News from Chigwell Autumn 2019

AUTUMN 2019

NEWS FROM CHIGWELL

CELEBRATING SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE CHIGWELL SCHOOL COMMUNITY

In this Issue 03 Record Results

07 Successful Scientists

27 Duke of Edinburgh Awards

and much more...

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ACADEMIA

A Level Results Chigwell School sixth form students and their teachers celebrated excellent A level results.

In a year where the number of students obtaining the top grades nationally dropped, at Chigwell almost half of all grades achieved were either A* or A, approximately double the national average. 28% of all students achieved at least three A grades and the most common grade achieved across all students and subjects was a grade A. In addition to their three or four A level subjects, a quarter of the year group took the Extended Project Qualification which involves a significant piece of independent research and counts for half an A level, and of these two thirds achieved an A* or A grade.

Although a small number of students progressed to employment or took a gap year, the vast majority left Chigwell to begin university courses. Some two-thirds moved on to Russell Group universities including Oxford, Cambridge, Exeter, Nottingham, UCL and Durham; a small number left to study abroad. This year three students took up places in the United States at New York University, the University of Michigan and the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Speaking as they collected their results, a number of students reflected on their time at Chigwell: “ Small classes have meant lots of one-to-one time.” “ The Sixth Form helps you prepare for university and the real world, people are always there to give you advice, and Chigwell gives you as much support as you want.” “ I am very happy with my results and I got into my first choice university.” “ I think the teaching has been really helpful, especially the hours outside of the timetable.” “ My advice would be to get involved and to make the very most of teachers and opportunities.”

Headmaster, Mr Michael Punt, said: “We are very proud of our students who have worked hard to fulfil their potential, and it was great to see so many, so pleased with their results and the places that they have secured for the next phase of their lives.

The results marked the end of the students’ time at Chigwell and they have been valuable members of our community contributing a great deal to the wider life of the School. We will miss them as individuals and as a very cohesive year group. We wish them every future success and will follow their ongoing progress with interest.” n

News From Chigwell | Autumn 2019

ACADEMIA

Record GCSE Results

The publication of GCSE results was also the source of much celebration amongst pupils, teachers and parents.

In a year when the exams, in a new format, were widely reported to be more challenging, Chigwell pupils performed really well.

79% of all grades were at 7 (equivalent to the old A grade)

or above, nearly four times the national average. 68% of pupils achieved at least eight grade 7s and 30% achieved at least eight grade 8s. 10% of all candidates achieved all grade 8s and 9s, and the most common grade achieved was an 8. Those pupils who took a Higher Project Qualification in addition to their ten GCSEs, all achieved A* or A grades.

Mr Michael Punt, Headmaster, commented: “Students and their teachers,

supported by their parents, have worked really hard to achieve this success and it has definitely been a team effort.

To have a quarter of all results at the highly prized grade 9 is such an achievement and these young people can move into the next phase of their education with confidence and ambition.

For the majority, that means moving into our Sixth Form to study A levels and we look forward to working with them over the next two years.� n

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ACADEMIA

Speech Day 2019 The annual Chigwell Speech Day took place with events relating to all pupils in the School.

On the Friday afternoon, there was a service of celebration in St Mary’s Church led by Chaplain Rev Gary Scott, for pupils in Reception to Year 4 and this was followed by a garden party in the Pre Prep. Saturday morning saw two services for the remaining Juniors and Seniors, at which the preacher was Dr Diana Lowry. Prize giving itself took place in the marquee on Top

Field on Saturday afternoon and the guest of honour was Dr Charlie Laderman OC. Charlie studied History and Politics at the University of Nottingham and went on to complete a PhD at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge.

He was later a Research Fellow at Peterhouse College, Cambridge, and is currently a lecturer in International History at King’s College, London.

His research focuses on the United States and its relations with the wider world.

Later in the evening, the annual Chigwell ball took place for leavers and parents. n

Leavers In the week after Speech Day, the School held a service for the leavers which was followed by a BBQ on the Swallow Lawn. We are proud of all the students of the year group of 2019 and all that they have achieved during their time at Chigwell. We wish them well for their future journeys and hope they will stay in touch with School. n

News From Chigwell | Autumn 2019

ACADEMIA

Top US Offer for Adrianna Year 13 student Adrianna Wojtyna has received a highly prized offer to study at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), one of the top universities in the US, if not globally.

While studying there, Adrianna will have one year in which to choose the subjects

to major although her interests centre on electrical, materials and mechanical engineering.

However, in addition to these she will be able to explore other subjects such as humanities, foreign languages and design during her first year.

She believes that this diversity of subjects will allow her to further explore her interests in technology, but also develop new passions. n

The New York Academy of Sciences: 1000 Girls, 1000 Futures Congratulations to Chigwell sixth former Julia Lasiota who has been offered a prestigious place on the Global STEM Alliance (GSA) 1000 Girls, 1000 Futures mentoring programme with The New York Academy of Sciences.

This programme matches female STEM-interested students with volunteer

mentors. In 2019, the GSA accepted 300 students from 58 countries who will be paired with female scientists, engineers, postdoctoral fellows and other STEM professionals dedicated to inspiring and motivating the next generation of STEM talent.

