School Magazine 2014-2015

TWELVE MONTHS AT DOWNE HOUSE • 2014–2015

Downe House, Cold Ash, Thatcham, Berkshire, RG18 9JJ t: 01635 200286 f: 01635 202026 e: registrar@downehouse.net www.downehouse.net

TWELVE MONTHS AT

DOWNE HOUSE

CHRISTINA ELLIOT, REMOVE 2014/15

Head Senior

Games Captain

Natasha Seaton

Matilda Burles

Deputy Head Senior

Deputy Games Captain

Emilia Hewlett

Adetoun Karunwi

Seniors

Head of Drama

Lauren Blair Jean Campbell Katharine Craig Hetty Fairbanks-Smith Lauren Holmes Emily Rowse Olivia Webb-Bowen Roseanna Whitbread

Mathilda Blythe

Deputy Heads of Drama Ella Hockings and Charlotte Scobie

Head of Music Elizabeth Bosson

Aisholt Sarah Creedy-Smith Emily Flindall Katy Lane

Deputy Head of Music Head Deputy Head Deputy Head

Lara Spearman Naomi Vallance Meredith Webber

Head Deputy Head Deputy Head

AGS Georgina Revell Lucie Kiehl Mathilda Blythe

Head Deputy Head Deputy Head

Holcombe Charlotte Whitehead Jessica Campbell Florence Li

Head Deputy Head Deputy Head

Head Deputy Head Deputy Head

Head Chapel Senior Morolayo Lambo

Deputy Head Chapel Senior Yasmin Adeniran

Head Ambassadors Ambassadors Annabel Clover Ella Henry Venetia Hudd Arabella Newton Nutchanun Poolworaluk Willa Prest Shivani Singh Flora Tudhope Honor Weatherall Jae Young (Jenny) Yi

197

Heads of Lower School Frances Nicholson and India Roberts

Tedworth Henrietta Montgomerie Iona Miller Daisy Smail

Wai Yu

Jessica Lea and Honor Loveridge

AGN Performance of ‘Annie’ at Founder’s Weekend 2015

SCHOOL OFFICERS

“It’s been a great year and one that I will never forget”

SCHOOL OFFICERS 2014/15

Lower School Seniors Marta Barceló Fontirroig Clara De Montfort Cong (Rachel) Ding Isobel Flack Anastasia Law Mary Mayfield Lara Wheeler

Literary Seniors and Editors of School Magazine Olivia Cave and Helena Manson

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

CONTENTS

SCHOOL LIFE From the Headmistress Head & Deputy Head Senior House Reports House Officers Sixth Form Peer Mentoring House Dance Competition House Music Competition House Gymnastics Competition House Drama Competition ACADEMIC LIFE Religious Studies Science Geography Art History English Modern Foreign Languages Business Studies ICT Maths Higher Education and Global Initiatives CREATIVE Art Photography Design & Technology Textiles BEYOND THE CURRICULUM Enrichment Programme Day of Discovery Young Enterprise Co-Curricular Activities Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards Scheme Chapel Foundation 10 Year Vision Founder’s Weekend Leavers’ Day DH LINKS FEATURES What Happens in Veyrines?

China Day Celebrating our Sports Scholars Parsons Dean BFA Scholarship CHARITY Maggies Centre’s Fashion Show Teach for China Gala Concert AGN Vintage Fair Casino Night for Reality Gives Happy Day for Microloan Campaign Abseiling for Place 2 Be The Silver Ball TRIPS Florence – UV Study Trip Rome – Pre-U Italian Study Trip Ypres – Battlefield Tour Calshot – Remove Trip Barcelona – Tennis Trip Paris – Netball Tour Myanmar – AGS Trip to Hoseanna Children’s Home Somerset – Art Award Holders’ Gallery Trip Argentina – LVI Trip to Hogar el Alba Children’s Home Sri Lanka – AGN Trip to Sparkes Home

3 4 5 6 16 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 27 30 31 32 34 36 36 37 38 42 43 50 53 60 68 69 74 76 77 82 87 89 90 92 94 96 100 101 104 105 108 109 110 110 111 111 112 112 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123

DRAMA Drama Scholars Drama Scholar Mentor Programme Drama Workshops Theatre Visits Practical Examinations Productions – ‘Our Country’s Good’ Upper Sixth Drama Extra-Curricular Drama Speech and Drama RADA Shakespeare Certificates Trinity Guildhall Examinations Productions – ‘Annie’ MUSIC Director of Music’s Introduction Music Award Holders’ Concerts Heads of Music Report Michaelmas School Concert Celebration of Christmas Carol Service My Year as a Music Scholar – Remove Music for Youth Prom Lunchtime Concerts Series Minority Instruments Scheme Downe House Young Musician of the Year Prep Schools’ Orchestral Fun Day Music Technology National Youth Choirs of Great Britain Pre-U Musicians Trip My Year as a Music Scholar – Lower Fifth Berkshire Maestros Young Singer of the Year The Evelyn Barbirolli Woodwind Prize Founder’s Weekend ABRSM Results SPORT

124 125 126 127 128 130 132 134 135 137 137 138 141 144 145 145 146 147 147 148 148 149 149 150 150 152 152 152 153 153 154 154 155 157 158

Lacrosse Hockey Netball Tennis Squash Swimming and Biathlon Gymnastics Athletics Cross Country Skiing Sports’ Day The Teams

159 160 160 161 161 162 163 164 164 165 166 168

AWARDS AND MORE

169

Prize Giving Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards New Girls 2014/15 Downe through the Generations Scholarship & Exhibition Awards University Destinations

170 181 182 184 185 186

MOVING ON

187

Staff Farewells

188

SCHOOL OFFICERS

197

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SCHOOL LIFE 4

From the Headmistress, Mrs Emma McKendrick The very real challenge that exists for those of us involved in education, and indeed for parents, is how we prepare our young people for a world that we may scarcely recognise. The pace of technological change continues at a phenomenal rate; the way young people communicate has been transformed; the future careers many of them will enjoy we cannot yet imagine and the way in which others will carry out their roles is unlikely to resemble our current practice. In short, we are preparing our young women for an exciting world of change where resilience and the ability to work collaboratively and creatively will be extremely important in order for them to succeed. They will need to have a global outlook, to aspire to the highest standards but still remain compassionate and caring individuals.

I hope that as you review the pages in the magazine you will see plenty of examples of the girls being encouraged to develop these key characteristics. You will see them being challenged academically, pastorally and socially and you will see them rising to those challenges extremely successfully.

As well as variety of opportunity, the provision of the highest quality of facilities has also never been more important as we aim to give the girls exposure to some of the latest technologies, some of the most innovative ways of learning and researching and yet also to provide them with a secure home environment in which they can flourish as individuals.

2015/16 will see the opening of our new Lower School Boarding Houses and, I hope, the preparatory building work for our Centre for Learning being undertaken. Our Ten Year Vision is well underway and the provision of the highest quality of learning and living spaces will only serve to enhance the overall education that we offer and the ways in which we can prepare them for their demanding and exciting futures.

SCHOOL LIFE

This academic year, I am lucky enough to be working with one of my closest and oldest friends, Miranda Shaw. She has not only been as source of joy for me for the past 6 years but also someone I can turn to in times of trouble and in times of grief. Out of all her characteristics, her wit and her sense of humour are what she is most known for. I am excited for the rest of the school community to get to know her because I guarantee she will make a lasting impression on anyone she meets. Whether it was becoming a vegan or applying for the role of Head Girl, Miranda is very passionate about whatever she puts her mind to, which is what I believe is one of the leading factors of her success. To fit her personality into 150 words is challenging, all I can say is get to know her and you will understand why I shower her with such praise.

SCHOOL LIFE

SENIORS’ INTRODUCTION Head Senior

Esther Adebajo, Deputy Head Senior, UVI

Deputy Head Senior Esther and I have been friends since a particularly dramatic round of the Game of Life in Remove. I lost the board game spectacularly, the fourth square being as far as I progressed.

Despite this defeat, a friendship was born that has stuck through thick and thin ever since.

Esther is truly a fantastic person, academically and socially. No matter who is in her company, she can be sure to make them laugh although she insists she’s ‘not funny’. Academically Esther is one of the hardest workers I know.

Whatever task she tackles, she puts in a tremendous amount of effort. The results are clear as Esther is a Sixth Form Exhibitioner and surely destined for a top university next year.

Truly, there is nothing more comforting than knowing I have my best friend by my side whatever the challenges may be this year.

Miranda Shaw, Head Senior, UVI

Miranda

Esther

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

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HOUSE REPORTS

YORK In July, after an amazing crescendo, the time came to wish good luck and farewell to our girls in York House. A truly unique and delightful peer-group; their contributions to the School community will be greatly missed next year.

During their time in York, we have enjoyed getting to know them and supporting them through their final journeys to university or gap year adventures. Now we look to the future and what it holds for this cohort of ambitious young women; we cannot wait to find out!

As well as the challenges of examinations, which somewhat dominated the second half of their Upper Sixth year, the girls managed to pack in a lot of events. Our society presidents led from the front with Caledonian and Phoenix Societies being enjoyed by their members and the Cheese Society maturing nicely. Our thespians continued to enjoy an array of theatre trips, and treated the rest of the year group with a wonderful review performance directed by Mathilda Blythe. I am sure that the whole School will miss her lively Drama reports!

The Upper Sixth continued to feature in all the major sports teams this year, inspiring the younger girls to get involved in the various teams. We all enjoyed hearing the Sports reports given by Matilda Burles and Adetoun Karunwi, celebrating the School’s successes. Many of our girls continued to contribute to the musical life of the school too, with a strong presence in Senior Choral, Chamber and Symphony Orchestras. Elizabeth Bosson and Wai Yu were truly encouraging Music Captains, often leading the ensembles themselves.

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With many of our girls holding a position of responsibility this year, their contribution to the life of the School has been felt by all. Our team of burgundy Ambassadors has represented the School on numerous occasions, whilst our team of willing Seniors has been ever ready to help with any event or task, big or small. It was a proud moment for all of them when they had the opportunity to hand over their gowns to this year’s Senior team.

SCHOOL LIFE

We know that the Housemistresses of the Mixed Age Houses would agree that our House Seniors this year have been superb and they have played an important part in the life of their Houses. All have helped their individual Housemistresses with the daily routines as well as supporting them in the organisation of larger House charity events. In the Summer Term they were actively involved in welcoming the Upper Fifth to York. I know that they have all found this experience very rewarding. As a big thank you to all of our girls that have held a position of responsibility this year, they were rewarded with a wonderful meal and wine tasting.

Despite the wrapping up of community service for our girls, as the Lower Sixth took over, their involvement in the wider community continued with a couple of Chapel collections for their House charity, Microloan Foundation; in their time in York the girls have raised over £3000. Members of staff from York House were delighted to be invited to celebrate this success at a charity auction for Microloan at Christie’s in London. Our Chapel Seniors, Morolayo Lambo and Yasmin Adeniran have done a wonderful job this year maintaining serenity during the weekly services and helping our new Chaplain to settle in quickly.

That just leaves me to wish all of our girls the very best of luck for the future. We hope that they stay in touch.

Dr Andrea Roberts, Housemistress and Teacher of Chemistry

WILLIS ‘Busy’ is an underestimation of just what kind of a year we have had in Willis.

‘Crazy’ was an alternative adjective suggested by the girls, but however one chooses to describe it, the year has certainly been a productive and positive one.

The girls who came to us in September quickly adapted to their new House and embraced all the new opportunities on offer. It is peculiar how 16 year old girls suddenly take a huge interest in Scottish reeling, having shown little interest thus far in Celtic culture. The same interest was evident at the Phoenix Society, also held jointly with Radley and Eton, where students presented topics of interest to their peers. Boys or no boys, the girls who spoke did themselves proud and stood their ground on a number of subjects. Of particular note was Amelia Milne, who presented for the second time on the performance artist Marina Abramovic, her speech having won the highly coveted ARTiculation prize a few weeks previously.

Early in the first term, the girls elected their House Charity which they will support for the next two years. Almost unanimously, the girls voted for the anti-trafficking and slavery charity Hope for Justice, after a fascinating Assembly given by one of their campaigners, David Aldrich. The House Committee then organised a highly successful “Quiz with Some Fizz” evening, for themselves and their parents, which raised over £4000 for the charity. In the Summer Term, they managed to add to this total by completing a sponsored walk around Cold Ash. Continuing with the charity theme, we are proud that so many of the girls have devoted their own time to raising money for charity. Congratulations in particular go to Molly Adams, who ran the Bath Half Marathon in aid of Cancer Research, and Sasha Wendin, who cycled over 300 miles through the Loire Valley to raise money for The Sarah Greene Breakthrough Tribute Fund. A highlight for many of the girls was fashioning particularly stylish white beards in December and taking part in the Santa Run through Thatcham, in aid of the local Rotary Club. All this on top of the regular volunteering that the girls do on a

One of our proudest moments as a House was in November when the Willis girls led the School’s Remembrance Service, which was attended by many of the parents.

There was beautiful singing from Lucy Mortlock, Lucinda Penney and Clementine Swallow, touching readings from a number of girls including Sophie Larminie and Alexandra Kirk, and a musical conclusion with a performance of Bach’s ‘Sheep May Safely Graze’ by Livia Russell and Matilda Bentley. Clare Maunder’s painting of a poppy for the front cover of the programme was also a tribute to how much talent we have in the House.

It has been refreshing indeed to see so many girls over the course of the year join or found new societies. Charlotte Evans, Lara-Lily Hurd and Amelia Milne established the very popular Contemporary Literature Society, in which they discussed Nabokov’s ‘Lolita’ and Salinger’s ‘Catcher in the Rye’.

Clementine Swallow set up an Art Appreciation Society, and other girls have also founded a History Society and a Psychology Society. We very much hope the girls will continue with these efforts next year and encourage the new Lower Sixth in September to join. Miss Snell also set up a successful Debating Society and invited Park House School to challenge our girls on the subject of performance-enhancing drugs in sport.

We have been so proud of all the girls’ achievements over the year, and it was particularly rewarding for us to see them rise up and lead the rest of the School on many occasions. Judging by their efforts for House Drama, House Music and House Dance, we clearly have some very talented directors, conductors and choreographers among the year group. To top it all, the Soul Sisters raised the roof at Founder’s Weekend with their performance of Cee Lo Green’s ‘Forget You’, shamelessly claimed by Willis as our own House Band. It was a tremendous end to a great year in Willis.

Mrs Tara Reeve, Housemistress and Teacher of Russian DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

HOUSE REPORTS

weekly basis as part of the Community Service programme!

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HOUSE REPORTS

AGN What a fantastic year it has been for AGN, starting off with the late Summer Vintage Fayre. Sitting in the warm early September sunlight eating ice creams, the girls of AGN put on a great selection of stalls and entertainment for the many visitors coming up the path. For the second year, this was in support of our international charity Sparkes Children’s Home in Sri Lanka, which 10 AGN girls, along with Miss Anger and Mrs Dell, have visited this summer. They all thoroughly enjoyed meeting our link girls and getting the opportunity to paint, teach and bond with the girls we have been corresponding with for so long, and for Miss Anger, it was a chance to reunite with those whom she met last Easter. Our main fundraising event for this charity was the glamorous Masquerade Ball at which our masked guests included staff, parents and boys from The Oratory School. This marvellous event raised over £1,300, mainly from the exciting Tree of Promises and Speed Raffle which included prizes such as a £100 gift voucher for Harrods! We were lucky enough to have a top London DJ in our presence, lighting up the PAC with some fabulous tunes.

In February, Miss Anger brought the House together in a tremendous service in the Chapel where the AGN choir outdid themselves singing a ‘Mass Setting’ by Richard Terry.

Our ears were also blessed by the melodic solos sung by Charlotte Aldrich, Sophie Elliot, Sophia Elger, Meredith Webber, Henrietta Ryan and Katherine Hackman.

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We have had a brilliantly successful run at all the House competitions this year. House Drama, obviously a favourite amongst the girls, was a buzzing success as we brought back the ‘Best Artistic Endeavour Award’, which was handed over by the acting phenomenon Alexander Armstrong.

Sophie Elliot charmed the audience as the main part, with her cheeky rendition of ‘A Little Bit Naughty’, taken from the hit West End musical production ‘Matilda’. The AGN girls really pulled out all the stops this year, making the Sixth Form team proud and a special mention should go to comedy duo, Henrietta Ryan and Charlotte Scobie, who had the audience in the palms of their hands with their portrayal of the cringeworthy Mr and Mrs Wormwood.

In House Music, AGN brought Elton John’s ‘Crocodile Rock’ to life on the PAC stage, where our quality of singing and enthusiasm won Best House Choir, followed by the newly added Instrumental Ensemble Section, inspired by AGN’s winning Pink Panther in 2014, for which this year we performed ‘Mission Impossible’ with a small trio of bassoon played by Ella Houston, saxophone played by Sophia Elger and on the viola, Katherine Maloney. Katherine Hackman charmed the judge with her lovely vocal solo and the ensemble harmonised in ‘Everybody Talks’ by Neon Trees.

The girls also successfully ‘teddy bear rolled’ their way to a win in the House Gymnastics competition, where the sports teachers were impressed by the balance and gymnastic ability of the AGN girls. And it was a clean sweep for us at Sports’ Day, winning for the fourth consecutive year with the AGN‘s runners, jumpers and throwers putting in a fabulous team performance. Start booking those plane tickets to Rio! We were so very sorry to see Miss Steggall leave this summer but wish her all the very best in the future; we hope that she will come back to visit! Meanwhile, we welcome Mrs Lowe as the new Assistant Housemistress in AGN! Miss Anger and Mrs Barnett are staying strong, and the House would not be the same without Miss Anger’s fabulous enthusiasm and Mrs Barnett’s queen baking talents! As a team, we are so proud of the House and all of its glowing individuals who have made this year a great one. Ad Astra.

Amelia Porter, LVI, and Sophia Donald, LVI, AGN Deputy Heads of House

SCHOOL LIFE

2014/15 has been yet another stellar year for AGS! Our beginning of year House trip began the string of soaring highs that was to come as we ventured to Head4Heights, a trip not for the faint hearted that certainly helped us to bond as we leapt from platforms high in the air, supported by cheering friends on the ground. The House spirit found on the first closed weekend was one of the key factors that contributed to what was probably the biggest highlight of the year – our winning performance of Roald Dahl’s ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ in the hotly contested House Drama Competition – a true thrill for all involved, with special mention to Dara Bolodeoku for her Most Promising Young Performer award, and to Ella Monck for being awarded the Best Audience Interaction prize.

In the Lent Term we faced House Music, and although not victorious, we trust that the ever catchy motto ‘Hakuna Matata’ sung with such great enthusiasm, will remain ingrained in the minds of all AGS girls. We managed to regain our winning streak as we took away the House Dance trophy for the second consecutive year, led with great diligence and commitment by our choreographer Sophia Li. Faith Norman also stunned us all with a spellbinding performance that very rightly won the Best Solo award – we wish the best of luck to whoever has to follow in her footsteps as the soloist next year!

The LV team of Isabella Huber, Kyara Uchida and Faith Norman displayed their promising leadership skills when putting together AGS’s House Gym performance, and Alice Weldon amazed the audience with her winning solo – we are sure that she will play a vital role in future House Dance and Gymnastics events.

Lydia Stonehill and Georgina Dick. These were great opportunities for the whole House to bond and to sample the specialities of the Downe House kitchen.

Continuing on the theme of food, the year has been punctuated with Saturday night BBQs and Sunday morning brunches generously provided by Mr and Mrs McClymont, something we hope to see become an AGS tradition.

This year also marks the start of our support for our link charity HopeAsia, based in Myanmar (formerly Burma). Mrs McClymont made the first visit to the orphanage there armed with a scrapbook prepared by members of the House, who also threw themselves into fundraising in the form of a cake sale, the proceeds from which were used to purchase stationary, sweets and other small gifts for the children. Our efforts were rewarded by many heart-warming photographs and posts from Mrs McClymont on the House Facebook group that have made us all the more excited at the prospect of a trip there next summer.

Sadly, we bid a fond farewell to our beloved House Tutor Mrs Boswell, whilst promising to maintain Thursday night book club, something which we have so much appreciated from her this year. We also welcome Mr Treadaway and we look forward to the invaluable help that he will no doubt give to our House Music attempts next year!

HOUSE REPORTS

AGS

As we hope to have made clear, it has been a remarkable year for AGS. We and the rest of the UV depart from AGS with heavy hearts, and minds full of the memories of our time here. The experience has been second to none and we can only hope that generations of AGS girls in years to come grow to love and appreciate this most homely House as much as we have.

Janice Wing Tung Kwong, UV, and Olivia Harrison, UV, Shadow Heads of House

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The Lent Term also saw the inaugural Upper Fifth Social with Radley, followed by a similar event with Winchester in the second half of term. The sophisticated atmosphere of both evenings was enjoyed and appreciated by all present, and the Chinese takeaways even more so!

Similarly proving that AGS girls love an opportunity to get dressed up, we have had two themed House suppers, ‘Famous Families’, organised by Molly Hunloke and Deena Bhanarai, and ‘Stereotypes’, the brainchild of DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

HOUSE REPORTS AISHOLT Aisholt continues to be a dynamic environment, full of vibrant characters who make it such a friendly and highspirited House.

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In September, the House welcomed its new arrivals: the UIV year group, who settled in in record time, and have risen to the challenge of becoming ‘the lively UIV’ who can usually be heard laughing and/or squealing, long before they are seen – and quite right too. We’ve also welcomed the LIV to Aisholt at break on Mondays, which has proved a successful step towards achieving the ambition of ‘inter-year bonding’, and we look forward to welcoming them in September.

It’s been a big year on the Charity front. The organising of our charity fundraiser proved a hefty task and a challenge to which the House Committee rose – and rather successfully too. Together they created ‘A Night at the Casino’, an event held for all members of the House from Remove to UVI. Many of the girls contributed by performing, offering to help with setting up or by running the raffle. A very big ‘thank you’ must also go to: the members of staff who baked what can only be described as industrial quantities of superb nibbles; the masterminds behind the operation, namely Mrs Wilson and Miss Myers; and the many parents who kindly donated prizes and money to our new House Charity, Reality Gives, which helps underprivileged communities in Dharavi, Mumbai. We are proud to have raised the impressive sum of £8812.49, which will undoubtedly make a world of difference to the children we’re supporting. Thank you and well done to Aisholt! We hope to offer a trip to Aisholt members in 2016, should they be keen to volunteer with the charity. We’ve also hosted various other charity fundraising events for the Dr Cyrus Njiru Foundation: ‘Search for a Star’, our Sweets and Treats stall at Founder’s Weekend 2014, and the Parades gig collectively raised an impressive £1,137 for the Dr Cyrus Njiru Foundation, while our sale of Aisholt charms raised £459 for the Jo Walters Trust.

SCHOOL LIFE

Back in House, life has remained as lively as ever. Famously housing the best kitchen in the school, food has, of course, remained integral to the daily life of everyone in Aisholt.

Culinary opportunities have ranged from celebrating Shrove Tuesday with pancakes to dumplings at Chinese New Year, on top of treats such as Miss Myers’ famous Milkshake Mondays and the occasional pizza and DVD night in house. Aisholt even organised its own inter-house ‘DH Bake Off’, producing a glorious array of brownies and rainbow-layered velvet cake. The way to a Downe House girl’s heart truly is through her stomach.

Such events excel in providing an occasion for bringing the house together with food, undoubtedly an effective means, evidenced also through our House Suppers.

The House has also brought home some impressive achievements, showcasing the girls’ talent across all aspects, triumphing in music, drama, sport, and even creative writing.

Our Senior Athletics team achieved first place for Aisholt in that category on Sports’ Day, and we came in 2nd Place over all for sporting achievements across the entire year, thanks to our open lacrosse, tennis, cross country, athletics and netball teams. A special mention must go to the latter: we came first for the Remove, LIV, Junior 3rds and in Senior categories too.

The House events have, as always, been the perfect occasion for all members to work together in Aisholt’s notoriously cheerful House spirit, and it has been wonderful to witness their achievements, both individual and in teams. It is home to some incredibly talented young people, whom I am immeasurably proud to know.

The Summer Term also brought with it a sorry ‘Farewell’ to the Wilsons, while Mrs Wilson leaves us on maternity leave. We very much look forward to meeting the newest addition to the ginger clan, but in the meantime, we welcome Mrs Boswell who has stepped up to the role, and will undoubtedly do a stellar job.

Thus far, there has not been a dull moment in Aisholt – long may it continue.

Sarah Creedy-Smith, UVI, Head of House

HOUSE REPORTS

HOLCOMBE Holcombe has had a very busy year indeed. When I was given the task of writing this article I knew it would be impossible to describe everything that Holcombe has achieved, so the girls themselves have chosen the highlights.

Firstly, winning House Music was the undeniable highlight of the year. The beautiful performances by Holcombe Singers and Rose Galbraith brought smiles to the faces of many and left me wishing I had brought tissues to stem the rivers of tears streaming from my eyes. Livia Russell, Wing Pui (Tiffany) Chan and Rose Galbraith also performed an amazing instrumental ensemble. The House song (‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart’ by Elton John) was really fun and it allowed everyone to participate and help their House take the victory. All in all, it was an amazing experience and I can’t wait for next year.

Holcombe’s insurmountable enthusiasm also came in very handy with regards to sport, especially the Holcombe Fun Run. One sunny spring afternoon the whole of Holcombe took part in a 5km run in aid of our House charity, the British Heart Foundation, chosen by our Head of House, Charlotte Whitehead, in memory of her father. Powered along by chocolate muffins and the promise of an Easter Egg hunt back at House, everyone managed to finish in a good time. Special thanks goes to our Seniors Charlotte Whitehead, Florence Li and Jessica Campbell, whose rendition of the Hokey Cokey managed to simultaneously warm everyone up and boost morale. The fun run was not the last of Holcombe’s sporting achievements though, as we also won House Lacrosse. This impressive victory will surely go down in history as one of the most well-fought battles for the House Lacrosse Cup. Another aspect of being in Holcombe which everyone enjoys is the Upper Fifth Friday nights, Lower Fifth breaks and Upper Fourth suppers, where a couple of times a term everyone in the year group is invited into Miss Evans’ or Miss Baker’s flat and is indulged with lots and lots of food and chat. Upper Fifth Friday nights included Ice Cream Night, Pizza Night, Taco Night and many more. I will certainly miss them when I leave Holcombe, and I’ll miss the enjoyable Saturday nights when the whole of Holcombe is cuddled up in the common room to watch a movie or play a game. That’s the thing about Holcombe, we all actually like to hang out with each other, no matter what year we’re in.

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There are so many amazing things I’m sure I’ve missed discussing in detail, such as the Dorm Tidy, Pizza Parties or the introduction of the ‘Pay It Forward Scheme’ in Holcombe, where one person does something nice to another and then that person has to pay it forward and do something kind for someone else, but my word count is limited! So I want to end by saying that I can never be more grateful to the person who placed me in Holcombe, whoever you are. I have had the most incredible time in this house, and I want to thank Miss Evans and Miss Baker, our matrons and every single person in Holcombe for their hard work and dedication towards making Holcombe the very best House.

Gemma Mountain, UV

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

HOUSE REPORTS

TEDWORTH Well – what a year and my first in Tedworth! It has flown by so quickly and been jam-packed.

The term’s activities got off to a sunny start with a day at Horseshoe Lakes, which saw everyone from the staff to the new UIV releasing their competitive spirit. Dragon boats were raced, dinghies sailed and a wet form of archery took place.

I realised very quickly that Tedworth House girls have a huge amount of team spirit, competitiveness and a great sense of fun.

These qualities have been evident in abundance throughout the year and nowhere more so than during the House Drama competition. We may not have won overall with our performance of ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’ but the individual prizes won by Jemima Oliver, Octavia Leahy and Charlotte Ledger were well deserved. I am sure no one will forget the memorable Lower School ‘Chicken Dance’either. Holly Parkinson, Lara-Lily Hurd and Hattie Muncey were tireless in their efforts and it was super to see the whole House pulling together.

The story of our year in House competitions appears to have been that of ‘close second’ but with some highly commendable individual efforts. Our House dancers pulled off a very entertaining dance workshop performance and Kezia Dubens was a superb soloist; the spirit of Mrs Nurser was not only alive and well, but was witnessed in person by the lady herself.

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Tedworth’s main strength has been on the Sports field where we won the 2nd Team Inter-House Lacrosse, 1st & 2nd Team Inter-House netball and Inter-House hockey. The fact we had been touted as ‘red hot’ favourites for the latter competition made me slightly nervous, but there was a ferocity and focus about the girls that never looked as though it could be beaten (and our team comprised most of the School 1st XI so they would have been disappointed with anything less).

It hasn’t been all about the competitive element of life. We all enjoyed a lovely preChristmas trip to Winchester where the girls put their skating skills to good use and we were able to enjoy a delicious Chinese meal together before the girls went their separate ways for the holidays.

Whilst the Lent and Summer Terms were more low key in terms of major outings, we have enjoyed lots of experiences together. We had a particularly lovely Leavers’ Supper with the UV and a wonderfully fun evening complete with burger van at ‘It’s a Knockout’, and Sports’ Day is always a highlight of the term. We were, I like to think, narrowly beaten into second place by AGN and I would like to give a particular mention to Amelia and Cecilia Hughes who provided a very exciting finish to the 800m.

Tedworth is a special community and I feel privileged to have been at the helm for the last year and look forward to the future. Of course, the heart of the House is the girls and below are the thoughts of the last year from one of our Lower Fifth girls.

Mrs Sarah Barnard, Housemistress, Teacher of History and Overseas University Coordinator ‘This year, like all others in Tedworth, we have all enjoyed the wide range of activities and opportunities available. Some of my favourites included the day out in Winchester at the end of the Michaelmas Term. I thought it was a lovely way to conclude the term and allowed us to do some shopping too; of course a necessity. Having a Chinese dinner as a House was the perfect way to end such an exciting week of ‘Secret Santa’ madness.

However, much more recently, the hilarious ‘It’s A Knockout’ event was an opportunity not only for inter-year bonding, but a great excuse to get covered in foam. Despite the rain and the hail, the competitive Tedworth teams battled it out on the many bouncy castles and slides which we all loved!’ Anna Hewitt, LV SCHOOL LIFE

HOUSE REPORTS

DARWIN This has been such a busy and exciting year for the Lower Fourth that looking back it is hard to imagine how we fitted everything in! The girls have really made the most of all the opportunities available to them at Downe House, and taken part in a huge range of Co-Curricular activities. Weekly polo sessions, horse riding, cookery clubs and modern, tap and ballet lessons have certainly kept them very busy! We have some real sporting stars in this year group and I have enjoyed watching our riders, gymnasts and runners showcase their talents throughout the year.

Our weekend trips have included Windsor Horse Show, Fishbourne Roman Palace and Gardens, Christmas Markets and Woodland Laser Tag. Our termly socials with Elstree School have also been a real highlight. The Michaelmas Term saw the girls learning to knit and I know that many Christmas presents were made in House. Other House activities have included baking, spa evenings, inter-dormitory dance offs, a sketch show and treasure hunts, amongst many others.

The Summer Term as ever provided the Darwin girls with the opportunity to make the most of the location of the House; whether enjoying playing outside using our outdoor play areas, or going for a ramble in the woods amongst the bluebells.

The term in Veyrines is always a highlight for the Lower Fourth and this year was certainly no exception. I have been especially proud of the girls for the way in which they have looked after each other, both when in France and at Cold Ash, and made the transition between the two. Darwin remains a very homely and friendly House and continues to be known for its inclusivity and kindness.

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Miss Faith Smith, Housemistress and Teacher of Mathematics

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

HOUSE REPORTS

HERMITAGE 2015 is the end of an era for a very special part of Downe House. Over the past 19 years, Hermitage House has created many treasured memories for Hermites - minibus journeys to and from School; noisy showers and creaky bunk beds; cosy fires in the Common Room, snuggling up in a duvet and eating tuck to watch a DVD; walks to the Post Office and Hillier’s Garden Centre; House breakfasts with croissants warmed in the Aga...

The House has been such a wonderful home for girls over so many years and it is now time to look forward to the exciting prospects that life on site will bring. Having all three boarding houses together unifies the whole of the Lower School as never before and will provide superb opportunities to foster closer bonds between the LIV and Remove. Indeed, 2015 is the beginning of a wonderful new chapter in the life of Hermitage House!

I have enjoyed my first year as Assistant Housemistress at Hermitage House, living and working in a beautiful, character home full of warmth and homeliness. I now have the pleasure of moving into the brand new Hermitage House with its impressive layouts, light and airy communal spaces and even an in-house music practice room!

The heart of Hermitage House will always be the group of girls I support and nurture during their first years at Downe House and the incredible pastoral team. We are more than just work colleagues, teachers and students, we are a community. Hermitage House is a home where friends are made, hard work is rewarded with epic play, and huge achievements are made in very short spaces of time.

Mrs Emily Parker-Barratt, Assistant Housemistress and Teacher of Speech & Drama and Musical Theatre

Mrs Anthea Nash, Housemistress

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Tabitha Kendall – “Being a Remove has been such fun! The best part was the Calshot Trip.”

Christina Elliot – “It’s been a great year and one that I will never forget.”

Francesca Rhodes – “The sport here is so much fun. We learn so many new sports, including lacrosse and squash.”

Jemima Landale – “I have made really good friends; ones that I will have for my whole life.”

SCHOOL LIFE

Lucia Bugeja – “Being a Remove is one of the greatest things at Downe House. There are so many opportunities to discover. You get the chance to discover new skills and talents, as well as practising what you are already good at.”

Elsa Karoly – “It has been an enjoyable year and I cannot see any year being better.”

Imogen Ridley – “Remove is amazing and I wish I could do the year again!

I have met so many people and made new friends. There is always so much happening!”

Phoebe Hughes – “It has been a great start to my time at Downe House.”

Morgan Kandrac – “Being a Remove has been the best start to life at Downe House. The sport options are amazing; I am a swimmer and the staff have organised early morning sessions for me, so that I can keep up my swim practice.”

Poppy Scales – “Hermitage has been an amazing experience and I could not have wished for a better way to start my life at Downe House.”

HOUSE REPORTS

HILL My first year at Downe House has been amazing and fun-filled. From my first arrival, when I didn’t know anyone, to now, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in Remove.

We all arrived at School, nervous and not knowing what to expect, and we were put into dormitories with girls whom we had never met. But eventually those girls became our best friends and the dormitory felt like a home from home. Some lessons I had never done before, such as Textiles and Latin, but soon I got used to them. I also loved learning lacrosse for the first time and it is now my favourite sport!

At the weekends we have taken many great trips: Cadbury World, Gravity Force, London Zoo, Paulton’s Park and many more… We have also had a number of fascinating talks and speeches from inspiring people like Sir Tim Rice and Clare Balding OBE, not to mention the fun activities in House. We have had den building and picnics with Hermitage, as well as just playing after school with the swing ball and the go-cart.

However, my favourite part of being in Remove has been living in the dormitories.

From dorm tidy competitions to dance routines and photo shoots, I have loved spending time in the dorms with the other girls. We helped each other through homesickness and I have made amazing friends.

Daisy Williams, Remove

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The Remove girls have enjoyed an amazing number of brilliant activities this year; it’s a wonder they have found any time to have lessons! Here is a taste . . .

• Trips to Cadbury World, Warner Bros. Harry Potter Studios, Bucklebury Farm Park, Coral Reef Waterworld, Calshot and Cotswold Wildlife Park.

• Fun activities including netball with parents, It’s a Knock Out and extreme trampolining at Gravity Force!

• In-House fun with Halloween and Christmas parties, picnics, magic shows, ‘smores’ on the BBQ, the DT Challenge kite making and chair designing, and getting creative making masks, pompoms, bunting and lots of cup cakes! … and that doesn’t include school trips, activity days and lectures, Lower School Enrichment or Co-Curricular activities!

Well done girls!

Miss Rachel Black, Assistant Housemistress, Lower School Enrichment Coordinator and Higher Education Administrator

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

HOUSE OFFICERS

AGN Head of House House Seniors LVI Games Captain UV Games Captains LV Games Captains Peer Support Reps

Lara Spearman

Naomi Vallance and Meredith Webber Felicia Tchen and Ngozi Emenike Charlotte Clover and Iona Jardine Jennifer Darko and Ella Houston Katherine Lyons (UV) and Victoria Scobie (LV)

Michaelmas Term 2014 Shadow Heads of House LV Year Reps UIV Year Reps House Drama Producer House Drama Director House Drama Assistant Director

Charlotte Aldrich and Rumbidzai Wasterfall Sarah Darko and Rose Hughes Storm Halestrap and Isabella Jones Henrietta Johnston Louisa Henry Sophia Donald

Lent Term 2015 Shadow Heads of House LV Year Reps UIV Year Reps House Music Conductors House Gym Captains House Dance Choreographers

Imogen Hancock and Charlotte Orpen Eloise Tucker and Beatrix Jackson Sophie Elliot and Isabella Evans Sarah Orpen and Sophie Ordish Ella Houston and Eloise Percy-Davis Felicia Tchen and Danagul Saulebayeva

Summer Term 2015 Shadow Heads of House LV Year Reps UIV Year Reps

Roseanna Bromley and Iona Jardine Olivia Stakem and Victoria Scobie Lettice Cornell and Celeste Percy

AGS 16

Head of House House Seniors LVI Prefects

LVI Games Captain UV Games Captains LV Games Captains

Georgina Revell Mathilda Blythe and Lucie Kiehl Alexandra Kirk, Daisy Huntington, Katarina Huth, Freya Esam, Ione Sandberg and Shuk Man (Sophia) Li Cordelia Tahany Melissa McAlpine and Lucy Grace Sarah Palmer and Charlotte Benigni

Michaelmas Term 2014 Shadow Heads of House LV Year Reps UIV Year Reps Food Committee Reps Peer Support Reps House Drama Producer House Drama Director Assistant Directors

Molly Hunloke and Deena Bhanarai Laura Douglas-Hamilton and Grace Devereux Charlotte Harrabin and Isabel Fincham Molly Hunloke and Deena Bhanarai Alexandra Jardine and Katherine O’Shea Emma Stonebridge Autumn Davies Laura Vaughan-Johnson and Eleanor Leeves

Lent Term 2015 Shadow Heads of House LV Year Reps UIV Year Reps Food Committee Reps Peer Support Reps House Shout Conductors U5 Music Coordinator House Dance Choreographers House Gym Captains

Georgina Dick and Lydia Stonehill Nutthapit Poolworaluk and Grace Cornish Honor Stephens and Alice Burbidge Georgina Dick and Lydia Stonehill Alexandra Jardine and Katherine O’Shea Freya Esam and Katarina Huth Janice Wing Tung Kwong Shuk Man (Sophia) Li and Nurshat Izbassar Faith Norman, Kyara Uchida and Isabella Huber

Summer Term 2015 Head of House

Deputy Heads of House

Emma Stonebridge Alexandra Kirk and Autumn Davies

SCHOOL LIFE

Janice Wing Tung Kwong and Olivia Harrison Bethany Perry and Flora Lindsay Dara Bolodeoku and Gabriella Franklin Janice Wing Tung Kwong and Olivia Harrison Alexandra Jardine and Katherine O’Shea Flora Lindsay and Jitiratn (Proud) Rojchuphan

Aisholt Head of House Deputy Heads of House LVI Games Captains UV Games Captains LV Games Captains

Sarah Creedy-Smith Katy Lane and Emily Flindall Emily Dodd-Noble and Alexandra Somerville-Cotton Sophie Manners and Jasmine Coulson Natasha Somerville-Cotton and Sasha Coulson

Michaelmas Term 2014 Shadow Heads of House LV Year Reps UIV Year Reps Food Committee Reps Anti-Bullying Rep UV Anti-Bullying Reps LV House Drama Producer House Drama Director Assistant Director LVI Prefects

Emily Crowston and Sophie Manners Hebe Ide and Zara Edmiston Trinity Hill and Georgia Hewitson Emily Crowston and Sophie Manners Sandrine Heller Hebe Ide and Zara Edmiston Emily West Amelia Yerburgh Emily Dodd-Noble Georgia Findlay, Isabella Hancock and Minna Conybeare-Cross

Lent Term 2015 Shadow Heads of House LV Year Reps UIV Year Reps Food Committee Reps Anti-Bullying Rep UV Anti-Bullying Reps LV Anti-Bullying Rep UIV House Music Conductors

House Gym Captains LVI Prefects

Anna Chalmers and Georgina Fenn Matilda Pope and Saskia Wormsley Sophie Bott and Rosie Blackburn Anna Chalmers and Georgina Fenn Sandrine Heller Hebe Ide and Zara Edmiston Torera Bolodeoku Alice Palmer, Lauren Brolly and Sarah Bergstrom (arrangements by Alice Palmer and Anna Chalmers) Matilda Pope, Hebe Ide and Daisy Little Hannah Goodyear, Sasha Wendin and Emma Poole

Summer Term 2015 Shadow Heads of House LV Year Reps

UIV Year Reps Food Committee Reps Anti-Bullying Rep UV Anti-Bullying Reps LV

Anti-Bullying Rep UIV

Sandrine Heller and Islay Kingham Marie-Gabrielle de Woot de Trixhe de Jannee and Monique Leong Jessica Hayward-Cole and Torera Bolodeoku Sandrine Heller and Islay Kingham Sandrine Heller Marie-Gabrielle de Woot de Trixhe de Jannee and Monique Leong Torera Bolodeoku

HOUSE OFFICERS

Shadow Heads of House LV Year Reps UIV Year Reps Food Committee Reps Peer Support Reps Green Committee Reps

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Holcombe Head of House House Seniors LVI Prefects LVI Games Captain UV Games Captains LV Games Captains

Charlotte Whitehead Florence Li and Jessica Campbell Lilac Watt, Eleanor Tarling, Catherine Yung and Lucy Astor Molly Adams Florence Elliott and Zara Chamberlain Georgina Tarling and Isabelle Brown

Michaelmas Term 2014 Shadow Heads of House LV Year Reps UIV Year Reps Food Committee Reps

Gemma Mountain and Oonagh Sargentson Rachael Litton and Catharine Wippell Amelia Smith and Nina Bugeja Gemma Mountain and Oonagh Sargentson DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

PEER MENTORING

Peer Support Rep House Drama Producer Director Assistant Director

Annabel Roest Lilac Watt Anouska Royle Hannah Simpson-Orlebar

Lent Term 2015 Shadow Heads of House Sophia Hill and Wing Pui (Tiffany) Chan LV Year Reps Eleanor Campbell and Evelyn Graham UIV Year Reps Tae-Chan Ellis and Zara Karoly Food Committee Reps Sophia Hill and Wing Pui (Tiffany) Chan Peer Support Rep Annabel Roest House Music Conductors Clementine Swallow, Lucinda Penney

and Livia Russell House Dance Captains Lilac Watt and Catherine Yung House Gym Captains Ilaria Bevan, Skye Wilson and Louisa Ansell Summer Term 2015 Head of House

Lilac Watt Deputy Head of House Eleanor Tarling and Catherine Yung Shadow Heads of House India Laidlaw and Georgiana Ward LV Year Reps Georgina Tarling and Eliza Horn UIV Year Reps Anastasia Mullen and Iman Khalil Food Committee Reps India Laidlaw and Georgiana Ward Peer Support Rep Annabel Roest Green Committee Reps Caroline Watkinson and Zara Chamberlain

Tedworth 18

Head of House Jessica Ledger House Seniors Hattie Muncey and Katherina Zeal LVI Games Captains Jessica Ledger and Lara Wigan UV Games Captains Rebecca Radford and Camilla Farrell LV Games Captains Cecilia Hughes and Alexa Feather Michaelmas Term 2014 Shadow Heads of House LV Year Reps

UIV Year Reps House Drama Producer House Drama Director House Drama Assistant Director

Daisy Padovan and Emma Wyatt Imogen Waller and Jenna Parkinson Alexa Wiggin and Shalayna Assani Hattie Muncey Holly Parkinson Lara-Lily Hurd

Lent Term 2015 Shadow Heads of House Camilla Farrell and Kezia Dubens LV Year Reps Cecilia Hughes and Verity Hornby UIV Year Reps Charlotte Zeal and Calypso Cox House Music Conductors Esther Adebajo and Clare Maunder House Gym Captains Anna Hewitt, Alexa Feather and Sasha Villiers-Smith House Dance Choreographer Eleanor Armstrong Summer Term 2015 Shadow Heads of House LV Year Reps UIV Year Reps

SCHOOL LIFE

Alexandra Milne and Octavia Leahy Rosanna Craig and Anna Hewitt Melissa Farquhar and Calypso Cox

SIXTH FORM PEER MENTORING PROGRAMME The Sixth Form Peer Mentoring Program is an opportunity for Lower Sixth girls to learn the skills that enable them to provide support to the new Remove and Lower School girls as they enter the school. Throughout the Lower Sixth, the girls in the programme are involved in a series of training and development events including listening skills, child protection and mental health awareness training.

This is carried out by a range of external experts, and this year we have welcomed Mrs Jackie Cox who has worked in a variety of schools such as Harrow and St Paul’s Girls, both as a school counsellor and pastoral care teacher. Jackie also works closely with the Boarding Schools Association and runs sessions for teaching staff; the girls have been very lucky to be able to benefit from her expert advice.

Sessions have also been run by The Samaritans, who gave some excellent advice on listening to, and dealing with, people in a distressed state of mind. In addition, we have hosted some practical sessions internally where the girls have an opportunity to develop their skills further through role playing various scenarios they may encounter as a peer mentor.

The current LVI cohort of budding peer mentors are very excited to welcome the students into the Lower School next year and are eager to put their newly acquired mentoring skills into practice.

“Having a senior student to support you as a new girl is really helpful and makes the transition into Downe House so much easier.”

Emma Stonebridge, LVI Miss Ellen Clark, Assistant Housemistress, Willis and Higher Education Advisor

HOUSE COMPETITIONS

HOUSE DANCE The theme for this year’s House Dance Competition was ‘Anything Goes’, which meant that the House Choreographers could either use one of the big numbers from the show of that name as their jumping off point or they could have a completely free hand. The result was a really imaginative mix of interpretations in the House routines, which allowed the dancers to showcase their talents across a range of dance styles.

We were very lucky this year to have two fantastic adjudicators, Stuart Bishop and Anthony van Laast Stuart, a professional choreographer and the artistic director of the Rudeye Dance Agency. Stuart Bishop completed a dance workshop with five girls from each House on Saturday afternoon, after which the groups performed the dances at the competition in the evening. Anthony has been one of the top West End choreographers for the last twenty-odd years with a list of shows to his name, including ‘Sister Act’, ‘Mama Mia’ and ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ to name but a few. At the moment he’s choreographing the new Disney film ‘Beauty and the Beast’ starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens, which is currently in production, so we felt enormously privileged that he was willing to give up his time to come to Downe House. Between Stuart and Anthony the girls received outstanding adjudication and both experts were amazed by the talent and sheer joy they saw on stage.

At the end of the day AGS retained the trophy for best House, with Faith Norman, LV, winning Best Solo and Shuk Man (Sophia) Li, LVI, and Nurshat Izbassar, LVI, winning Best Choreographers. Tedworth won the trophy for the Best Group and their House Choreographer, Eleanor Armstrong, LVI, was Highly Commended. In truth, there were no losers this year, as the standard was higher than ever before. Huge congratulations to all who took part; it was a great night!

E HOUS

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E DA N C

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Mrs Teresa MacColl, Boarding Deputy

The James Painting Foundation

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The James Painting Foundation was initially established to support the treatment of my dear friend James, who was diagnosed with an aggressive from of brain cancer in 2014. James was a kind, deeply spiritual and unique soul.

He was an internationally acclaimed dancer, who appeared in music videos, performed internationally and taught at Pineapple Dance Studios. He always placed supreme importance on his health and well-being, which is why the news of his brain tumor came as such a shock to all of his family and friends. In his memory, the James Painting Foundation will to put to good use any monies raised to support the awareness and treatment of brain cancer.

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CH 20 1 MAR DAY 2 R U T 0pm A S PAC 7.0 IN THE

Downe House was delighted to welcome one of James’ close friends, Stuart Bishop to the House Dance Competition, where he ran the dance workshops and judged the competition with Anthony Van Laast. Stuart, a world renowned choreographer and director of Rudeye Dance Agency, donated his fee to the James Painting Foundation in memory of our dear friend.

Mrs Areti Bizior, Deputy Headmistress

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

HOUSE MUSIC

HOUSE MUSIC January saw the return of the much loved House Music competition.

Feverish preparations began at the start of the term, as each House raced to get ahead with their arrangements, rehearsals and choreography in the hope that their House would win one of the coveted House Music Prizes.

HOU

This year’s competition introduced a new category, the ‘Instrumental Ensemble’, to be judged alongside ‘Solo Performance’, ‘Vocal Ensemble’ and ‘House Song’. This year’s theme was ‘Elton John’, which created a full and varied evening of music ranging from his top chart hits, such as ‘I’m Still Standing’ to songs from shows, including ‘The Circle of Life’ from the Lion King.

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Our adjudicator this year was a top percussionist, Rob Farrer, who was previously a member of award-winning pop group, The Divine Comedy, and is now the Percussion Co-ordinator at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

His extensive musical career has also seen him work with artists such as Sir Tom Jones and Sir Paul McCartney.

Mr Farrer greatly enjoyed the evening and commended all of our performers for their energy, enthusiasm and some excellent arrangements, particularly the vocal mash up created by the Holcombe Singers. The programmes created by each House certainly didn’t go unnoticed either and the sugary bribery in the form of cupcakes and Love Heart sweets quickly disappeared!

The adjudication led to some extremely tricky decisions, however in the end the prize for the Best Presentation, particularly lots of colourful wigs, went to Tedworth. AGN won Best Programme Design, AGN’s performance of ‘Crocodile Rock’ scooped the award for Best House Choir, and Best Director was awarded to AGS. The overall winners were Holcombe House, whose performance of ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart’ was received with a standing ovation to end the overall competition. They also achieved Best Vocal Ensemble, Best Instrumental Ensemble and Best Solo for Rose Galbraith’s spell-binding performance of ‘Defying Gravity’ from Wicked.

Miss Amy Thompson, Assistant Director of Music

SCHOOL LIFE

HOUSE GYMNASTICS

HOUSE GYMNASTICS At the end of the Lent Term we enjoyed a fantastic annual House Gymnastics competition, with a lot of girls competing from each of the five Houses.

This year, Christabel Graham, UIV, and Emily Manners, Olivia Pockney, Mathilda Hughes and Alice Weldon, all LIV, competed for the Floor solo, showing amazing and superb routines.

Congratulations go to Alice Weldon for winning for AGS. Although all five Houses gave it their all, Ella Houston, Alexandra O’Kane and Eloise Percy-Davis, all LV, took AGN to victory, winning the overall House competition.

Adetoun Karunwi, UVI, Gymnastics Captain

HOUSE GYM COMPETITION

TUESDAY 24 MARCH 2015

IN THE FARR CENTRE

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Awards will be presented for the following: • Overall House Beam • Overall House Vault • Group Floor • Individual Floor • Individual Beam • Individual Vault • Overall House Cup • LV Captains Award

• Most Improved Gymnast

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

HOUSE DRAMA

HOUSE DRAMA The start of term is always busy at Downe, but this year I had the experience of taking a very active and prominent role in House Drama. I was honoured. The scriptwriters had been busy all summer creating their devised versions of Roald Dahl classics and I waited in anticipation to hear the results of the auditions. The first few weeks of term were fraught with rehearsals, prop making, sound editing and choreography as the Lower Sixth teams took up their challenge in earnest.

I very much enjoyed attending the rehearsals, checking the Lower School were enjoying themselves, and keeping the Lower Sixth from the impending state of frazzled despair I had been only too familiar with the year before. On the day itself, the Drama Department truly outdid themselves with their exciting ‘big reveal’.

None other than Alexander Armstrong was to grace our stage as our judge and I was to host him for the entire day. I was astounded! I had the most incredible day and experience and am pleased to report he also had a fantastic day. There were so many reasons to celebrate and every House achieved wonderful things on stage.

I was so proud to be a part of such a wonderful event and that my last ever House Drama competition is one I will definitely never forget.

