AUTUMN 2015
NEWS FROM CHIGWELL
CHIGWELL SCHOOL
CELEBRATING SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE CHIGWELL SCHOOL COMMUNITY
In this Issue 02 A* Results
Smiles With Grace
12 charity football match
24 Sports Day
and much more... FIND A WAY OR MAKE A WAY
ACADEMIA
A* Results A Level Sixth Formers at Chigwell have been celebrating stunning A level results with a record number of A* grades. 26% of results were A*, over three times the national average, and the most common grade achieved across all entries was an A grade. In fact, 40% of the students achieved at least three A grades; 15%
achieved at least four A grades; and three students gained at least five. 85% of students gained at least a B grade. Of the seven students who took the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) in addition to their A levels, all but two gained at least an A grade. Mr Michael Punt, Headmaster, commented: “We are delighted that the students and teachers have worked together so successfully to deliver these results. A levels enable students to move on to the next stage and these
results mean that the majority will begin highly competitive university courses. At this time of year, there is a danger that we simply focus on statistics and it is important to remember that these young people have made a significant contribution to the Chigwell School community and we value their individual achievements. They deserve every success and happiness in the next stage of their lives beyond School and we hope they will stay in touch with us here.� n
ACADEMIA
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2015
GCSE Chigwell students were delighted when they opened their GCSE results. A quarter had achieved at least seven A* grades and of the eighty six pupils in the year group, six achieved at least ten A* grades. Indeed, A* was the most common grade awarded out of all entries and in addition to their other subjects, the ten students who also took the HPQ (the GCSE equivalent of the Extended Project Qualification) all achieved an A* grade. 39% of grades awarded were at A* (six times the national average); 72% of grades awarded were at least an A; and 91% were B grade or above.
We are very proud of all our GCSE students. They have studied hard in ten or more GCSE subjects with the dedicated support of their teachers and they have balanced their work and extracurricular commitments with a great deal of success. iGCSEs are offered in many subjects
because we believe these give a better preparation for A level study and we look forward to continuing to work with these young people as they begin their Sixth Form careers. We hope these results take them closer to fulfilling their dreams and ambitions, and that they continue to flourish. n
MUMBAI MEDAL GLORY: A PHYSICS BRONZE FOR BIANCA Bianca Andrei represents UK in the International Physics Olympiad Chigwell student Bianca Andrei recently represented the United Kingdom in the International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) and was awarded a bronze medal – an outstanding achievement given that she still has a year to go to complete her A levels.
This year, the 46th IPhO was held in Mumbai and 84 countries were represented in the annual physics competition which is open to secondary school students from across the world. It involved individual theoretical and experimental competitions in Physics. Bianca commented that her experience in India was hard to describe due to the sheer scale of the Olympiad event,
but that it was amazing to meet and make friends from all over the world as well as learn more about this subject. Bianca was the only female member of the UK team of six students. Mr Michael Punt, Headmaster of Chigwell and also a physicist, said that he was extremely proud of Bianca who has worked incredibly hard over the last few months, preparing for the Olympiad on top of her AS levels. n
02 | 03
ACADEMIA
Speech Day 2015 Speech Day was a real celebration of the last year at Chigwell. Guest of Honour, Mr Michael Marshall Smith OC, spoke extremely well about pupils ‘knowing who they are’. Many parents and pupils were so impressed they asked for a copy of his speech. Michael is an English novelist, screenwriter and shortstory writer who is now based in America. On Friday, the preacher at the Pre Prep and First Form service was Professor David Hatch, a
former anaesthetist and current member of the Magic Circle who made use of his magical talents during the service. On Saturday, Father Tony Chantry preached at the Junior and Senior services. Fr Tony is also an Old Chigwellian and he has led our Roman Catholic Masses at School for well over a decade. He is stepping down as General Supervisor of the Mill Hill Missionaries but we hope to stay in touch with him as he continues his missionary work in some of the poorest parts of the world. n
ACADEMIA
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2015
Leavers In the week after Speech Day, the School held a service for the leavers which was followed by a party on the Swallow lawn. We shall miss all the students of the year group of 2015 and we are proud of what they have achieved during their time at Chigwell. n
Leavers 2015 04 | 05
ACADEMIA
The Williams Project The Williams Project is named after Sir Bernard Williams, one of the foremost British philosophers of the 20th century, and an Old Chigwellian. As part of the Learning+ programme it provides opportunities for students at Chigwell School to broaden and deepen their intellectual life. It encourages them to realise that thought is not divided into school subjects, and it urges them to gain such an understanding of their own specialism that they can
explain its intricacies to others. Fortnightly meetings are held in two sections for Years 7 and 8, and Years 9-13; this offers our younger members better access to our speakers. Among the many speakers who came to Chigwell were Dr Catherine Goodman (an economist from the London School of Hygiene and
Tropical Medicine) who informed us about ‘Malaria treatment in Africa – reaching those most in need’. Rick Findler (a freelance war photographer) came to the Williams Project to talk about his experiences documenting modern warfare. Ms Emma Duncan (Associate Editor at The Economist magazine)
gave a talk on ‘Making sense of the news’ and provided an insight into the global world of journalism in general. Whilst Callum Brown (OC) gave a thought provoking talk entitled ‘Can teachers teach?’ n
All meetings are written up on our Archive, for more information please visit: www.williamsproject.org.uk
UK LINGUISTICS OLYMPIAD SUCCESS Congratulations to Quentin Wu, Bianca Andrei and Ivo Horak on their gold, silver and bronze certificates in this year’s Advanced tier of the UK Linguistics Olympiad. Quentin was one of the highest 5% of candidates nationally, Bianca (still only in Year 12) was in the top 10%, and Ivo the top 20%. They were among over forty Chigwell pupils from the Year 8 upwards who took part in this national competition at Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced tiers. It is the UK edition of a worldwide series of competitions, testing the ability to spot and manipulate patterns in the vocabulary, grammar and syntax of languages not usually studied in school. n
