Insight | Spring 2017 by Cobham Hall

Insight | Spring 2017

From the Headmaster this term. Cobham Hall pupils have faced a huge assortment of challenges this term of the anticipated variety. They ranged from creative through physical to intellectual and moral. What has particularly impressed me is the fact that in facing virtually all these challenges our girls have consciously taken on a higher level of difficulty than previously; they have moved up a level.

Welcome

Our Model United Nations delegates have continued to spread their wings beyond Cobham Hall and travelled to other schools. They have been commended in debates with pupils from Felsted and Lady Eleanor Holles Schools.

to the latest edition of Insight. Being a Round Square School, challenge is very much part of our ethos and way of doing things, The global challenges that face us all as well as being key to my have also been commented on “Life personal philosophy. constantly presents incisively and eloquently by What seems a long time all the various speakers us with a stream of ago, and actually is in our regular challenges. They may be nearly nine years, I Humanities Forums. large or small, anticipated wrote some or sudden In both programmes and planned for, sentences that are the level of research and unwelcome. The quoted on Cobham and preparation has only guarantee is they Hall’s website: “Life been excellent and will come, and in all constantly presents us reflected in final manner of ways.” with a stream of challenges. performances: a lesson for They may be large or small, anticipated us all. and planned for, or sudden and unwelcome. The only guarantee is Our sports teams are now competing they will come, and in all manner of against (and not infrequently beating!) ways.” a wider variety of schools including King’s Rochester and Benenden. The I had cause to reflect on my own staging of our School Production words recently as I looked back on spread outside the Gilt Hall onto

Inspection In February, we received an unannounced visit from the ISI, here to carry out a Compliance Inspection. Unlike previous inspections where various qualitative judgements were given, such as excellent or good, this one simply states whether or not the School meets its statutory requirements and obligations The report, published on our website, confirms that the School meets all its statutory requirements.

From the Editor...

I love the Spring; it’s my favourite season. After the dark, cold winter days, being able to see new life cheers me up no end. Especially with grounds as beautiful as Cobham’s; it’s a delight to drive into the office each day!

West Lawns, reflecting our growing ambition and confidence to bring you the greatest show on earth! The School’s efforts to take full care of, and give all round support to, its community have also moved up a level with the opening of our Wellbeing Centre by the Mayor of Gravesham and the continued development of our Wellbeing Programme. It was commented upon favourably when the whole school also experienced a challenge of the unexpected kind with the visit of three members of the Independent Schools Inspectorate in February. As with our other challenges this one was met confidently and energetically and the result, like the others, was very positive. The coming Summer Term brings another set of expected challenges with public examinations. Just as with our School Production, in which after months of preparation the cast and crew had the chance to demonstrate the fruit of their labours, so too with our examination candidates. I am confident they too will respond confidently and successfully. Enjoy reading about our challenges in the following pages!

Mr P Mitchell Headmaster Another delight is the constant sense of awe at just how much our girls seem to squeeze into such a short space of time! Editing this magazine is a joy; the only trouble is somehow figuring out how to squeeze it all in! If I’ve missed something, or if you have feedback, please do get in touch: reidt@cobhamhall.com Happy reading! Tracey Reid Marketing Assistant

Wellbeing Centre Launches As Headmaster Mr Mitchell says, “Life constantly presents us with a stream of challenges. They may be large or small, anticipated and planned for or sudden and unwelcome. The only guarantee is they will come, and in all manner of ways!” With this in mind, our focus at Cobham Hall is on being proactive. We want our girls to develop resilience, in other words, to be able to bounce back. As a result, we’ve redesigned our Personal, Social and Health Education Programme. Gradually being rolled out into the girls’ timetables as ‘Wellbeing’, the sessions still look at topics you’d expect of PSHE – bullying, relationships, internet safety and drug awareness to name but a few – but with the focus shifted to teaching the virtues and positive character traits needed to deal with a variety of situations. In addition, we have developed a dedicated extra-curricular programme that ties in with these timetabled sessions. Examples of this include cookery, to gain a greater understanding of healthy eating, sports activities to boost fitness, and workshops for dealing with stress and anxiety. This term, the Programme gained a home. The Wellbeing Centre provides a space where girls can get away from the hustle and bustle of a busy day or evening and just take time out to relax, chat and play. Thanks to Main Hall Housemistress, and in-house Wellbeing Champion Miss Fenice, there is a well-stocked collection of books and leaflets on a variety of issues covering emotional and physical health and self-care. Noticeboards around the room provide advice ranging from ‘how to be a good friend’ to ‘dealing with eating disorders’. Many of the displays have tear off strips for girls who don’t want to talk face-to-face, and there are details about how to access outside independent listeners. As well as

information, there is a wealth of relaxing activities, with girls dropping in simply to use the colouring books, play Jenga, mould the Play-Doh, or just blow bubbles.

At advertised times of the day, a Housemistress is available for a chat, and there is a room for private counselling if required. We also understand that sometimes girls would prefer to talk to their peers, and so as well as staff being on hand, our Peer Mentors are available. The Peer Mentor scheme has been running successfully for several years, but some students have now had training in active listening skills and are in the Wellbeing Centre each lunchtime.

In March, we were pleased to welcome the Mayor of Gravesham, Councillor Greta Goatley, to officially open Cobham Hall’s Wellbeing Centre. She commented, “I was delighted be asked to be asked to open Cobham Hall’s Wellbeing Centre. I received a very warm welcome from staff and students. Before opening the Centre, the students were very informative on the difference this has made. When I went in, the realisation hit me of what the School has achieved with this; the relaxing atmosphere for students to wind down in, activities to relieve any stress they may be feeling and who to go to with it and not to be afraid. It is very well organised and researched with staff and older students having done their training and continuing to do more.”