Mathilda Blythe, UVI, Head of Drama

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HOUSE DRAMA AWARDS Best Supporting Actress Award This year for House Drama, AGN put on the play ‘Matilda’ where I acted amongst people in my year, the year above and below, which was hugely enjoyable.

From the beginning of our auditions I knew that I wanted to try for a comic role as I have never played one throughout my time at Downe. I decided to audition for Mrs Wormwood as a challenge.

After finding out that I had got the part I was apprehensive about whether I would do it justice or not. The AGN Sixth Form helped me, as well as many

SCHOOL LIFE

others, to understand our characters through practice and method acting.

However I believe that the teachers would not appreciate me turning up to the lesson in a hot pink mini skirt and contributing to the class as Mrs Wormwood in order to understand my character further!

When we finished our last performance we were all so relieved and it was great to finish it on such a high. Everyone made such an effort, in our House and others, to make their play the best so that they could win the ultimate prize…

The House Drama Cup.

During the adjudication Alexander Armstrong called my name to come and collect the award for Best Supporting Actress. I was extremely excited, yet surprised, as there were so many other people who deserved it due to their amazing acting.

I must say a huge thank you to the Drama Department for organising the day, especially to Mrs Watson and Miss Hannibal.

Victoria Scobie, LV, Drama Scholar

HOUSE DRAMA

Best Actress Award – Eliza Downes This year was my last opportunity to perform in House Drama. I was a little nervous at the thought of Aisholt creating a production of Roald Dahl’s ‘The Witches’ but I was pleased to be given the part of the Grandma.

I very much enjoyed working with the different year groups and the Lower Sixth team.

It was great to be able to create a comical character for the stage and I was allowed to influence some of the ways in which the Grandma was depicted and developed throughout the story. I feel honoured to have been recognised by Alexander Armstrong and I am so pleased to have been awarded the Best Actress Cup. I am very much looking forward to being in the Lower Sixth team next year. I have my heart set on directing Aisholt’s production and I am looking forward to finding out the theme!

Eliza Downes, UV, Drama Scholar

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DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

Drama 24

RELIGIOUS STUDIES

LIV STUDY TRIP The Oxford Synagogue and the Neasden Hindu Temple

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On Friday 19 June, we visited the Oxford Synagogue and the Neasden Hindu Temple (Shri Swaminarayan Mandir), in London. At the Synagogue, a member of the community told us about Jewish beliefs and what being a Jew and part of a congregation means. He also explained that the Oxford Synagogue is unique as it welcomes all denominations of Jews (Orthodox and Liberal), who are able to worship in the same synagogue but in separate sections. We also learnt about Jewish festivals and what happens at them, and were shown various Jewish artefacts, like the ‘Tallit’ and the ‘Tefilin’. He also intoned some Hebrew verses from the ‘Torah’ using a ‘Yad’, a Jewish ritual pointer used when reading ‘Torah’ scrolls.

We then headed to the Neasden Hindu Temple in London. It looked amazing from the outside, with lots of incredible carvings on both the exterior and interior. To show respect, we took off our shoes and we then went into a huge prayer hall where our guide, Mr Patel, spoke to us about the temple and Hinduism, and we watched a short video. Next, we visited an exhibition about the main principles of Hinduism which was very interesting, and we were able to visit part of the main shrine, where there were more intricate carvings on the walls and many ‘Murtis’ (statues) of the main gods. At 4pm some Hindus came to pray at the shrine and we were then able to see all the ‘Murtis’, some of which had been behind closed doors in the main shrine until then. We then went back to the main prayer room and were given friendship bracelets and necklaces, a lovely gesture by Mr Patel. It was a very interesting day during which we could immerse ourselves in the two faiths.

Lucy McCreery and Catherine Nicol, LIV

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

RELIGIOUS STUDIES 26

UIV STUDY TRIP London Buddhist Centre and East London Mosque In June, the Upper Fourth took a Religious Studies trip to East London to visit the London Buddhist Centre and the East London Mosque to further develop our understanding and knowledge of Buddhism and Islam.

At the Buddhist Centre a woman called Srivarti, who is herself a Buddhist, greeted us. She showed us how to meditate effectively and we were able to empathise with the life of a Buddhist and see how they should live their lives in order to fulfil their religious duties.

We all had many questions for Srivarti and we were grateful for her time, as she is an extremely busy working Buddhist, giving many talks and taking many meditation sessions at the Centre.

The Mosque we visited is the biggest working Mosque in London. When we arrived one of the volunteers, Fiona, showed us a video and talked about the Mosque; we learnt that not only is the Mosque used for religious purposes, it also serves as a learning centre where both children and adults can gain a further understanding of their duty to Allah. Later, another volunteer, Juber, showed us around; a part that many of us especially enjoyed was seeing the Bee House and we learnt that not only do the bees provide delicious honey, they also serve as an important religious symbol representing the unity of the Ummah (the worldwide Muslim community). Also, in the Qur’an, the only medicine Allah mentions is honey – it is actually a proven fact that honey has medicinal benefits. We were shown the room where the men perform Wudu (ritual ablutions) to be clean and pure for Allah, which is a very important part of Salah (prayer) for Muslims. We visited on the first day of Ramadan, and Juber explained all about Ramadan and how he felt on his first day of fasting; we were all impressed that nothing had passed his lips all day!

On behalf of the Upper Fourth, we would like to thank the staff for organising and taking us on such a fascinating educational and fun trip.

Rosie Blackburn and Iman Khalil, UIV

ACADEMIC LIFE

On 3 June, the Remove went on a science trip to @Bristol. Unlike most science museums this one is incredibly interactive; it taught the whole of Remove cool new facts and was great fun. As soon as we arrived we split into three groups and started to explore. On the ground floor we did many activities related to biology and chemistry, including recording our height and exploring the inside of a human ear.

My favourite part of this section was standing inside a room that made you feel like you were in your mother’s womb, it was dark and the room moved!

The upper floor was all about physics with activities like how colours mix and one that made a mini tornado. We were also able to create animations and many of the girls enjoyed making a news and weather show in a studio with green screens and sound effects.

After lunch, we made our way to @Bristol’s planetarium which was incredible. We all learnt so many facts about our solar system and space, like the hottest suns aren’t bright orange but blue!

SCIENCE

REMOVE TRIP TO @BRISTOL

Everyone found @Bristol hugely interesting and had a great day.

Constance Pope, R emove

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UVI BIOLOGY FIELD COURSE At the start of the Summer Term, the Upper Sixth Pre-U Biologists, accompanied by Miss Pugsley and Mrs Gordon, departed for a weekend away at Juniper Hall. Located at the base of Box Hill near Dorking, this beautiful country house is now home to a Field Studies Centre owned by the FSC which runs courses for pupils of all ages to carry out practical biology fieldwork.

On arrival, the girls immediately learnt how to use Longworth small mammal

traps and disappeared to various locations to set them. At regular intervals over the weekend the traps were inspected and any voles, shrews or mice caught were then observed carefully and released. The girls were able to study their appearance and movement, looking at adaptations for evading different predators.

Other fieldwork included investigating the effects of trampling on the fauna of Box Hill and of coppicing on species

diversity in woodland. Lunchtime picnics and plenty of fresh air were interspersed with some serious graft in the laboratory, learning how to statistically analyse results and writing up findings.

Best of all this year, waterproofs and wellingtons were surplus to requirements which is a first for us!

Miss Christina Pugsley, Head of Biology

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

SCIENCE

ENGINEERING EDUCATION SCHEME In October, four Lower Sixth students; Ione Sandberg, Sophie Ordish, Isabella Hancock and Esther Adebajo, embarked upon an engineering project as part of the Engineering Education Scheme, working on a real life problem with a local engineering company. We were paired up with Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE), and tasked to design and prototype a robot that would both pick and deploy exact amounts of a specific cable in a hostile working environment. A tough challenge indeed!

Work began in earnest with several brainstorming sessions, with the team keeping comprehensive minutes and notes of all their meetings and running a Gantt chart to keep the project on schedule. This would prove invaluable when writing up the project. Once the long list of ideas had been whittled down to a more manageable number, the team applied criteria scoring to come up with their preferred solution from the shortlist. Working well to the schedule, the team met with their engineering mentor and his manager, and they were very impressed at this early stage with the team’s work so far, which was a boost for us all.

With the final design agreed, the next stage was to make the prototype. After giving CCFE a long shopping list of components to bring to the two day residential workshop, the team really had their work cut out to use the time at the University of Surrey effectively.

After two very busy days involving CAD, 3D printing, cutting, machining,

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microcomputer programming and assembling, the team was delighted to have made their prototype model successfully.

The team presented its work on the project to an international science conference at Radley College delivering a slick and skillfull 15 minute presentation in front of several hundred students and teachers. This turned out to be good practice for the EES’s final ‘Celebration and Assessment Day’, which took place at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. We were just one of many schools that had taken part in the scheme. The team presented again in front of a panel of assessors, who had read carefully the extensive project write-up. There was also a stand where the team could display its work and the girls answered many questions from other teams and visiting scientists.

The team received high praise from both CCFE and their assessors for their project, gaining a Gold CREST Award for the project. The girls have gained a valuable insight into the world of engineering and how to manage projects of this nature. We had much help along the way, for which we are very grateful - especially Mr Tom Cox of CCFE and Mrs Charlesworth (not just for the quiz night answers at the residential workshop evening meal!). Personally, I think the team was a delight to work with and I am full of admiration for their enthusiasm, dedication and hard work. I hope the girls enjoyed the experience and I am sure they have learnt many transferable skills over the six months. I am also convinced that any UCAS admissions tutor could not fail to be highly impressed when they read and hear about the team’s work. It has been a most rewarding experience for all.

Mr Richard Smith, Teacher of Physics

ACADEMIC LIFE

SCIENCE

RAT ATTACK!!

This was once again a very popular choice for girls at the Day of Discovery.

Each of the girls who took part was given her own preserved rat to dissect.

They learnt how to correctly lay a rat out for dissection, and then dissected of a number of the organ systems. This was a unique opportunity for the girls to view organs in situ and the Biology Department is looking forward to offering the same opportunity to girls again in future years!

Miss Christina Pugsley, Head of Biology

VISITING THE LIVING RAINFOREST During May, girls in the Lower Fourth visited the Living Rainforest, as part of their biology studies. It was just like being in a real rainforest! Although it is small in size and incredibly humid, there is a lot there to see and learn about the plants and animals that live there.

We were given a tour, and saw many different plants and animals, including the salmon pink bird-eating spider, pygmy marmosets, a dwarf crocodile and Goeldi’s monkeys. Many of these species were not kept in separate enclosures, but free to roam, and running around by our feet!

We learnt about how many of the species have adapted over time. For example the pygmy marmoset can spin its head round 180 degrees to watch out for predators; it has special claws and it is very light, so it can climb thin branches very easily to reach the tree sap that they eat.

It was a thoroughly fascinating afternoon which we all thoroughly enjoyed.

Emily Carpmael, LIV

THE BIG BANG AT RUTHERFORD THE FARADAY CHALLENGE APPLETON LABORATORY The Faraday Challenge is an annual competition for Year 8 In February this year, a group of girls from the Remove went to the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory for the Big Bang event. It was a very active day with a lot of interesting activities, such as learning about UV beads, cockroaches, balloon cars and comets. The day ended with a talent show called ‘Rutherford’s Got Talent’! Personally, our favourite act was the cell building blocks show, where we learnt about the basics of cancer. Although the act did not win in the end, it was very interactive and great fun.

The activities were the highlight; we made UV light ray bracelets and had balloon car races. We also got to stroke hissing cockroaches, although some of us were too scared.

There was an exhibition which showed us many experiments including a 3D sun and mirror glasses. We all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and came back to School knowing a lot more about science and the way the world works!

Rosalind Wippell and Daisy Williams, Remove

students to research, design and make prototype solutions to really tough engineering problems. In May, a group of six Lower Fourth girls visited the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire to take part in the Challenge.

We arrived at the laboratory with plenty of time to have a look at the inspiring technology on display before receiving a briefing about all the various aspects of the challenge. We were given the task of designing a beacon for cyclists, to alert them to dangers ahead, to make their journey easier and safer. We were given a budget of 150 Faradays, the fake currency used for purchasing items in this challenge. In addition to designing our beacon, we also had to purchase all the equipment we needed and budget for the 3D printing costs, including the printing time on the 3D printer, the material and the weight. Although it was a tight squeeze, we did manage to achieve all of these objectives within our budget. After creating a circuit and a shell, our final task was to pitch our design and convince a panel of judges that we were worthy of a place in the competition’s national final. We delivered a strong presentation but, sadly, did not win. Nevertheless, it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and we learnt a great deal about product design during the day. It was particularly fascinating to see a 3D printer working, which is something I am sure will be commonplace before too long.

Alexandra Adderley, LIV DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

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GEOGRAPHY

UVI PRE-U STUDY TRIP TO THE DORSET COAST In March our UVI Geographers went to the Dorset Coast for a practical study of some of the coastal processes and management issues that they had been investigating in their Pre-U course work.

The first stop on our tour of the coastline was Mudeford, where we caught a ferry to Mudeford Spit. Here, the girls learnt about how the spit is being protected with hard engineering to protect the Stanpit Saltmarsh that lies behind it, as well as the processes that are responsible for the formation of the spit’s ecosystem and some of the rare species that live there From Mudeford, we travelled to Barton on Sea where rapid cliff erosion has led to some interesting coastal management challenges. Barton-on-Sea is a small village in Christchurch Bay and has long been affected by coastal erosion and cliff collapse. Over the years a number of buildings and most recently a cafe have been lost to the sea.

Sea defences had been been built to prevent coastal erosion but in 2008 there was a further landslip. The older houses in the settlement are now only 20m from the sea. It is expected that, without further investment, many more houses will be lost in the next 10 to 20 years. The girls were able to see the scale of the issues faced by the settlement and observe some of the strategies that are being trialled in order to protect the town.

Finally we headed to Hurst Castle Spit, a shingle bank at the easternmost point of Christchurch Bay which extends 2.5km from the end of Milford Beach out into the Solent. It is an important coastal defence, protecting the Western Solent from flooding and sheltering the designated area of Keyhaven Marsh to the north. Although originally formed by natural processes, the girls discovered how Hurst Spit is now being maintained by regular shingle recycling operations. A reduction in sediment supply due to dredging in the Solent has led to several breaches of this important landform.

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We were blessed with fantastic weather for our trip and the girls really enjoyed the opportunity to gain practical experience of some of the case studies that they had learnt about in the classroom.

Miss Kathryn Rawlinson, Head of Geography

LV ASSESS THE IMPACT OF TOURISM ON THE SEASIDE TOWN OF SWANAGE GCSE Geography Controlled Assessment It was destination Swanage in Dorset for our Upper Fifth Geographers in September, for a trip to collect important data that would form the basis of their GCSE Controlled Assessment. The aim of the Controlled Assessment was to investigate the impacts of tourism on a seaside town.

The girls carried out research including assessing land use, pedestrian counts, environmental surveys and questionnaires in order to see whether tourism was having a positive or negative impact on the town of Swanage. They also had to create and trial a research method that they had devised themselves. On their return to the classroom, the girls were expected to present and analyse the data in order to form conclusions about the impact of tourism on the town. We were very lucky that the weather was on our side and we had a fantastic day of sunshine. Our Geographers thoroughly enjoyed the chance to carry out some primary research, especially chatting to locals and tourists about issues affecting the town.

Mrs Kathryn Rawlinson, Head of Geography ACADEMIC LIFE

UVI STUDY DAY IN LONDON

Girls from the Sixth Form visited Pallant House Gallery in Chichester during the Michaelmas Term, to view an exhibition called ‘Conscience and Conflict: British Artists and the Spanish Civil War’.

In March, the Upper Sixth Art Historians took part in a special workshop, arranged by renowned company Art History Abroad, in order to consolidate their study for the Pre-U Paper 3: The Nude. Ms Alex Fielding and Mr Andy Mackay devised a programme of revision, with the aim of studying at first hand examples of the Nude directly pertinent to the Pre-U Course, and to draw links between all the thematic elements of the syllabus.

This exhibition focused on the impact of the Spanish Civil War on British visual artists such as Edward Burra, Wyndham Lewis, Henry Moore and John Armstrong, examining them alongside international artists such as Pablo Picasso and Joan Miro.

Particularly striking were the artists’ endeavours to rally practical support for refugees, some of which were housed in a children’s camp in Hampshire, using powerful posters, demonstrations and rallies. The devastation upon ordinary people was ultimately conveyed by Picasso’s ‘Guernica’, a textile recreation which provides the backdrop for the photograph.

Ms Diane Slocombe, Teacher of History of Art

During the morning the girls toured Tate Modern, debating the characteristics of the terms ‘naked’ and ‘nude’, examining and discussing examples of modernist reinterpretation of the nude, focussing on Surrealism, and Picasso especially.

After lunch, they travelled by boat along the Thames to Tate Britain. Here the girls discussed the Classical ideal, female nudes and feminist re-interpretations, and more modernist depictions of the Nude, before dividing into pairs to carry out a case study comparison of several works studied during the day and presenting their ideas for the rest of their group to consider and discuss. The girls enjoyed a very busy, stimulating and refreshing revision of their classwork, while testing their ideas and deepening their understanding of the contrasting debates surrounding the Nude in art.

Ms Diane Slocombe, Teacher of History of Art

LVI ARTICULATION COMPETITION At the beginning of the Lent Term, girls from the Lower Sixth were invited to take part in a lecture competition, kindly organised this year by Ms Stimson and Mr Hill. ARTiculation is an annual event designed to promote the appreciation and discussion of art that seeks to engage students, regardless of background or experience, with art and to develop their confidence and ability to express their opinions, thoughts and conclusions.

Twelve girls competed, presenting for between 5 and 10 minutes on a work of art, design or architecture of their choice. The presenters and their topics were as follows: Matilda Bentley – Bruce McLean; Isabella Dubens – Salvador Dali; Georgia Findlay – L.S. Lowry; Cecily Hornby – Liu Bolin; Alexandra Kirk – Raphael’s School of Athens; Amelia Milne – Marina Abramovic; Alice Palmer – Hirst’s Butterfly works; Anastasia Reinl – Canaletto; Clementine Swallow – Egon Schiele; Cordelia Tahany – Robert Mapplethorpe; Kwan Ee (Claire) Tay – Virgile Ittah; Isobel Wild – Vivian Maier.

All the girls worked hard to present in an informative and very entertaining way. Mrs Ryan and Mr Rivers kindly adjudicated for the evening, and presented the first prize to Amelia Milne, with Clementine Swallow as runner-up.

Ms Diane Slocombe, Teacher of History of Art

LVI STUDY TRIP TO LONDON In June, the Lower Sixth Art Historians visited two London art galleries to consolidate their Pre-U learning on Analytical Studies and Historical Topics.

The girls spent the morning carrying out analyses of ancient Greek artworks from the British Museum, focussing particularly on the Parthenon marbles, and the re-creation of the Nereid Monument. The highlight of the morning was a visit to the special exhibition ‘Defining Beauty: The Body in Ancient Greek Art’; whilst this offered another excellent opportunity to revise key Greek artworks, it also introduced the girls to the first part of their studies for next year: the Classical Nude. In the afternoon the girls analysed early Renaissance works in the Sainsbury Wing of the National Gallery, before examining various other works in the main galleries relating to the case studies featured on their Analytical Studies syllabus.

Ms Diane Slocombe, Teacher of History of Art DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

ART HISTORY

ART HISTORY SOCIETY

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ENGLISH

‘WHAT MILO SAW’ A Reading and a Workshop with Virginia MacGregor Virginia MacGregor exudes quiet confidence as she greets us behind a barricade of peachcoloured books. Brought up in Germany, France and England she started writing stories from a young age under the influence of her mother. At school Virginia would write anywhere and everywhere – even in class, behind a maths textbook – and it eventually led to writing full time. It might have not seemed like it from my face, but I was ecstatic. All I’d ever wanted was to be a full-time writer, and she was living proof that maybe my dreams won’t shrivel and turn to ash.

The conversation turns to her book, ‘What Milo Saw’. Despite only having heard the beginning, we are hooked. It’s written from the perspective of Milo, who has Retinitis Pigmentosa, an inherited disease that causes vision impairment and means he can only see through a pinhole. People don’t expect a story to be told in the perspective of a young boy, she tells us, much less one who has an eye disease, which is why it is so captivating.

Without further ado, the workshop begins. We write constantly for a minute and our pens fly across the page, without checking if it makes sense. Our hands ache from the speed as she tells us that the exercise is to “clear away the cobwebs”. She asks questions, “Does he/she have any pets?”, “Are they good at sports?” which we answer from the perspective of our characters in progress.

By 8.30pm our minds are teeming with rounded characters, stylish openings and interesting themes and ideas. Before she leaves she dispenses pearls of wisdom, “Don’t stop writing.”, “Don’t be afraid to write anything.” and “If you wake up and the first thing you think about is writing, you will succeed!”

Kwan Ee (Claire) Tay, LVI

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MICHAELMAS TUESDAYS English Department Extension Seminars Once aimed at Oxbridge applicants only, this year the English Department opened up its weekly seminar series to all girls in the Lower or Upper Sixth interested in broadening their knowledge and understanding of English Literature. The seminars were arranged in a chronological order and thus offered an excellent range of experiences, from Mrs Walker on ‘Easy Anglo Saxon’ to Mrs Boswell on ‘Postmodernism’.

To enhance the series further, guest speakers were invited from other departments. The Reverend Lapwood entertained his audience with his ‘A Bore of Clergy: A Sideways Look at John Donne and George Herbert’, two great metaphysical poets who were also priests, whilst Mr Batters, from the Classics Department, spoke with eloquence and authority about the Romantic poet, John Keats, who died so tragically young.

The numbers attending the seminars rose steadily as the term went on, although few could top the twenty-plus who listened to Miss Evans on ‘Lord ACADEMIC LIFE

Byron – Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know’. So popular was this talk that it had to decamp to a larger classroom!

Not to be outdone, the Head of the English Department, Mr McBratney, decided to augment his talk on James Joyce’s Ulysses with refreshments, taking his cue from one modernist sentence: ‘Mr Bloom ate his strips of sandwich, fresh clean bread, with relish of disgust, pungent mustard, the feety savour of green cheese.’

An enthusiastic party of sixth formers ate thinly-cut gorgonzola and mustard sandwiches. Needless to say, the ungrammatical ‘stream of consciousness’ writings of both Joyce and Woolf, and their effects on the reader, were also discussed, but reports suggest that the sandwiches were surprisingly good too!

With the season wrapped up by Mrs MacColl confessing her love for the poetry of Gerard Manley-Hopkins, there was little doubt that these Michaelmas Tuesday nights provided much fun,

excitement, and even a little learning.

The only problem will be planning a series for next year to top the last!

Mr John Sentance-Davis, Teacher of English and Oxbridge Team Mentor

Dr Jonathan Patrick, Head of English at St Paul’s Girls’ School, visited Downe House in May to give a lecture on Elizabeth Gaskell’s novel ‘North and South’ for members of the Sixth Form. The talk was entitled “Large and strong and tender, and yet a master; John Thornton”. This title was derived from a letter Gaskell sent to her friend Lady Kay-Shuttleworth, detailing her difficulties with accurately portraying Thornton’s complex character in the novel. Dr Patrick’s lecture focused specifically on providing greater insight into this duality, as well as how it relates to the wider themes of the novel.

The talk began with some in-depth analyses of contrasting passages from North and South, which gave rise to a very different interpretation of Thornton’s character. The first (from Vol. II, Chapter II) describes Thornton immediately after his rejection by Margaret. The extract is rife with harsh, masculine verbs and adjectives that indicate Thornton is a powerful, aggressive and opportunistic man – much like a typical caricature of industrialists in the Victorian Era. However, we then examined a passage from Vol. II Chapter I, in which Thornton has just made his love for Margaret known. The contrast between this extract and the first is powerful and tangible – here, we see Thornton exhibiting traditionally feminine traits of softness and sensitivity, and being so overwhelmed and blinded by his love he reverts to an almost childlike state. It is this contrast that makes John Thornton such a compelling character, and Dr Patrick led a discussion on how successfully Gaskell manages to reconcile these opposing facets. He explained how Thornton is simultaneously traditionally masculine and a female sexual fantasy, but also a sensitive, love-struck soul. Dr Patrick also explained how this duality is applicable when examining broader themes of the novel; the title itself, ‘North and South’ is suggestive of a reconciliation of opposites, which is echoed by chapter titles such as ‘Masters and Men’. We learned that this was an important idea for Gaskell throughout her work.

From specific passages, Dr Patrick moved the discussion to a broader analysis of the portrayal of Victorian industrialists as a whole, and how Thornton is in many ways an anomaly. We explored examples such as Richard Arkwright in Thomas Carlyle’s ‘Chartism’, as well as Mr Bounderby in Charles Dickens’s ‘Hard Times’. These industrialists are depicted as ugly, brutish men. Mr Thornton’s attractiveness and gentleness, therefore, is an unusual direction for an author such as Gaskell to take. Dr Patrick’s explanation of these issues was hugely useful in contextualizing ‘North and South’ within literature at the time, as well as lending a deeper understanding of why Thornton’s complexity is so intriguing.

Finally, the lecture moved to a discussion of how both Thornton’s actions specifically, as well as the plot of the novel as a whole, could be viewed either through a feminist lens, or as an extended political metaphor.

Dr Patrick raised the suggestion that Thornton’s passion and pursuit of Margaret is representative of, or represented by Victorian class conflict and political unrest. The former could be representative of a Marxist viewpoint, whilst the latter is a more Freudian expression. The idea of these two plots running in parallel and potentially being a metaphor for one another was fascinating and surprising for many of the students.

Great thanks must be extended to Dr Patrick for an engaging and exciting lecture, during which we all gained a much deeper understanding and greater appreciation for both ‘North and South’ and the character of John Thornton. All the students came away with knowledge about the reconciliation of Thornton’s duality and how Thornton “though a master, may be oppressed”.

Amelia Milne, LVI, Literary Senior

ENGLISH

“LARGE AND STRONG AND TENDER, AND YET A MASTER; JOHN THORNTON” A Report on a Sixth Form Lecture

ROMEO AND JULIET Performed by The Lord Chamberlain’s Men ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is a GCSE set text for all Lower and Upper Fifth girls at Downe House, and so it was incredibly helpful that The Lord Chamberlain’s Men had selected the play for their 2014 tour. This is a world-renowned company which travels to schools and stately homes across the summer months in order to perform outdoors on a stripped down and versatile stage. Oh, and they are all men!

Thus, audiences are given a good sense of how things might have been for Shakespeare’s sixteenth and seventeenth century theatregoers, and how challenging it might have been for these immortal lovers to be brought to life by two young men.

In the end, fear of rain meant that the production was placed in the Farr Centre (the only space big enough for the set) but, nevertheless, it was energetic, explosive and exciting. These young actors, many fresh from Drama School, erupted onto the stage for a thrilling rendition of the play. Imagery came to life in a fast-paced performance as the actors bounded across the stage – and held us spellbound. The cast delighted us with its interpretation of the language, beautiful harmonious singing and very convincing cross-dressing! It took mere minutes before we believed absolutely in the performance of Juliet in particular; and the famous love scene and final death scene were superbly rendered. The agonies and pain of poison and stabbing were particularly vividly demonstrated.

For two entire year groups to be so utterly enthralled for over ninety minutes without an interval is some feat. This was a unique experience for the girls of Downe House and a resounding success on behalf of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. With their question and answer session, drama workshops and main show, they more than fulfilled their brief to inform, educate and entertain.

Mr John Sentance-Davis, Teacher of English and Oxbridge Team Mentor DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

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MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES 34

THE STEPHEN SPENDER PRIZE FOR POETRY TRANSLATION In association with The Guardian

Under the Mirabeau Bridge – Apollinaire

Every year I write about how difficult it is to translate anything, let alone poetry and yet every year I am impressed that Downe House girls knuckle down and have a go. This year we were lucky to invite in an expert at poetry translation, Ian Brinton, who has much experience in this difficult skill. He spoke to us about the need to consider the poet’s intentions and to keep true to the poem’s original meaning. The Sixth Form listened intently to his words and asked him some thoughtful questions about the process.

When it came to completing their own translations the girls soon learned for themselves the complications that can be encountered when translating. Sometimes, as the girls discovered this year, the overwhelming desire of the translator is to hold on to the rhythm and feel of the poem and in doing this there is a possibility that you lose the original meaning of the poem. This is just one of the areas on which the translator needs to focus.

Beneath the Mirabeau Bridge flows the Seine And our love.

Must I recall again Joy that banishes pain?

I congratulate all participants on the work they put in on such a challenging task and we await the results with baited breath. Below, Livia Russell (LVI) shares her experience of preparing a piece for the translation competition, and the poem itself.

Mrs Jane Basnett, Head of Modern Languages

Translating Apollinaire I took an interest in the poetry of Apollinaire after researching his involvement in cubism and the Dadaist movement and, instantly struck by the powerful imagery and musicality of Apollinaire’s ‘Sous le Pont Mirabeau’, I chose it as the subject of my translation.

Although at times a challenge, I retained the same rhyme scheme (ABAA, rhyming couplet) as in the French original to embody the same sense of flowing rhythm that the poet achieves. This fluent structure is fundamental to the river imagery in Apollinaire’s language and thus I kept it at the core of my translation. Moreover, I employed sibilance in my translation of the chorus because I felt that the repetition of ‘s’ mirrored the water imagery. I hoped to capture the struggle that Apollinaire depicts between humanity and time, with the narrator wishing that time would stand still for his love by suggesting man’s frustration and helplessness in the face of time: ‘Still, I stand, in want of power’.

My translation of ‘Le pont de nos bras’ as ‘The bridge of our embrace’ was intended to evoke a sense of fleeting intimacy that the couple shares and to suggest that time runs past them in the same way that the river passes under the bridge. Whilst translating, I found the potency of the emotions conveyed by Apollinaire staggering, and I emphasized this in my own translation, suggesting the idea that ‘joy’ can ‘banish pain’ and ‘woe’ can ‘drown’ ‘hope’.

Furthermore, I developed the idea that ‘hope is drowned by woe’ due to the exasperation communicated by Apollinaire in his phrase ‘l’Espérance est violente’ because hope that time will stop comes to nothing – this hope is hopeless – it is drowned by the woe of reality.

Personally, my translation was guided by the emotional impact of the poem rather than the literal meaning, upon which, I felt, many other English translations of ‘Sous le Pont Mirabeau’ had relied too heavily.

Livia Russell, LVI

Translation by Livia Russell, LVI

Summon the night, sound the hour.

Still, I stand, in want of power.

Hand in hand. Face to face.

Whilst underneath The bridge of our embrace, The weary waves chase.

Summon the night, sound the hour.

Still, I stand, in want of power.

Love glides by as waters flow.

Love glides by As life is slow And hope is drowned by woe.

Summon the night, sound the hour.

Still, I stand, in want of power.

Days slip by, weeks march on when Time And our love both lost again Beneath the Mirabeau Bridge flows the Seine.

Summon the night, sound the hour.

Still, I stand, in want of power.

Sous le Pont Mirabeau – Apollinaire Sous le pont Mirabeau coule la Seine Et nos amours Faut-il qu’il m’en souvienne La joie venait toujours après la peine Vienne la nuit sonne l’heure Les jours s’en vont je demeure Les mains dans les mains restons face à face Tandis que sous Le pont de nos bras passe Des éternels regards l’onde si lasse Vienne la nuit sonne l’heure Les jours s’en vont je demeure L’amour s’en va comme cette eau courante L’amour s’en va Comme la vie est lente Et comme l’Espérance est violente Vienne la nuit sonne l’heure Les jours s’en vont je demeure Passent les jours et passent les semaines Ni temps passé Ni les amours reviennent Sous le pont Mirabeau coule la Seine Vienne la nuit sonne l’heure Les jours s’en vont je demeure

ACADEMIC LIFE

This year, ten girls from the Lower Fourth were invited to attend a ‘Year 8 Able Linguist Day’ at Southampton University, accompanied by Mme Reichardt and Mlle Maillard.

IMPRESSIONS OF BORDEAUX 2014 Every year some Lower Fifth French Linguists make their way to Bordeaux to experience a few days with a French family and an intensive French language course. This is interspersed with some excellent visits to top tourist attractions in the region. The trip never fails to impress in some way and the girls return with more confidence in their French and with some excellent memories.

Here are some more personal thoughts about the trip in 2014.

ROUTES INTO LANGUAGES Public Speaking Competition

After finding their bearings around the University’s large languages faculty, the students were divided into teams to design a new ‘wearable technology’.

They had to produce a poster and briefly describe their poster and technological innovation to judges in French. After lunch, girls had the opportunity to take part in language taster sessions, choosing from Chinese, Russian, Spanish, Italian, Mandarin, Japanese, Portuguese and Bulgarian.

The day ended with an awards ceremony for all the participating students, with prizes awarded to the winning teams from the morning’s activities. Congratulations in particular go to Alexandra Kiy and Alessandra Pidgeon whose team took first place, and to Alexandra Adderley whose team took second place in the competition It was an excellent introduction to the relevance of language learning, particularly for business and life beyond school.

Mrs Maria Reichardt, Head of French

“My favourite memory of Bordeaux was our ‘free’ Sunday, as it was a chance for us to choose our activity. We toured the town at a relaxed pace and it was really interesting seeing the French architecture and how it changed throughout the city.”

Emma Dobby, LV “I will always remember Bordeaux as a great bonding experience.

It was lovely to spend a few moments on top of the Dune du Pilat which is a beautiful place; the most amazing sand dune.”

Gwendoline Choi, LV “I really enjoyed going to the centre-ville of Bordeaux and loved the pretty artchitecture. I also enjoyed experiencing French family life, and how it is so different to English family life. The family I stayed with were fantastic, especially the mother who was an amazing cook!”

Jameliah Adekunle, LV “Bordeaux was a lot of fun, I enjoyed it very much. I especially liked the experience of staying in a French home. A highlight for me was going to the sand dunes, and eating a refreshing ice-cream to cool down on our return.”

Emilie Cheung, LV “I really enjoyed the trip because I was able to learn a little bit more of the French culture every day. It also made me more independent.”

A lot of people find public speaking rather challenging. Imagine then, standing up and speaking in a foreign language to an audience you do not know. Add to this the fact that you are competing for your school with a strict time limit and your task becomes a little bit more complicated and demanding.

Congratulations then must go to our intrepid team of linguists who represented the School at the Routes into Languages public speaking event on Friday 20th March.

MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

LIV ABLE LINGUIST DAY

The team members were: Amelia Milne, LVI (Polish – near-native speaker) Felicia Tchen, LVI (German – non-native speaker) Livia Russell, LVI (French – non-native speaker) Georgina Anastassopoulos-Tubby, LV (German – non-native speaker) Davina Drummond, UIV (Italian – near-native speaker) Jaira Vazquez Sanchez, UIV (Spanish – near-native speaker) Nina Bugeja, UIV (Chinese – non-native speaker) Florence Fanshawe, UIV (Italian – non-native speaker) All the girls performed brilliantly and should be congratulated for their efforts and commitment to this event.

In particular, special mention should go to Amelia Milne who won her event and to Livia Russell who was runner-up. Livia was able to compete in the next round in June and talked with passion about sexism. She performed very well against tough competition and was unlucky not to win.

Mrs Jane Basnett, Head of Modern Languages

Omotara Edu, LV DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

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BUSINESS STUDIES

ENTREPRENEURSHIP SOCIETY Starting a business is more fun and exciting than any known game During Global Entrepreneurship Week in November 2014 we were fortunate to welcome Mr Brian Kingham to share his experience of the fun and excitement involved in building and leading successful businesses.

Is it a coincidence that all great companies have great marketing?

In April we were lucky enough to have Mr Orpen, a Downe House parent, visit to give us a wonderful talk about his career and experience in the world of marketing. He talked about whether it was a coincidence that great companies have great marketing.

Mr Kingham has established more than a dozen businesses since the 1970s, including Norland Managed Services Limited and the Reliance Security Group Plc. His talk considered the skills needed to be an entrepreneur and he outlined the route to success of some well known businesswomen, including Anita Roddick and Emma Willis, using a diverse range of examples such as Penhaligon’s (perfumers) and green energy. We were very grateful to Mr Kingham for giving up his time to prepare such an enlightening talk for current and potential business students.

We learnt all about his career with Microsoft and the role he played in launching Excel in the UK. Mr Orpen explained how the product had been promoted and what marketing strategies he used to sell the product. It was so interesting learning about the early stages of a product that we use on such a regular basis, and how much effort went in to promoting it. The talk was thoroughly enjoyed, with everyone gaining great insight into the marketing sector.

We are very grateful to Mr Orpen for giving up his time and sharing his experience with us.

Mrs Diana Evans, Head of ICT and Teacher of Business Studies

Louisa Henry, LVI

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ICT

Mr Kingham with Lower Fifth girls

Mr Orpen with Sixth Form girls

CREATING COMPUTER GAMES FROM SCRATCH! Sunday afternoon enrichment sessions run by the ICT Department have provided Lower Fourth girls with the opportunity to learn how to create a range of simple computer games using Scratch programming.

The girls’ creativity shone through and the initial themes, backgrounds, sounds and characters featured in the games instructions were rapidly changed for horses, unicorns, dogs, dragons and much more! Girls also enjoyed testing their games on their peers, using the interactive screen.

Mrs Diana Evans, Head of ICT and Teacher of Business Studies Coding in Progress

Testing Games on the Plasma Screen

ACADEMIC LIFE

MATHS

UK MATHS CHALLENGE SUCCESS As usual, girls from Downe House entered each of the UK Maths Challenges this year. The Challenges encourage mathematical reasoning, precision of thought and fluency in using mathematical techniques to solve interesting problems.

Mathematics controls more aspects of the modern world than most people realise – from iPods, cash machines, telecommunications and airline booking systems, to production processes in engineering, efficient distribution and stock-holding, investment strategies and ‘whispering’ jet engines.

The UK Senior Maths Challenge took place in November 2014. It was sat by our top set Upper Fifth girls and any girl studying mathematics in the Sixth Form who wanted a challenge, although it was compulsory for our Further Mathematicians!

This year three girls achieved Gold Certificates – Jane Zhen (UVI), who was also Best in School, and Rachel Ding (UVI) and Oi Ka (Natalie) Lam (UV). Additionally there were nine Silver and 22 Bronze Certificate winners.

Some of the Intermediate Challenge Gold Certificate Winners

The Intermediate Challenge was sat in February 2015 by girls from the top two sets in the Lower Fifth and the top three sets in the Upper Fourth, although it was open to girls of Upper Fifth age as well. This year there were 11 Silver and 16 Bronze Certificate winners. Top in the Lower Fifth, as well as Best in School, was Georgina Anastassopoulos Tubby, and top in the Upper Fourth was Calypso Carter.

Finally, in April 2015, girls from Remove and Lower Fourth had their chance to sit the Junior Challenge, and achieved three Gold, 10 Silver and 12 Bronze Certificates. Top in the Lower Fourth was Catherine Nicol, and top in Remove, as well as Best in School, was Yoo-Jeong Kim. Congratulations to all who took part, and in particular to the Certificate winners.

Mr Robert Barnes, Head of Mathematics

PUZZLE DAY FOR THE REMOVE Puzzle Day was an event in November that all of the Remove were involved in, and we faced lots of challenging and clever puzzles to test our minds, along with children from four other schools that came to join in with the fun. The puzzles were not only about logic, but about teamwork and we worked in teams of six.

One challenge involved 20 pieces of road and that needed to be joined up to make a circuit, the only thing was we couldn’t have any dead ends! It was challenging, but nothing is impossible and all the teams managed in the end.

It was great fun and I want to say a big thank you to all the schools that joined us, and to ‘Muffy’ who works for the puzzle company that organised the day. We hope to do it again soon!

Francesca Horton, Remove

CIRCLE THEOREMS A recent maths lesson on circle theorems was the ‘icing on the cake’ (or should we say biscuit!) for Upper Fifth girls.

Junior Challenge Certificate Winners

MATHS INSPIRATION LECTURES Our annual trip to the Maths Inspiration Lectures in Reading is always a highlight of the term for our Lower Sixth Mathematicians. There may be a pre-conceived idea that a morning of maths lectures is going to be boring and getting ready to leave School on a coach at 8am may not seem like a good idea.

However, with speakers like ‘stand up mathematician’ Matt Parker, any such views are quickly changed.

This year the lectures covered a wide range of subjects. The first was entitled ‘Bouncing Bombs and Boomerangs’, where the girls learned about the maths behind Frank Lampard’s disallowed World Cup goal as well as various spinning objects and boomerangs. This was followed by ‘Adventures in the Fourth Dimension’ where steps were taken into the world of four dimensional shapes and their three dimensional shadows. Some mind-bending concepts were covered in a highly visual and easily accessible way. The final talk was ‘The Sacred Geometry of Chance’, recognised by some of the older members of the audience as part of the Lyrics from the song ‘Shape of My Heart’ by the musician Sting, about a gambler finding beauty in the ‘hidden laws’ of probability that govern poker.

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the trip with feedback such as “Great to see maths in other contexts”, “It showed that mathematicians can be entertaining and maths is fun” and “Truly inspirational”.

Mr Robert Barnes, Head of Mathematics DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

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Come and visit a range of Gap Year Companies Saturday 25 april, 12.00 noon - 1.30pm in the Farr Centre FOr aLL LVi anD UVi

R E D U C AT HE

GL

HIGHER EDUCATION & GLOBAL INITIATIVES

GAP YEAR FAIR 2015

GAP YEAR FAIR 2015

L I NITIAT

A year out in the UK or overseas can be exciting, challenging and a valuable opportunity.

Gap Years enrich your life forever and broaden your view of the world...

They can even enhance your University application and make you more employable!

OrganiSatiOnS repreSented will include: • • • • • • • • •

Africa & Asia Venture Alltracks Academy Art History Abroad At Your Service Avenue Cooking School Base Camp Group / Ticket to Ride GAP 360 GapGuru Gapforce (encompassing Trekforce Worldwide & Greenforce)

• • • • • • • • • •

Freckles Childcare Frontier IBM John Hall Pre-University Courses LANACOS Orchards Cookery School Outreach International Peak Leaders Projects Abroad Quest Professional

• The Leap Overseas • Volunteer Uganda

• • • •

Quest Overseas Project Trust Ski le Gap Wyld Cookery School

Take the opportunities while you can and do your research well!

The Gap Year Fair, hosted by the Higher Education Department, was an opportunity for Sixth Form girls to gain an insight into opportunities open to them should they decide to take a year out before university.

Many specialist companies were represented, profiling everything from cookery schools and ski season options, to childcare and adventures abroad. Everyone who attended, whether taking a gap year or not, was able to take their time and explore those activities that appealed. Ski le Gap was one option that stood out to us. They provide ski and snowboarder instructor courses based in Canada, offering Level 2 Instructor courses for everyone, from beginners to experienced skiers and snowboarders. The diverse range of companies also included Gap 360, which is a company that can plan your whole gap year, with trips ranging from two weeks to two years in duration and including the chance of paid internships and jobs throughout your travels. The Gap Year Fair was an opportunity to take some time out to really consider how we can best spend our time, and many girls came away with a clear plan and a lot to look forward to, especially those that took the chance to sign up to activities on the day.

Amelia Yerburgh, LVI and Sophie Larminie, LVI

‘I2I SCHEME’ LAUNCHED TO LVI 38

In February, Downe House’s World of Work Coordinator, Mrs McClymont, launched the new ‘i2i Scheme’ (Introduction to Internship) to girls in the Lower Sixth. Her talk was very persuasive, and the girls were left in no doubt as to the ever increasing value placed on internships by potential future employers, as well as the strong support they give to university applications. Jessica Ledger, LVI, attended the launch and offers her review of the scheme below.

This year saw the launch of the i2i scheme (Introduction to Internships). The value to universities and employers of short, medium and long term internships is lost to none and we are fortunate to have the ‘i2i Scheme’ to quickly share the many internship opportunities that are available through the Higher Education and Global Initiatives Department.

• At the launch, Mrs McClymont shared some interesting statistics from The National Graduate Careers Conference 2014, including: • 37% of this year’s graduate jobs will go to applicants who have already had work experience with the organisation.

• Employers are looking for graduates with ‘lots of work experience’, ‘strong business skills’ and those who have ‘developed a real interest in the sector or industry they are applying to’.

• In the Investment Banking field, 74% vacancies are likely to be filled by graduates who have already worked for the employer.

• The likelihood of graduates with no work experience getting a job offer is as low as 47%.

ACADEMIC LIFE

It is clear that internships can: • Give you a glimpse into city life.

• Help you gather material to talk about at interviews.

• Make you stand out amongst other university and job applicants in the future.

• Because you will be on a company’s database, this could lead to other internship opportunities whilst at university, and possibly even a first job offer.

• Some are paid, and even if they are not, it looks great on your CV. As we move into our final year of Sixth Form, it certainly feels like an advantage to us that we have this tremendous support to help us apply for and secure internships through the scheme.

Jessica Ledger, LVI

On Tuesday 3 March, Miss Clark, the Higher Education Advisor gave a talk on Managing Student Finance, covering budget planning, sources of finance available and how to apply for student loans and grants.

The presentation helped us to understand how the available finance is allocated and then paid back over time. This was the first time we had discussed the topic in UVI and everyone found it helpful filling in the gaps in our knowledge. The talk was delivered in a really succinct way, highlighting the most important information and what steps to take to ensure we apply for the finance when we need it, in time for the start of our courses.

Emily Flindall, UVI

APPLYING TO MEDICAL SCHOOL LVI Potential Medics Meeting The talk about applying for medical school was extremely informative and useful. I found Dr Frampton’s presentation on the practicalities of applying very useful, it made the process of applying seem much clearer and realistic.

My favourite part was when Rosamond Nicholson, a Downe House Old Senior, now in her second year of medical school at Leicester University, talked about her experiences as she went through the process. She gave some really good advice on what sort of work experience to do and essential tips about the BMAT and UKCAT entrance tests. I certainly feel much more prepared to apply to medical school.

Rosamond Nicholson, Old Senior and 2nd Year Medical Student

Alice Palmer, LVI

LOWER SIXTH UCAS DAY In June, the LVI had a day off timetable to participate in an exciting programme of events based around Higher Education and their upcoming UCAS applications.

The day started with an introduction to the UCAS process and then the girls had the opportunity to split into their tutor groups and start to start completing their UCAS forms with all of their past academic achievements and personal details. This was a great opportunity for the girls to reflect on what they had already achieved and think about how they might use their summers to benefit them further. After break the girls attended a talk entitled ‘How to Choose Universities’, which was packed with lots of information about factors other than just league tables to consider when choosing the right university. The talk was quite eyeopening for some who admitted they hadn’t even thought of researching things such as the staff to pupil ratio or how far the halls are from the faculty they will be studying in.

After lunch we were pleased to welcome The Life Skills Company to run a great workshop on writing personal statements. Although this was quite daunting for some, it was an incredibly useful exercise for all the girls to be able to justify why they want to study a particular subject and it really showed them how much evidence they have to support their interest in their chosen area. All the girls left the workshop with a skeleton draft of their personal statement which they could then improve upon over the summer holidays. The day concluded with a role play session, with the girls putting themselves in the shoes of an admissions officer and deciding whether to accept a student on the basis of their personal statement. This served to highlight some common mistakes that applicants make and the girls were able to take away some top tips, as well as some examples of good personal statements.

HIGHER EDUCATION & GLOBAL INITIATIVES

MANAGING STUDENT FINANCES

39 I think the day is best summed up in the words of one of the girls who said “I’m so glad we had this day. I was really nervous about the whole process before, but now I see that if I do my research I’ll be able to make the right choices for me!” These words were echoed by many and I think the UCAS day showed the girls that although the UCAS process can seem quite scary initially, there is a lot of information and support to help them make some of the big decisions they need to make. Here at Downe House, the girls are incredibly well supported by the Higher Education and Global Initiative’s team and I have no doubt that this cohort, like all those before, will secure some excellent places on courses that will not only suit their skills and help them to achieve their career aspirations, but also ones that they will really enjoy.

Miss Ellen Clark, Housemistress (York North) and Higher Education Advisor

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

HIGHER EDUCATION & GLOBAL INITIATIVES 40

OYSTER SOCIETY TALKS Ernst & Young

OYSTER SOCIETY

Charlotte Wain, an Assistant Tax Advisor from Ernst & Young, visited Downe House to talk about the company’s School Leaver and Graduate Programme. Charlotte is 19 years old and joined the company on the School Leaver Programme in 2013, immediately after completing her A Levels. She works in Tax and specialises in VAT.

Taking a Gap Year

As Schools Ambassador, Charlotte visits schools to discuss the different programmes and routes to entry that the company has to offer. She was very interesting and provided a valuable insight into what life in a major accountancy firm would be like. Particularly helpful was her advice on what the company looks for in an applicant, and how to fully prepare for an application.

School Leaver Schemes were a new concept for many of us and it was therefore fascinating to gain such a valuable insight. It was also useful to hear about the different options within the firm, such as tax, auditing and corporate finance, and many girls came away from the talk inspired and encouraged to follow a career in the financial services area.

Alexandra Kirk, LVI, and Ione Sandberg, LVI

A future in Hospitality, it’s more than you think!

In May, Marcus and Rebecca Burnett visited to talk about ‘International Business, Hospitality and Event Management’, including university courses that are available across the world that enable a future career in hospitality and tourism.

The talk was incredibly interesting and very informative, particularly regarding the very wide range of career options within the hospitality industry worldwide. Our thanks to Marcus and Rebecca for providing an insight into an area that none of us knew a lot about; they certainly left us with a lot to think about!

Hattie Muncey, LVI

real world real life real jobs

In March, we had the opportunity to hear about two very different Gap Year options from some invited speakers.

The first came from IBM to talk about the company’s Internship Scheme, and the second from Africa & Asia Venture, to talk about their Gap Year Volunteering Programmes.

It was fascinating to hear just how big the IBM organisation is and the many different areas of work young people like us can get involved in. We heard about the complicated application process that IBM, like many other large firms, has, and were given some really useful tips on what recruiters will be looking for in successful internship candidates.

The Africa & Asia Volunteering Programme offers a chance to travel to remote communities on projects that offer fulfilling community work and skills development, combined with adventure, travel and fun. Volunteering on a project gives you the chance to fully immerse yourself and become part of a community in a different culture.

Overall, the talk gave us a greater awareness of the possible experiences there are to be gained during a gap year, as well as getting us excited to try out new things and to think about placing ourselves outside our comfort zones.

Katharine Craig, UVI

University of St Andrews In January, Kayleigh Woods, the Education Liaison Officer at the University of St Andrews, visited to discuss university life in the Scottish degree system. She spoke of her time as a student of English at Edinburgh University during which she became an active volunteer for a range of university outreach schemes. Having finished her degree, Kayleigh then went on to complete a PGCE English teaching course, before finding her current role in student recruitment.

Kayleigh also discussed with us spending a year aboard or in industry as part of a university degree, and how rewarding this can be. She went on to answer the many questions we had about accommodation, student life, timetables, etc. The talk provided a good overview for those girls who may be starting to think of life beyond Downe House, and what we can look forward to. However, it was the girls in the Lower Sixth that were particularly grateful for her guidance, as they will be applying early next academic year.

Sophie Ordish, LVI ACADEMIC LIFE

In May, we were introduced to the fascinating topic of Behavioural Economics by Mr William Pattinson, who runs a fund management firm that focuses on cognitive psychology and behavioural economics. The talk was absolutely fascinating and I found it particularly interesting to learn about how much people’s psychological state affects fund management, but how this view is fairly alien in the City.

Mr Pattinson also gave a very interesting insight into how fund management works and, as I study Economics, I found that this talk has particularly enhanced my subject knowledge greatly; I had not fully appreciated the significant role of confidence and human psychology on economic issues. The discoveries made in cognitive psychology are very interesting and highlight how, while psychology and economics may seem unrelated, it is important for companies to consider them both when making business decisions. I would like to thank Mr Pattinson for giving such an interesting and informative talk and I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say that we thoroughly enjoyed it.