ACADEMIA
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2015
HOWARD & MITCHELL ESSAY COMPETITION Over 120 pupils and staff gathered to hear the presentation of the two winning Howard and Mitchell essays. The competition is open to all sixth formers, who carry out their research for their essays which are judged by a panel. This year, the winners were Gabrielle Leadbeater for the Howard (Arts) and Hugo Blogg for the Mitchell (Science). Hugo presented his essay about the accuracy and process of the DuckworthLewis method that is used in cricket if rain stops play. In a series of excellent power
point slides Hugo explained both the mathematical formula involved and the inaccuracies within the system. He came up with his own ‘Blogg Formula’ but admitted that the present system was “the best out of a bad bunch”. Gabrielle turned our attention to literature and the intertwined treatment of love and war from the classical authors to the poets of the Great War. Her focus was on whether both love and war were treated with equal ethical seriousness. She obviously relished the epic writing of the ancients and conveyed this with passion to the audience. This was supported with very useful
slides of quotations. Again, like Hugo, she dealt with questions extremely well. After the presentations the audience attended a dinner at which
Felicity Goodlet OC spoke. Felicity won the competition herself in 2008 before she left Chigwell to study at Cambridge University. n
Biology Olympiad Amongst the six thousand students from across the country who took part in the Society of Biology Olympiad, was a team of five from Chigwell. The team achieved excellent results in the competition which is open to all sixth form biology
students. Congratulations go to Ali Shucayb (Highly Commended), Kyle DewarMcKay (Bronze), Anna Chelchowska (Silver), Yasmin Nikookam (Silver) and Oliver Maclean (Gold). Oliver will be offered the chance to take part in further quizzes which could ultimately give him a place in the national Olympiad team. Meanwhile, Anna is only in Year 12 which makes her performance even more impressive. n
Biology Challenge A Chigwell team of 22 pupils participated in the Biology Challenge this year with over 30,000 others from throughout the UK. Pupils from Year 9 and 10 may participate in the online quiz and there were some very creditable performances,
particularly from Poppy Bradley and Ariana Lui who both missed a Gold Medal by just one point. Overall the team achieved eleven Silver Medals, six Bronze Medals, four Highly Commended and one Commended. Congratulations to all who took part and well done for maintaining the School’s high status in the competition. n 06 | 07
ACADEMIA
Abigail shoots for the stars! Abigail Whelan is setting her sights high after being accepted into a prestigious American ‘space school’. She has been accepted to join the world famous Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. Abigail gained a full scholarship for the course, which is modelled on NASA’s astronaut training programme. Her successful application involved a detailed description of a science experiment, two essays, a space mission design and three letters of recommendation. Abigail hopes to use the experience from the course to one day become an astronaut and travel to unexplored planets. She said: “We have not been out there before, we have explored Earth but we do not know about what other planets are like. We cannot tell, without exploring. I have
always been interested in space, and I do enjoy watching the new things we find out about space travel.” Abigail said she is most looking forward to testing
a low-gravity simulator that simulates one-sixth of Earth’s gravity. Deputy headteacher, David Gower, said, “We encourage all of our pupils to develop interests
outside of the classroom and we are very pleased and obviously look forward to hearing all about it. We are very proud and very, very pleased that she has got this opportunity.” n
The Chemical Reaction Challenge 2015 Eleven Chigwell School pupils took part in The Chemical Reaction Challenge organised by the Royal Society of Chemistry. This on-line challenge measured participating pupils’ speed and accuracy across a range of chemistry topics.
Nearly 4,000 pupils took part from around the UK and all our pupils performed very well. The top three Chigwell pupils, who were singled out by the competition organisers, were Jasmine Iley ranked 127th, Poppy Bradley (35th) and Justine Voong (10th). These are most impressive results. Dr. Martin, Head of Chemistry, commented, “A big well done to all who took part.” n
ACADEMIA
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2015
CIVIC AWARDS
HEAD START
Congratulations go to Year 11 student, Tom Bromwich, who was honoured in the Epping Forest District Civic Awards.
The science department encourages students to apply for Headstart courses which inspire future engineers and scientists. If successful, students get an insight into university life, talks with current university students and staff, as well as the opportunity to work on projects at the university.
Tom was amongst a number of local people who were applauded at a glittering awards ceremony hosted by Epping Forest District Council Chairman, Tony Boyce, at Down Hall. Tom is a member of the Epping Forest Youth Council and won the best Youth Councillor Award based on his outstanding commitment and efforts. n
This year, five students have successfully been awarded places on Headstart courses at top universities. Max Albert has been awarded a place at Aberdeen University, Luke Piper will be going to Bristol University and George Prior to Newcastle University; all three students will be taking part in engineering courses. Emma Cadman will be studying engineering at St. Mary’s College and Lauren Keiller will be learning more about science and engineering at UCL. Congratulations to all five students. n
FESTIVAL OF THE SPOKEN WORD 2015 Compèred with panache by Harry Benjamin, Will Lord and Tim Lovett, the 2015 Festival was performed to a capacity audience in the Drama Centre. The competition was particularly keen in the areas of serious readings and monologues with many fine and impressive performances. Annabel O’Reilly won the serious reading with ‘Badly Chosen Lover’. Zoe Wright was judged the best humorous reading with Spike Milligan’s ‘The ABC’ while in the original writing section Charlotte James-Pajwani impressed with her piece entitled ‘Shadowless’. The highly contested monologues left the adjudicators, Mrs Evelyn Gibbs and Dr Glen Winfield, with some difficult decisions, but Shanaiya Pithiya with ‘Vicious