Introducing the 2017-2018 Student Leadership Team This year’s Guardian Convention was, as always, a highlight of the Cobham Hall calendar. Although there’s an element of sadness as the current Student Leadership Team pass the baton to the new team, there’s also much excitement and enthusiasm as candidates make their impassioned speeches to the School community. The Convention is an event that truly demonstrates the Round Square IDEALS and what it means to be a ‘Cobham girl’. The young women standing at the podium, whether they were elected or not, showed courage, confidence, leadership and a pride in their school. Congratulations to the new SLT, who are introduced on the opposite page, and thank you to the outgoing team, who are profiled below. We look forward to seeing what events our 2017-2018 SLT organise to make their mark!

Thank you and Good Luck to the 2016-17 SLT

A professional singer, a solicitor and a magazine editor - just some of the career paths our outgoing SLT hope to see themselves ten years from now.

Guardian Tilly, who has been offered a place at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, says she hopes that the new SLT will enjoy their roles, “as this gives a positive and energetic vibe across the whole School”. When asked about her time at Cobham Hall, she said, “I just wish we started at three so that I could’ve stayed here longer!”

Her Deputies, Chiara and Evie, both said one of the proudest reasons for being on the SLT was being able to be the voice of the students, and being a role model for the younger years. For Lenox House Captain Kamsy, a budding solicitor, her biggest

achievement was leading the House to victory in the Music Festival. “I felt accomplished that we did this,” she said, “and that we worked together it was and always will be a team effort.” Richmond House Captain Xu Qing felt being on the SLT was a joy, and enabled her to contribute to the School, even though she only joined for the Sixth Form.

The girls introduced the Staff vs Students Easter Egg Hunt, and hoped that the new SLT continue working as a team for the benefit of the school. Thank you and good luck at university, ladies!

Guardian Lillie

Deputy Guardians Vanessa and Victoria

“My first image of Cobham Hall,” wrote Lillie in her letter of application, “is of driving down the drive with fields of daffodils. And I still remember what I said: “It’s as if they are waving at me”. This image just emphasises the friendly atmosphere which surrounds Cobham constantly. This inspired me to want to be a friend, as well as the Guardian, to all year groups. I think the greatest triumph of this School is it's ability to be friendly and welcoming; a family.” It is in this spirit of family that the SLT want to expand Boarding Week, so that as well as Year 7, Year 12 are also invited. The girls also want to incorporate Spirit Week, to create a week “packed with fun activities, both lunchtime and after-school!” Speaking about why she wanted to be part of the SLT, Lillie explains, “I wanted to thank the School for the opportunities it has given me and how it has shaped me into the person I am today. My Deputies, Vanessa and

Victoria, and I are three examples of how Cobham can shape a person into an independent young lady.”

DID YOU KNOW?

Lillie’s favourite quote is “Reach for the moon and if you miss, at least you are up amongst the stars”. Vanessa adores boxing. She believes it not only improves fitness, but is also therapeutic after a long day at School! She also tells herself every day that “The only person I want to be better than, is the person I was yesterday.” Victoria loves sports, especially skiing, but she’s broken her arm twice doing sport. However, she doesn’t let that stop her doing things she loves, or trying new things either!

House Captains

Darnley: Bonnie

“I feel proud of Darnley for what they have achieved this year. I am proud to say that Cobham Hall is my school and I hope that every other girl here feels the same. I want to make all the girls get excited when there’s an event, a performance, a match or even just going to lessons.”

DID YOU KNOW?

Bonnie eats popcorn with a fork!

Lenox: Emma

Richmond: Emily

“I wanted to be a part of the Student Leadership Team because I have always dreamed of being House Captain and I’m looking forward to not only leading a team but working together in a team. Teamwork is an important skill so I really want to help my House achieve this.”

DID YOU KNOW?

Emily has a love for animals, especially dogs!

Clifton: Saskia

“I want every girl to be proud to be a Cobham girl. Cobham Hall is an amazing School with amazing opportunities. Cobham is a place where we are all there for each other, no matter age or nationality and this is worth so much more than anything else.”

“I wanted to be Clifton House Captain because I’ve enjoyed being a part of my House since Year 7 and have looked up to my previous House Captains and admired them for leading Clifton so well. I wanted to give my House what it had given me.”

Emma is enthusiastic about extreme adventuring and is planning a parachute jump during the summer!

Saskia is fascinated by space and finding out about different galaxies and types of stars.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Ambassador’s Speech

In January, our ESU exchange pupil, Sierra, was excited to be able to attend a talk by the then American Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Matthew Barzun. Sierra recalled, “Ambassador Barzun started the talk by telling the group the advice President Obama gave him before his appointment, “Here it is; listen…”. Sitting with a notebook and pen in hand, staring awkwardly at the President, Mr Barzun waited for Obama to continue, but that was the advice. President Obama made his point in one simple word.” Mr Barzun discussed perceptions of the United States of America, and addressed people’s concerns and frustrations about the US, including the right to bear arms, affordable healthcare, and police brutality. His talk ended by drawing attention to the opening phrase of the US Constitution, “We the People...”, explaining how ‘the People’ has constantly been redefined as there is a gradual shift towards equality. Sierra said Mr Barzun ended his talk by asking the audience what about America inspires them or fills them with hope. “A wonderful assortment of responses followed,” she enthused. “The American Dream. Opportunity. Freedom.” Speaking just before leaving Cobham Hall at the end of the Spring Term, Sierra explained why she applied for her exchange, “I wanted to explore Britain and see what other schools were like! I’ve had a wonderful time exploring nearby, on the grounds and paths around Cobham Hall. During my time, I have been so grateful for the welcoming community of Cobham Hall.”

