School Gallery. Molly is a graduate of the University of Lincoln and as well as being a very talented artist, Molly is also the art and design technician and gallery manager at school. The exhibition featured a range of
amazing work consisting of sculptures, photographs and mixed media pieces. As part of the Fauvism project – which has a focus on colour and mark making, our Year 8 pupils have been viewing and responding to the show. Saaim Bhatti in 8R commented that he found the exhibition to be an inspiration as ‘if someone can achieve that level of creation so can I’. An aspect of the exhibition that has
enthralled many of the pupils is the way in which Jigsaw pieces have been used as a material for the creation of the artwork. In many of the exhibits everyday
materials have been used by Molly in new and exciting ways to create individual and highly thoughtful pieces of art. n
‘What is Civil Engineering?’ Old Chigwellian, Ife Fanibi, shares her experiences in the engineering field with Design and Technology students All examination group Design and Technology pupils had the pleasure of hearing OC Ife Fanibi talk about her career in
civil engineering and the path that she took to realise her career aspirations. Ife, who left Chigwell in 2011 after having studied
Design and Technology, Maths and Physics at A2 level, spoke in-depth about her undergraduate course and Master’s degree and explained the varied and important role that civil engineers play in today’s society. As well as providing excellent careers advice, Ife spoke about how studying Design and Technology contributed to her success and also addressed the perceived gender issues within the field of engineering. Ife, who is also a registered ambassador for the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) programme also discussed the exciting projects that she is shortly to be working on, such as the London cycle superhighway and new London building projects.
Ife’s talk was inspirational, motivational and eye-opening for many of our pupils and provided an excellent, first-hand insight into the route to a successful career in engineering. n
News From Chigwell | Spring 2017
ART & DESIGN
Professor Anthony Slinn’s Lecture It was a great pleasure that Professor Anthony Slinn visited the school again and gave another amazing lecture to our KS3 pupils. Anthony is a seasoned and highly regarded lecturer
whose knowledge of a range of contemporary art and cultural subjects is second to none. His engaging delivery and deep understanding about each of the subjects he discussed was very inspirational. The departments of English and Art and Design were studying the theme of conflict as a part of a cross
curricular project that links the creation of artwork using collage with analytical and expressive writing. Anthony’s presentation formed a part of this project, and his insights, opinions and interpretations of artwork which is based on war and conflict was very informative indeed. n
Artists Entranced by Owls Year 3 had an unusual and exciting art lesson when they were greeted by ten live owls. The owls ranged from a huge Great European Eagle Owl to a Little Owl, which arrived in the pocket of Rita Wells. Rita runs the Epping Forest Hawk and Owl Sanctuary in Fyfield. Mrs Wells told the pupils all about the owls and where they came from, and then they carefully made observational sketches. n
More Art At Chigwell...
08 | 09
CHARITY
Charity Gala Evening Chigwell’s annual charity gala evening is organised by students and was a triumph once again this year. The gala is planned by students who are patrons of the charity Smiles with Grace, set up by former Chigwell pupil Grace Boxall, who sadly
passed away three years ago. The programme contained twenty-seven acts, varying from Bollywood dances, poetry, comedy sketches and solo or group musical performances, including a touching memorial song to Grace herself. The event finished with an impressive finale by the school’s Big Band. Overall, the evening
raised more than £1,000 and a huge thank you goes to all those
who participated or came along to support. n
Charities Week Chigwell raised £5,683 during our annual Charities Week. The money goes to the many local and international charities that School supports including, Haven House, ELHAP, Save the Children Fund, and Unicef. n
Memorial Football Match played for Charity The annual Eren Pars Memorial Cup took place between the Year 12 and Year 13 students. Sadly, Eren who left Chigwell in 2009, passed away in May 2012 when he was just twentyone. He was a keen footballer and the match is played in his memory each year between two Chigwell sixth form teams. It was, as always, a closely
fought contest in the presence of Eren’s family and some of his friends. The Year 12 team took a deserved 2-0 lead, partly through a wonderful strike from Joshua Klein, but a late penalty led to concerted Year 13 pressure and, finally, an equaliser. This took the match to penalties which the Year 13s won. The money which Mr and Mrs Pars generously donated was sent to Smiles with Grace which was the choice of the victorious
side and MacMillan Cancer Trust which was the choice of the runners-up. Deputy Headmaster, Mr David Gower, commented that this match is
a wonderful way to remember Eren who loved his football as a part of his wholehearted approach to life. n
News From Chigwell | Spring 2017
CHARITY
Books for India For Christmas, the Pre Prep adopted the Tim Pruss Memorial School in India as its chosen charity. Tim’s school, which provides an education for young children in one of the world’s most impoverished areas, was established to honour the life of Old Chigwellian, Tim Pruss, who died in a tragic accident at the age of 18. Tim was a young
man who greatly enjoyed life and genuinely cared for his fellow man. Chigwell School continues to actively support the Tim Pruss Memorial School and each spring a group of staff, pupils and parents visit India to offer friendship, to help with repairs and to provide some teaching. Pre Prep pupils wanted to contribute to this tradition of support. Consequently, this Christmas, they responded eagerly to the School’s request
for new picture books to support the teaching of English. Over one hundred books, carefully chosen by staff, have been donated by pupils, which the school Chaplain, Father Simon, and his group will take out to India next February.