Circles’ won the section. If the monologue category was hard to judge, the ‘more than one’ category provided even more problems as each of the four contributions was excellent in its own right. How does one differentiate between excellence in broad comedy or intense drama? The highly entertaining team effort of ‘Phobia Workshop’ (Harry Benjamin, Sarah Chamberlain, Bethany Hartland, Will Lord and Tim Lovett) won the section, with a very moving scene from ‘The Crucible’ (Will Weightman and Stacey Cockram) the runner-up. The housefest also provided many laughs with Penn’s version of Dahl’s ‘Cinderella’ winning the section with Swallow’s Removes and their re-creation of Chemistry and German lessons here at Chigwell, second. Overall a most enjoyable, entertaining evening showcasing some really talented students. n 08 | 09
ART & DESIGN
Open Art, Design and Technology Exhibition Work by pupils from 25 primary schools was displayed at the Gallery, Chigwell School, at its annual Open Art, Design and Technology Exhibition. The exhibition, which has been held since 1997, is an ‘open’ exhibition featuring pieces of work in 2D or 3D without restrictions on size or medium. Mrs Tilbrook, Head of Junior Art, Design and Technology said: “There is no theme to the exhibition, or prizes, its aims are to celebrate
ARTiculation Imogen Padwick represented Chigwell School in the regional heats for the
the achievements of young people and their teachers. The benefits of the exhibition are that young artists see their work in a professional context, with all the two-dimensional exhibits framed giving the exhibition a uniform and professional appearance. Participating schools share their expertise and ideas. Teachers increase their knowledge and understanding and ability to deliver the art curriculum.” Mrs Tilbrook added: “What makes the exhibition distinctive is that the Junior School section of the art, design and technology department organises and
hosts an inset day for KS1 and KS2 art co-ordinators and teachers of the schools which have contributed work to the exhibition. These skill-based sessions are led by a practising artist or designer with the aim of developing the skills of the teachers in planning and implementing the art curriculum. The sessions are consistently over-subscribed.” n
ARTiculation Prize 2015 at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and she secured first place! This fantastic achievement meant that she went through to
the national finals where she will spoke as part of the ARTiculation Conference at the University of Cambridge. This conference is designed to encourage debate and engagement with the arts. Imogen was highly commended for her talk on Metamorphosis of Narcissus, (1937) by Salvador Dali. The event adjudicator was Mr Greville Worthington, Chairman of the Trustees of Yorkshire Sculpture Park, who is a writer, art collector and curator. Notably in 2004 he was invited by the Tate to be a judge for the prestigious Turner Prize. The
ARTiculation Prize is an annual event designed to promote the appreciation and discussion of art. The competition seeks to engage students regardless of background or experience, with art and to develop the confidence and ability to express their opinions, thoughts and conclusions. Each student is invited to deliver a ten-minute presentation to an interested audience about a work of art, artefact or architecture of their choice. Adjudicators are asked to assess each presentation as a whole, looking at content, structure and delivery. n
ART & DESIGN
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2015
Art & Design and Design & Technology Exhibition The 2015 Art & Design and Design & Technology Exhibition was a great success again this year. The crowded opening was attended by pupils, staff and friends of the school in the Arts and Technology Centre. Both Senior and Junior School pupils’ work was on display. There was a truly
fantastic range of work in the exhibition that included painting, furniture, record designs and even performance art. All of the work that was on show highlighted the wide and exciting range of Art, Design and DT work pupils had completed during the last academic year, as well as highlighting the contribution that the creative subjects and activities make to the life of the School. n
MORE ART AT CHIGWELL...
Year 4
Year 6 10 | 11
CHARITY
Smiles with Grace charity football match
The teams: the Headmaster’s XI and Chigwell Lower Sixth
A special football match took place at Chigwell School, watched by a large crowd of enthusiastic spectators. The game was played between a team of Lower Sixth pupils and the Headmaster’s XI which included TV presenters Ben Shephard and Bradley Walsh; Josh Wright, Andy Edwards and Yilmaz Aksoy of Leyton Orient; Arsenal coach Neil Banfield, and various Chigwell staff and Old Chigwellians. The final score was 2-0 to the Headmaster’s XI but, on this occasion, victory was not the
Ben Shephard
only objective of either side. The match was played in order to raise money for Smiles with Grace, the charity set up by former Chigwell pupil, Grace Boxall who tragically passed away just before her sixteenth birthday. All those present, whether they were on the pitch or in the crowd, were there to support the good work that her charity supports. Grace’s parents Karen and Peter were amongst the supporters and the Lower Sixth team was made up of some of Grace’s friends from Chigwell. The football match raised £7,000 for Smiles with Grace, but, added to this, Year 11 pupils also raised a further £800 for the charity at their prom. This was held at the Prince Regent Hotel, and organised by Chigwell pupils, Tamra Paul and Tom Bromwich. n
Tamra and Tom
CHARITY
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2015
a horse. Other charitable events have been planned but this successful family ‘Breakfast’ will definitely be repeated! More information about the charity can be found at http:// www.chigride.co.uk n
The Pre Prep’s ‘Charity Breakfast’ proved extremely popular with pupils and families alike. Over 70 families attended this event which was held to raise funds for the School’s nominated charity, Chigwell Riding Trust. This charity provides children with a range of special needs the unique chance to ride ponies and horses. Chigwell School has been supporting this local charity for many years and on one School visit Pre Prep pupils also liked the idea of raising funds for this charity, including an option to sponsor
The 2015 Chigwell School Dance Show saw 61 pupils from Year 1 through to Year 8 performing a variety of dance pieces including ballet tap, Indian, Rumba, Tango, Cha Cha Cha and contemporary. There were solo performances from eight pupils which all engaged the audience throughout. Joshua Copsey held the audience in silence with his tap routine without music and Rosie
Pictured right: The Pre Prep were delighted to present Deborah Hall from Chigwell Riding Trust with a cheque for £2,000. This was the amount raised through a number of charitable events. n
Chigwell Pre Prep welcomed Joe Cole to School to coach our children and raise money for charity.
