Headmaster’s Letter to Parents
Dear Parents
It has been a pleasure to see a summer term at Chigwell for the first time. When I met staff at the start of term I said that, with the school site including so much green space, it feels that the school moves with the seasons; currently the sun is out, the grounds are looking amazing and cricket is in full swing. I hope you all have a chance to visit and appreciate the feeling of the summer term.
I am pleased to report that the school remains as busy as ever with trips, activities, sports, inspections and celebrations. I invite you to read further about the highlights of the term.
Damian King Head
dking@chigwell-school.org
Contents
Page 1
Inspection
Climate Action Week
Sixth Form Induction Day
Page 2 Coronation Celebrations
Page 3 Geography Trip Iceland
Page 4 Geography Trip Iceland
Page 5 Geography Trip Iceland
Page 6 Ski Trip
Page 7 Duke of Edinburgh Award
Page 8 Duke of Edinburgh Award
Page 9 Trip to Berlin
Page 10 LVI Geneva Trip
Page 11 LVI Geneva Trip
Page 12 Williams Project
Page 13 Exams both internal and external
Football Final
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Cricket
Swimming
Law Society
Tennis
British Biology Olympiad
Page 17 Music
Page 18 Music
Page 19 Drama
Page 20
Page 21
Girls’ Football
Pupil Achievements in Years 7&8
Page 22 English Department Trip to see The Lehman Trilogy
Sixth Form Debating
Summer Ball
Page 23
Thank you from the Philanthropy Department
Page 24 Careers and Higher Education Convention
Page 25 Careers and Higher Education Convention
Page 26
Page 27
Page 28
International Week
Speech Day
Installation of the Chaplain
Page 29 Chaplain’s Visit to Ireland to see the New Organ in Construction
Page 30 Car Park
Page 31
Examination Results
Message from the Chaplain
Climate Action Week
During inspection week the pupils participated in Climate Action Week. Members of the Climate and Biodiversity Action Committee (CBAC) hosted assemblies, created activities for tutor time and displayed posters around our school with important key messages about how the community might reduce their impact on the environment. On that note, CBAC would like parents to think about how
Inspection
you can help the climate too. Will you help reduce air pollution and sign up to car sharing? Chigwell School parents have their own private link to sign up here. Another option is for pupils to use our school bus service, run by Kura. For more information, visit our website.
CBAC meet every Friday at 1pm in the Sixth Form Centre, if your child (in Year 7 and above) would like to join us.
The main news of this half term was the inspection which took place in the first full week of term. Thank you all for your support with this process, by completing the questionnaire and offering your feedback to inspectors. The inspectors were impressed with what they saw of the school and, though the final report will not be published until the end of term, suffice it to say that we are very pleased with the provisional outcome.
Sixth Form Induction Day
A reminder that a Sixth Form induction day will be held on Tuesday 20th June when students will be given a taste of the work that they will be covering in their chosen A Level subjects. This is an exciting day when we run through
the opportunities and expectations for our future sixth formers, and new and current day students meet each other for the first time. If you have any questions please let us know at 6thform@chigwell-school.org
1
Coronation Celebrations
Pupils across the school came together on Friday 5th May to mark the Coronation of King Charles III. Events during the day included team-building activities, an interactive game show hosted by Mr David Gower and pupils making individual paper roses which have been put into a mosaic in the conservatory of the Dining Hall. A street-party lunch followed, accompanied by our only downpour of the day, and then the whole-school came together for a service on the Top Field. Pictures of the day can be found here.
2
Geography Trip Iceland
At the start of the Easter break, twenty-eight Year 13 students and three members of staff visited Iceland on the annual geography trip. On the first day of the trip, the students took in the attractions of the capital Reykjavik. Among these was the Hallgrimskirkja church which is one of the most iconic buildings in Iceland, reminiscent of something from Lord of the Rings, and can be seen from across the city.
