HM Letter to Parents February 2018

HEADMASTER’S LETTER FEBRUARY 2018

T0 PARENTS

Dear Parents Once again a whole variety of activities have taken place outside the classroom since the start of term, added to which I am conscious that most pupils have been working very hard. As always, thank you for all your support and engagement with all that goes on here.

HEADMASTER’S LETTER FEBRUARY 2018

T0 PARENTS

Dear Parents Once again a whole variety of activities have taken place outside the classroom since the start of term, added to which I am conscious that most pupils have been working very hard. As always, thank you for all your support and engagement with all that goes on here.

Contents Page 1

Essential Roof Repair Work Remembering the Holocaust

Page 2

Art+

Page 3

Extended Dining Hall

Page 4

Road Safety University Success

Page 5

Drama

Page 6

Drama Careers Convention Staff News

Page 7

Music Drop Everything and Read

Page 8

Boys’ Hockey

Page 9

Girls’ Netball

Page 10

Girls’ Netball

Page 11

Scouts

Page 12

Cricket Course Sixth Form Induction Summer 2018 Public Exams

Page 13

Primary Science Quality Award Talk for Future Medics Bad Weather

Page 14

Mock Interviews And Finally

Page 15

Message from the Chaplain

Essential Roof Repair Work Scaffolding will be erected over and

summer holiday. We are sorry for any

February half term holiday, with a view

particularly when using Front Quad.

inconvenience caused in the meantime,

around the old school roof over the

These essential works are long overdue

both to making the roof watertight and

on the building, part of which dates back

to allowing tenderers for the roof repair

to 1629. Equally, we appreciate they will

contract to form a more accurate scope

be unsightly and may cause some

of the works required. The works

disruption.

themselves will not start until the

Remembering the Holocaust In the lead up to Holocaust Memorial

factory where he worked as a prisoner

events of the Holocaust in Chapel

Camp. Mr Olmer settled in England after

and then Buchenwald Concentration

Day, pupils reflected on the dreadful

the war, studied to become a dentist and

services. In addition, Holocaust survivor,

he worked until he was 86. Aged 94, he

Mr Harry Olmer spoke to an enthralled

spoke very powerfully and movingly to

hall full of Senior School pupils about his

pupils and staff. It was a privilege to hear

time in Plaszow Concentration Camp

from him.

near Krakow, the Skarzysko munitions

1

Art +

We were recently very fortunate to have a visit from the artist Sneh Mehta. Sneh’s artwork was recently featured in John Moores 2016, an important painting competition that takes place every two years. It highlights the most exciting paintings that have been made by artists based in the UK and as such, it is one of the most prestigious art prizes and exhibitions of contemporary painting in the country.

Sneh is a graduate of Goldsmith’s College and her work has also been exhibited in The Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, the Jerwood Space London and the South London Gallery.

generate artwork of their own. They embraced the whole process enthusiastically and they were keen to take creative risks. Art scholar Cayley Cochrane commented, “This was a different kind of art experience.” Lively, colourful and original artwork was generated by the group and the session proved to be a really enjoyable and productive experience.

At the Art+ session, Sneh gave an illustrated talk to the pupils about her work, explaining what inspires and motivates her and how she goes about creating her art pieces. The pupils were able to look closely at her sketchbooks and some of her paintings. She then gave a practical demonstration, showing the pupils exactly how she goes about building up an image using a range of techniques and art materials to create her paintings. Sneh uses a wide repertoire of mark-making techniques to create her work, layering colours, imagery and textures in original ways. The paintings mix figurative imagery with abstract elements. The pupils set about exploring these techniques and ideas in order to

2

Extended Dining Hall

I hope you have had positive feedback

from your sons and daughters about their experiences in the extended dining hall.

Pupils are being served

more quickly but are choosing to linger longer over lunch.

3

Road Safety

passengers to take extreme care on the roads and, in particular, never to use their phones behind the wheel. Please do reinforce this message at home and also remind Sixth Form drivers that they should only drive with permission to and from school – not during the school day.

I am always delighted when pupils come forward to speak in assembly, Chapel or Church about a topic that is important to them. Aimei-Lee Aston spoke powerfully about the accident in Birmingham in which her mother’s life-long friend was tragically killed just before Christmas.

Aimei-Lee urged young drivers and their

University Success

(Chemistry at Trinity College), and Imogen Osborn (Classics and English at Jesus College).