Joe Cole visits Chigwell Pre Prep
The former England and current Aston Villa midfielder passed on his expert football skills and ran a five-a-side tournament, much to delight of the pupils. The event raised over £150 for the Chigwell Riding Trust. n
Beckley who finished the show delighted everyone with her ballet on pointe. Further solos came from Alexandra Scott with a beautifully choreographed ballet piece and Sunderani Sharma with an exquisite traditional Indian dance. The large group performance from the Junior School Dance Club was fun and energetic and included 20 pupils from Year 3 to Year 6. It was a pleasure to have pupils from the Pre Prep involved this year. Their performances were outstanding and each one drew breaths from the crowd and rapturous clapping and cheering on completion. As always the technical support was invaluable and what brought the whole show together. Over £530 was raised by the event and will be donated to Smiles with Grace and The Chigwell Riding Trust. n 12 | 13
DRAMA
Chigwell Pupil’s Performance Wins Place in National Youth Theatre Beckie Howarth has been selected to join the National Youth Theatre. This is a prestigious youth theatre company which develops young actors JUNIOR SCHOOL PLAY:
Peter Pan This year’s Junior School play was J.M. Barrie’s much-loved Peter Pan. Directed by Miss Foster and Mr Maingot, this was our biggest production yet with around 150 pupils involved in the cast and crew.
within in a professional environment. She was one of 590 actors to be chosen out of the 4,100 who were auditioned. Following a course in Greenwich, Beckie will be able to put herself forward for various theatre
productions put on by the company. Beckie said that in her eyes, this is her first step towards her dream of becoming an actress in the future. She added that she was ecstatic by this prospect and couldn’t be happier!
Perhaps Beckie will follow in the footsteps of recent Chigwell School leaver, Aysha Kala, who has been a member of the cast of the Channel 4 series, Indian Summer. n
many of the main roles were split between pupils. Peter was ably portrayed by Eleanor Ahern, Emma Jones and Samantha O’Connor, who all successfully conveyed the character’s playful spirit and youthful nature. Every cast member from Wendy to the Lost Boy chorus helped to make this production a huge success, bringing the magic of Neverland to Chigwell School. Well done to all who were involved. n
Pupils performed over three nights to a packed audience of family and friends, delighting the crowd with their superb acting. For pupils in IVth form, this was a particularly poignant production, as it was their final performance as part of the Junior School. The standard of acting in this particular year group is exceptionally strong, and so
The Scholars’ Play: Can’t Pay? Won’t Pay! by Dario Fo The Scholars’ Play was performed with elan in front of a very appreciative audience. A farce in the manner of the great master Feydeau, it involved the usual lies heaped upon lies until finally all was revealed. The small cast – Serena Bassi, Laurence Brooks, Stacey Cockram, Odette Clark, Joe Deeks, Barney Walsh, Will
Weightman and Zicheng (Steve) Zhou – attacked the script with boundless energy
with both Will and Barney taking directing roles during rehearsals. The success of the
evening was a tribute to the teamwork and dramatic skills of the cast. n
DRAMA
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2015
GCSE Drama The Year 10 pupils really rose to the challenge of producing original work and the five pieces presented covered social issues like homelessness, psychological or mental diseases and family tensions. Each presentation made imaginative use of sound, music and lighting with some imaginative costuming and make-up. Each group impressed too with the obvious teamwork and individual focus needed to carry off such short plays.
Comedy was to the fore in the five short plays presented by the Year 11 GCSE Drama classes that were their final performances for GCSE. The large and appreciative audience obviously enjoyed the enthusiasm and ingenuity of the various groups. Highlights included some lively cross dressing and a most imaginative sketch on being ‘swallowed’ by the internet. The subject of missing teenagers highlighted a frightening social problem in the one really serious play.
YEAR 10 GCSE DRAMA
Every pupil, whether they were actors, designers or technicians, worked extremely hard during the rehearsal period and produced work of an excellent standard. n
YEAR 11 GCSE DRAMA
The Crucible A level English students took to the Chigwell stage to perform one of their set texts, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller. Set in the small, tightknit community of Salem, Massachusetts, during the notorious witchcraft trials of 1692, the play is an attempt to expose ‘the essential nature of one of the strangest and most awful chapters in human history’. The Crucible is a notoriously difficult play to stage with fast-paced scenes featuring throughout, but the cast of mainly Year 12 English students performed with aplomb. n 14 | 15
DRAMA
MIDDLE SCHOOL PLAY:
Shakespearean Double Bill of Comedy This year’s Middle School Play was a double bill – not one, but two 30-minute adaptations of riproaring Shakespearean comedies! First up was Much Ado About Nothing, an often paradoxical comedy of conflict and deceit, that was given a real comic twist by casting most parts against gender! This also worked for the second show of the evening, The Taming of the Shrew. This was very much a slap-stick affair with boys playing girls and girls playing boys.
YEAR 12 DRAMA:
Scripted Plays
The Drama Centre witnessed another treat with two heavily contrasting plays: Medea, the tragedy based on Euripides’ original play and a wacky comedy, The Wonderful World of Dissocia. The students entered their parts with suitable seriousness in the dark and moving drama and with unbridled enthusiasm in the comedy. The audience was very appreciative and the performances were exceptional. Well done to all those who took part both onstage and off. n
The audience laughed heartily throughout both shows that also boasted some delightful costumes. Both casts worked extremely well together and Mr Wille and Mr Maingot both had a lot of fun working with them. It was great to see students having so much fun with Shakespeare! n
MUSIC
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2015
Chigwell School Young Musician of the Year Competition Thirty-eight Chigwell School musicians took part in this year’s Young Musician of the Year Competition.
for the event was Jeffery Wilson who is a composer, performer and teacher; he currently divides his teaching between the Royal Military School of Music, Cambridge University and the Junior Guildhall.
The competition ran throughout the day and the ten finalists, four junior students and six senior, performed in the finalists’ concert in the evening. The junior section was won by Lucas Abrami-Gill (voice) with Zachary Edwards (piano) highly commended.
The School’s Director of Music, Howard Ebden, described the students as “simply stunning”.