On the second day of the trip we visited a number of beautiful waterfalls including Seljalandsfoss, spilling 60m over a former sea cliff. The students then visited the Eyjafjallajökull Visitor Centre at Thorvaldseyri to gain insight into the impacts of the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption on the local community. The second waterfall, Skógafoss, was another of Iceland’s most impressive waterfalls with a wide,
3
thundering curtain of water 60m high. One of the most impressive sites on the trip was Sólheimajökull which means ‘sun house glacier’, which has been retreating since the end of the 19th century at a rate of around 100m per year. The students were able to marvel at the jumble of crevasses on the glacier’s surface and the chaos of stony moraines, rock and sand, revealed as it melts.
On the final day the students visited Gullfoss. These double falls drop around 33m then plunge into a mile-
long gorge; one of Iceland’s most photographed waterfalls. They also visited the site of Geysir, a spouting hot spring that gave its name to all the world’s geysers. They then went on to Thingvellir which is the National Park where Iceland’s parliament was established in 930AD. One of the final stops was the Blue Lagoon, which is one of Iceland’s most popular visitor attractions. It was a fantastic trip which pupils from Year 12 and 13 enjoyed immensely.
4
5
Ski Trip
On the 8th of April, forty mixed ability skiers and five staff went to Obertauren, Austria for a week-long intensive ski trip. All the skiers took part in two sessions a day and even had a go at night skiing which was one of the highlights of the week. The skiers had a fabulous time, tasting the local cuisine, and enjoying the Austrian dancing and swimming, which were the highlights of the off-piste
entertainments. It was an impressive week in terms of weather going from highs of 20+ degrees to so much snow at the end of the week that the resort was avalanche blasting. All skiers received awards and certificates to cap off a wonderful adventure. Once again thank you to the staff who gave up their time and supported the trip, making it the success it was.
6
Duke of Edinburgh Award
and how to referee are just a few of the skills taken up.
During this term, pupils completed the final section of their Bronze, Silver or Gold awards by embarking on expeditions to experience working as a
Over the course of this academic year students have quietly been working on the Skills, Physical and Volunteering aspects of the award. Lots of these activities are completed in school, with students taking part in singing, Lamda lessons, volunteering in the libraries or helping children read in the Pre Prep and Junior School. Outside of school, pupils have been volunteering with their local churches, scout and guide groups, rescue centres, riding for the disabled, food banks, and conservation projects to name a few. Learning new languages or how to cook and bake, touch typing, coding,
team and campcraft without the luxuries of home. After a wet set of Easter expeditions when the pupils carried out their training, this term so far has been much kinder with the weather. So far we have taken two silver groups to the South Downs, where they experienced an eco campsite and the glorious views over the hills of the South Downs. Unfortunately the canoe expedition had to be moved to a more local river due to pollution in the River Thames, but the expedition was still a success
7
and all of our silver participants passed this section of the award.
After half term we push on with completing Bronze and the Gold expeditions to Scotland.
Also this half term we were invited to go to Buckingham Palace for a celebration garden party for some of our former pupils (Lewis Bond, Zac Maignen, Venetia Bailey and Jimmy Sawdon) who were awarded the Gold
Award by the Duke of Edinburgh. Many students this year have completed either Bronze or Silver and have received their certificate and badge. If you have questions about the DofE award or can help support some of the activities, please get in touch with Ms Emmy Creber (ecreber@chigwellschool.org)
8
Trip to Berlin
Last weekend, sixteen Year 10 historians flew to Berlin for an academic trip, in the company of Mr Ian Goddard and Mrs Teresa Kwiecinska. The aim of the trip was to better understand the intricacies of the Weimar Republic’s society,
There were some moving moments, especially one when we went to Grunewald Station - nowadays an empty space with dirty rail track and some not-so-random numbers. Behind those numbers are real Jewish
politics, art and the sudden growth of the Nazi power. With the guidance of the Anglia Tours guide, Mr Webb, we were taken on the road of discovery considering how hate, scapegoating and political manipulation led to the inhumane incarceration of prisoners in Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp.
victims of the final deportation to Auschwitz. Our guide gave students photos with personal details of some of those who were forced there to board trains taking them to their death. This was powerful visualization of what students read in their textbook, becoming not just a story but an experience for them all.
