HEADMASTER’S LETTER DECEMBER 2018
T0 PARENTS
Dear Parents Although they may seem to have passed very quickly, the last two months since my last letter have been very busy and pupils have achieved a great deal. What follows are some of the highlights of the second half of term.
Contents Page 1
Williams Project Library André Micallef University News
Page 2
Choral Concert
Page 3
Choral Concert
Page 4
Family Carol Service
Page 5
Remembrance Meet The Future
Page 6
Friends of Chigwell Fireworks Night Boarders
Page 7
Debating Mock Medical Interview Evening
Page 8
Football Tour to Madrid Vika Barker
Page 9
Trip to Nepal
Page 10
Howard and Mitchell Essay Competitions PSHEE
Page 11
Boys’ Football
Page 12
Boys’ Football
Page 13
Girls’ Hockey
Page 14
Girls’ Hockey
Page 15
Drama
Page 16
Bad Weather O.C. Mitre And Finally
Page 17
Message from the Chaplain
Williams Project
Once again, this half term pupils from
about the implications of neuroscience.
the Williams Project sessions. I was
discussion and the freedom with which
Upper Two and above have attended
He commented on the quality of the
delighted to receive a message from
pupils expressed their views. Please do
Robert Blakey of the University of Oxford
encourage your sons and daughters to
who spoke to a packed Sixth Form Centre
attend the Williams Project.
Library
Despite the work to the roof above, the library has been busy once again this term with
borrowing figures increased by another 20%. Pupils will shortly have access to e-books and further details
will follow, and exciting new books have been added to the stock.
The Accelerated Reader Programme has had a positive response and please do encourage your sons and daughters to keep reading over Christmas.
André Micallef
We were delighted to hear that André Micallef, who is currently in the Fourth Form, represented England in the 10th
WUKF European Karate Championships
during half term. André did very well indeed, coming second in solo kumite
(fighting) in Europe. We send our congratulations
to
André
marvellous achievement.
on
this
University News
Chigwell students have been receiving
sons and daughters to keep tutors and
places and I hope these will continue to
even if the news comes during the
Mr Simon Coppell informed of offers,
some really good offers of university
Christmas period.
come through. Please encourage your
1
Choral Concert
The beautiful 18th century chandeliers of
London’s Christ Church, Spitalfields blazed for the Christmas Choral Concert, with live-feed on screens to highlight
the soloists and choral groups. The concert provided the 2018 Chigwell Young
Musician of the Year winner, Lucas
Abrami-Gill the opportunity to display his
pure baritone voice in three Mozart Concert Arias: ‘Mentre ti lascio, oh figlia’ (K.513), ‘Io ti lascio, oh cara, addio’ KV 245
2
Choral Concert
(KV621A) and ‘Per questa bella mano’ KV 612 which also featured a performance by
Tony Hougham, Principal Double Bass of the Royal Opera House.
This was followed by excerpts of Handel’s ‘Messiah’ (1743) sung by the choir and featuring the accomplished solo voices of Sixth Formers (Lucas, Maria Khokhar,
Anika Jayanth, Oliver Jackson and Rosie
Singha). The Christmas surprise appeared when ‘Unto Us a Child is Born’ was sung by
ten Old Chigwellians: Hannah Edwards,
Sarah Chamberlain, Maddie Lovett, Payam Kapur, Henry Bird, Max Albert, Rachel Maton, Lara Hobbis, Alice Beagley
The charmingly inventive John Rutter
and Yasmin Antoniou.
Christmas carols made up the second half of the evening, sung by the Chapel Choir (who have just released their
album ‘In Excelsis’) along with the
delightful addition of parents, staff and many Junior School children. The evening
was
a
superb
musical
Christmas feast from the start to the
finish – an encore of ‘Ding Dong Merrily on High’ orchestrated
by Mr Howard Ebden, swelled
by
the
vast
audience in this prestigious venue,
occasion.
3
completed
the
Family Carol Service
Thank you to all families who joined us for this week’s carol service in which the choir
sang so well. It was lovely to see so many
of you both during the service and for the refreshments afterwards.
4
Remembrance
All Chigwell pupils and staff carried out their annual act of remembrance on the
centenary anniversary of the Armistice Day. The entire school came together to observe the two minutes’ silence with the Last Post played by trumpeter Oliver
Jackson. Two remembrance services were held in St Mary’s Church, supported by the excellent Chapel Choir, and during these the names of all the Old Chigwellians who fell in the two World Wars were read, with a wreath laid by former servicemen.
research), James Harrington and Isabella
Meet The Future
Bird (Civil Service). The aim of these
talks is to encourage current pupils to
consider the future options open to them and to learn from Old Chigwellians who
have recently made university and careers choices. The programme of talks given by relatively recent leavers has continued.