MUN Girls Commended Last academic year, Cobham Hall’s Model United Nations group got off to a flying start with the club rapidly growing in popularity, and with many members getting the experience of Conferences firmly under their belts. This has continued this academic year and, this term, one Saturday morning was dedicated to a whole School MUN Conference. Many of the experienced girls chaired committes and supported the other girls. Not only did this encourage more students to get involved with MUN, but it also provided excellent preparation for those attending conferences at other schools this term.

Our MUN Chair Miss Williams reviewed the Felsted Conference, saying, “Our delegates represented Brazil, Egypt and Sierra Leone. There were some heated debates on the question of LGBT rights around the world. The Conference ended with an emergency debate in which we imagined a world where the United States had collapsed, the Republic of California had seceded from the Union, Alaska had been annexed by Russia and Texas by Mexico, which made for some interesting discussions. We had a fantastic time with old hands and first timers all managing to get involved and enjoy the experience.”

Our MUN team attended conferences at Lady Eleanor Holles, John Warner and Felsted Schools. We were thrilled when all these experiences culminated this term at Felsted with, for the first time in our MUN group’s short existence, two delegates being commended in their committees - well done to Sixth Formers Emma and April!

SAL win Sixth Form News Quiz!

Ms Lockheart’s Tutor Group came up trumps in the Easter Sixth Form News Quiz, winning a tense tie-break with Miss West’s group. The tiebreak question was ‘Which year was Red Nose Day first held, and how much money was raised?’ SAL were closest to the correct answer of 1988 and £15million, by guessing 1982 and £11million! Some of the girls are pictured left with their trophy!

The Adventures of Year 7 and the Written Word

The adventures began mid-January, when Miss West’s English class were able to take part in BBC’s LIVE lesson on the 500-words story competition. Head of English Faculty, Miss West described the experience: “An exciting live broadcast took place, featuring several speakers. There was a gaming designer who

creates new, thrilling worlds for characters to inhabit. Actor Matthew Lewis (who played Neville in Harry Potter) came in to act out some of the character suggestions from the studio audience. Finally, popular writers Malorie Blackman and Frank Cottrell Boyce were on hand to answer questions and inspire young writers to think of original ideas and to write for a purpose – to shock; scare; surprise; delight – whatever feeling takes your fancy!” Several girls were so inspired that they submitted entries into the BBC’s

500-words Short Story Competition. The shortlisted entrants will be announced in May, with the winner declared in June. Good luck, girls! Later on in the month, the whole year group visited Holmesdale School to hear from Katy Birchall, author of the ‘IT Girl’ Series. Librarian Mrs Jakso said the talk was hugely entertaining, especially for one of our pupils. “When Katy asked for a volunteer to draw a character which all present were going to create,” Mrs Jakso explained, “our very own Arwen was selected and she illustrated the supervillain: A character called Jeff, who has a sidekick – a pink fluffy unicorn who is also evil!”

A World Book Day full of Character Hogwarts had nothing on Cobham Hall on World Book Day! The School became, literally, Wonderland – complete with Alice and the Queen of Hearts. Everywhere you turned, the School was filled with witches, Dalmatians, manga characters and more. The day was a great success with many students dressing up for the occasion in fantastic costumes. The winner was Arwen as Bellatrix Lestrange from the Harry Potter series, having the perfect look and character attitude – she had even made her own wand! Arwen even went to the effort of creating a Book Day Quiz for staff and students to enjoy. Runners up were Manga fans Keeley and Louise, who dressed up as a scout from “Attack on a Titan” and Kuroko from “Kuroko’s Basketball” respectively. The event raised over £130, with all proceeds going to ‘Book Aid International’, helping less privileged children have access to reading materials. Magic!

Careers Insight One Saturday morning, Years 10, 11 and 12, along with students on our Pre-IB Programme, attended a Careers Fair here at Cobham Hall.

secure the job but to be successful; the idea that having a good career is about being able to communicate clearly, to be enthusiastic, interested, positive and self-motivated, to be Chaired by Mr Davies, parent to Year able and willing to problem solve and 11’s Laura, speakers work in a team, to “Attitude drives success, included other be flexible and and people want to be around parents of adaptable: all current positive people. It is contagious, and often referred students, Mr to as others will notice.” and Mrs ‘employability’ - Brian Goodman, Osenton- Welch, or ‘transferable’ Managing Director of Experis and Mr Massar, as skills. The speakers well as Elders Jennifer agreed that these skills were vital as Dick and Katharine Turner. the way the workplace is evolving, it was very unlikely that they would Assistant Headmistress Mrs Barrett have the same employer throughout commented, “The Fair went well. All their career. speakers spoke about the journey to their career and the skills that are “It was made clear that for a limited needed in the workplace, not only to number of jobs the type and class of

degree was essential, but that, for the majority of careers, some possibly not even invented yet, the degree will allow them to apply for the job but not secure it: “Qualifications will get you the interview, but won’t get you hired”. They all agreed it was important to do something that you love doing and not to sign up for a job that you think is a ‘good career’ as you will inevitably be unhappy.” Jennifer Dick was popular; relating to many of the girls, explaining that she didn’t know what she wanted to do after school and so took a gap year. She said it was important to secure your reputation and that one mistake was all it took to ruin future chances. That mistake could be a social media issue or a poor attitude. The girls particularly enjoyed the smaller group chats, where they found it easier to have a discussion.