We wanted our students to leave Germany with some more optimistic messages, and a visit to Berlin’s Olympic Stadium, from 1936, provided this opportunity: a story of the quadruple victory of Jessie Owen. This was a great trip, and a profound learning experience!
9
LVI Geneva Trip
Fourteen Lower Sixth students went on the recent two-day trip to Geneva. They were toured around the United Nations, where the students learnt more about the history and current
work of the UN. Next they visited the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum, where students heard powerful recorded witness testimonies from those around the
10
world who have benefitted from the work of the organisation. That evening, students also caught some of a night time drone light display, which was running as part of Geneva's "Feu Ô Lac" festival.
On the second day, there was a tour of CERN, which included a lecture from one of the physicists currently working at the ATLAS detector of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Pupils then had the opportunity to visit the LHCb detector to learn how particle
accelerators work, and about the research that scientists there are currently conducting on matter and antimatter. Afterwards they visited the CERN Globe "Universe of Particles" exhibition.
We rounded off the trip with a scenic walk along Lake Geneva to the History of Science museum, which houses a collection of rare and ancient scientific instruments from the 17th to the 19th century.
11
Williams Project
This half term we started the Williams Project with a visit from Dr Rob Calder, King’s College London, who works on an esteemed Addiction Journal, and is researching the causes and characteristics of drug addiction. We debated the credibility of the Peer Review process in producing scientific knowledge. Dr Calder provided us with further research on topics students discussed such as: genetic underpinning of addiction, reversing addiction, withdrawal being different among different people and neurodiversity and addiction (brain structure making people more susceptible) - a fascinating and very understudied area.
We finished this year’s meetings with our own eclectic and witty Mr Richard Maynes, who aimed to debunk popular
reasons for believing in ghosts through the analytical and scientific presentation of proofs for certain brain and mind anomalies.
The Williams Project welcomes all year groups in the Senior School. We would like to encourage our most curious and academically minded students to attend these inspiring and mindopening lectures on every second Tuesday after school. Next school year will bring yet another fully packed programme, with provoking LGBTQ campaigner Mr Peter Tatchell, and among others also former Chigwellian and professor of economics at UCL, Tomas Cvrcek, who will prove to us that behind dating there is not just physical attraction but also economy. Do watch the space for the upcoming events.
12
Williams Project Micha 2022 elmasTerm n, works on an est Dr Rob Calder, teemed Addiction Journal King’s College London 4:15 characteris and is resea Tuesday 27th Septe thFC 5 - 5:30 6 f drug addiction stics o g the causes and archin ember we have Williams Projeect Preparing for success: perspectives on value, identity and happines Td 31 J 415 530 6th Th Library Williams Project Lent Term 2023 Mrs C .Wait, BA Adelaide University, Australia MA Kings College, London, Assistant Librarian at Chigwell School Tuesday 2nd March Williams Project Lent Term 2022 4 Mr Peter Tyldesley CAT (Centre for Alternative Technology) Chief Executive Officer what
Zero
look like, and how we
there. Tuesday 17th January Williams Project Lent Term 2023 4:15 - Drama Centre Mr R. Lorch, Vietnam Veteran,
a
Carbon life might
might get
Exams both internal and external
This term, more than others is defined by examinations both public and internal. I am pleased to report that both the Upper Fifth and Middle Sixth have made a good start to their examinations with all pupils now having completed at least one examination. It is tough to get through the first one, but then the examination season picks up speed and before long they will all be over. We wish those year groups the very best of luck and look forward to celebrating their successes in August.
Years 7, 8 and 9 have completed their end of year examinations, and feedback has been taking place via lessons and at parents’ evenings. We hope that those year groups are able to look forward to a half term without having to revise. Meanwhile, Years 10 and 12 will take their examinations after half term, to see how well they are getting on half way through their GCSE and A level courses. We hope they manage to get some rest over the half term alongside their revision.