Midway through the university application season, Chigwell students are in a very healthy position with over 75% of the year group holding offers from Russell Group universities. The range of courses applied to is vast, ranging from medicine and engineering through economics and related disciplines to the performing arts.

In addition to his Oxford offer Tomasz Cienkowski has been offered a place to study at Yale University in the United States, following a long application process. If he accepts this opportunity, Tomasz will follow the traditional Ivy League liberal arts curriculum that involves natural and social sciences as well as humanities.

Amongst these are six students who have received an offer to study at either Oxford or Cambridge Universities. Offers from Cambridge have been made to: Thomas Lockley (Law at Pembroke College) and Daniel Trickov (Human, Social, and Political Sciences at Homerton College), while offers from Oxford have been made to Zuzanna Borawska (Medicine at University College), Tomasz Cienkowski (Economics and Management at St Hugh’s College), Jane Jiang

Universities will continue to make offers until May, but congratulations go to all these students and to their teachers who have worked so hard to support them.

4

Drama

Drama this term was, of course, kicked off to a great start by the staff panto, “Puss in Boots”. Raising over £1,000 each for both Haven House Trust and Smiles with Grace, it was rollicking slap stick comedy that saw many from the teaching and support staff show off their acting skills much to the amusement of parents and students.

5

Drama

Next, the Upper Fifth GCSE drama classes set off for the Criterion Theatre, Piccadilly to see the acclaimed “The Comedy About a Bank Robbery” by Mischief theatre company. This was an hilarious show, very much in the style of “The Play That Goes Wrong” (also by Mischief) and was very popular with students. Next the Removes showcases took place; a popular event where each House showcases short devised pieces that have been developed in drama lessons. Whilst this is very much a preparation for GCSE drama, it is also a

key opportunity for all students in the Removes to perform to a live audience.

Lastly, the Middle Sixth drama students performed their scripted pieces to a visiting examiner over two nights, including extracts from Miller’s “The Crucible” and Berkoff’s “Metamorphosis”.

This work is very much the flagship performances of the drama department, with students at the pinnace of their achievement as performers and designers at Chigwell.

Careers Convention

We are holding our annual Careers Convention on Thursday 26th April from 7pm to 9pm.

The convention is primarily aimed at our Year 11 pupils to help them make informed choices when choosing their A level subjects and planning for university and a career beyond. However, Chigwell Sixth Form students are also strongly encouraged to attend.

This event has been a great success in the past but we are always keen to have new volunteers so we can represent the broadest range of expertise as possible. If parents from any section of the School, or indeed contacts from outside, would be interested in talking to our students about their area of work and career path, we would love to hear from you. The evening also provides a chance to showcase companies or organisations and network with other professionals.

Please contact Miss Roxanne Darkin at rdarkin@chigwell-school.org for more information or to nominate new volunteers.

Staff News

We are delighted to welcome Mrs Julie Swift as a Teaching Assistant in the Senior School, covering Mrs Stacey Wade who is currently on maternity leave. We hope she will be very happy here.

Also, we send our congratulations and very best wishes to Stacey and her husband Matt on the arrival of their new baby boy Hayden James.

6

Music

from our trombone teacher, Mr Lewis and our flute teacher, Mrs Fitzgerald and there followed forty items of music demonstrating a wide variety across the year group including piano, violin, flute, trumpet, voice, saxophone, percussion, guitar, French horn and clarinet.

Congratulations to all of the year group whether they performed or were part of a highly encouraging audience. We look forward to watching their development over the next twelve months. The next concert in the series is the Third Form Prom on Wednesday 14th March.

New Hall was packed (standing room only) for the first concert of 2018. The somewhat belated New Year Concert was thrilling, dynamic and exuberant from start to finish. The concert featured power, colour and energy from the Wind Band; neat ensemble playing from the String Orchestra; a beautiful, professional and mature performance from the Chapel Choir and the evening finished with a rousing set from the Big Band.

Interspersed were solos from Georgia Reid on flute, Maria Khokhar performing a vocal solo and a vocal trio singing Elgar’s The Snow. The music produced a relaxed and informal atmosphere enjoyed by an appreciative audience and our thanks once again to the Friends of Chigwell for providing the refreshments.