“Employees that will get hired more easily and ultimately succeed are those that show an eager willingness to do whatever needs to get done, not just what’s in their job description.” - Kevin Watson, CEO and co-founder of jobdreaming

Immersion in Art The end of January saw Year 9 immersed in artistic endeavours, with the aim of encouraging the development of their own talents. Firstly, the girls were treated to a workshop by Gary Clough, a practicing artist in sculpture, drawing and print. He currently has an exhibition, Trace Engines, in the nearby Rochester Art Gallery, displaying both new work, and pieces produced during a residency in China. This was followed by a visit to the Tate Modern to see two exhibitions, as Heather explains, “The first was Robert Rauschenberg, who was an expressionist, modernist and an appropriationist. We also went to see Elton John’s personal photography collection which was entitled ‘Radical Eye’.” Lila enjoyed the Rauschenberg exhibition, saying it was “interesting to see the appropriation Rauschenberg used, by taking objects and ideas out of context and using them in his work. He also used expressionist pop art in his work.” Summing up the visit, Chioma said, “I really liked it because I was able to learn about new techniques and styles of painting and photography, such as appropriation and the False Camera Effect. This provoked discussion and debate. It was enjoyable because we got to experience different aspects of art.”

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award - Ceremony, Planning and Training This term, participants of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award have been busy preparing for their Bronze and Silver Expeditions with route planning, navigation practice and training walks - despite the snow in early January! Several students also attended the Award Presentation Ceremony at the Woodville Halls, Gravesend, to collect their Bronze and Silver Awards. Well done, girls!

Hands-on Science! Whilst the challenge of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award may be of the obvious kind, there have been more subtle challenges in Mrs Thompson’s Science lab! Her Year 8 class had the pleasure of investigating whether maggots prefered light or dark conditions. After creating chambers with light and dark areas, the girls had to place the magggots, one at a time into the chamber and note whether it headed for the dark or light area. For some of them it was a real challenge just holding the maggots! Moving up to Mrs Thompson’s Sixth Form Environmental Systems and Societies students, the girls faced the challenge of learning about ocean currents and the effects of water density - with some very colourful results!

Initial Beginnings to International Baccalaureate! This term, our Music Department treated us to performances from both ends of the learning curve! At the start of February, several girls put on a ‘Beginners’ Concert’ for their peers. These girls have been working incredibly hard towards Grades 1 - 3, and put on confident performances. Then, towards the end of the Spring Term, our International Baccalaureate Music students put on their IB Recitals, which count towards their final Diploma. The performances were, quite simply, stunning.

Raising Money for Blind Children

This term, Cobham Hall supported Mr Haas as he aims to raise £2500 for the Royal Society for Blind Children. He will be running this year’s London Marathon in support of the charity, and arranged a Blind Run and a Blind Bake Sale to raise funds and awareness for the charity. One Spring lunchtime, Cobham Hall’s West Lawn was filled with squeals and shrieks, which gave way to laughter and giggling, as girls took part in the Blind Run. Girls teamed up in pairs, one running wearing a blindfold and the other her guide. The girls ran a 400m course with prizes available for best dressed, best spirit and most laps. Many of the girls running without their sight said it was quite scary – not knowing what was in front of you, or where you were putting your feet. After the event, Mr Haas said, “I am thrilled to see how much the girls wanted to get involved with the Blind Run to raise money for the Royal Society for Blind Children. They really showed their spirit for the event and demonstrated today what it truly means to be a Cobham girl.” A few weeks later, Mr Haas staged a bake sale, but with a twist - treats were sold on smell, rather than appearance! In total, the two events raised an incredible £1364.18! Mr Haas said, “I am so proud of the girls and the charity is very impressed with how the School came together for the event.”

Well done to all in the Mr Haas began his marathon season at the start of the Easter holidays by Music running a Personal Best of 3:39:06 in the Rome Marathon - well done, Mr Haas! Department!

Bushcraft, Team-Building and Trust Lower School have had several adventure mornings and afternoons this term, both within School and at the local Arethusa Venture Centre. The girls enthusiastically took part in team-building exercises, trust activities, bushcraft and problem-solving activities, all designed to develop the girls’ confidence, resilience and communication skills.

Open for debate... Our Humanities Forum convened twice this term with two fascinating debates taking place. The first motion being discussed was “This Forum believes that a return to protectionism and isolationism is a retrograde step reminiscent of the 1930s world order.” Year 13 students Tami and Ruying took to the podium in this Forum. Both Economics students, the girls had to do a remarkable amount of historical research in order to draw comparisons with the 1930s world order. Tami, arguing for the motion, closed with a reminder that “Historical record is clear; protectionism and isolationism is a policy for disaster that leads down the road to war.” Ruying countered that today’s rule of law and international co-operation is very different to that of the 1930s,

with many more countries opening themselves up to trade. She argued that this made today’s economic climate and world order different to that of the 1930s. This was followed a few weeks later with fellow Sixth Formers April and Sierra arguing for and against the motion that “Progressive globalisation will inevitably lead to the dilution of national identity and a more homogenised cultural landscape.” Again, the debates were very well

researched and both April and Sierra provided comprehensive arguments and counter-arguments for their position. All the girls coped well with difficult and contentious questions from the floor and History teacher and Head of the Humanities Faculty Miss Williams and Economics teacher and founder of the Forums Mr Pattison commended the girls on their impressive performances, and ability to argue a position they may not have agreed with personally.

River Study for Year 10 Year 10 Geographers had a day of field work this term. The girls headed to Juniper Hall, and despite the cool weather donned their waterproofs and waded into the river to collect samples and take several measurments to further their studies.

History Conference Year 12 Historians welcomed peers from nearby Tonbridge and Rochester Grammar Schools for a Conference with guest lecturer Dr Mark Hurst from the University of Kent.

