HM Letter to Parents January 2019

HEADMASTER’S LETTER JANUARY 2019

T0 PARENTS

Dear Parents I hope you have had a very enjoyable Christmas and that pupils are rested and ready for the new term. I also wish you a very happy New Year

Contents Page 1

Work on the Roofs Calendars Charities Week School Buses

Page 2

Poppy Bradley OCA Events

Page 3

iGCSEs Careers

Page 4

Staff News Bad Weather Holiday Work

Work on the Roofs

Following on from the message sent

break with consultants to appoint a

contractors engaged on the repair of the

have this in place shortly so that work on

replacement contractor. We hope to

on 29th November relating to the

the roofs can be completed.

Old School roofs, staff and Governors

have been working over the Christmas

Calendars

As usual, calendars will be distributed via Houses and there will also be spare copies at

Reception. Please do encourage your sons and daughters to take advantage of and

contribute to the broad extra-curricular programme, particularly if you sense they are

less involved than they might be.

Charities Week

Thank you to all parents, pupils and staff who supported charities week which the

Chaplain described in the last letter. The total raised was £2,750 which will be shared between Send A Cow, Smiles With Grace, Alzheimer’s Research, Centrepoint, The Bede

Griffiths Charitable Trust and the Yemen Appeal.

School Buses

This academic year we have expanded

Chigwell School Bus Routes R

the school bus service so that there is one

CNR. STONARDS HILL & THEYDON GROVE

1 Epping, Theydon Bois, Debden 2 South Woodford, Woodford Green, Buckhurst Hill

JNCT. HIGH RD & LITTLE BURY LANE

CAR PARK OF THEYDON OAK

3 Loughton, Buckhurst Hill

morning as well as two evening runs on

4 Wanstead, Ilford, Gan nts Hill, Clayhall

1

5 Chingford Proudly y provided pr by y

THE PLUME OF FEA AT THERS PUB

each of the five routes. The service is

BELL HOTEL CAR PARK

SUNNYSIDE RD

3 TRAPS HILL/ HIGH RD

managed by CoachHire.com and after

MORGAN CRESCENT THEYDON BOIS GREEN

JNCT. BROOK RD & ALDERTON HILL THE CROWN

some teething issues, we have received a

THE CRESCENT

CRIC CKET GROUND UND

number of very positive messages about

WESTBURY RD

KINGS AV.

CHINGFORD RD FIRE STATION ATIO ON STAG LANE

5

the service from parents. We would like

ALFRED RD

NEWLANDS RD

to be able to expand the service further,

WHITEHALL RD BANCROFT SCHOOL

to reduce the number of pupils coming to

WOODFORD GREEN BROADMEAD RD

WOODFORD COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL

CHURCHILL MEMORIAL

school by car, and if existing or

HIGH RD SOUTH WOODFORD

2

JNCT. BARON GDNS & CRA AVEN VEN GDNS

SOUTH WOODFORD

alternative routes would be of interest,

HIGH ST. HERMON HILL

please email bus@chigwell-school.org

THE DRIVE METHODIST CHURCH

LONGWOOD GDNS WANSTEAD LANE

4 WANSTEAD STATION ATION

1

DE VERE GDNS

JNCT. GOSFORD GDNS & BEEHIVE LANE

JNCT. ST ANDREW’S RD & CRANBROOK RISE

JNCT. WESTMINSTER GDNS & CRA AVEN VEN GDNS

Poppy Bradley

Congratulations to Poppy who is a finalist

at the Lungs for Living Research Centre at

scientists and engineers. The final will be

competition have gone on to represent

UCL. The previous winners of this

in the Big Bang Competition for young

the UK in international competitions

held in Birmingham at the beginning

across the world.

of March and Poppy will be exhibiting the research project that she carried out

OCA Events

Over the holidays I attended three Old Chigwellian events, designed to bring OCs together.

These included an OC

Christmas lunch at school, a tour of the

Tower of London and the Ceremony of the Keys, and a recent leavers’ gathering. As always, it was very enjoyable to meet up

with Old Chigwellians of all vintages, many of whom have led highly successful

and interesting lives since leaving school. I was particularly pleased to hear how well

last summer’s leavers have settled into university life.

2

Careers

As per my last letter, if any parent would

their chosen career path. Additionally,

at our annual careers convention, which

particular may find the following talks this

Upper Fifth and Lower Sixth students in

be willing to represent their area of work

month, all in the Sixth Form Centre, of

takes place at 7pm on Monday 25th

interest:

March, we would delighted to hear from

11th January - 12.30pm

you. Pupils find the evening very helpful and the feedback from representatives

LSE schools liaison team: talk for LVI on undergraduate application and study

suggests that they find it very enjoyable too. Please email Ms Roxanne Darkin at

17th January - 12.30pm

rdarkin@chigwell-school.org

Dr Sophie Strong OC: talk for UV and LVI on a career in medicine

In addition, if parents are able to offer work experience, older pupils find this

Coppell will email details of the Meet the

18th January - 4.15pm Presentation by Dr Daniel Leff OC, Imperial College, Faculty of Medicine Department of Surgery & Cancer

which are open to all Senior School pupils.

been sent details of the Headstart courses

invaluable. Again, please email Ms Darkin.

Over the next few weeks, Mr Simon Future Programme talks for this term

Upper Fifth and Sixth Form students have

At these sessions, Old Chigwellians who

as well as the Cambridge course for

left us comparatively recently talk about

potential

their work and how they came to follow

Science.

iGCSEs

applicants

for

Veterinary

You may have read the suggestion made

arguably more demanding in some

iGCSEs, taken by pupils at many

fortunate to have the flexibility to choose

subjects. More importantly, we are

in some newspapers over the holidays that

courses that suit pupils here and prepare

independent schools including Chigwell,

them well for A level. In some subjects,

are less rigorous than the reformed GCSEs.

iGCSEs are the best option but in others,

There is no evidence that this is the case

pupils take GCSEs.

and in terms of content, iGCSEs are

3

Staff News

welcome Mrs Wahida Sultana-Rahman

At the end of last term, we said farewell

and we hope she will be very happy here.

to Mrs Sarah Inch who leaves us after

many years working as a teacher of mathematics.

We also said goodbye to Miss Antonia

She has made a huge

Ross who has been teaching English here

contribution to the School during her time

since September 2017. We wish her well

with us and we wish her well as she moves

for the future.

on to pastures new. In her place, we

Holiday Work

As always, the holidays provide an opportunity for the Bursar’s teams to carry out

essential maintenance work. The roofing of Hainault House is nearing completion and

additional heating has been provided in the Dining Hall. The work to provide three new classrooms in the Junior School has been completed and these will be used for teaching from the start of term.

Bad Weather

As I said in my last letter, in the event of

school day. We would always be very

school website (www.chigwell-school.org)

mindful of the safety of pupils and staff.

heavy snow or ice please consult the

reluctant to close the School, but are

for confirmation of arrangements for the

I look forward to seeing you at the various events that will be taking place over the next few weeks and hope the new term goes well for all pupils.

With best wishes Yours sincerely

Michael Punt

4

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