Participants receive one-toone coaching and coursework emphasising college readiness, leadership, communication and critical thinking. Students also network with a dynamic group of STEM professionals through social message boards, events and activities, all via a dedicated online platform. n

Annual Careers Convention Representatives from a wide range of employment areas and higher education institutions met with pupils in Year 9 and above at the school annual careers convention.

Parents, Old Chigwellians and friends spent the evening in the sixth form centre sharing

their expertise and experience with pupils and parents. They discussed a variety of potential careers, why they might appeal to Chigwell pupils as well as the skills, qualifications and interests that might enable them to be successful. Representatives were very complimentary about the focused questions that pupils asked and pupils were very grateful that so many members of the community had given up their time to share their valuable knowledge. n 04 | 05

ACADEMIA

Meet the Future…

The ‘Meet the Future’ series of informal presentations and talks given by ‘young’ Old Chigwellians goes from strength to strength.

The talks involve discussions followed by question-andanswer sessions from recent former students about starting out in their chosen careers, university, first jobs, changes of plan; in short, advice to their younger selves.

Students meeting Billy Wells…

…Ed Richardson…

…and Dr Sophie Strong

Billy Wells, who left in 2011, is now a foreign exchange salesman with Barclays in Canary Wharf, following a two-year graduate training scheme with the bank. Billy stressed to today’s students why it is so important to have a clear objective throughout school and university, to study subjects at school you love and excel in rather than ones you feel you ‘ought’ to take, and the importance of embracing and using your failures positively.

Old Chigwellian Ed Richardson came back to deliver a talk on his career since leaving Chigwell. Ed now works in investment management with Mercer, having read Economics at university. Students were interested to get the inside track on the lessons he has learned in his career so far, one of which was the value of thinking ahead and getting work experience while at university.

In addition, Dr Sophie Strong, who left in 2009 and now works in the obstetrics and gynecology department at Whipps Cross Hospital, visited school to give a lunchtime talk on ‘A Career in Medicine’ to a large group of students. In the afternoon she saw Year 12 students one-to-one to advise on the medical application process.

Such advice is invaluable to our students who are deciding upon their future career paths. n

News From Chigwell | Autumn 2019

ACADEMIA

Successful Scientists…

British Biology Olympiad The British Biology Olympiad is run by the Royal Society of Biology for A level biology students.

Over eight thousand students took part in the competition this year including a team of thirteen from Chigwell.

The questions extend across a wide-ranging syllabus and the

Earlier in the year 11 Sixth Form students volunteered to take part in the Royal Society of Chemistry Olympiad Competition 2019.

aim is to challenge the very best biology students. The results were very good with three of the team achieving medals.

Congratulations go to: Becky Morgan who achieved a silver medal; Poppy Bradley and Piers Daniel who were awarded bronze medals; Julia Lasiota and Maddy McCormack who were Highly Commended; and Haaris Anwar and Simren Patel who were both Commended. n

Chemistry Olympiad

This is a challenging twohour test aimed at the best Year 13 students with over 7,000 entrants nationally. All the students did very well and we are proud of all of them with the following students being awarded medals: Gold (top 8%) Adrianna Wojtyna, Silver (top 25%) Joy Cheung, Bronze (top 30%) Poppy Bradley and Madeleine McCormack (especially noteworthy as Madeleine is in Year 12).

Chemistry teacher, Mr Long, commented that “It is great to see the students testing themselves outside their comfort zone like this.” n

Physics Olympiad Physics students, Aleksandra Bulira, Vito Yang and Ryan Huang have followed the success of previous students in the British Physics Olympiad.

Around 2,000 of the best A level physics students across

the country took part this year and these three performed exceptionally well.

Aleksandra achieved a bronze award, Vito was rewarded with a silver and Ryan performed really well, gaining a gold award which placed him in the top 100 of all those who participated. n 06 | 07

ACADEMIA

Impressive Medal Haul at Biology Challenge Chigwell biologists from Years 9 to 10 took part in the Biology Challenge, an online competition run by the Society of Biology open to all schools in the UK. The competition aims to stimulate curiosity for the natural world and encourages pupils to take an interest in biology outside of school. The team from Chigwell consisted of all the Year 9 pupils and several from Year 10 and they produced some very impressive

results, winning the highest number of medals we have ever achieved. Jack Murray, Charlie McCormack, Florence Allen, Connie Duggan, Avantika Bharadwaj and Sulayman Khan all won bronze medals; Eaton Boateng, Hanna Johal, Sally Chapman and Alexandra Scott won silver medals and Nadya Antoniou won a gold medal, putting her in the top 5% of pupils nationwide.

Head of Biology, Paul Eardley, commented “congratulations to all who took part and well done for maintaining the school’s high level of success in this competition.” n

The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Competition Congratulations to Poppy who was the runner up in the senior science category of the Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Competition 2019.

From several thousand national entries Poppy was amongst 225 finalists who were invited to exhibit their projects at the Big Bang Fair at the NEC in Birmingham. The fair is the UK’s largest celebration

of science, technology, engineering and maths and Poppy’s entry was based on the research she carried out into tracheal stem cells on her Nuffield placement at UCL last summer. She commented that being able to exhibit her work at the fair was one of the best experiences that she has ever had, she feels very privileged to have had the opportunity to share her work with so many people and to be placed so highly was the icing on the cake. n

National finals for Chigwell Mathematicians The Pangea Mathematics Competition is held in 21 European countries with the transnational philosophy of ‘mathematics connects’.

In the UK, almost 9,000 pupils from 150 schools took part in the first round.

