HM Letter to Parents September

HEADMASTER’S LETTER SEPTEMBER 2019

T0 PARENTS Dear Parents Welcome back and I would like to extend an especially warm welcome to those families for whom this is your first term at Chigwell. I hope pupils, and indeed parents, are refreshed after the summer in readiness for the exciting term ahead, which will undoubtedly bring both challenge and opportunity.

Contents Page 1 New Pupils Summer Maintenance Work Tom Atkinson Page 2 Charlie Croker Pre Season Training Page 3 Duke of Edinburgh Award Page 4 A Level Results Page 5 A Level Results Page 6 GCSE Results Page 7 Great British Bake Off Page 8 Staff News Calendars News from Chigwell And Finally

New Pupils

We hope all new pupils will settle in very

quickly and have happy, fulfilling and highly successful careers at Chigwell. On

Sunday, our new sixth form boarders arrived; team building took place for all

sixth formers before the start of term, and the remaining new pupils arrive as

term starts. As always, if any parent has any concerns, please get in touch so that we can achieve a smooth transition.

Summer Maintenance Work As always, a huge amount of work has

organ with a full replacement due in 2020,

holidays. This has included replacement

the boarding houses, construction of a

completion of fire door replacement in

taken place around the site over the

new servery and the creation of new

of all boilers below the Old School, re-

staff/visitor toilets.

plastering and redecoration of the library

(the original 1629 school building),

I am very grateful to all the staff who have

redecoration of a variety of classrooms

worked so hard through the summer.

and other areas, removal of the Chapel

Tom Atkinson

Congratulations to Tom who performed

really well in the Scottish Boys’ Under 16

Open Championship finishing tied 32nd in

a field of 144 international players. Tom

continues to perform very well as a golfer and we are very proud of him.

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Charlie Croker

We send our congratulations to Charlie

who, at the end of last term, 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 16’s. He has also taken part in

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. Over the summer break, he has taken part in a competition in Las Vegas

and we will continue to watch his progress with great interest.

Pre Season Training

A variety of pre-season training has taken

On Sunday, sixteen OC ladies who have

addition, the 1st XI played their first

and played hockey against an Old

left the School recently, formed a squad

place for a mixture of year groups. In

Loughtonian Hockey Club side, losing 3-1

fixture against the Old Chigwellian 1st XI

in a well fought match.

with the School winning 1-0.

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Duke of Edinburgh Award DofE continues to grow in popularity and

an increasing number of students are undertaking the challenging gold award.

Over the summer, a group of Lower Sixth

Formers travelled to Scotland to carry out

their training and practice expedition in readiness for their actual gold expedition this coming academic year. Gold awards are presented at Buckingham Palace and

pupils have the choice to canoe or walk for

their silver or gold expeditions. Further details about the DofE will be published shortly.

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A Level Results

A level results day was a cause for much

celebration. In a year where the number of students obtaining the top grades

Although a small number of students will now progress to employment or take a

gap year, the vast majority of A level

leavers will begin university courses over

nationally have dropped, at Chigwell

the next few weeks. Some two thirds

almost half of all grades achieved were

will be moving on to Russell Group

either A* or A, approximately double the national average. 28% of all students achieved at least AAA and the most

common grade achieved across all students

universities and the most popular destinations this year, to which over half of Chigwell

leavers are going, are:

Bath, Birmingham, Durham, Exeter, Manchester, Nottingham, Oxford, Queen

and subjects was a grade A. In addition to

Mary, Royal Holloway, UCL and Warwick.

their three or four A level subjects, a quarter

This year three students will be taking up

of the year group took the Extended

places in the United States at New York

Project Qualification which involves a

University, The University of Michigan and

significant piece of independent research

the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of

and counts for half an A level, and of these

Technology.

two thirds achieved an A* or A grade.

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A Level Results

• •

worked hard to fulfil their potential, and it

reflect on their time at Chigwell while they

was great to see so many, so pleased with

collected their results and comments

their results and the places that they have

included:

•

•

My advice would be to get involved and to make the very most of teachers and opportunities

We are very proud of those students who

On results day we asked some students to

•

I think the teaching has been really helpful, especially the hours outside of the timetable

secured for the next phase of their lives.

The results marked the end of the

Small classes have meant lots of oneto-one time

students’ time at Chigwell and they have been valuable members of our community

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

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

I am very happy with my results and I got into my first choice university

interest.

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GCSE Results 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 which involves an

A week after the A level results, the

extensive piece of independent research in

publication of GCSE results also brought

addition to their ten GCSEs, all achieved A*

happiness to pupils, teachers and parents.

or A grades.

In a year when the exams, in a new format, have been widely reported to be more

Students and their teachers, supported by

challenging, Chigwell pupils performed

their parents, have worked really hard to

really well and, indeed, these were record

achieve this success and it has definitely

results.

been a team effort. To have a quarter of all

results at the highly prized grade 9 (the top end of the old A*) 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.

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Great British Bake Off

You may remember former Head of School, Henry Bird, who is now studying

at Durham University. Henry is also a

contestant on this year’s Great British Bake Off and we will watch his progress with great interest.

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Staff News

News from Chigwell

Richardson and his wife Louise on the

has been produced, giving a flavour of

We send our congratulations to Mr Robert

The latest edition of News from Chigwell

arrival of their baby daughter Nina

some of the many activities and events

Elizabeth.

that have taken place at school during last academic year.

We also congratulate Miss Janey Foster

You can view the

magazine here or alternatively if you

who married Paul over the summer break

would like a copy, you are welcome to

and will now be known as Mrs Foster.

collect one from Reception.

We are being joined by a number of new staff this term. In the Pre Prep, Miss

Samantha Pittaway will be joining us as a

And Finally

taking over as Deputy Head following the

I look forward to seeing you at some of the

Junior School, Ms Benaifer Daji will become

next few weeks.

KS1 teacher and Mrs Emma Conway will be

many events that will take place over the

retirement of Mrs Lisa Barden. In the

a permanent KS2 teacher having worked

With best wishes

here last term on a temporary basis. Miss

Yours sincerely

Ciara McCarthy joins us as a teacher of music and Mr Thomas Crowder will be

Head of German following the retirement

of Mr Jochen Lukesch. We hope that all

Michael Punt

new colleagues will be very happy here.

Calendars

As usual, pupils will be given a copy of the blue calendar with details of all events

taking place this term. If you have not

received a copy, please collect one from either the Junior or Senior Receptions.

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2019 Dates 2019-20 LentTerm Term StaffMichaelmas meetings and INSET on Monday 7th January Term 2019 meetings and INSET on Monday 2nd and Tuesday 3rd September FirstStaff day: Tuesday 8th January First day: Wednesday 4th September Half term: Saturday 16th February to Sunday 24th February Half term: Saturday 19th October to Sunday 3rd November Term ends: Wednesday 3rd April Term ends: Friday 13th December LentTerm Term 2020 Trinity Staff meetings and INSET on Monday 6th January (Easter Day is 21st April) First day: Tuesday 7th January FirstHalf day: Wednesday 24rd April term: Saturday 15th February to Sunday 23rd February ends: Friday 27th March HalfTerm term: Saturday 25th May to Sunday 2nd June INSET Day Monday 3rd June Term ends: Wednesday 10th July