Alexandra Kirk, LVI

OXBRIDGE APPLICATIONS INFORMATION EVENING During January, attention in the Lower Sixth turned to supporting our future Oxbridge applicants. Girls and their parents were invited to an evening of talks that would provide valuable insight into application process.

Lucinda Fraser, Managing Director of the leading consultancy Oxbridge Applications, and former Oxford Admissions Tutor Barry Webb, shared their expertise and knowledge of what, in recent years especially, has become an increasingly complicated application process. We were also delighted that two of our successful Upper Sixth applicants, Flora Tudhope

and Natasha Seaton, were able to join us and they talked eloquently about the journey they took whilst building their applications. The event was timed to give potential Oxford and Cambridge applicants plenty of time to put into action the advice that was shared by the speakers. Earlier in the afternoon, Lucinda and Barry held a workshop for the prospective applicants in which they

explored, in greater depth, the skills and preparation the girls will need to show themselves at their very best at the inevitable grilling that awaits them at the interview!

Dr Mike Frampton, Teacher of Chemistry and Head of Oxbridge and Medical Applications

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

HIGHER EDUCATION & GLOBAL INITIATIVES

OYSTER SOCIETY TALKS Behaviour Economics: Fund Management and Cognitive Psychology

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ART

GOTHIC PRINCESSES IN THE UPPER FOURTH Paper Dress Project It was with much enthusiasm that the Upper Fourth girls participated in this year’s Art Paper Dress project. The theme was ‘Gothic Princess’ and the girls started by producing imaginative designs for their fashion creations. They had to think carefully about how to translate their drawings into three dimensional forms and then work co-operatively with their partner. They were encouraged to consider events that the dresses might be suitable for such as Ascot, garden parties, balls or weddings.

Working in pairs, they made cages from card strips stapled together around the body. They then attached the dyed paper towel by pleating, ruching and gathering it to develop the dress designs. The girls approached the project with energy and enthusiasm and modelled their ensembles in a lively fashion show.

Mrs Sally Scott, Head of Art Faculty

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DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

ART

UIV MOSAICS INSPIRED BY BYZANTINE ART Girls in the Upper Fourth were asked to create a mosaic ceramic panel for installation in the corridor leading to the Religious Studies Department, known as the Cathedral Steps. The theme for the project was Byzantine Art and the girls explored images of Byzantine icons. Icons are sacred images representing the saints, Christ and the Virgin Mary, as well as narrative scenes such as Christ’s crucifixion. They ranged in size from the miniature to monumental and they would have been crafted in a variety of media, including marble, ivory, ceramic, gemstones, precious metals, enamels, textiles, fresco and mosaic. The Byzantines created opulent mosaics which covered large areas of walls and ceilings, and spectacular examples can be seen in Venice, Sicily and in Istanbul.

The girls initially developed self-portrait studies which they then simplified and stylised to create a decorative portrait image that would be suitable for making as a mosaic. When their designs were ready, they transferred their image on to wooden boards and began the process of cutting and applying ceramic pieces.

The process was very time consuming and required considerable patience to achieve an effective image. Once all the mosaic pieces were glued in position, coloured grout was applied to ensure that everything would stay in place as well as adding to the overall decorative effect. The completed panels, once installed, will really enhance the space.

Mrs Alison Keeling, Teacher of Art

Alexandra Jardine

44

Celeste Percy

Charlotte Zeal

Harriet Sasson

Imogen Dundas

Lucy Bergstrom

You-Oceane Wang

CREATIVE

ART

UV, LVI AND LVI FINAL PIECES Bleak Landscape by Sarah Orpen, LVI

Cambodian Tree by Viviana Radway, UV

45 Carousel by Eliza Downes, UV

Classical Architecture by Sarah Bergstrom, LVI

Concealed and Revealed by Meitao Qu, UVI

Costume Shop by Lara-Lily Hurd, LVI

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

ART

Identity by Mathilda Blythe, UVI

French Market by Isabelle Smith, UV

46

Moroccan Scene by Charlotte Boughey, LVI Polo Player by Florence Elliott, UV

Kew Glasshouse by Clare Maunder, LVI

New York by Olivia Clark, UV

CREATIVE

ART

Red Riding Hood film poster by Sandrine Heller, UV

Reflections by Charlotte Williams, UVI

River Boat by Holly Parkinson, LVI

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Ruins by Arabella Cable, LVI

Rugged Landscape by Lauren Blair, UVI

Shanty Baba the Storyteller by Poppy Winsor, UV

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

ART Sink by Rachel Ding, UVI

The Ice House by Kwan Ee (Claire) Tay, LVI

48 Three French Men by Honor Pattisson, UV Viewpoint by Katharine Garvin, UV

Venetian Reflections by Poppy Holloway, UV Vulnerable Figure by Emily Dodd-Noble, LVI

CREATIVE

ART

LVI AS LEVEL ART Collagraph Prints The Lower Sixth AS Level artists have been studying the theme of ‘Structures’, a section of which was devoted to ‘Mechanical Structures’.

Mr Payne was kind enough to bring his motorcycle into the Art Studio for the girls to draw (which was a bit of a surprise when they walked into the room!) and from these drawings they produced some abstract print designs based on the components of the vehicle. They used the Collagraph technique to make their printing block, which involves carving lines and shapes into a piece of cardboard before gluing on textures in low relief to create a printing plate. This is varnished before intaglio inks are rubbed into it, and it is run through a printing press to transfer the impression onto paper, with stunning results.

Mrs Kirsten Mortimer, Teacher of Art

Collagraph Prints by Holly Parkinson

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Collagraph Prints by Emily Dodd-Noble

Collagraph Prints by Sarah Bergstrom

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PHOTOGRAPHY

AS LEVEL

50 Amelia Milne, LVI

Isobel Wild, LVI

Charlotte Boughey, LVI

Katarina Huth, LVI

CREATIVE

PHOTOGRAPHY 51 Hannah Beck, LVI

Minna Conybeare-Cross, LVI

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PHOTOGRAPHY

A2 LEVEL

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Marina Hacking, UVI

Lauren Holmes, UVI

Florence Li, UVI

CREATIVE

Eloise Tucker In this watermelon design, the light is projected through the holes that represent the seeds.

Alexia Milliken

Daisy Shepherd-Cross

This clever design utilises the bulb as the persons head. The body shape has been laser cut and then bent on a strip heater.

The palm tree forms the shade.

The petals for this flower design were laser cut and then bent on a strip heater. The base is made from oak.

Eliza Gibbons-West A moon and stars hanging lamp made from translucent white acrylic.

Card templates were first made to ensure the shape of the moon’s back fitted the sides. A styrofoam mould also had to be created to wrap around the flexible hot acrylic.

Beatrix Jackson A ‘Pop Art’ inspired lamp with the bean cans lasered from translucent acrylic. The light box has been comb jointed together.

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY

LV GCSE LAMP PROJECTS

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DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY 54

Katelyn Taylor This lamp uses laser cut acrylic which has been solvent welded onto a clear acrylic box. The lid is inspired by a grand piano!

Grace Devereux

Jitiratn (Proud) Rojchuphan

This design uses the technique of moulding acrylic once it has The black strips in this organic design are laser cut and then been softened in an oven. It has been solvent welded together. bent in a plastics oven. They slot into a white disc at the top and bottom which is designed to catch the light.

Georgina Anastassopoulos Tubby This lamp was designed for a company reception area. It is made from plywood and laser cut acrylic. The light box can be taken apart to change the display

Jessica Pemberton This red apple works well as a lamp and produces a subtle glow with some light being projected through the lasered holes.

CREATIVE

DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY

Zara Edmiston A light bulb within a light bulb! Translucent blue acrylic creates an interesting lighting effect with this modern design.

Sarah Palmer Omotara Edu This lamp displays a city in silhouette.

Clouds have been laser etched into the clear acrylic top.

This lamp is inspired by Indian designs and makes use of laser cut acrylic panels which have bolted to the sides. The top has been bent using a plastics oven.

Nuttapit Poolworaluk ‘Roberts Radios’ were the inspiration for this retro lamp which uses laser cut acrylic to create the logo and speaker grille.

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

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DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY

UV GCSE CONTROLLED ASSESSMENT PROJECTS

Camilla Farrell

Charlotte Clover

Emily Crowston

This iPod dock takes its inspiration from a juke box. The sound from any device can be amplified through its speakers.

LED lights shine through the acrylic circles so the product could be also be a lamp.

The top of this bedside table can flip up and support itself for use as a small desk. This would be suitable for a student’s room. It is made from oak veneered MDF.

This bedside table conceals a lamp in the false top drawer. It is constructed from MDF using biscuit and dowel joints then roller painted.

56

Eleanor Nicolas A two storey rabbit hutch made from a pine framework with tongue and groove cladding.

Daisy Padovan A ‘Pop Art’ inspired chest of drawers constructed from MDF with laser engraved drawer fronts. The top can display a poster beneath a clear acrylic sheet.

Claudia Kingham This modern coffee table is constructed from Walnut using comb joints. It has a Danish oil finish.

CREATIVE

Harriet Emery

Iona Jardine

This dressing table is made from plywood with solid sycamore legs.

Thin plywood is bent around a hollow structure to achieve the curved sides.

Glass protects the top from moisture.

Thin plywood was used to create the curve on this bedside table. The plywood drawer fronts have been laminated to match the curve.

This storage bench seat is made from MDF which has been roller painted. The set squares forming the drawer fronts were laser cut.

DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY

Grace Ingram

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Kirstin Gray Inspired by an outdoor theme, this hedgehog nest box is made from walnut strips screwed around a plywood disc.

The base is made from Iroko recycled from a science bench.

Lauren Smith The curves in this bench seat were achieved by bending thin plywood around a softwood structure. The finish is a medium oak varnish.

Larissa Kary This pine bench is made in sections that are bolted together.

They can easily be taken apart for transport or storage.

Katherine Maloney This children’s bench is made from MDF which has been roller painted. The owl shapes were made using templates cut out on a laser cutter.

It can be easily taken apart for flat packing.

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY

Lavinia Falck

Lydia Stonehill

The decoration in this pine bench was cut out by first drilling and then using a jig saw. The armrests double up as drinks holders. The bench has been designed to be flat packable.

The legs of this modern coffee table are made by glueing together thin layers of plywood over a mould (lamination).

The top and bottom veneers are Walnut. The aluminium bars were turned on a lathe.

Melissa McAlpine

Octavia Leahy

This bird feeding table is designed to be more of a focal point to a garden. It is made from oak with a slate roof.

The fixings are all standard components so the unit could easily be batch produced.

This dog house is made from a pine framework with shiplap cladding. The sections are screwed together so that it can be flat packed for ease of transport.

Rebecca Radford

Zara Chamberlain

This storage table is constructed from MDF using biscuit and dowel joints. The finish is acrylic eggshell, applied with a roller. Lasered acrylic mirror has been placed behind the handles.

This large nest box is especially for barn owls. It is made from a pine framework covered in plywood with a feather edge roof.

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CREATIVE

Laura Vaughan-Johnson

Ione Sandberg

The oak framed boxes can be arranged in different ways according to the space available. A locking device on the back makes them secure. It has been designed as a shoe storage system.

A full length mirror that provides moveable platforms to place items of makeup, accessories etc. It is constructed from solid oak with a laminated curve on the hollow base. The frame can easily be taken apart for transport.

UVI A2 LEVEL COURSEWORK PROJECTS

DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY

LVI AS LEVEL COURSEWORK PROJECTS

59

Victoria Crewe-Turrell

Madeleine Mather

Naomi Vallance

The brief for this project was to create a seating/storage unit for a camper van.

The top can fold out and convert into a bed when supported by the drawers.

It is constructed from plywood with an aluminium tread plate drawer front to resist damage.

The brief for this project was to design a rocking chair suitable for a young person. The structure is made from thin plywood bent around a pine structure.

The profiles of the sides were designed using CAD software and templates cut out on a laser cutter. It is designed to gently rock without tipping over!

This hallway storage unit is designed to offer a place to put all the items that may be needed whilst leaving the house. The mirrored cupboard doors open to reveal further storage space.

Constructed from plywood.

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

TEXTILES

LOWER SCHOOL DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY TEXTILES Remove In Remove the students learn how to block print and batik organic cotton. These hand decorated fabrics are applied using patchwork and are then embroidered to create a decorative Lavender Heart that could be sold as a Fairtrade product.

Florence Stringer

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Lower IV In Lower IV, students are asked to design and make a Parisian inspired canvas that could be displayed in an exhibition or French cafe. The students learn how to applique and also how to free-machine stitch, a very complex skill to grasp and they do such a great job.

Alexandra Kiy

CREATIVE

Holly Fenn

TEXTILES

Upper IV Students are asked to customise a t-shirt inspired by the 1980s’ Punk Era. Jersey is slashed, torn fabrics are plaited and stencil designs are sprayed to create striking outcomes.

Olivia Kirkby

Olivia Kirkby

Katie Hackman

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Eva Percy

Eva Percy

Katie Hackman

Shalayna Assani

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

TEXTILES

GCSE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY TEXTILES COURSEWORK UV students answered one of three externally set design briefs. To design and make a high street product inspired by a culture of their choice, to design a product inspired by shabby chic or modern vintage or to design an innovative piece inspired by Japanese Streetstyle.

Anna Goodman 62

A net shirt with a starched cotton collar and cuffs, hand embellished fluff pom-poms give the shirt the unique Japanese Streetstyle appeal.

Elvira Thomas A sheer halterneck backless top, beautifully embellished with floral motif appliquĂŠ, adorned with round gold seed beads and a feather trim, carefully hand stitched to the neckline. A stunning outcome.

CREATIVE

TEXTILES 63

Georgina Dick

Kezia Dubens

This slip dress has been inspired by Modern Vintage, looking closely at the 20s’ design era. The dress has been finished with a beaded trim and incorporates a recycled pearl necklace to add a unique design feature.

Kezia created a pvc babydoll dress with perfectly executed ‘rainbow and clouds’ appliqué. The ‘eye’ detailing is also added using appliqué with cotton velvet.

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TEXTILES 64

LVI AS PRODUCT DESIGN TEXTILES COURSEWORK LVI designers were set a design brief where they were asked to design and make fashion product inspired by Spring/Summer Fashion Designer collections where there has been an influx of bold colour and an eclectic mix of fabric combinations, clashing prints and texture.

Freya Esam

Emma Peddie

A tailored coat that incorporates a hand woven, bespoke yoke panel at the back. Freya designed the weave pattern and created the weave herself. The outcome is superb and would not look out of place in Anthropologie on the high street.

Emma wanted to created two garments that could be worn together to add impact or that could be worn as separate pieces if desired. Her tailored shirt incorporates a collar with hand embroidered clustered french knots. Tailored shorts are adorned with hand embroidery to add interest and a splash of colour.

Sophia Donald

Eleanor Armstrong

Sophia set out to create a set of tops that could be worn together or separately. She made the patterns for both items from the drawing board, demonstrating excellent pattern cutting skills. A gold, stretch cut pile top is embellished with a chain trim, the overtop is made out of a devore fabric with a hand embellished hemline.

Eleanor decided to use Folk as her inspiration and created a festival garment. This beautiful top incorporates recycled vintage embroidered fabric that has been layered and stitched onto a linen fabric to create a slightly sheer panel.

Sleeves are gathered and a striking lace up back fastening finishes the top perfectly.

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TEXTILES

Amelia Whiting

Lara-Lily Hurd

The pattern pieces for this sweater are not only complex but were drafted from scratch by Amelia. The middle sheer panel has been marbled by hand to add surface interest. This would not look out of place on the Matches fashion website.

Lara-Lily owns her own design style which incorporates an element of 80s’ Punk and this is transparent in her designs.

A sheer top with raglan sleeves and laser cut velvet appliquĂŠ is stunning. She was also able to make a tartan skirt to complete the outfit.

Nurshat Izbassar

Kelly Min

An intricate pencil skirt made out of french lace, incorporating french seams, a silk lining and oversized diamante embellishment.

A vibrant top which incorporates a bespoke print on the bodice front created by Kelly, by hand. A feather trim around the neckline adds a striking element to the garment.

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UVI A2 LEVEL PRODUCT DESIGN TEXTILES COURSEWORK

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Marina Hacking

Ilyana Abdullah

Marina aimed to incorporate a bespoke digital print into her design ideas; she therefore captured and edited a portrait image that was then manufactured by an external printing company called Smarts. A one piece garment was manufactured using crĂŞpe fabric, combining culottes together with an intricate back fastening to create a fashion forward yet wearable item. Pattern pieces were drafted by hand, numerous prototypes were made and the outcome is perfectly made for her chosen client.

Ilyana created a bespoke print by making an A1 collage composed of a range of Architectural Images; she then added a sketched layer using a white pen. This artwork was then photographed and sent away to a supplier called Smarts who manufactured the bespoke print onto silk fabric. Ilyana drafted the pattern pieces for her wrap around skirt from a basic block and then constructed her skirt using her own digitally printed fabric.

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Arabella Koessler

Omoehi Ighodalo

Arabella spent a great deal of time to create the perfect block pieces for her tailored jacket, making numerous prototypes until she was happy with the result and quality. The final jacket shape is made using a kimono block, removing the need for separate sleeves and armholes. The jacket is enhanced with hand stitched appliquĂŠ and is fully lined with a digitally printed silk fabric, printed with her own photography.

Omoehi created a gathered lace skirt, with a stretch fabric lining to prevent the skirt from being transparent. The top of the skirt incorporates velvet box pleats which are further adorned with a hand stitched and heavily embellished metallic trim.

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ENRICHMENT PROGRAMME

LOWER SCHOOL ENRICHMENT PROGRAMME The aim of the Lower School Enrichment Programme is to enhance the curriculum and also broaden the girls’ knowledge of the wider world. This year we have had a wonderful variety of experiences both in and out of School and particularly explored different aspects of British history, science and drama.

The girls have discovered Ancient Britain with a visit to Avebury and iconic Stonehenge, and also explored the home of Henry VIII, conquering the maze at Hampton Court. The Lower Fourth were very lucky to have a talk from Thomas Briggs from Bletchley Park who brought in an original Enigma machine and discussed codes and the history of the secret wartime site. They further developed their understanding of modern computer coding using Scratch animation in two separate workshops.

The Tempest, Physical Theatre Workshop

The Remove enjoyed a wonderful physical theatre workshop on The Tempest from Clare Buchanan of Drama Workshops. This gave them a deeper insight into the play when studying it in the Summer Term.

On the science front, the Lower Fourth had a chance to play detective in a CSI Forensic Science workshop complete with a crime scene, fingerprints and white overalls. Both year groups also enjoyed a visit to Winchester Science Centre and Planetarium, where they tested their skills in a huge variety of interactive experiments.

In conjunction with the Day of Discovery in March, the Remove attended two workshops at London Zoo and the Lower Fourth experienced films made in 1914 and 2014 at the Imperial War Museum and the BFI IMAX Cinema.

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The Lower School Enrichment Lecture, ‘The Trail to Titicaca’, was a fascinating talk from Rupert Attlee who, along with two friends, cycled 6500 miles through Argentina, Chile and Bolivia to raise money for Leukaemia Research.

Mrs Rachel Black, Assistant Housemistress (Hill) and Lower School Enrichment Coordinator

Bletchley Park Enigma Machine

CSI Forensic Workshop

Rupert Attlee Enrichment Lecture

Winchester Science Museum

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ENRICHMENT PROGRAMME

UPPER SCHOOL ENRICHMENT PROGRAMME UV Explore Cambridge University In January, a group of Downe House’s brightest Upper Fifth stars travelled to Cambridge University for a packed day of exploration and learning.

Starting in the gasp-inducing grandeur of King’s, the girls were able to walk through the very heart of the college (and use the facilities in the student bar!) before entering the staggeringly beautiful Gothic splendour of the Chapel. It was no coincidence that the building was familiar as the college and its chapel were originally built in the fifteenth century for the boys of Eton, and Eton’s chapel is very similar.

This was a day of contrasts and the next destination, going via The Eagle pub where two scientists first announced the discovery of DNA, was the more intimate and softly beautiful Christ’s.

The girls were privileged to be taken

into Darwin’s original rooms, decorated and furnished as he would have known them, as well as into the Old Library where first editions of many famous scientific and philosophical volumes by the likes of Newton, Darwin and Hobbes, lay on display for our visit. The wood-panelled Dining Hall was also stunning, complete with its bust of ex-student, John Milton, which must be kissed by students when it is their birthday.

After a lecture on appropriate A Level choices for university, and a really useful Q&A session with current Cambridge students, the girls ended their visit in Newnham College, the only remaining

all-female establishment; more modern and possibly better equipped than some of the more famous ancient colleges. Certainly the library is the biggest under-graduate college library at Cambridge and is open to all, rather than shut away for the privileged few.

The girls were shown round by Emma, a current student, and they enjoyed firing questions at her.

All in all, a varied and really informative, useful day was had by all.

Mr John Sentance-Davis, Teacher of English and Oxbridge Team Mentor

We Are All Made of Stardust!

Academy Student Conference 2015 A small group of girls from the Upper Fifth attended the Academy Student Conference 2015… and found that we are all made of stardust!

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We travelled to Oxford to participate in a study day with pupils from other schools and were treated to series of eye-opening and stimulating lectures on topics ranging from artificial intelligence to the origins of the universe. The day ended with a debate on the motion: This house believes that personal preference is all that matters in morality.

Professor Tom Greggs spoke about the controversial issue of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the possible future of robotics. He encouraged us to see that AI may offer great benefits but that it also raises concerns. Steven Hawking has famously said that “Artificial Intelligence may be the worst mistake of human kind” and Professor Greggs suggested that these concerns are well founded and that we may reach a stage where mechanical evolution will surpass human evolution. He outlined groundbreaking developments in robotics, including one robot that is programmed with thoughts, memories, emotions and feelings – BINA48.

My favourite lecture of the day was

by Julie Arliss about chaos and the origins of the universe, and how we are all made of stardust! She explored different theories of how the universe began and the key ideas behind the most significant ones. We were taken back to 390 BC, when Aristotle’s theory of the universe was the most widely held and she brought us forward through the theories of Hubble, Lemaitre, Einstein and Hoyle. It is a pretty incredible thing to understand; all life on Earth and the atoms in our bodies were created in the furnace of now-long-dead stars. Although it makes me feel tiny in the grand scheme of things, it also is reassuring to know that we are as much a part of the universe as a star or a tree.

It was an exciting and thoughtprovoking day which all of us thoroughly enjoyed.

Alexandra Milne, UV

Raucous Rossini at Englefield House In early September Mrs Ford and I took the Lower Fifth Academic Award Holders to a deliciously entertaining ‘opera in an hour’ at Englefield House.

All proceeds from the concert went to Afghan Connection, a charity that the Lower Fifth supports.

Max Fane conducted his Raucous Rossini group of fellow students and we were all swept through the delightful story of La Cambiale di Matrimonio that Tobias Mill is planning for his beautiful daughter Fanny.

She, needless to say, is none too keen as she loves another and things become most exciting and completely hilarious. The pianist, Bethany Jerem, was phenomenal, the singing was superb and afterwards we sailed off into the autumn evening for a lovely dinner together. We were delighted to bump into Downe House alumna Emily Soames on the way in!

Mrs Jane Caiger-Smith, Coordinator for the Outstandingly Able and Learning Skills Teacher

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During the Michaelmas Term, Poppy Wilson and I were extremely fortunate to be offered places at the McWhirter Foundation Dicey Conference.

The topic for this year was “How Important is Morality in Shaping British Foreign Policy?” and the question itself was enough to make me extremely excited as it is such a topical issue.

The conference is held in the beautiful Trinity College at Oxford University and this residential conference was a great opportunity to see what life at Oxford University is like. Each year 90 students aged 16 to 20 are invited to attend the Conference, with the ratio of schools being 60% state and 40% independent, representing the usual intake of Oxbridge students.

SIXTH FORM ENRICHMENT PROGRAMME Once again this year the Sixth Form have had many enrichment opportunities, including a variety of distinguished speakers and with topics including ‘Prisons and the role the arts can play’ by Angela Findlay, and ‘ISIS – the Syrian civil war’

by Dr Craig Larkin. We are also very grateful to Alan MacColl, who spoke on “A Dis-United Kingdom” during the Lent Term and to all Downe House staff who took part in our lecture series, providing the girls with interesting and challenging lectures.

One of the most popular lectures this year was by a representative of the charity Hope for Justice, which is fighting to end slavery in the UK. The Lower Sixth girls responded to the challenge and voted to have Hope for Justice as their Willis House charity from 2014-2016.

The Upper Sixth-run Phoenix Society continued its success with a variety of presentations ranging from ‘Marina Abramovic; Performance Artist’, to the scientific presentation on ‘Human Bipedalism’. We are grateful to this year’s Presidents, Cassiopeia Blackett-Ord and Meitao Qu, for all their hard work and, of course, to all those who took part and opened our minds to something entirely different. In the Summer Term, the Phoenix Society launched again at the ‘Introduction to Sixth Form’ week for the Upper Fifth, with the new Presidents, Lauren Brolly and June Eric-Udorie, both LVI, and we are looking forward to hearing many more inspiring lectures by our very own Downe House girls.

Miss Nardin Thabet, Assistant Housemistress (York)

When we arrived we were split up into syndicates of about 10 delegates, each run by syndicate leaders. Each day we had two lectures from some truly brilliant guest speakers. On the first day we listened to James Robbins, a BBC Diplomatic Correspondent, and then Reverend Dr David Coulter, the Chaplain General to the Armed Forces. On the second day we listened to Dr Adam Humphreys, a lecturer in International Relations at the University of Reading, followed by the Rt Hon Clare Short, former Secretary of State for International Development. All the lectures were inspiring and after each we went back to our syndicate rooms and discussed and debated the issues raised.

ENRICHMENT PROGRAMME

McWhirter Foundation Dicey Conference 2015

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On Tuesday evening, we were treated to the traditional Dicey black-tie dinner, which was a really lovely opportunity to get to know the other delegates.

Overall the conference was an eyeopening experience and everyone felt that their views and opinions had been very much developed and often changed.

Jessica Ledger, LVI

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ENRICHMENT PROGRAMME

DOWNE HOUSE MOCK ELECTION 2015 Conservative MP for the DH constituency!

In anticipation of the 2015 General Election, the Politics Department decided to organise a mock election, to entertain and educate the masses. This involved the Upper Sixth fielding candidates for each major party, a hustings during Monday morning assembly, a considerable amount of campaigning, and a vote the following Friday.

The candidates, all from the Upper Sixth, Matilda Burles (Con), Sarah Creedy-Smith (Lib Dem), Jessica Campbell (UKIP), Katharine Craig (Green) and myself (Lab) were tasked with adapting the parties’ national manifesto pledges to the Downe House community, for example by relating NHS cuts to the waiting times at the Palmer Centre. We all found this difficult, yet Jessica Campbell easily had the hardest job of convincing the electorate of 500 school girls to vote for UKIP as one of their pledges is to ‘bring back corporal punishment’. It is a testament to her powers of persuasion that she managed to receive any votes!

The Conservative candidate won a landslide victory on the day. Congratulations to the new Downe House MP, Miss Matilda Burles. However, the Labour Party gained a solid 25%, and as West Berkshire is a Conservative safe seat,

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I consider that something of a personal triumph. I look forward to passing on the mantle of Socialism to the next generation of Downe House girls, and fully expect Labour to gain a majority in the 2020 mock elections!

Cassiopeia Blackett-Ord, UVI

Academic Award Holders in the Upper Fifth were treated to an Aspirational Dinner in late January with some of our seniors joining them to talk about the transition from the Upper School to the Sixth Form.

Sarah Creedy-Smith, Willa Prest, Florence Li, Emilia Hewlett and Arabella Newton, all UVI, joined the girls to talk about aspirations for the future, the

difficulty of choosing subjects for the Sixth Form and whether that should tie in with plans for university. Florence showed us some of her photography and talked about the importance of keeping the creative spirit alive while working hard at balancing maths equations and dealing with the complexities of Mrs Gaskell’s North and South. Sarah spoke of her involvement in the drama productions here at School

and others spoke about positions of responsibility and starting up Sixth Form clubs. It was a convivial evening, much food for thought of course, and wonderful to see the year groups mixing so easily and sharing thoughts on the future.

Mrs Jane Caiger-Smith, Coordinator for the Outstandingly Able and Learning Skills Teacher

MEDLEY SERIES LECTURES We were delighted to welcome two very special members of the Downe House community to the School as part of our Medley Lecture series this year. In November Clare Balding, OBE (1988), returned to Downe House and in April Sir Tim Rice, MBE, joined us.

Clare spoke about her journey through her School years, her ambitions as a teenager and her path through her broadcasting career. She also shared sections of her new book Walking Home: My Family and Other Rambles and some lovely family anecdotes. We felt very privileged to have Clare back with us. She is a wonderful ambassador for Downe House and a true inspiration - not to mention a wonderfully entertaining speaker!

Sir Tim began the evening with our Lower School community and after an engaging and entertaining hour, interjected with sound bites from his musicals, he went on to captivate an audience of more than 400 Upper School girls and invited guests with an equally fascinating talk about the early days of his career and life as a lyricist.

ENRICHMENT PROGRAMME

ASPIRATIONAL DINNER FOR UV ACADEMIC AWARD HOLDERS

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Both Clare and Sir Tim were incredibly generous with their time and stayed to answer questions and meet members of the DH community. Inspirational, educational and fascinating; it was a privilege to hear them both speak.

Mrs Michelle Scott, Assistant Headmistress (Foundation)

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DAY OF DISCOVERY

IGNITING CURIOSITY The Day of Discovery

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On Tuesday 24 March 2015 the girls enjoyed an exciting day of enrichment activities aimed at broadening horizons.

The girls abandoned their timetables for the day to enjoy the School’s fifth biennial whole school enrichment day. Girls in the Remove and Lower Fourth headed to London Zoo, the Imperial War Museum and BFI IMAX. Girls from the Upper Fourth to the Upper Sixth attended a selection of workshops, seminars, demonstrations and masterclasses. Over 117 different sessions were offered over the course of the day. From scuba diving to Kung Fu, bread making to Mindfulness, weaving to 3D printing - there was something for everyone to experience and explore.

The day ended with an inspirational talk by Miss Bonita Norris, who at the age of 22 conquered Mount Everest as the youngest British female climber to reach the summit in 2010.

We extend our sincere thanks to the outstanding array of speakers and workshop leaders, including Downe House parents, alumnae and staff.

Mrs Michelle Scott, Assistant Headmistress (Foundation)

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YOUNG ENTERPRISE COMPANY SCHEME 2015 Presentation Award after delivering a very high calibre presentation. Uji were runners-up and deservedly so for the high volume of sales, effective marketing and outstanding trade stand they had created. Riot won the award for the Best Marketing and Social Media whilst Zorr’s original leggings design won the Most Innovative Product award .

Piranha – Overall Winners West Berkshire

Piranha Swims to Success!

Young Enterprise was a popular extra-curricular activity amongst the Lower Sixth this year with 44 girls involved.

The Young Enterprise Company Scheme offers firsthand experience of forming and running a company, an opportunity that was quickly grasped by the girls. In January, our teams participated in a trade fair at the Kennet Centre, Newbury, promoting and selling their ideas and products to the public. Uji created a mouth-watering fruit display to promote their water diffuser bottles and their proactive approach to selling led to success. Zorr were able to showcase the prototype of their innovative design of adjustable length sports leggings/shorts, as well as selling a range of laptop stickers which had proved popular in School.

Riot’s fabulous range of boxer shorts arrived just in time for them to be added to their fundraising stall. Whilst Piranha seized the opportunity to sell the t-shirts they had customised as well as to generate interest and feedback on their swimwear designs and first samples. Although the teams are competing against each other, the camaraderie and support for one another was especially pleasing.

Our success in the West Berkshire Area Final continued and it was a superb result that all our teams won awards, especially as the overall standard this year was incredibly high. In advance of the final, the teams submit a company report outlining the high and lows of their Young Enterprise journey, reviewing their progress against the targets they set in their original business plan submitted in early November.

The judges use this report, along with the interviews they conduct with each team at their trade stand and their four minute presentations, to decide the overall winners. This year Piranha was Overall Winner and Company of the Year for West Berkshire; they were also worthy winners of the Best Uji – West Berkshire Runners-Up

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At the Berkshire final in May Piranha delivered an even slicker presentation to win the Best Presentation award and impressed the other teams and judges with their creative trade stall.

Although this was the end of their journey in the competitive element of Young Enterprise, for Piranha it was a starting point as their swimming costumes arrived in time to sell them at School in the Summer Term.

The girls’ determination to be innovative and support UK manufacturing has been a highlight of Young Enterprise this year. For Riot and Piranha, finding a suitable UK supplier that could produce their boxer shorts and swimwear in the UK to the quality standard required, and at a reasonable cost, was a significant challenge but they persevered and are rightly very proud of the brands they have developed.

External volunteer Business Advisors have helped our teams succeed in Young Enterprise; our advisors this year were Adrian Waters (Riot), Matt Whitford (Uji), Lis Allen (Piranha) and Shiraz Shakil (Zorr). Their time and support is appreciated by girls and staff, and Miss Singh’s support as a Link Teacher for the past six years has also been invaluable.

Mrs Diana Evans, Head of ICT and Young Enterprise Link Teacher Zorr – Most Innovative Product Award Winners

Riot – Best Marketing and Social Media Award Winners

Once again, it has been a busy year for the Co-Curricular Department, but we have had a great deal of fun and gained lots of pleasure from sharing new and exciting experiences with the girls.

We are very fortunate to interact with all of the students, across the year groups and Houses and it is always inspiring to see how committed they are to their roles as global citizens, raising funds and giving their time to support many charitable endeavours. It has been exciting to see lots of fantastic work from the Houses in support of their Link charities this year and I look forward to seeing the plans that Holcombe and Tedworth are making for next year come to fruition.

This year, the girls have also enjoyed theatre and cinema trips, improved their baking skills (and enjoyed the results!), danced, sung and experienced lots of different physical activities - from skydiving at Airkicks, to the aerial rope walks at Tree Runners. The Duke of Edinburgh awards have taught the girls resilience and teamwork, amongst many other skills, and our equestrians have gone from strength to strength in both Show Jumping and Eventing.

CO-CURRICULAR

AN EXCITING YEAR OF CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

There are too many activities to mention and too many people to thank, but I would like to thank my team for their hard work and indefatigable spirit, as well as the many members of staff who volunteer to help with our programme.

Mrs Julie Dell, Head of Co-Curricular Department

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UIV VOLUNTEER DAY The girls’ enthusiasm for volunteering is always a pleasure to witness and this year the Upper Fourth contributed their time and energy to a great number of good causes. There are too many to mention individually, but a summary follows.

Many of the Upper Fourth volunteered to help charitable organisations. We had girls helping to sort and sell stock for the British Heart Foundation and for Save the Children, whilst others provided administrative support to charitable organisations. Two groups of girls decided to use their musical talents to contribute. ‘North of Tomorrow’ and ‘The three of us’ went busking in the centre of Newbury to raise funds for the ‘Swings and Smiles’ charity.

The girls raised £470, which will help to create a purpose built recreational facility for children with special needs or disabilities.

It was great to see so many girls contributing to several environmental projects. The girls who visited the Growing2Gether programme run by Cottismore Gardens got their hands dirty potting plants to grow for sale, whilst other members of the year group visited the Living Rain Forest to maintain the butterfly and bee area set up by previous volunteers from Downe.

The girls who volunteered to do environmental work on the Kennet and Avon canal were very proud of their achievements - we even had a visit from one of their mums!

The girls also enjoyed the opportunity to help people directly. Some volunteered at the Mary Hare School for the profoundly deaf, where they helped with fundraising and were able to visit some classes. Others visited local nursery schools to help to provide activities for the children, whilst still more of the girls visited a local food bank to gain a better understanding of the organisation and then helped the Salvation Army to prepare and serve a strawberry tea for the elderly.

I continue to be touched by the pleasure the girls take in helping others and impressed by their ability to contribute to so many good causes.

Mr Tony Riddle, Teacher of PE and Duke of Edinburgh Coordinator

BEYOND THE CURRICULUM

Strong Show Jumping Performances

Milly Hine with her rosette

Camilla Read on Filou

This year has seen our young show jumpers participate in some of the biggest Inter-School shows, with impressive results. It has been a steep learning curve for them and I know that they will build on their experiences for next year.

Amelia Hughes in the JWS Our more experienced girls had qualified for the National Finals in October, a first for Downe House. Huge crowds, big pressure.

We were competing as a team of four in the 1m National Sadly, injury forced us to withdraw from Windsor this year, School Finals, having qualified the previous summer term but we had a strong team at Crofton Manor in May, with as one of the top 26 of the 200 schools that compete in girls competing at 80cm, 90cm and 1m in the Show Jumping the competition. Our team members were Alexandra and and Jumping With Style competitions. In the 80cm Show Natasha Somerville-Cotton, LVI and LV, Sapphire Graham, LV and Milly Hine, UIV. It was a big course, with some impressive Jumping Amelia Hughes, UIV, Phoebe Hughes, Remove, and Milly Hine put in super clear rounds to ensure we finished spreads and difficult related distances and doubles. on a team score of zero, and we placed just outside the top Alexandra and Sapphire both rode beautiful clear rounds, eight, based on time. In the 90cm class Cecilia Hughes, LV, really impressive given that they were in the indoor arena in led the way with a wonderful clear, with Amelia Hughes front of a large crowd. Unfortunately, Milly had two refusals, and Milly Hine picking up four faults each. In the Jumping as did Natasha and so they were both eliminated. As we with Style round Camilla Read, LIV, Amelia Hughes, Phoebe needed three scores to count, this meant that we could Hughes and Milly Hine all put in strong performances, with not go through to the jump off for the top eight schools.

Milly Hine finishing a superb 6th individually, of 60 riders.

However, it was our first time at the Nationals and we were Miss Faith Smith, Housemistress (Darwin) and Teacher of very proud to have qualified in the first place.

Mathematics

Early Season Eventing Success Our eventers had a great start to the season, competing in Pony and Junior European Trials.

Sapphire Graham and Eloise Bartlett, both LV, took part in pony team trials, gaining some brilliant results including 4th at Oasby, 7th at Aldon International and at Weston Park in April Eloise placed 4th and Sapphire 9th! These are huge achievements for both of them, due to the hugely demanding jumping phases they faced. I also headed to Weston Park for the first Junior Trial of

Victoria Fleming at Weston Park Horse Trial, April 2015

the season, where I was the 12th placed junior, with one of the fastest cross-country times of the class. I went on to compete at Withington Manor junior trial, again placing 12th in a very fiercely contended class, again with the fastest cross-country. Jessica Ledger, LVI, competed in her first Under 18 competition, in which she had a clear show jumping round, showing great promise for the future as a very promising combination.

Victoria Fleming, LVI DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

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A GOOD YEAR FOR OUR EQUESTRIANS

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DANCE SHOWCASE The theme of the much anticipated Dance Showcase this year was ‘Wonders of the West End’. Choosing a theme rather than a story title as the basis of the show was a popular decision, as it allowed the girls more latitude to choose their own pieces, whatever the style of Dance they specialise in. The performance was very well attended as ever, and our thanks go to all of those friends and families that joined us for this varied and enjoyable evening.

Every style of Dance that the School offers was well represented at the event, including Ballet, Tap, Hip Hop, Contemporary and Modern Dance. The Remove, who study Modern Dance - a great basis for the Hip Hop genre that so many of the Upper Fourth enjoy - made a great impact with their enthusiasm and dedication. For the first time ever, the Showcase included a Contemporary Dance piece. The Lower Fifth have greatly enjoyed their weekly Contemporary class and the results did justice to the way they have embraced this new offering from the Co-Curricular Department.

It was great to enjoy performances from each year group and from girls in each House in the Showcase this year, but special mention is due to Naomi Vallance, UVI, who gave her seventh and final performances of Tap, Modern and Hip Hop this year. Naomi joined the School in Remove and has danced in the Showcase every year since then.

Her performance was exceptional.

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Mrs Julie Dell, Head of Co-Curricular Department

‘All of the girls that work so hard in my classes have demonstrated that, although it is a tough discipline, Dance is a great source of fitness and fun!’

Mr James Jenkins, Hip Hop and Contemporary Dance Teacher

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DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S AWARD SCHEME Lots of the girls at Downe enjoy participating in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme and this year a record number of girls completed their awards, with 15 achieving Gold.

They had the honour of receiving an invitation to Buckingham Palace, where some of them saw HRH Prince Philip himself. The girls also spotted a number of famous faces at the Gold Award ceremony, including Benedict Cumberbatch, Hannah Cockroft and Charley Boorman - all there to acknowledge the commitment and dedication of those receiving their awards. My congratulations to our outstanding girls.

Mr Tony Riddle, Teacher of PE and Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Coordinator “One of the best pieces of independent project work seen for a Bronze expedition.”

Representative from Duke of Edinburgh’s Award South West Region

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85 girls achieved their Bronze award this year, an amazing number that I am very proud of. At the end of the Summer Term, the Lower Fifth spent time working in teams to put together a presentation on a topic of their choice. Some of the material in the presentation had to be gathered from their summer expedition and representatives from Duke of Edinburgh’s Award South West Region came to watch the many and spectacular presentations. Topics included: “Human impact on the environment”, “An expedition horse guide” and the “Country Code”.

The presentation styles were as imaginative as they were varied, with groups using poetry, song and even power points. One presentation showed the true creativity of the group and was credited as “one of the best pieces of independent project work” seen for a Bronze expedition. This piece was an incredibly detailed, multi-page, 3D pop-up book about the traditional countryside architecture seen on the expedition. Congratulations to the talented Kei Kwan (Kate) Lau, Francesca Lahiri, Gwendoline Choi, Jennifer Standbrook, Elizabeth Tatham and Jane Tung who created this presentation together.

Mr Tony Riddle, Teacher of PE and Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Coordinator

CO-CURRICULAR

LV Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Presentation Day

Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Expedition 2015 Amid the ominous hills and sweeping valleys of the Brecon Beacons, myself and 20 other girls began our Gold Duke of Edinburgh expedition.

The stunning views and glorious weather of early July heightened our moods and filled us with excitement for the rather daunting challenge ahead. After all, we were only expected to walk for 8 hours a day for four days, carrying all of our kit and food!

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Throughout the day the jolly spring in our step deteriorated to a determined trudge, and then an exhausted amble. However, through sheer willpower, and Mars Bars, we pressed on, to be rewarded by stunning views from the top of Pen y Fan and an ice cream at the bottom.

The third morning was particularly misty, and as we looked down into the valley below us it was filled with fluffy white cloud. As the mist cleared, and biblical rays of sunshine fell on us, it felt as if we were on top of the world.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award teaches one to become more self-reliant, and to be able to meet the expectations of the other members of a team. It is great to be able to have so much freedom with your friends, learning to support and encourage each other.

A huge ‘Well Done’ to all those who have completed their expeditions and our thanks go to Mr Riddle and his great team for organising and supporting us throughout the Gold Award.

Lucy Mortlock, LVI Photos by Sophie Ordish, LVI

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WEEKENDS ARE GREAT FUN AT DOWNE HOUSE! Here, the girls are captured on camera enjoying some of the wide range of activities that the Co-Curricular Department organises for girls to enjoy at weekends.

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CO-CURRICULAR

IT’S A KNOCKOUT!

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The Upper Sixth marked the end of their careers at Downe with a fantastic parting gift to the rest of the girls this year.

They organised a tremendous day of fun that saw the staff and girls competing on an incredible ‘It’s A Knockout!’ course that filled half of the sports field. The brave staff team took the Upper Sixth on first, with almost no cheating at all (!) and then faced the House teams ... as you can see from the photos, the girls loved it and the staff did themselves proud!

After all the fun, the Upper Sixth and their parents enjoyed a lovely dinner to celebrate their many successes.

Congratulations to the girls on a brilliant day.

Mrs Julie Dell, Head of Co-Curricular Department

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TREE RUNNERS The course at ‘Tree Runners’ in Andover presented a group of our girls with a new and rather thrilling challenge.

This activity is a great introduction to and preparation for some of the Gap Year activities that the girls are considering, but it is also hugely fun - as the photos show!

Mrs Julie Dell, Head of Co-Curricular Department.

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CHAPEL

The Bishop of Oxford with girls after their Confirmation Service, May 2015

CHAPLAIN’S REPORT No one arrives in a new post without inheriting a great deal from those who have gone before. It has been my good fortune on arriving at Downe House in January this year to discover a chaplaincy in very good health, in no small measure because of the work of my predecessor, Fr Simon Thorn. Simon has had a very successful ministry at School, and did a huge amount to enable my beginning to be relatively straightforward, for which he has my heartfelt thanks.

I also inherited excellent colleagues. With his arrival in September, Chapel and the Music Department had a new organist and accompanist in Christopher Brayne and it has been a particular pleasure to work with him during these first few months. Simon also had a knack of finding very good Chapel Seniors and Morolayo Lambo (Head) and Yasmin Adeniran (Deputy) showed me how things worked as I found my way around. My time with them both was all too short before the inevitable handover began with their study leave in May, and we wish them well for their respective University careers. Their successors, Felicia Tchen (Head) and Ngozi Emenike (Deputy) have already demonstrated great maturity and willingness in doing the job, and I look forward to our working together next year.

these midweek homilies, and I am grateful to all who have contributed in this way.

At its best, one of the great pleasures of institutional life lies in being trusted to do things one’s own way, and I have certainly found encouragement for this over these first six months. We have, for example, begun the process of moving away from the lectionary as the basis for worship themes, to introduce a more thematic approach. The hope is that this will allow more time to develop a particular set of ideas and perspectives. In the Summer Term, therefore, we had a weekday series on Proverbs, exploring some of its great themes and of Wisdom Literature in the Bible generally. This thematic approach will continue into the Autumn with a series on the Lord’s Prayer.

Services on both weekdays and Sundays for the Lent Term were already planned, so much of my first term involved conducting worship and discovering some of the idiosyncrasies that mark any institution. It is an impressive feature of the School that a significant number of the Staff are willing to speak in Chapel on a weekday morning, with carefully crafted talks on a given theme. I have been impressed by the range and experience on view through DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

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CHAPEL

Finding my feet during the Lent Term left me no time to think about and invite visiting preachers, so Sunday Services meant that the girls and staff heard a little more of me than might be deemed healthy! It did, however, give me opportunity to ‘find my voice’, which always takes time, and I was grateful for that. I was able to use ‘visiting’ preachers from amongst the staff for Chapel Services, making particular use of those who were leaving the School this year. Ian Vallance spoke on several occasions, and provided a tremendous mix of wit and profundity in all that he said. I was particularly grateful for the friendship and support of Teresa and Alan MacColl, both of whom agreed to speak on significant Chapel occasions at, respectively, the Confirmands’ Eucharist and Supper, and the Founder’s Day Service at the end of the Summer Term. We also welcomed Antonia Instone from Iwerne Holidays to preach at Sunday Matins in the Summer Term and we remain grateful to her for all that she and colleagues at Iwerne do to support the life of the Christian Union at School.

Alongside the thanks due to Ian, Teresa and Alan as they leave Downe House for other pursuits, I must also record thanks to two members of staff who have exercised a Eucharistic ministry on behalf of Chapel, Jane Caiger-Smith and Rebecca Wilson.

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As many regular readers of the School Magazine will know, Confirmation Services feature as a significant event in the School Calendar. The way in which the School now conducts these Services is exemplary, and yet another testament to the time in which Simon was in post. Some fifty five girls have been confirmed this academic year, five of whom attended Catholic Confirmation and Mass at Radley College in May. Confirmation is offered to all girls in School from the LV onwards, although it is the case that the majority come from that year group.

Confirmation preparation for the various groups has been another of those areas in which I have been finding my voice, and I am grateful (as in so much else) for the many colleagues who have offered advice and expertise in this important ministry.

I was offered two pieces of advice when I began life at Downe House; one philosophical and the other practical. The philosophical was the reminder that a great deal of what goes on in a school, especially one that upholds a boarding ethos, requires a ministry mindset that is ‘fugitive’. I’m sure that this

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must be true for any aspect of school life, and I have taken it to mean that so much of what you can do in everyday life requires the ability to respond to opportunities as they arise, and to do so as creatively as possible. The practical advice?

Wait to see a whole year through if you want to understand how this place really works. It is very good advice and has become truer as my time in post has progressed. I look forward to seeing how the next six months will bear it out.

Reverend Andrew Taylor, Chaplain

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A YEAR IN PICTURES Reunions and Celebrations

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10 YEAR VISION

LOWER SCHOOL BOARDING – FROM PLANS TO REALITY IN 12 MONTHS In 2014 - 2015 our new Lower School boarding development was completed.

The Downe House Governors invested almost £6 million in the Lower School where the girls spend their first two years with us.

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The School-funded development has provided enhanced boarding facilities to accommodate the relocation of Hermitage House, Hill House and a fully renovated Darwin House all in one key area on the School site. Apart from the term the girls will spend in our Lower School boarding house in Veyrines, France in the Lower Fourth, this excellent new boarding accommodation will provide a wonderful setting for continuity of pastoral care in the Remove and Lower Fourth years. Our Lower School girls now have the opportunity over the two years to be cared for by the same house staff team - mirroring the pastoral care model across each of the other sections in the School. The Lower School houses provide a safe, nurturing and supportive environment where girls have the advantage of the ‘big school’ very nearby as well as the comfort of a smaller house community. The girls are attached to their Mixed Age House and can take part in such exciting activities as House Drama, House Music and House Dance which help them to get to know the members of their house across all year groups. Tutors work alongside the Housemistress to ensure that academic progress is carefully monitored and that the organisational skills of each girl are carefully developed and supported if necessary. Parents are very much part of the picture and are equally supported by everyone during those first months of boarding! The three houses operate together in terms of activities. The new system of boarding will give also the LIV girls a taste of leadership as they look after new girls and take on positions of responsibility in the Lower School. The term in France for the Lower Fourth is also a very special and unique experience where a third of the year group will be immersed in French language and culture whilst following a tailor-made curriculum which is integrated into the work they complete in their other two terms at Downe House.

We are so excited to have moved in!

Mrs Michelle Scott, Assistant Headmistress (Foundation)

A NEW CENTRE FOR LEARNING AT THE HEART OF DOWNE HOUSE What’s next…?

What’s inside?

Our aim in the next three years is to create a £5.5 million Centre in the heart of Downe House for inspirational, innovative and imaginative learning.

• An innovative, contemporary library and learning resource centre • A state of the art auditorium to enable us to enhance our enrichment programme and provide an additional space for recitals, workshops, lectures, demonstrations and performances • Teaching and learning pods • Seminar spaces for debate, smaller group discussions and tutorials • Gallery areas to showcase the Creative Arts • A Learning Café to bring all members of our Community together for informal meetings, tutorials, discussions or just to provide a welcoming space to meet and relax • Quiet and inviting individual study spaces • The School Shop

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Fundraising for the Centre for Learning began in 2014. We have already raised almost ÂŁ3million and hope to commence building work in the summer of 2016.

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FOUNDATION

FOUNDER’S WEEKEND 2015 Sunny skies and warm sunshine greeted us for Founder’s Weekend 2015. With 27 events, more than 300 performers, stunning displays and delicious food, Founder’s Weekend was a sensational highlight of the year.

On Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 June, the Downe House community gathered for our annual Founder’s Weekend celebrations. Blessed with glorious weather, the weekend was filled with entertainment and family fun.

From the stunning departmental displays, the tennis, archery and rounders, to the wonderful showcases and performances from the girls in Music, Dance and Drama, it was a spectacular weekend.

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The catering team provided delicious refreshments throughout including the famous Founder’s Tea and the yummy BBQ. Parents and friends of Downe House were truly treated to a super Founder’s Weekend - as one parent said, “This is what makes Downe House so special”. We couldn’t agree more!

Mrs Michelle Scott, Assistant Headmistress (Foundation)

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FAREWELL CLASS OF 2015!

FAREWELL TO THE CLASS OF 2015!

On July 1, we celebrated the end of an era for the Upper Sixth. The day commenced with a Prize Giving ceremony in the Farr Centre. Our special guest for the assembly was DH Alumna Mrs Gillian Sheldon (DH 1985).