Twelve Chigwell School

pupils did amazingly well to qualify for the national finals, which were held at Middlesex University.

Faced with some incredibly tricky questions, their enthusiasm and determination was a delight to see and amidst all the collected brainpower, Justina picked up a spot prize for the fastest in the room to solve a problem presented by the legendary Mr Numbervator. n

News From Chigwell | Autumn 2019

ACADEMIA

BBC Young Reporter This year, BBC School Report has a new name: ‘BBC Young Reporter’ attracting 18 student journalists from Years 7

and 8, who have spent the year learning news reporting skills and investigating the stories that interested them.

Reports included drone defence, Article 13, the dark side off the moon, graffiti art and the dubious sovereign nation of ‘Sealand,’ where you can become an Earl for only £25. The live

news day puts students on the hot seat – for a day filled with pressure, deadlines, thinking, writing, editing and finishing what they start. n

universal all resonated deeply with the pupils present. Their questions revealed a high level of compassion and a need to

comprehend the reasons for the hate and violence to which Mr Olmer and millions more Jews were subjected. n

Mr Harry Olmer Once again pupils from Years 9 and above had the privilege of listening to Holocaust survivor, Mr Chaim (Harry) Olmer.

Ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day on 27th January, the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, his powerful testimony of survival, strength and dignity in the face of horror was a potent message to all those present.

Mr Olmer, born in Poland in 1925, was a prisoner of several

Nazi concentration camps and suffered horrendously. After six years and close to death, he was liberated by the British Army from the Terezinstadt camp, near Prague. He was taken to England to recover and this has been his home ever since.

Mr Olmer’s life and experiences in pre-war Poland and in Nazi-occupied Europe are a painful reminder of how racism, hate, discrimination and indifference towards persecution can lead to genocide. His message of forgiveness, his plea for reflection on our attitude towards differences and his message that human rights are

Child Genius Year 9 pupil Vika Barker was approached to audition for Channel 4’s Child Genius, hosted

by Richard Osman, in which a group of child prodigies compete in a series of tasks to gain the title of ‘Child Genius’.

Along with several hundred others, Vika completed rigorous tests of maths, history, and IQ, and just 18 were chosen to take part in the televised rounds of the competition. She put in a really fantastic performance, finishing 12th out of some of the brightest children in the UK. Vika found it to be a great experience and despite the stress of performing in front of a live audience and TV cameras, she very much enjoyed the opportunity. n 08 | 09

ACADEMIA

Festival of the Spoken Word Unsurprisingly the quality of this year’s presentations rivalled that of earlier years.

James-Pajwani and Alexandra Scott were all very compelling.

AJ Boateng and Tobi Beckley performed a dualogue most creditably too.

Starting with prepared readings, won by Avantika Bharadwaj with ‘The Identification’, the performances showed poise and real skill. It was hard for the adjudicators, Ms Feeney and Mr Lonsdale to distinguish between the performers in this section, let alone in the monologues that followed. Immy Peck, though, distinguished herself as Lady Macbeth in the famous sleepwalking scene, though monologues by Charlotte

The enthusiastic audience obviously enjoyed the evening. n

An undoubted highlight was the original writing section, won by Suli Scatchard.

In typical unconventional fashion Lucas Jefcoate wowed the audience with a highly entertaining song about keeping hydrated. The other poems by Josh Mercer, Molly Moloney, Ziyad Chaudhary and Zoe Wright showed undoubted talent too.

Middle School Speaking Competition The annual Middle School Speaking competition took place in the Drama Centre in front of an appreciative audience. As usual, the standard was high and the range of speeches impressive, from the chilling ‘Female Serial Killers’ to ‘Nothing is Sacred in Comedy’. The adjudicators, Mrs Juliet Boughton and Ms Niamh Feeney found it difficult to separate some of the speakers,

Oxford Schools Debating Competition This year’s East London round was held at Brampton Manor Academy with at least twenty-four teams competing. Chigwell School entered four teams and were delighted when the Chigwell A team, Julia Kotlarska and Christopher Collins, were among the five teams selected for the Oxford Finals Day. This is the third time in four years that Chigwell debaters have made it to the national finals. n

though the clear winner in the speech section was Molly Maloney from Caswalls’ who spoke about ‘Privilege and Prejudice’. The best chairpersons were adjudged to be Venaya Athwal and Trinity Rungasarmy while Izzy Humphreys won the best vote of thanks with Jyoti Nag-Chaudhury and Ben Punt one point behind. The overall winners were Caswalls’ with Lambourne a close second. n

News From Chigwell | Autumn 2019

ART & DESIGN

Spectacular Speech Day Exhibition The Private View of the 2019 Senior and Junior Art & Design and Design & Technology Speech Day Exhibition took place in the school gallery just before Speech Day. The exhibition presented a stunning selection of work created during the current academic year by our very talented and hard working pupils. Created by members of both the Senior and Junior School, all of the exhibits that were displayed demonstrated an incredible amount of skill and commitment, and the exhibits ably reflected the deep engagement with creativity that is a real characteristic of art and design, and design technology at Chigwell. Head of Art and Design, Mr Edwin Aitken, commented that it was fantastic to see so many staff, parents, pupils and friends of the School enjoying the exhibition and the evening was a brilliant celebration of our pupils achievements and the importance and value of creative activities to their development. n