Mrs Evelyn Gibbs, Head of the Prep Prep said, “Once again our pupils and families have shown great compassion and generosity towards those who are less fortunate.” n
House Music One of the high spots of the Senior School year is the annual House Music competition. The event is designed to engender a really positive house spirit with all members of each of the four senior houses, Years 9 to 13, rehearsing and performing together. Item 1
was a departure from recent tradition with Geographical Fugue by Ernst Toch featuring the spoken voice as an instrument. The Houses provided four contrasting renditions with Lambourne’s being the most precise and accurate with a good dynamic range. A group from each house arranged an accompanied item 2, which Swallows won
Kaeah Sen presenting the cheque to a representative of GOSH
Victorious Lambourne House with a lyrical performance of Crazy by Gnarls Barkley using 15 musicians. Lambourne, however, stole the show and took the trophy with an energetic and surprisingly tuneful version of The Bear Necessities, but all four houses provided a mesmerising mix of vibrant music, enthusiastic choreography and excitement.
In addition to showcasing a good deal of musicianship and a lot of hard work from the Year 13 students preparing their Houses for the evening, the event raised over £1,700 for Great Ormond Street Hospital, including very generous donations from parents on the evening and £700 for the Tim Pruss School in Tamil Nadu. n
Streets2Homes Visit: Distributing our Harvest Festival Donations Twelve sixth form students together with the Chaplain (Father Simon Paul) and Mrs Paul delivered the harvest food gifts to Streets2Homes in Harlow. The Centre manager Kerry Eastman was delighted with the generosity of the Chigwell parents, pupils and staff. Our Chigwell community have now supported the work of this charity for eight years.
Kerry spoke about the work of the Centre in transforming many lives, including those who have moved from homelessness to jobs and housing. Father Simon said that an astounding £3,000 pounds worth of food was donated and he wanted to say a huge thank you to all who contributed food towards our harvest collection. n
Kerry Eastman (left) with Chigwell parents, pupils and staff 10 | 11
CHARITY
NSPCC Fundraising Activity Afternoon Chigwell pupils got active to raise funds for the NSPCC. Basically they ran, played hockey and took part in a World Football Tournament as part of their NSPCC workout.
Kiren Chima from the NSPCC visited school to say a huge thank you as our KS2 pupils raised a most wonderful sum of £4,847 after their activity afternoon. Mr Andrew Stubbs, Head of the Junior School, commented:
“We are very proud of the pupils for working so hard during the afternoon and for all their efforts collecting sponsors. Thank you also to all parents, family, friends and colleagues who so kindly donated to this cause.” n
Record-breaking Chigwell Run for Charity
Once more, the Chigwell community came together to run, walk and stagger to raise over £90,000 for Cancer Research UK at the Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon.
This truly astonishing amount of money makes a stunning total of over £230,000 for our three Royal Parks Half Marathon outings in the last three years. Close to one hundred Old Chigwellians, parents, and staff ran the 13.1 mile course which took them through the heart of the Capital. The route showcased the iconic sights of
Marvellous Mini Marathoners Pre Prep pupils enjoy participating in charitable events and their ‘mini marathon’ was no exception. They displayed high levels of enthusiasm and team spirit as they jogged and ran along a route in the school’s grounds. All Year 2 pupils
managed to successfully cover a distance of over one mile in a very short time. Pupils were delighted with the whole school warm up session which preceded this event and were especially pleased with their medals. The event was organised to raise funds
London through four Royal Parks (Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, St James’s Park, and The Green Park) and past some of the Capital’s most historic landmarks including Buckingham Palace, Horse Guards Parade and the Royal Albert Hall. With ‘Chigwell School’ emblazoned across their chests our team donned their trainers once again to raise much needed funds and awareness for Cancer Research UK.
and raising awareness of our cause was hugely impressive. Chigwell is a role model for the sort of impact that a school community can have in society. Given that one in two of us will be diagnosed with cancer in our lifetimes, this support is critical to us. You should all be enormously proud of your efforts, which is helping us to beat cancer sooner. We look forward to seeing you all at next year’s event.”