A Leavers’ Service followed in Chapel and then a delicious lunch was enjoyed by all in the marquee. Although it was a sweltering summer’s day, we enjoyed saying farewell to this super year group of girls. We wish them all the best for their future and look forward to following their lives beyond Downe House.

Mrs Michelle Scott, Assistant Headmistress (Foundation)

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DH LINKS has continued to grow from strength to strength and we now have approximately 250 alumnae and parents who have joined DH LINKS, offering to be a contact to current girls and other alumnae, to come back to Downe House and give a careers talk and/or offering work experience and internships.

We are very proud that DH LINKS has become the first port of call for careers advice and professional links for most of our girls and many of our younger alumnae long may this continue!

Mrs Laura Ogilvie-Jones, Director of Admissions, School and Professional Links and Teacher of Geography

We are delighted with how quickly and successfully this professional/careers based network has spread. DH LINKS is becoming a household name amongst many people with an association with the School! This year we have ‘matched’ approximately 100 girls with alumnae/ parents to give them work experience/ internships. We have also held two very successful Cluster Groups in London.

Girls, parents and alumnae at the Education Cluster Group

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EDUCATION CLUSTER GROUP In March this year we held our fifth Cluster Group for alumnae and parents working in the ‘Education’ sector and Mrs Wendy Challen (former parent) generously hosted us at Garden House School in Chelsea.

We had a good number of alumnae and current parents in attendance, many of whom have established successful careers in schools and education - based roles and were able to offer invaluable career advice to the five UV and LVI girls who joined us for the evening. During the evening Mrs Laura Ogilvie-Jones (Director of Admissions, School and Professional Links) gave a short talk in which she thanked Mrs Charlotte Crofton (Head of Upper School at Garden House School) who had kindly co-ordinated the event alongside us. Once again it was wonderful to have the opportunity to bring our alumnae, current parents and current girls together.

Mrs Alexandra Barlow, Alumnae Relations Manager BEYOND THE CURRICULUM

“It was great to meet DH girls, both old and current, with shared interests in education as a career. I was very impressed at how well the girls were informed of their choices and the career paths available to them within education. It was also lovely to meet other teachers... so often the other teachers I see are either colleagues or those teaching my own children. Parent/teacher meetings are not necessarily the best places for networking!”

Mrs Camps-Harris (Current Parent)

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LEGAL CLUSTER GROUP November saw the launch of the fourth DH LINKS Cluster Group, this time for the legal industry. Mr Jonathan Laidlaw QC (current parent) kindly hosted the event at his Chambers in Hare Court, London.

Prior to the networking event, an exclusive ‘behind the scenes’ tour of the Old Bailey was provided, which gave an excellent opening to the event. We took twelve Sixth Form girls with us and they were joined by over 35 members of our alumnae and current parents who currently work within the legal sector. Annabel Corbett (alumna and current parent) gave a wonderful short talk to the group and the rest of the evening was spent busy networking with many business cards being shared. Overall the evening was a huge success and this was noticeable by the volume of chatter in the room. Our sincere thanks go to Mr Laidlaw for being such a generous host.

Mrs Alexandra Barlow, Alumnae Relations Manager

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Reflections ...

“I had no idea so many alumnae and parents were involved in such a variety of roles in the legal world and I very much enjoyed chatting to others about their experiences, as well as meeting such enthusiastic current pupils.”

Ms Saira Kabir Jennings, Current Parent

“We had a tour of the Old Bailey, where we were given an introduction to criminal law and heard about a few of the recent trials. We then participated in the Law Cluster Group where we were able to talk to both solicitors and barristers at various stages of their career.

Many were ex-Downe House girls or parents, so we were able to talk to and gain work experience from those at the top end of their profession, and those still studying law at university or doing a conversion course. It was really useful to gain an insight into the different aspects of law and take advice into the various options, such as law conversion or a law degree, to enter this profession.”

“Well done to DH Links for organising the Law Cluster Group event. This type of event is extremely beneficial and enables all those involved to engage in an informal yet constructive manner.”

Mrs Annabel Corbett, Current Parent & DH Alumna (DH 1991)

Lucinda Penney, LVI “I really enjoyed the event, and found the tour around the Old Bailey fascinating, particularly seeing the Grand Hall and the cells, otherwise not open to the public.

Getting a proper look around the infamous criminal courts was very interesting; learning about the day to day running, the different cases and all the traditions (like the sword) gave me a greater appreciation of the amount that has to go on behind the scenes.

Furthermore, getting a chance to meet barristers and solicitors afterwards was very inspiring and they had lots of good advice. It has made the path ahead much clearer.”

Willa Prest, UVI DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

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BNY MELLON CAREER INSIGHT DAY On Wednesday 13 May we were lucky enough to be invited to the offices of BNY Mellon in central London for a unique career insight day.

With a jam-packed agenda which had been tailor-made for Downe House, it was clear from the outset that it was going to be a beneficial experience for all. We fought through rush hour traffic to be welcomed at the first floor boardroom, with views of the London Eye, by Mr Michael Cole-Fontayn (Executive Vice President & Chairman EMEA) who very kindly gave the eight Lower Sixth girls a fantastic understanding of what a career in finance might involve. During the course of the day we were fortunate to hear from the Head of Talent Acquisition and the Head of Recruitment EMEA, who

both provided the girls with a wonderful CV writing toolkit and tips on making the most out of your degree. The day concluded with an opportunity to play ‘Fundopoly’ a great interactive game where you learn all about the world of finance and investment banking in a fun and informative way. Before leaving we had an opportunity to view the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race trophy which BNY Mellon currently sponsors. Our sincere thanks to BNY Mellon.

Mrs Alexandra Barlow, Alumnae Relations Manager

MORGAN STANLEY CAREER INSIGHT DAY We were very excited to be able to draw the Lent Term to a close with a trip to Morgan Stanley at Canary Wharf.

Eighteen Lower Sixth and Upper Sixth girls successfully applied to take part in this unique work experience based day in the heart of London’s leading business district. The girls were given the chance to view the fixed income trading floor with both Europe and the US in full flow!

Mrs Laura Ogilvie Jones, Director of Admissions, School and Professional Links and Teacher of Geography

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“Before going to Morgan Stanley in December, my knowledge and understanding of the investment banking world was incredibly limited. However, throughout the day, it was all explained through a series of speakers from a variety of different departments within the company and at the end of the day, we had drinks with all of the speakers in order to ask further questions. Our eyes were really opened to life at Morgan Stanley and what goes on in an investment bank. It was such a fascinating day and since then I am now considering Investment Banking as a career path and subsequently have applied for an Insight Day at Credit Suisse with the help of DH LINKS.” Matilda Burles, UVI

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“I think it fair to say that all the Morgan Stanley speakers and I were very impressed at the girls’ level of attention and engagement throughout the afternoon and the quality of questions they peppered my colleagues with.

The girls certainly did themselves proud and I have been extremely impressed by the amount of very well written ‘thank you’ emails from the girls. These have suggested that they all enjoyed themselves, but more importantly, that they are now giving investment banking greater consideration as a possible career.”

Mr J Koessler, Senior Relationship Manager at Morgan Stanley and Current Parent

DH LINKS has continued to grow in strength and numbers over the past few years, and we have been overwhelmed by the number of alumnae and parents who are keen to join this network and offer careers advice, work experience and internships to our current girls and younger alumnae.

Throughout the year, girls will complete an online ‘DH LINKS’ form asking us to link them with contacts in a certain career/subject area and we then trawl our extensive database to ‘match’ them with suitable and relevant alumnae and/or parents. The girls then make direct contact with their ‘matches’ and they have received some excellent advice and opportunities from alumnae and parents, who can give them relevant insight and knowledge about their sector/profession. The girls are always delighted with the responses they receive and many of them have gained invaluable work experience and internships as a consequence. We have also received many more requests for ‘matches’ from our younger alumnae who are still at university, or are recent graduates. We have been very excited to see some of these girls receive amazing job offers from alumnae and parents as a direct consequence of the matches we have made!

WORK EXPERIENCE PLACEMENT Interior Design On the first day of my work experience I was set to go and see a photo shoot for a barn conversion. A couple of the rooms had been furnished but it was our job to make it appear lived in. On the second day, I got to see the office, a trendy studio, in which I spent my time creating fabric mood boards and doing a wide variety of jobs, ranging from drawing up lamps to running out to get paint.

On Thursday I went to see Chelsea Harbour; one of the key hubs of interior design in London. It is comprised of treasure-trove shops, each containing thousands of items, and each with its own specialism. At one point I stood admiring a five-layer chandelier, its crystals contained in tiny gold squares, which seemed to magically hang in the air.

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DH LINKS FORGES STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH ALUMNAE AND PARENTS

The highlight of my work experience was the final day when I went to see the sites of the projects they were working on. The buildings were huge gothic style mansions with vast numbers of rooms. There was a floor plan showing the changes each house was undergoing, but with the dilapidated walls it made it hard to picture what the finished project may be. My week had given me a taster of what working in interior design would be like, and it left me wanting to do more!

Georgina Dick, UV “It was a pleasure to be asked if I would be able to offer some current students the chance of some work experience this year. We received CVs from three girls and interviewed them over the phone. They were all delightful and so keen that we have ended up taking all three at various times over the summer as I was sure they would be a great help! The girls experienced our busy London interior design studio, with exposure to as many different aspects of interior design as possible including site visits, preparing fabric boards, sourcing materials from various showrooms and getting involved in some of the administration on the jobs.”

Mrs Iona Duckworth, Indigo Design Associates, Current Parent and Alumna (DH 1988)

Mrs Alexandra Barlow, Alumnae Relations Manager

WORK EXPERIENCE PLACEMENT Social Media & Communications Facebook “f ” Logo

CMYK / .ai

Facebook “f ” Logo

CMYK / .ai

I spent four days during the summer holidays with Patricia Martin, who runs Kids In Club, an online site that hand-picks activities and events in London, suitable for children.

On Monday morning I met Patricia at her office in Knightsbridge ready to spend the coming week observing and following her whilst she showed me what she did. I didn’t anticipate that within half an hour of arriving I would be setting up an Instagram page and managing it for the remainder of the week!

Each day that I spent at Kids In Club was different from the next, we talked about possible improvements to the Facebook feed, the expansion of her company into New York and I was set to contact the press offices at the major London museums!

During the course of the week I not only observed the work that Patricia was doing but was given the opportunity to work along side her, which has given me insight into the importance of social media in a business like Kids In Club and using it as a tool to reach out to the audience in addition to the traditional means of communication.

‘We were thrilled to have Anna with us recently for work experience, she was enthusiastic, extremely helpful and fitted in straight away with the rest of the team. We were very impressed with how well she got on with tasks presented to her and would have no problem recommending DH LINKS to others.’

Patricia Martin, Kids In Club

Anna Goodman, UV DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

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One of the most treasured features of the girls’ careers at Downe is the term that every Lower Fourth student spends in the beautiful Périgord Noir, at our French Lower School House in the rural commune of Veyrines-de-Domme in the Dordogne.

Eliza Inglis, LIV, spent the Summer Term of 2015 in France and she and Mrs Deborah Scotland, Head of Veyrines, have kindly shared something of their experiences to help us to understand just what happens in Veyrines.

Language Eliza: ‘It is impossible to sum up a term in France easily. I had heard all about Veyrines from my friends and I had seen all the pictures, but from the moment I arrived, it was an experience which exceeded my expectations.

Most lessons are given in French and include subjects such as Grammar, Art, History, Culture and History of Art. Lessons are an hour long and all the teachers are very supportive.

Everyone has learnt a lot, but above all we have learnt an unbelievable amount of French during our term in Veyrines, although most of the time, you don’t even realise that you are doing so! You may be on a sortie, listening to a guide or instructor, or talking to one of the teachers in French. Before coming to Veyrines, I did not think that I would have learnt nearly as much French as I now know I have!’

Mrs Scotland: ‘As one would expect, the primary objective of spending a term in France is for each girl to make progress in the language. From the very start, we encourage the girls to use as much French as possible starting, for example, with simple exchanges between the girls and staff. Written displays around the school provide support in the form of key phrases and vocabulary and in time, girls become much more confident in trying to communicate in unrehearsed situations.

Interestingly, we generally see a notable acceleration in

progress after the long exeat, when girls returning to Veyrines realise that they are more able linguists than they may have thought!’

Activities

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WHAT HAPPENS IN VEYRINES?

Eliza: ‘Every Wednesday, there are lots of extra activities such as tennis coaching, music and photography lessons. I have really enjoyed taking photographs of different kinds and in different locations, as well as learning different techniques and how to use a camera properly.’

Mrs Scotland: ‘Our music teacher Mr Errington is also our choirmaster and as part of our community programme, the girls perform concerts at a local retirement home and at a residence for adults with disabilities. These events enable girls to have experience of performing in front of an audience and bring enormous pleasure to the people who see them.’

Sport Eliza: ‘Sport in Veyrines is very different from sport at Downe House in England. There are no playing fields and, unfortunately, no swimming pool, but the lessons are lots of fun and you still get a lot of exercise. In normal EPS (sport) lessons we play basketball, complete fitness circuits, and we’ve done gymnastics, Zumba and dance. There is also the opportunity to try new sports such as rock climbing, archery, canoeing and orienteering.’

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Mrs Scotland: ‘Sports sorties have two primary aims. Not only is it important that girls have regular opportunities to expend some of their energy, we also believe that this is a good way to test them on an individual basis and to take them, in a controlled and safe way, out of their comfort zone. Some of the most rewarding stories during a term will be the result of a girl reaching the top of a cliff, paddle-boarding down the Dordogne or standing on a trapeze, having believed herself to be incapable of doing so before she embarked on the challenge, for whatever reason. Our intention is that these experiences lead to more of a “can do” philosophy on the girl’s return to Downe.

Future demands presented by mixed-age houses, public examinations and university or job applications will, hopefully, feel less daunting.’

Sorties Eliza: ‘Three or four times a week, we all go on a sortie.

Our sorties included visits to gardens, caves and chateaux.

Before the academic sorties, we were given a lesson on the topic so that during the visit we were able to understand what is being said, making it easier to communicate with our teachers about the topic.’

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Mrs Scotland: ‘Not only do sorties provide an insight into the culture of France, they are a fantastically effective way of enhancing learning and give our pupils the opportunity to see more of this incredibly beautiful and rich area of France.

Our History syllabus covers Prehistory and the Medieval Period and there are a wealth of sites and resources which bring these topics to life. Firing a crossbow or a trebuchet on the ramparts of a magnificent château high above the Dordogne is usually enough to enthuse the most reluctant Historians! A subject unique to Veyrines, “Nature et Découvertes”, has a weekly sortie to destinations as diverse as an aquarium, an artisan soap maker and the caves at Proumeyssac and Rouffignac to see the impressive stalactites

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and stalagmites. House sorties at the weekend are more relaxed affairs and have included bowling, ice skating and visits to the cinema. Some people may be surprised to learn that building a den in the nearby woods and having a picnic tea by the river have been two of the most popular ways to spend a Sunday afternoon!’

Dorms Eliza: ‘There are four dorms in Veyrines - Noir, Blanc, Pourpre and Vert, named after the different areas of the Périgord region in which the School is located. One of the best things about boarding here is that laundry is done every night with clean, ironed and folded clothes being delivered to your dorm the very next morning!’

Mrs Scotland: ‘Dormitory arrangements give us a chance to encourage interaction and cooperation between girls from different Remove Houses and we enjoy seeing new friendships develop during the term. The laundry service which is so loved by all who come here is, in fact, purely a consequence of practical considerations and an attempt to persuade the girls to keep their luggage to a minimum!’

Food Eliza: ‘The food is incredible and Madame Lombard and Madame Renaudie prepare a huge variety of typical French dishes for us to try including canard aux olives (duck with olives), moules-frites (mussels and chips) and tarte aux pommes (apple tart) as well as more usual meals such as pasta and roast chicken. For breakfast, there are croissants and pain au chocolat which are freshly baked and delivered by the baker every morning. There are three courses at lunch, and supper includes a cheese course which gives us the opportunity to practise our French and try a range of different cheeses, although I think the Roquefort is particularly horrible!’

Mrs Scotland: ‘As everyone knows, food plays a prominent role in French life and, as part of their cultural education, girls not only appreciate the wonderful dishes which are prepared here but they also learn that mealtimes in France are important social events. We actively encourage lingering at the table to talk to the other pupils and staff who share a table. As the term progresses, the girls learn to really enjoy their food and to taste everything served to them. The Dordogne is renowned for its duck and goose products, including foie gras, all of which appear on the menu at some stage of a term. The black truffle is another speciality and is included in some dishes, particularly if the girls have been lucky enough on their sortie to visit the Truffière! Less well known is that we are in the heart of the strawberry and kiwi producing areas of France and both fruits make regular appearances in the dining room, the former

The girls’ gastronomic education continues outside the dining room in the shape of various cookery workshops.

Girls have made bread and brioches and every term there is a trip to a prominent cookery school, the Lycée Hotelier de Périgord Quercy, where girls interact with students in the kitchens and the classroom. Lastly, the many festivals which revolve around food provide further occasions to enjoy eating and drinking, such as La Fête des Rois, the strawberry festival in Nabirat and the annual truffle festival in nearby Sarlat.’

Memories Eliza: ‘During your time in Veyrines, you keep a journal in which you record all the things that you have done.

Everything is written in French and girls spend a lot of time on this, as it will serve as a reminder of the term in years to come.

You have a greater sense of independence in Veyrines; you can go for a walk in the beautiful French countryside, play tennis or go for a run with your friends in your free time, during break or at lunchtime.

In conclusion, Veyrines is a truly incredible experience where you get the full flavour of life in France. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am going to miss everything about Veyrines when I leave.’

Mrs Scotland: ‘A term in France is, clearly, vastly different from any other in a girl’s time at Downe House. The staff in Veyrines are truly privileged to be able to contribute to this unique form of education and to be a part of the girls’ academic and personal development. We hope that the memories of each girl’s time here will develop into a love and appreciation of France, its people and culture.

I completely agree with Eliza; it is almost impossible to sum up a term in Veyrines, particularly since it is very much about the unique personal journey of every girl who experiences it.’

Eliza Inglis, LIV, Summer 2015 and Mrs Deborah Scotland, Head of Veyrines

My Favourite Sortie: Le Chateau des Milandes My favourite sortie was our visit to Le Château des Milandes.

This magnificent château is the former residence of Josephine Baker who scandalised 20th Century society with her avantgarde cabaret performances, outlandish costumes and progressive beliefs.

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usually being adorned with generous helpings of Chantilly cream! There is a definite seasonal flavour to our menus the Michaelmas and Lent Terms feature wild mushrooms such as Ceps, Girolles and Morilles and many forms of the ubiquitous walnut! In summer soft fruits such as apricots, peaches and nectarines appear alongside sweet Cantaloupe and Galia melons and refreshing watermelon. Being France, it is always fish on Friday, with salmon, cod and even mussels for lunch.

In 1940, Josephine went to live at Le Château des Milandes which she bought in 1947. She called it her “Sleeping Beauty Castle” and she adopted twelve children of different ethnicities and religions, her so-called ‘Rainbow Tribe’, who lived with her there. You can still see their bedrooms, playrooms and bathrooms and there are lots of photographs of Josephine and her family on display. As with her theatrical performances, some people were shocked by this unconventional behaviour but Josephine Baker was determined to prove that children from different origins could live happily together and used her wealth for the benefit of others.

Josephine Baker unfortunately lost the Château des Milandes because of unpaid debts in 1964 and was offered an apartment by Princess Grace of Monaco, a close friend.

She died in 1975, aged 68.

Josephine Baker had an incredible life and I loved learning about her. Seeing the inside of her beautiful castle, her amazing costumes and many personal belongings was really fascinating and I am very lucky to have had the opportunity to learn about this remarkable woman.

Emma Bracken, LIV, Summer 2015

My Favourite Sortie: Canoeing In Veyrines, there are a huge number of sorties and the sporting ones are definitely some of the best!

This term, we have been on a lot of sorties with Monsieur Merchadou and Madame Rodrigo as part of our sport and fitness programme. Just after half term, when it was getting hotter, we went canoeing on the Dordogne. We were very lucky with the weather because the sun was shining and it was lovely and hot! Before we set off down the river, we had a safety briefing and some instructions from Monsieur Merchadou and were then put into our groups. Canoeing down the river was so much fun! The reason that I loved this sortie so much was because it allowed us to have some freedom whilst working as a team and doing exercise! We also went paddle boarding later in the term which was amazing! This is not a sport that many people have the opportunity to try and it was great fun being on the river with my friends.

Emily Manners, LIV, Summer 2015

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CHINA DAY

CHINA DAY On a beautiful Saturday morning in June, girls in the Remove were immersed in Chinese culture, crafts, music and language. Organised by the Higher Education and Global Initiatives Department, the aim of the day was to give the girls a better awareness of this cultural giant and growing global economic power. We also hosted a delegation of teachers from mainland China, who were visiting several UK schools, to observe and share best practice within our staff global exchange programme.

The day opened with a talk from Mr James Trapp of the Confucius Institute, UCL. Previously the China Education Officer at the British Museum, his talk touched upon China’s rich and varied history, art, culture and governments.

The girls were then divided into groups to enjoy the rest of the activities, which included sessions in Chinese calligraphy, making dumplings, Chinese festivals and a Chinese language lesson.

During break, the girls were entertained by a traditional Chinese Lion and a Kung Fu dance troupe who made them all gasp with amazement. Throughout the day, girls were given gifts of a beautiful Chinese hairpin, badge and a traditional red envelope containing chocolate money. The day closed with a quiz and a sumptuous Chinese lunch.

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Ms Marya Akhtar, Director of Higher Education & Global Initiatives

FEATURES

Ella Houston, LV, Scholar

The Sports Department selects Scholars and Exhibitioners through a process of fitness testing and skill assessment. Not only do they inspire greater participation in sport in their peers, they compete in public competitions and are fantastic ambassadors for Downe House.

Sport is really important to me and I receive incredible support and encouragement from the PE staff at Downe House to help me to develop as a sportsperson in many areas. In addition to playing 1st team lacrosse for the School, I have also been able to pursue many athletics disciplines and I particular enjoy being a pentathlete and heptathlete, as well as the individual elements of high jump and hurdles. I am very pleased to say that I have had a really successful year.

We currently have 25 Scholars and eight Exhibitioners across the whole school.

Many of these talented girls regularly compete at county level in several sports, and often specialise in one sport which they continue with to regional and national level. The ability of all of these girls is exceptional, and the training that they undertake and the effort that they commit is commendable. I am very proud of their talent and even more proud of their attitude, which permeates the School, encouraging others to try hard and to achieve as much as possible.

Some of the scholars have shared with us an insight into their sporting activities, all undertaken whilst they are also involved in a full academic and extra-curricular timetable.

Mrs Lydia Rayne, Director of Sport

Molly Adams, LVI, Scholar I have been playing squash and hockey at Downe House since I joined at age 13.

I had never played squash before, but I have had weekly lessons since then and it is now one of my favourite sports; the facilities and teaching at School are great.

During the Michaelmas and Lent Terms we have team practice once a week, and a league system determines who makes the teams, so it is fair and competitive.

I try and practice in my own time as well as having lessons and I love playing in matches; in particular, I really enjoyed going to Manchester last year for the Squash National Championships which was a fantastic experience.

For hockey, we also have team practice weekly, as well as an extra training session on Tuesday evenings. This extra training is particularly useful as it helps with our fitness and stamina, which is definitely a key part to playing a good game of hockey! We have hockey matches almost every weekend and occasionally one on a Wednesday. The Sports Department is very good at making other opportunities available, such as going to county trials on Friday evenings. I played county hockey last season which greatly improved my game and was a lot of fun; I would really encourage anyone who wants to, to make the most of this opportunity. I have always absolutely loved hockey and it is great to be part of such a friendly but competitive team. I am very excited that we may potentially be going on tour next year!

One of my first athletics competitions this season was the Berkshire County Championships in May. I competed in the high jump and the 80m hurdles.

In the high jump, I cleared a personal best height of 1.69m to win the competition and setting a new Berkshire Championship record the same time. I also won the hurdles.

A few weeks later, I competed in the pentathlon at the Berkshire County Combined Events Championships, which I won and qualified for the next round of the English Schools’ Combined Events Championships in late June. I came 3rd in this and the Berkshire team won overall to qualify for the English Schools’ Cup Final in Bedford in September. Here, I won both the hurdles and the high jump, making me this year’s English Schools’ Champion in both disciplines.

During the summer holidays I was also chosen to represent Berkshire as an U20 for high jump at the South of England AA Inter County Championship and I placed 2nd with a jump of 1.68m. I have also represented Berkshire at the English Schools’ Heptathlon competition, placing 3rd in the South of England.

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

SPORTS SCHOLARS

CELEBRATING OUR SPORTS SCHOLARS AND EXHIBITIONERS

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SPORTS SCHOLARS

Amelia Hughes, UIV, Scholar I have held a sports scholarship at Downe House for two years now and have been fulfilling all the goals I have set for myself as a Scholar. This year, Claudia Kandel and I have succeeded at getting places on the English Lacrosse Talent Pathway team. This has taken hard training and dedication, but absolutely has been worth the all the effort.

I have also played for the U14A team this season and we have had a successful year, getting into the Nationals. I play Centre and Right Attack, shooting goals and also defending. Lacrosse plays a big part in my sporting career and training with the England lacrosse team has been a great achievement, and one I hope to continue.

Another key sport for me is athletics. I have been to many big competitions this season and I qualified as 4th best in Berkshire at pentathlon, allowing me to compete for the Berkshire team at the County Pentathlon Championships.

Our team came 5th out of eight counties. I have also captained the U14 team throughout this season.

We entered into the Athletics Schools’ Cup and qualified through the rounds into the National Schools’ Championship.

This year, I have set three personal bests, high jumping 1.55m, 12.6 seconds for the 100m hurdles, and throwing javelin to 29m, whilst also setting the new School javelin record. Athletics is definitely one of my favourite sporting activities and I love having the opportunity to train and compete so much.

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Claudia Kandel, UIV, Scholar I have really enjoyed being a sports scholar and have loved all the opportunities the Sports Department has offered me. My main sports are lacrosse, swimming, tennis and netball. I train regularly at Newbury District Swimming Club, as well as competing for them. I have achieved both regional and county times in different strokes, which is a huge achievement for me. At Downe House, I hold the 50m freestyle (LIV) record and the 25m freestyle (UIV) record.

In LIV and UIV, I played in the Newbury netball squad, along with Anna Neville, LIV, and Annabel Roest, LV, and I really enjoyed training once a week during term time and playing matches but I decided to stop as I wanted to dedicate more time to my other sports. At Downe, we had a great netball season and won the Newbury Schools’ U14 at Park House, as well as lots of other matches. We train on Tuesday nights with the senior squad which has really helped.

In lacrosse, Amelia Hughes, UIV, and I got into the English Lacrosse Talent Pathway team which I am really excited about. We are very good at lacrosse at Downe and we won the Berkshire U14 Tournament, which we were all so happy about.

In tennis, I have played for the 1st and U14 teams. The School arranges lots of tennis matches for all year groups and we have matches on most Wednesdays and Saturdays during the Summer Term. I have improved my rating and will be a 6.1 in mid-September. I have really enjoyed all the tennis this year.

FEATURES

SPORTS SCHOLARS

Kitty Shepherd-Cross, LIV, Scholar I play lacrosse, tennis, swimming and netball, but my main sport is running. I run twice a week with Newbury Athletics Club with a group of long distance runners. In the winter we train at Newbury Rugby Club and in the summer at the Crookham Common Athletics Track.

In the winter we compete in many schools’ cross-country races, including Newbury Schools, Berkshire Schools, Radley Relays, South East Schools’ Inter County and finally, if you qualify from previous events, the English Schools’ Championships. In these events I have placed 1st in Newbury Schools and Berkshire Schools, 18th in the South East Schools’ Inter County and 100th in the English Schools’ Championships.

In athletics, my main events are 1500m and 800m. The athletics team competes in various events, including the Berkshire Pentathlon, ESAA Schools’ Cup, Newbury Relays, Berkshire Schools and the English Schools’ Championships (if we qualify), and we have matches against other schools. I have won Berkshire Schools’ 1500m, I came 5th in the Berkshire Pentathlon, and I won the ESAA regional final for 1500m and the high jump. I have also competed in many competitions for my club at home.

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Lara Wigan, LVI, Scholar I have recently been awarded the position of Head of Sport and am very excited to be able to fulfill my goals in this role.

The School offers so much support within the sporting life.

Through my achievements in all sports, Mrs Rayne and the rest of the sports staff have always been there to offer help and support.

My main sports are tennis and lacrosse. This year has been full of great success within the Tennis Department, with the new and improved tennis programme. Throughout the year, I was in a team of four girls lucky enough to play weekly AEGON matches and in March we reached the National Schools’ Tennis Final in Bolton, where we placed third overall which was a huge achievement! The competition consisted of singles and doubles and I won all of my matches, which has increased my rating. I train three times a week and,

throughout the Summer Term, I try to play in the evenings too. It has been great to have so many matches this year, and in particular I loved the Eton ISTC competition which gave us the opportunity to play some elite players.

Lacrosse has also been amazing this year. With many of the 1st team UVI girls leaving, at the beginning of the year we welcomed many new UV girls into the team and although this was hard initially bringing a new team together, by the end of the season the 1st team was beating many strong teams and achieving great things. We train as a team three times a week, including an extra session held by the Captains. I have really enjoyed being part of the team and we definitely all became very close during our ‘carb nights’ before tournaments. Our departing UVI team members will be greatly missed!

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

PARSONS DEAN BFA

MARINA HACKING GAINS COVETED UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP Parsons School of Design, USA After securing a coveted place at the prestigious Parsons School of Design, and being awarded the Dean BFA Scholarship that will enable her to attend, Marina Hacking shares her path to success at the university of her dreams!

I have been really keen to study Fashion Design since I started studying Textiles in the Remove. I first looked around Parsons School of Design during the Michaelmas half term 2014, and I absolutely adored the facilities and location. The building is brand new, as it was built only two years ago, and it is incredibly modern with highly advanced studio space and facilities. It also happens to be located in one of the most fabulous areas of New York - Lower Manhattan.

I knew immediately that I wanted to apply and found there to be two application deadlines, one close to Christmas time, which I had already missed, and a second which was 1 February. I began preparing myself and my work for the application process began straight away.

The application process for Parsons includes submitting an artistic statement (similar to a personal statement) along with 15-20 images from your portfolio. In addition, all applicants

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must complete the Parsons Challenge for their application to be considered. The Challenge helps the Admission Committee understand how a prospective student develops ideas, creates a theme, visually communicates that theme, and defends the work in writing.

The challenge is to choose a theme or concept and interpret it in three original pieces. The series should convey a conceptual and creative response to the subject matter.

All forms of media are acceptable, and each piece of art must be supported with an essay of approximately 250 words. The series should convey a conceptual and creative response to the subject matter.

The Parsons Challenge this year was to “Explore something usually overlooked within your daily environment.”

I created three mixed media pieces including photography, embroidery, oil paint, fabrics, zips, collage and sugar.

I chose the theme of a woman’s morning preparations, which is generally overlooked by most. The first piece was about makeup - why a woman feels she must wear it/why does she want to wear it. It is a piece that consists of two photographs both taken in black and white film on a 35mm camera and printed to A2 in the dark room. The first one I have dyed with pink inks using a pipette to create texture on the surface.

Here her eyes are shut and I have used oil paint to paint on makeup, lipstick and eye makeup. This photograph is ripped to reveal a similar one underneath which is in sharp clear focus with the girls eye open and confronting the viewer. The layer over the top is almost like a mask, with her eyes closed and the photograph slightly blurred making it look surreal and dream-like, which is enhanced by the bright pink colour.

I also submitted work from my AS and A2 Photography and Textiles, along with some extra work which I had completed on a fashion design course I had attended over the Christmas and Summer holidays at Central St Martins.

I submitted my work just hours before the deadline on 1 February and I heard back from them during the Easter holidays.

When I told my parents that I was offered a place they were incredibly proud of my achievement. We did have some reservations about the logistics and the cost of studying in America, even though I had dreamed about doing so for a long time. A few days later, and to my complete surprise, I received an email offering me the Dean BFA Scholarship, a merit-based award for which every applicant selected for admission is automatically considered and determined by the strength of their application.

I am delighted that I am able to accept the place. Parsons has also allowed me to defer the course and the scholarship for one year so I can get some more experience before I go.

First, I will complete an Art Foundation course at Kingston University in London. This one-year course is designed to prepare students for entry to degree-level art and design programmes. It will help me to develop both the conceptual and practical skills I’ll need to make the most of the degree course at Parsons.

Marina Hacking, UVI

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CHARITY

FUNDRAISING AT DOWNE HOUSE Fundraising is a very important part of the ethos of the School and something that staff and girls alike enjoy. Many events have taken place over the past year, organised by the girls with the support of the staff and their families, and all for charities that for many are very close to their own hearts. Here we highlight just a few that have contributed to the stunning total raised for charities during the year.

FASHION SHOW FOR MAGGIE’S CENTRES Early in November girls in the Upper Sixth organised a superb show and raised a lot of money to help a very worthwhile charity. In their own words …

‘We all thoroughly enjoyed organising the event and we are amazed by how well it went on the night. Overall we managed to raise just over £7,000 which is an incredible achievement, and will help Maggie’s a lot with building the new centres in London and Leeds. We have to thank everybody involved for making the show the success that it was, as it wouldn’t have been possible without them. We sent countless emails to fashion houses and brands and we are especially thankful to those who were kind enough to reply and send us their clothes. We know that everybody watching was impressed with how wonderful the garments were.

We hope that all who came enjoyed it, and we would like to thank them all for supporting Maggie’s.”

Honor Weatherall, Marina Hacking and Jean Campbell, UVI Maggie’s Centres are for anyone with any type of cancer and their families, offering practical, emotional and social support that people with cancer need. Find out more at www.maggiescentres.org

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TEACH FOR CHINA GALA CONCERT

The after-school programme is already underway in three remote schools in southern China, run by volunteers and supported by TFC fellows.

Nicola Shi, LVI, has been involved with Teach For China (TFC) since 2013. The charity helps Chinese children from remote parts of the country gain access to quality education.

Nicola raised almost £5,000 to fund the students’ trip from Tiesuo Elementary school in the Yunnan Province to Shanghai.

The group benefited from a week of training with professional composers, singers and musicians who kindly volunteered their time, before performing at the Annual Teach For China Shanghai Charity Gala on April 18.

Whilst education in many areas of China has developed rapidly over the past few decades, it is estimated that as many as 200 million children in the inland and rural parts of the country are being left behind, with only 5% of students in these regions enrolling in university or further education.

To help tackle the issue, TFC recruits some of the most outstanding young leaders from China and abroad and trains them to serve for two years as teachers in some of China’s most underresourced schools.

Over the course of a year, Nicola put together a singing programme to be introduced at TFC schools as an extracurricular activity. Nicola says, “Singing has taught me not only to express myself more confidently, but has also encouraged me to be more creative and develop my team skills”.

CHARITY

The Gala was a huge success, raising over 10.7 million RMB (£1.1 million). Congratulations to Nicola on her extraordinary contribution and commitment to the charity.

Mrs Michelle Scott, Assistant Headmistress (Foundation)

The AGN girls hosted a wonderful late summer Vintage Fayre in September.

The ice cream van was hugely popular and even Mrs McKendrick had a turn satsuma bobbing! The event raised over £330 for Sparkes Home Sri Lanka that was put towards art supplies when AGN girls visited the Home during the summer. Congratulations to all involved.

It was a glorious afternoon of sunshine, music, cakes, ice cream and fun games.

CHARITY

AGN VINTAGE FAYRE

Miss Kayleigh Anger, Housemistress (AGN) and Teacher of Drama

CASINO NIGHT FOR REALITY GIVES Aisholt Link Charity Reality Gives is the sister organisation of an ethically run tour company that donates 80% of tour profits to fund charitable works in Mumbai. Connecting with organisations and individuals in order to build social programmes, the charity works to address issues faced by those living in the slums of Mumbai, focusing on education, health, sport and livelihoods. Find out more about the charity at: www.realitygives.org This summer I visited India in preparation for a Downe House visit in August 2016.

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The School began working with this charity after Downe House alumna, Annabelle Clarke (DH2008), who worked as the Quality Improvement Director for Reality Gives, introduced us to the great work that they do.

Girls from Aisholt House have forged strong links with the charity and on a cold February night they transformed the Main Dining Room into a glamorous casino for families and staff to enjoy in aid of the charity. The highly successful and enjoyable ‘Night at the Casino’ raised over £7,000, which the charity will spend on educating and transforming the lives of young people in what is one of the worst slums in India.

“This is truly stunning! We’ll work hard to ensure this has the maximum possible impact here in Dharavi. It’s certainly going to make a huge difference to a lot of young lives!”

Annabelle Clarke, Quality Improvement Director, Reality Gives I met with the people running the charity in Mumbai and also toured some famous sites - ensuring that the hotels and other arrangements are suitable and safe for the Downe House girls who will take this opportunity to learn about India.

I am so pleased that the girls will be able to see what the funds they raised have achieved and indeed, do more to help during their visit next year.

Miss Laura Myers, Assistant Housemistress (Aisholt), Teacher of PE and Student Exchange Coordinator DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

CHARITY

HAPPY DAY FOR MICROLOAN CAMPAIGN In keeping with Downe House tradition, Sixth Form girls organised ‘Happy Day’ to lift spirits and raise money for their chosen charity, the Microloan Campaign, which supports women in Malawi and Zambia to work their way out of poverty through small loans and business training.

This year the event was themed ‘Blast from the Past’. Girls and staff alike embraced the theme, with a huge variety of interpretations including rock and pop idols from bygone eras, and Headmistress Mrs McKendrick as Queen Elizabeth I. In addition, the Senior Team delivered sweets to classes throughout the day and in the evening the girls enjoyed a whole School movie night in the Farr Centre.

Happy Day is traditionally organised by the Sixth Form towards the end of Lent Term. Head Girl and Deputy Head Girl Natasha Seaton and Emilia Hewlett, whose costume theme was Adam and Eve, said “We would like to thank everyone for putting such an effort into their costumes; the enthusiasm really made the day!”

Amelia Milne, LVI, Literary Senior

BRAVELY ABSEILING FOR CHARITY! Lara Wigan, LVI, abseiled a scary 165 metres down the Broadgate Tower in London to raise money for children’s charity Place 2 Be.

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Place 2 Be is a charity that offers support to children who come from tough backgrounds. The charity is placed in over 200 schools and also run drop-in centres so that children experiencing issues can talk to one of the Place 2 Be specially trained counsellors.

Lara along with her cousin Rose also completed work experience at Place 2 Be and were incredibly moved by what they saw, so they decided to take action and raise funds for the charity. They both took on the 165 metre abseil.

Congratulations to Lara and Rose for raising a fantastic £6,162 for the charity so far.

Mrs Victoria Ryan, Housemistress (Willis West), Teacher of Speech and Drama and Head of Sixth Form General Education

SILVER BALL RAISES £300,000 FOR THE ARMED FORCES FUND The Armed Forces Fund continues to strike a chord in the community. Following the Highly successful Silver Ball in 2011, we are proud to announce that the 2014 Silver Ball in November, which was held at Supernova in London, raised a staggering £300,000!

The Fund, which was set up to provide an education for the sons and daughters of service men and women killed or seriously wounded while serving their country, is edging towards the £2 million mark. It continues to draw generous support from the communities of all three affiliated schools – Downe House, Radley College and St Mary’s Calne. Thank you so much to everyone for your support.

Mrs Michelle Scott, Assistant Headmistress (Foundation) CHARITY

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FLORENCE

ANNUAL UV STUDY TRIP TO FLORENCE The entire Upper Fifth Italian group, accompanied by Mrs Toogood and Mrs Richardson, arrived in Florence on Thursday 12 February and were taken to the Hotel Argentina, our base in Florence this year.

Our first day in Florence was a fabulous way for the girls to immerse themselves in their beautiful new surroundings. Lessons at the British Institute, the first of ten with delightful Susanna and Beatrice, began promptly at 10am, followed by a visit to the Gothic styled ‘Il Duomo di Firenze’ (the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore), part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the top of which was basked in sunshine and allowed the girls a wonderful view over the city.

High spirits were maintained by a visit to the Grom gelateria where the girls enjoyed a superb hot chocolate or an ice cream, or in some cases both, served ‘affogato’! This was a brilliant opener, following a conversation exchange arranged with Italian students at the British Institute, for a cookery lesson at In Tavola. As a team, the girls cooked caprese di melanzane, pasta fresca all’uovo, tortelli di patate, sugo all’aglione, risotto, panna cotta … and then devoured it all! We returned via the Palazzo Pitti, pausing at the Corridoio Vasariano, and lingered on the Ponte Vecchio.

On Saturday, after three hours of lessons, we enjoyed an extensive tour of Santa Maria Novella and then a visit to the extraordinary Officina Profumo Farmaceutica, one of Italy’s oldest pharmacies, with natural perfumes and cosmetics all shelved in wooden, glass-fronted cabinets under a Murano chandelier. The original pharmacy was founded in 1612 by the Dominican monks of Santa Maria Novella, and many of its cosmetics are based on 17th century herbal recipes.

Santa Croce followed, with the principal Franciscan church in Florence the ‘Basilica di Santa Croce’, and then more delicious gelato at Vivoli. Supper at the famous Trattoria La Casalinga was hugely and hungrily appreciated by all!

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On Sunday we toured some early Renaissance architecture, visiting the Palazzo Medici Riccardi and Brunelleschi’s Spedale Degli Innocenti, both regarded as a notable examples.

We spent the afternoon at the Galleria dell’Accademia, admiring Michelangelo’s David amongst other treasures, followed by the Cappella dei Brancacci, sometimes called the “Sistine Chapel of the early Renaissance” for its painting cycle, among the most famous and influential of the period.

Monday saw the visit to Palazzo Vecchio, a wonderful History of Art lecture, and a visit to L’Art Bar for fruit cocktails, followed by the traditional pizza evening with Dulwich. After the final Italian class we were treated to a tour of the Uffizi Gallery

by Professor Marcello Bellini, who introduced us to works of art by great Italian artists such as Botticelli, Giotto, Cimabue, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Raffaello. This was a fitting crescendo to our trip as, reluctantly, Heathrow was the evening destination for our return.

Mrs Maggie Richardson, I/C Italian

TRIPS

ROME

PRE-U ITALIAN STUDY TRIP TO ROME Seven UVI Italian students, accompanied by Mrs Alussi and Mrs Richardson, arrived at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport late on Saturday 18 October and made straight for the impressive Domus Sessoriana, a former convent by the Roman walls in Piazza Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, which was the base for our stay.

From early on Sunday a packed 4 days got under way, with specific intensive study in the mornings at Scudit, Scuola d’Italiano, where the Director, Roberto Tartaglione, is an eminent authority on Italian grammar and usage. Armed with a growing confidence in the language, we filled our afternoons with activities that would enrich and challenge us.

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Our first destinations were the Colosseo and the Foro Romano, surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings, both in the center of the city. Then Marina Giorgini, a superb teacher and expert on Art History, led a fascinating guided visit in Italian of Colle Celio and 3 different churches not normally on the tourist trail: the Basilica di Santo Stefano Rotondo, the Basilica dei Santi Quattro Coronati and the Basilica di San Clemente, with its 3 levels, 1st century AD pagan temple, below 4th century, middle level, and then 12th century churches on the top level.

After lessons on Monday we headed off for our guided visits to the Vatican museums, the Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s. Isobel Flack, Mary Mayfield, Meitao Qu and Honor Weatherall were able to reinforce their knowledge of Art History throughout, while Olivia Cave, Lucie Kiehl and Meredith Webber showed a lively interest in all aspects of the culture.

Other highlights in our packed 4-day itinerary included Villa Borghese, the Pantheon with Raffaello’s Tomb, Piazza Navona with Bernini’s fountains, the Spanish steps and the Trevi Fountain, alas reduced to a thimbleful during restoration works!

Grom, the delicious organic ice cream parlour, by unanimous vote, required a second visit - just to make sure!

Mrs Maggie Richardson, I/C Italian DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

YPRES BATTLEFIELD TOUR, YPRES In remembrance of Anzac Day and in honour of the 100th anniversary of the First World War, 90 girls visited Ypres, one of the most notorious battlefields of the conflict. The trip was designed to help the girls with their studies, better connecting them to our recent history, but also to support their understanding of their position as citizens of the world.

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The girls stayed in the School Youth Hostel in the centre of Ypres and were able to visit the Menin Gate memorial and both Langemark German cemetery and Tyne Cot, which is the largest British war cemetery in the world. We held a wreath laying ceremony at both sites, where School House prayers were said and Mrs Jessica Boswell, Teacher of English and Aisholt Housemistress (Acting), read ‘In Flanders Fields’

by John McCrae.

The girls were all given a remembrance cross and found soldiers who shared their surnames, and in some cases, relatives, in the records. They then wrote message for the fallen soldiers and found their gravestones in order to lay their crosses and honour the dead.

It was very touching to see the girls connect with the events of a century ago, understanding how relevant the terrible sacrifices made by soldiers from both sides of the conflict remain today.

Mrs Julie Dell, Head of Co-Curricular Department

TRIPS

The Remove trip to Calshot Activity Centre is one of the highlights of the girls’ first year at Downe House. As well as being tremendous fun, the aim is to build confidence and encourage the girls to challenge themselves by trying new activities, and facing and overcoming their fears. The girls also explore leadership techniques and learn to work as supportive team members. It gives them the opportunity to get to know other girls they may not have spent much time with, particularly those who will be in the same term in Veyrines.

Set on a pebbly spit of land on the Solent, Calshot is perfectly situated to offer a wide range of activities, particularly wet ones for example sailing, windsurfing and kayaking around the mudflats. There is an indoor climbing wall where the girls really have to look after each other and a ski slope where

they can try snowboarding or ski bobbing. Calshot has one of only four velodromes in the UK and track cycling provides a very new and different experience to normal cycling! Also on offer is ‘off road’ mountain biking, archery, shooting, high ropes and last, but not least, the mega swing!

Every year we are incredibly impressed with the girls’ determination, bravery and huge enthusiasm. Each girl faces their personal challenges and meets them head on. They achieve a huge amount and we can see their confidence and self-esteem growing every day.

CALSHOT

THE REMOVE TRIP TO CALSHOT

Miss Rachel Black, Assistant Housemistress (Hill), Higher Education Administration and Lower School Enrichment Coordinator

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“Calshot was a wonderful experience.

They push you really hard and always give you aims. I got over my fear of heights. I loved it!” Lucia Bugeja

“Calshot is a really good experience.

It helped me interact with others and to get to know them better.” Emily Glover

“You get to know everyone in your year much better.” Elsa Karoly “I wish I could do it all again!”

Jemima Landale

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

BARCELONA

TENNIS TEAM TRIP TO BARCELONA This Easter, twelve girls from LV and three from UIV flew out to the Catalunya Tennis Resort in Barcelona for an actionpacked week of tennis.

Focusing on different aspects of our game each day, our days started off with morning sessions working on technique and footwork, and continued into the afternoon with match play and skills based games. We were even lucky enough to play under the floodlights one evening. The 5-Star tennis coaches were amazing and we had the chance to play on different surfaces including the clay courts, which was a new experience for some of the girls. In between sessions, we were able to visit the hotel spa, swim in the outdoor pools, relax in our rooms or in the sun, or play a game of padel tennis on the hotel courts.

We also managed to squeeze in a trip to the beach one day, which was great. Mr Allen ensured that everyone had great fun; arranging extra tennis sessions and joining in playing padel tennis with us. After each busy day we enjoyed an amazing three course meal. Everyone had a chance to improve their tennis and have a great experience as well. Massive thanks to Mr Allen and Miss Baker for organising the trip and making it possible; they made it a truly memorable trip that was thoroughly enjoyed by all the girls.

Alexa Feather, LV

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TRIPS

PARIS

INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR NETBALL FESTIVAL Netball Team Tour to Disneyland Paris As we set off towards Paris, I can honestly say none of us knew quite what to expect. We trusted in Miss Vickery and Mrs Riddle’s organisation, and we knew that Disneyland would be amazing, but we were apprehensive about the netball tournament. After a very long coach and ferry journey, with our new found Welsh coachbuddies, the tour began with fun in the woodland themed swimming pool.

The Netball Festival was structured so that we spent half of each day playing netball, and the other half enjoying the Disneyland Parks. Over the next couple of days we completed a grueling five hour training day with some of the best coaches from across the country.

We also really enjoyed everything Disneyland had to offer, rediscovering our childhoods with multiple selfies in incredible places, and meeting crowds of children who thought it was hilarious to read the names on the back of our hoodies in loud voices!

Playing in the matches was great, it was exciting to play against schools we’ve never come across before and both the U14 and U16 teams won enough matches to qualify to play in the Plate Competition on the final day.

There were some outstanding individual performances, with Serena Richards and Nutthapit Poolworaluk, LV, impressing in mid-court in the U16s, and Ella Scott and Shalayna Assani, both UIV, achieving great shooting statistics for the U14s. Downe House Player of the Tournament for the U16s was awarded to Man I (Melissa) Chang, LV, and for the U14s to Tae-Chan Ellis, UIV. With our confidence growing, both teams ended the tournament with a really successful last day. The U16 team placed second and the U14 gained third place in their tournaments. Now we have two trophies, Mrs Riddle’s tears of joy and many, many pictures to show for all of our hard work.

Jennifer Darko, LV, and Miss Laura Vickery, PE Teacher and Resident Tutor (Willis West)

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MYANMAR

A VISIT TO HOPEASIA’S HOSANNA CHILDREN’S HOME AGS House Charity During the Easter holidays, I took a trip to visit the HopeAsia’s Hosanna Children’s Home in the beautiful country of Myanmar. I was shocked by the poverty in the country as well as the simplistic way of life; Myanmar has been largely isolated from the rest of the world for the past 50 years and has not benefited from the development that other parts of Asia have enjoyed. This seems to be changing now and there is a great deal of optimism in the country, although there is still a very long way to go.

Children at the home have either been orphaned or are there because one parent has died and the surviving parent has been unable to cope. Some children choose to live at the home because they are keen to be educated and can be better provided for there than at their family home. It is wonderful that there is somewhere safe for them to live now, but it is also important that the children can make their way in the world as they get older. If they weren’t in the home they would almost certainly be in some form of slavery, either in a factory or a farm, or the girls sent to a brothel. It is a very sad fact that in that part of the world children are regularly bought and sold.

When HopeAsia first visited Myanmar, there were about 30 children living in bamboo shacks and sleeping on slatted wooden platforms over bare earth. In the rainy season the area is prone to flooding and, with no proper sewage systems in the area, the contaminated floodwaters stopped just a few inches below where the children were sleeping.

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Following the visit, the charity raised £65,000 and built a new Children’s Home that has transformed the children’s lives. They now each have their own bed with a mosquito net

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to protect them from malaria. There is a kitchen and a dining hall, and in addition to a minibus to take the children to and from the local school (which was a particular problem in the rainy season) there is a classroom for additional learning at the Home.

There are now about 50 youngsters living in Hosanna and HopeAsia is fundraising to build a new education centre where the children will be provided with skills training that will help them find employment when they get older, as well as additional dormitories for the children.

The AGS girls and I are holding a charity fundraising evening on Saturday 14 November 2015, with the proceeds being used to equip the Home with teaching resources, sewing machines, computers, sports and play equipment. We would love to see a basketball court and football area, and maybe a climbing frame and other play equipment for all the children to enjoy.

I am delighted to be taking fourteen AGS girls during the 2016 summer holiday on the first AGS House trip to Myanmar. We will spend our first week living with, caring for and teaching the children in the Children’s Home, as well as painting and decorating the new classrooms and dormitories.

This is a really exciting project and a relationship that I plan to maintain with a biennial visit. During the second week of our trip, we will delve further into the culture of Myanmar, visiting such places as Yangon, Kalaw, Bagan and Inle Lake.

Roll on next summer - I can’t wait!