Chigwell Host ‘Brilliant Bags’ Art Teachers’ Workshop Art teachers from local schools came to the Junior Art Room, for a wonderful day making ‘Brilliant Bags’.

pupils. Mrs Claire Tilbrook, Head of Junior Art, Design and Technology, remarked “Having grown up by the sea and seen that environment changing, I

am keen to help fellow teachers not only make some highly colourful bags, but also teach the children about saving our oceans.” n

Chigwell hosted this annual art workshop where reusable bags were created with an ocean theme linking to protecting the world by stopping the use of so much plastic. The aim of the day was to bring primary school teachers together to share expertise and ideas that can be taken back into the classroom for the benefit of 10 | 11

ART & DESIGN

The 23rd Open Junior Art, Design and Technology Exhibition Once again, the Chigwell School Gallery hosted this popular primary schools’ art exhibition in which twenty-seven schools submitted work generated by their pupils.

Over three hundred visitors attended the opening of the exhibition and had the opportunity to marvel at several hundred pieces of work from artists aged three to twelve.

Mrs Claire Tilbrook, Head of Junior School Art, commented, “A wonderful selection of art was displayed, ranging from beautiful still life studies, to fishy fabric bags made to be used instead of plastic bags, to raise the awareness of the devastating plastic pollution in our oceans.

Our visitors were amazed at the high standard and variety of work on display.” n

t r A e Mor ell … w g i h C t a

News From Chigwell | Autumn 2019

CHARITY

Pre Prep Charity Breakfast The Pre Prep’s Charity Breakfast, held to support the work of the Chigwell Riding Trust and Cancer Research UK, was a great triumph and thoroughly enjoyed by pupils, staff and parents from across the School.

Families had the opportunity to delight in a specially prepared breakfast with friends, whilst the School’s youngest pupils entertained them with a selection of their favourite songs. Mrs Gibbs and Mrs Punt said that they were delighted that the event was so well supported and that over £400 was raised for two worthy charities. The generosity of our parents, as always, is greatly appreciated by the School. n

Charity Breakfast

Big Dance for Charity The Pre Prep’s annual end of term Big Dance was a real success.

Watched by their families, pupils danced and sang enthusiastically to a medley re-mix of Queen’s greatest hits.

On the two mornings that the dance was performed, parents also supported the Pre Prep’s

Charity Breakfast. Mrs Gibbs, Head of Chigwell School Pre Prep was pleased that this exciting and entertaining occasion raised over £750 for Cancer Research UK and the Chigwell Riding Trust.

Chigwell families always support fundraising events and give bigheartedly which is most valued. n

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CHARITY

Gala Evening Friends, families and pupils came together for an evening of highly polished performances at the Charity Gala in support of Smiles with Grace and Haven House. n

Prom for Charity Year 11 pupils came together for their prom to mark the end of their GCSEs. The event raised money for Smiles with Grace, the charity set up by former pupil Grace Boxall, who sadly passed away in 2013. Patrons of the charity gratefully received their generous funds at the fun event. n

News From Chigwell | Autumn 2019

CHARITY

Shakespeare Rocks The Year 6 pupils performed Shakespeare Rocks to an enthusiastic New Hall audience to continue their charitable work for St Clare Hospice.

This is a local charity, which provides free compassionate care and support to adults with lifelimiting illnesses, their families and carers. The pupils learned about this charity in their PSHE lessons and have been busy raising awareness and funds throughout the school year.

Head of Year 6, Miss Geraldine Brien, commented she was very proud of all the children, who took the initiative to organise a musical production in order to raise awareness and money for their chosen charity, St Clare Hospice. The children worked incredibly hard in a short space of time and put on a show to remember. n

Team Chigwell Fundraising A team of Chigwell parents, staff and Old Chigwellians came together to run for a good cause in the London Asics 10k.

The team had a wonderful day running in the Capital,

passing some of our most iconic landmarks. All the hard work and fun raised an amazing £4,000 for Cancer Research UK and plenty of awareness for them as well. In addition, we have nearly one hundred runners signed up for the team’s next outing at the Royal Parks Half Marathon where last year they raised an amazing £90,000. n 14 | 15

DRAMA

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory A packed Drama Centre witnessed the Key Stage 2 production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

The elaborate, colourful and mouth-watering set complemented the equally eye-catching costumes. Director, Dr Mireille Zrinzo, commented that the pupils worked very hard to learn their lines and produce a really well-polished and highly entertaining show that ran very smoothly thanks to an excellent backstage team.

This highly ambitious and successful production was a sheer pleasure to watch. n

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe The Year 7 and 8 production this year was The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

This successful production of the C.S. Lewis classic tale was a major undertaking when

considering the costumes, the technical effects and the cast of over thirty pupils. For perhaps the first time lighting and sound desks were operated

by Year 7 and 8 pupils while others from those years worked backstage. There were many fine performances, with main

characters rising superbly to the challenge, ably supported by those in lesser or cameo roles.

Mr Andy Lewis, helped by Mr Roderick Lonsdale, directed the production and both agreed that it had more than come up to their high expectations. n

News From Chigwell | Autumn 2019

DRAMA

Into The Woods The School took the opportunity to bring together the departments of Music, Drama, Art and English to present a production of the musical Into The Woods.