Football Final
Chigwell U15s took part in the ISFA Shield final on Thursday 20th April, at Burnham FC. Epsom College were the other finalists, both evenly poised based on previous results. Chigwell got off to a flying start, with Mark brought down after some clever wide play which resulted in him being brought down. Sonny converted the penalty and Chigwell had a deserved lead at the break. In the second half, the game became open and was a lot more evenly contested. Both had chances before a corner, awarded to Chigwell, was swung in by George and after a melee, Ishvar managed to get the
decisive touch to take the ball over the line. At the halfway stage the game was still open and with both sides tiring, mistakes were inevitable. Two momentary lapses in concentration allowed Epsom back into the game when a cross from the left was converted. This was quickly followed with a penalty decision which was dispatched and turned the game completely on its head. Epsom completed their comeback scoring with two minutes remaining. Congratulations to Mr Micky Payne and the team for the successful cup run.
13
Cricket
The weather has not been kind to the cricket season this year, particularly during April with the contests of the wet wickets being more of a challenge than some of our opponents! Although the start of the season was hard, it was nice to see the strong characters and the resilience of the 1st XI bounce back after a few tough results. The Chigwell 1st XI did get their first victory of the season against their local rivals last week. The exams and injuries that the Sixth Formers have suffered opened the doors for the Year 10 players to make an impact in the 1st team. Along with the victory came a great innings and a maiden fifty from one of the Year 10 players, (George), in a 70 run partnership with another member (Sahib) of the U15s team.
Although both the Chigwell U15s and U14s have been reasonably successful, it was nice to see a few of their players moving up into the 1st XI; this is a true reflection of the strength and depth that we have in the teams below. The U14s had a wonderful victory in the Essex Cup, let’s hope they can repeat the efforts in the next round.
The U13s and U12s have been impressive and this has been apparent during their training sessions and the matches in the A, B and C teams. As the number of students at the school is growing, the
opportunity for the players in the C team to play matches has really moved their game to another level. Both year groups are still in the Essex Cups and they have also had plenty of success in their annual fixtures against their local rivals.
There is no doubt that Chigwell have some very talented pupils in the Junior School. In terms of win ratio, the U11s and below have not lost a match this season, a wonderful achievement! Aaryan took the first hat trick of the season; he took 3 wickets for 3 runs, an unbelievable bowling performance in front of about 150 students on top field.
Last week the U11 girls played in their first ever competitive cricket match against another school. They had practised hard all week where they improved and found a love for the game. During the practice sessions last week, we were overwhelmed with their enthusiasm and eagerness to improve! Chigwell have had a long history of fantastic female cricketers, let’s see who will be our next!
The U10 cricket team are a very talented group of pupils; they have had success mainly in their competitive matches against other schools and have shown improvement during their training sessions throughout the term. Keep up the good work!
14
Swimming
Congratulations to all swimmers from Year 5 to Year 8 who took part in the IAPS swimming competition at Ipswich School in February. We entered a squad of 20 swimmers, all of whom demonstrated excellent attitude and executed some impressive swims on the day. We are delighted to announce that four Year 7 swimmers have qualified for the National Finals, which take place on Saturday 3rd June at the London Aquatic Centre. India, who also competed last year, has again qualified for the 50m butterfly, Rosie for the 50m breastroke, Isla for the 50m freestyle and all three along with Betsy for the 4 x
Law Society
On Friday 28th April, the Law Society were given the opportunity to visit the Old Bailey. After being welcomed into the Criminal Courts, students had a talk from the Recorder of London, His Honour Judge Lucraft KC, where they were given an insight into his previous experience as Chief Coroner of England and Wales as well as his role today. They then met with Red Lion Chambers member and Chigwell parent Jenni Dempster KC, who spoke about her role as a defence lawyer. After both talks, students were taken to the public gallery,
25m Medley Relay. This currently ranks them as in the top 20 swimmers in their category within independent schools at national level. We wish them all the best for the finals and look forward to sharing their results with you after the event.