Mrs Sofia McClymont, Housemistress (AGS) and World of Work Coordinator

SOMERSET ART AWARD HOLDERS’ VISIT THE HAUSER AND WIRTH GALLERY On a beautiful morning in June the twelve Art Award Holders, accompanied by Mrs Scott and Mr Hill, boarded a bus bound for the Hauser and Wirth Gallery in Bruton, Somerset. The gallery is housed in the Grade II listed Durslade Farm and the old barns, cowsheds and piggery have been transformed into five galleries around an enclosed external courtyard.

Hauser and Wirth is a pioneering world class gallery and multi purpose arts centre, which acts as a destination for experiencing art and architecture and the remarkable Somerset landscape through new and innovative exhibitions of contemporary art. A landscaped garden, designed for the gallery by internationally renowned landscape architect Piet Oudolf, includes a 1.5 acre perennial meadow, which sits behind the gallery buildings.

Our visit began with an introduction to the gallery by Debbie Hillyerd who is the Education officer and helps to curate the exhibitions. She explained the difference between a commercial gallery and a gallery owned by the Nation.

Hauser and Wirth is one of the most successful commercial galleries and represents the likes of Paul McCarthy, Louise Bourgeois and Martin Creed and has branches in Zurich, London, New York and is soon to expand into Los Angeles.

We were then given a guided tour of the gallery with interactive activities to engage the girls.

We saw a sound installation by the 2010 Turner prize winner Susan Phillipsz. Some of the girls were blindfolded to increase their sensory perception of the work. We then viewed the LAND MARKS, an exhibition of architectural drawings. The girls expressed interest in the different drawing styles and media used to express the ideas of the visionary architects.

We were all enchanted by ‘Four Seasons’ by Zhang Enli, a series of paintings, alongside a ‘Space Painting’, where the artist has painted directly onto the wall, ceilings and floor of a room. The works were all connected to the natural environment; large scale images of water, leaves and trees.

Influenced by the loose washes of traditional Chinese brush painting, Zhang dilutes his paint until it is almost like a glaze, leaving pencil-drawn grids visible beneath the layers of paint. The viewer is reminded that the paintings are artistic constructs, not replicas of any given object.

The girls responded to the paintings by making sketches and drawings of the marks and details.

After a picnic lunch the girls explored the gardens and were invited to visit the ‘2014 Serpentine Pavilion’ designed

by Chilean architect Smiljan Radic, which consists of a doughnut-shaped fibre glass shell resting on stacks of quarry stones. The amazing structure is the realisation of one of Radic’s own models made out of masking tape. He says it was important for him to translate some of the qualities of that model into the final building. The girls were able to go inside to experience the views of a traditional English cricket pitch and the fields and hedgerows of the surrounding ancient Somerset countryside.

It was an informative and artistically stimulating day. We all felt very fortunate to have been able to share such an enriching experience and would like to thank Mrs CaigerSmith for organising it for us.

Mrs Sally Scott, Head of Art Faculty

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ARGENTINA

LVI GIRLS VISIT HOGAR EL ALBA CHILDREN’S HOME ARGENTINA At the end of August a group of girls from Willis House visited the Hogar el Alba children’s home in Argentina. The home cares for children who have lost their parents, or whose parents cannot look after them. Despite the terrible hardships the children have faced they couldn’t have been more happy or welcoming. It was heart-warming to see them playing together as if they were one huge family, and to watch how they supported and encouraged each other. We all made some very good friends despite the language barrier, although great hilarity ensued when I tested my knowledge of Spanish!

Our main task was to help to refurbish a house for the children and we spent a remarkable amount of time sanding walls. The house had been home to around 15 children and was desperately in need of work. They had moved out the day before and it was very strange to find boxes of clothes and toys in rooms with walls coated in mould, and bathrooms which had certainly seen better days. Along with the Argentine building team we sanded, plastered and painted the walls, cleaned the floors and varnished bunk beds. We were also tasked with painting the outside of the house, which certainly gave it a more attractive and well-kept look. When the refurbishment is complete there will be new bathrooms, a new kitchen and space for more children to live in the house. However, a similar project on the site has taken seven years to complete because of the lack of funding which the home receives.

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During our visit we were joined for a day by young people from a local secondary school so that we could discuss our different cultural backgrounds and the issues which affect us and our society. It was a great opportunity to ask questions about what it is really like to be a young person in Argentina, how they feel about the political state of their country and what aspirations they have. We all made lots of new friends and were able to share our experiences and opinions.

During the trip we visited Buenos Aires and saw the tomb of San Martin, the ‘Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo’ and a memorial to those who died fighting in the Falkland’s war. We also visited a Barrio (neighbourhood), which was a very sobering expedition as it really brought home the poverty and social issues which we are usually sheltered from.

We are very grateful to all those who made donations towards our fundraising project. The money is being used to refurbish the children’s’ houses and to contribute towards the general running costs of the home.

We would also like to thank Mr Wallis, Mr and Mrs ThomasSnell and Miss Beltrán for their encouragement and support both before and during the trip.

Lucy Mortlock, LVI

TRIPS

In July, a group of ten girls from AGN set off to visit the Sparkes Home in Kalmunai, Sri Lanka. The girls ranged in age from Upper Fourth to Lower Fifth and they had already dedicated a lot of time towards preparing for the challenges this trip would offer them. From learning how to eat with their fingers, to preparing to lead workshops and share their considerable knowledge with the girls living in the orphanage, the Downe House girls were determined to be as ready as they could be.

AGN Link charity Following the tsunami in December 2004, the Sparkes family, who have a long association with Sri Lanka, raised funds to build a new home for girls in Kallar, on the North East coast. The charity now cares for more than 120 girls. The home established in Kalmunai has 35 girls in residence. The girls go to school locally and benefit from extra tuition in the home after school. You can learn more about the charity at: www.sparkeshome.co.uk

SRI LANKA

AGN GIRLS VISIT SPARKES HOME, SRI LANKA

After a long flight, the group enjoyed a few days of leisure, during which they were able to visit an elephant orphanage, several temples and enjoyed visiting a sari shop and sharing in a beautiful cultural dance experience as they acclimatised to Sri Lanka. Then it was off to Kalmunai. Living with the local girls, sharing their environment and hearing something of their experiences of life so far can be a culture shock for our students, who have very different backgrounds. We were very proud to see how keen they were to help and to understand. Our staff are always on hand and encourage the students to talk about their feelings and the impact that the visit has on them.

During their visit, the girls worked very hard to upgrade the School Hall - which had fallen out of use because it was in such a poor state. They painted with great enthusiasm and created a beautiful mural. Engaging with the education programme in place at the orphanage, the Downe House girls had great success with the workshops that they facilitated, enjoying working with the Sri Lankan children. The visit ended with a few days of rest and relaxation at some fabulous beaches, and a trip to a turtle conservation project.

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Miss Kayleigh Anger, Housemistress (AGN) and Teacher of Drama. Mrs Julie Dell, Head of Co-Curricular Department.

‘The School works hard to ensure that our students understand that they have a role to play in society - they are global citizens. Helping the children that they meet through their Link charities gives them a chance to understand just how much they can do to help those that are less fortunate. This also provides them with vital experience, as many of the girls are considering how they wish to spend their gap years, before returning to study at University.’ Mrs Emma McKendrick, Headmistress DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

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DRAMA SCHOLARS

MY YEAR AS A LOWER FIFTH DRAMA SCHOLAR This year has been such an exciting time in the Drama Department. With an ever-growing range of exciting trips and workshops for the Scholars to take part in, we have covered so many aspects of drama. We have been fortunate enough to take part in workshops on physical theatre by Frantic Assembly, to looking at directing and staging types used with the Watermill Theatre, and we were also very lucky to be able to take part in the amazing workshop that the Cambridge Footlights put on.

Being able to watch their outstanding performance following the workshop was incredible. We were also lucky enough to have the Lord Chamberlain’s Men come to School and give us a workshop on Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’, which included being able to watch the group perform the play, which was very exciting and interesting. We learnt a lot of performance and rehearsal tools in the workshops that we could see being put to use in the performance.

We have also been to see many great productions, broadening our view and experience of different styles of theatre, including a trip to London to see ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time’. This was fantastic and one of the best performances that I have ever seen. Overall, this year at Downe has been jam-packed with exciting and interesting experiences for the Drama Scholars, which have been such fun and an amazing way to explore more about the aspects of drama that we hadn’t had the chance to consider before. I have enjoyed the opportunity to work closely with other Drama Scholars and am very excited about the chances I will have to explore drama and theatre in the Upper Fifth.

Verity Hornby, LV, Drama Scholar

MY YEAR AS AN UPPER FIFTH DRAMA SCHOLAR I was honoured when I was awarded the Drama Scholarship in 2014. I had enjoyed a very successful Lower Fifth year with some wonderful performance opportunities and I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in the theatre. Since then I have been able to embrace fully everything the Drama Department has to offer.

Earlier this year, Frantic Assembly came to do a workshop for the Drama Scholars and I was able to participate. It was fascinating and I learnt a lot from the practitioners. It was a fabulous way to gain insight into the wider world of theatre and I managed to adopt many of their lift and physical contact techniques for my own GCSE practical work. Workshops like this have shown me a different side to drama and have made me more confident when exploring new styles of performance.

The highlight of my year has been having the opportunity to take on a lead role in ‘Our Country’s Good’, a play performed

by Upper Fifth students. I felt that the extra guidance I had, because of the scholarship, helped me to get to grips with one of the most challenging characters I have ever had the privilege of playing. I played Mary Brenham, one of several convicts sentenced to a life of hard labour in Australia. It was a highly emotional role to play, and the storyline, harsh, cruel and shocking at times, was considered suitable only for those 14 years and above because of its themes; it was inspiring being part of something so demanding and I am very grateful that Mrs Hannibal-White deemed us capable of putting together such a thought-provoking and hard-hitting piece of theatre.

I know that acting will definitely play a part in my future; the guidance that I am receiving as a Drama Scholar is giving me invaluable support on which to build that future.

Rose Galbraith, UV, Drama Scholar DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

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MENTOR PROGRAMME 126

DRAMA SCHOLAR MENTOR PROGRAMME My Experience Within the Drama Department, we are lucky to have staff with a great wealth of knowledge and professional industry experience. Therefore, for the past two years we have awarded each Drama Scholar a mentor, who supports them in all of their Drama-based pursuits and interests, both in and out of School. Twice a term, every mentor meets with their Scholars to discuss all things Drama! This often involves a dinner together or a coffee and cake catch up.

These group meets are so valuable to the girls, as not only are they able to seek advice from their mentor about the industry but they are also able to advise one another; whether it be about an upcoming audition at the National Youth Theatre or a fast approaching Drama exam. As well as this, throughout the year, each Scholar can seek individual support from their mentor - for anything from advice regarding School based Drama, to a great new show to go and watch or expanding their own skills outside of School.

Rose Galbraith, UV, Drama Scholar

This year, more than ever, we have had a lot of interest in Drama Summer Schools and have therefore been recommending courses, based on the Scholar’s particular strengths and interests. The mentoring system is not restrictive and does not necessarily stop once a girl has graduated from Downe House. Just this year I visited an ex-pupil in London to help her rehearse for a series of Drama School auditions. I am delighted to say that she gained offers from several leading UK Drama Schools.

The mentor and Scholar share a special relationship, based on a real passion for the subject and a common interest in consistently growing their own knowledge and craft.

Mrs Emily Parker-Barratt, Teacher of Speech and Drama, Assistant Housemistress (Hermitage)

Isabelle Smith, Eliza Downes and Gemma Mountain, UV, Drama Scholars

Mrs Parker-Barratt with Faith Norman, LV

DRAMA

As has become tradition during the Michaelmas term, we were lucky enough to watch the Cambridge Footlights perform in the School’s Performing Arts Centre towards the end of their international tour of ‘Real Feelings’.

The show was funny throughout, ranging from a lighthearted chuckle to side-splitting hysterics. The sketches covered a variety of genres, blurring the absurd with the real and journeying from self-awareness to the downright ridiculous. A lack of a coherent theme didn’t matter; the show remained engaging, at times thanks to the cast talking to and even recording, the audience.

As expected the group were fantastically funny, with one sketch consisting of a man wearing a bin bag pretending to be the TV chef and domestic goddess Mary Berry. Another notable scene was the ‘Restaurant of Concepts’, where when one customer ordered ‘Disappointment’ he was met with ‘Sorry we’re all out of that dish tonight, sir’. The all-male cast were thoroughly engaging. It was a privilege to watch such talented and hilarious people on stage and one I’m sure no one will be forgetting for a long time!

Miranda Shaw, LVI, Geraldine James Award Holder

‘Romeo and Juliet’ Performance At the beginning of October, the Upper School and Sixth Form were invited to watch a performance of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ by the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. To the shock of most of the girls, the play was performed in a traditional Shakespearian way, which means that it was performed completely by men.

Although odd at the start, by the end one completely forgot that it was indeed a man that was playing Juliet.

The play was very energetic, with the actors jumping on and off the stage and running around it. I think that this was a good thing because it helped the general sleepiness that Shakespeare can sometimes inspire.

To start the performance, all seven actors sang a song and although I wasn’t sure how the song related to the piece, it did get the play off to an exciting start and it set the tone for the rest of the performance. I feel that seeing this play was very interesting and also very helpful as we are studying ‘Romeo and Juliet’ for our English GCSE and watching this reminded us of the story and it also helped us see it from a different perspective. In general there were mixed reviews about the play, however I think that the onslaught of tears that I produced at the end really said it all.

Gemma Mountain, UV, Drama Scholar

‘Romeo and Juliet’ Workshop This term we were very lucky to have the Lord Chamberlain’s Men come to School and do a workshop on Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’. The Lord Chamberlain’s Men is an open-air theatre company built upon the same principles that Shakespeare himself followed: bold, clear and dynamic productions that excite and engage the audience.

The workshop was split in two parts, one involved speaking and pronunciation so that no words were lost on stage, every word is important and is there for a reason in Shakespeare.

We also looked at the opening monologue and how it was key to outlining the play and its story.

In the second half we learnt about costume and how it has to be very carefully designed to fit with the Elizabethan era.

The Lord Chamberlain’s Men is an all male company, as it would have been in Shakespeare’s time, so these costumes had to be carefully designed, as they have to make a male figure look feminine in some cases.

Cambridge Footlights Drama Scholars’ Workshop Following an entertaining performance from this year’s Cambridge Footlights touring performers, I was offered the opportunity to take part in a Scholars’ Workshop with the cast of four male University students.

Working on the stage in the Performing Arts Centre, we completed some new and fun warm-up tasks which had us in fits of giggles. It was a wonderful opportunity for all of the Drama Scholars to work together as a group and we learnt some new games that we can introduce to our fellow drama students. We went on to work on some improvisation techniques and it was wonderful to explore the comedy style in more depth with such a talented group of performers.

WORKSHOPS

WORKSHOPS Cambridge Footlights Performance

We also learnt about stage combat and fighting, which to me was the best part of the workshops. In this part we were taught some very realistic stage movements which, when demonstrated, looked very easy but after trying them ourselves we realised that they were actually not quite what we thought and needed a lot of practice!

It was a very memorable morning for us all and we felt inspired and very grateful to have been given such a wonderful opportunity.

Verity Hornby, LV, Drama Scholar

Anna Hewitt, UV, Drama Scholar DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

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THEATRE VISITS

THEATRE VISITS ‘Not About Heroes’ In September, the Drama Department went to see ‘Not about Heroes’ by the Blackeyed Theatre company at the Oxford Playhouse. This production is set during the First World War, where two of England’s greatest twentieth century war poets, Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen, met at Craiglockhart War Hospital.

Weaving their great poetry, letters and autobiographical writings, this emotionally powerful play tells the moving story of the friendship that transformed them both. Both Simon Jenkins and Alasdair Craig produced a very powerful and all-consuming production, portraying both the beauty of friendship and the horrors of war.

This beautifully performed play is a timeless and uncompromising display of courage, humanity, and a concentrated friendship founded on poetry and overshadowed by a terrible and allconsuming war.

Ella Hockings, UVI, Geraldine James Award Holder

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‘Miss Saigon’ I am so pleased that the Drama Department at Downe House offers us the opportunity to see a wide range of theatrical performances covering a range of genres. I love straight plays and the more contemporary productions we have seen, but it was also great to have the chance to see a musical theatre production this year.

Since joining the Sixth Form I have developed my love for musical theatre and therefore enjoy any opportunity to widen my theatrical repertoire.

The revival of ‘Miss Saigon’ was very impressive. It was a large scale production in the West End combining the very best choreography, music and acting I have seen. A musical production about the Vietnam war might be hard to imagine, but Cameron Mackintosh’s production demonstrated an excellent way to use musical theatre as a vehicle for the communication of a strong message and theme.

Mathilda Blythe, UVI, Sixth Form Head of Drama

‘Journey’s End’ ‘Journey’s End’ is a play set in the First World War, in an officers’ dugout, following the events for four days. It was a three hour play about the lives of the officers and how they all react differently to the war and how it changes them.

I thought that it was very cleverly done, as it held my attention for three hours, although it was all set in the same room, whilst the fighting was going on outside.

The Watermill Theatre was very small and we were right above the stage the whole time, so the actors had to keep up a brilliant performance throughout, as we could see their every move and facial expression. Because of this, I thought that all the actors were incredibly talented in showing every emotion from relief to hiding fear.

This powerful story was interesting and captivating, so that every raised word made you jump, every hidden joke made you laugh and all bad news made you anxious. Seeing as this was quite a deep and dark play, the tension levels were constant throughout, which made it hard to lose concentration, which was a very good quality for a long play. At some points, however, the tension was too constant and it seemed that the raised voices were just repeating themselves, but I still think that they managed to pull it off.

I was seated close to the stage and could see that every detail of the set was perfect, which made me realise that if the officers were living in these bad conditions, it must have been so much worse for an ordinary soldier.

Overall, I thought that this was a very successful trip. The play was incredible and the Watermill Theatre was small but beautiful.

Imogen Gregory, UIV, Drama Scholar

‘Othello’ Every year we are hopeful that a contemporary theatre company will produce a new touring production that we can attend. In recent years, we have really enjoyed broadening our understanding of the world of Theatre and have especially enjoyed our introduction to Physical Theatre.

We were therefore delighted when we found out that Frantic Assembly were reproducing their famous modern day version of ‘Othello’. It was an excellent production in which naturalism and non-naturalism worked in perfect harmony together to communicate one of Shakespeare’s famous tragedies. I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to see such a thought-provoking and inspiring performance.

Ella Hockings, UVI, Geraldine James Award Holder

DRAMA

At the start of the Lent Term the Lower and Upper Sixth went on a theatre trip to see ‘John’ at the National Theatre.

It was performed by DV8, which is a widely known and internationally renowned theatre company. DV8 do not tour often and we felt extremely honoured that we were able to see a piece of their hard-hitting and thoughtprovoking theatre, live.

‘John’ was a new verbatim dancetheatre piece, for which more than 50 men were interviewed and asked frank questions about love and family. One of those men was John.

What emerged was a story that is both extraordinary and touching. Years of crime, drug use and struggling to survive, lead John on a search until his life converges with others in an unexpected place, unknown by most. John authentically depicted real-life stories, where movement and spoken word combined to create an intense, moving and poignant theatrical experience.

Anna Black, UVI, A Level Drama Student

‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’ On Wednesday 21 January, the GCSE Drama students went to see a performance of ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’, performed at the National Theatre in London. The play is based on the book by Mark Haddon and is about the life of a fifteen year old autistic boy. It has become a national and international phenomenon and we were so honoured to have the opportunity to see the production.

Frantic Assembly, the Movement Directors for the NT’s production of the play, worked closely with the director, Marianne Elliott, to create a production that involved a combination of physical theatre and naturalistic acting. The staging was incredible with impressive lighting that enhanced the piece and was extremely effective. I enjoyed watching the play and looking at how they interpreted the script into the performance, particularly as one of my GCSE pieces was from book.

Isabella Huber, LV, Drama Scholar

‘Oh What a Lovely War’ This year we have been studying the play ‘Oh What a Lovely War’ for our A Level Drama and Theatre Studies course. Originally produced by Joan Littlewood at the Theatre Royal Stratford East, we were thrilled to have the opportunity to revisit the theatre decades later to see an original version of the production brought to life.

One of the finest moments came in the Christmas 1914 scene, when the entrenched British and Germans exchange songs and presents: the German rendering of ‘Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht’ brought a lump to the throat, which was immediately checked by the lewd British response of ‘Christmas Day in the Cookhouse’.

This appeal to conflicting emotions was the secret of the show’s success, and Johnson’s production conveys this excellently towards the end when Haig’s prayers for victory are accompanied by subversive rewrites of standard hymns by a battered infantry.

Miranda Shaw, LVI, Geraldine James Award Holder

‘Frankenstein’ We are delighted that the National Theatre has started live streaming its past and current productions to local cinemas.

This year, it has allowed us the opportunity to see a wide variety of performances in a range of styles. We were very lucky to have the chance to see Danny Boyle’s famous reworking of the classic gothic horror novel with Benedict Cumberbatch as the Creature and Jonny Lee Miller as Victor Frankenstein. The performance was electric and energetic and I can imagine it must have been exhausting for the performers! This was a wonderful example of Creative Adaptation which helped to influence our final A2 performance piece.

Sarah Creedy-Smith, UVI, Geraldine James Award Holder

‘The Woman in Black’ ‘The Woman in Black’ is a play that I have been personally asking my Drama Teacher, Mrs Hannibal-White, if we could see since I started the GCSE course.

Finally in my second term of Lower Sixth she gave in, and in January the Lower Sixth Drama students went to see it performed at the Oxford Playhouse.

After two years of campaigning, I can say it was everything I had expected!

The Oxford Playhouse was a lovely venue in which to experience the intimate storytelling style. The nail-biting two hour long performance, which I spent clutching my friend’s arm to avoid screaming, was a fantastic experience, although sleeping afterwards posed a challenge!

THEATRE VISITS

‘John’

Miranda Shaw, LVI, Geraldine James Award Holder

‘The King’s Speech’ In May, the Drama Department organised an enjoyable and exciting trip for the GCSE Drama students and Drama Scholars. We saw a production of ‘The King’s Speech’, written by David Seidler and directed by Roxana Silbert, at the Oxford Playhouse.

Following the success of the film, I was particularly intrigued as to how they would adapt the production for the stage, and I was very impressed!

The story is based on King George VI unexpectedly becoming the King, after the death of his father and the abdication of his brother. The story of The King’s Speech is a fascinating one of an unknown Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue (Jason Donovan) and his work helping the King of England George VI to overcome his stammer and capture the hearts of a nation facing another World War. This is also a play about disappointment and about trying to live up to expectations - of nations, fathers, wives and power. One scene that perfectly exemplifies this is when King George, or ‘Bertie’ as he is affectionately known, makes his final speech, his language flowing freely. For me this was such a compelling and emotive performance, cleverly portrayed by the cast and with the help of an unusual set. The heartwarming story really was a privilege to watch and I thoroughly recommend this play and look forward to studying it for my drama GCSE. Eliza Horn, LV, Drama Scholar DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

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PRACTICAL EXMINATIONS

LV PRACTICAL EXAMINATION GCSE Drama The Lower Fifth have had an outstanding year and there is much to celebrate. The Drama Department is pleased to have a total of 35 Lower Fifth girls taking GCSE Drama this year, which is a fantastic number!

After an introduction to the written and practical elements of the course, the girls threw themselves straight into their first practical assessment which took place at the end of the Michaelmas Term. The focus of this assessment was on scripted work and a range of duologues from ‘My Mother Said I Never Should’ by Charlotte Keatley, ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’ adapted

by Simon Stephens from the book by Mark Haddon of the same name, and ‘Two’ by Jim Cartwright. These were presented to such a high level that a small handful of girls were awarded full marks on their very first assessment – a tremendous achievement!

The Lent Term saw the girls move on to devised thematic work, for which they could choose their own style.

The girls were given various stimulus material, such as ‘Caged Bird’ by Maya Angelou, ‘A Child Called It’

by Dave Pelzer and ‘LOL:/?’ by Terry Fletcher, with which they created their own unique performances. Particular

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congratulations must go to Cecilia Hughes who is the only Lower Fifth girl so far this year to gain full marks in two practical examinations.

To finish the year, the girls showcased some wonderful improvisation performances based on a word they picked out of a blank envelope – is there no end to the Downe House girls’ talents and versatility?! The Lower Fifth girls also enjoyed three trips this year to aid their written studies; firstly to ‘Othello’ performed by Frantic Assembly, to ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’ in the West End, which demonstrated to the girls how to effectively use and work with different styles, time periods and genres, and to top off the year ‘The King’s Speech’, delving into pure naturalism with the depiction of a heart-warming true story.

What a wonderful year - I cannot wait to see what success next year brings!

Miss Kayleigh Anger, Teacher of Drama and Housemistress (AGN)

UV PRACTICAL EXAMINATIONS GCSE Drama Following a very successful Lower Fifth year it was appropriate that the Upper Fifth girls approached their final practical examination with rigour and they quickly expressed the desire to challenge themselves.

With the options of Acting, Devising or Improvising important for them to consider, the discussion about appropriate stimulus material and script choices was an important one. There are always scripts which return to the table when discussing potential performance pieces and it was refreshing that, this year, the girls wanted to take ownership and expose themselves to new playwrights, styles, genres and techniques.

Undertaking a variety of workshops in their GCSE years and being open to a variety of productions on theatre trips, the research was imperative to allow a competent understanding of their final assessment task. The groups worked tirelessly to complete work of which they were proud and which demonstrated their advanced skills DRAMA

at this level, allowing extremely high praise and positive comments from the external examiner.

The final pieces included scripted scenes from Sarah Kane’s ‘4.48 Psychosis’; a hard hitting and dark play which allows for total creative freedom and providing an opportunity for all performers to achieve grades in the top band. Alongside this we saw Steven Berkoff’s ‘Metamorphosis’ which explored a new and prescriptive style of acting for the participants. The devised work covered stimuli such as songs from Caryl Churchill’s ‘Vinegar Tom’, a fireman’s report from the 9/11 bombings and scenes and sections from Mark Haddon’s ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’.

candidates achieved full marks in the practical work, which is a considerable achievement and we are immensely proud of the way in which they have continued to expand their acting skills in order to achieve this. This year’s successes included Eliza Downes, Henrietta Allen, Rose Galbraith, Gemma Mountain, Florence Elliott, Katharine Garvin and Zoe Rice, who have created inspiring and thought-provoking Drama.

It has been a very successful year for the Upper Fifth and over 25% of the

Mrs Sarah Hannibal-White, Head of Drama (Academic)

The difficult task for Lower Sixth Drama students is to choose from an extensive list of practitioners, directors and theatre companies from which to create their practical work.

After a lengthy exploration of key influential figures in Drama, the group approached Frantic Assembly with real determination to succeed and expand their skills. Frantic Assembly is a renowned theatre company that has achieved international acclaim in recent years. Their work brings together advanced Physical Theatre combining movement, music, design and text.

Stepping out of their comfort zone, the Lower Sixth girls took to creating their version of Mark Ravenhill’s ‘Pool (No Water)’ for their AS practical exam. Through a series of complex workshops and never-ending creative

ideas, the group’s success was evident on the day of the examination with full marks being awarded and their piece being complimented repeatedly by the examiner, who had never seen such professional A Level work. The highly physical ensemble piece involving all actors being on stage for thirty minutes explored the story of the ‘artist’, as her friends charted her hospital recovery through a series of images they intended to sell as art. The Lower Sixth girls successfully explored the issues and ideals of friendship, community and the true meaning of art.

Mrs Sarah Hannibal-White, Head of Drama (Academic)

UVI PRACTICAL EXAMINATION A2 Drama This year the A2 Drama students challenged themselves with their selection of Ray Bradbury’s ‘Fahrenheit 451’ as the basis for their examined piece of Creative Adaptation.

Heavily influenced by the study of Jacques Lecoq and his notion of Complicité (togetherness) during their AS course, the group approached the task of adapting the 1953 novel using a modern contemporary style, through continued exploration of physical theatre experts. Their year included advanced lift workshops from acclaimed performers ‘Rhum and Clay’ and the world renowned ‘Frantic Assembly’.

Their creative process allowed them to push themselves beyond their physical capabilities and explore the dystopian society in which books were banned and burned, developing a civilisation in

which media is the only influence on the community. The protagonist, Montag, who was played by Sarah CreedySmith, was a fireman who presents the dystopia through the eyes of a worker loyal to it, a man in conflict about it, and one resolved to be free of it. Sarah approached the characterisation of Montag with the maturity it demanded to develop a journey of self-discovery.

Despite her husband’s attempts to break her from the spell society has on his wife, Mildred (Mathilda Blythe) continued to be shallow and indifferent, which was depicted expertly in Mathilda’s approach to the character. The decision

to depict the husband and wife duo as numbers cleverly allowed the audience to consider the marriage in light of the society’s boundaries, as it became clear that there was a lack of both a physical and emotional relationship between the characters. Clarisse (Anna Black) worked for the all-seeing and all-knowing Professor Faber (Charlotte Scobie) who together worked to bring Montag to his own realisation and consider carefully his decision to retaliate and resist the world offered to him.

This was a highly inventive and creative performance set in a large white box which encompassed the audience.

Throughout the piece, hard-hitting images filled the screens, demonstrating the level of media consumption the society members were continually exposed to. The piece outlined a clear dramatic intention which was skillfully communicated by the performers at every moment. The examiner commented that the production was ‘faultless’ and that the selection of text and subject matter had allowed for a piece to be developed which stretched and challenged the girls well beyond their years. The devising process is one which students develop steadily throughout their years at Downe House and this high standard and professional performance is true to what can be achieved by all who are passionate, committed and who take the exploration of Drama to another level.

Mrs Sarah Hannibal-White, Head of Drama (Academic) DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

PRACTICAL EXMINATIONS

LVI PRACTICAL EXAMINATION AS Drama

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PRODUCTIONS ‘OUR COUNTRY’S GOOD’ “How do we know what humanity lies under the rags and filth of a mangled life?”

This phenomenal play about the colonisation of Australia in the 16th Century delves into the morals of communities, questions civilisation and transports the transported to reform through the humanising power of the theatre.

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I was very fortunate to see the 2013 ‘Out of Joint’ production in London and was keen to be involved in the Upper Fifth’s version, though I held some reservations as to whether sixteen year olds would be able to fully portray the brutality, injustice, sin and redemption that are some of the major themes in this rich drama. From the first rehearsal I realised that I could not have been more mistaken; I sat in awe of twenty two young ladies who had already acquired an understanding of the characters and their wretched prospect as either the enslaver or enslaved. This was clearly not going to be a run-of-the-mill school production which glosses over the important issues in a profound piece of theatre.

During this rehearsal, I watched as the actors deftly rehearsed the officer’s scene, directed by Mrs Hannibal-White, whose creative vision was to play it in ‘the round’, where the audience completely surrounds the stage, thereby removing the ‘fourth wall’ and bringing the actor into the same space as the audience. This type of staging can be difficult for actors, particularly the young and inexperienced, who are taught that they must never turn their backs to the audience, which is unavoidable in this style. Personally, I find this type of staging preferable for many productions as it draws the audience into the play, like the difference between watching 2D and 3D film, or simply just the comparison between watching a play and being utterly immersed in it. What this type of staging did for the Upper Fifth production was to help the actors weave the lives of the characters into the audience’s hearts and minds.

From early rehearsals I was also struck by the excellent casting and was genuinely astonished at the young players’ ability to act their characters, playing the depth required to allow the audience empathise fully with them. Emma Wyatt as Liz Morden gave us a raw insight into the circumstances

REHEARSING ‘OUR COUNTRY’S GOOD’ This year, the Drama Department introduced an opportunity for the Upper Fifth to take part in a play. I was extremely excited by the concept of auditioning for a production which would only involve my year group and when I heard that it was being directed by Mrs Hannibal-White, I was very much looking forward to it.

I was given the part of Captain Arthur Phillip and spent some time before rehearsals researching the production and character. It was clear that this was no ordinary choice of School production and that we were being set an incredibly challenging piece. Not only was the content, language and theme of the production thought provoking and hard hitting, but also, we performed ‘in the round’ using the raised floor in the Performing Arts Centre.

The rehearsals were very intense and we spent time building our characters and working and reworking our scenes. It was DRAMA

wonderful to have the opportunity to be a part of the directing process and I felt it was very much a two way communication between Mrs Hannibal-White and the cast to jointly direct and offer ideas for our scenes. I was thrilled to be a part of the production and very honoured to play such an important role.

Lucy Grace, UV, Drama Exhibitioner

that led to her character’s deportation: a grim example of a harsh judicial system, poverty, crime and being born into a family where prostitution was actively encouraged.

The journey throughout the play for the Second Lieutenant Ralph Clark, played by the skillful Gemma Mountain, was monumental. Clark starts off as a timid, prim and ambitious officer who is transformed when he falls in love and also struggles to fight against the injustices inflicted against his cast of players. Gemma played this character in a series of brilliant progressions from his cold counting when administering a flogging of the prisoner ‘Sideway’, played with comic genius

by Florence Elliott, to the warmth and excitement of falling in love with Mary Brenham, played by the accomplished Rose Galbraith. Rose took the character of Mary and showed us, alongside the brilliance of Eliza Downes as the caustic Dabby Bryant, and the elegant skills of Isabella Smith as the eloquent John Wisehammer, how an actor is transformed by the character they play. Through her own passion for acting, Rose led us through the turmoil of the would-be sinless Mary, where she claims that she is not sufficiently like the character Sylvia to play her adequately as she’s not, “brave and strong [and] she couldn’t have done what I’ve done”, referring to Mary’s sin of prostitution. Rose’s portrayal of Mary, as she identified with the character of Sylvia, helped us to gain some insight into the many layers of this play, and we were able to understand why performing a play can be a “humanising force”.

It was a wonderful to witness the dedication and incredible talent of Henrietta Allen. I watched with huge respect in rehearsals as Henrietta created her character, Harry Brewer; she played this troubled soul with the single-mindedness and tireless preparation of a seasoned actor. Henrietta was ably supported by Zoe Rice as Harry’s girlfriend, Duckling. Zoe’s performance was tender and convincing, showing Duckling’s realisation that she loves Harry as he lies dying, in a poignant moment with touchingly honest vows.

India Burney as Major Robbie Ross showed us the bitterness of Ross through a strength and clarity that India performed brilliantly, giving measured and perfect articulation to Ross’ alliterative abuse. We understood Ross’ acerbity when he explained why his marines were sent to, “this hateful, hairyscary, topsy-turvy outpost”, for losing the war with America.

Polina Parr as Caesar gave us a convincing performance, as did the talented Celine Harborne as Meg Long. Georgina Dick was equally convincing (albeit a little worrying when considering the life experience of a teenager) as the drunken Captain Jemmy Campbell. Clearly Georgina is as observant as she is talented, and another special mention should be for the wonderful performance of Katharine Garvin as John Arscott.

PRODUCTIONS

Watkin Tench gave a superb and strong performance, as did Imogen Luczyc-Wyhowska as Captain David Collins. Caroline Quillen gave a perfect performance as the pious Reverend Johnson and Kirstin Gray shocked me in performances by emerging as a gruff and opinionated star-gazer in her character as Lieutenant Will Dawes. The supporting cast of Emma Barratt-Fishe as Lieutenant George Johnston, Jasmine Coulson as Second Lieutenant William Faddy and Araminta Moore as Second Lieutenant Harold Smith were also performed skilfully.

There were so many special moments in this production, but one of the most memorable for me was the performance of Charlotte Ledger as Ketch Freeman in the touching scene preparing Liz Morden for the noose. Charlotte gave gentleness to Ketch, along with a very convincing Irish accent, and she managed to endear us to the plight of the hangman.

The last word may be “the play, gentlemen” but the penultimate must be that awesome set! The creativity of Mrs Hannibal-White’s idea with the skills of Mr Boswell and Mr Nash are second-to-none. The huge masts that surrounded the set exuded an aroma that hinted at oil cloth. The scent, coupled with the almost unnoticeable sway of the actors, who were performing even as the audience took their seats, together with the audience proximity to the players, meant that the play provided a somewhat 4D experience.

The very last word, for me and all those who subscribe to the power of the theatre and its life-changing force, has to be Captain Philip’s statement that, “the theatre is an expression of civilisation. The convicts will be speaking a refined, literate language and expressing sentiments of a delicacy they are not used to. And we, this colony of a few hundred will be watching it together. We will laugh, we may be moved, we may even think a little”.

Ms Lynette Gridley, Peripatetic Teacher of Speech and Drama

Lucy Grace excelled as the egalitarian, Socrates-quoting Captain Arthur Phillip, in a performance that exuded authority over his assortment of soldiers and his concern for the future of the colony as he fights to convince his peers that the convicts can learn to behave in a civilised way.

Opposing his will for their redemption through performing a play as the motivating force, Roseanna Bromley as Captain DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

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SIXTH FORM DRAMA

SIXTH FORM DRAMA Sixth Form Head of Drama Report I have been lucky enough to hold the position of Head of Drama this year, and boy has it been a year to remember. Along with spending the day with Alexander Armstrong (a personal hero of mine) at House Drama, I have also had the opportunity to preach to the whole School about drama every three weeks in Assembly.

A Night at the Gallery: Sixth Form Production In February, nine of the Upper Sixth put on a performance entitled ‘Night at the Gallery’, which had been written and directed by our fabulous Sixth Form Head of Drama, Mathilda Blythe.

The night began with our eccentric ‘tour-guide’, played by Mathilda herself, showing our audience around the gallery, where each of the paintings were brought to life through a collection of performances. Throughout the night our acts ranged from Shakespeare monologues to choreographed West End musical hits, never failing to keep the audience captivated.

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What made the night extra special was how the audience were arranged with an almost jazz-club-like atmosphere, on round tables decorated with balloons special touches to celebrate all that we had achieved as a year group during our time at Downe House. We had only been properly rehearsing our performance since Christmas, so the whole thing has a spontaneous and dynamic feel to it; we had such fun together experimenting and showing each other our ideas. This made it the perfect end to our drama careers at Downe and brought on nostalgic feelings for past performance we had done together through the years, we particularly enjoyed the photographs of us all that had been sourced for the evening!

The true star of the show however was Mathilda herself, as she masterminded the entire night and never failed to make us smile with every performance, whether improvised or scripted. It was lovely to perform to our friends, family and teachers and a big thank you must also go to Mrs Hannibal-White who helped us coordinate our performance and gave us the opportunity to share one last performance with our friends and families.

Katharine Craig, UVI, Geraldine James Award Holder DRAMA

I don’t think I would have enjoyed this year more without this responsibility, which has given me the opportunity to let go of my inhibitions and be my weird, random self and enjoy the last year; having reached the stage that nothing I do is too bizarre for people to accept or imagine. Inevitably, this is an aspect of the job that I particularly appreciate, I no longer have to hide my random singing sessions, or dramatic leaps around School, nor do I have to try hard to say things without using far too many gestures and ‘drama-queenlike’ traits. I have embraced the name Drama Queen, and I hope every one of my thespian friends has too.

At the start of this year we enjoyed the renowned House Drama competition, which has also been an essential date in my calendar, from playing a letter in ‘Harry Potter’ in Remove, through all of my various roles in Mixed Age House Drama productions, to directing one in Lower Sixth. Last year was a big year for my drama crew and I, and one that changed my view on drama and its importance to me, resulting in my

decision to apply for this position and to pursue drama at The University of Birmingham.

In my time as ‘HOD’ I wanted to do something to mark my ‘reign’ and to invest my interest in for the duration of the role. I was given the opportunity to produce and write a showcase style production called ‘A Night at The Gallery’ which tied in my love for Art, History of Art and Drama. Not only was it magical to see my vision come to life on stage as a producer but it was incredibly fun, as always, to perform on stage, ending with a goofy dance with the gang. The reception of the event was amazing and I can’t thank my cast members and audience enough for making it such a special, special night to bring the curtain down on our Drama life at Downe. Each year the School productions and Drama Department are what have kept me sane and the idea of both leaving all of that behind and ending my time as Head of Drama makes me want to weep a little. My love and devotion for the Drama Department is something unmatched by any of my prior ‘pursuits of happiness’ (couldn’t help it).

Goodbye to Downe House Drama, and my mentor Mrs Hannibal-White, it is with a heavy heart that I hand over my position to my successor.

I owe so much to the Drama Department, for giving me a life-long mental bank of memories, friends for life and above all a real sense of selfworth and confidence (the part that shows that Drama really is a subject not to be swept under the carpet).

Mathilda Blythe, UVI, Head of Drama

I was so excited about the Frantic Assembly workshop as we went to watch Frantic perform ‘Othello’ for GCSE Drama. I loved their contemporary spin on the Shakespeare piece and I have always been really interested in physical theatre and find their movements amazing - they take physical theatre to a new level. So when I heard that we were lucky enough to meet and have a workshop with one of their choreographers, I was elated.

Steven, the choreographer, was inspiring - he taught us how to do a meditation warm up, using yoga and other techniques, which I will definitely be using in the future. He also taught us a very short routine which we did in pairs and, although it was short, it was extremely hard work. We had to do it at such a fast pace and without a toe out of line - it just showed me the ability all members of Frantic must have.

It also really opened up my eyes to the

high fitness needed to work in such a profession. My partner, Claudine, and I are so proud that we can do the routine that we actually use it as a sort of party trick, using any opportunity to show off what we learnt and can now do!

This workshop was yet another amazing opportunity that I get as a Drama Scholar and I look forward to any forthcoming events.

Henrietta Ryan, LV, Drama Scholar

CAREERS TALK BY MARIANNE OLDHAM In April we were fortunate enough to welcome Downe House Alumna Marianne Oldham to give a talk about her life in the performing arts.

Marianne has had a very successful career as both a television and a theatre actress, and she was kind enough to discuss her experiences with current drama students at Downe House.

Marianne discussed the advantages and disadvantages of pursuing a career in drama, no doubt providing an invaluable point of view for many of the students. For me, the most important piece of advice she shared, was that if you are passionate about drama, you should undoubtedly pursue it. It was so informative to hear Marianne’s point of view on the acting world, especially since it is such a competitive and intense business.

All of the girls who attended thoroughly enjoyed the talk and asked many interesting questions that Marianne kindly answered. We were so lucky that Marianne came to speak to us, as many students, including myself, are considering pursuing drama further after School. Hopefully Marianne will return in the future to speak to a new group of prospective drama students and actresses.

Anouska Royle, LVI, Geraldine James Award Holder

THE WATERMILL WORKSHOP: RHUM & CLAY During the Michaelmas Term, GCSE students visited the Watermill Theatre for a workshop by an extremely energetic man from the Rhum and Clay Theatre Company.

The workshop focused on how to lift people safely in order to add a new dimension to pieces of theatre. We learnt many different kinds of lifts, starting with the fireman’s lift, which you may have heard of. It was tricky work and at times I thought that I would definitely drop someone and injure them, but luckily no one got hurt.

that we learned into our actual GCSE work, using our shoulders to carry a person in the air.

Gemma Mountain, UV, Drama Scholar

At the end of the session, we developed a simple piece of drama about two siblings who wanted to sit on the same chair; once we added all the lifts that we had been taught, it turned into a captivating piece of drama. I found the experience to be great fun and extremely helpful, and we were able to incorporate one of the lifts DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

EXTRA-CURRICULAR DRAMA

FRANTIC ASSEMBLY DRAMA WORKSHOP

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EXTRA-CURRICULAR DRAMA

EXTRA-CURRICULAR DRAMA The National Youth Theatre Auditions During Lent Long Exeat I auditioned for the National Youth Theatre. I arrived in the morning for the workshop, where you meet the other people auditioning (aged 14-25) and do some ensemble exercises to see what the company is about, which were very fun.

It’s really nice to be surrounded by people that enjoy drama just as much as you do. The mentors taught me a lot about impressive ensemble techniques that I found really useful when creating my GCSE pieces, so I was pleased to be able to translate the new skills I had learnt into my curriculum lessons.

After lunch I had my private audition, in which you perform a monologue and have an interview. The mentors make you feel completely at ease and they want you to do well, so it is actually a very enjoyable process. I enjoyed the day and would definitely do it all over again! During the Summer Term I received the news I had been accepted into the National Youth Theatre. I am so honoured to have been successful as there were so many people who auditioned. I am looking forward to attending in the summer holidays, I know it will be an excellent experience and that it is a wonderful opportunity.

Henrietta Allen, UV, Drama Scholar

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ANNUAL PREP SCHOOLS’ DAY OF DRAMA At the end of April we welcomed 51 girls from four different schools for our annual Prep Schools’ Day of Drama. The students came from Chandlings, Pembridge Hall, Ravenscourt Park and Eaton House.

As the girls arrived they were greeted by warm smiles from the Drama Department staff and Seniors, who were running the event. After refreshments of squash and biscuits they were all raring to go, and the day started with some lively warm up games lead by Anouska Royle and Lara-Lily Hurd, our Sixth Form Heads of Drama. It was fabulous to note the endless energy emanating from the room and huge amounts of fun being had by both girls and teachers alike.

The girls were then split into smaller groups to undertake workshops in Musical Theatre, Acting and Improvisation all based around the musical ‘Into the Woods’, by Stephen Sondheim. Due to the recent success of the film of the same name, this was a challenging and inspiring choice of stimulus DRAMA

for the day, to ensure the girls were stretched. The series of workshops were led by Drama Department staff, allowing the girls to meet a range of teachers and gain a variety of experiences. The girls learnt songs, performed scripted pieces from the show and improvised scenes choosing their own fairy-tale characters. They were most excited about the opportunity to choreograph their own routines!

The girls were then whisked off by their Remove guides for a whirlwind tour of the School and a chance to talk to them about life at Downe House, before heading to the main dining room where they tucked into a well-deserved lunch.

The day’s activities culminated in a performance of the work that they had completed throughout the day. The girls and staff all had a thoroughly inspiring day, and the girls left just as excited as they arrived. Thank you to everyone who helped make this day a success.

Miss Sophie Leigh, Teacher of Speech and Drama

SPEECH AND DRAMA

SPEECH AND DRAMA ANNUAL OVERVIEW What a wonderful year for Speech and Drama 2014/15 has been. We have more students than ever before taking the subject, with increased numbers for Musical Theatre and Communication Skills, and the outstanding examination results for this year just show how much wonderful work is being done in the Drama studios on a weekly basis.

I am lucky enough to be able to drop into lessons from time to time and it is an absolute delight to see the overwhelming talent of our students and staff, and the vast range of material that is being explored. From Ancient Greek plays to the latest West End hits and everything in between, the Speech and Drama staff do their best to find inspiring and exciting pieces for the girls to work on. Lessons are engaging, motivating and brilliant fun.

What I love most about Speech and Drama is that the girls are challenged to look beyond their own lives and to truly empathise and connect with another human being, not to mention all of the wonderful life skills that are picked up along the way; such as improved vocal skills, speaking confidently in public and improvising on the spot.

On the Sunday of Founder’s Weekend, a wealth of Speech and Drama talent was presented in the Performing Arts Centre in the form of two dedicated showcases.

In the morning all of the Remove and Lower Fourth girls performed five minute highlights of their examination pieces to a packed audience. The standard of performance was extremely impressive, with girls presenting a range of scripted, devised and Musical Theatre pieces. After lunch, selected members of the Upper Fourth, Lower Fifth and Lower Sixth presented a selection of their examination pieces. Thoroughly entertaining, thought-provoking, moving and, at times, utterly hilarious, the pieces provided a very enjoyable insight into the diversity and high quality of work covered this year.

Mrs Rebecca Watson, Head of Extra-Curricular Drama

RADA In March, 20 Sixth Form Speech and Drama students took their RADA Shakespeare Certificate exams. The RADA Shakespeare Certificate is offered by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and is designed for students aged 16 or over.

RADA Shakespeare Certificates Results Name

Exam Type Grade

Matilda Bentley

Individual Bronze 51%

Pass

It allows students to focus solely on the works of Shakespeare and his contemporaries and evaluates their ability to speak and perform the language with accuracy and skill.

Anna Black

Individual Bronze 58%

Pass

Ella Hockings

Individual

60%

Pass

Amelia Milne

Individual Bronze 57%

Pass

The RADA Shakespeare Certificate is perfect for those students with a genuine passion for the works of Shakespeare, a yearning to explore the English language and a desire to commit to a more intensive examination preparation process. The candidates present extracts from Shakespeare’s works as pairs or individuals and are judged on a number of elements of their performance including voice, rhythm, language and character.

Lucy Mortlock

Individual Bronze 55%

Pass

Charlotte Scobie

Individual

76%

Merit

Hannah SimpsonOrlebar

Individual Bronze 51%

Pass

Amelia Yerburgh

Individual Bronze 54%

Pass

Autumn Davies

Duologue Bronze 54%

Pass

Georgina Hughes

Duologue Bronze 49%

Pass

Congratulations to all of the girls for their results and particular mention for Charlotte Scobie, UVI, who achieved a prestigious Merit for both her duologue Bronze and individual Silver exams.

Daisy Huntington

Duologue Bronze 49%

Pass

Henrietta Montgomerie

Duologue Bronze 58%

Pass

Emma Poole

Duologue Bronze 47%

Pass

Willa Prest

Duologue Bronze 54%

Pass

Anouska Royle

Duologue Bronze 52%

Pass

Charlotte Scobie

Duologue Bronze 63%

Merit

Natasha Seaton

Duologue Bronze 53%

Pass

Miranda Shaw

Duologue Bronze 51%

Pass

Niamh Taylor

Duologue Bronze 53%

Pass

Poppy Wilson

Duologue Bronze 50%

Pass

Mrs Rebecca Watson, Head of Extra-Curricular Drama

Silver

Silver

Mark Grade Band

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SPEECH AND DRAMA 138

TRINITY GUILDHALL EXAMINATIONS There are two Trinity Guildhall examination sessions during the school year. The March session is primarily for the individuals and pairs, and the groups take their examinations in May. These internationally renowned examinations are available to all levels of candidates and give the students the ultimate flexibility when it comes to selecting performance texts.

Once again the girls have truly exceeded all expectations with their absolutely stunning results and special mention goes to the recipients of the School’s first ever “perfect” (100/100) performances; Rose Galbraith, UV, (Grade Six Acting in Pairs) and Remove girls Poppy Penney, Francesca Rhodes, Florence Stringer and Saskia Walton (Grade Two Group Devised Drama).

Mrs Rebecca Watson, Head of Extra-Curricular Drama

Trinity Guildhall Speech and Drama Examination Results Remove

Names

Grade

Exam Type

Mark

Grade Band

Daisy Bell

Saskia Mactaggart, Poppy Scales, Daisy Williams, Olivia Jackson & Rosalind Wippell

Grade 2

Group Devised Drama

94

Distinction

Oliver!