Sir Harpal Kumar, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, said: “My huge thanks to all the alumni, staff, parents and children at Chigwell School for the amazing support and participation at the Royal Parks Half Marathon. To see so many of you running, supporting
Mrs Gill Punt, who is married to the headmaster, and who organised the team effort commented: “It was a wonderful day and showed Chigwell at its best! We all came together to raise funds and awareness for a very worthy cause and managed to have fun at the same time.” n
for one of the school’s nominated charities, Cancer Research UK and also to show support for the hundred or so staff, parent and Old Chigwellians who recently took part in the Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon. Through the generosity of our families over £250 was raised for this charity. n
News From Chigwell | Spring 2017
DRAMA
A Level Drama worlds created as well as looking at the ways women are viewed and treated in today’s society. Although aspects of Drugged, Drowned and Fried were comparatively static at times, the use of effective lighting and remarkable make-up (by Ella Froud), conveyed considerable
One should never take the imagination and ability of senior drama students for granted as this cohort of Year 13 students showed in two very contrasting plays: My Name is Woman and Drugged, Drowned and Fried.
power. Using three contrasting contemporary characters, Michael Chamberlain, Serena Dench and Justin Morse sustained their anguished roles with voice, physical presence and movement. It was an impressive and mature presentation, bringing to an end a stimulating evening. n
The first play with Angus Brown, Gabriel Kelly and Daisy Mansfield had the cast taking on multiple roles, sometimes crossing gender barriers. The play incorporated some excellent movement suggesting both togetherness and threat; this was supported by professional lighting and sound. It was an impressive display of timing and teamwork and drew the audience into the
Year 11 Devised Drama: Containment The Drama Department showcased pupils’ work in short half-hour performances playing to full houses. In one of the Year 11 pieces the pupils had
decided to write a scene in the horror genre. Helped by excellent makeup and intelligent acting, Containment may not have been pleasant viewing but it was memorable and suitably grotesque. The small cast of:
Jas Digwa, Imogen Halcrow, Lucas Jefcoate and Tess Kelly held the audience with excellent teamwork and impressively sustained characterisation. The make-up, by Elaana ImbertMiller and Chloe Stack was imaginative and professional, enhanced by the costumes, by
Georgie Batt and Arabella Tish. Ben Andrews (lighting) and Hiran Solanki (sound) were spot-on with their cues and helped to create and sustain the tension-filled atmosphere. It was riveting entertainment and a terrific team effort. n
Stage Makeup Workshop Rosemary Swinfield, author of Stage Make Up, the text book that GCSE Drama pupils use at Chigwell, held a workshop for Year 10 and 11 pupils. This picture shows her working with Elaana Imbert-Miller who made up Imogen Halcrow as part of their GCSE Drama Devised Piece. n 12 | 13
DRAMA
Captivating Senior School Production:
Arabian Nights Enthrals Audience The Senior School Play, the RSC version of Arabian Nights, was performed to packed houses. With a large cast, on stage all the time sitting below an enormous, billowing Arab tent, this was an exciting experience for the audience. Stories, obviously based on the famous Thousand and One Nights were enacted in an often boisterous, physical way after the heroine, played by Shanaiya Pithiya, started
the story. The cast of thirty students multi-roled, danced and played instruments to create a wonderful story-telling experience for all ages. Apart from the technical expertise evident in the changes of lighting and sound effects a particular strength was the use of live music played by members of the cast. It all made for a highly entertaining and enjoyable theatrical experience. Director of Drama, Joe Maingot, commented: “This was a fast-paced, physical comedy and the cast created a magnificent spell-binding evening for all ages to enjoy. Well done to all involved!� n
News From Chigwell | Spring 2017
MUSIC
Chapel Choir at St Paul’s Cathedral The Chapel Choir conducted Evensong in the magnificent edifice of St Paul’s Cathedral, London. The opportunity for the choir to perform and lead the worship in a venue that is historically world famous and iconic, was an honour. The service was the