The senior section was won by Gopal Kambo (piano) with James Botcher (tenor) highly commended. The adjudicator
He said: “The musicians displayed some sheer brilliance at times, transcending, touching and engaging the listener through a beauty of lyrical lines and technical control. Sitting listening to these young musicians is the best job anyone can have.” He added:
“A sincere thank you to all the music staff and instrumental teachers in the school and a particular special mention
Chapel Choir at Canterbury Cathedral & Royal Festival Hall The Chapel Choir had the privilege of singing Evensong at Canterbury Cathedral. The splendid acoustics enabled a performance that was possibly the best the choir has given in recent years; the boys sounded mature, the girls sang as one flawless line with a full sound that filled the cathedral and the overall ensemble, even in the psalm, was immaculate. The sound of the organ, played by our own Simon Winters was quite magnificent. His control and sensitivity through the phrases supported the choir enabling them to shape the music beautifully. The comments and reports to the Director of Music, Howard Ebden, that followed the service from clergy, parishioners and visitors from around the world, exclaimed the brilliance of the choir. n
to Mr Simon Winters for his wonderful accompaniments through the day (numbering a staggering 62 pieces).” n
An audience of a couple of thousand were spellbound by the performance given by the Chapel Choir at the Rotary Youth Makes Music Concert at the Royal Festival Hall. The choir made up of 40 choristers aged 11-18, sang Eric Whitacre’s Lux Aurumque and Charles Villiers Stanford’s The Blue Bird; soloist Kate Hawes. The clarity, precision and beauty of their voices sparkled in the stage lights. Their performance was greeted with rapturous applause and standing ovation in some quarters. n
16 | 17
MUSIC
Junior School Summer Concert The Junior School Summer Concert was a very special occasion for parents and pupils alike. The Brass Group majestically opened up the evening followed by highlights including the Second Form Boys’ and Girls’ Choirs and Stringles (which attracts children from Years 3 to 7), performing Eine Kleine Nacht Musik. The marvellous Saxophone Group, various cello and flute ensembles together with the drum Corps, all performed with energy and exuberance. Some of our Year 8 pupils, conscious of the fact that this
was their final concert as part of the Junior School, formed Plus One and produced a more contemporary feel with a harmonious rendition of Hold Back the River. Memorable solo contributions from Year 8 members added to the wonderful spectacle. The evening closed with the Junior Orchestra. Strings, woodwind, brass and percussion joined together to perform themes from Frozen and Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean leaving a smile on the faces of everyone. Many thanks to all those who helped to make the evening such a huge success and congratulations to both pupils and peripatetic music staff. n
Choral Concert Nicholas Hawksmoor’s Christ Church, Spitalfields was the venue for the School’s Choral Concert. The programme was a feast of musical and academic talent from Chigwell, including the impressive and insightful programme notes written by Nicholas Dixon (OC). The evening, opened with the beautiful, soothing and healing sounds of Eric Whitacre’s Seal
Lullaby, performed with an ethereal dreamlike quality by the Chapel Choir. There then followed a rousing performance of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.3 in C minor, Op. 37 by Katie Marshall (OC), who is now in her first year studying medicine at Oxford University. The standing ovation and rapturous reception that greeted the final chords were nothing more than her performance deserved. The Choral Society raised the standards to new heights with a masterful and commanding presentation of Mozart’s Requiem in D minor, K. 626. The richly woven melodic tapestry of Mozart’s writing was
clearly delineated by the voices. A highlight of the evening were the pupil soloists: Requiem aeternam and Communio; Lux aetern, Maddie Lovett; Tuba mirum, Brooke Newton, Alice Melvin, James Botcher, Lucas Abrami-Gill; Recordare, Kate Hawes, Hana Edwards, James Botcher, Adam Melvin; Domine Jesu Christe, Lara Hobbis, Alice Melvin, Gopal Kambo, Jusden Halabi and Benedictus, Sarah Chamberlain Rhea Gupta, James Botcher Adam Melvin. Their performances demonstrated a wealth of musical maturity and gave an unprecedented experience of the power of music for both audience and performers alike. n
Katie Marshall
MUSIC
Two of Chigwell’s Music Scholars, Max Albert and James Botcher, have been admitted into the London Philharmonia Chorus. Aside from singing in various choirs inside School, the two sixth formers balance their A level commitments against the demands of additional choral singing in
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2015
and around London. They now have the opportunity to regularly participate in great choral works in venues, such as Kings College Cambridge, the Barbican Hall and the Royal Albert Hall. They may also work in conjunction with other choruses, including the Swedish Radio Choir. Both Max and James have achieved Grade 8 with Distinction for their singing, under the tuition of Chigwell singing teacher, Danny Thomas. n
Already a student at the Junior Royal College of Music, Azara Dalley has gained a place in the National Children’s Orchestra. Azara, who joined Chigwell in September, is a music scholar working towards Grade 5 Theory and Grade 6 Viola exams
Summer Concert The roof of New Hall was once again raised at the end of term Senior School concert. A packed audience was entertained by a diverse
although she also plays piano and recorder. However, like other busy Chigwell musicians, she manages to juggle her music commitments with her studies and a range of other interests. Miss Felicity Leach, Assistant Director of Music, commented that Azara is an inspiration and is always ready to share her knowledge and love of music with others. n programme ranging from Chigwell All Stars, Fusion Group and Big Band to The Flute Group, Wind Band and First Orchestra, as well as soloists Faith Inch and Gopal Kambo. The Middle Sixth Leavers aptly completed a wonderful evening of music. Thank you to all pupils and staff for producing such a memorable evening. n
18 | 19
OUT & ABOUT
Activities Week Pupils from across the School took part in a variety of activities and trips during Activities Week. At this time we aim to give experiences that extend beyond the standard curriculum. For example, Pre Prep children built dens and sang songs around the camp fire in French; there were Duke of Edinburgh award expeditions and activities, trips to Mersea Island, the Isle of Wight and the Lake District; pupils volunteered at local care homes and there were numerous other activities as well. n
Den making
Chigwell Riding Trust
Hayes Hill Farm
Stubbers
Isle of Wight
Stubbers
Isle of Wight
The Lake District
OUT & ABOUT
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2015
Choir tour to Andalusia This summer the Chapel Choir toured Andalusia, from Seville, to Jerez de la Frontera, Cadiz and then on to Granada, covering just over 1,500km. They drew large and responsive audiences to their concerts
and impromptu performances on the steps of cathedrals. The Chigwell choir was joined by pupils from Southend School for Girls and both choirs blended well, each night offering a balanced programme, singing with a passion and vibrancy that even 45ºC temperatures could not suppress. The pupils could not have asked for more
awe-inspiring surroundings to perform in, from the church of Santa Maria de la Asuncion in Carmona, to the Basilica de San Juan de Dios in Granada. Often the unassuming exteriors of these churches did not prepare the choir for the ornate interiors and gilded altarpieces which provided the backdrop to the concerts, all of which were received by appreciative audiences who gave standing ovations. On one particular evening performance they had the pleasure of singing to an esteemed guest, in the form of Michael Portillo, former Cabinet Minister-turned-travel presenter. The bustling schedule and the searing heat did not hinder them from appreciating the history and rich culture of the region, with fascinating trips to the Mezquita in Cordoba and the Alhambra in Granada, as well as walking tours of the beautiful regional capital Seville where they were based. The choir were also
treated to a local performance of flamenco, as well as being given the opportunity to watch the world-famous Andalusian horses in a spectacular routine that displayed extraordinary skill and elegance. Well done to all the students and hard-working staff that enabled the tour to be a resounding success. n
South Africa Hockey Tour 2015 Chigwell boys and girls travelled to South Africa this summer, to compete in the Cape Town International U18 Hockey Festival. A total of forty-six teams took part in the tournament which included schools from the UK, Namibia and South Africa. The aim of the tour for our pupils was threefold; to develop and improve their hockey, to embrace different cultures and new experiences, and finally, to make friends through sport.