Under the direction of the Sixth Form Drama Scholars, Rosie Singha, Immy Peck

and Emma Jones together with Howard Ebden as the Musical Director, the audience was drawn into an immersive fairy-tale experience. The cast included pupils from Years 6 to 13 who were supported and inspired by the peripatetic singing teachers. The end result was a charming, menacing yet hilarious story where characters collided as they found out that what you wish for isn’t always what you get in the end. n

GCSE Scripted Drama Pieces The Year 11 scripted GCSE exams took place over two nights.

As anticipated, the performances were excellent, full of life and vitality, often using physical theatre most effectively.

The pieces ranged from scenes from Othello to more contemporary pieces. The pupils

showed a capacity to believe in their roles and create believable, interesting characters. The audiences on both nights were thoroughly entertained. n

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DRAMA

Year 12 Devised Drama Drama students always rise to the challenge of devising their own plays and do this in imaginative and intriguing ways.

This year’s offerings were of a similar high standard to previous years and were notable for their effective use of colour, costuming, make-up and music;

indeed the make-up showed great ingenuity and skill. The storylines were varied too, from dreams to mental illness to the pressures of being a teenager. n

Year 13 Scripted Play and Monologues A very talented group of Year 13 Drama students rose to the occasion of the exam and the high expectations of the audience with a superb set of monologues, a physically demanding duologue and a spirited performance of an absurdist play, The Wonderful World of Dissocia by Anthony Neilson.

Becky Howarth, Lucas Jefcoate, Hannah Jolayemi, Sophia Mouzourides, Alex Sugar and Zoe Wright are to be commended on their professional and highly entertaining performances in demanding roles. Drama is certainly alive and well at Chigwell School. n

News From Chigwell | Autumn 2019

MUSIC

Young Musician of the Year The annual Chigwell School Young Musician Competition took place with musicians from across the School competing for a place in the final.

In the event, vocalist Lucas Abrami-Gill (Year 13) was winner with Oliver Jackson (Year 12) runner-up for the Senior Category. Arthur Easey (Year 9 trombonist) won the Junior Category with Mily La (Year 4 pianist) as the runner-up.

But who would be an adjudicator for this event, a musical highlight of the School calendar? It promises a twelve-hour day full of difficult choices: this year thirty-seven able and aspiring musicians

participated. Nicholas Chalmers gladly took on the role, bringing with him more than twenty years of experience: artistic director of the Nevill Holt Opera and conductor with Northern Ireland Opera along with collaborating on dozens of productions, promoting young singers and contemporary music. Mr Chalmers expressed his delight not only with the ‘high-level playing’ but with the variety of instruments used: cello, violin, trombone, electric guitar, flute, alto saxophone, clarinet, trombone and marimba. He praised the hard work and dedication of the students and expressed how impressed he was that after his initial comments on each pupil’s playing, so many returned to get further insight into how they could improve. Director

of Music, Howard Ebden, was delighted with the quality of all our young musicians and expressed gratitude for their commitment and for the support of their teachers and parents.

This is the second year in a row Lucas has won Young Musician of the Year; this time displaying the range of his rich and versatile

voice, singing in English: Go Lovely Rose Op. 2. No.3 by Roger Quilter; Ave Maria in Latin by Franz Schubert; and in German, Zucignung Op. 10 No. 1 by Richard Strauss. This award means Lucas will be featured in our Choral Evening in Central London, shortly before Christmas. n

Summer Concert The Summer Concert surpassed the high expectations.

The Big Band made a bold start to the evening with three numbers: Splanky by Nestico, Li’ l Darlin by Count Basie and It’s Alright to Disagree arranged by Jim Martin with vocals by Lisa Maioli and Rosie Singha. Then followed the Rock Band’s medley of classic tunes by Queen, Jimi Hendrix and AC/DC – the audience did its best to help keep the beat – with vocals by Rayn Ismail-Ahluwalia, Harry Mead and Nathan Mercer. Other large ensemble works included the Wind Band with Philip Sparke’s Year of the Dragon.

The String Orchestra started with the more formal, Vivaldi’s Rustic Concerto ended with a nod to 60s film music by Henry Mancini: Moon River, The Pink Panther and the theme from Peter Gunn. The Saxophone Group presented Philip

Buttall’s The Lone Ar-ranger and a delightful new edition appeared in the form of multiple marimbas and vibraphones with the Senior Percussion Ensemble which created a gorgeous mesmeric mood with Lluvia by W. Edwards. In contrast, the Senior Drumline transported the audience to the silver screen with Movie March a medley of cinema favourites.

Leaving Seniors, Georgia Reid and Suli Scatchard performed Four Waltzes for Flute, Clarinet and Piano (Simon Winters) by

Shostakovich. The Flute Group received a rapturous response playing You’ve Got a Friend in Me and Bohemian Rhapsody arranged by pianist/teacher, Joel Goodman.

Several vocal contributions on the night included solos

by Maria Khokhar (Poor Unfortunate Souls from The Little Mermaid) and Schubert’s Ave Maria sung by Baritone, Lucas, who won this year’s ‘Young Musician of the Year’ award. A sonorous vocal trio

featuring Rosie, Anika Jayanth and Maria with an adventurous Pentatonix version of Elvis Presley’s Can’t Help Falling in Love with You, not to mention the always thrilling brilliance of our Chapel Choir’s performance of Insanae et Vanae Curae

by Haydn. Final thanks and goodbyes were given by Director of Music, Howard Ebden for the senior leavers: Maria, Lucas, Georgia and Suli. As always, thanks go to all those who support music at Chigwell so enthusiastically. n

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MUSIC

Junior School Summer Concert New Hall was full for the last concert of the academic year with performances from a variety of Junior School pupils.