Speakers have included Rupe Deol (surgeon), Stuart Innes (final year medical student), Alice Beagley (Bank of
England), Jessica Beagley (medical
5
Friends of Chigwell Firework Night The annual Friends of Chigwell firework
night saw over fifteen hundred parents, pupils and friends assembled on Top Field for a fantastic display. Not only
were the audience treated to a stunning
show of fireworks but they were also serenaded by the school big band and a fine array of stalls supplying food and
families together and raise additional
evening was organised by the parent
fortunate indeed to have such a
gadgets was on offer.
The whole
funds for the School.
volunteers of the FoC, which works
committed team of parents who are
magnanimously throughout the year to
prepared to support us in this way and
plan events which bring Chigwell
give of their time so generously.
Boarders
Sixth Formers who make up our boarding
community come from across the world and we have been very pleased at how
well they have immersed themselves in life at Chigwell.
We are very
The final boarding
community event of the term was a James Bond themed Christmas dinner.
6
Debating
Congratulations to Hari Vadher and James MacArthur who took part in the
Epping Forest Schools Parliamentary Debating Competition. They were given
the task of speaking on behalf of the motion ‘This House believes that global warming is a myth’. They both delivered their arguments very persuasively.
Mock Medical Interview Evening
We are very grateful to those parents
who gave up an evening to give a series
of mock interviews to Sixth Formers applying to study medicine. If others
would be interested in helping, we would be delighted to hear from you.
7
Football Tour to Madrid At half term, twenty five senior boys
The squad also visited the main tourist
development tour to Madrid. The base
Bernabeu, Real Madrid’s stadium. The
participated in this year’s football
attractions in the City as well as Santiago
for this year was the Hotel Amura
group was complemented on their
Alcobendas, in the north east region of
behaviour on many occasions during the
Madrid. Whilst there, boys took part in
tour and were great ambassadors for
two training sessions at the Real Madrid
their school both on and off the pitch.
Academy, under the gaze of the
foundation coaches, as well as a training session with La Liga side, Athletico
Madrid. The teams played two matches,
one against a local club side, Paracuellos and Kings College Madrid. The standard
of opposition was very good and both matches were extremely competitive.
Vika Barker Congratulations to Vika who took her Russian Language GCSE earlier this year. She was only twelve
years old making her one of the youngest sitting the exam. The exam consisted of four parts and she achieved the highest possible mark for all components with an overall score of 98%. Vika was invited to the Russian Embassy to receive her certificate.
8
Trip to Nepal Fifteen Senior School pupils and two
down to Base Camp, amid the strings of
trek to Everest Base Camp, Nepal at half term.
the highlight of the expedition. After eight
members of staff undertook a nineteen-day
prayer flags flapping in the wind, was possibly
They set off from Lukla, a tiny settlement
long days of trekking, having braved
sitting at 2,845m in the foothills of the
temperatures ranging from 20°C to -20°C and
Himalayas. The next few days took the group
constantly thinning air, all pupils finally
through the scented blue pine forests of
reached their goal. Everest Base Camp is at
Phakding and Monjo, over the Hillary Bridge
5,340m and all reached it, which was a superb
and up to Namche Bazaar, nestled at 3,440m.
achievement for a group of 14-17 year olds.
From then on, the landscape changed from
The final days of the trip were spent
rich forest to the shrubbery and juniper
recuperating
bushes of Dingboche, at 4,360m. At this
in
the
thriving
hub
of
Kathmandu, and pupils enjoyed visits to the
altitude it is extremely important to
famous Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple)
acclimatise, and two enjoyable days were
and Durbar Square. The expedition proved to
spent trekking in the Chhukhung region. The
be a valuable, educational and thoroughly
trekkers’ acclimatisation mantra ‘climb high,
enjoyable experience. Pupils immersed
sleep low’ certainly paid off, as by the time the
themselves in the Nepali way of life and
group had departed Dingboche all were fit
embraced the traditions and beliefs. The
and ready to tackle the last leg of the trek to
expedition was most certainly a trip of a
Base Camp. Pupils scrambled over rocks
lifetime and the memories of beautiful
alongside heavily-laden yaks and marvelled at
landscapes,
the ice-blue water of the glacial streams and
stunning
panoramas,
magnificent mountains will not fade.
waterfalls that raced down the mountainside. After eight long hours of walking, the team
finally made it to Everest Base Camp. Looking
down at the site from the ridge, pupils saw the Khumbu Glacier, the famous Khumbu Icefall
and Base Camp itself, framed by the majestic peaks of Mount Nupste, Mount Lhoste and
Ama Dablam. They also witnessed a distant avalanche to complete the scene. Stepping
9
and
Howard and Mitchell Essay Competition Congratulations to Sixth Formers Charlotte James-Pajwani and Sophia Mouzourides for winning this year’s Howard and Mitchell Essay Prizes.