for both the boys and the girls. Competing against several of the leading South African independent schools the pupils performed to an exceptional level and grew in confidence as the festival progressed. Despite results not being the key criteria for success, the girls finished an impressive 14th place out of 22 teams, whilst the boys finished a respectable 16th out of 24. A measure of the development made by both squads was highlighted further in their final post tournament match against Outeniqua High School where both the team and individual performances were outstanding.
The tournament, was held across several spectacular venues in Cape Town each with their own backdrop of Table Mountain. It consisted of eight matches over nine days
Away from the hockey pitch the squads experienced several once in a lifetime opportunities which proved to be the highlight of the tour for many pupils. These included,
a visit to Robben Island where pupils learnt about Nelson Mandela’s struggle against apartheid by a former inmate. Meeting the local community at the Fisantekrall township and ‘making friends through sport’ at Welbedacht UCC Primary, where the pupils now wish to establish charity links providing sports kit and equipment in the future. The tour came to
a superb conclusion at the Garden Route Game Lodge where pupils went out on both a dusk and dawn game drive to see the big five in spectacular surroundings. The trip proved to be a resounding success due to the hard work of all staff and the exceptional behaviour of the Chigwell pupils both on and off the pitch. n
20 | 21
OUT & ABOUT
Duke of Edinburgh Awards Four recent leavers were presented with their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Awards at St. James Palace. Kurran Gujral, Curran Kalha, Richard Stavri and James Harrington were all fortunate enough to meet the Duke of Edinburgh himself at the ceremony. In addition, they had an inspirational talk from Lizzy Yarnold (Sochi 2014 – Gold medallist) who then presented them with their gold certificates. A Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a huge achievement and is the
Trip to Nice Mrs Leyla Chéry, Mr Paul Fletcher and Mrs Elise Feeney accompanied a group of Senior School pupils to the South of France over the Easter break. The group visited Cannes, Monaco and attended morning classes in the ‘France Langue’
culmination of a great deal of hard work. One of the Chigwellian parents commented: “It was a beautiful day and a great Chigwell reunion for the boys, as well as being a proud day for the parents!” Each of the four undertook an impressive set of tasks on their journey to their gold award. Tasks such as an expedition in Scotland, learning a new skill, volunteering, a physical challenge and a residential week away. Congratulations go to all four boys. They serve as an encouragement to all those at school currently working towards their own awards. n
school in the heart of Nice. Some Sixth Formers were on work experience in restaurants and hotels. This was a great opportunity for them to be immersed in French daily life as well as enhancing their language skills. The students also learnt about the history and the culture of the Provence region. They enjoyed learning French in a relaxed atmosphere and lovely sunshine. n
During activities week, seven Year 11 pupils undertook their assessed expedition for the silver D of E award. They spent three days paddling down the Thames, starting at Lechlade in Gloucestershire and finishing at Abingdon, south of Oxford. The pupils were required to be completely self-sufficient, taking all their food, clothes and camping equipment with them. They approached the challenge with good humour and courage,
working outstandingly well as a team, and supporting each other throughout the expedition. The assessor from the Essex Outdoors Centre at Harlow was extremely impressed with their efforts, going so far as to applaud them on completion of their journey. Many congratulations go to Aanya Gujral, Toby Harrison, Sai Hindocha, Thomas Marshall, Fergal McArdle, Madeline Prior and Alexander Slade for passing their silver award assessed expedition with flying colours. n
Chigwell Scouts Chigwell School Scouts and explorers spent a night on HMS Belfast, the WWII battleship moored in the Thames. The scouts slept in the sailors’ bunks, exploring parts of the vessel to which the public do not usually have access. Following a full tour of the ship, they were also given a talk about life on board, hearing many fascinating stories and accounts of the experiences of those who served on her.
It was particularly interesting to hear how, during her stint transporting various resources to Russia, sailors were forced to scrape six inches of ice off the inside of the portholes every morning before beginning their day, to prevent flooding of the very mess areas that they had slept in the previous night. The trip was a unique opportunity to discover the workings of an important historical battleship, and was enjoyed by all. n
OUT & ABOUT
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2015
Iceland trip A-level geography students visited Iceland to bring to life the geographical features and processes they have studied within the subject. On the first day the students visited the Blue Lagoon, the popular geothermal spa of crystal clear water which is the only site on Earth where it is possible to swim in water all year round, at a temperature of 40°C. The group visited two stunning waterfalls and a geyser situated in the southwest of Iceland that has been active for over 10,000 years.