Medieval Morning Year 7 enjoyed recreating history one Saturday morning.

Dr Hurst spoke about causation tracing the example of dissent and oppression in Russian History over the last century. Saskia said, “It was really useful and Dr Hurst explained cause and effect in a really interesting way.”

The girls visited Eynsford Castle first, before returning to Miss Williams’ classroom for a lavish Medieval style banquet, complete with games and a juggling jester!

Other sessions were run by history teachers from the three schools looking at the use of sources and essay writing skills.

The girls had a great time uncovering the past!

g e r th

o f , p u l l o r , p u l l Ro Outside

Cobham Hall the sun is shining and there is an abandoned air. The girls have left for the Easter break and yet there are vague noises from deep within the building. Somewhere someone is preparing lunch, somewhere beds are being made and baths are being cleaned. Birdsong can be heard around the grounds, and there’s the soft hum of the lawnmower. But oh, the contrast from the last few days of term! Cobham Hall was transformed; alive with colour. Red and green and gold abounded! There was more than a whiff of greasepaint in the air and the hurdy-gurdy sounds of a circus calliope echoed through the stone walls as the girls

turned their school into a circus complete with a fairground in order to tell the story of Phineas Taylor Barnum the self-crowned ‘Prince of Humbug’! For it was time, once again, for the School Production to roll into town.

Brought to the West End in the 1980s by Michael Crawford and to Broadway by Jim Dale, the musical “Barnum” is a challenging undertaking for any group of performers. The Cobham Hall girls brought enthusiasm and professionalism to the show. Director Mrs Gough had a vision of “Barnum” that the girls strove to realise, supported unfailingly by Head of Music Ms Clements, Voice and Piano Tutor Mr Haas, Drama teacher Miss Boyle, Tutor of Musical Theatre and Communication Miss Elliot, and teaching assistant Mrs Balson.

! h t r a E n

o w o h s t s e t a e r g Behind the scenes, lights were handled by a team of girls overseen by Mr Hillier. And for those girls not directly involved in the production, in true Cobham Hall style, there was still the chance to take part. Audiences attending early were delighted by all the fun of the fair. Under the direction of Miss Lambert, a team of girls were on hand to awe the crowd, from unicycling to bubble-making, hook-a-duck to hoopla, there was plenty of enjoyment on West Lawn before the show. The girls had even painted their own face cut-out board for people to take photos. Guests were able to stock up on popcorn and candy floss, before taking their seats. Circus skills, a monumentally talented group of young people and an elaborate set - largely thanks to our

carpenter, Mr Holdoway, who built Circus Rostra, a piano on wheels, and not least a giant roll-along elephant! Mr Holdoway also created the Hall of Mirrors in the Fairground. He and the Maintenance team crew embodied the spirit of cooperation. Without them â&#x20AC;&#x153;Barnumâ&#x20AC;? would not have had its zip and zing.

On stage, the girls were all magnificent. Tilly, our Barnum, displayed consummate professionalism, energy crackling through every line and note. Bonnie oozed charm as the ever-faithful Chairy, and Evie stole the moment with her comic timing. Vocal prowess abounded with star turns from Maisy as Tom Thumb, Lucy as Joice Heth, Britta as Blues Singer, and our Ring Masters April, Hannah, Britta and Lucy. All supported by excellent performances from the whole cast, including our young guest performers.

Well done to all involved!

School Snippets

Easter Egg Hunt The new SLT hosted an Easter Egg Hunt just before the end of term, with many girls heading to West Court in search of chocolate!

Bright Lights Lower and Middle School got to enjoy the bright lights of the theatre this term. Years 7 & 8 saw ‘Matilda’, Year 11 & Pre-IB enjoyed ‘Pride & Prejudice’, and Year 11 headed to the Lyceum Theatre for the spectacular production of ‘The Lion King’.

Amnesty Auction Our Amnesty International Club hosted an auction this term to raise funds for this worthy charity. Girls could bid for a range of vouchers from a ‘Get out of homework’ pass, to a photoshoot with two Visual Arts students. £130 was raised in total.

An Enterprising Day The Canterbury Tales Year 7 enjoyed a spot of role-play to develop their understanding of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, before they headed to the city’s dedicated visitor attraction to learn more.

Year 9 Geography Year 9 have had some busy Geography lessons this term, first building slums and shanty houses, and then trading chocolate! The lessons related to topics of Development and Fairtrade respectively, and resulted in some frustrations when slums got ‘bulldozed’ and stock got ruined!

Girls in Year 10 explored the corporate world with a Business and Enterprise Day this term. They came up with and pitched products, as well as learning more about employability skills.

Southern Schools’ Book Awards

After several months of reading and voting, Cobham Hall’s Student Book Club headed to Roedean School for the Southern Schools’ Book Awards Ceremony. Although their favourite did not win, the girls enjoyed hearing from and meeting the authors, and got their books signed. Attendees were also given a voucher to collect a free book.

Recycled Notebooks Changing Seasons This term has seen most markedly a change in the weather. From winter snow, to spring daffodils, Cobham Hall always seems to look spectacular, whatever the season!

ToK Presentations Year 13 spent a day this term giving Theory of Knowledge Presentations. Counting towards their Diploma, the girls covered an astonishing variety of topics. Well done!

Girls have been raising money for our sponsored student by making and selling notebooks using recycled cereal boxes and scrap paper.

Bird-watching Several girls headed into the grounds one lunchtime with Miss Lambert and Mr Wright to discover the wild birds that we share the grounds with!