Our forthcoming annual Choral Society Concert takes place in the stunning setting of Christ Church, Spitalfields, on the 28th April. The concert provides the chance to experience being on stage with a choir of a hundred, accompanied by a professional orchestra, and parents and pupils are welcome to take part. Rehearsals take place in the school Chapel from 4.155.30pm during term time (excluding the 22nd February).

The Prom Concert series continued at the new trial time of 2.15pm on the 31st January. It enabled all the pupils in the year group to celebrate each other’s achievements in performance.

The afternoon started with two performances

Drop Everything and Read

I hope your sons and daughters have been reading more at home in response to the DEAR initiative in school. Every pupil should now be reading every day because we want to establish a lifelong love of books, develop an interest in a range of literature and get pupils used to the enjoyment that comes with relaxing with a book.

7

Boys’ Hockey

It has been an excellent start to the season for boys’ hockey. With the weather conditions being a little kinder than in previous years, there has been very little disruption to both training and fixtures. A change of after-school training evenings, additional pre-school clubs and a weekly strength and conditioning session for the 1st XI, has led to increased participation in all age groups. This effort and commitment shown by the boys has been reflected with their performances on the pitch. The 1st XI, despite having a young squad, have performed admirably to date.

Having narrowly lost out in the 2nd round HA Cup away at Harrow School, the team are targeting progress in the latter stages of the HA Plate following strong results in local fixtures. The 2nd XI have proven to be the most successful senior team, highlighting the strength in depth of sport.

With victories over Forest and Bancroft’s, an excellent draw against Hitchin Boys’ School despite being two goals down, a defeat against Harrow has been their only blemish this season. In the middle school, the U15s, in addition to a small number of U16 boys, have qualified from the county tournament to the Regionals rounds of the England Hockey U16 School’s Competition at the University of East Anglia. This is a fantastic achievement with the age group continuing to build on the success of last year. Finally, the U14s are making sound

progress this term. Despite a frustrating county tournament where the results did not match their efforts, the boys should take a great deal of confidence from their performances, including a narrow 2-1 defeat in the final seconds against county winners Felsted.

In the Junior School, the focus for the first half term is to allow the squads time to develop individually and as a group, before an increasing amount of fixtures following the half term break. Whilst adopting this approach there have still been opportunities for the entire year group to represent the School in fixtures versus Forest School. In the coming weeks these teams will be competing in both the Essex and IAPS tournaments and we wish them luck at these events. Finally, a special mention should be made of the UII and LII boys. Last year trailed additional fixtures for these two year groups on both a Tuesday and Friday afternoons. These fixture have proven to be a fantastic success and the pupils have enjoyed the opportunity to play in competitive fixtures against local opponents again this term.

8

Girls’ Netball

strength to strength and certainly be a formidable force going forward.

The netball season has started really well this year. Across all age groups there has been a real enthusiasm for the sport and great numbers, and despite the gloomy evenings and unpleasant weather, the girls’ spirits have remained high.

The 2nd VII have followed suite, also making an excellent start to their season, with a superb match against Bedford Modern. The match was very competitive with the score being close throughout, but the squad worked hard to maintain their narrow lead and finished with a 10-7 win.

They, too, were entered into the Chigwell Senior Netball Tournament but unfortunately they were unable to play the full round of matches due to the adverse weather conditions which resulted in wet and dangerous courts. This wet weather followed them into their next match at Brentwood, which was a slow-paced game (due to tough playing conditions) and which resulted in a loss. However, with more practice and some more favourable weather conditions, the 2nd VII will quickly get back to winning ways.

Senior netball has had the biggest turnout of girls opting to participate in the sport for a long time. For the 1st VII squad, the season has been positive from the start, with an excellent turnout for their first Monday evening training session, an encouraging sign of things to come. The newly formed team, including many younger players, were well prepared to face their first opposition. The girls worked well together against a talented visiting Bedford Modern, but unfortunately narrowly missed victory by one goal. With little time to reflect on the game, the girls competed in the annual Chigwell Senior Netball Tournament. With six matches back to back, in the pouring rain and a depleted squad, the girls’ mettle was tested. They rose to the challenge, showing good focus and determination, proving tough competition for the other schools. Their overall position was not reflective of the full squad’s capabilities, but it gave many players the opportunity to showcase what they could do and highlighted areas to improve upon. In their next match versus Brentwood, again in the rain, they ground out a victory and won 19-18. There is some serious potential for this squad, and they will only go from

The U15s have had a very positive start to the season. They have trained hard and worked well together as a squad. Their attitude has been impressive so far and hopefully this will continue throughout the season. Their first match was a close affair, against tough Haileybury teams and the results could have gone either way. Unfortunately, it went the wrong way for both the A and B teams; with the As narrowly losing 16-17 and the Bs losing 11-8. There were particularly noteworthy performances by Josie and Fola. Despite

9

Girls’ Netball

this, both performances were pleasing.