The Junior Orchestra opened the diverse musical evening with a medley from The Greatest

Showman. The Junior Drumline and Percussion Ensembles lit up the evening with their rousing performances, as did the Junior Saxophone and Clarinet Groups.

The Year 8 group enthusiastically delivered their unique rendition of Shotgun whilst the Cello Group and Stringles both set a melodic summer tone. A solid piano solo from Guan Chen Liu,

a delightful flute and horn duet from Joe Mathison and Rose Jackson and a light and airy performance of Mr Sandman from the vocal quartet, all added to the occasion. The Modern Music Ensemble set toes tapping with the colourful sounds of Snarky Puppy and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and the Year 5 & 6 Boys’ Choir delighted the

audience with The Lion Sleeps.

The evening closed with the Year 5 & 6 Girls’ Choir delivering the unforgettable Finale from Shrek the Musical, This is Our Story.

Director of Music, Howard Ebden, remarked that this was another fabulous musical evening where the children not only displayed their talent but their joy to be on stage. n

In addition to the music education delivered via the curriculum, pupils are offered instrumental music lessons at Chigwell provided by twenty-seven visiting music teachers. Exams with Trinity College London and ABRSM exam boards are offered each term in Music, Music Theory and Rock and Pop. Notably this year Lucas Abrami-Gill and Rosie Singha have been awarded their ARSM diploma’s in singing. Ben Copsey has been awarded a place to study at the Junior Royal Academy joining Arthur Easey who continues his study at the Academy. Likewise, Jack Murray continues with the National Youth Jazz Scheme and Mily La at the Pre Junior Academy. n

News From Chigwell | Autumn 2019

OUT & ABOUT

First World War Battlefields Trip A group of Year 9 pupils visited the First World War battlefields in Belgium and France.

The two-day history trip provided the opportunity to compare the mud and devastation of the Ypres Salient with the wide-open, predominantly rural, Somme battlefields of 1916. It was a poignant but most valuable trip; one which will live long in the memories of both pupils and staff. Visiting the trenches, battlefields and memorials provided a deeper understanding of the sacrifices on both sides of WWI. Whilst on the Salient the group visited the Commonwealth War Graves cemetery in Lijssenthoek, which was profoundly different to the German cemetery they visited later in the day at Langemarck.

In between these two visits the pupils entered the trench system at Bayernwald in order to see how the Germans held the advantage of the high ground around Ypres. The group ended the first day at the impressive Menin Gate in the town centre, which is dedicated to the British and Commonwealth soldiers who were killed and whose graves are unknown.

William Saunders reading To My Old School written by John Thurlow (OC) at the grave of Geoffrey Pain (OC) at Delville Woods The next day the group were on the Somme and visited some captivating places including Ulster Tower and the trenches that were left in Thiepval Wood.

They visited the Delville Wood cemetery where Geoffrey Pain, an Old Chigwellian, is laid to rest. He was only sixteen when he was killed in action on the Somme. They listened to a poem written by John Thurlow, another OC victim of the First World War as they observed a minute’s silence by his graveside.

Later the pupils explored The Sunken Lane where they learned about the Hawthorn

Ridge mine and saw first-hand the impact of the catastrophic military decisions on 1st July 2016 and the resulting abundant cemeteries. At the end of the day they visited the colossal Thiepval Memorial to the Missing and amongst over 72,000 British soldiers whose bodies were never found and have no known grave, two OCs were remembered. Poems, tributes and a wreath of poppies were left to commemorate both Henry Allpass and Albert Harris.

The trip had a big impact on the pupils and one commented that it had helped him to

In Thiepval Wood, from where the Irish battalions launched their attack on the first day of the Battle of the Somme

understand the experiences of not just the British soldiers but those from Germany too. He went on to say that he would not forget the horrible conditions in the trenches that the soldiers had to face.

Mr Ian Goddard, Head of History, remarked that the pupils were a credit to both themselves and the School as they behaved impeccably and listened attentively (in trying conditions) as their guides brought a real depth of knowledge to their studies of the First World War. His highlights were going in to the trenches at Ulster Tower and listening to Mr Gower’s reciting of a poem written for Henry Allpass OC by a friend on hearing that he had fallen during the Battle of the Somme. n 20 | 21

OUT & ABOUT

Activities Week Pupils across the School took part in a wide variety of activities during a busy activities week.

Some of these related to curriculum subjects while others were more physically challenging experiences such as the Year 12 trip to the Lake

District or the various Duke of Edinburgh Award expeditions.

The aim is to give the pupils opportunities and experiences that extend beyond the standard curriculum and well beyond the classroom. There were also community-based activities and all in all the pupils gained a great deal from their experiences. n

The Lake District

Scout Adventures

Family Fun Day

Pre Prep Dragon Egg

News From Chigwell | Autumn 2019

OUT & ABOUT

Gardening Club

Natural History Museum

Mountfitchet Castle

The Lake District

22 | 23

OUT & ABOUT

India Trip The School’s annual trip to Tamil Nadu was a huge success.