Just under 100 pupils have been taking part in our various extra-curricular swimming clubs; beginners, intermediate, advanced and recreational. A large number of Junior School pupils have also entered our Junior School Swimming Gala heats in preparation for the gala in July; an event the pupils always look forward to.
where they were able to witness part of a murder trial. The students asked insightful questions and they commented on what a valuable experience this was for them.
15
Tennis
It was a pleasure to take part in the Independent School Tennis Tournament earlier this month, hosted by Brentwood School. Congratulations to our U9 pairs who performed well. Hugh and Arias, who faced some tough opposition throughout the morning, made it through to the final. They came 2nd overall after a super morning of matches. Equally well done to Ambar and Phoebe for getting through to the semi-final. Both girls played some excellent doubles matches during the morning and overall came 4th in this event. Well done to all four players.
Both Hugh and Arias play for Essex. Hugh was one of three selected by the county for the Lionel Cox event 2023. The Essex County tennis team won the overall event against nine other counties.
Girls from Year 5 through to Year 13 have had the opportunity to play tennis in Games during this half of term
and after a well-attended pre-season session at the start of term, we have enjoyed fixtures from U12 through to U18, playing opposition such as Brentwood, Bancroft’s and St Edmund’s. Results have been mixed but enthusiasm has been high. We have a large group of pupils in Years 7 and 8 who enjoy tennis and attend after school advanced or development/recreational sessions regularly, developing their skills and understanding of the game, so we look forward to further fixtures in the second half of this term.
British Biology Olympiad
Congratulations to Thomas and Nabel who were awarded Bronze Medals in this year’s British Biology Olympiad.
16
Music
It has been a busy and productive half term with pupils given the opportunity to connect with music through in person concerts, and with our on-line Live@6 music recitals.
We held our Senior School Summer Concert in early May, where our senior ensembles showcased their hard work and we bid a fond farewell to our Sixth Formers as they begin study leave. The concert opened with the Senior Orchestra performing Danzón No.2, a Latin American jubilant tango. Such was the stirring performance that the audience gave a standing ovation. With so much enthusiasm there followed performances from Saxophone Quartet, Rock Band, Modern Music Ensemble, Flute Ensemble, Haydn Quartet, Big Band, a horn solo from Rosie and a guitar duet with Kylan and our soon departing Mr Michael Wright. Wind Band closed the concert with a fabulous thrilling show of musicianship, with a performance of the dynamic Year of the Dragon.
Our annual Young Musician of the Year competition is a celebration of our finest musical talent at Chigwell School. This year we welcomed our
adjudicator, Dr Stephen Cobb, conductor, performer, music educator and Director of the International Staff Band of The Salvation Army. Congratulations to our Junior Winner, Milan on the oboe with Highly Commended to Niara on the French Horn and the Overall Winner and trophy going to Joe on flute and Highly Commended to Daniel on the marimba. All participants were given the opportunity to celebrate at the Music Scholars’ Dinner the following evening.
We have had two wonderful on-line recitals provided by the Third Form and the Fourth Form, where we have been treated to a wide variety of genres in the form of solos, duets and small groups. These opportunities afford the pupils the chance to build their confidence in performance, support one another and showcase their musical achievements.
Next half term we look forward to our Live@6 Senior Recital, our KS2 musical showcase ‘The Wizard of Oz’, our Senior School production of ‘Romeo and Juliet meets West Side Story’, and our KS3 Ensembles Summer Concert.
17
18
Drama
This term in drama the Key Stage Two play was “Fleeced!”, a comic retelling of the Ancient Greek story of Jason and the Argonauts. Full marks to Dr Mireille Zrinzo and her team for putting together a fantastic recreation of this famous myth. Many thanks also to Mr Jonathan Scates for his outstanding support with light and sound, and Mrs Kate Brown for her marvellous recreation of the Argo. The performances were supported by full audiences who thoroughly enjoyed the songs, dances and acting of these budding thespians. Well done to all involved!