Going forward they have some things to work on in training, a few tweaks need to be made, but they should be proud of what they have done so far and can take many positives from how they have started the season.

School at The Copper Box. Sandwiched on centre court between international training sessions, the girls put in a worthy performance. Having gone down by four goals in the first quarter they fought back to equal the score by the last. The game went into a tense and competitive extra time, where the score was tied 19-19.

Therefore, the game went into golden goal and thankfully, Isabella Dunn, who had played very well all game, coolly scored the winner. They progress through to the next round and have drawn Woodhouse Grove away in Bradford. We wish them all the best for this and hope we can report on another victory later.

The U14 squad have had a superb start to the season with the A team being undefeated in friendly fixtures. The B team have enjoyed close matches with a mixture of results. The A team have done exceptionally well in terms of their progression in the All England National Schools Netball Tournament, successfully getting into the regional stages of the tournament. This was a fabulous achievement for the team and a first for Chigwell at this age group. Out of the three rounds the girls competed in, they won all but three of their matches. They have been superb ambassadors for the School and we look forward to seeing how they develop as the season progresses.

The U12s have shown a real commitment this term to their games sessions and to after school sessions. They have only had a few matches so far this term against the Perse School and Forest School which have been some tough first encounters with a few wins, some draws and losses.

With IAPS around the corner, this group will really focus, knuckle down and continue to improve. The U11s are a very talented year group and have proved it again this term in netball. They have only played one fixture so far this year but both teams came out victorious. They, too, have IAPS netball next term and so will have the chance to demonstrate their capabilities against some high quality opposition.

In the Junior School, the approach and application to netball has been equally as impressive. The U13s have had a good start to the season so far. All teams have had a mixed bag of results in their friendly matches but have been turning out in their numbers to improve at training. The highlight of the U13s performance has been their victory in the Independent Schools National Cup Plate, Round 1, whereby they beat Wimbledon High

10

Scouts

Last weekend the Scouts took part in the Brass Monkeys event at Thriftwood Scout Centre. The event lived up to its name but despite the conditions the Scouts participated enthusiastically.

11

Cricket Course

equipment (named) including an initialled tennis ball (full equipment for the School of Excellence and Intermediate groups) although this is not essential.

We are pleased to announce that a cricket coaching course for all age groups and abilities will be held during the Easter holiday. The course dates are as follows: Monday 9th, Tuesday 10th and Wednesday 11th April 2018.

The cost of the three day coaching course is £75 and fees must be paid in advance (cash or cheque) and sent with the application and medical form (available on our website).

Attendance can also be daily and the cost is £25 per day. Please indicate on the application form which day/days you are requesting. Cheques should be made payable to “Chigwell Mitre Enterprises Ltd”.

The course will consist of three morning sessions from 10am to 1pm and three afternoon sessions from 2pm to 3.45pm.

Participants on the courses should meet at the Dining Hall by 9.45am each morning and it is expected that participants will bring packed lunches. As the programme will involve using outdoor facilities (no indoor facilities will be available for the duration of the course), it is essential that participants bring trainers and a sweater and preferably their own cricket

Please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Tina Page for further information on 020 8501 5711 or email tpage@chigwell-school.org.

Sixth Form Induction

Summer 2018 Public Exams

A reminder that Sixth Form induction day will be on Tuesday 3rd July when students will be given a taste of the work that they will be covering in their chosen A level subjects. This is an important day in itself but also the occasion when a unit of A level work is set to be completed over the summer holidays. This work will then be reviewed with an initial assessment early in September 2018.

Please can parents of pupils in the Upper Fifth and Middle Sixth check the current exam timetable and exam entries for their child on Chigwell Gateway via the Pupil Profile. Any changes in the spelling of the name or date of birth need to be brought to our attention, as well as any other errors or omissions. Please do not worry about any exam clashes as these will be dealt with at a later date.