This prestigious award is in
recognition for a well-researched and written,
externally moderated extended essay on science (Howard) and humanities (Mitchell).
Charlotte’s personal interest fuelled her rigorous research into whether a cure for Type 1 Diabetes might be found through stem cell research. Sophia’s commitment to human
rights led her to look further into the ‘Shades
of Grey within Global Human Rights’ –
including modern slavery, abortion and
enhanced by a tough, logic game and
themselves through answering thoughtful
winner, Zuzanna Borawska, now studying
euthanasia. Both winners distinguished
heartfelt, inspirational words from previous
and challenging questions from the audience
medicine at Oxford, who encouraged younger
of parents, peers and teachers. The dinner that
followed
the
presentations
students to take up this essay challenge for
was
the lasting value it offers.
PSHEE As part of Barclays Life Skills programme, Lower Fifth pupils had a talk on money and work, and Upper Fifth pupils had a session on successful interviews.
10
Boys’ Football It has been a successful season for the 1st XI
this year, captained by Ryan Farrant. They went unbeaten through the first half of the
Michaelmas term and have only lost three games all season. There have been notable results drawing with Corinthian Causals,
beating City of London, Sutton Grammar, Aldenham and Kimbolton. The squad has
included a large number of Upper Fifth boys, which bodes well for the future. The 2nd XI
with three of the boys included in the U16
have again made good progress. Josh Fisher
ISFA team.
has captained the side to some strong performances and victories. The 3rd XI have
The vast majority of the U14 year group have
teams, with a victory over Hampton being the
playing the game in the right way as well as
had the most successful season of all the senior
represented the School this term. They are
highlight of an impressive year. The senior sides look in great shape for the forthcoming
season and we wish the Middle Sixth boys leaving us every success in the future.
The U16s have picked up where they left off last year and remain unbeaten. Having made the final last year, the team remains pretty
much unchanged and with successes against
the Hall School Wimbledon and New
being competitive. The U14B side has made
Rickstones Academy.
strides and also has produced some exceptional performances. Without doubt,
The U15s have made steady progress this year
the U14 group has been the strongest in the
with a notable victory against Harrowdian
School and the future holds high hopes for
School which proved to be a turning point of
this group.
their season. The team continues to progress
11
Boys’ Football Eren saw a closely fought game in which the
Lower Sixth beat the Middle Sixth for only the second time in the history of the cup. The Eren
Pars Trophy was presented by Eren’s mother
and father to the Lower Sixth captain, Joe Williams.
The Staff vs Senior was again played in good spirit; the game eventually finished 5-3 to the Middle Sixth.
The annual Eren Pars football match was played with great passion and spirit. Sadly,
We, again, have individual successes with
in May 2012 when he was just 21. He was a
academies; Evan Perry (Tottenham), Oliver
Chigwell students representing football
Eren who left Chigwell in 2009, passed away
Irow (Tottenham), Blake Plows (Tottenham)
keen footballer and the match is played in his
and Louis Gibbons (Watford). All boys have
memory each year between two Chigwell
thrived in the professional environments and
sixth form teams. This year, the excited
continue to develop and progress well.
crowd of pupils, staff, parents and friends of
12
Girls’ Hockey
The U14 squad has had a great hockey term,
with lots of competition from a twenty five
player squad to play in the A team. The A team lost their first eleven-a-side game to Forest 20, but played really well and could have won
comfortably. From then on, they have won eight games in a row, beating the Essex Champions and runners up. In the Essex Cup,
they lost two games 1-0, and with match time
competitive hockey, running three teams
minimal due to the tournament style, the
Chigwell girls were unfortunate to not score.
The B team has also done well and the whole group and squad have been committed and attended training regularly.