19
Girls’ Football
It has been a great start to girls’ football so far this term; it has been a very busy five weeks filled with fixtures, regional competitions and house events. It was great to take part in the ISFA Regional Cup Competitions last week where our U13s and U11s narrowly missed out on the knock out stages of the competition. For some of the senior girls they participated in their last house event at Chigwell School. It was a real success having over 50 girls involved and Caswalls’ coming out victorious. All girls from Lower One to Middle Sixth have had the opportunity to play in football
during games and almost all age groups have had the opportunity to play in fixtures against other schools such as St Edmunds College, Aldenham, Forest School,
Queenswood, St Aubyns, Braeside, City of London for Girls and Avon House. The U13s and U18s have all been involved in the ISFA League competitions this year; both age groups currently sit in third position. Girls have shown great enthusiasm and attitude towards football this term which can be seen through the high numbers of pupils coming to after school practices.
20
Pupil Achievements in Years 7&8
Adam is part of the National Table Tennis England Training Squad. He has recently represented England in international matches over the last year. He is now in the top 50 in the World ranking for his age group. He has been selected to take part in the U13 European Championships taking place in Croatia in June. He also plays for the Essex U19 and U15 team and won the London School’s Jack Petchey Tournament again this year.
Well done to Latif from 8CV and his team who represented Essex County and won the Hockey Cup Competition Finals at Harleston Magpies on 7th May 2023. Latif captained the team and they won every single match and were awarded the Cup.
Rosie from 7F recently performed in Matilda at the Harlow Playhouse. Rosie was playing the character Nigel, one of Matilda’s classmates. There have been hours upon hours of rehearsals but the children’s hard work paid off during their six fabulous shows. During the Easter holiday Rosie was lucky enough to go to LA where she performed in the ‘Turn it Around’ performing arts competition. She performed a solo song and also her LAMDA monologue which won the judges choice ‘Rising Star’ award!
Congratulations to Hannah who has been awarded an Achievement Award by the Jack Petchey Foundation having been nominated by her peers in the 1st Chigwell Guides Division as an outstanding achiever. Hannah will receive her award at a ceremony in June and part of the prize is the sum of £300 which goes to her Guides division. The Jack Petchey Foundation was set up by Sir Jack Petchey CBE and, through the awards scheme, aims to recognise young people aged 11-25 across London and Essex who have gone above and beyond to achieve.
21
English Department Trip to see The Lehman Trilogy
The English department topped off Inspection Week with a trip into the West End to see the critically acclaimed Lehman Trilogy. Thirty students spanning the current Middle Sixth, Lower Sixth and Upper Fifth were in attendance to enrich their understanding of the American Dream
Sixth Form Debating
and Wall Street. The show was invaluable in terms of supporting the students' approach to the A level paper in American Literature but was also a breathtaking piece of theatre in and of itself. Roll on the department's upcoming trip to see Miller's The Crucible!
This half-term saw the last debates in the fiercely competitive Senior Inter-House Competition. Penn’s and Swallow’s battled it out for first place with Caswalls’ close behind and a sporting Lambourne slightly outclassed in fourth place. The weekly meetings of the Debating Society tended to come to an end with exams and mocks occupying the energies of the Middle Sixth.
Summer Ball
A ticket order form and details of the Summer Ball to be held on the evening of Saturday 8th July have been sent out by SchoolPost. This is always a very popular event and you are urged to apply for tickets as soon as possible as they are allocated on a first-come first-served basis. Please contact Mrs Tina Page on 020 8501 5711 or tpage@chigwell-school.org Parents from across the School are very welcome to attend the Ball.
22
MSUM ER BALL202
Thank you from the Philanthropy Department!
Thank you to all parents who have already donated to Chigwell School. Your support will help current and future pupils fulfil their full potential. There’s still time to donate as well as to be a part of history with a personalised tribute plaque (scan QR code to learn more) displayed in the new Sports Centre. Please contact Mr Scott Franssen on 0208 501 5769 and sfranssen@chigwell-school.org for more information.