Languages Spelling Bee This term, pupils from our Modern Foreign Languages Department were invited to take part in a Regional Languages Spelling Bee. The event, held at Dartford Grammar School, saw students compete in French, German, Spanish and Latin. Well done to Lucia, Clara, Jasmine, Chioma, Chiamaka, and Lilly, who all took part and performed very well, and in particular, congratulations to Niu-Niu in Year 8 who won her section for Key Stage 3 Latin!

Making the Turner Contemporary Shortlist! Congratulations to Year 8’s Poppy, who has had her work shortlisted for ‘Portfolio’, an annual art competition by the Turner Contemporary. Winners will be announced in April.

Last year, we were thrilled for our Deputy Headmistress’s PA, Mrs Kerry Theobald, when she received a Kent Women in Business Award. We’re even more excited for her this year for winning the accolade for a second time! Mrs Theobald won the category ‘Rural Business of the Year’, for her Isle of Grain based ‘Beach Hut Café and Tea Rooms’. Mrs Theobald said, “It was wonderful to win it in 2016 but to win again in 2017 was truly unexpected and amazing, particularly as we were up against some stiff competition.”

Poppy’s entry is ‘Mindfulness’ and was created in response to the competition’s theme - ‘Make a Change’. Poppy explains, “In my art work I have tried to show the effects of bullying and how we can make a change to bullying.” Good luck!

Celebrating the Chinese New Year Seeing in the Year of the Rooster

At the end of January, Cobham Hall girls were invited to take part in Gravesham’s Chinese New Year Celebration. Mrs McArthur and Mrs Balson escorted some of our Chinese

Award-Winning Business Woman at Cobham Hall

Beach Hut Café and Tea Rooms can be found on Facebook. Well done, Mrs Theobald!

students to the event, which started at the Borough Market: a hub of colourful cultural activity. After the awakening of the lion, a procession to Community Square, and a display of acrobatics and Tai Chi, our students performed a piece of Chinese folklore on stage at Woodville Halls, to the delight of the audience. Photos courtesy of Julie Stokes

(www.jojostudio.com)

Super Spring Sport! This term has seen some incredible results across a range of disciplines for Cobham Hall girls. There has been an Inter-House Netball tournament, as well as Inter-School competitions in Netball, Hockey and Swimming.

Successful Swimming A team competed in January at the Kent Schools’ Swimming Gala. Many achieved new Personal Bests. Head of PE Mrs Hooper said, “It was a great effort by all of the girls. They looked very professional and confident in county competition.”

The second was against King’s Rochester and Sutton Valence. The U13 and U16 teams won every race and the U18 team performed very well with some very close races. We won the gala overall winning two out of the three age groups.

There were also two galas against other schools. The first was against Radnor House where our Junior and Senior A & B teams won by a single point!

Mrs Hooper was thrilled with the girls’ performances, saying “The girls’ techniques and professional manner really shone on the day! As a squad they looked unbeatable!”

Some girls spent the half-term break on a Netball Tour in Barbados, having training and fantastic matches. For some girls, there have been Regional Events and National Finals to compete in, with fantastic results to boot. We’ve also welcomed girls from local Prep and Junior Schools to compete at our annual Netball Tournament, which is always an incredible morning. Have a read over these two pages to find out all that went on in this Super Spring of Sport!

Show-jumping to First Place! Congratulations to Year 7 pupil Isabelle, who competed during halfterm at the National Schools’ Individual Show-Jumping Competition. Fantastically, in her first NSEA event, Isabelle won the 75cm class, and came third in the 85cm class, and has qualified for the Championships! Well done, Isabelle and good luck!

Bouncing into the Finals! Several girls competed at the Kent Schools’ Trampolining Competition qualifying event at Dartford Grammar School at the start of February. Cobham Hall entered 14 girls in total, for both team and individual events. For a discipline in which we have only recently started competing, the girls did incredibly well. Year 8 pupils Sophie and Anna finished 9th and 13th respectively, out of 74 students in their category, whilst Year 9’s Lucy finished 7th in the Novice section. In the Intermediate section, Year 7 pupils Isabella and Felicity came

5th and 10th, with Isabella only just missing out on qualifying for the finals. In addition, our Junior Intermediate Team finished 4th, and the Senior Intermediate Team, 5th. Overall, Head of PE Mrs Hooper and Trampolining Coach Mr Sleafer were thrilled, declaring the results “Fantastic”. Congratulations to Rhiannon, Anna and Sophie, who went on to compete in late March in the finals, held at Jumpers Rebound Center, Gillingham. At time of going to print, we were still awaiting the confirmed results so we wait with baited breath!

Congratulations, St Michael’s!

Inter-House Netball

Our annual Inter-House Netball Tournament was a huge success this term, with excellent participation from each of the four Houses – and a new incentive from our new Student Leadership Team! Speaking afterwards, Guardian Lillie explained why they had wanted to provide sweets and certificates for the winners, as well as trophies for the Players of the Tournament for each House, “We thought it was important for the girls to be rewarded and recognised individually for the hard work and effort they put into supporting their House. We felt that it would give the girls a sense of achievement and encourage them to continue with their positive attitude towards Inter-House events.” The matches were all fast-paced and remarkably close. Years 7 to 9 played first, with Lenox winning. Years 10 to 13 followed, with even more closely fought matches. Richmond took the narrow win. Speaking after the Tournament, Head of PE Mrs Hooper commented, “The girls played probably the closest InterHouse Netball Tournament I have witnessed in 10 years! I want to thank the new Student Leadership Team; they had an excellent first Inter-House competition.” The overall results were as follows:

In March, we welcomed 10 schools, to take part in our annual Prep and Junior School Netball Tournament. Both parents and visiting staff commented on how much they enjoyed attending the event, and how well looked after they were. In addition to our pupils who helped each of the teams, thanks must also go to our new Guardian, Lillie and Darnley and Clifton House Captains, Bonnie and Saskia, who stepped in to help umpire. The games were exciting to watch, and closely contested, but St Michael’s were the team who came out on top – congratulations, girls!