Other popular attractions during the visit included Thingviller, the national park where Iceland’s parliament was established in 930AD which is scoured by the MidAtlantic Ridge. Rift valleys were clearly visible where the
Eurasian and North American tectonic plates pull apart at around 2cm a year. However, the most stunning part of the trip was Solheimajokull (which means ‘sun house glacier’); this is one of several outlets from the Myrdalsjokull icecap
India 2015 Fifteen pupils, parents, teachers and members of the Bede Griffiths Charitable Trust flew to India. The group stayed in the beautiful surroundings of the Saccidananda Ashram. This year there was much to see as Chigwell School’s fundraising for the Trust was very much in evidence. They visited the new modern house
and is located in a valley that extends 8km. It has been retreating since the end of the 19th century at a rate of around 100m per year but the heavy snow on the day made it one of the most picturesque views the students had ever seen. n
Work Experience
that has been built to replace a very basic structure, a new school hall and a refurbished Old People’s Home. This area of Tamil Nadu is wonderfully vibrant but also very poor and the contribution made by the
Chigwell community, through the Bede Griffiths Charitable Trust, makes a real difference to people’s lives. Another highlight of the trip was when the group were privileged to be guests of honour at the Bless School cultural evening, a primary school funded by the Trust. Chigwell pupils also had a chance to participate in some teaching at the school. When the group flew back via Sri Lanka, they were again guests of honour at a school that had links to a Chigwell family. This was an experience that will stay with the participants for the rest of their lives. It was a real privilege to be welcomed like this. n
Chigwell students are encouraged to gain work experience in the holidays. Joseph Klein in Year 12 may study Politics or a related subject at university and he arranged work experience with the MP for Bedford, Richard Fuller. As part of his experience, he was included in a meeting with the Rt. Hon. Chris Grayling MP, Lord Chancellor, about the problems caused by new arrangements for magistrates’ courts. In addition, the Prime Minister came to Bedford to announce the Marriage Tax Allowance and Joseph was specifically invited to attend the private press conference with SkyNews where he had the chance to meet with David Cameron. n
22 | 23
SPORT
Sports Day Despite the slightly inclement weather our annual Junior and Senior School sports day took place with fierce competition, excellent commentary and plenty of wholehearted support from those in attendance. Thank you to the Friends of Chigwell who worked so hard throughout the day to provide refreshments and to raise funds. The following week basking in glorious sunshine the Pre Prep held their Sports Day. Healthy competition combined with mass participation were characteristics of the afternoon. Record numbers of parents and grandparents cheered on the pupils and all had a wonderful time. n
Pre Prep
Seniors
Rowing news Many congratulations to George Prior who rowed at Henley this summer. George rows for the Globe Rowing Club and he competed in a composite boat comprising two Globe rowers and two from the London Youth Rowing Centre. This was in the adult section and the four rowers came fourteenth out of twenty-eight. Later this year, George will
be competing in the British Championships in Strathclyde in both a pairs and an eights boat. He only just missed out on the Great Britain trials but is training extremely hard for many hours each week. His coaches have commented on how much his performance has improved and we will follow his progress with interest. n
Juniors
SPORT
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2015
Cricket The 1st XI had a good season this year. Their best win was against Bancroft’s in a nail-biting thriller which Chigwell won with some very tight bowling. However, the 2nd XI won the prize for the most successful Chigwell team, they were unbeaten in all their matches, winning all but one of their matches. The U15s finished the season on a high, beating Norlington by 4 wickets in their last match. The U14s highlight of the season was their victory against Essex Association of Boy and Girls Clubs, where Chigwell batted extremely well, then bowled out their opposition for less than a hundred runs. This season the U13s have been very impressive. They produced some fantastic victories and only lost one match all season. The U12s had a great run of success, they reached the semifinals of the Essex Cup but then lost narrowly off the last ball against Brentwood. It was such a great achievement, the U12s should be extremely proud of their efforts. The Chigwell U11s had a fantastic day at the Bancroft’s Tournament. They won all of their five matches, beating St Cedd’s, Bancroft’s, Forest, Woodford Green Prep and lastly St Aubyn’s in the deciding game. All of the Chigwell players, made a massive contribution throughout the day. They dominated in all their matches, particularly in the first game against St Cedd’s where Chigwell scored 78 runs in only 5 overs. Not only did Chigwell bat and bowl well in the tournament, they also produced a brilliant fielding display, getting seven run-outs
U11s tournament winners
Aryan Gupta: Man of the Match against the MCC scoring 76
Chigwell v England Women Academy
Chigwell v MCC
in the five matches that they played. The U10s started and finished the season with some excellent wins. They seemed to get stronger and stronger as the season went on. They had triumphs against Forest, Bancroft’s Prep, Alleyn Court, Woodford Green Prep and St Aubyn’s. n 24 | 25
SPORT
Hockey Chigwellian captains county side to success Alice Melvin captained her U16 Essex Hockey team to glory at the regional finals. Essex won all their matches to become East champions. This was a tremendous achievement by Alice and her team. n
Chigwell Girls’ hockey success outside of School Many of our Chigwell girls played for the victorious Old Loughtonians U14 team that won all their matches at their regional competition. This meant that they qualified for the National Finals and played at the National hockey stadium at the Olympic Park. Several also played for the U15 team that finished as runners up in their competition. The girls involved were; Zoe Wright, Chloe Stack, Stevie Southall, Charlotte James-Pajwani, Venetia Bailey, Maisy Howson and Ellie Ahern. n
Boys’ 1st XI HA Cup Following their success in England Hockey’s Boys’ U18 School Plate last year, the 1st XI continued their affinity with the knockout competition by winning through to the later national stages again.