23
Careers and Higher Education Convention
Thursday, 27 April, saw the return of our annual Careers & HE Convention as an inperson event for the first time since 2019. This year we had our biggest number of FE and HE providers represented, with institutions from all over the country including:
•University of Birmingham
•Imperial College, University of London
•Teesside University
•Queen Mary, University of London
•Lancaster University
•City, University of London
•New City College
We hosted specialist institutions Escape Studios and MetFilm School, which offer a range of courses covering animation, visual effects and game creation to filmmaking and acting. The Royal Society of Chemistry talked about careers and further study in all fields of chemistry.
With the growing interest in apprenticeships, we were delighted to welcome Abi from AIM Apprenticeships, as well as representatives from JP Morgan who talked to students about their Degree Apprenticeship programme and a career in international banking and investment management. Higgins Partnership representatives were in attendance to talk about the construction industry and their Management Trainee Programme. Melanie from The University Guys was onhand to give advice to students interested in studying in Europe, the USA and beyond, whilst Investment 20/20 talked about pathways into the investment industry. We also had a number of local and national businesses attend. Alwyns LLP Chartered Accountants were on-hand to talk about careers spanning accountancy, auditing, corporate tax and the different professional qualifications
24
they offer. Digital media gurus, 24 Fingers, were available to give advice on getting into online marketing and digital careers. There were also a number of career areas covered, including: dentistry, drama in the corporate world, architecture, mechanical engineering, PhD research, medicine, veterinary surgery and the sciences.
We would like to say a huge ‘thank you’ to all those who gave their time to talk to the students and offered personal insights and advice. We are also grateful to both students and parents for taking the time to talk to the volunteers, ask great questions and for making our guests feel so welcome.
25
International Week
This week we are celebrating International Week at school. We have such a diverse range of nationalities amongst our students and staff that it was an opportunity to show off our diversity and explore the extraordinary range of cultures within the Chigwell community.
To start off the week’s celebrations we had an assembly presented by members of the Lower Sixth, including some of our international boarders giving a short presentation about their home countries. We had students from all across the world including Moldova, Hong Kong, Georgia, Poland and many more. We aimed to provide students with a small insight into the life and traditions of another nation.
We wanted to discover the range of cultures within the school, and so the leadership team came up with a survey containing three short questions which would allow us an insight into the variety of languages pupils could speak fluently in, and the countries which students were from. With a large number of pupils being bilingual, and some even being able to speak five or more languages, we can proudly say that we are a very diverse community.
Towards the end of the week, we aimed to raise money by hosting a ‘Cultural Dress Day,’ encouraging students to come into school wearing traditional national dress or the colours of their own flag. Through this event we intended to raise money to support the International Rescue Committee Charity.
Furthermore, Chartwells have helped us to celebrate International Week by providing us with delicious dishes from across the world to allow students to explore interesting new cuisines.
26
Speech Day
I look forward to seeing you all for speech day this year, where we will come together as a school community to celebrate the pupils’ achievements and say goodbye to those leaving us for pastures new.
Parents from all sections of the school are welcome to attend prizegiving, after which there will be refreshments. Due to the continued building work that is taking place on site, this year the event will once again take place at the Metropolitan Police Sports Club at Chigwell Hall. We look forward to hosting this event on the School grounds next year.
This year will see some changes to the format of the day. As you may know from previous years, the two important elements are the morning church services, and the main speeches, which take place in the afternoon. This year, I am delighted to invite parents to bring a picnic lunch to Top Field, where we can come together as a community and thereby extend the events of the day from the morning through to the afternoon. More information will be sent out after half term.