Phoebe Hughes, Lara Kabir Jennings & Jemima Landale

Grade 2

Group Musical Theatre

89

Distinction

Popular

Lucia Bugeja, Romilly Cox, Christina Elliot & Kate Rollo

Grade 2

Group Musical Theatre

98

Distinction

Rebecca Who Slammed Doors

Saskia Dale, Toluwase Agusto & Faridah Are

Grade 2

Group Devised Drama

94

Distinction

Television

Annissa Baber, Katharine Corbett, Chioma Emenike, Lavinia Geddes & Florence Hack

Grade 2

Group Devised Drama

94

Distinction

The Adventures of Granny's Boot

Wan Hei (Victoria) Cho, Imogen Dale, Honor Hamwee, Clementine McNair Scott

Grade 2

Group Devised Drama

95

Distinction

The Black Glove

Imogen Ridley, Lucy Skrine, Lisabel Thistlethwayte, Beatrice Weaver & Antonia Holloway

Grade 2

Group Devised Drama

98

Distinction

The Ghosts in the Garden

Poppy Penney, Francesca Rhodes, Saskia Walton & Florence Stringer

Grade 2

Group Devised Drama

100

Distinction

The Mirror

Gardiner Hunt, Rosanna Love, Florence McNair Scott, Constance Pope & Lúa Vazquez Sanchez

Grade 2

Group Devised Drama

97

Distinction

The Trial of Miss Locks

Morgan Kandrac, Priya Kooros, Lily Mathews, Louisa Fiertz & Emily Glover

Grade 2

Group Devised Drama

93

Distinction

Lower Fourth

Names

Grade

Exam Type

Mark

Grade Band

New York, New York

Holly Fenn, Eliza Farquharson, Imogen Fowler & Annie Hazlitt

Grade 3

Group Devised Drama

90

Distinction

The Waiting Room

Natalia Cremin, Eliza Inglis, Emma Bracken, Anna Neville & Jade Jacomb

Grade 3

Group Devised Drama

90

Distinction

Aladdin

Zoe Carruthers, Oluwatamilore Bolodeoku, Alice Peters & Alexandra Kiy

Grade 3

Group Musical Theatre

96

Distinction

DNA

Charlotte Nicholson, Imogen Webber, Catherine Nicol, Nina Paterson & Kitty Shepherd-Cross

Grade 3

Group Scripted Drama

80

Merit

Little Princess

Jessica Hewlett, Annabel Le Grice, Georgina Marchand, Sasha Percy-Davis & Abriella Dolbear

Grade 3

Group Scripted Drama

88

Distinction

The Emperor's New Clothes

Mili Haywood, Gabriella Nelson, Charlotte Field, Tara Farqhuar & Lucy McCreery

Grade 3

Group Scripted Drama

94

Distinction

The Railway Children Alice Weldon, Mathilde Hughes, Julia Kennerley & Emily Manners

Grade 3

Group Scripted Drama

91

Distinction

Treasure Island

Grade 3

Group Scripted Drama

90

Distinction

DRAMA

Camilla Read, Grace Soltero, Helena Wormsley & Alessandra Pidgeon

Names

Exam Type

Mark

Grade Band

Calypso Cox, Lucy Dyer, Georgina Pollock & Cecelia Kane Grade 4

Grade

Group Devised Drama

97

Distinction

Mary Poppins

Imogen Simpson-Orlebar, Rosie Blackburn & Amelia Hughes

Grade 4

Group Musical Theatre

96

Distinction

Matchmaker

Dara Bolodeoku, Imogen Gregory & Georgia Hewitson

Grade 4

Group Musical Theatre

96

Distinction

Agnes of God

Davina Drummond, Florence Fanshawe, Jaira Vazquez Sanchez

Grade 4

Group Scripted Drama

93

Distinction

Anne of Green Gables

Minna Crewdson, Lucinda Dunlop & Honor Sells

Grade 4

Group Scripted Drama

81

Merit

Blithe Spirit

Kirsty Depledge, Isabel Fincham & Iman Khalil

Grade 4

Group Scripted Drama

92

Distinction

Deoxyribonucleic Acid

Oluchi Emenike, Olivia Heywood & Lauren Dunn

Grade 4

Group Scripted Drama

90

Distinction

Flatmates

Trinity Hill, Lara Mountain & Chee Sum (Tiffany) Lai

Grade 4

Group Scripted Drama

78

Merit

Girls Like That

Andreja Mirosevic-Sorgo, Sabrina Sambhi, Eva Percy & Cosima Davies

Grade 4

Group Scripted Drama

89

Distinction

Leaves

Lucy Phillips & Holly Skinner

Grade 4

Group Scripted Drama

92

Distinction

Little Women

Torera Bolodeoku, Alexandra Russell, Charlotte Zeal & Harriet Sasson

Grade 4

Group Scripted Drama

86

Distinction

Mal de Mer

Nina Bugeja, Sophie Elliot & Hye Lim Park

Grade 4

Group Scripted Drama

90

Distinction

Pygmalion

Charlotte Berry, Miranda Woodruff, Katie Hackman & Catharina Benigni

Grade 4

Group Scripted Drama

85

Distinction

Séance

Lettice Cornell, Ella Scott & Honor Stephens

Grade 4

Group Scripted Drama

89

Distinction

Shakers

Isabella Jones, Olivia Kirkby, Celeste Percy & You-Oceane Wang

Grade 4

Group Scripted Drama

85

Distinction

The Children's Hour

Jemima Cremin, Christabel Graham & Milly Hine

Grade 4

Group Scripted Drama

87

Distinction

The Twits

Alice Burbidge, Anastasia Mullen & Jessica Hayward-Cole

Grade 4

Group Scripted Drama

86

Distinction

SPEECH AND DRAMA

Upper Fourth Trainers

139 Lower Fifth

Grade

Exam Type

Mark Grade Band

Josephine Adams

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

80

Merit

Eloise Bartlett

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

85

Distinction

Georgia Lavelle

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

81

Merit

Daisy Little

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

88

Distinction

Georgina Lloyd Yorke

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

93

Distinction

Charlotte Benigni

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

85

Distinction

Alexia Milliken

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

92

Distinction

Amelia Bentley

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

79

Merit

Lara Mun-Gavin

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

83

Merit

Ilaria Bevan

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

79

Merit

Eleanor Bishop

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

87

Distinction

Faith Norman

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

85

Distinction

Jessica Pemberton

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

83

Merit

Claudine Collins

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

90

Distinction

Eloise Percy-Davis

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

92

Distinction

Grace Cornish

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

93

Distinction

Matilda Pope

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

75

Merit

Sasha Coulson

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

86

Distinction

Serena Richards

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

79

Merit

Jennifer Darko

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

85

Distinction

Henrietta Ryan

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

90

Distinction

Sarah Darko

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

77

Merit

Victoria Scobie

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

90

Distinction

Grace Devereux

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

83

Merit

Clara Silcock

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

86

Distinction

Omotara Edu

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

83

Merit

Daisy Spurrier

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

88

Distinction

Holly Evans

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

80

Merit

Jennifer Standbrook

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

80

Merit

Katherine Garnett

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

81

Merit

Eliza Gibbons-West

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

89

Distinction

Araminta Swallow

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

89

Distinction

Georgina Tarling

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

85

Distinction

Sapphire Graham

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

86

Distinction

Rebecca Topping

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

87

Distinction

Anna Hewitt

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

87

Distinction

Eloise Tucker

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

85

Distinction

Eliza Horn

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

91

Distinction

Isabella Huber

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

76

Merit

Rose Hughes

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

89

Distinction

Poppy Huntington

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

82

Merit

Sasha Villiers-Smith

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

80

Merit

Imogen Waller

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

86

Distinction

Isabel Wood

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

77

Merit

Saskia Wormsley

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

91

Distinction

Hebe Ide

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

91

Distinction

Grace Cornish

Grade 5

Communication skills

73

Sophie Kelisky

Grade 5

Acting in pairs

87

Distinction

Sarah Palmer

Grade 5

Communication skills

89

Distinction

Wai-Ping (Sarah) Kwok Grade 5

Acting in pairs

80

Merit

Daisy Shepherd-Cross

Grade 5

Communication skills

85

Distinction

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

SPEECH AND DRAMA

Holly Halestrap

Grade 5

Individual acting skills

80

Merit

Verity Hornby

Grade 5

Individual acting skills

85

Distinction

Olivia Stakem

Grade 5

Individual acting skills

80

Merit

Rosanna Craig

Grade 5

Musical theatre pairs

88

Distinction

Laura DouglasHamilton

Grade 5

Musical theatre pairs

81

Merit

Anna Hewitt

Grade 5

Musical theatre pairs

87

Rose Hughes

Grade 5

Musical theatre pairs

Cecilia Hughes

Grade 5

Sacha Martin

Grade

Exam Type

Henrietta Allen

Grade 6

Acting in pairs

Mark Grade Band 79

Merit

India Burney

Grade 6

Acting in pairs

85

Distinction

Jasmine Coulson

Grade 6

Acting in pairs

77

Merit

Georgina Dick

Grade 6

Acting in pairs

75

Merit

Eliza Downes

Grade 6

Acting in pairs

87

Distinction

Distinction

Florence Elliott

Grade 6

Acting in pairs

94

Distinction

81

Merit

Georgina Fenn

Grade 6

Acting in pairs

85

Distinction

Musical theatre pairs

80

Merit

Rose Galbraith

Grade 6

Acting in pairs

100

Distinction

Grade 5

Musical theatre pairs

76

Merit

Katharine Garvin

Grade 6

Acting in pairs

78

Merit

Alexandra O'Kane

Grade 5

Musical theatre pairs

89

Distinction

Anna Goodman

Grade 6

Acting in pairs

81

Merit

Annabel Roest

Grade 5

Musical theatre pairs

88

Distinction

Kirstin Gray

Grade 6

Acting in pairs

79

Merit

Victoria Scobie

Grade 5

Musical theatre pairs

87

Distinction

Celine Harborne

Grade 6

Acting in pairs

91

Distinction

Jane Tung

Grade 5

Musical theatre pairs

80

Merit

Sophia Hill

Grade 6

Acting in pairs

85

Distinction

Skye Wilson

Grade 5

Musical theatre pairs

80

Merit

Acting in pairs

85

Distinction

Grade 5

Musical theatre pairs

76

Merit

Aurelia (Poppy) Holloway

Grade 6

Catharine Wippell Emilie Cheung

Grade 5

Musical theatre solo

76

Merit

Claudia Kingham

Grade 6

Acting in pairs

79

Merit

Anna Hewitt

Grade 5

Musical Theatre Solo

94

Distinction

Octavia Leahy

Grade 6

Acting in pairs

80

Merit

Eliza Horn

Grade 5

Musical theatre solo

82

Merit

Charlotte Ledger

Grade 6

Acting in pairs

81

Merit

Sacha Martin

Grade 5

Musical theatre solo

78

Merit

Acting in pairs

86

Distinction

Grade 5

Musical Theatre Solo

95

Distinction

Imogen LuczycWyhowska

Grade 6

Faith Norman

Hebe Meredith

Grade 6

Acting in pairs

89

Distinction

Araminta Moore

Grade 6

Acting in pairs

92

Distinction

Gemma Mountain

Grade 6

Acting in pairs

87

Distinction

Lower Sixth

140

Upper Fifth

Eleanor Armstrong

Jemima Oliver

Grade 6

Acting in pairs

67

Pass

Daisy Padovan

Grade 6

Acting in pairs

65

Pass

Grade

Exam Type

Mark

Grade Band

Honor Pattisson

Grade 6

Acting in pairs

81

Merit

Grade 7

Acting in pairs

78

Merit

Lucy Phillips

Grade 6

Acting in pairs

87

Distinction

Caroline Quillen

Grade 6

Acting in pairs

75

Merit

Zoe Rice

Grade 6

Acting in pairs

88

Distinction

Flora Camps-Harris

Grade 7

Acting in pairs

75

Merit

Autumn Davies

Grade 7

Acting in pairs

86

Distinction

Louisa Henry

Grade 7

Acting in pairs

80

Merit

Oonagh Sargentson

Grade 6

Acting in pairs

86

Distinction

Georgina Hughes

Grade 7

Acting in pairs

76

Merit

Charlotte Simpson

Grade 6

Acting in pairs

82

Merit

Daisy Huntington

Grade 7

Acting in pairs

77

Merit

Alexandra Thomas

Grade 6

Acting in pairs

85

Distinction

Hattie Muncey

Grade 7

Acting in pairs

65

Pass

Georgina Ford

Grade 6

Communication skills

76

Merit

Emma Poole

Grade 7

Acting in pairs

78

Merit

Sophia Hill

Grade 6

Communication skills

83

Merit

Anouska Royle

Grade 7

Acting in pairs

91

Distinction

Alexandra Milne

Grade 6

Communication skills

88

Distinction

Miranda Shaw

Grade 7

Acting in pairs

90

Distinction

Emma Barrett-Fish

Grade 6

Individual acting skills

78

Merit

Cordelia Tahany

Grade 7

Acting in pairs

91

Distinction

Sophia Elger

Grade 6

Individual acting skills

77

Merit

Iona Hanson

Grade 6

Individual acting skills

75

Merit

Molly Hunloke

Grade 6

Individual acting skills

83

Merit

Caroline Watkinson

Grade 6

Individual acting skills

85

Distinction

Emma Wyatt

Grade 6

Individual acting skills

92

Distinction

Niamh Taylor

Grade 7

Acting in pairs

86

Distinction

Victoria (Clare) Turton

Grade 7

Acting in pairs

65

Pass

Lara Wigan

Grade 7

Acting in pairs

88

Distinction

Isobel Wild

Grade 7

Acting in pairs

76

Merit

Poppy Wilson

Grade 7

Acting in pairs

Hannah Goodyear

Grade 7 Communication skills

69

Pass

Henrietta Allen

Grade 6

Musical theatre pairs

79

Merit

71

Pass

Lydia Stonehill

Grade 6

Musical theatre pairs

81

Merit

Clare Maunder

Grade 7 Communication skills

85

Distinction

Charlotte Aldrich

Grade 6

Musical theatre solo

77

Merit

Matilda Bentley

Grade 7 Individual acting skills

76

Merit

Miranda Bird

Grade 6

Musical theatre solo

81

Merit

Nataliia Chevska

Grade 7 Individual acting skills

83

Merit

Eliza Downes

Grade 6

Musical theatre solo

76

Merit

Amelia Milne

Grade 7 Individual acting skills

91

Distinction

Rose Galbraith

Grade 6

Musical theatre solo

91

Distinction

Lucy Mortlock

Grade 7 Individual acting skills

80

Merit

Imogen Hancock

Grade 6

Musical theatre solo

72

Pass

Hannah SimpsonOrlebar

Grade 7 Individual acting skills

81

Merit

Ella Monck

Grade 6

Musical theatre solo

88

Distinction

Isabelle Smith

Grade 6

Musical theatre solo

91

Distinction

Amelia Yerburgh

Grade 7 Individual acting skills

80

Merit

Poppy Winsor

Grade 6

Musical theatre solo

72

Pass

DRAMA

Grade

Exam Type

Grade 8

Acting in pairs

Mark Grade Band 83

Merit

Olivia Cave

Grade 8

Acting in pairs

88

Distinction

Henrietta Montgomerie

Grade 8

Acting in pairs

80

Merit

Lara Wheeler

Grade 8

90

Distinction

Yasmin Adeniran

Grade 8 Communication skills

Acting in pairs

88

Distinction

Sarah Creedy-Smith

Grade 8 Individual acting skills

85

Distinction

Ella Hockings

Grade 8 Individual acting skills

87

Distinction

Louisa Pattisson

Grade 8

Acting in pairs

81

Merit

Helena Manson

Grade 8 Individual acting skills

83

Merit

Willa Prest

Grade 8

Acting in pairs

90

Distinction

Charlotte Scobie

Grade 8 Individual acting skills

91

Distinction

Charlotte Scobie

Grade 8

Acting in pairs

85

Distinction

Sarah Creedy-Smith

Grade 8 Musical theatre solo

88

Distinction

Natasha Seaton

Grade 8

Acting in pairs

90

Distinction

Charlotte Scobie

Grade 8 Musical theatre solo

82

Merit

Naomi Vallance

Grade 8

Acting in pairs

85

Distinction

Anna Black

Grade 8

83

Merit

Performing text

REHEARSING ‘ANNIE’ It has been great fun and a real privilege to work with so many talented people in my first major drama production at Downe House. When I received the news that I would be playing Annie, I was thrilled! With an insider’s viewpoint, I can give you some idea of all the hard work and effort that has gone into bringing ‘Annie’ to the stage.

We have been rehearsing since January to bring together the acting, the music and the dancing required, under the direction of Mrs Watson, Miss Grandi and Miss Leigh. Mrs Watson has been directing some of the acting, Miss Grandi has been teaching us the singing and Miss Leigh has led the choreography of the songs.

SPEECH AND DRAMA

Upper Sixth Anna Black

For the first couple of weeks we started the rehearsal process by splitting up into separate groups and going over the songs that we’d have to sing. It was very exciting learning the different songs and working with girls from different year groups. Then, once we’d got used to the musical elements we moved on to the acting and dancing until finally we put all three together. Everyone involved has worked really hard to make sure the final performance looked polished and professional and I can’t wait until the curtain goes up!

Kirsty Depledge, UIV, Head’s Scholar

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DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

PRODUCTIONS

THE OUTSTANDING FOUNDER’S WEEKEND PERFORMANCE OF ‘ANNIE’ With a winning cast of children and an adorable dog, ‘Annie’ has become a much-loved show over the years with memorable musical numbers such as ‘It’s A Hard Knock Life’, ‘Easy Street’ and of course ‘Tomorrow’. It is, therefore, easy to forget that the story of ‘Annie’ started life as a cartoon strip in the New York Daily News during the 1920s and was hugely popular with readers, not least because of its political commentary on the New Deal and communism. The political element has found its way into the musical and as a child, I could never quite understand the sarcasm behind the lyrics of ‘We’d Like to Thank You, Herbert Hoover’ and the references to the New Deal in ‘Getting a New Deal for Christmas’ as often as I sang the songs.

First and foremost, ‘Annie’ is a wonderful vehicle for a cast of girls (as ‘Oliver’ is for boys), particularly in the hands of a talented director. This production was no exception. Mrs Watson’s productions are always such a delight to watch, beautifully cast, impeccably rehearsed and attention given to every small detail. This year, with a young cast, comprised in the main of girls from the Upper Fourth and the Lower Fifth, she has again worked her magic.

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Rehearsals for a musical are hugely demanding of time and this is especially the case for Founder’s Weekend where the girls are frequently involved with a number of different events. This year, with such a large cast of girls, many playing multiple roles, she was very ably assisted by Miss Grandi and Miss Leigh to prepare the songs and choreography.

There were so many wonderful performances in this production, but of particular note were of course Kirsty Depledge as Annie, Annabel Roest as Daddy Warbucks and Phoebe Evans as Grace Farrell. Annabel’s role is so tricky for a girl to carry off and yet she managed it with such conviction and flair that some of the audience wondered whether Warbucks was being played by a (male) teacher. The lovely scene where Warbucks meets Annie for the first time was beautifully played, as was the lovely scene where Warbucks tells Annie that he wants to adopt her (‘Something was Missing’). Her maturity and sensitivity in the role belied her years and I am sure that many who don’t know her found it hard to believe that she is only in the Lower Fifth.

Kirsty, as Annie, was absolutely marvellous. The truth of her character was evident from the first moment, whether directing the orphans, offering to scrub the floor for the servants, or meeting the President. She has a clear, warm singing voice and her rendition of Annie’s two ‘big’ numbers, ‘Maybe’ and ‘Tomorrow’ were beautifully delivered. A star in the making!

Phoebe Evans is another one to watch for the future.

Her performance as Grace was wonderfully warm and sympathetic from her first encounter with Annie. She too, has a lovely singing voice and such an elegant stage presence.

There were also outstanding performances from the trio of ‘baddies’: Torera Bolodeoku as Miss Hannigan, a negligée-wearing, gin-swilling, whistle-blowing autocrat; a nattily-dressed Eleanor Leeves as Rooster Hannigan, and a delightfully ditsy Charlotte Scobie as Lily St Regis. ‘Easy DRAMA

PRODUCTIONS 143

Street’ is perhaps one of the show’s toe-tappiest numbers and their excellent rendition of the number did full justice to both song and choreography; a definite favourite with the audience. Huge praise must also go to Torera for her performance of ‘Little Girls’. Her frustration with her lot in life was clearly evident even before the mischievous scampering of the orphans determined to get their own back on her!

The chorus numbers are always something I look out for in a musical. It is tempting to feel that one is ‘just’ part of the chorus and not important or noticed by the audience.

However it is the chorus numbers that have the most visual and vocal impact and who carry the show along. The well-drilled chorus, playing the servants, the Hoovervilles, the NYC residents and the presidential cabinet provided a hugely important backdrop to the show and these numbers did stand out as key ‘set piece’ moments in the production.

And of course, who can forget the unruly bunch of orphans, at one moment cowering with night terrors and the next terrorising Miss Hannigan with dead mice? They were a delight to watch, and the energy with which they stamped and scrubbed their way through ‘A Hard-Knock Life’ provided a terrific opening to the show.

The chorus also provides opportunities for little cameo moments and I noticed far too many to mention, but the ones that stood out for me were Minna Crewdson’s lovely butler, Drake; Sacha Martin who as a housemaid didn’t have any lines but whose energy and expression gave such life

to the chorus of servants; Katherine Hackman’s wonderful Star-To-Be in the NYC scene; Jaira Vazquez-Sanchez as a belligerent orphan; Lucy Phillips’ impassive soundman in the Bert Healy show; Ella Scott’s enthusiastic President Roosevelt and of course, the unforgettable ‘mutt’ Sandy, played faultlessly by Alfie Watson!

The costumes, designed and produced by Mrs Garfield, Ms Gridley and Mrs Watson, were absolutely outstanding and looked wonderful, really emphasising the different levels of Depression-era society. The set too, hired this year to ease workloads, provided the variety of backdrops from grim slum to palatial New York mansion. It is incredibly challenging working with a hired set in the school’s Performing Arts Centre. With a shallow stage, narrow wings and no fly tower, there is no easy way of manipulating heavy scenery that has been designed for a professional theatre with a full range of equipment. In this case, the production was incredibly lucky to have the unstinting service of two Lower Sixth girls who were never seen by the audience (except in a blackout) and worked tirelessly backstage to change scenes, manage props and radio microphones and move furniture – Hannah Beck and Ngozi Emenike. They were certainly the unsung heroes of the production!

Another fantastic evening’s entertainment from the Drama Department, and one of which they, and the girls involved, should be incredibly proud!

Mrs Anna Renton-Green, Teacher of Learning Skills DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

144

Explore, discover – be inspired! If I had to sum up the vision for our musicians at Downe in four words, it would be these.

This year girls have explored a wide spectrum of music and have opened doors to discover a kaleidoscopic world of music. They have been inspired by their experiences and have achieved great musical things!

ABRSM results have been excellent across the board this year. Girls continue to represent Downe House on county and national platforms, including the National Children’s Orchestra, National Youth Choirs of Great Britain and the Junior Department of the Royal College of Music.

The talent and commitment of the girls culminated in a magical Michaelmas Concert and the choral Carol Services together with over 145 entries to this year’s Downe House Young Musician of the Year Competition. Indeed the musical year would not be complete without a celebration of music over Founder’s Weekend with a sparkling series of musical events including the Founder’s Concert, Music Showcase and Buskers’ Corner. The weekend also brought us the finals of the second ‘Bring the House Downe’ Music

MUSIC AWARD HOLDERS’ CONCERT Upper School Following the success of last year’s Music Award Holders’ Recital we were very keen to welcome our Award Holders back to the stage in November. The first concert of the year featured musicians in the Upper School, from Upper Fifth to Upper Sixth, who demonstrated exceptional musical talent and virtuosity.

Ensemble Competition which was electric! The finals brought together twelve outstanding performances which all, in their own way, most certainly ‘Brought the House Downe’!

The Music Department has also been inspired by the donation of Sir John Barbirolli’s baton

by Lord and Lady Norton as a new music prize: ‘The Evelyn Barbirolli Woodwind Prize’. This will be awarded annually to the most promising woodwind player.

MUSIC

INTRODUCTION

With over 1200 followers, our Twitter site continues to capture all our exciting news, live updates and inspiring moments from the Music Department. Please do follow us @DowneHouseMusic.

The Music Department continues to transform musical lives and to equip girls with lifelong musical skills and understanding, encouraging all musicians to explore, discover and be inspired!

Dr Charlotte Exon, Director of Music

lot to thank them for within the department, from their commitment to rehearsals, to inspiring our younger Award Holders which, no doubt, their performances in this concert certainly achieved. Many thanks also go to Mr Brayne and Mrs Couser for their excellent accompaniment of some very exciting and difficult musical works.

Miss Amy Thompson, Assistant Director of Music

The concert began in the Chapel as our Deputy Head of Music, Wai Yu, welcomed the audience with an accomplished performance of Johann Sebastian Bach’s ‘Prelude in B minor’.

The wonderful acoustics of the Chapel also created a perfect atmosphere for flute and viola performances by Violet Crawfurd, Katherine Maloney and Janice Kwong, the latter of whom performed the entirety of Bach’s ‘Sonata No. 6 in E major’. This was certainly no mean feat, requiring a high level of stylistic interpretation and great stamina.

For the second half of the concert, the audience decamped to the Concert Room where they were able to benefit from the power of our Steinway Grand, displayed excellently by Oi Ka (Natalie) Lam’s performance of ‘Intermezzo in A major’

by Johannes Brahms and Sophia Elger’s performance of ‘Dr Gradus Ad Parnasseum’ by Claude Debussy. The second half of the concert featured further challenging works, both technically and musically, however all performers rose to the occasion. Kelly Min captured the elegance of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto, while Tiffany Chan impressed with the ‘Grand Duo Concertante’ by Carl Maria Von Weber. As our Deputy Head of Music began the concert, the final performance fell to our Head of Music, Elizabeth Bosson, who entranced us with her stunning performance of ‘Romance’ from Henryk Weiniawski’s Concerto No. 2.

For some of our Award Holders this was their final solo performance at Downe House and we certainly have a DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

145

MUSIC

MUSIC AWARD HOLDERS’ CONCERT Lower School Our second Music Award Holders’ Recital showcased the incredible talent of our Lower School musicians.

The first half of the concert once again took place in the Chapel and featured a number of Baroque masterpieces. Two of our violinists, Hye Lim Park and Wai-Ping (Sarah) Kwok, stylistically performed movements from Vivaldi’s concertos, ‘Concerto in G minor’ and the famous ‘Spring’ from ‘Concerto in E major’ respectively, while Molly Dewar displayed excellent technique with a movement from Fasch’s ‘Sonata in C’ for Bassoon and ‘Basso Continuo’. It was extremely encouraging, once again, to hear virtuosic organ playing, this time from Man I (Melissa) Chang in the form of Bach’s ‘Prelude in G’. Lucia Bugeja, one of our youngest Award Holders, highlighted the acoustics of the Chapel perfectly with an atmospheric performance of ‘Angelus’ by Marcello.

The second half of the concert took place in the Concert Room, where the audience was treated to a wide range of music across all eras, from Jane Tung’s accomplished performance of Mozart’s ‘Rondo Alla Turca’ on Marimba and Emma Talbot Rice’s performance of Mozart’s ‘Horn Concerto in E flat major’, to dynamic and exciting 20th century works, such as Katharine Furse’s ‘Promenade’ by John MacLeod, which highlighted a wide range of flute tones and techniques.

It was fantastic to see some of our Award Holders performing not once, but twice, on more than one instrument. Amelia Hughes performed a Marcello Sonata on the trombone, followed by a dramatic performance of Caldara’s ‘Alma del Cora’, while Antonia Holloway performed an oboe concerto by Marcello, followed by Jardanyi’s ‘Cello Sonatina’. The skills and contrasts in both instrument and musical styles were captured seemingly effortlessly by both girls. Some performers also chose to perform as an ensemble as well as soloists. After whetting our appetite with a charming cello duet performance in the first half of the concert, we were later treated to Romantic and Baroque solos by Anna Riley and Lucy Cunningham.

146

Our Music Award Holders presented a wonderful musical evening, performing some core and challenging repertoire both skilfully and stylistically. The future looks very bright for our younger musicians and we look forward to seeing them surpass their already excellent performance standards and reach new musical heights in the forthcoming years.

Miss Amy Thompson, Assistant Director of Music

REPORT FROM THE HEADS OF MUSIC It has been a very busy musical year at Downe with a huge range of performance opportunities for both ensembles and soloists. In the Michaelmas Term, we enjoyed the School Concert and a particular high point was our end of term Carol Service at St Nicholas’ Church.

Throughout the year, our Music Award Holders have enjoyed performing in the series of Scholars’ concerts, giving them a chance to develop their performance technique.

A special highlight was Founder’s Weekend, which saw a huge array of events showcasing a variety of musical talents. Particularly memorable was our Founder’s Concert with fantastic performances from all choirs and orchestras.

One of our aims in our new roles as Heads of Music is to promote studentrun ensembles and this was encouraged by the ‘Bring The House Downe’ competition, with particular congratulations to our winners, ‘The Three of Us”.

Other competitions have included House Music, and particular congratulations go to the winners, Holcombe! This year a new instrumental ensemble category was introduced, making the event even more exciting. Our Young Musician of the Year Competition was once again a hard fought contest. Congratulations to all our winners, Rose Galbraith (virtuoso), Man I (Melissa) Chang (maestro), Annie Hazlitt (music maker) and Katie Hackman (rock and pop).

A huge thank you to all the Music staff for the time they have invested in all the rehearsals.

Livia Russell and Matilda Bentley, LVI MUSIC

The Michaelmas School Concert was a pure musical feast which fittingly took place on St Cecilia’s Day! The concert featured Downe’s large instrumental ensembles and five choirs, embracing a variety of musical styles from classical to jazz, pop to world music, from orchestral to choral, from solo to ensemble work.

The 70+ piece Symphony Orchestra opened the concert in jingoistic style with a triumphant performance of Elgar’s ‘Pomp and Circumstance March No. 4 in G major’ and a rustic performance of Dvor˘ák’s ‘Slavonic Dance, Op.46 No.8’ admirably led by orchestral leader, Elizabeth Bosson. There was orchestral music later in the programme with the Chamber Orchestra performing Joseph Haydn’s ‘Andante’ from Symphony No.101 in D, ‘The Clock’. The Chamber Orchestra performed with precision and integrity. The concert also included a well-crafted and poised solo violin performance of Wieniawski’s ‘Romance’ from his Violin Concerto No. 2 by Elizabeth Bosson.

MUSIC

MICHAELMAS SCHOOL CONCERT

Downe’s quintet of choirs were on exceptional form with the animated performance of ‘Amani Utupe’ from Once Removed, a moving performance by Junior Choral of Mealor’s ‘I am a Gentle Light’, ‘For Good’ from Wicked, and Paul Simon’s ‘Song for the Asking’ from Choral. Senior Choral closed the concert with Chilcott’s ‘A Little Jazz Mass’ complete with Jazz Instrumental Trio (Mrs Gilpin Jones piano, Mrs Wilson double bass and Mr Treadaway drums). No concert could be complete without a performance by In Harmony who gave a sparkling performance of ‘Fields of Gold’, with a solo by Evelyn Graham. It was breathtaking and has since been enjoyed across the world on youtube.com.

Do take a peek!

The opening of the second half of the Concert can only be described as explosive with an amazing performance of Samba Evolution, involving all girls in Lower Fourth. It was full of musical energy, colour and rhythmic precision, bringing a true Brazilian sparkle to the programme! Big Band continued the theme with ‘Beyond the Sea’ with Rose Galbraith at the vocal helm and a fantastic performance of ‘Sing, Sing, Sing’.

From the rumble of Samba Evolution to the choral delights of our five choirs, the concert was a true musical feast for everyone and a vibrant St Cecilia celebration!

Dr Charlotte Exon, Director of Music

LOWER SCHOOL CELEBRATION OF CHRISTMAS Exploring the many dimensions of the Christmas Story, the Lower School presented a Celebration of Christmas in the cavernous Farr Centre. With a rolling snowflake backdrop on the screen and subdued lighting, the atmosphere was created for a wonderful collage of words and music. Every girl from Remove to Upper Fourth was involved in singing in a choir and the prayers were all written by girls in the Remove. Added to this was a passing reference to the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War as seen through the eyes of the poet Cyril Winterbotham in ‘A Christmas Prayer’.

An extract from Martin Luther King’s speech, ‘I Have A Dream‘, was also included, speaking of the love and hope that the Festive season brings.

Once Removed, Junior Choral and In Harmony presented the Christmas Story through a variety of musical styles and few will forget the rousing rendition of the gospel song ‘Come to the Manger’. A special mention must go to Alexandra O’Kane and Lucia Bugeja for exquisite vocal and harp solos, and to the Chamber Orchestra and Big Band, for their stylistic accompaniment.

The concert provided an end to the Michaelmas Term that certainly prepared us for the wonder of Christmas.

Mr Christopher Brayne, Organist and Staff Accompanist and Visiting Music Teacher DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

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UPPER SCHOOL CAROL SERVICE The Senior School Carol Service is an opportunity to be reminded of the Christmas Story through the traditional Nine Lessons and Carols. Before the service, the congregation were treated to some excellent instrumental music provided by some of our Music Award Holders. Special mention must be made to our two outstanding organists, Wai Yu and Man I (Melissa) Chang, who presented music by Johann Sebastian Bach and Maurice Durufle, and delivered it with great panache.

The service opened with an outstanding solo by Katy Lane and during the course of the service Violet Crawfurd, Lucy Mortlock, Janice Kwong and Mary Mayfield all contributed splendid individual solos. Choral and Senior Choral were in excellent voice with their communication and vocal maturity clearly audible throughout the act of worship.

There were many highlights during the service, from the rhythmic agility of Bob Chilcott’s ‘Of one that is so fair’ sung by Senior Choral to the sensitive shaping by Choral of Michael Neaum’s ‘Cherry Tree Carol’.

For members of the Upper Sixth, their last Carol Service at Downe House was a fitting opportunity for our community to give thanks for all their wonderful and varied gifts shared with us, and to look forward to the future with renewed hope as the Christmas Story invites us all to do.

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Mr Christopher Brayne, Organist and Staff Accompanist and Visiting Music Teacher

MY YEAR AS A MUSIC SCHOLAR Remove My first year as a Music Award Holder has been an exciting experience with lots of solo and ensemble performances. I especially enjoyed performing with Once Removed in Bring The House Downe, Chapel, Founders’ Weekend and the Michaelmas Concert.

My first experience of being an Award Holder was at the Music Award Holders’ Dinner. It was a great chance to meet other musicians of various ages. As a cellist and oboist I have had the opportunity to participate in many different ensembles, such as Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Double Reed Group and the Music Award Holders’ Ensemble. My favourite performance with these groups were at Founder’s Weekend and the Celebration of Christmas.

Some solo performances that I have enjoyed have been the Christmas Dinner, Young Musician Of The Year and Music Award Holders’ Concert.

After settling into Downe House, I auditioned for the Royal College of Music Junior Department. For the audition I had to perform two pieces, scales and sight-reading, as well as testing my aural skills.

Receiving the acceptance letter was both a shock and delight. I knew how competitive it was, so it was a real honour to take up a place there. I really enjoy the RCM because not only do I get to be in lots of orchestras I also meet lots of new like-minded people, including some friends from the National Childrens’ Orchestras. On Saturdays I participate in a choir for 11-14 year olds, a woodwind quintet and a wind orchestra. I also have a one-to-one lesson on the oboe and music theory.

I was very pleased to be awarded the Barbarolli Prize for the most promising woodwind player.

Next year I aspire to continue my busy music life and participate fully in all musical opportunities Downe House has to offer.

Antonia Holloway, Remove MUSIC

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MUSIC FOR YOUTH PROM AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL In November of every year, the Royal Albert Hall stages a series of exciting concerts featuring over 3,000 young musicians, aged 7-21. These musicians have performed and competed in the Music For Youth national competition and were hand chosen to perform at one of the world’s most iconic venues.

This year our Remove students were lucky enough to experience one of these eclectic concerts, featuring music as wide ranging as a classical symphony, played by the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra, to extracts from the Book of Mormon, Renaissance Polyphony and new material from emerging bands and solo artists.

For many of our students this was their first time visiting the Royal Albert Hall and they were able to experience not only watching the concert from high up in the gallery, where they had incredible views of the fantastic concert setting, but also standing on the prom floor, from where they had a ringside view of the performances and were in touching distance of many of the performers. Particular highlights for the Remove were Sophie Morgan, a singer songwriter, Benj and Benji, some young rappers, and Steel Strum, who had the whole Albert Hall dancing along. The concert also featured a highly atmospheric world premiere of a massed ensemble between choirs, orchestras and a brass band. The highly entertained Remove girls returned to School enthused about music-making with plans to set up their own bands!

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Miss Amy Thompson, Assistant Director of Music

LUNCHTIME CONCERT SERIES The Music Department at Downe House is dedicated to giving the girls the best musical education possible and arguably the most important part of being a musician is performance!

Our Lunchtime Concert Series, held on Thursdays in either the Chapel or Concert Room, is a wonderful opportunity for the girls to perform in a more relaxed environment than a public performance. It is extremely important to see performing as a positive part of musicianship and for girls to know that they can perform pieces at different stages of the learning process. This year we have had polished Grade 8 performances standing next to the only just learnt first movement of a Grade 5 piece, both holding equal importance to the individual musicians’ development. Performing is not simply about the finished product, but the educational journey and expansion of skills along the way – the Lunchtime Concerts offer the perfect environment to develop our musicians’ performing etiquette and engagement with an audience, before public concerts or exams.

Mr Adam Treadaway, Teacher of Music, Percussion and Voice, and Resident Tutor

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

MUSIC MINORITY INSTRUMENT SCHEME The Minority Instrument Scheme is engineered to expand the musical palette of girls in the Remove. It starts with a musical morning in the Music Department, introducing the year group to a vast array of instruments that they may not have heard, let alone experienced playing - from French Horn to Cor Anglais, and from Tambourine to Timpani – we have all Double Basses covered!

This is a fabulous way of encouraging the girls to think outside the ‘normal’ musical box and is an opportunity for the Remove girls to instantly become members of an elite group of musicians at Downe House.

Approximately 30 girls are put forward for the scheme, based on their enthusiasm and attainment on the day, chosen by the professional instrumental teachers within our body of Visiting Music Teachers. The girls then receive eight free lessons on their chosen instrument with the view that they may want to continue learning the instrument to a higher level. The graduates of the Minority Instruments Scheme are in demand, giving them numerous opportunities with many ensembles, simply as a result of playing a minority instrument.

Mr Adam Treadaway, Teacher of Music, Percussion and Voice, and Resident Tutor

DOWNE HOUSE YOUNG MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR 2015 145 Entries • 50 Semi-Finalists • 20 Finalists • 4 Winners This year’s Young Musician of the Year Competition in March was incredible and could easily have rivalled the BBC’s Young Musician of the Year Competition!

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The competition promotes music-making at all levels, encouraging our musicians of the future as well as celebrating the advanced musicianship of girls at Downe. There are three classical music classes Music Maker (Grades 1-3), Maestro (Grades 4-6) and Virtuoso (Grade 7+). The competition was excitingly expanded this year to include a Rock and Pop class to reflect the spectrum of music taking place in the Department. As such, the girls responded to this addition with enthusiasm, performing both classical and pop music to an excellent standard.

There were five preliminary rounds: keyboard, rock and pop, strings, vocal and wind, brass and percussion. This was followed by a highly competitive semi-final where finalists from each category were selected. These girls competed at the Prize Winners’ Concert for the highly coveted title of Young Musician of the Year (Music Maker, Rock and Pop, Maestro and Virtuoso).

We welcomed five highly accomplished musicians to adjudicate the six rounds involved in the competition: Daniel Moriyama keyboard, rock and pop (freelance musician, former BBC Young Musician of the Year Piano Finalist); Fiona Laughton strings (Downe House Alumna and Head of Junior School Music, Lambrook Prep School); Suzzie Vango voice (Conductor, National Children’s Choir); Claire Tomsett (Director of Music, Edge Grove School); Roy Raby semi-finals and finals (Director of Music, Pangbourne College). The adjudicators brought a wealth of musical experience, bringing valuable musical insights into performances as well as thoughts on ways to explore music further and ideas to develop as musicians.

The Music Maker finalists were Olivia Pockney; piano (keyboard), Georgina Anastassopoulos Tubby; double bass (strings), Annie Hazlitt; (voice) and Holly Skinner; flute (wind, brass and percussion).

Finalists for the Rock and Pop category were Georgina Hughes; drums, Kitty Dodd-Noble; vocals and piano, Dara Bolodeoku; vocals, Kirsty Depledge; vocals and Katie Hackman; vocals.

The Maestro finalists included Man I (Melissa) Chang; organ (keyboard), Lucia Bugeja; harp (strings), Charlotte Aldrich and Amelia Hughes; (voice), Matilda Bentley; oboe and Emma Talbot Rice; French horn (wind, brass and percussion).

It was an incredibly competitive Virtuosos Final with impressive performances from Sophia Elger and Wai Yu; piano (keyboard), Elizabeth Bosson; violin (strings), Rose Galbraith; (voice) and Antonia Holloway; oboe (wind, brass and percussion).

However, the inspirational performances from Annie Hazlitt; voice (Music Maker), Katie Hackman; vocals (Rock and Pop), Man I (Melissa) Chang; organ (Maestro) and Rose Galbraith; voice (Virtuoso) won them the glass trophy and the overall title of the Young Musician of the Year (Music Maker, Rock and Pop, Maestro and Virtuoso).

With over 145 entries into the competition this year, music is most certainly thriving at Downe! There is an incredible amount of talent in the Music Department and it is super to see such excellent musicianship handsomely represented at all levels.

Dr Charlotte Exon, Director of Music MUSIC

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DH Young Musician of the Year finalists

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DH Young Musician of the Year finalists

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PREP SCHOOLS’ ORCHESTRAL FUN DAY Only a few weeks into the Michaelmas Term, the Music Department welcomed more than two hundred young musicians to Downe House for our annual Preparatory Schools’ Orchestral Fun Day. This year’s theme was ‘A Day at the Movies’ and the final concert programme featured six wonderful pieces of music taken from film soundtracks; comedy dramas and Disney cartoons from the last thirty years. The concert culminated with all the visiting musicians joining our own Downe House Symphony Orchestra in a performance of Eric Coates’ famous Dambusters March, which was composed half a century ago – a stirring and impressive end to an incredible day’s music-making.

Fourteen preparatory schools brought their students along for the day: Ashford School, Beaudesert Park School, Brockhurst and Marlston House Schools, Bute House, Cheam, Dragon School, Edge Grove, Garden House School, Lambrook, The Oratory School, St Andrew’s School, Thomas’s Clapham, The Study Preparatory School and Walhampton

School. There was an atmosphere of anticipation from the outset and as the day progressed the various ensembles started to gel and some wonderful music emerged. All in all this was an outstanding achievement and every one of our visitors deserved to be congratulated for their magnificent achievement.

We were helped throughout the day by our two Sixth Form Heads of Music, Elizabeth Bosson and Wai Yu, alongside a hardworking, consistently helpful and energetic group of Remove Music Ambassadors. This was our tenth Orchestral Fun Day; each successive year seems to get bigger, even more exciting and increasingly successful, so we’re looking forward to the next ten years!

Dr Christian Alexander, Teacher of Music

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Music Technology continues to thrive at Downe House, not only as an A Level course but as an integral part of our largescale concerts, an extra-curricular activity and a central aspect of our Key Stage 3 curriculum. As Wai Yu (UVI) leaves Downe having completed her A2 course (for which she recorded a version of the classic ‘Stand By Me’, with Jessica Lea on lead vocal, we will have three students starting the AS course in September. Music Technology A Level is an introduction to the role of producer in a music studio with students learning how to manage, arrange, engineer and master musical recordings; they learn about the development of recording techniques over the last one hundred years and the history of popular music, in the widest sense. It is a truly wonderful course and I know the new recruits will find it very exciting!

Beyond the academic Music Technology curriculum, an increasing number of girls are making use of the studio to develop their own songwriting and recording portfolios.

Notably, Jane Tung, Catharine Wippell, Grace Cornish and Faith Norman (all Lower Fifth students) have spent much time in the studio this year; and Kitty Dodd-Noble (Remove) has been learning to use Pro Tools software to record her own songs. Recording music in the Studio is unbelievable fun – you can take your time and experiment, or just record simply in one take; you can edit and perfect your sound, or choose to leave the rough edges in the final mix. I would urge every girl with an interest in recording to come and make use of this facility – although it takes a bit of time to learn the production techniques, it is a wonderful, rewarding and fun journey.

Dr Christian Alexander, Teacher of Music

Charlotte Aldrich and Violet Crawfurd, UV, mixing a track

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Faith Norman, LV, recording guitar and vocals

NATIONAL YOUTH CHOIRS OF GREAT BRITAIN SUCCESS The National Youth Choirs of Great Britain is one of the world’s leading youth choir organisations providing unfaltering choral education and performance opportunities in some of the world’s leading concert venues. Having been a member of NYCGB myself for 15 years, I have first-hand experience of this wonderful organisation and as a current member of the Conducting Staff, I take great pride in the fact we have three current members of NYCGB at Downe House. With places available from school year 6 (year 5 for boy trebles) up to the age of 22, this really is an holistic educational platform for Britains’ best singers.

Having auditioned in November 2014, Katie Hackman received a place within the Girls Choirs and both Lucinda Penney and Rose Galbraith received places in the Training Choirs. This is a fantastic achievement for both the girls individually and for the choral life at Downe House. A huge well done to them all and good luck for those auditioning this year!

Mr Adam Treadaway, Teacher of Music, Percussion and Voice, and Resident Tutor

Our dedicated Pre-U musicians travelled to the Royal Festival Hall in London to hear a rare, live performance of their set work, Maurice Ravel’s ‘Daphnis et Chloé’. This work was being staged alongside a world premiere of Julian Anderson’s ‘In lieblicher Bläue’ for violin and orchestra and we were treated to a pre-concert talk by the composer. It was fascinating to hear Julian Anderson describing the ideas that underpinned his music and the talk really helped us to understand the work in the performance later that evening.

The battle the composer envisaged between the solo violinist and orchestra was enhanced by the violinist moving around the stage as part of the battle, at one point turning their back not only on the orchestra, but also the audience.

The second half of the concert presented the work we were waiting for. Armed with ice creams and highly detailed annotated orchestral scores (which drew interested looks from other members of the audience!), we were treated to an incredible performance by over one hundred members of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, led by Vladimir Jurowski, equalled in number by the London Philharmonic Choir. Although this score usually accompanies a ballet performance, it really is a symphonic work in its own right and, thanks to subtitles describing the action, we certainly did not miss the visual interpretation of a ballet performance.

Ravel’s renowned orchestration skills are at the forefront of this work and the excellent performance certainly brought out the contrasting timbres between the mystical world of Pan and the Gods and the natural world of Daphnis and Chloé. Our Pre-U musicians left the performance with a greater interest and love of their set work and a deeper understanding of how Maurice Ravel helped to set the scene and enhance mood and action in the ballet.

Miss Amy Thompson, Assistant Director of Music

MY YEAR AS A MUSIC AWARD HOLDER Lower Fifth A real highlight of being a Music Exhibitioner in LV was being part of Founder’s Weekend.

Across the weekend I was involved in multiple ensembles, including playing the timpanis for Symphony Orchestra, the marimba for the Music Award Holders’ Ensemble and the snare drum for Double Reed Group, the two former reaching the finals of the Bring the House Downe Competition. Alongside percussion I also sing. I’m currently working towards my Grade 8 Singing exam and enjoy singing as a member of Choral. My weekly music mentor sessions enable me to focus on aspects of my musicianship and talk about upcoming performances. Next year I am looking forward to preparing and improving my performances in preparation for GCSE Music.

Jane Tung, LV DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

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RARE LIVE PERFORMANCE OF RAVEL’S ‘DAPHNIS ET CHLOÉ’ FOR PRE-U MUSICIANS

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BERKSHIRE MAESTROS YOUNG SINGER OF THE YEAR Downe House vocalists achieved great success in the Berkshire Maestros Young Singer of the Year Competition 2014-2015. The competition began in October when sixteen singers from Upper Fourth to Upper Sixth entered into one of three categories, ‘Classical,’ ‘Folk’ and ‘Musical Theatre’.

A full afternoon of fantastic performances followed, ranging from unaccompanied Chinese folk song, to the Sound of Music’s ‘The Lonely Goatherd’ and Clean Bandit’s ‘Rather Be’.

Seven of our girls were chosen to go through to the semifinal; Emilie Cheung (LV), Henrietta Ryan (LV), Janice Wing Tung Kwong (UV), Chee Sum (Tiffany) Lai (UIV), Olivia Scott (LVI), Rose Galbraith (UV) and Alexandra O’Kane (LV).

The second round of the competition took place in February, where all competitors performed new repertoire.

While all seven of our entries performed brilliantly, only a few could win coveted places in the finale and we achieved not one, but two, of these. Rose Galbraith was through to the final of the Musical category and Alexandra O’Kane to the Classical category.

Amidst a busy musical Founder’s Weekend in June, Rose and Alexandra travelled to Reading for the final of the competition. Alexandra’s accomplished performance of Roger Quilter’s ‘Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal’ was one of the highlights of the afternoon. A dramatic and emotive performance of ‘On my Own’ from Les Miserables by Rose wowed both the audience and the adjudicators and she was crowned ‘Berkshire Young Singer of the Year 20142015’ in the Musicals category.

The competition was a fantastic experience for all involved, who were inspired not only through hearing constructive praise and feedback from adjudicators in each round, but also by hearing so many singers from across the county.

Many thanks should also go to our accompanist Mr Christopher Brayne who accompanied all of the girls in the semi-final and the final. Many congratulations to all involved!

Miss Amy Thompson, Assistant Director of Music

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Henrietta Ryan

Olivia Scott

Emilie Cheung

Rose Galbraith

Janice Wing Tung Kwong

Chee Sum (Tiffany) Lai

THE EVELYN BARBIROLLI WOODWIND PRIZE The Music Department has been donated a most exquisite music prize of Sir John Barbirolli’s baton by Lord and Lady Norton. It is entitled ‘The Evelyn Barbirolli Woodwind Prize’ for the most promising woodwind player.

Sir John Barbirolli’s baton saw the premiere of Vaughan-Williams’ 8th Symphony and indeed the restoration of the Hallé to its pre-war reputation, as well as its subsequent national and international standing. The number of world class performances by the great composers given under this baton by such an eminent conductor and orchestra is immense and represents a significant and exciting time in British post war musical history. This prize is an inspirational fusion of English orchestral and composing history and, as such, it is a most incredible honour and privilege for the School to be able to recognise a talented and promising woodwind player in this way.

The first recipient of this very special prize is a talented oboist in the Remove, Antonia Holloway, who is studying at the Junior Department at the Royal College of Music. Congratulations to Antonia and sincere thanks to Lord and Lady Norton for donating such a precious prize that will transcend time.

Dr Charlotte Exon, Director of Music MUSIC

Bring the House Downe is an ensemble competition that is now a regular Summer Term event.

Anyone from Remove to Upper Sixth can enter, whether they’re a band, a choir or a small vocal or instrumental group.

Following last year’s exciting competition, I took part this year as a member of ‘The Three of Us’, alongside Lauren Dunn, who also sings, and Gabriella Franklin who played the piano. We chose to sing lyrical songs that suit our voices, with piano accompaniment. We began our preparations for the competition early; Lauren and I had been singing a few songs in the Michaelmas Term and the beginning of Lent Term, just to see what kind of style we wanted and we decided that ‘The Power of Love’ was the one. This was originally by ‘Frankie goes to Hollywood’, but we chose to perform the Gabrielle Aplin version. We introduced Gabriella to our group late in the Lent Term because we felt it was important to have a live accompanist so we could arrange and perform the song in our own way. We were practising together at least once a week until it got closer to the preliminary round when we had a few extra rehearsals.

There were three judges for the hotly contested preliminary round: Mrs Bizior (Deputy Headmistress), Miranda Shaw (Head Senior) and the Music Department’s very own Dr Alexander.

This was a very good set of judges who provided a wide range of comments and some useful ideas. We were so excited when ‘The Three of Us’ were chosen alongside eleven other acts to go through to the final on the Saturday of Founder’s Weekend. All of the performances in this first round were extremely impressive and we knew we would have to up our game for the final.

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FOUNDER’S WEEKEND Bring the House Downe

As the final approached, the judging panel changed a little. Dr Alexander was replaced by the amazing Mr Roy Raby, who is the Director of Music at Pangbourne College. He was a great judge and provided excellent feedback. As well as the winning prize there were a few other prizes.

The audience prize went to the ‘Soul Sisters’, Director of Music Prize for Most Promising Act went to the ‘International SAC Trio’ and the new Parry Cup for the Best Choir was awarded to ‘In Harmony’. We are thrilled that we won the overall Prize, and we are very grateful; it was an amazing opportunity for us and it really boosted our confidence. Bring on next year!

Katie Hackman, UIV

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Buskers’ Corner Thankfully the rain held off and the sunshine warmed up the stones on the Greek Steps for Buskers’ Corner. The event started with a bang as Samba Evolution mobilised itself, armed with drums and shakers of all sizes and ready to combine their contrasting layers of sound – our entire resident Lower Fourth marshalled and conducted by Dr Exon. This is festival music, music for dance; exciting, vital and bursting with energy. People were drawn from all corners of the School, and the Buskers’ Corner audience was gathered.