Biathlon Final Success Lilly, Enya, Holly and Alice competed at the British Schools’ Biathlon Championships at Crystal Palace. Mrs Hooper commented afterwards, “I felt extremely proud of their grit and determination to do so well in quite an atmospheric high profile event!” Early indications suggest Lilly finished 15th - a fantastic achievement. We look forward to receiving the confirmed results. Well done, girls!

Brilliant Barbados During the half-term break, several girls took part in a Netball tour to Barbados. Girls had the chance to train and play in the Caribbean sun. They played some great games and thoroughly enjoyed the experience, even finding time to enjoy their location, with a safari, catamaran trip and paddle-boarding.

Match Results Netball

U12 & U13 vs King’s Rochester

U12 won 8 – 7 Player of the Match: Isabelle U13 won 15 – 14 Players of the Match: Trinity & Rebecca

U14 vs Benenden won 16 – 8 Player of the Match: Trinity

U14 & U16 vs King’s Rochester U14 won 19 – 10 Player of the Match: Trinity U16 won 27 – 20 Player of the Match: Toke

U13 & U14 vs Benenden

U13 won Player of the Match: Rebecca U14 lost Players of the Match: Holly and Zara

U16 vs Benenden won 27 – 26 Players of the Match: Hannah

U12 & U13 vs Dartford Technology College U12 won 9 – 4 Player of the Match: Amber U13 won 27 – 2 Players of the Match: Katie

Head of PE Mrs Hooper has been impressed with the teams, “Across the year groups, the girls have really improved their game play with some fast and accurate play down the court. Matches have been incredible, with our opponents commenting on our skill and defence.”

Hockey

U14 vs Maidstone Grammar lost 3 - 2 Player of the Match: Maisy

1st Richmond 2nd Darnley 3rd Lenox 4th Clifton

U12 vs Maidstone Grammar

Well done to Richmond House!

U14 drew 1 – 1. Player of the Match: Maia U15 won 8 – 0. Player of the Match: Claudia

lost

U14 & U15 vs Maidstone Grammar

Elders’ News

Cobham Hall’s Elders follow a variety of paths after school, and we always enjoy hearing of their successes. Here are some recent good news stories. If you’re an Elder and have news you’d like to share, please contact Julia Booth via boothj@cobhamhall.com.

Kate Strikes Gold Congratulations to Kate French, who secured the Gold medal at the World Cup in Cairo. The Modern Pentathlete, who was at Cobham Hall between 2002 and 2009, took her first World Cup victory and moved to 5th in the World Rankings. Described by Pentathlon GB as “one of the most comfortable modern pentathlon victories seen in recent years”, the Gold followed hot on the heels of winning the Silver medal at the first World Cup of the 2017 season in Los Angeles. Congratulations, Kate!

Oxbridge Alumnae Return This term, two Elders returned to Cobham Hall to speak at our annual Careers Fair. Jennifer Dick left Cobham Hall in 2007 Jennifer Dick Katharine Turner and joined Deloitte’s Consulting Practice, on the pre-university ‘Scholar’ gap-year programme. After seven months on the graduate programme, Ms Dick went backpacking around the world before taking up her place to read Human Sciences at New College, University of Oxford. She has worked on high-profile transformation programmes, across clients in both the private and public sector; including the Ministry of Defence, Shell, Syngenta and BP. For the last year, Ms Dick has led the strategy and design of an operating model for global customer service in one of the world’s leading agricultural businesses in Switzerland. Katherine Turner attended Cobham Hall from 1997 until 2002 during which time she was in Lenox House. During her time at School, she built up friendships for life from around the world which she maintains to this day. She was an avid runner, piano player and member of the orchestra during her time from Group 3 all the way to Group 7. After Cobham Hall, Ms Turner studied Economics at Cambridge, leading her to a career at Barclays, where she has progressed to a Director within the bank’s restructuring team. Both girls proved popular at the Careers Fair, sharing their experiences with girls from Years 10, 11, 12 and Pre-IB.

Iyerich Visits Congratulations to Iyerich Konteh, whose poem ‘The Life I Live’ was selected and included in an Anthology of ‘Contemporary Fireside Poems’. The collection of poetry, available from Amazon, explores a diversity of themes and messages of a Sierra Leonean ancestry. Iyerich, who was at Cobham Hall from 2012 to 2015, recently returned to visit Head of English Miss West. Copies of the anthology have been purchased for our ILC.

50th Anniversary Commemorative Book

Priced at just £20, this book is a wonderful collection of memories which detail the life of the School over the years. To order, please email Julia Booth: boothj@cobhamhall.com

Unicorn News and Events

Cobham Hallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Parent-Teacher Association, Unicorn, is dedicated to raising funds and running events for the benefit of all at Cobham Hall. Here are details of their recent events. To find out more, or if you are interested in joining the Committee, please email unicorn@cobhamhall.com.

Quiz Night The ever-popular annual Quiz Night was again a fantastic evening, with parents, staff and girls all enjoying the competitive spirit! The event raised approximately ÂŁ600 for Unicorn.