We hope that as many parents as possible will be able to attend our speech day celebrations. The programme for Speech Day and its related activities will follow the usual format:
Friday 7th July 2.15pm Pre Prep, Lower I and Upper I Service in St Mary's Church
3.30pm Pre Prep, Lower 1 and Upper 1 Garden Party
Saturday 8th July 9.45am Junior School Service at St Mary's Church
11.30am Senior School Service at St Mary's Church
10.30am – 2pm Picnic on Top Field
2.30pm Speeches and Prize Giving in the Marquee
This year’s guest of honour is YolanDa Brown OBE DL. YolanDa is a saxophonist, broadcaster, and entrepreneur. She has toured with artists such as The Temptations, Dave Stewart from Eurythmics and Jools Holland. She is Chair of the BPI (Brit Awards, Mercury Prize) and a champion for access to music education for all children.
The preacher at the service on Saturday morning will be Reverend Malcolm Macdonald, Vicar at St Mary’s Loughton, and the preacher at the service on Friday afternoon will be Reverend David Wilson.
27
Installation of the Chaplain
As a school, we have a very important relationship with the Diocese of Chelmsford. Chigwell is a Church of England foundation, and we enjoy the oversight of the Bishop of Barking. It was, therefore, wonderful to welcome Bishop Lynne Cullens to our school recently. The bishop very much enjoyed meeting students and getting
a grand tour from our highly capable senior prefects. The central focus of the visit was to formally install Reverend David Wilson as the Chaplain of the School. The service was deeply moving, and it was wonderful to see the Senior School support the day in a mature and engaged way.
28
Chaplain’s Visit to Ireland to see the New Organ in Construction
Revd David Wilson visited Ireland in late March, to check on the construction progress of our new organ as we are preparing for its repatriation to school in late summer.
Having returned from his trip, he kindly shared some photos with us and he reflects: 'I flew into Ireland, picked up a hire car and drove south to Wexford. The long roads were calm and empty and after two hours I turned off for the country lanes. The narrow roads seemed to travel for a long time before I arrived at what appeared to be a farm! I met with Paul, an ordained priest and organ builder, and he directed me towards what appeared to be a derelict building. As the barn door was opened the organ appeared, in all its glory, right in front of me. My first surprise was how big the organ actually was and my second was the amount of craftsmanship that had gone into its rebuild. I was given an exacting tour of the organ by my hosts, and I could see by their excitement how proud they were of the work they had done and how much they were looking forward to coming to England to install this great edifice. It is planned that the
organ will be brought to Chigwell School on the 1st of August, and it will take four weeks to install.’
29
Car Park
Many thanks for your forbearance with the changes to parking arrangements at the start of the Michaelmas and Lent terms. It feels that these systems are now well understood and the durations of the school run have become predictable, and arrival and departure times honed. In recent weeks, some reports have reached me
Examination Results
of parents using mobile devices whilst driving on the school site. Could I remind parents that, though the school site is not technically a public road, the highway code should still be adhered to, and indeed that high levels of vigilance are necessary on site as there are so many pedestrians at pick up and drop off times.
Details of arrangements for results days will be included in my end of term letter, but in the meantime please note that A Level results will be released on Thursday 17th August and GCSE results will be released on Thursday 24th August.
With best wishes
Damian King
30
Message from the Chaplain
As I write, today is the Feast of Ascension, a time of confidence. At the moment there is an air of quiet confidence around the school, it is reassuring to witness the sheer professionalism of our young people as they prepare for their GCSE and A Level exams; I said before the period of study leave that our young people would be in my prayers and they continue to be. There is still much to look forward to in our academic year,
we are preparing for our Leaver’s Service, and I am keen to experience my first Chigwellian Speech Day. In the longer days of summer (when the sun shines) it is great to watch a bit of cricket and I am dusting down my golf clubs. I very much hope and pray that days of hope, blessings and confidence will be forever yours.
Fr David Chaplain
31
TERM DATES 2023
Trinity Term
Half term: INSET Day Monday 5th June
Term ends: Wednesday 12th July
Michaelmas Term
Staff meetings and INSET on Monday 4th and Tuesday 5th September
First day: Wednesday 6th September
Half term: Saturday 21st October to Sunday 5th November
Term ends: Wednesday 13th December