Twenty pupils and parents from Chigwell stayed in an Ashram about 30km from the city of Tiruchirappalli and joined in with some of the life of the monastic community, including the evening services in the chapel and helping to prepare the food. Near the ashram is the Tim Pruss Memorial School, developed in memory of a former Chigwell pupil who died in an accident shortly after leaving Chigwell in 2005. The group spent time with Year 6 pupils at the school, hearing them read and encouraging conversation in English. The Tim Pruss School held their prize-giving

during the Chigwell visit and the Chigwell pupils participated in the cultural programme by joining in an Indian dance and presenting a dance of their own. The Ashram supports a number of social projects in the local villages and the Chigwell group visited two nurseries which enabled mothers to gain employment and older siblings to go to school, an old people’s day care centre, an old people’s home and a training centre for locals to learn typing or sewing. Deputy Head, David Gower said that the group came together really well and everyone gained great insight into the lifestyle and needs of another culture in one small part of the huge country that is India. ‘It was a wonderful visit and I hope more will want to experience it next year’. n

News From Chigwell | Autumn 2019

OUT & ABOUT

Geographers Head to Iceland At the start of the Easter break, fifty-two Sixth Form students travelled to Iceland for the annual geography trip.

On the first day of the trip, they visited a number of beautiful waterfalls including Seljalandsfoss, which spills 60m over a former sea cliff, now sited far inland due to isostatic rebound. They then visited the Lava Centre to gain insight into the impacts of the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption on the local community. One of the most impressive sites on the trip was Sólheimajökull, or ‘sun house glacier’, which has been retreating since the end of the 19th century at a rate of around 100m per year.

On the second day, the group visited Gullfoss. These double falls drop around 33m then plunge into a mile-long gorge and is 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 and although it does not often

spout nowadays, its neighbour ‘Strokkur’ erupts every 10-15 minutes reaching a height of around 30m. Later, the group travelled to Thingvellir, where Iceland’s parliament was established in 930AD. The site straddles the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, its

rift valley forming where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates pull apart at an average of 3cm a year.

On the third 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, modelled on natural rock columns found throughout the country. One of the final stops was the Blue Lagoon a spacious bathing pool fed with silica-rich geothermal seawater drawn from a 2,000m deep borehole. n

Some of the group were experienced skiers, but for eight pupils, it was their first time on skis. Snow conditions went from the very best – sunny with good powder – until the very last day when the weather turned and conditions became challenging with wind

and a heavy snowfall. The pupils not only celebrated a 15th birthday and pizza |night, but experienced other winter evening delights including tobogganing, skating and curling. This was a wonderful trip and the pupils were excellent. n

Ski Trip to Austria Thirty-one Year 10 pupils enjoyed a week of skiing in Austria at Wildkogel Mountain in the Kitzburhel Alps, Bramberg.

24 | 25

OUT & ABOUT

GCSE History Trip to Germany

Year 10 pupils visited Munich for a three-day GCSE history trip.

On the first day, the pupils retraced Hitler’s footsteps by following the route of the 1923 Munich Putsch, an

armed uprising in which Hitler unsuccessfully attempted to take power by force. The next day, the pupils were guided around Dachau, the first Nazi concentration camp that was built as soon as Hitler came to power in 1933. The camp interned Jews, political prisoners and anyone that was considered to be ‘undesirable’ by the Nazi state. Visits to the parade square, barracks, gas chambers and crematorium were particularly sobering experiences. On the final day, the pupils visited the town of Nuremberg, where the Nazis held their political rallies.

Seeing the vast spaces that were used, and the plans to build even bigger arenas (the biggest of which was intended to hold 400,000 people) helped

pupils to appreciate how Hitler cultivated such popularity.

Exploring these locations will undoubtedly help the pupils in their GCSE history

course next year. However, more importantly, it will be an experience that they will remember for many years to come. n

Classical Greek Adventure Thirty budding classicists from Years 9 to 11, travelled to Greece to enrich their knowledge of the classical world.

The six-day trip allowed pupils to experience ancient Greece in its truest form, bringing their studies to life and giving them plenty of opportunities

to explore the historical sites freely. They began their trip at the Theatre of Thorikos and then battled through the wind and rain to reach the temple of Poseidon at Sounion. After a night’s rest, the group spent the entire second day exploring the key sites of Athens such as the Acropolis, the Olympic Stadium and the Agora. It was a stunning day that let the cohort

discover these world heritage sights in their true intended beauty. The next few days were a whirlwind mixture of travelling around the mainland and experiencing some of the most stunning sights in all of Greece such as Delphi, Olympia, the modern town of Nafplion and the largest theatre in mainland Greece, at Epidauros. It was wonderful to see the enthusiasm

of every pupil, especially when they began to recite classical texts centre-stage. The last visit was to the ancient city of Corinth and the stunning Corinth Canal, with a quick stop for lunch consisting of traditional Souvlaki. The staff commented that the group were outstandingly well-behaved, and that they were a true credit to the School at all times. n

News From Chigwell | Autumn 2019

OUT & ABOUT

Kandersteg Scout Camp At the start of the summer holidays, twenty-seven scouts and explorers went on a trip they will never forget to Kandersteg International Scout Centre in Switzerland.