We were then treated to the ‘Theme from the Great Escape’ performed by Downe’s Double Reed Group directed by Sophia Donald; it is wonderful to see the bassoon and oboe sections of the Downe orchestras thriving and growing year by year, and these girls clearly love playing this piece. I’m sure I can’t have been the only person there of a certain age picturing Captain Hilts, the cooler king, bouncing a baseball off his cell wall?

Wai-Ping (Sarah) Kwok then performed Debussy’s ‘La fille aux cheveux de lin’ arranged for solo clarinet; a subtle and beautifully shaped rendition full of delicate changes in timbre and a clear sense of line. The sound of her unaccompanied clarinet carried well and the audience obviously enjoyed the calm flow of Sarah’s playing. This was followed by Anna Riley and Lucy Cunningham performing a cello duet: equally assured and musical playing and a delight to hear.

The music at Buskers’ Corner concluded with two vocal performances: Emilie Cheung singing a Chinese folk song and Holly Evans singing Coldplay’s ‘The Scientist’. Both girls have become something of a fixture at this annual event, and I never fail to be impressed by their superb performances. It was quite clear from the audience’s hushed stillness that I wasn’t the only one left wanting to hear more from these excellent musicians.

Dr Christian Alexander, Teacher of Music DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

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Music Showcase No sooner had the Bring The House Downe Ensemble Competition finished and Founder’s Tea been consumed, than further musical sounds streamed out from the Concert Room across the Cloisters. On the Saturday afternoon of Founder’s Weekend, a packed audience was treated to a dazzling array of musical talent in the Music Showcase. This new event for Founder’s Weekend was an opportunity to celebrate some of our highly talented musicians from Lower Fourth through to Lower Sixth as soloists and members of chamber ensembles.

The programme was extremely varied, featuring songs from the shows, such as Chee Sum (Tiffany) Lai’s accomplished performance of ‘How Could I Ever Know’ from the Secret Garden, through to Classical masterpieces, such as Emma Talbot Rice’s stylish performance of Mozart’s ‘Horn Concert in E Flat major’.

Further highlights included a number of small ensembles who had previously entered the Bring the House Downe

Founder’s Concert The Founder’s Concert is one of the musical highlights of the year and this year was certainly no exception!

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The concert began with a bang as the Lower Fourth Samba Band, without any announcement, paraded onto the stage Crawfurd, UV, mixing for a highly energetic and rhythmically vibrant performance of Break Out. Dressed in colourful T-Shirts, with choreographed movement throughout, this opening certainly set the scene for the exciting concert to follow!

Once Removed were next on the stage, with their confident, spirited and lively performance of ‘Good Times’, by Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen, expertly conducted by Mr Treadaway.

Sinfonia Strings’ rich sound filled the Farr Centre with their excellent performance of Warlock’s ‘Basse Dance’, while Wind Band’s tight and rhythmic performance of Pharrell Williams’ ‘Happy’ provided a great contrast. Sinfonia Strings and Wind Band then joined together as a mass orchestra to perform ‘Stand by Me’. Under the baton of Dr Alexander, their tight and well balanced ensemble co-ordination certainly suggested an extremely promising future Symphony Orchestra!

Two vocal performances followed, with Choral’s soulful rendition of ‘Joyful, Joyful’ and the winners of Bring the House Downe, The Three of Us, performing Gabrielle Aplin’s version of ‘The Power of Love’. The audience were very excited to welcome this particular ensemble back onto the Founder’s stage and rightly so. Their performance was simply superb and a testament to the many hours of practice they put in.

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Competition, such as the Double Reed Group, and a clarinet and harp duet by Wai-Ping (Sarah) Kwok and Nutthapit Poolworaluk, who captured our attention with an extremely atmospheric version of ‘The Victorian Kitchen Garden’. It was particularly pleasing to hear a number of ensembles that had been put together and rehearsed by the girls. Some even arranged versions of their favourite pieces of music, such as Man I (Melissa) Chang’s fantastic arrangement of SaintSaëns’ ‘Carnival of the Animals’ for piano, clarinet and tuned percussion, ably performed by Melissa, Jane Tung and Sarah Kwok as the concert finale.

A number of vocalists also featured, some of whom were preparing for Berkshire’s Young Singer of the Year Competition the following day, Rose Galbraith and Alexandra O’Kane. Their captivating performances certainly demonstrated why they had been chosen for the final! Our thanks go to all of the girls involved, their teachers and Mr Brayne who so ably accompanied many performances.

Miss Amy Thompson, Assistant Director of Music

A stylish version of Bach’s ‘Air on the G String’ was presented by the Scholars Ensemble, well led by our Head of Music, Livia Russell. Leading an ensemble requires great confidence and musical knowledge and understanding and, aided by the highly responsive Scholars, Livia certainly demonstrated all of these.

Junior Choral’s atmospheric and highly musical performances of ‘The Lord’s My Shepherd’ and ‘Rule the World’ was well supported by an accompanying string ensemble. An inspiring and exquisite solo harp performance by Lucia Bugeja captured the audience’s imagination and earned rapturous applause.

The final section of the Concert featured In Harmony and Symphony Orchestra. In Harmony performed a beautiful arrangement of Elton John’s ‘Your Song’ and Miley Cyrus’ ‘The Climb’. Further excellent solos highlighted the vocal talents of this superb ensemble, whose dynamics and tonal contrasts created an extremely inspiring performance.

The Founder’s Symphony Orchestra ended the Concert with an orchestral masterpiece, ‘Finlandia’ and an arrangement of many masterpieces in ‘What’s Up Symphony’, including Rossini’s Barber of Seville, Liszt’s ‘Hungarian Rhapsody’ and Wagner’s ‘Ride of the Valkyries’. The characters of all of the pieces were captured extremely well under the accomplished baton of Dr Exon.

This Founder’s Concert was a true celebration of music in all its forms at Downe House, and our ensembles and soloists have much to be proud of. Their excellent achievements are a testament to their talent, hard work and dedication throughout the year.

Miss Amy Thompson, Assistant Director of Music

The Big Band BBQ is always a fabulous way to finish the celebrations of Founder’s Weekend and this year was no exception.

With the help of singers June Eric-Udorie, Lauren Dunn and Holly Evans, Big Band wowed the crowd with music from Michael Jackson to Gilberto & Getz. This is one of the calendar highlights for Big Band with the members getting the chance to perform for two hours in front of an excited

audience, it’s the culmination of a whole year’s work. One of the best educational opportunities we have for the girls is the unification of teacher and student musicians, giving the girls the chance to play alongside their teachers and enjoy the experience of playing in an 18 piece band. Both the gathered crowd and musicians enjoyed the evening equally - there is nothing quite like the experience of an outdoor performance of jazz music.

Mr Adam Treadaway, Teacher of Music, Percussion and Voice, and Resident Tutor

ABRSM RESULTS Grade 1 Pass

Jemima Cremin (Singing), Natalia Cremin (Piano), Omotara Edu (Piano), Louisa Fiertz (Piano), Phoebe Hughes (Singing), Julia Kennerley (Viola), Georgina Pollock (Piano), Camilla Read (Piano)

Merit

Jessica Bracken (Piano), Natalia Cremin (Singing), Annie Hazlitt (Singing), Jade Jacomb (Piano), Clementine McNair Scott (Singing), Sabrina Sambhi (Piano), Beatrice Weaver (Singing)

Grade 2 Pass

Calypso Cox (Piano), Christabel Graham (Oboe), Clarissa Hahn (Singing), Iona Hanson (Flute), Elsa Karoly (Piano), Alice Peters (Singing), Kyara Uchida (Harp)

Merit

Zoe Carruthers (Singing), Gardiner Hunt (Flute), Lucy Skrine (Singing), Jennifer Standbrook (Piano)

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Big Band BBQ

Grade 3 Pass

Lucy Bergstrom (Singing), Lettice Cornell (Singing), Florence Fanshawe (Singing), Charlotte Harrabin (Violin), Maya Huby (Singing), Olivia Jackson (Violin), Iman Khalil (Singing), Annie Hazlitt (Piano), Hannah Mason (Piano), Celeste Percy (Singing), Camilla Read (Singing), Holly Skinner (Flute), Jaira Vazquez Sanchez (Trumpet), Araminta Swallow (Flute)

Merit

Jameliah Adekunle (Cello), Emilie Cheung (Cello), Cosima Davies (Singing), Tara Farquhar (Singing), Gardiner Hunt (Singing), Florence McNair Scott (Theory), Lara Mountain (Singing), Honor Stephens (Singing)

Grade 4 Pass

Charlotte Berry (Singing), Grace Devereux (Singing), Phoebe Evans (Singing), Charlotte Field (Flute), Katherine Garnett (Piano), Christabel Graham (Singing), Omoehi Ighodalo (Singing), Lara Kabir Jennings (Flute), Charlotte Ledger (Singing), Faith Pitchford (Singing), Faith Norman (Piano), Victoria Scobie (Singing), Caroline Watkinson (Flute)

Merit

Ilaria Bevan (Singing), Alice Burbidge (Singing), Minna Crewdson (Singing), Lucy Dyer (Singing), Laura Douglas-Hamilton (Singing), Melissa Farquhar (Singing), Gabriella Franklin (Singing), Katherine Garnett (Singing), Faith Norman (Singing), Ella Scott (Singing), Jennifer Standbrook (Singing), Katelyn Taylor (Piano), You-Oceane Wang (Piano), Rosalind Wippell (Cello)

Distinction

Lucia Bugeja (Harp), Katie Hackman (Singing)

Grade 5 Pass

Josephine Adams (Clarinet), Jameliah Adekunle (Singing), Matilda Bentley (Theory), Huen Tung (Angela) Chan (Singing), Harriet Emery (Piano), Holly Evans (Theory), Imogen Fowler (Clarinet), Katharine Furse (Piano), Lucy Harley (Theory), Olivia Harrison (Piano), Maya Huby (Theory), Venetia Hudd (Singing), Cecelia Kane (Theory), Adetoun Karunwi (Violin), Islay Kingham (Singing), Alexandra O’Kane (Theory), Lucinda Penney (Piano), Eloise Percy-Davis (Piano), Morolayo Lambo (Singing), Florence McNair Scott (Piano), Lamise Saber (Theory), Sasha Villiers-Smith (Clarinet and Theory), Caroline Watkinson (Theory), Alice Weldon (Violin), Catharine Wippell (Theory), Emma Wyatt (Singing)

Merit

Emilie Cheung (Singing), Molly Dewar (Piano), Imogen Fowler (Piano), Katharine Furse (Singing), Katie Hackman (Cello and Theory), Lucinda Hammond (Descant Recorder), Mathilde Hughes (Theory), Ella Monck (Singing), Alexandra O’Kane (Singing), Sarah Palmer (Singing), Emma Talbot Rice (Singing and Theory), Elizabeth Tatham (Theory), Alice Wills (Theory), Catharine Wippell (Violin), Miranda Woodruff (Singing)

Distinction

Henrietta Ryan (Singing)

Grade 6 Pass

Lucy Astor (Flute), Olivia Cave (Piano), Clementine Lewins (Oboe), Jemima Oliver (Singing), Emma Peddie (Piano), Jessica Pemberton (Cello), Olivia Scott (Singing), Elizabeth Tatham (Piano), Katelyn Taylor (Singing), Charlotte Toogood (Flute), Jane Tung (Piano), Charlotte Williams (Piano)

Merit

Hetty Fairbanks-Smith (Singing), Victoria Fleming (Singing), Olivia Harrison (Singing), Anna Hewitt (Singing), Chee Sum (Tiffany) Lai (Singing), Anastasia Law (Violin), Lucy Phillips (Flute), Lamise Saber (Singing), Jane Tung (Singing)

Distinction

Lucy Cunningham (Cello), Mathilde Hughes (Singing)

Grade 7 Pass

Katharine Furse (Flute)

Merit

Esther Adebajo (Alto Saxophone), India Burney (Singing), Antonia Holloway (Cello), Eliza Inglis (Flute)

Grade 8 Pass

Jane Tung (Percussion)

Merit

Lauren Blair (Piano), Violet Crawfurd (Flute), Katy Lane (Singing)

Distinction

Elizabeth Bosson (Singing), Violet Crawfurd (Singing), Sophia Elger (Violin), Antonia Holloway (Oboe)

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The 1st lacrosse team was very new this season as we had lost 14 girls from the year before. It was a fantastic opportunity for many new players to step up to the challenge of playing to a much higher level and it was great to see that many of these players were former members of the U15 team. It was a daunting start to the season in our traditional match against Wycombe Abbey, the team that were to eventually win the National Schools’ Championship title. The girls were perhaps overwhelmed with the new standard of play at the time but it would prove to be the motivation that was necessary to progress, as we did, throughout the season.

Our standard of play quickly improved and players, coaches and parents were beginning to feel more confident. The team started to gel with increased motivation and communication. A pivotal match was our victory against St Mary’s Calne. We then went on to beat Berkhamsted and St Pauls towards the end of the Michaelmas Term, ending the year on a high. The Lent Term was short but we had plenty of match practice against the top schools and we performed well, beating Wycombe Abbey in the ‘Top Test Classic’, along with four other schools.

LACROSSE

1ST LACROSSE TEAM REPORT

The National Schools’ Tournament quickly came around and it was a successful first day. At the beginning of the season, the girls wouldn’t have imagined being in the top 16 teams in the country, and in achieving this they have should be very proud of themselves. We have a lot to build on for next year and it’s exciting to have such a strong foundation of players.

Miss Rebecca Thomas, Teacher of PE and House Tutor (Hill)

U15A LACROSSE SEASON The team started the season brilliantly by winning the Berkshire Lacrosse Tournament. Beating Queen Anne’s School in a close battle was very pleasing! Seventeen members of the team then went on to represent Berkshire in the South West Counties Tournament and both the A and B teams were victorious.

The team then went on to win the South West Tournament and the 7 Schools’ Tournament, again beating Queen Anne’s School. The build up to the Nationals was promising and the team trained hard. At the Nationals, the team qualified to the last 16 and our opponent in the knock out round to get to the quarter finals was Queen Anne’s. Unfortunately, they beat us for the first time in the season! Apart from the disappointment encountered at the Nationals, the season was a very successful one in which the team played some excellent Lacrosse.

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U15A Nationals Team

Mrs Lydia Rayne, Director of Sport

Roseanna Whitbread, UVI, Lacrosse Co-Captain

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

LACROSSE

LACROSSE TOUR TO USA This summer, 36 girls and four staff were lucky enough to be able to travel to the USA on a very exciting lacrosse tour. The girls were in mixed teams from the LV and UV year groups and would be playing club teams of the same age from the United States.

The tour included coaching and a tour around one of the division 1 lacrosse playing universities, a spot of sightseeing in Washington DC, a trip to one of the biggest theme and water parks in the world, a little shopping and of course, lots of lacrosse!

Our first game was a real eye-opener against one of the top clubs on the East Coast, Capital Lacrosse Club. They were clearly very well practised and had played as a team since the age of 10! Our girls weren’t used to the heat or wearing goggles and these factors led to a rather harsh defeat! The girls were not too disheartened and after a fantastic day and evening with their hosts, they went on to play their second match. This was a different story and the girls turned up with their game faces on! With a little bit of British weather

160

SPORT

(rain) and a determined attitude, they achieved a much closer score-line and were able to celebrate with their hosts over a fantastic post match meal provided by the supporters.

The last few days of the tour took us to the Club National Lacrosse Championships. Hundreds of teams enter the tournament from all over the East Coast and it is played at a sports complex with 25 immaculate pitches. The first day brought mixed results and it was encouraging to see the girls improving with every match they played. The second day saw some extremely exciting games and some very close results.

One of our teams achieved an impressive semi-final place, narrowly losing by one goal.The other teams too saw very close, one goal defeats to finish their tour.

All in all, the tour was a success in every way. It was clear to see that the girls’ lacrosse improved hugely throughout the tour and it has given us valuable preparation for the coming season. They made a great impression on the host families they stayed with and were able to see some of the best sights in the USA. It was a great experience for everyone involved!

Miss Rebecca Thomas, Teacher of PE and House Tutor (Hill)

This year, all of the hockey teams have been hugely successful, with lots of girls achieving some fantastic results. Over the course of the Michaelmas Term 19 girls attended the Berkshire Junior Academy Centre (JAC). All of the girls dedicated a huge amount of time and showed progress throughout the course. Following this, Rebecca Radford, UV, was selected for the U16 Berkshire Team and has now been selected to attend the regional training camps during the summer.

U15 County Team

The 1st XI had a tough season, with a very young and new team, but with some big wins over Headington School and St Mary’s School Ascot, it looks promising for the future. Impressively, the U16s won the District Tournament without conceding a single goal. The U15s were the Berkshire runners up in the County Tournament and the U14s were semi-finalists in a very difficult and strong Berkshire Tournament. There is certainly a lot of talent on the hockey pitch and it is exciting to know that we will build upon this next year!

U16 District Winners

Rebecca Radford, LVI

Jessica Ledger, LVI, Hockey Captain

NETBALL SEASON REPORT

Melissa McAlpine, Woodley Netball Club U16 National Netball Club Champions

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NETBALL

The 2014-2015 1st VII was led by outstanding UVI players Lauren Blair (captain), Katy Lane (vice-captain), Adetoun Karunwi and Elizabeth Bosson, who brought experience and determination to the otherwise new squad. From the outset a wonderful team spirit developed, which included creating a 1st team rap! New match tactics saw notable wins against The Abbey and St Swithun’s, and the team worked hard throughout the season culminating in winning the South West Berkshire competition.

With a growing number of participants across the School, netball continues to thrive and we always aim to give every girl the opportunity to compete for the Downe House. Special mention must go to the girls in the U15C team who have worked as a team over two years and even set up their own morning training sessions to improve their performance. Throughout the season, there were regularly fantastic individual and team performances. The U15A team won the South West GSA competition, and the U14A and U13A teams both won their respective South West Berkshire tournaments.

Special mention must go to Melissa McAlpine who was selected to represent the U17 South Regional Team, and to Annabel Roest, Claudia Kandel and Anna Neville who all represented Newbury Juniors. Incredibly well done!

SENIOR PLAYER OF THE YEAR FOR NETBALL: Lauren Blair JUNIOR PLAYER OF THE YEAR FOR NETBALL: Alexa Feather Miss Laura Vickery, PE Teacher and Resident Tutor (Willis West)

U14A South West Berkshire Champions

HOCKEY

HOCKEY CAPTAIN’S REPORT

U13A South West Berkshire Champions

U15A South West GSA Champions

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

TENNIS

TENNIS REPORT Downe has enjoyed huge success in tennis this year. The coaching programme has continually improved throughout the year, with top UK players now coaching the team. Despite the adverse weather conditions, lessons continued throughout the year, generating a much better standard of play for all of the Downe House tennis students.

The year began with the 1st team participating in the National Schools AEGON competition. The team, consisting of Matilda Burles, UVI, Lara Wigan, LVI, Camilla Farrell, Olivia Harrison and Lucy Grace, all UV, reached the finals in Bolton and went on to be placed 3rd in the country. The School is now ranked in the top 20 in the country. When in Bolton, the LTA Tournament Director approached us and said “I didn’t know who Downe House was before this weekend, but I do now!” This validates and accentuates our success and improvement over the year.

Later in the year, the team went on tour to Barcelona. The Tennis Tour continues to be hugely successful, with girls having the opportunity to practise for up to five hours a day. I hope that this Tour continues in the future because it gives the girls great practice in readiness for the tennis season.

The Summer Term has held many successes, despite all of the exam stress, and it is amazing how many girls want to represent the School in matches. The results have been as consistent as ever and it looks as though the U15s can go the entire season unbeaten!

Lara Wigan, LVI

SQUASH REPORT It has been another good year for squash at Downe House. We have had several matches during the season in which both our First and Second teams did very well.

These prepared the teams well for the National Squash Championship 2015. Our Second team qualified for the Manchester finals and went on to achieve fifth place overall, which was an excellent result.

SQUASH

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This year has also seen the introduction of some internal squash leagues that are open to both pupils and staff. This has given the team players an opportunity to gain some varied match practice, as well as it being enjoyable. With seven leagues, varying from novice through to expert, this has given us the opportunity to bring beginners into the sport, as well as providing the opportunity for those who enjoy squash for leisure to play.

Mr John Payne, Teacher of PE

U15B Squash Team

U15B Squash Team

SPORT

SWIMMING AND BIATHLON

SWIMMING AND BIATHLON REPORT I have been delighted to captain the swimming team this year, alongside Florence Wildblood, UVI, who gallantly took up the position of co-captain a short while into the season.

September started with a new training regime at Downe House. As well as two free swims in the week, Mrs Jackman and Mrs Cocker have been employed to offer extra training in the evening, and an early morning session. More than 50 girls have taken up the opportunity to train in these sessions, resulting in an impressive 100 personal best times this year.

In October, Charlotte Clover, UV, and Claudia Kandel, UIV, competed in the regional rounds of the British Schools’ Biathlon Championships. Charlotte’s result ranked her 20th in the country, while Claudia was 29th out of 207 competitors. The finals were held at the Olympic Park in March. Charlotte produced a strong run and a personal best in her swim to improve her position to 9th in the country - an outstanding achievement.

In February, we hosted the annual Winter Swim Meet, with four schools competing in the U12 and U14 age groups.

For the first time in a number of years, Downe House came out on top, winning the trophy for both the U12 and U14.

The final swimming match of term resulted in two School records being broken. Claudia Kandel broke the U14 25m Front Crawl record. Her time of 14.02 seconds beat the previous record set in 2003.The U12 medley relay team of Morgan Kandrac, Florence Hack, Lucy Skrine and Omolade Pearse, all Remove, broke a ten year old record by 2.5 seconds.

GYMNASTICS CAPTAIN’S REPORT

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This year, many girls have been very enthusiastic about Gymnastics and members of the gym club have increased.

The Senior and Junior teams both competed in the GISGA two-piece competition, which was the first experience of competition for some girls in the Junior team, all of whom did very well and are to be congratulated. Congratulations also go to the Seniors who achieved third place in the team competition and I was very pleased to achieve third place overall in the individual competition.

Adetoun Karunwi, UVI, Gymnastics Captain

Outside of swimming matches, nine girls from Lower Sixth have passed their National Rescue Award for Swimming Teachers and Coaches (NRASTC). This is a nationally recognised life saving qualification. Congratulations go to Lauren Brolly, Hannah Goodyear, Sophie Larminie, Holly Parkinson, Lucinda Penney, Naomi Tan, Felicia Tchen, Hannah Simpson-Orlebar and Shuk Man (Sophia) Li. Natasha Seaton, UVI, Swimming Captain, and Mrs Paula Machin, Head of Swimming

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

GYMNASTICS

In May, Downe House played host again, this time for the Independent Boarding Schools’ Relays Gala. Ten schools arrived to compete with U13, U15 and Senior teams. Our U13 medley team of Helena Wormsley, LIV, and Morgan Kandrac, Lucy Skrine and Omolade Pearse, all Remove, won silver medals and Clementine Black, R, Kitty Shepherd-Cross, LIV, Sasha Percy-Davis, LIV, and Omolade Pearce, Remove, matched them in the freestyle relay. The U15 medley team of Claudia Kandel, Eloise Percy-Davis, Cecelia Kane, UIV, and Evelyn Graham, LV, achieved a bronze medal and the Senior medley team with Felicia Tchen, LVI, Grace Ingram, Rumbidzai Wasterfall and Charlotte Clover, all UV, finished second to gain silver medals. All the results were added together and Downe House finished second overall - only four points behind the eventual winners.

ATHLETICS 164

ATHLETICS REPORT The term started with the Berkshire Pentathlon, where ten Downe House girls were registered to compete. From the results in the county round, three of the ten girls were selected to represent Berkshire in the South East Combined Events. Ella Houston, LV, was placed third overall and will be competing in the National Heptathlon Finals in Bedford in September.

We competed against Queen Anne’s, St Mary’s School Ascot and Marlborough in Inter School matches and we won all of the Inter and Senior events. At the Newbury Schools’ Championships we won all age groups and twenty girls were selected to represent West Berkshire in the County Championships.

Due to an unfortunate clash with Sports’ Day, only those with National Entry Qualifications competed in the County Championships in June. Kitty ShepherdCross, LIV, won the 1500m in a School and personal best record time of 4.46 minutes. Hoi Laam (Karis) Cheung, UIV, came second in the High Jump and Charlotte Clover, UV, was placed fourth in the 1500m. Alexandra Hamilton, Remove, competed for West Berkshire in the Hurdles in the U13 Berkshire County Championships in July.

Remove won the last event of the day, the 4 x 100m. Downe House won the cup for the best overall school.

The standard of competitive performance in Athletics at Downe House is superb in relation to the amount of training. Many of the athletes are excellent tennis players and they juggle both disciplines valiantly. Outstanding performances this year from Ella Houston, Natasha Somerville-Cotton, LV, Amelia Hughes, UIV, and Kitty ShepherdCross. Well done to all of the girls.

Mrs Lydia Rayne, Director of Sport

Athletics Team at National Schools’ Championship

The English Schools’ Cup is a fantastic event where each school fields a team of 12 and each athlete has to compete in two events. Girls must compete in either one track and one field event, or in one track or field and a relay. The Downe House Junior Team reached the Regional B Final and were placed third overall. The Inter team came second at Millfield in the Regional A Final and seventh overall in the country. This is the first time ever in 18 years that our team has scored over 400 points, with the record now 414 points. We have some outstanding athletes in the UIV/ LV which is wonderful. Several athletes have really flourished having been able to train and compete with Newbury Athletics Club. At the National Finals in Bedford the team placed 10th overall.

Well done to everyone in the team for such an outstanding achievement and congratulations go to Ella Houston, who won both the hurdles and high jump, and to several of our athletes who achieved personal bests.

CROSS COUNTRY REPORT

At the Newbury Relays the Lower Fifth team won both of the Medley Relays, the Upper Fourth placed second, the Lower Fourth placed third, and the

Radley Relays Team

Cross Country continues to be successful in Inter House and Inter Schools Competitions. Several athletes have undertaken additional training with Newbury Athletics Club and this has helped them compete successfully both at Regional and National Level.

Clementine Black, R, Kitty Shepherd-Cross, LIV, Lara Bracher, LV, and Charlotte Clover, UV, were all winners in their respective age groups in the Inter House Competitions in December and March. In the Berkshire Schools’ Cross Country, the U12 Team placed second overall. Kitty Shepherd-Cross won the U15 event and Charlotte Clover placed fifth in the U17 event. We were delighted that Kitty and Charlotte were selected to run for Berkshire in the English Schools’ Cross Country Championships in March this year.

In the Newbury Schools, the U12, U14 and U17 teams won their respective events, and the U19 team was placed second overall. The Cross Country teams also enjoyed taking part in the Radley Relays. We were very proud that the U17 team won this year, and the U15 team was placed second.

Mrs Lydia Rayne, Director of Sport

U15 Newbury Team

U13 Newbury Team

SPORT

Downe House skiing is going through a very exciting stage. This year we have run ski trials at Hemel Hempstead and we had several training sessions at Skiplex Indoor Ski Slopes in Reading.

When we realised the enthusiasm and strength of our girls, we decided to enter two races, The British School Girls’ Races in Flaine, and the Inter School Ski Challenge in Les Houches.

We achieved excellent results at both.

SKIING

SKI REPORT

The A Team skiers for the British School Girls Races were Emma Poole, LVI, Georgina Hughes, LVI, and Storm Halestrap, UIV. In the B Team were Catherine Yung, LVI, Catherine Nicol, LIV and Zara Edmiston, LV. Everyone trained incredibly hard and skied very well. The A Team came 12th in the unregistered skiers section but sadly, due to several mishaps, the B Team was disqualified.

The outstanding achievement of the competition was Storm Halestrap winning Bronze in the U14 Giant Slalom and Bronze in the Combined Events. Well done Storm on your fantastic achievement.

Our second competition was the Annual Inter School Ski Challenge in Les Houches, open to children from British and International schools. The Slalom and Giant Slalom races are held over two days and we entered both an U12 Team, with Clementine Black, Lulu Halestrap and Matilda McDougall, all Remove, and an U14 Team, with Catherine Nicol, LIV, Storm Halestrap, UIV and Davina Drummond, UIV. The girls had a fantastic time and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the competition and the atmosphere at the event.

Everyone skied out of their ski boots.

In U12 Slalom, Lulu Halestrap won Gold, with Clementine Black taking the 5th Place medal. And in the U12 Giant Slalom Clementine Black picked up the 4th Place medal, with Lulu Halestrap taking the 5th Place Medal!

Overall, Downe House came 3rd out of the British schools, which is magnificent achievement and many thanks go to Mrs Henson, Miss Gane and Miss Smith for all their effort in making this year’s ski competitions such a great success for Downe House.

Mrs Frances Capps, Teacher of PE and Housemistress (Hill)

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SPORTS’ DAY 2015

SPORTS’ DAY 2015 As tradition dictates, the weather forecast was dubious for Sports’ Day and in the morning there was heavy rain, however, by noon the clouds had lifted and we were able to commence the first of the events.

Several records were broken; Ella Houston, LV, in the 80m Hurdles, Natasha Somerville-Cotton, LV, in the Triple Jump and Amelia Hughes, UIV, in the Javelin. There were some very close finishes in the track events and the girls all tried really hard to perform to the best of their abilities.

Cups were given to athletes who excelled on the day: Junior Pentathlon – Georgina Marchand, LIV Inter Pentathlon – Ella Houston, LV Piggott Cup for 100m – Cecilia Hughes, LV Williams Cup for Best Jump – Natasha Somerville-Cotton, LV (Triple Jump) Darley Cup for Achievement in the Juniors – Kitty Dodd-Noble, Remove

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Lucy Brain Cup for Achievement in the Inters – Ella Houston and Natasha Somerville-Cotton The winning House in all age groups and, therefore, overall winner of Sports’ Day was AGN. This is the first time a House has been so dominant and won all 4 Trophies; congratulations to all for their effort and to AGN for their incredible achievement.

Mrs Lydia Rayne, Director of Sport

SPORT

SPORTS’ DAY 2015 167

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

THE TEAMS

1st Lacrosse Squad

U15A Lacrosse Squad

1st XI Hockey Squad

U15A Hockey Squad

1st Netball Team

U15A Netball Team

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U16 Netball Team SPORT

U15 Cross Country Team

Flaines Ski Team

Les Houches Ski Team

THE TEAMS

1st Cross Country Team

169

Senior Athletics Team

U15 Athletics Team

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

THE TEAMS

Junior Gymnastics Team

Senior Gymnastics Team

1st Tennis Squad

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Aegon Tennis Team

SPORT

U15A Squash Team

1st Swimming Squad

U15A Swimming Squad

THE TEAMS

1st Squash Squad

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U16 Swimming Squad

These photographs have been reproduced by kind permission of Gillman & Soame photographers and can be re-ordered by visiting www.gsimagebank.co.uk/downe-house, with the Login Token downehouse2015.

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

172

Year

Subject

Award

Nominee

R

Drama

Drama Colours

Annissa Baber

R

Design & Technology

Excellence and High Achievement

Clementine Black

R

Modern Languages

Excellence and High Achievement

Wan Hei (Victoria) Cho

R

Music

Excellence and High Achievement

Wan Hei (Victoria) Cho

R

Drama

Progress and Effort Prize

Katharine Corbett

R

Drama

Drama Colours

Imogen Dale

R

Drama

Drama Colours

Molly Dubens

R

English

Progress and Effort Prize

Lulu Halestrap

R

Biology

Progress and Effort Prize

Alexandra Hamilton

R

ICT

Progress and Effort Prize

Honor Hamwee

R

Music

Whitehouse-Vaux Cup (Most Promising Musician in the Lower School)

Antonia Holloway

R

Music

The Evelyn Barbirolli Woodwind Prize

Antonia Holloway

R

Classics

Progress and Effort Prize

Gardiner Hunt

R

PE

Progress and Effort Prize

Gardiner Hunt

R

Physics

Progress and Effort Prize

Gardiner Hunt

R

RS

Progress and Effort Prize

Morgan Kandrac

R

Drama

Drama Colours

Tabitha Kendall

R

ICT

Excellence and High Achievement

Yoo-Jeong Kim

R

Maths

Excellence and High Achievement

Yoo-Jeong Kim

R

Biology

Excellence and High Achievement

Priya Kooros

R

English

Excellence and High Achievement

Priya Kooros

R

History

Excellence and High Achievement

Priya Kooros

R

Physics

Excellence and High Achievement

Priya Kooros

R

Hermitage

The Lunn Cup

Jemima Landale

R

PE

Excellence and High Achievement

Jemima Landale

R

Modern Languages

Progress and Effort Prize

Florence McNair Scott

R

Art

Excellence and High Achievement

Omolade Pearse

R

RS

Excellence and High Achievement

Omolade Pearse

R

Chemistry

Progress and Effort Prize

Poppy Penney

R

Maths

Progress and Effort Prize

Poppy Penney

R

Speech & Drama

Most Promising Group Performance in Speech and Drama

Poppy Penney

R

Design & Technology

Progress and Effort Prize

Francesca Rhodes

R

Speech & Drama

Most Promising Group Performance in Speech and Drama

Francesca Rhodes

R

Drama

Excellence and High Achievement

Imogen Ridley

R

Drama

Drama Colours

Poppy Scales

R

Speech & Drama

Most Promising Group Performance in Speech and Drama

Florence Stringer

R

History

Progress and Effort Prize

Lúa Vázquez Sánchez

R

Speech & Drama

Most Promising Group Performance in Speech and Drama

Saskia Walton

R

Art

Progress and Effort Prize

Daisy Williams

R

Classics

Excellence and High Achievement

Daisy Williams

R

Geography

Progress and Effort Prize

Daisy Williams

R

Hill

The Moore Cup

Daisy Williams

R

Chemistry

Excellence and High Achievement

Rosalind Wippell DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

PRIZE GIVING

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR PRIZE WINNERS

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PRIZE GIVING 174

Year

Subject

Award

Nominee

R

Geography

Excellence and High Achievement

Rosalind Wippell

R

Music

Progress and Effort Prize

Rosalind Wippell

LIV

Chemistry

Excellence and High Achievement

Alexandra Adderley

LIV

RS

Progress and Effort Prize

Alexandra Adderley

LIV

Drama

Drama Colours

Emma Bracken

LIV

English

Excellence and High Achievement

Emily Carpmael

LIV

Music

Progress and Effort Prize

Emily Carpmael

LIV

Darwin

The Berwick Cup

Zoe Carruthers

LIV

Drama

Progress and Effort Prize

Zoe Carruthers

LIV

Drama

Drama Colours

Zoe Carruthers

LIV

Art

Progress and Effort Prize

Anouk Davies

LIV

English

Progress and Effort Prize

Georgina Day

LIV

PE

Progress and Effort Prize

Abriella (Abby) Dolbear

LIV

Drama

Excellence and High Achievement

Tara Farquhar

LIV

Art

Excellence and High Achievement

Mili Haywood

LIV

Physics

Progress and Effort Prize

Jessica Hewlett

LIV

Geography

Excellence and High Achievement

Alexandra Kiy

LIV

History

Excellence and High Achievement

Georgina Marchand

LIV

Drama

Drama Colours

Lucy McCreery

LIV

ICT

Progress and Effort Prize

Lucy McCreery

LIV

Modern Languages

Progress and Effort Prize

Lucy McCreery

LIV

Design & Technology

Progress and Effort Prize

Gabriella Nelson

LIV

Music

Excellence and High Achievement

Gabriella Nelson

LIV

Design & Technology

Excellence and High Achievement

Anna Neville

LIV

Drama

Drama Colours

Anna Neville

LIV

History

Progress and Effort Prize

Charlotte Nicholson

LIV

Maths

Progress and Effort Prize

Charlotte Nicholson

LIV

Biology

Excellence and High Achievement

Catherine Nicol

LIV

Classics

Excellence and High Achievement

Catherine Nicol

LIV

Maths

Excellence and High Achievement

Catherine Nicol

LIV

Modern Languages

Excellence and High Achievement

Catherine Nicol

LIV

Physics

Excellence and High Achievement

Catherine Nicol

LIV

Drama

Drama Colours

Sasha Percy-Davis

LIV

Geography

Progress and Effort Prize

Alice Peters

LIV

ICT

Excellence and High Achievement

Alice Peters

LIV

RS

Excellence and High Achievement

Alice Peters

LIV

Biology

Progress and Effort Prize

Olivia Pockney

LIV

Chemistry

Progress and Effort Prize

Camilla Read

LIV

PE

Excellence and High Achievement

Kitty Shepherd-Cross

LIV

PE

Athletics Colours

Kitty Shepherd-Cross

LIV

Classics

Progress and Effort Prize

Imogen Webber

LIV

Drama

Drama Colours

Helena Wormsley

UIV

Design & Technology

Textiles Prize

Catharina Benigni

UIV

Design & Technology

Progress and Effort Prize

Rosie Blackburn

UIV

RS

Excellence and High Achievement

Rosie Blackburn

UIV

Music

Excellence and High Achievement

Elizabeth Bolodeoku

UIV

Drama

Drama Colours

Esther Bolodeoku

AWARDS AND MORE

Subject

Award

Nominee

UIV

Maths

Progress and Effort Prize

Sophie Bott

UIV

Classics

Excellence and High Achievement

Nina Bugeja

UIV

Design & Technology

Food Technology Prize

Nina Bugeja

UIV

PE

Athletics Colours

Hoi Laam (Karis) Cheung

UIV

English

Excellence and High Achievement

Calypso Cox

UIV

Drama

Drama Colours

Cosima Davies

UIV

English

Excellence and High Achievement

Kirsty Depledge

UIV

Physics

Progress and Effort Prize

Kirsty Depledge

UIV

Drama

Drama Colours

Kirsty Depledge

UIV

Geography

Progress and Effort Prize

Imogen Dundas

UIV

Music

Progress and Effort Prize

Lauren Dunn

UIV

Geography

Excellence and High Achievement

Lucy Dyer

UIV

Drama

Drama Colours

Lucy Dyer

UIV

Physics

Excellence and High Achievement

Sophie Elliot

UIV

Modern Languages

Progress and Effort Prize

Tae-Chan Ellis

UIV

Design & Technology

Excellence and High Achievement

Florence Fanshawe

UIV

Drama

Excellence and High Achievement

Florence Fanshawe

UIV

Classics

Progress and Effort Prize

Isabel Fincham

UIV

PE

Progress and Effort Prize

Christabel Graham

UIV

Drama

Drama Colours

Imogen Gregory

UIV

Design & Technology

Resistant Materials Prize

Katie Hackman

UIV

RS

Progress and Effort Prize

Katie Hackman

UIV

English

Progress and Effort Prize

Storm Halestrap

UIV

Chemistry

Progress and Effort Prize

Charlotte Harrabin

UIV

Drama

Drama Colours

Georgia Hewitson

UIV

PE

Athletics Colours

Milly Hine

UIV

Drama

Drama Colours

Maya Huby

UIV

PE

Excellence and High Achievement

Amelia Hughes

UIV

PE

Athletics Colours

Amelia Hughes

UIV

History

Progress and Effort Prize

Alexandra Jardine

UIV

Drama

Drama Colours

Cecelia Kane

UIV

ICT

Progress and Effort Prize

Alisia McKay

UIV

Drama

Progress and Effort Prize

Lara Mountain

UIV

Art

Progress and Effort Prize

Celeste Percy

UIV

Drama

Drama Colours

Celeste Percy

UIV

Art

Excellence and High Achievement

Eva Percy

UIV

Biology

Progress and Effort Prize

Anna Riley

UIV

Biology

Excellence and High Achievement

Sabrina Sambhi

UIV

Chemistry

Excellence and High Achievement

Sabrina Sambhi

UIV

ICT

Excellence and High Achievement

Sabrina Sambhi

UIV

Modern Languages

Excellence and High Achievement

Sabrina Sambhi

UIV

History

Excellence and High Achievement

Tsz Ki (Serena) Tong

UIV

Maths

Excellence and High Achievement

Tsz Ki (Serena) Tong

UIV

Music

The Elizabeth Pickering Prize

Charlotte Toogood

UIV

PE

Athletics Colours

Alexa Wiggin

UIV

Drama

Drama Colours

Charlotte (Lottie) Zeal

LV

Drama

Progress and Effort Prize

Jameliah Adekunle

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

PRIZE GIVING

Year

175

PRIZE GIVING 176

Year

Subject

LV

Award

Nominee

Junior Olive Willis Prize

Jameliah Adekunle

LV

Biology

Progress and Effort Prize

Louisa Ansell

LV

Biology

Progress and Effort Prize

Mariella (Ella) Bennett

LV

PE

Tennis Colours

Mariella (Ella) Bennett

LV

PE

Athletics Colours

Ilaria Bevan

Junior Olive Willis Prize

Ilaria Bevan

Excellence and High Achievement

Eleanor Bishop

Junior Olive Willis Prize

Eleanor Bishop

LV LV

English

LV LV

PE

Junior Victor Ludorum Sports Cup

Isabelle Brown

LV

Biology

Progress and Effort Prize

Eleanor Campbell

LV

Music

The Steen Cup

Man I (Melissa) Chang

LV

Classics

Excellence and High Achievement

Emilie Cheung

LV

RS

Excellence and High Achievement

Gwendoline Choi

LV

Modern Languages

Progress and Effort Prize

Grace Cornish

LV

PE

Tennis Colours

Sasha Coulson

LV

Biology

Excellence and High Achievement

Jennifer Darko

LV

ICT

Excellence and High Achievement

Jennifer Darko

LV

Physics

Progress and Effort Prize

Marie-Gabrielle de Woot de Trixhe de Jannee

LV

Art

Bathurst LV Art Award

Laura Douglas-Hamilton

LV

Modern Languages

Excellence and High Achievement

Omotara Edu

LV

Art

Progress and Effort Prize

Holly Evans

LV

PE

Athletics Colours

Holly Evans

LV

PE

Tennis Colours

Alexa Feather

LV

Classics

Progress and Effort Prize

Christabel Gilmour

Junior Olive Willis Prize

Evelyn Graham

LV LV

Art

Excellence and High Achievement

Lauren Griffith

LV

Biology

Excellence and High Achievement

Lauren Griffith

LV

English

The Gosse LV English Prize

Lauren Griffith

Progress and Effort Prize

Lauren Griffith

LV

Lucasta Partridge-Hicks Trophy

Anna Hewitt

LV

Junior Olive Willis Prize

Jasmine Holland

LV

History

LV

Drama

Excellence and High Achievement

Eliza Horn

LV

PE

Tennis Colours

Verity Hornby

LV

PE

Excellence and High Achievement

Ella Houston

Junior Olive Willis Prize

Ella Houston

LV LV

Drama

Drama Colours

Rose Hughes

LV

RS

Progress and Effort Prize

Hebe Ide

LV

Music

The Julia Dowson Cup

Wai-Ping (Sarah) Kwok

LV

Foote Essay - Highly Commended

Wai-Ping (Sarah) Kwok

LV

Foote Essay - 2nd Prize

Francesca Lahiri

LV

Design & Technology

Progress and Effort Prize

Alexia Milliken

LV

Design & Technology

Excellence and High Achievement

Lara Mun-Gavin

LV

PE

Progress and Effort Prize

Faith Norman

Lucasta Partridge-Hicks (Highly Commended)

Faith Norman

Tennis Colours

Alexandra O’Kane

Junior Olive Willis Prize

Alexandra O’Kane

LV LV

PE

LV

AWARDS AND MORE

Subject

Award

Nominee

LV

Chemistry

Excellence and High Achievement

Jessica Pemberton

LV

Classics

Excellence and High Achievement

Jessica Pemberton

LV

Music

Excellence and High Achievement

Jessica Pemberton

LV

Chemistry

Progress and Effort Prize

Nutthapit Poolworaluk

LV

Physics

Excellence and High Achievement

Nutthapit Poolworaluk

LV

Drama

Priestley Cup for Most Promising Young Performer

Annabel Roest

LV

Drama

Drama Colours

Annabel Roest

Lucasta Partridge-Hicks (Highly Commended)

Annabel Roest

LV LV

Drama

Drama Colours

Henrietta Ryan

LV

PE

Athletics Colours

Henrietta Ryan

LV

Drama

Drama Colours

Clara Silcock

Foote Essay - 3rd Prize

Clara Silcock

LV LV

English

Progress and Effort Prize

Katelyn Taylor

LV

Drama

Drama Colours

Rebecca Topping

LV

Geography

Progress and Effort Prize

Isabella West

LV

Geography

Excellence and High Achievement

Alice Wills

LV

Maths

Excellence and High Achievement

Alice Wills

Foote Essay - 1st Prize

Alice Wills

LV LV

PE

Tennis Colours

Skye Wilson

LV

Music

Progress and Effort Prize

Catharine Wippell

Junior Olive Willis Prize

Catharine Wippell

LV LV

Drama

Drama Colours

Isabel Wood

LV

Biology

Excellence and High Achievement

Saskia Wormsley

LV

History

Excellence and High Achievement

Saskia Wormsley

Lucasta Partridge-Hicks (Highly Commended)

Saskia Wormsley

LV LV

ICT

Progress and Effort Prize

Tabonga Yangailo

LV

Maths

Progress and Effort Prize

Tabonga Yangailo

UV

AGN

The Austin Cup

Charlotte Aldrich

UV

Drama

Excellence and High Achievement

Henrietta Allen

UV

Drama

Drama Colours

Emma Barrett-Fish

UV

Biology

Progress and Effort Prize

Roseanna Bromley

UV

Drama

Drama Colours

Roseanna Bromley

UV

Music

The Marjorie Gunn Music Prize

Anna Chalmers

UV

Physics

Excellence and High Achievement

Anna Chalmers

UV

Design & Technology

Progress and Effort Prize

Zara Chamberlain

UV

Biology

Excellence and High Achievement

Huen Tung (Angela) Chan

UV

Modern Languages

Excellence and High Achievement

Wing Pui (Tiffany) Chan

UV

Music

Excellence and High Achievement

Wing Pui (Tiffany) Chan

UV

Modern Languages

Progress and Effort Prize

Charlotte Clover

UV

PE

Athletics Colours

Charlotte Clover

UV

RS

Progress and Effort Prize

Jasmine Coulson

UV

Music

Progress and Effort Prize

Violet Crawfurd

UV

Aisholt

The Houghton Cup

Emily Crowston

UV

Drama

Drama Colours

Georgina Dick

UV

Art

Excellence and High Achievement

Eliza Downes

UV

Chemistry

Progress and Effort Prize

Sophia Elger

UV

Drama

Progress and Effort Prize

Florence Elliott

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

PRIZE GIVING

Year

177

PRIZE GIVING 178

Year

Subject

Award

Nominee

UV

Physics

Progress and Effort Prize

Harriet Emery

UV

Design & Technology

Excellence and High Achievement

Lavinia Falck

UV

PE

Progress and Effort Prize

Camilla Farrell

UV

PE

Tennis Colours

Camilla Farrell

UV

Speech & Drama

The Speech and Drama Trinity Award

Rose Galbraith

UV

English

Progress and Effort Prize

Lucy Grace

UV

Maths

The Elizabeth Anne Beel Memorial Trophy for Mathematical Endeavour

Kirstin Gray

UV

PE

Tennis Colours

Lucy Harley

UV

Classics

Excellence and High Achievement

Olivia Harrison

UV

PE

Tennis Colours

Olivia Harrison

UV

History

Progress and Effort Prize

Sandrine Heller

UV

Geography

Progress and Effort Prize

Lara Kary

UV

Chemistry

Excellence and High Achievement

Janice Wing Tung Kwong

UV

ICT

Excellence and High Achievement

Oi Ka (Natalie) Lam

UV

Maths

Excellence and High Achievement

Oi Ka (Natalie) Lam

UV

Art

Progress and Effort Prize

Katherine Lyons

UV

Classics

Progress and Effort Prize

Katherine Lyons

UV

Drama

Drama Colours

Araminta Moore

UV

Holcombe

The Barnes Cup

Gemma Mountain

UV

ICT

Progress and Effort Prize

Gemma Mountain

UV

Maths

Progress and Effort Prize

Jemima Oliver

UV

Tedworth

The Gwatkin Cup

Daisy Padovan

UV

Drama

Drama Colours

Caroline Quillen

UV

PE

Excellence and High Achievement

Rebecca Radford

UV

English

Progress and Effort Prize

Charlotte Simpson

UV

English

Excellence and High Achievement

Alexandra Thomas

UV

RS

Overall Prize at GCSE

Alexandra Thomas

UV

Geography

Excellence and High Achievement

Alyx Van der Vorm

UV

Geography

GCSE Investigation

Alyx Van der Vorm

UV

History

Excellence and High Achievement

Alyx Van der Vorm

UV

Modern Languages

The Maitland French Prize

Alyx Van der Vorm

UV

RS

Excellence and High Achievement

Rumbidzai Wasterfall

UV

Drama

Drama Colours

Emma Wyatt

LVI

Geography

The Natasha Butcher Cup for Geographical Research

Molly Adams

LVI

PE

Progress and Effort Prize

Molly Adams

LVI

PE

Athletics Colours

Molly Adams

LVI

Physics

Excellence and High Achievement

Esther Adebajo

LVI

Design & Technology

Excellence and High Achievement

Eleanor Armstrong

LVI

Social Science

Economics Excellence and High Achievement

Flora Camps-Harris

LVI

Art

Excellence and High Achievement

Emily Dodd-Noble

LVI

Art

History of Art Excellence and High Achievement

Georgia Findlay

LVI

Geography

Excellence and High Achievement

Georgia Findlay

Excellent Progress in Examinations

Georgia Findlay

LVI LVI

Social Science

Business Studies Progress and Effort Prize

Louisa Henry

LVI

Social Science

Economics Progress and Effort Prize

Cecily Hornby

LVI

Art

Progress and Effort Prize

Lara-Lily Hurd

AWARDS AND MORE

Subject

Award

Nominee

LVI

Drama

Excellence and High Achievement

Lara-Lily Hurd

LVI

Biology

Excellence and High Achievement

Soyeon Kim

LVI

Chemistry

Excellence and High Achievement

Soyeon Kim

LVI

Maths

Excellence and High Achievement

Soyeon Kim

LVI

AGS

The Doherty Cup

Alexandra Kirk

LVI

Social Science

Politics Excellence and High Achievement

Jessica Ledger

LVI

Classics

Progress and Effort Prize

Lucy Leventhorpe

LVI

Maths

Progress and Effort Prize

Shuk Man (Sophia) Li

LVI

Classics

Excellence and High Achievement

Clare Maunder

LVI

English

Excellence and High Achievement

Clare Maunder

LVI

RS

Excellence and High Achievement

Clare Maunder

LVI

Speech & Drama

The Speech and Drama Communication Skills Award

Clare Maunder

LVI

Art

Julie Newton Photography Award

Amelia Milne

LVI

Modern Languages

Progress and Effort Prize

Lucy Mortlock

LVI

Music

Progress and Effort Prize

Lucy Mortlock

LVI

Geography

Progress and Effort Prize

Hattie Muncey

Excellent Progress in Examinations

Sophie Ordish

LVI LVI

Art

The Power Carlier Prize for Artistic Endeavour in the Holly Parkinson LVI

LVI

Social Science

Business Studies Excellence and High Achievement

Holly Parkinson

LVI

Chemistry

Progress and Effort Prize

Emma Peddie

LVI

Music

The Jo Butcher Prize

Lucinda Penney

LVI

Biology

Progress and Effort Prize

Zephyr Percy

LVI

Modern Languages

World Languages Cup for Exceptional Linguistic Achievement

Emma Poole

LVI

English

Progress and Effort Prize

Keshya Rana

LVI

History

Progress and Effort Prize

Keshya Rana

LVI

Drama

Progress and Effort Prize

Anouska Royle

LVI

English

The Rich LVI English Prize

Livia Russell

LVI

History

Excellence and High Achievement

Livia Russell

LVI

Modern Languages

Excellence and High Achievement

Livia Russell

LVI

Music

Excellence and High Achievement

Livia Russell

LVI

PE

Excellence and High Achievement

Alexandra Somerville-Cotton

LVI

RS

Progress and Effort Prize

Niamh Taylor

LVI

Biology

Progress and Effort Prize

Rosie Thistlethwayte

LVI

Design & Technology

Progress and Effort Prize

Laura Vaughan-Johnson

LVI

Biology

Excellence and High Achievement

Emily West

LVI

Art

History of Art Progress and Effort Prize

Isobel Wild

LVI

History

LVI History Prize

Isobel Wild

LVI

Social Science

Politics Progress and Effort Prize

Amelia Yerburgh

LVI

Physics

Progress and Effort Prize

Wing Yun (Catherine) Yung

LVI

Social Science

Politics Progress and Effort Prize

Katherina (Kitty) Zeal

UVI

Geography

UVI Geography Prize

Marta Barcelรณ Fontirroig

UVI

Social Science

Business Studies Progress and Effort Prize

Marta Barcelรณ Fontirroig

UVI

Drama

Progress and Effort Prize

Anna Black

UVI

Social Science

Politics Progress and Effort Prize

Anna Black

UVI

Design & Technology

Leiths - First Class

Cassiopeia Blackett-Ord DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

PRIZE GIVING

Year

179

PRIZE GIVING

Year

Subject

Award

Nominee

UVI

RS

The Mary Midgley Prize

Cassiopeia Blackett-Ord

UVI

Music

The Maclean Prize

Lauren Blair

UVI

Drama

Head of Drama Award

Mathilda Blythe

UVI

Drama

The Van Oss Cup for Music, Drama and Musical Theatre

Mathilda Blythe

UVI

Music

The Eileen Fairbank Cup

Elizabeth Bosson

UVI

Social Science

Economics Excellence and High Achievement

Elizabeth Bosson

UVI

PE

Progress and Effort Prize

Matilda Burles

UVI

Social Science

Politics Excellence and High Achievement

Matilda Burles

UVI

Design & Technology

Leiths - Merit

Jessica Campbell

UVI

RS

Progress and Effort Prize

Katharine Craig

UVI

Drama

The Kate Edey Cup for All Round Contribution to Drama

Sarah Creedy-Smith

UVI

Speech & Drama

The Speech and Drama Musical Theatre Award

Sarah Creedy-Smith

UVI

Design & Technology

Leiths - First Class

Clara de Montfort

UVI

Design & Technology

Leiths - Merit

Hetty Fairbanks-Smith

UVI

Design & Technology

Leiths - Merit

Isobel Flack

UVI

Maths

Progress and Effort Prize

Elinor Fleming

UVI

Design & Technology

Excellence and High Achievement

Marina Hacking

UVI

Design & Technology

Leiths - Merit

Emilia Hewlett

UVI

Geography

Excellence and High Achievement

Emilia Hewlett

UVI

Modern Languages

Excellence and High Achievement

Emilia Hewlett

Liliana Heather Prize

Emilia Hewlett

UVI

180

UVI

Biology

Progress and Effort Prize

Ella Hockings

UVI

English

Progress and Effort Prize

Alexandra Howard

UVI

Design & Technology

Leiths - Merit

Alexandra Howard

UVI

PE

Excellence and High Achievement

Adetoun Karunwi

UVI

Modern Languages

Owen Sixth Form Prize

Lucie Kiehl

UVI

Design & Technology

Leiths - Merit

Arabella Koessler

UVI

Chaplain

The Parsons Chapel Cup

Morolayo Lambo

UVI

Modern Languages

The Salter Prize

Morolayo Lambo

UVI

Physics

Progress and Effort Prize

Morolayo Lambo

UVI

Music

The Bedwell Singing Prize

Katy Lane

UVI

Design & Technology

Leiths - Merit

Anastasia Law

UVI

Art

The Russell Photography Award

Florence Li

UVI

Duke of Edinburgh

Gold Award

Florence Li

UVI

English

Progress and Effort Prize

Florence Li

UVI

Modern Languages

Progress and Effort Prize

Florence Li

UVI

Design & Technology

Elizabeth Palmer Cup for Technology

Madeleine Mather

UVI

Design & Technology

Leiths - First Class

Madeleine Mather

UVI

Social Science

Business Studies Excellence and High Achievement

Madeleine Mather

UVI

Classics

Progress and Effort Prize

Mary Mayfield

UVI

Design & Technology

Leiths - Merit

Mary Mayfield

UVI

Biology

The Margaret Gill Biology Prize

Arabella Newton

UVI

Chemistry

Rippon Chemistry Prize

Arabella Newton

UVI

Maths

Excellence and High Achievement

Arabella Newton

UVI

Physics

Physics Prize

Arabella Newton

Foote Research Prize

Arabella Newton

UVI AWARDS AND MORE

Subject

Award

Nominee

UVI

Geography

Progress and Effort Prize

Frances Nicholson

UVI

Social Science

Economics Progress and Effort Prize

Frances Nicholson

The Olive Willis Prize

Frances Nicholson

UVI UVI

Biology

Excellence and High Achievement

Alice Pearson

UVI

Chemistry

Excellence and High Achievement

Alice Pearson

UVI

Physics

Excellence and High Achievement

Alice Pearson

UVI

History

Excellence and High Achievement

Willa Prest

UVI

PE

Victor Ludorum Sports Cup

Georgina Revell

UVI

Drama

Excellence and High Achievement

Charlotte Scobie

UVI

Speech & Drama

The Speech and Drama Cup for Overall Excellence

Charlotte Scobie

UVI

Speech & Drama

The Speech and Drama RADA Award

Charlotte Scobie

UVI

Design & Technology

Leiths - Merit

Charlotte Scobie

UVI

Head Senior Prize

Natasha Seaton

UVI

The Stuart Alexander Cup

Natasha Seaton

UVI

Design & Technology

Leiths Award

Flora Tudhope

UVI

Design and Technology

Leiths - Distinction

Flora Tudhope

UVI

Design & Technology

Progress and Effort Prize

Naomi Vallance

UVI

PE

Sports Science Progress and Effort Prize

Naomi Vallance

UVI

Design & Technology

Leiths - Merit

Olivia Webb-Bowen

UVI

History

Progress and Effort Prize

Meredith Webber

UVI

Music

The Glanville Prize

Meredith Webber

UVI

English

Progress and Effort Prize

Charlotte Whitehead

UVI

English

Excellence and High Achievement

Florence Wildblood

UVI

RS

Excellence and High Achievement

Florence Wildblood

UVI

Chemistry

Progress and Effort Prize

Louvinia Wong

UVI

Music

Jennifer Davies Music Prize

Wai Yu

UVI

Maths

Sixth Form Prize

Zhen Zhen

DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S AWARDS Congratulations to all those girls achieving Bronze and Gold Awards this year.