School’s annual Leavers’ Service for the Chapel Choir, giving us a chance to bid farewell to those in the choir moving on to further education. During the afternoon and in the final service itself, the choir were heard by thousands of visitors to the Cathedral from around the world, many of whom commented on the beauty and quality of the sound. The choir members were outstanding in their maturity, musicality and deportment, with attention to the minutia that the occasion demanded. They are great ambassadors for the school. The music, a difficult programme of Canticles and Responses by Kenneth Leighton, resounded through the building and up into the epochal dome. The interjections of the awesome and spectacular great organ of the Cathedral, played by our own Simon Winters in Mathias’ Let the People Praise Thee, O God, made a fitting anthem with which to finish the service. n
The Chigwell Primary Schools’ Music Festival Pupils from over forty local Primary and Preparatory Schools were invited to attend the annual Chigwell Music Festival. Following the successful beginnings of the Music Outreach Programme delivered
by Mr Howard Ebden (Director of Music) and Mr Adam Crockatt, over one hundred pupils attended the day. Pupils worked together in an orchestra of over seventy and in smaller sectional rehearsals led by the professional visiting instrumental teachers under the direction of Miss Felicity Leach (Assistant Director of Music). As well as playing in the orchestra, pupils experienced workshops in brass instrumental playing, producing contrapuntal layers of vibrant sound, a songwriting course which yielded many a fine lyric, melody and chord sequence, and a ‘Stomp’ session, working with alternative percussion instruments which allowed pupils to layer rhythms and sounds in unique ways.
The power and importance of music in the curriculum was demonstrated through motivation, concentration, confidence and teamwork seen throughout the day. This was further evidenced in the celebratory concert at the end of the afternoon, where all pupils had a chance to exhibit some of their work produced during the day. n 14 | 15
MUSIC
Young Musicians Produce a Dazzling Display The Junior School Concert produced a diverse range of phenomenal performances. The Musical Theatre Group, Contemporary Choir and Years
3 and 4 choirs performed some dazzling arrangements. Strong solos from Anjalie Ravishankar on the flute, Avantika Bharadwaj and Zac Sheikh on the piano interspersed another solid and resounding performance from the Junior Orchestra with Mozart’s First Movement
from Symphony No 40 and Dvorjak’s Slavonik Dance. This year the concert welcomed two new additions to the evening, Stomp and the Junior Jazz Band. Stomp debuted with resounding rhythm from Years 7 and 8 whilst the Junior Jazz Band stylishly performed Red Garland’s Blues By Five. The
Inspire Concerts The Chapel Choir were involved in the production of two charity fundraising services. The first was an Advent service entitled ‘Share the Light’ at St Martin-inthe-Fields, Trafalgar Square, and the second a Christmas Service of Lessons and Carols at St Margaret’s, Westminster Abbey. The two services were supported by readers from a variety of backgrounds including; John Simpson,
Many congratulations go to Amelie Mackenzie in Year 6 as she has been selected as a Soprano 1 in the National Youth Choir of Great Britain. n
BBC World Affairs Editor; Eddie ‘the Eagle’ Edwards, Olympian; Ruthie Henshall, from musical theatre; His Excellency Eduardo dos Santos, Ambassador of Brazil; Rt Hon James Brokenshire, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland; The Rt Hon Greg Hands, MP, Minister for International Trade; Chantal-Aimée Doerries QC, Chairman of the Bar Council; Jeffery Wilson, musician, composer and educator. The Chapel Choir in tremendous form, sang works by Tavener, MacMillan, Mendelssohn, Mawby, Todd, Rutter, Cornelius, Archer and McKie as well as world premiering The Light of Glory, written for the Choir by Jeffery Wilson, set to words written for
string Quintets played with enthusiastic confidence and great independence with their performances. Contributions from the Cello Group, the young Flautists and a violin duet from Edwin To and Rayn Ismail Ahluwalia, contributed to a fabulous evening of wonderful entertainment. n
the Advent Service by Bez Berry. In the words of Revd Katherine Hedderly, St Martin-in-theFields the Choir ‘lifted their voices heavenward’. All monies raised from the work of the Chapel Choir this year will go to the Essex-based charity, ‘Kids Inspire’. n
News From Chigwell | Spring 2017
OUT & ABOUT
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Programme Increasing numbers of pupils have taken on the challenge of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Programme at Chigwell. Award programmes are at three progressive levels which lead to a Bronze, Silver or Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Pupils select and set objectives in each of the following areas – Volunteering: undertaking service to individuals or the community. Many pupils have worked with animal trusts,