12

Primary Science Quality Award We were delighted to learn recently that the Pre Prep has been awarded a Silver Primary Science Quality Award following an eighteen-month science development process across the Pre Prep. This achievement is very much due to the expert science leadership of Mrs Tracy Tyson and that of our Pre Prep teachers who supported and implemented a new science curriculum.

The award recognises not only the excellent quality of science teaching and learning that goes on with our Pre Prep children, but also the hard work and achievement of pupils and the support and inclusion of our parents. Feedback also praised the quality of our outdoor curriculum.

Jane Turner, PSQM National Director when writing to successful schools said: “Gaining a Primary Science Quality Award is a significant achievement for a school.

The profile and quality of science teaching and learning in each awarded school is very high. Children are engaging with great science both in and outside the classroom, developing positive attitudes towards science as well as secure science understanding and skills. Science subject leaders, their colleagues, head teachers, children, parents and governors should be very proud.”

Talk For Future Medics

Old Chigwellian Dr Sophie Strong who left us in 2009 returned to school to speak about ‘A Career in Medicine’. Pupils in the Sixth Form and below listened to Sophie who described her work in obstetrics and gynaecology and the NHS in general so that they are better informed when they make their own applications.

Bad Weather

I hope that this is the last time I will be including this item for a few months but, as always, in the event of heavy snow or ice please consult the school website (www.chigwell-school.org) for confirmation of arrangements for the school day. We would always be very reluctant to close the School, but are mindful of the safety of pupils and staff.

In these times of inclement/adverse weather parent and pupils are reminded of the need for sensible footwear in order to minimise the risk of slips or trips whilst making their way to and from school. If your child is in any doubt of what would be deemed suitable, they should liaise with their Tutor.

13

News From Chigwell

Mock Interviews

The latest edition of this magazine is

Thank you to those parents, Old Chigwellians and friends who gave up an afternoon to provide mock employment interviews to members of the Sixth Form.

If in some cases gruelling, the students found the experience useful and we hope that it will help prepare them for future employment applications.

available on-line here

And Finally

I hope you all have a very happy half term.

We wish those travelling to Hamburg for

the 18th annual German exchange a safe, happy and productive visit and we look forward to welcoming the German students and staff back to Chigwell in

March. Likewise, we hope that those

going to India to visit the Tim Pruss

Memorial School and local ashram, and those travelling to Italy for the ski trip, a safe and thoroughly memorable visit.

I look forward to seeing you all again next half term.

With best wishes Yours sincerely

Michael Punt

14

Message from the Chaplain It’s amazing how the celebrations and activities in school at the end of last term and the excitement of the Christmas holidays very quickly become a distant memory. Since starting the Lent Term the Charities Committee have been busy distributing the final tally from Charities Week and the money collected at the Staff Pantomime. In all a remarkable £4,282.14 has been received and distributed between the following charities: • • • • • • • • • •

More recently we were pleased to have a visit from the Rt Revd Peter Hill, Bishop of Barking. The Bishop spoke to the Senior School at a service in St Mary’s on the importance of good conversations and afterwards he licensed the Chaplain in his role within the School and the wider Diocese of Chelmsford.

Finally, I am delighted to report that Alfie Travers has just been appointed Chapel Keeper for the next three months. This is part of his Duke of Edinburgh’s Award community service and I am confident that from now on the running of the chapel will be even more efficient than usual.

Refugee Community Kitchen ELHAP Streets2Homes Chigwell Riding Trust Bede Griffiths Charitable Trust Smiles with Grace Sierra Leone Mudslide Crisis Revitalise Send a Cow PostPals

In chapel we have marked a number of important events during the past weeks.

Our Holocaust Memorial Day observance was led by Anna Sagoo, Toro Orimoloye, Zoe Wright, Charlotte James-Pajwami and Sophia Mouzourides. In a poignant and moving service a recording of the Jewish Kaddish prayer was played as the girls lit candles to remember those who died.

With all blessings for the half term break.

15

TERM DATES 2018 Lent Term Half term: Term ends:

Saturday 10th February to Sunday 18th February Wednesday 28th March

Trinity Term (Easter Day is 1st April) First day: Wednesday 18th April Half term: Saturday 26th May to Sunday 3rd June INSET Day Monday June 4th Term ends:

Wednesday 11th July