Upper Fifth – Bronze Awards Charlotte Aldrich, Henrietta Allen, Emma Barrett-Fish, Deena Bhanarai, Amelia Binns, Miranda Bird, Roseanna Bromley, India Burney, Zara Chamberlain, Huen Tung (Angela) Chan, Wing Pui (Tiffany) Chan, Charlotte Clover, Laura Conneely, Jasmine Coulson, Violet Crawfurd, Emily Crowston, Georgina Dick, Eliza Downes, Kezia Dubens, Florence Elliott, Harriet Emery, Isabel Eversfield, Lavinia Falck, Georgina Ford, Georgina Galbraith, Rose Galbraith, Katharine Garvin, Anna Goodman, Kirstin Gray, Iona Hanson, Celine Harborne, Lucy Harley, Olivia Harrison, Sophia Hill, Olivia Holden, Aurelia (Poppy) Holloway, Molly Hunloke, Grace Ingram, Iona Jardine, Lara Kary, Si Yoon (Rebecca) Kim, Claudia Kingham, Janice Wing Tung Kwong, India Laidlaw, Oi Ka (Natalie) Lam, Octavia Leahy, Charlotte Ledger, Imogen Luczyc-Wyhowska, Katherine Maloney, Sophie Manners, Hebe Meredith, Alexandra Milne, Ella Monck, Araminta Moore, Gemma Mountain, Arabella Nourse, Jemima Oliver, Charlotte Orpen, Daisy Padovan, Florence Palmer, Polina Parr, Honor Pattisson, Lucy Phillips, Caroline Quillen, Rebecca Radford, Viviana Radway, Zoe Rice, Lamise Saber, Oonagh Sargentson, Sereena Singh, Isabelle Smith, Lydia Stonehill, Elvira Thomas, Alexandra Thomas, Chidimma Umeh, Alyx Van der Vorm, Georgiana Ward, Rumbidzai Wasterfall, Caroline Watkinson, Poppy Winsor, Emma Wyatt Lower Sixth – Bronze Awards Arabella Cable, Isabella Hancock, Amelia Milne, Keshya Rana Upper Sixth – Gold Awards Isabella Arnott, Emily Asprey, Sophie Bashall, Elizabeth Bosson, Charlotte Eden, India Kary, Ingrid Lam, Emily Lyle, Henrietta Montgomerie, Frances Nicholson, Jessica Robinson, Sophie Shipton, Lara Spearman, Flora Tiley, Holiday Wallis DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

PRIZE GIVING

Year

181

WELCOME 182

NEW GIRLS 2014/15 We were delighted to welcome the following girls into the Downe House community during the year.

REMOVE

Lily Mathews

Curridge Primary School

Toluwase Agusto

Corona School

Matilda McDougall

Leaden Hall School

Faridah Are

St Saviour’s School (Nigeria)

SJI International Elementary School

Annissa Baber

Tanglin Trust Junior School

Clementine McNair Scott

Clementine Black

Eaton Square School

Florence McNair Scott

SJI International Elementary School

Lucia Bugeja

Chiswick House School

Omolade Pearse

St Saviour’s School (Nigeria)

Wan Hei (Victoria) Cho

Godstowe Preparatory School

Poppy Penney

Repton School Dubai

Constance Pope

St Gabriel’s School

Katharine Corbett

Berkhamsted Prep School

Francesca Rhodes

S. Anselm’s School

Romilly Cox

Kellett School

Imogen Ridley

Thomas’s (Fulham)

Imogen Dale

Pembridge Hall

Alice Rodgers

Brambletye School

Saskia Dale

Pembridge Hall

Kate Rollo

Pembridge Hall

Kitty Dodd-Noble

St Hugh’s School

Poppy Scales

The Lennon Bilingual School Paris

Molly Dubens

Garden House School

Lucy Skrine

The ISF Academy, Hong Kong

Tare Ebimami

Lagos Preparatory School

Florence Stringer

Christina Elliot

Thomas’s (Fulham)

British International School of New York

Chioma Emenike

Hillside Primary and Nursery School

Lisabel Thistlethwayte

Twyford Preparatory School

Louisa Fiertz

Francis Holland School

Lúa Vázquez Sánchez

International School Aravaca

Lavinia Geddes

Norland Place School

Saskia Walton

Sarum Hall School

Emily Glover

Fulham Prep School

Beatrice Weaver

Garden House School

Florence Hack

Thomas’s (Kensington)

Daisy Williams

Lulu Halestrap

La Cote International School

Eaton House the Manor Girls’ School

Alexandra Hamilton

St Margaret’s Preparatory School

Rosalind Wippell

Glendower Preparatory School

Honor Hamwee

Garden House School

Antonia Holloway

Monkfrith Primary School

Francesca Horton

St Catherine’s School, Australia

Phoebe Hughes

Farleigh School

Gardiner Hunt

Redcliffe School

Olivia Jackson

Kensington Prep School

Lara Kabir Jennings

Norland Place School

Morgan Kandrac

LOWER FOURTH Mili Haywood

Kitebrook House School

Olivia Lopes

Mount House School

Georgina Marchand

Kellett School

Lucy McCreery

Broomwood Hall

Nosa Ogiemwonyi

The Regent Secondary School, Abuja

Garden House School

Gabriella Parkinson

Broomwood Hall

Elsa Karoly

Dolphin School London

Ottilie Whitbread

Sandroyd

Tabitha Kendall

Pembridge Hall

Yoo-Jeong Kim

Cottesmore School

Priya Kooros

Bute House Preparatory School

Jemima Landale

Beaudesert Park Preparatory School

Rosanna Love

The Study Preparatory School (Wimbledon)

Saskia Mactaggart

Bute House Preparatory School

AWARDS AND MORE

LOWER FIFTH

Shalayna Assani

Edge Grove School

Sophie Bott

Heath Mount School

Hoi Laam (Karis) Cheung

St Stephen’s Girls College

Katherine Cochrane

Dragon School

Kirsty Depledge

Lambrook

Davina Drummond

Francis Holland School

Emily Duckworth

Broomwood Hall

Imogen Dundas

Mowden Hall School

Lauren Dunn

Marlston House School

Tae-Chan Ellis

Thomas’s (Battersea)

Isabella Evans

Marie-Gabrielle de Woot de Trixhe de Jannee

Institut Saint Julie

Elizabeth Michaelson

Trevor Day School

Xiaoyi (Vanessa) Mu

Dalian Maple Leaf International School

WELCOME

UPPER FOURTH

LOWER SIXTH Hannah Beck

Westlake High School

Nataliia Chevska

Lyceum N 157

June Eric-Udorie

Children’s International School (Nigeria)

Moor Park School

Georgina Hughes

St Mary’s, Shaftsbury

Lucinda Hammond

Eagle House School

Soyeon Kim

Olivia Heywood

Dulwich College Beijing

North London Collegiate School (Jeju)

Trinity Hill

Godstowe Preparatory School

Lucy Mortlock

Grittleton House School

Milly Hine

Marlston House School

Anastasia Reinl

Feodor-Lynen-Gymnasium

Alexandra Jardine

Beaudesert Park Preparatory School

Naomi Tan

Kinabalu International School

Kwan Ee (Claire) Tay

Chinese International School

Isabella Jones

Putney High School

Olivia King

Bedford Girls’ School

Chee Sum (Tiffany) Lai

Diocesan Girls’ Junior School

Andreja MirosevicSorgo

The Harrodian

Anastasia Mullen

Beaudesert Park Preparatory School

Katherine O’Shea

Godstowe Preparatory School

Hye Lim Park

Cottesmore School

Elizabeth Reynard

Godstowe Preparatory School

Anna Riley

The British International School, Puxi, Shanghai

Alana Robertson

Thomas’s (Battersea)

Yian (Annabel) Shi

The British International School, Puxi, Shanghai

Holly Skinner

Woldingham School

Emma Talbot Rice

Farleigh School

Tsz Ki (Serena) Tong

Good Hope School

Charlotte Toogood

Marlston House School

You-Oceane Wang

Harrow International, Beijing

Charlotte Watt

Broomwood Hall

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DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

GENERATIONS

DOWNE THROUGH THE GENERATIONS REMOVE

LOWER FIFTH

Clementine Black

Mother

Mary Hancock

Nicola Blackett-Ord

Mother

Annabel Pilling

Clementine Blackett-Ord

Aunt

Katharine Corbett

Aunt

Victoria Pilling

Rosanna Craig

Mother

Joanna Gardner

Diana Lewis

Cecilia Hughes

Mother

Camilla Brooks

Elizabeth Tatham

Grandmother

Elizabeth Colby

Skye Wilson

Aunts

Victoria, Alice, Beatrice & Henrietta Lynne

Catharine Wippell

Mother

Emma Wirgman

Kitty Dodd-Noble

Grandmother

Alexandra Hamilton

Mother

Charlotte Purchas

Phoebe Hughes

Mother

Camilla Brooks

Jemima Landale

Great grandmother

Heather Wood

Clementine McNair Scott

Grandmother

Anna Colquhoun

Great grandmother

Ruth Greenwell

UPPER FIFTH

Grandmother

Anna Colquhoun

Georgina Galbraith

Aunt

Ghislaine Galbraith

Great grandmother

Ruth Greenwell

Rose Galbraith

Aunt

Ghislaine Galbraith

Grandmother

Jill Macrae

Katharine Garvin

Grandmother

Clare McLeod

Honor Pattisson

Aunt

Jennie Every

Grandmother

Elizabeth Farrer

Aunts

Corty, Jane & Sarah Culverwell

Florence McNair Scott Kate Rollo Poppy Scales

Aunt

Emma Scales

Rosalind Wippell

Mother

Emma Wirgman LOWER SIXTH Molly Adams

LOWER FOURTH Georgina Day Annie Hazlitt

184

Mother

Henrietta Church

Aunt

Carolyn Church

Mother

Fru Hazlitt

Minna ConybeareCross

Mother

Camilla Robb

Aunt

Gillian Hazlitt

Emily Dodd-Noble

Grandmother

Diana Lewis

Julia Kennerley

Mother

Ghislaine Galbraith

Georgina Hughes

Mother

Camilla Brooks

Olivia Lopes

Aunt

Melinda Lopes

Lara-Lily Hurd

Aunt

Jessica Hurd

Henrietta Miles

Aunt

Sara Miles

Lucinda Penney

Grandmother

Christine Porter

Anna Neville

Mother

Pippa Gilbert

Ione Sandberg

Grandmother

Aline Duncan

Aunt

Emily Gilbert

Hannah SimpsonOrlebar

Mother

Julia Dopheide

Aunt

Patricia Dopheide

Mother

Rosemary Harrison

Poppy Wilson

Aunts

Grandmother

Audrey Hird

Aunt

Sheila Harrison

Victoria, Alice, Beatrice & Henrietta Lynne

Great Aunt

Sylvia Willoughby

Mother

Serena Bailey

Grandmother

Patricia Gordon

Anna Black

Mother

Rebecca White

Aunt

Fiona Bailey

Cassiopeia Blackett-Ord

Aunt

Nicola Blackett-Ord

Mother

Janet Murray

Matilda Burles

Mother

Penelope Reeves

Katharine Craig

Mother

Joanna Gardner

Jessica Lea

Aunt

Kitty Harvey

Louisa Pattisson

Aunt

Jennie Every

India Roberts

Mother

Johanna Franklin

Emily Rowse

Great Aunt

Jennifer Rowse

UPPER FOURTH Emily Biggs

Rosie Blackburn

Katherine Cochrane

Emily Duckworth

Great Aunts

Ann, Frances & Rosemary Murray

Mother

Iona Ballantine

Amelia Hughes

Mother

Camilla Brooks

Zara Karoly

Great Aunt

Susan Birch

Olivia King

Aunt

Natasha King

Imogen SimpsonOrlebar

Mother

Julia Dopheide

Aunt

Patricia Dopheide

Aunt

Selena Robertson

Alana Robertson

AWARDS AND MORE

UPPER SIXTH

REMOVE

Scholar

Exhibitioner

UPPER FIFTH

Scholar

Clementine Black

Sports & Art

Violet Crawfurd

Music

Lucia Bugeja

Music LOWER SIXTH

Scholar

Saskia Dale

Sports

Kitty Dodd-Noble

Sports

Esther Adebajo

Antonia Holloway

Music

Lauren Brolly

Academic

Academic

June Eric-Udorie

Academic

Saskia Mactaggart

Art

Victoria Fleming

Academic

Lara-Lily Hurd

Geraldine James (Drama)

Sports

Daisy Williams

All Rounder Clare Maunder Exhibitioner

Exhibitioner Academic

Priya Kooros Francesca Rhodes

Exhibitioner

Academic

Amelia Milne

Academic

UPPER FOURTH

Scholar

Shalayna Assani

Art

Sophie Ordish

Academic

Lara Bracher

Sports

Keshya Rana

Academic

Anouska Royle

Geraldine James (Drama)

Alice Burbidge

Drama

Katherine Cochrane

Academic

Lettice Cornell

Drama

Lucy Cunningham

Sports

Kirsty Depledge

All Rounder

Sophie Elliot

Drama

Isabella Evans Imogen Gregory

Music

Miranda Shaw

Geraldine James (Drama)

Academic

Emma Stonebridge

Academic

Academic

Cordelia Tahany

Academic

Academic

Emily West

Academic

Sports Drama

Trinity Hill

Drama

Milly Hine

Sports

Amelia Hughes

Sports

Claudia Kandel

Sports

Cecelia Kane

Drama

Iman Khalil

Drama

Olivia Kirkby

Drama

Hye Lim Park

Music

Elizabeth Reynard

Academic

DRAMA Music Academic

Sports

Emma Talbot Rice

Music

Alexa Wiggin

Sports Drama

Charlotte (Lottie) Zeal

Drama Scholar

Man I (Melissa) Chang

Music

Grace Devereux

MUSIC SPORT

Miranda Woodruff

LOWER FIFTH

185

ART

Sabrina Sambhi Amelia Smith

ACADEMIC

Music

Anna Riley

Exhibitioner

DOWNE HOUS E

SCHOLARSHIPS &AWARDS

Drama

Florence Elliott

Drama

Rose Galbraith

Drama

Lucy Grace Isabella Huber

Livia Russell

Drama

Lucinda Hammond Georgia Hewitson

Academic

AWARDS

SCHOLARSHIP & EXHIBITION AWARDS 2014

Drama Drama

Cecilia Hughes

Drama

Gemma Mountain

Drama

Lara Mun-Gavin

Art

Isabelle Smith

Drama

Daisy Spurrier

Drama

Jane Tung

Music

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

UNIVERSITY DESTINATIONS 186

CLASS OF 2015 UNIVERSITY DESTINATIONS Name

Scholar

Course

Abdullah, Ilyana

RICHMOND AMERICAN UNIVERSITY

Fashion Management and Marketing

Adeniran, Yasmin

EXETER

Business and Management

Al-Ozeir, Puteri

OXFORD BROOKES

International Business Management

Arnott, Isabella

OXFORD BROOKES

Early Childhood Studies

Asprey, Emily

ABERYSTWYTH

Equine Science

Atta, Yasmina

CENTRAL SAINT MARTINS

Art Foundation

Barcelรณ Fontirroig, Marta

MADRID UNIVERSITY, SPAIN

Business Management

Benthall, Helena

IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON

Chemistry with a Year in Industry

Black, Anna

NEWCASTLE

Politics

Blair, Lauren

LEEDS

History of Art

Blythe, Mathilda

BIRMINGHAM

Drama and Theatre Arts

Bosson, Elizabeth

OXFORD

Music

Campbell, Jessica

OXFORD BROOKES

Politics/Sociology

Cave, Olivia

EXETER

History and Italian

Creedy-Smith, Sarah

CAMBRIDGE

Education with English and Drama

Ding, Cong (Rachel)

EDINBURGH

Architecture

Dixon-Ward, Katharina

OXFORD

English Language and Literature

Eden, Charlotte

EDINBURGH

Medicine

Fairbanks-Smith, Hetty

TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN

French & Italian

Falck, Victoria

KING'S COLLEGE LONDON

English

Fletcher, Madeleine

EDINBURGH

English Literature

Flindall, Emily

LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS

Government and Economics

Hacking, Marina

KINGSTON

Art Foundation

Henry, Ella

EDINBURGH

Chinese and Economics

Hewlett, Emilia

EXETER

Modern Languages

Hockings, Ella

SOUTHAMPTON

Marine Biology with Oceanography

Holmes, Lauren

MANCHESTER

History of Art

Hudd, Venetia

EDINBURGH

Philosophy

Ighodalo, Omoehi

MANCHESTER

Sociology

Karunwi, Adetoun

ASTON

Business and International Relations

Kiehl, Lucie

UCL

Modern Languages

Kirk, Alexia

OXFORD

French and Beginners Italian

Koessler, Arabella

BRIGHTON & HOVE

Art Foundation

Lambo, Morolayo

NORTH EASTERN UNIVERSITY, USA

Liberal Arts

Law, Anastasia

UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, USA

Liberal Arts

Lea, Jessica

BRISTOL

Computer Science

Lee, Alexandra

SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON

Management

Li, Florence

EDINBURGH

Social Anthropology

Loveridge, Honor

OXFORD

Theology and Religion

Manson, Helena

WESLEYAN, USA

Liberal Arts

Mather, Madeleine

EXETER

Geography

Mayfield, Mary

MANCHESTER

History of Art

Moir, Matilda

OXFORD BROOKES

Primary Teacher Education

de Montfort, Clara

EXETER

History

Newton, Arabella

CAMBRIDGE

Natural Sciences

Nicholson, Frances

EXETER

Geography

Pearson, Alice

CAMBRIDGE

Natural Sciences

Poolworaluk, Nutchanun

CARDIFF

Medicine

Prest, Willa

EDINBURGH

History

Qu, Meitao

CENTRAL SAINT MARTINS

Art Foundation

Revell, Georgina

MANCHESTER

Economics and Finance

Roberts, India

NOTTINGHAM

Modern Languages

Rowse, Emily

EXETER

Business Economics

AWARDS AND MORE

Scholar

Course

Sarre, Eloise

BRISTOL

Philosophy and Theology

Scobie, Charlotte

EXETER

History

Seaton, Natasha

CAMBRIDGE

Natural Sciences

Singh, Shivani

ST GEORGE'S, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON

Bio Medicine

Smail, Daisy

NEWCASTLE

Modern Languages and Business Studies

Spearman, Lara

DURHAM

Natural Sciences

Tudhope, Flora

DURHAM

Law

Vallance, Naomi

WINCHESTER

Primary Education with QTS

Weatherall, Honor

NYU, USA

Liberal Arts

Webb-Bowen, Olivia

OXFORD BROOKES

International Business and Technology

Webber, Meredith

EXETER

Modern Languages

Whitbread, Roseanna

NEWCASTLE

Biomedical Sciences

Whitehead, Charlotte

DURHAM

Modern Languages and Cultures

Wildblood, Florence

UCL

English

Williams, Amber

DURHAM

Geography

Wong, Louvinia

LEICESTER

Natural Sciences

Yi, Jae Young

KING'S COLLEGE LONDON

International Development

Zhen, Zhen

CAMBRIDGE

Mathematics

UNIVERSITY DESTINATIONS

Name

187

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

188

Roy Batters joined us in September 2014 and despite the brevity of his time here, he will not be forgotten! The girls have taken to him with great enthusiasm and love his dry sense of humour and quiet passion for Classics, English, music and cars!

Roy has offered so much to the School; not only has he brought the benefit of his wisdom and experience to the Department, he has contributed to the wider community by giving Chapel talks, taking the LIV to Fishbourne and presenting an evening talk to the Sixth Form on Keats.

It is a real shame that Roy has decided to leave us so soon. We will certainly miss him and we wish him all the best for the future!

MOVING ON

Roy Batters

Mrs Lydia Dakin, Head of Classics

Maite Diaz Smith Maite came to us just two years ago and immediately made an impact. She has worked incredibly hard for her pupils, regularly providing individual plans for each girl to ensure that they could maximise their potential. Frequently, she has given extra hours at the end of the school day to help individuals prepare for their orals and to overcome any issues they may have had with their written work.

As a colleague in the Department, Maite has been great fun to be with. She has her own unique way of doing things and tackled all tasks with good humour. Maite’s contribution was not limited just to the classroom. She played a full part in School trips too, accompanying the Lower Fifth to Tenerife and the Sixth Form on their tapas outings. Maite has decided to seek new challenges in a new school and we wish her all the very best for the future.

Mrs Jane Basnett, Head of Modern Languages

189

Julie Doyle A free spirit, blessed with expansive, robust and discerning views, Julie Doyle leaves us after 14 years to take on a new challenge in the Channel Islands. Julie will no doubt exercise the same level of dexterity, tenacity and sheer fun in the midst of her new role at the Ladies’ College in Guernsey as she has in the English Department at Downe. Julie’s gutsy approach to the teaching of English language and literature was one of her most admirable features. Never one for taking the path most trodden, staff and pupils alike would look on, agog, at the seemingly boundless energy with which she would approach the analysis of literature, be it the inspired teaching of Virginia Woolf or Seamus Heaney, the more considered evaluations of the work of Philip Larkin or the introduction of a new Reading Scheme for the Lower School. Who can forget the Sixth Form trip to Salisbury Cathedral when Julie, map and guidebook in hand, gave pupils (and the general public) a critical analysis of the subtext in William Golding’s ‘The Spire’?

Julie was the Head of English during a period of significant curriculum change at Downe House. She took the characteristically brave decision to move us towards the IGCSE in order to introduce even greater rigour in the classroom. It was a joy to work with her during this period as she often posed challenging questions that informed our decision making. Outspoken, but always supportive, Julie was always a champion of the values that lie at the heart of our community.

Julie is a great lover of the English countryside and a champion of the socially dispossessed. In many respects these principles have always gone hand in hand with her literary interests. I am sure that she will explore every nook and cranny on Guernsey and that she will soon find herself involved in taking a firm stance on a local issue! We wish her well for the future.

Mr Mark Hill, Academic Deputy

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

MOVING ON

Diana Evans

TBS

Diana joined Downe House in 2005 to teach ICT and Business Studies. It was immediately apparent that she was willing to throw herself into all that our community had to offer! Diana is a passionate teacher, a dedicated subject specialist; always seeking to stretch pupils of all abilities. Many girls have benefitted from her support over these past ten years. A significant number of girls have gone on to read Business related degrees at some of the best Universities in the country, all thanks to Diana’s support and guidance. She has been particularly effective in teaching ICT across the school, creating really exciting and ambitious projects which the girls always responded to with great enthusiasm. It was always delightful to see so many of the girls going into the computer rooms in their free time, simply to see Mrs Evans. Diana also ran Young Enterprise and countless girls have gone on to great success in this competition. Diana and the teams regularly qualified for area and county rounds in this annual event.

Diana leaves us to teach Business at St Gabriel’s in Newbury; we wish her all the very best for the future.

Mr Mark Hill, Academic Deputy

Tracey Fifield Evans Tracey will be fondly remembered not only for her achievements but for her warm and kind nature both in and out of the staff common room. Tracey joined Downe House in January 2002 as a part-time teacher of English as an Additional Language (EAL) and in 2009 she was promoted to Head of Learning Skills. Tracey has strong views on the best ways to support individual girls; she cared deeply about their development and always championed their case with colleagues. Her preparation in the classroom was meticulous and she could often be found spending her free time supporting her girls; her support of the girls in her care has been exemplary.

Tracey was committed to helping each girl achieve her potential and through her care, guidance and encouragement the girls have thrived. Tracey‘s attention to detail and individual approach allowed girls to develop a sense of self-belief and quiet confidence in their ability. We wish her every success and happiness in her new role.

190

Mrs Areti Bizior, Deputy Headmistress

Bonnie Gordon It is impossible to imagine the Biology Department without Bonnie! After 20 years at Downe House, and having been the Lower School Science Co-ordinator and Head of Biology during her time here, we have much to thank her for. Bonnie came to Downe in 1995 and, when she came for interview, she wasn’t quite what the Department expected. Having been told that the candidate was an England international rugby player they were expecting someone rather different from the petite figure in high heels that arrived! She still managed to teach all day in the trademark high heels, which was not an easy thing to do in such a practical subject.

Bonnie is one of the most meticulous and professional of teachers in terms of her preparation and her teaching notes are legendary – they will be sadly missed by the rest of the Department! She has always given freely of her time to help the girls outside lessons and, over the years, has also worked as an evening House tutor, taken girls riding and has accompanied many school trips, including one to Nepal.

Bonnie has been a wonderful colleague and has made an immense contribution to the Science Department as a whole and she will be sorely missed.

It is understandable that she must put the needs of her young family first and I know that going to Dauntsey’s, where her son is at school, is the right move for her and Dauntsey’s is very lucky to be getting such a dedicated teacher. It is always daunting moving to a new school after many years in one place and Bonnie is slightly nervous at taking on hockey coaching – a new venture for her – alongside her biology teaching. I am sure that she will take it all in her stride and prove to be as valuable an asset to Dauntsey’s as she has been at Downe House.

We wish Bonnie, Chris and the boys every happiness in the future.

Mrs Yvonne Charlesworth, Director of Operations and Head of Science MOVING ON

When Jane Healey joined Downe House 14 years ago she was charged with setting up our Chinese language provision and she did this so successfully that before long she was single-handedly teaching 75 girls a week individually and in pairs. It is hard to know how she managed to find the time, but she did and Chinese is now firmly embedded in the curriculum with girls studying it from UIV upwards. Many girls study Chinese for GCSE, AS and A2 and there are a number of girls who have now gone on to study Oriental studies at university. This success is a credit to Jane’s hard work and simply would not have been possible without her.

Jane has been an important part of our Modern Foreign Languages Team and regularly contributed to the events run outside the classroom. She shared her passion for Chinese, organising visits to China to enable girls to practise their language and learn more about the culture, and we will never forget the fantastic poetry and singing recitals at the Languages Lunch at Founders’ Weekend. Perhaps Jane’s greatest success was in preparing girls for the annual HSBC Chinese Speaking Competition, bringing home a win for a Downe House pupil a couple of years ago.

This is a fiercely fought competition and winning is an amazing achievement.

MOVING ON

Jane Healey

As a colleague, Jane has been very loyal, hard-working and great fun to be with.

Jane is leaving us to spend her well-earned retirement with her husband. She will be sorely missed and we wish her well.

Mrs Jane Basnett, Head of Modern Languages

Sue Kerry Sue Kerry has been a valued member of the Mathematics team at Downe House since 2002. During this time she taught all ages and all abilities, very successfully, up to and including Further Mathematics. Sue has always had high expectations of all her girls, and because they knew that she cared, they usually rose to the challenge; she was certainly a popular choice of teacher as far as the girls were concerned, as well as being a popular colleague across departments. I personally have much to thank Sue for; not only was she an excellent and inspirational teacher of Mathematics, she was also a very capable second in department, supporting both myself as well as the other members of the Department. New colleagues were always sure of a warm welcome and wise word. Although initially retiring from the Department in 2011, she missed us so much that we were able to persuade her to re-join us part-time after just one year. She also showed great courage during her time at Downe, being a regular participant in the annual staff pantomime! I know that we will miss her and that she will miss us, but the pleasure of spending more time with her family will more than compensate her for any loss felt. We wish Sue all the best in the next chapter of her life.

Mr Robert Barnes, Head of Mathematics

Cookie Liu Energetic, motivational and inspirational are just some of the words that spring to mind when thinking of our own ‘mathematical tsunami’, Dr Cookie Liu. Cookie was already teaching hockey at the school when he joined the Mathematics Department in September 2011. He soon threw himself into the work of the department and the wider school community. Along with his love of mathematics and hockey, Cookie was passionate about encouraging girls to think for themselves, instilling in them a desire to want to succeed for their own satisfaction. He will be missed and we wish him every success at his new school.

Mr Robert Barnes, Head of Mathematics

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

191

MOVING ON

Teresa MacColl Teresa joined Downe House in 2004 to take on the role of Head of Boarding and Teacher of English. Little did she realise at that time what the role of Head of Boarding might entail and how it might change!

During her time, she has had responsibility for overseeing the organisation and running of many areas of school life – the Co-Curricular Department, the Chapel, the Medical Centre, Veyrines, the liaison with Catering, Housekeeping and Estates, the programme of Parents’ Lectures, the management of all the House cover and bank staff arrangements, as well as being master proof-reader, and much more besides.

The smooth running of these areas is no accident: Teresa’s guiding hand is there in the background and, what is more, everything that she has done, has been done with thought, wisdom, warmth and enthusiasm.

As well as Teresa’s role on the Leadership Team, she has been an outstanding teacher of English who commands tremendous respect from her pupils as well as affection.

Outside the classroom, she would happily give as much time as was required to help and support any girl individually too.

In her role as a Tutor, Teresa has been exemplary and her care and sure touch have helped many girls manage their path through the Sixth Form. She is pastorally gifted and manages the most sensitive issues with skill, diplomacy and tact but equally with firmness when required too.

As Teresa and her husband, Alan, now move to France to enjoy retirement, we thank her for everything that she has done. We will miss her wonderful warmth, her sense of humour and the care that she has shown to so many girls, colleagues and parents and, of course, her tremendous loyalty to Downe House.

Mrs Emma McKendrick, Headmistress

Luke McBratney Exceptionally bright, convivial and wise, and a lover of literature, Luke came to Downe House in September 2011 with a reputation as a terrific teacher and as a formidable Head of English. Since then, his achievements have been varied and substantial. He placed a significant emphasis on the importance of grammar in the classroom, a brave strategic decision given the controversial debates about this matter at a national level, and steered the Key Stage 3 curriculum toward a rigorous examination of challenging literature. Both of these moves have since been completely vindicated.

192

In the classroom he has always been meticulous in his preparation, has gone beyond the call of duty, spending his free time helping students overcome their difficulties, and has loved passing on his great enthusiasm for the world of literature and film.

Luke has always been a generous colleague and he will be missed. We sincerely wish him, his wife Mary and three children, every success and happiness as they move back to Northern Ireland. We know he will be a real asset to the academic world in his new roles as the Principal English Literature Examiner for AQA and as a member of the editorial board of The English Review.

Mr Mark Hill, Academic Deputy

Françoise Redoutet Françoise Redoutet joined Downe House 12 years ago, bringing with her a unique sense of humour to the department and to her dealings with the girls. In her teaching career she worked through the introduction of many technological advances and on each occasion she enjoyed making the most of the tools available to her, whether it was VHS tapes or interactive whiteboards. In recent times, Françoise especially enjoyed using songs available through the internet that she loved to share with her classes. Girls could often be heard joyfully singing a French pop song as they left Garden House.

Françoise has always had a passion for her subject and has enjoyed sharing that passion with the pupils she taught. To the girls in her charge she was patient, encouraging and sympathetic, which was very welcome support. Françoise goes off to do more teaching in France and we wish her well in this new era of her life.

Mrs Jane Basnett, Head of Modern Languages MOVING ON

Andi Roberts joined Downe House in 2012 as an Assistant Housemistress in Holcombe.

Her enthusiasm for supporting the girls and her talents in pastoral care were clear to see and so she was the natural choice for the Sixth Form Housemistress of York South.

Her passion for this role and her infectious positivity will be hugely missed. The girls knew she was always there to guide and advise them, and offer them the customary cup of tea – the answer to all problems, Andi firmly believes. She was also a highly valued and dedicated member of the Chemistry Department. Her colleagues and the girls held her in very high esteem as she was an inspirational teacher who would always go the extra mile to support them both. Her recent wedding was held in the grounds of Downe House and this truly signifies her fondness for the School over these four years.

We all have wonderful memories of Andi and Phil’s special day and now wish them every success in their move to Australia. Downe House’s loss is certainly Australia’s gain.

MOVING ON

Andrea Roberts-Davison

Ms Mel Stimson, Head of Sixth Form

Sukhi Sanghera Sukhi joined Downe House in 2008 as an Art Technician within the Art Department; she has since worked as a committed Sixth Form Tutor, House Tutor, Higher Education Creative Applications Advisor and an outstanding Teacher of Textiles.

Having trained as a Knitwear Designer, it was soon apparent that Sukhi’s skills and expertise were well suited to the Design and Technology Department, and she trained internally to become an exceptional Teacher of Textiles. Having not taught previously, Sukhi took to teaching with absolute ease. Her high expectations of the girls translated into the superb work that they produced year on year.

Sukhi was also the Creative Applications Advisor within the Higher Education and Global Initiatives Department, where her efficient work ethic and knowledge of the Art and Design Application process and portfolio requirements enabled her to offer valuable support to girls applying to creative courses.

Sukhi’s contribution to the Sixth Form team as a Tutor will be greatly missed, her care, encouragement and commitment to her tutees was simply impeccable. She has left us to undertake a Management Training programme to further progress her career and enable her to spend more time with her family.

Miss Amy Majerski, Head of Textiles and House Tutor (York)

Karl Simpson For the first two years that Karl was at Downe, he provided great support to Kristin whilst also pursuing his own career as a Prep School teacher. It was clear very early on that Karl simply loved being with children and his joy at being in the company of young people was always a real delight to witness. It was therefore not long before he was enticed to join the Science Department, where he taught Biology and Physics, initially part-time.

As a teacher, his enthusiasm was infectious and I was never sure who enjoyed his lessons more – Karl or the pupils. Laughter would often ring out down the corridor but there was no doubt that productive learning was taking place too. In his role as a Tutor, he was always sought after. He was especially good at helping to settle new boarders into the routines and had a wonderfully reassuring touch with new parents too.

With a successful background in Prep School teaching and management, it was not long before Karl was helping out in the Registry, taking parent tours, visiting schools and assisting with the organisation of events. He gradually took on more and more responsibility, became Director of Admissions and finally Assistant Head (Admissions).

What made Karl ideal for this role was his commitment to the provision of the highest quality boarding education for each girl, his interest in them as individuals and his desire to do the best for them. As a colleague of the Leadership Team, I could not have asked for anyone with greater loyalty or commitment to Downe.

The draw of a new life in the Orkneys, a place that Karl (and Kristin) loves, has finally encouraged him away. We wish him and Kristin both all the very best in this new venture; they will always have a very special place at Downe House.

Mrs Emma McKendrick, Headmistress DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

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MOVING ON

Kristin Simpson Kristin joined us in September 2003, after spending some time in Australia, in order to provide maternity cover in Hermitage House for a year. That one year quickly became two, and then five, and then ten and it was only at this stage, with a number of different roles and experiences under her belt, that she felt the time was right to move on again!

During her time with us, Kristin was one of the most committed, caring and conscientious members of staff you could hope to have on your team. She was versatile and enjoyed working with all ages of pupils. Having started with the Remove in Hermitage, she moved on to become Housemistress at AGN and then finally moved to the Sixth Form and ran York South. Providing the highest quality care for ‘her’ girls and their parents was always uppermost in her mind and she gave of her time extremely generously. She simply enjoyed the company of young people and somehow always found the right touch. She was also a master baker and the girls were never short of treats in the House!

In the classroom, she was an excellent practitioner whose ability to teach girls Mathematics, regardless of their level of confidence, was second to none. Her lessons were planned meticulously and thoughtfully.

Kristin had a very keen interest in school organisation and her final role was that of Assistant Head (Operations), one which she embraced with her usual commitment and dedication. She was an extremely loyal and supportive member of the Leadership Team for whom nothing was too much trouble. She regularly took tours of the School, visited Prep Schools and never missed a School event!

After ten years, Kristin (and Karl) decided that it was time to follow a different passion and to build a life in the Orkneys. We wish them all the very best in this new venture; they will always have a very special place at Downe House.

Mrs Emma McKendrick, Headmistress

Faith Smith

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Faith has made herself so completely a part of Downe House that it seems incredible that she has only been with us just under three years. A fluent French speaker, and largely educated in France, Faith was the perfect choice for Housemistress of Darwin. Being a confirmed Francophile, Faith was ideally placed to help her girls with the transition from Downe House UK to Veyrines and back again. Faith inherited a well-oiled team of pastoral staff in Darwin and her warmth, dedication and care for the girls were quickly recognised and valued by the girls and their parents. In the classroom, the girls appreciated her dynamic teaching style and found her an excellent Maths teacher; she was often found giving impromptu tutorials in the run-up to exams in her Darwin study. Girls throughout the School have also benefited from Faith’s love of riding and skiing. Faith will be much missed by her colleagues and we wish her all the very best when she takes up a position as Housemistress at Epsom College.

Mrs Teresa MacColl, Boarding Deputy

Tracey Steggall Tracey has been an integral part of the AGN team as Assistant Housemistress since September 2013. Also working in both the English and Current Affairs Departments, she has brought a relaxed yet determined quality to everything she pursues.

She will be remembered for her charm and wisdom amongst the AGN girls and we will all miss her presence in the House Study ‘setting the world to rights’ over a cup of tea and a slice of toast! Tracey has been an excellent tutor and the girls under her wing have benefited greatly from her involvement, both academically and pastorally.

We wish her all the best for the future with her partner and her endeavours in writing children’s books. We look forward to welcoming Tracey back to visit when her busy schedule allows!

Miss Kayleigh Anger, Housemistress AGN

MOVING ON

Simon Thorn joined us in September 2011 from Radley College, where he had been Head of Biology. Having been newly ordained, Simon quickly became known as ‘Father Simon’ in his capacity as Chaplain and ‘Dr Thorn’ in the classroom.

Biology students enjoyed his enthusiasm for his subject as well as his encyclopaedic knowledge, not to mention his mischievous sense of humour, a by-product of his naval training! Simon never found it a problem to combine science with spirituality and I remember with great enjoyment those sermons where the ideas explored were the product of ingenious cross-fertilisation. I also remember with some amusement the Confirmation Services Simon organised, especially when he suggested using our own Chapel rather than St Nicolas Church in Newbury, as we had previously done. From bringing the parents of the confirmants to order at the beginning of each service with his stentorian bellow of ‘Ladies and Gentlemen’, to his recommendation that they remember to turn their mobile phones back on at the end of the service, Simon handled these public occasions with great style. I particularly liked the way he included the relatives and friends in the services and emphasised that they were family occasions. It is also due to Simon that Thursday Communion took on a new lease of life and has continued to thrive, so that now over 100 girls attend regularly every week and the vast majority take communion.

When the opportunity arose for Simon to answer the call from his old school, Winchester College, we knew the temptation would be too hard to resist. He’ll be remembered at Downe House with great affection and we wish him every happiness in his new school. Blessings, Simon!

MOVING ON

Reverend Simon Thorn

Mrs Teresa MacColl, Boarding Deputy

Ian Vallance Ian Vallance has been an asset to the Upper School team and the wider School community. He will be missed as he leaves to take up a promotion to Deputy Head, which is much deserved.

It is to Ian’s credit that the Tedworth girls did not bat an eyelid with the arrival of a new Assistant Housemaster seven years ago. Along with Tracey, Rachel and Naomi, the family were quickly accepted as part of the Tedworth family. Ian’s good humour, patience and caring nature quickly won the hearts of his charges and in him the girls always knew they had a staunch advocate. Wendy Nurser, I know, valued his support, as did Sarah Barnard.

Ian has contributed widely to the Downe House community; he has been an excellent preacher in Chapel, with his sermons much enjoyed by all. He has led inspiring INSET sessions and introduced the excellent Pupil Voice initiative. Ian has also had the privilege of leading the largest department, when he was tasked with implementing the GPR programme and it is to his great credit how well it was received. Ian’s reputation as a Maths teacher is first class and I have lost count of the times the girls have exclaimed what a wonderful teacher he is!

The staff pantomime will certainly not be the same without his special magic tricks, a real highlight of which was cutting the Headmistress in half!

It has been a pleasure working with Ian and we wish him all the very best in his new role.

Mrs Genevieve Ford, Head of Upper School and Teacher of Religious Studies

Visiting Music Teachers At the end of this academic year we said goodbye to some of our Visiting Music Teachers. We bid a fond farewell to Mrs Jacqueline MacKenzie (Violin and Viola), Miss Alison Pickering (Piano and Flute), Ms Joy Chang (Piano), Mr Tim Walters (Guitar), Ms Juliet Oppenheimer (Voice) and Mrs Jane Shillam (Piano). Their contribution to the musical life at Downe House has been immense and, between them, they have amassed an incredible 51 years of teaching service. We will miss them all.

Mr Chris Lambert, Music School Manager DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

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MOVING ON

Elizabeth Walker There are some colleagues to whom the conventional stock of superlatives does not do justice. Elizabeth Walker, who joined us in September 2007, had already gained a glittering academic and literary reputation prior to her arrival at Downe House.

Combining immense natural talent with an uncompromising commitment to all of her pupils, regardless of age or ability, Elizabeth showed herself to be the consummate professional. She was a superb teacher who always shared her passion for literature.

Unfailingly generous with her time, there would often be a queue of pupils outside the English Department office! As second in the department, she managed periods of significant change in teaching and learning with thorough attention to detail. It is impossible to pigeon-hole Elizabeth as one of her main characteristics is that she doesn’t label others; she treats everyone with dignity and respect. We will miss her generosity, honesty and warmth. Her most significant legacy to the School is the large number of pupils in whom she inspired a love of her subject, reflected in outstanding results and the number of girls who have gone on to read English at some of the best Universities in the world.

Mr Mark Hill, Academic Deputy

Robin Wallis Robin joined us from Canford School in Dorset, where he had already prepared many pupils for Pre-U Spanish. The experience he shared with us in the Modern Languages Department proved invaluable and his knowledge, and the manner in which he dispensed it, were reassuring for us all. He always believed in sharing Spanish and Latin American culture with all year groups and he did this through literature, poetry and song. The anti-fascist Spanish songwriter and poet Joaquín Sabina now has countless Downe House fans after discovering him in lessons with Robin (aka El Jefe).

Beyond the classroom, Robin has taken numerous trips to Tenerife and set up a link with a school in Argentina. He also gave much support as an Oxbridge mentor and a tutor, and many girls welcomed the advice he gave them in his calm, assured manner.

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Both the girls and his colleagues will miss Robin but we wish him and his family well for the future.

Mrs Jane Basnett, Head of Modern Languages

Vanessa Westacott It seems incredible to think that Vanessa has been here for more than a quarter of a century! The energy and passion that she puts into teaching her beloved French belies this fact. We are very lucky that Vanessa chose to settle for so long with us here at Downe House because we have all benefitted from her classroom experience, her pursuit of excellence and her support of colleagues both in the department and in the staffroom. Vanessa loves French; she loves the language, the literature and the culture.

She has always wanted to share this love with her pupils and has known exactly how to achieve this. She has been true to every language teacher’s desire to use the target language as much as possible and Vanessa was successful in adapting the language to fit the ability of the class. Looking through 28 years’ worth of lesson observations it is hard to find one that has not mentioned Vanessa’s use of target language. Vanessa also gave of her time to be a tutor in AGS and naturally whilst in House she spoke to as many girls as possible in French!

Vanessa has shown herself to be incredibly determined. She is encouraging and patient with both pupils and colleagues alike and is an excellent role model for us all.

She sets herself high standards and has always expected the same from her pupils; if work is worth doing, then it is worth doing well and if it is not done well - then do it again! This focus on detail and her unwavering support of her pupils has meant that they have done well and have often exceeded their own expectations.

Vanessa leaves us for her beloved France, were she has set up Papillon Ecole de Langue, a residential language school and beautiful holiday destination in the sunny Charente Maritime. I am certain that she will flourish in this new opportunity, especially as she is at the helm! We will miss Vanessa but we wish her and her husband all the very best. (visit www.papillonecoledelangue.com) MOVING ON

Mrs Jane Basnett, Head of Modern Languages

CHRISTINA ELLIOT, REMOVE 2014/15

Head Senior

Games Captain

Natasha Seaton

Matilda Burles

Deputy Head Senior

Deputy Games Captain

Emilia Hewlett

Adetoun Karunwi

Seniors

Head of Drama

Lauren Blair Jean Campbell Katharine Craig Hetty Fairbanks-Smith Lauren Holmes Emily Rowse Olivia Webb-Bowen Roseanna Whitbread

Mathilda Blythe

Deputy Heads of Drama Ella Hockings and Charlotte Scobie

Head of Music Elizabeth Bosson

Aisholt Sarah Creedy-Smith Emily Flindall Katy Lane

Deputy Head of Music Head Deputy Head Deputy Head

Lara Spearman Naomi Vallance Meredith Webber

Head Deputy Head Deputy Head

AGS Georgina Revell Lucie Kiehl Mathilda Blythe

Head Deputy Head Deputy Head

Holcombe Charlotte Whitehead Jessica Campbell Florence Li

Head Deputy Head Deputy Head

Head Deputy Head Deputy Head

Head Chapel Senior Morolayo Lambo

Deputy Head Chapel Senior Yasmin Adeniran

Head Ambassadors Ambassadors Annabel Clover Ella Henry Venetia Hudd Arabella Newton Nutchanun Poolworaluk Willa Prest Shivani Singh Flora Tudhope Honor Weatherall Jae Young (Jenny) Yi

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Heads of Lower School Frances Nicholson and India Roberts

Tedworth Henrietta Montgomerie Iona Miller Daisy Smail

Wai Yu

Jessica Lea and Honor Loveridge

AGN Performance of ‘Annie’ at Founder’s Weekend 2015

SCHOOL OFFICERS

“It’s been a great year and one that I will never forget”

SCHOOL OFFICERS 2014/15

Lower School Seniors Marta Barceló Fontirroig Clara De Montfort Cong (Rachel) Ding Isobel Flack Anastasia Law Mary Mayfield Lara Wheeler

Literary Seniors and Editors of School Magazine Olivia Cave and Helena Manson

DOWNE HOUSE MAGAZINE

TWELVE MONTHS AT DOWNE HOUSE • 2014–2015

Downe House, Cold Ash, Thatcham, Berkshire, RG18 9JJ t: 01635 200286 f: 01635 202026 e: registrar@downehouse.net www.downehouse.net

TWELVE MONTHS AT

DOWNE HOUSE