charity shops, helped in homeless shelters and taken on coaching roles to achieve this aspect. Physical: improving in an area of sport, dance or fitness activities. Skills: developing practical and social skills and personal interests. Some pupils continued to improve existing skills, like cookery, whilst others took on a completely new skill such as learning Japanese, reptile keeping or lifesaving to accomplish this aspect. Expedition: planning, training for and completion of an adventurous journey. Exciting training and qualification expeditions have been undertaken
such as the Gold Award canoeing expedition on the Caledonian Canal in Scotland. So far this academic year, we have awarded
51 Bronze awards and 6 Silver awards with many more Bronze, Silver and Gold awards underway or nearing completion. n
Annie Redmond and Brooke Newton travelled to Kandy, Sri Lanka, where they taught English at a local school and nursery, whilst Megan Whitehead travelled to a town just outside Kathmandu, where she also taught English in a school damaged in last
year’s earthquake. Whilst Tanu Kugasathan worked to upgrade an orphanage in Jaffna, Sri Lanka; Rahul Aggarwal worked in a hospital in Kenya; and Tamra Paul worked in an orphanage in Malaysia. n
Projects Overseas A number of Year 12 students carried out charity work overseas. Aaran Vijayakumaran, winner of the Tim Pruss Prize, worked in Faridabad, India, where he helped in an orphanage, a
India
slum school, and also a school for disabled children; Aanya Gujral fundraised to provide physiotherapy equipment for a home for disabled children which she visited and she saw first-hand how this charity provides special care to help patients to become stronger.
Sri Lanka 16 | 17
OUT & ABOUT
Friends of Chigwell Firework Display Goes with a Bang Over 1,300 parents, pupils and friends gathered on Top Field for the annual Friends of Chigwell (FOC) firework display recently. The weather was kind, the fireworks were stunning and the food and stalls provided an excellent evening of entertainment. The whole event
was organised by the parent volunteers on the FOC which works hard throughout the year to organise events which bring Chigwell families together and raise additional funds for the school. We are very fortunate indeed to have such a dedicated team of parents who are prepared to support us in this way and give of their time so generously. n
Other Activities...
Year 4 Verulamium Visit
Year 7 at Gilwell Park
Pre Prep Woodland Classroom
Year 7 at Gilwell Park
Colne Valley Railway Trip
Colne Valley Railway Trip
Scout Investiture
Barleylands
News From Chigwell | Spring 2017
OUT & ABOUT
Barcelona Football Tour Fifty pupils from Chigwell took part in a football development tour to Barcelona. The U13 and U12 boys stayed in the coastal resort of Santa Sussana and took part in two training sessions at the hotel as well as with La Liga side, Espanyol CF. Whilst at Espanyol the boys also saw the first team train. A highlight was meeting both Jose Antonio Reyes, (formerly with Arsenal) and Chico Florres (former Watford manager). Both men gave their time freely and were more than happy to talk to the group. The four squads played three matches each against local club sides, Almedia, Juventad and Gelida. The standard of opposition was excellent
and all nine matches were extremely competitive. The boys also visited the main tourist attractions in the city as well
as Espanyol’s ‘El Prat’ stadium and Barcelona’s ‘Camp Nou’. The group was complimented on their behaviour on many
occasions during the tour and were great ambassadors for their school both on and off the pitch. n
In addition to the netball, the girls had time to see the plentiful tourist attractions that Orlando has to offer. They visited some of the many parks including Animal
Kingdom, Epcot, Disney Springs, Hollywood Studios, Typhoon Lagoon and, of course, Magic Kingdom! n
Orlando Netball Tour Twenty Chigwell pupils set off on the ‘netball trip of a lifetime’ to Walt Disney World’s All Star Sports Resort. The girls undertook two days of intensive skills and tactical awareness training from expert coaches including England’s defender Stacey Francis and former Australian captain and a player who is regarded as the best shooter of her generation, Vicki Wilson. The girls commented that everything they were taught on those two days will stay with them for the rest of their netball careers. The experience was even more memorable due to the wide range of nationalities that took part including Australian, South African and Bermudan. Chigwell fielded an U14 and U16 team and after many close
matches both sides came third in their respective competitions. Many of the teams Chigwell beat were regular club sides which made their achievement even greater.