Candlelit Ball

by Mrs Ruth McMaster Photos: Mr Richard Higham

The flickering candles and beautiful evening dresses saw the annual Candlelit Ball get off to a great start this term. Now a tradition at Cobham Hall, parents, teachers and friends of the School are always invited. This was the first year in many where the Ball was run for Cobham guests only, normally shared with Shorne Primary School. This means that now all proceeds will add to the Unicorn fund and help support our projects. The evening started with a champagne reception in the Library, followed by a delicious three-course meal where all guests were seated in the stunning Gilt Hall. There was much fun and merriment during the

meal and with the raffle and auction, the guests whooped with delight as each person secured their prize. The music of the disco set the scene for the rest of the evening as guests took the opportunity to dance in the centre of the Gilt Hall. Carriages arrived at midnight and the School became quiet once again. With many thanks to all those who assisted in the organisation of the event - from the room decoration to the music. As always the Catering Staff did a tremendous job in preparing and serving the food. For those interested in attending in 2018 stay tuned as dates will be issued in September.

Big Breakfast For some time now Unicorn has wanted to run an event to gather feedback on the committee and gain input from parents for new ideas. One Saturday morning in early January, whilst girls were at Saturday school, Unicorn arranged a couple of tables in the School Dining Hall to enjoy a cooked breakfast while members of the team shared information and asked for feedback. There was a good turnout and the feedback shared was welcomed, particularly around more family events, a forward calendar of events and information on use of funds. It is our intention to build this feedback into our forward plans and give more transparency for parents and teachers. The Unicorn Association hope to run another Big Breakfast in October and look forward to meeting more of you.

#BoardingLife

Internationalism was at the fore this term, with girls celebrating Chinese New Year, Australia Day and Pancake Day - all with food! Sixth Form cooked a Chinese meal, Middle School went to a restaurant and Sarah made Lamingtons!

Keep up-to-date with all the adventures on Twitter:

@CobhamBoarding

SAW Spreads a Little Kindness

Miss Williams’ Sixth Form Tutor Group decided to spread some good cheer this term. Following their Assembly, a ‘Kindness Board’ appeared outside the Gilt Hall, to allow the School community to share kind messages. These ranged from a simple “I love Cobham Hall!” to more specific messages of thanks. Miss Williams explained, “We wanted to encourage everyone to make an effort to help others feel positive.” The colourful board and cheerful messages were enough to put a smile on anyone’s face! Not so many moons ago I was treated with an idyllic view of peace and tranquillity on my journey to work. Hard to believe in this part of the world? No, not if you are lucky enough to be travelling to Cobham Hall. The sky was still the colour of rose and turquoise from those first morning rays of the Sun. A dawn chorus was in full voice. Emerald grass damp, with a glassy sheen of dew, topped with a fine caster sugar dusting of spiders’ silk. The mist sat low and brooding over the manicured lawns and curled under the branches of ancient trees, blurring the brickwork of the Hall giving it a slightly ethereal presence. It could have been a Turner or a Monet. Very rarely is a historic house ‘just a house’; it is normally a focal point of a much greater estate and Cobham Hall is no exception. Over the last few years I’ve set out to explore this ‘Great Canvas’ and make it my mission to document the wildlife that call this home. If you’re in luck, with a small piece of stealth, on such a Spring misty morning you can see our resident fallow deer. They are dark in colour and solitary by nature, but from

Cobham’s Best Kept Secret

by Mr Wright, Network Manager & DofE Co-Ordinator

September to April they gather in large groups to feed and mate. I like to think of them as the descendants of the great deer park of the Darnleys. Very close by is our resident Red Fox: you may come across the remains of his work. Cobham’s badgers disturb the soil in the hollows in close competition with the rabbits, working always with one eye on the whereabouts of that Fox. On the first warmth of Spring, our Great Crested Newts begin to migrate to the ponds via sheltered rocks and stones. Our abundant wildlife is not restricted to ‘Terra Firma’. You may hear a mournful cry from the skies. This is one of our resident Buzzards. Large birds of prey that find rich pickings from the M2, along with the smaller Kestrel and Sparrow Hawk, while our Tawny Owls take the night shift

of small mammals. You will hear the drumming of Woodpecker and the cacophony of our many crows as they squabble by the Lodge. In Spring, the grounds are alive with many small birds building nests and chasing rivals. A quick glance from our teaching block will reveal a multitude of mini dramas unfolding before your eyes. On frequent wanders with camera over my lunch hour, I feel the grounds are only just starting to reveal their many layered secrets. There is so much more to explore and see. Any time spent in the company of nature is time well spent. Many people have said to me that Cobham Hall is a well-kept secret. I believe the grounds are a bigger secret waiting to be explored!

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To keep in touch and up-to-date with Eldersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; news and events, visit: www.cobhamhall.com/elders Cobham Hallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Parent-Teacher Association. To find out about upcoming Unicorn events, visit: www.cobhamhall.com/unicorn

Forthcoming Events

Tasters and Open Mornings

Race for Life

Year 5 Taster Afternoon & Sleepover

Sunday 14th May

Summer Art Exhibition and Music Concert Thursday 25th May

Half-Term

Saturday 27th May - Monday 5th June

Cobham Hall Round Square International Day Saturday 17th June

Sports Day

(For September 2018 entry) Friday 23rd/Saturday 24th June

Open Morning

Saturday 24th June

Lower & Middle School Taster Afternoon & Sleepover Friday 6th/Saturday 7th October

Open Morning

Thursday 22nd June (TBC)

Saturday 7th October

Festival Day

Sixth Form Open Day (by appointment)

Saturday 1 July st

Wednesday 18th October

For information on any of the above events, or to register your interest in attending, please email enquiries@cobhamhall.com

Cobham, Kent, DA12 3BL, United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)1474 823371 enquiries@cobhamhall.com www.cobhamhall.com