While there, they went rock climbing in the mountains, where they showed particularly impressive resilience, and visited Oeschinensee lake where some scouts braved the icy waters to go for a paddle. They also tried the very popular and thrilling Rodelbahn, the summer toboggan run. Everyone went on an all-day hike, with the explorers needing ice axes to help them down from a glacier but a more relaxing day was spent in Bern where they sampled the local food and even saw bears. In the evenings, the scouts were quick to make friends with groups from Ireland and Denmark and were very eager to trade scarves. Lastly, there was the international campfire which, despite the rain, provided an excellent chance to experience songs and sketches from around the world. n

Duke of Edinburgh Awards As part of the outdoor learning opportunities at Chigwell, all pupils are given the opportunity to participate in the Duke of Edinburgh scheme. It is completely voluntary to participants and as such the numbers taking part show the value it holds amongst staff, pupils and parents.

Gold hiking expedition

Pupils select and set objectives in each of the following categories: volunteering, physical, skills and the expedition. Many of those who have completed the award recognise that they have developed skills, resilience, confidence and friendships whilst doing so.

Increasing numbers go on to complete the entire scheme and get the chance to collect their Gold award at Buckingham Palace. n

Silver canoeing expedition

Gold presentation

Bronze hiking expedition 26 | 27

SPORT

Sports Days The spirit of friendly competition was on display at the three Chigwell School sports days this year.

The pupils participated in a wide range of traditional athletic events for the honour of their houses. In the glorious sunshine the Pre Prep, Junior and Senior pupils were cheered on by their teammates, family and friends as they learned valuable lessons in sportsmanship. The large numbers of spectators were rewarded with exciting performances throughout each event. n

Pre Prep

Juniors

Seniors

News From Chigwell | Autumn 2019

SPORT

Hockey at Chigwell

1st XI v Bancrofts

U14 Essex County Runners-Up

Charlotte James-Pajwani: U18 National Indoor Champion with Southgate HC

Under 11 Tournament Success

Ten Chigwell pupils competed in the England Hockey National School Competition at Redbridge Sports Centre and the Independent Association of Prep Schools tournament at Haileybury College.

The pupils finished as runnersup in both tournaments, despite only losing one game and conceding two goals throughout the thirteen matches.

Head of Hockey, Will Tomsett, commented that the boys should be extremely proud of their efforts at both events. One of their biggest strengths is their team work and determination and it is fantastic to see them achieve the results they deserve. n 28 | 29

SPORT

Cricket 1st XI v MCC

The final cricket match of the season was the 1st XI fixture against the MCC side. Haaris Usman scored an unbeaten 106 and won a visit to Lords for his excellent innings. n

Ben Copsey Congratulations to Ben who was selected as a member of the National Fast Bowling Academy where he spent the winter training.

As a result of his performance he has been invited back for a second year, having bowled at over 70mph.

We will watch his progress with great interest. n

Chigwell cricket

Essex U10 cricket

U11 cricket

News From Chigwell | Autumn 2019

SPORT

Successful Swimming Sisters Congratulations to Jasmine, Emily and Isabel Iley on their amazing achievements in the English Schools Swimming Association Inter Division Championships held at Crawley.

Emily won the 100m backstroke (Intermediate) with a new national record which had previously stood for eightynine years; Isabel won the 100m backstroke (Junior) and a silver

in the 200m individual medley; and Jasmine won bronze in the 50m fly (open age) and 200m backstroke (Senior). Isabel also won a gold and a silver in two

relays and Emily won a bronze.

It was the first time that all three girls attended this event and they clearly had a fantastic weekend. n

Golf: Champion Charlie Year 7 golfer, Charlie Croker, played at the Faldo Series England South II Championship at Brocket Hall making the cut for day three and finishing 14th out of the under 16s.

He then took this momentum to the Dom Pedro Junior Masters in Portugal, where he won the junior masters for his U12 age group, with an astonishing six

over par total for the three days.

He lay third at the start of the final day, five points behind, but it was like the hare and the tortoise, as he managed to pull it back and scored only one under on day three in a very tense play-off with two Portuguese Champions. He also finished second out of all 70 under 18 players, probably his best round ever!

Amazing André Year 8 pupil, André Micallef, had an amazing time at the WUKF World Karate Championship in Bratislava.

Forty-three countries presented their best karate fighters and André managed to achieve a bronze medal in both solo kumite fighting as well as team fighting despite being 3kg below the entry weight level. This was an excellent performance for his debut on a worldwide competing level. He has been well rewarded for all the hard training and dedication he has displayed and he has a bright future ahead of him. n

Huge congratulations to Charlie who has seen his handicap cut to 5.1. n

Schools Karting Championship Congratulations to Max Mottram (Year 8) and Luke Mottram (Year 10) who, along with George Evans (Year 9), qualified for the final of the British Schools Karting Championship. n

U13 Girls football 30 | 31

Open Events 2019 4+ Entry 14th September 10.00am - 12.00pm 28th September 12.00pm - 3.00pm

7+ Entry 14th September 10.30am - 12.30pm 28th September 1.30pm - 4.30pm

11+ Entry 28th September 1.30pm - 4.30pm 9th November 10.00am - 12.30pm

16+ Entry 28th September 1.00pm - 4.30pm 17th October 6.30pm - 9.30pm

“Achievement is excellent throughout the school”

Independent Schools Inspectorate

Bursaries and scholarships available at 11+, 13+ and 16+ admissions@chigwell-school.org

www.chigwell-school.org

020 8501 5700

A Leading Independent Education for Boys and Girls Aged 4 to 18