The U15s have shown great resilience over the course of the season. Despite hockey not being everyone’s first love in the squad, this
has not affected the team’s competitive spirit
come fixtures, and regardless of the score line,
their ‘never say die’ attitude has been on show
every match to the final whistle. Notable performances came towards the end of the season against New Hall where the girls
most weeks. The 2nd XI have had their most
showed fantastic character against a very
successful season to note, racking up plenty of
strong opposition, and proved to be a tough
goals and wins! They remain unbeaten this
team to break down and play against. The
year and we have high hopes for this team
following week they went one better and got a
next year with a large amount of Lower Sixth
result against St Edmunds to match their
in the side. The rotation between the 2nd and
performance. Goals and wins have been in
3rd team squads has been fluid and as a result
short supply this term so it was so pleasing to
the 3rd team has had a successful run of
see the girls end the season on a high.
victories too, going the whole term without
At the senior level of the School, we are proud
losing at match. After an impressive first half
to have had more girls than ever playing
of the season, qualifying and playing
13
Girls’ Hockey
regional
With the season now closed, a special mention
a few fixtures cancelled this half term.
been our hockey starlets from Junior School
outstandingly
at
the
East
tournament, the 1st XI frustratingly have had
must go to our Middle Sixth girls who have
However, despite this, momentum has
level, all the way through to the senior teams.
continued and they have racked up some
The example they have set to the rest of the School in terms of participation, performance,
and commitment has been excellent and they have been role models to younger pupils throughout the School.
Their successes
include; U13 IAPS semi-finalists (2013), U14
County runners up (2014), East regional finalists (2014), U16 Indoor Essex champions, U16 East Indoor championship (2016), U18 impressive
victories
over
Forest
Essex Outdoor Champions (2016), U18 Essex
and
Indoor Champions (2016), U18 Regional
Brentwood in recent weeks. The School entered
the
Championships
County
at
the
U18
Finalists
Indoor
beginning
(2016),
U18
East
Indoor
Championship (2016), U18 county runners up
of
(2018), and U18 Regional Finalists (2018).
November; Chigwell faced a strong Forest side
in their first match and narrowly lost, but drew
Venetia Baliey, Jasmine Iley, Charlotte James-
with New Hall and beat Coopers.
Pajwani, Chloe Stack and Zoe Wright have
played in all of the above competitions and have been pinnacle players in the 1st XI for the
past three years. They have left a footprint which will be hard to replicate and they leave
Chigwell with the knowledge that they have been our most successful hockey cohort to
date. In addition to their school success, all of the these outfield players have shone at county and club level and impressed at regional performance centres and beyond.
14
Drama Drama since half term has been dominated by rehearsals and preparations for the Senior School Play, “Our Day Out� by Willy Russell, directed by Mr Andrew
Lewis. The performances were a first-rate rendition of this modern classic about
underprivileged children from Liverpool who enjoy a day out. The 70s period was effectively recreated with costume from the era and the ensemble cast multi-roled
to produce a tight and ingenious performance using blocks as set to create a coach, a castle, a zoo and a beach. Well
done to all involved and many thanks to staff, students and parents for their strong support as audience.
15
Bad Weather
In the event of heavy snow or ice, please consult the school website (www.chigwellschool.org) for confirmation of arrangements for the school day. We would be very reluctant to close the School but we are mindful of the safety of pupils and staff.
O.C. Mitre
All Old Chigwellians are members of the Old Chigwellian Association which organises events throughout the year. In addition, the O.C. Mitre is published annually and you might be interested to read 2018 edition which is published on line here
And Finally
Pupils in the Lower Fifth will want to use some of the holidays to prepare for the
exams they have at the start of next term and those in public exam years will also
want to spend some of the next few weeks revising. I also hope that they and
all pupils manage to have a break and I
wish all Chigwell families a very happy Christmas. When we return to school on Tuesday 8th January, it will be a week B. With best wishes Yours sincerely
Michael Punt
16
Message from the Chaplain
Christmas always arrives a little early in school and plans are well under way for services, lunches and parties in the last week of term. The Chapel Christmas tree has been suitably decorated by a group of enthusiastic Year 7 pupils and the art department has changed the display of student work on the west wall. I am always tempted to leave these things up after Christmas as it is a shame they are only enjoyed for such a short period of time.
As I write, Charities Week is in full swing and on Chapel Quad I can hear students raising money by throwing sponges at teachers. As always, the fun is in aid of a variety of good causes and through
No doubt you are all preparing for the Christmas holidays and for many of you the next few weeks will be very busy indeed. I hope, whether you celebrate the festival or not, you all have a restful and blessed holiday.
the week activities will range from donut eating to leg waxing and Mr Joe Maingot’s press-up challenge. I am grateful to the Charities Committee who have worked hard to organise the various events and co-ordinate collections. Thanks in particular go to Stella Kearin (Middle Sixth) for presenting a slide show in Chapel each day this week describing our chosen charities: Send a Cow, Smiles with Grace, Alzheimer’s Research, Centrepoint, The Bede Griffiths Charitable Trust, and the Yemen Appeal.
The Chaplain
17
TERM DATES 2019 Lent Term Staff meetings and INSET on Monday 7th January First day: Tuesday 8th January Half term: Saturday 16th February to Sunday 24th February Term ends: Wednesday 3rd April