18 | 19
SPORT
Chigwell Hosts Annual Netball and Football Festivals Chigwell School held the annual U11 primary schools’ netball and football festivals. The netball festival involved sixteen schools from the local area this year. The girls did not let the cool weather dampen their spirits and some superb displays of netball were evident on all courts throughout the morning. All teams enjoyed six matches during the course of the morning with some extremely well matched games being fought out once the second round pairings had been completed. The festival gave the girls a wonderful opportunity to get a morning of intensive play at the very start of the season, hopefully creating high levels of enthusiasm for the girls, their coaches and the spectators for the coming season. The girls gathered together at the
end of the morning for the announcement of the results, to celebrate their achievements, and to congratulate Chigwell School A team who were winners of the festival. At the same time as the netball festival, the School hosted the annual U11 Football festival with twenty-one teams from local primary schools taking part. Teams were placed in three pools of seven teams and played six friendly matches against the other schools in the group. Each game was competitive in its own right but the event was a festival of football in which all played the same number of matches over the course of the morning. The quality of football played was excellent and it was nice to see all the players expressing themselves in a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere. A big thank you to all the schools that took part and everyone who worked hard behind the scenes at the School. n
Netball County Representation Congratulations go to Fola Amuludun and Josie Gibbins who have been selected to play for Essex Met Satellite Academy at U14 level. n
News From Chigwell | Spring 2017
SPORT
Football at Chigwell
ISFA Representation
Tommy Redhead
Congratulations to Tommy Redhead who has been selected to represent the U18 and U16 Independent Schools FA national representative side this season at the FA’s St George’s Park. n
Tommy (back row, far right) with the ISFA team 20 | 21
SPORT
Girls’ Hockey: Most Successful Season Ever! It was another prolific season for girls’ hockey at Chigwell School with the ladies 1st XI having their most successful season in School history. They won the U18 County double by becoming the Essex outdoor and indoor champions. Holding both county titles, at the same time, is a first for the School at senior level and an achievement we are extremely proud of. Our U18s are now double indoor champions, having held the title for both 2015 and 2016 seasons. Our 1st XI players have also enjoyed a good run of form in the Independent Schools Hockey Cup (ISHC) where they are currently unbeaten. We congratulate our senior hockey girls and credit must be given to the whole squad for their commitment, determination and hard work both with their training and matches. Outside of School hockey, Chigwell boasts many talented hockey players with Alice Melvin representing the England U17 squad, Charlotte James-Pajwani representing Saxon Tigers at the U16 Futures Cup and Venetia Bailey, Stevie Southall, Chloe Stack and Zoe Wright all involved with England hockey JRPC training. These girls invest an incredible amount of time into their sport and we wish them all the best with their progression outside of their School hockey. Lower down the School, Chigwell continues to field A&B hockey teams throughout the School focusing on participation as well as stretching our elite. The success of our 1st XI this year has been a long journey and one we invested in five years ago, believing that broad participation at junior level is the key to enjoyment and success. n
1st XI U18 County Double Champions
1st XI U18 County Champions
Charlotte James-Pajwani representing Saxon Tigers at the U16 England Futures Cup
England U17 Alice Melvin
SPORT
News From Chigwell | Spring 2017
Victory for Vika: BRITISH JUVENILE BALLROOM CHAMPIONS Year 7 pupil, Vika Barker, and her partner Lauritz participated in the British National Ballroom Championship 2016 in Blackpool, one of the biggest championships in the UK. They were victorious and became British Juvenile Ballroom Champions, winning the event with first places in all ballroom dances. This is the biggest achievement any couple can get within the UK. The next stop is the World Championship in Disneyland Paris. n
Cricket Success for Sally
Squash Success Sally Chapman (Year 7) has been selected for the Essex Under 13 cricket performance squad. She is pictured here with England women’s cricket captain Heather Knight. n
CROSS COUNTRY AT CHIGWELL
Well done to Brooke Smith (far left) who has attained the ranking of 49th in the Junior European Squash Federation. In addition, she played as part of the Essex Junior Squash team in the Inter-Counties Championships. n
TRIUMPHANT CHIGWELL GOLFERS BEAT FOREST SCHOOL 22 | 23
OPEN EVENTS 2017 4+ Entry Saturday 30th September at 12 noon until 3pm Saturday 7th October at 10am until 12.30pm 7+ Entry Saturday 30th September at 1.30pm until 4pm Saturday 7th October at 10.30am until 12.30pm 11+ Entry Saturday 30th September at 1.30pm until 4pm Saturday 11th November at 10.30am until 12.30pm 16+ Entry Saturday 30th September at 1pm until 4pm