Alice with the U16 Essex Hockey team
U14 National Finals at the Olympic Park: L-R – Stevie, Chloe, Zoe, Charlotte and Venetia
Charlotte and Zoe winning the U14 East finals with Essex
They secured impressive wins against strong opposition such as Greshams School and Ipswich School. Unfortunately, they met an undefeated Whitgift School at the national stage and they proved too good on this occasion. n
Boys’ 1st XI
Congratulations to Nathan Moscow, Joseph Ahern, Patrick Duke and Oliver Betts in Year 8, who have all been selected to progress from the U14 Essex Junior Development Centre to the U14 Essex Junior Academy Centre and likewise Ben Kearin
in the U13 age group. This gives them the opportunity for further training and the chance to be selected to represent Essex in the East Junior Academy Friendly and Festival matches. n
SPORT
Football Three Chigwell School pupils represented the Independent Schools FA National U14 and U15 squads. The boys met up with the rest of the squads at Nottingham University for a two-day training camp. Tommy Redhead played for the U14A team who won 7-1 against Notts County U14s, whilst Jake David played for the U14B team who won
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2015
3-1 against Notts County U13s. Alec Osborn played for the U15 team who narrowly lost 1-0 against Notts County’s U15 side. Alec was then selected to represent ISFA in a festival held at Carrington, Manchester United’s training ground. Alec played in matches against Manchester United, Liverpool and Aston Villa. n
National Swimming success for Chigwell Pupils at the IAPS National Swimming Finals Five Chigwell pupils qualified for the Independent Association of Prep Schools National Swimming Finals.
Girls’ Football
A growing number of girls played football in the summer term. Particular congratulations go to the U14 side who were semi-finalists in the Haileybury School tournament. n
Tennis
Netball and to socialise with other teams over a picnic lunch. All teams and parents were very supportive and their efforts were fantastic, providing all of the refreshments and running the stalls on the day. The day
was so successful that they are going to continue to run this event on an annual basis. A total of £700 was raised towards the tour and they would like to thank everyone involved who made the day so special. n
The pupils travelled to the K2 swimming centre in Crawley for the event and the team performed to their very best, with each of the five pupils recording personal best times either in their heats or finals. In the morning, for the boys’ competition, Joseph Ahern swam a new PB of 29.85 secs for the U13 50m free, missing out on a place in the final by 0.4 secs.
James Howell (Year 4) won the U9 Rugby LTC Classic 2015 grade 4 tennis tournament in Warwickshire against players from Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Staffordshire. n
At the end of the Netball term Chigwell hosted a Netball fundraising tournament to support the girls who will be attending the Orlando Disney Netball tour on October 2016. The event involved mixed
The girls competition took place in the afternoon and Emily Iley, Maddie McCormack and Alex Bibby all qualified for their
finals and Eleanor Ahern, swimming a PB in the U13 50m backstroke heat, was a reserve for her final. Maddie swam PBs in both the heats and the final of the U13 50m breaststroke with a best time of 40.33 secs which gave her a fifth place finish in the final. Alex also swam PBs in both the heats and the final of the U12 50m freestyle with a best time of 30.30 secs which gave her second place in the final winning a silver medal. Emily followed this trend and swam a new PB in the heat of the U11 50m backstroke with a time of 33.18 secs and then tied in a dead heat for first place in the final winning a gold medal and being crowned National Champion. Well done to all of our swimmers for performing so well at such a prestigious national competition. n
adult teams, comprised of mothers, fathers, friends and family, alongside junior girls teams. With around 160 people involved, the event gave the Chigwell community the opportunity to enjoy a day of
26 | 27
Dates for your diary 1 September: Evensong, York Minster, 5.15pm 12 September: Primary Schools’ Football and Netball Festival, 9.00am 19 September: Open Day 2 October: Charity Gala Evening, Drama Centre, 7.00pm 10 October: Prep and Primary Schools’ Music Festival, all day 6 November: Friends of Chigwell Firework Night, 6.00pm 11 November: Remembrance Services, St. Mary’s, Chigwell, Junior School 8.30am, Senior School 12.00pm 26 November: Junior School Concert, New Hall, 7.00pm 30 November: Advent Carol Service, St Mary’s Chigwell, 7.00pm
Designed and Printed by
www.n2vis.com
3 December: Senior School Michaelmas Term Concert, New Hall, 7.00pm 11 December: Senior School Play, Drama Centre, 7.00pm 14 December: Service of Nine Lessons and Carols, St Mary’s, Chigwell, 7.00pm
chigwell school
open days 2015
CHIGWELL SCHOOL
MAIN OPEN DAY Saturday 19th September 2015 Entry at 4+
Talks will be at 12 noon in the Pre Prep School. There will be an opportunity to tour the Pre Prep and then move up to the Main School for a tour there and to hear the Headmaster's speech. The afternoon will end at 3.00pm.
Entry at Ages 7+ and 11+
Additional 4+ and 7+ Open Morning Saturday 10th October 2015
Talks will take place at 10.30am followed by tours of both the Pre Prep and Main School. The morning will end at 12.30pm.
Additional Sixth Form Open Evening
There will be talks at 1.30pm and 3.00pm. Tours will take place after each talk, led by current pupils, with exhibitions in all areas of the School. The afternoon will end at 4.00pm.
Thursday 5th November 2015
Sixth Form Entry
Additional 11+ Open Morning
9 January: Evensong, St John’s, Cambridge, 4.00pm
Talks will be at 1.00pm in the Sixth Form coffee shop followed by tours of the School. The afternoon will end at 4.00pm.
Talks will take place at 10.30am followed by tours of the School. The morning will end at 12.30pm.
25 February: Chamber Concert, New Hall, 7.00pm
Individual Tours
15 December: First Form Christmas Concert, Drama Centre, 3.30pm 22 December: Nine Lessons and Carols for Charity, St Margaret’s, Westminster 6.30pm
LENT TERM...
19 March: Choral Concert at Christ Church, Spitalfields, 7.00pm
The Headmaster, Head of Sixth Form and other senior members of staff will be available from 7.30pm to 9.30pm. The evening will end at 9.30pm.
Saturday 7th November 2015
Tours are available for prospective parents and pupils on a normal working day.
For further details please contact the Admissions Registrar, Mrs Janet Long T. 020 8501 5700 Email: jlong@chigwell-school.org Website: www.chigwell-school.org
Letters or Enquiries to: The Editor News from Chigwell, Development Office, Chigwell School, High Road, Chigwell, Essex IG7 6QF Telephone: 020 8501 5748 Email: development@chigwell -school.org Website: www.chigwell-school.org
Chigwell School is an Incorporated Charity, number 1115098.