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