Autumn Term Review 2024 by AshfordSchool

Autumn Term Review 2024

Inspiring Minds

Prep School Life

At 101 days the Autumn term was a very long term. It started with the arrival of Mrs Archer, our new Head of Prep, and the introduction of a brand new pupil leadership team for 2024 – 2025.

Educational experiences included European Languages Day, Black History Month, and Year 5’s visit to Herstmonceaux Observatory in Sussex. Other memorable moments included a visit to the RNLI station in Hastings, the Year 5 Campfire Wild Adventure and the Remembrance Church Service, which was held in Harper Hall this year because St Mary’s Church in Great Chart is having a major restoration.

Pre-Christmas events included the PFA Christmas Fair, which was busier than ever, the Nursery’s Nativity Performance and a hugely impressive Christmas Carol Service under the musical direction of Mrs Harris-Prior.

Year 5 trip to Herstmonceaux

Year 5 Bushcraft Trip

Letters sent to Father Christmas

Year 4 Tudor Day

School Disco

Senior School Life

Year 7s began their Senior School experience with a weekend adventure trip to PGL at Bawdsey Manor They came back with new friendships established and highly motivated for their first term of Senior School.

Around 100 boarders settled into their rooms and classes. During weekends they enjoyed visits to Lydd Action Watersports, bowling, ice skating and an “inflatables weekend”.

The House system saw the adoption of new names: Nightingale, Atkins, Thimann and Newfoundland. All are significant names connected with the school’s past.

House Shout, a singing competition, was the first big event of the academic year. Atkins House won with their memorable rendition of A-Ha’s song ‘Take on Me’, a huge hit from 1985.

Year 7 PGL Trip

Year 7s First Day

Sixth Form Christmas Sing-along Poetry Competition

Boarders Ice Skating Trip

Sixth Form Starry Night Ball

Year 11 Winter Ball

Manchester Boarding Trip

Music

This term we were treated to a sensational performance by alumnus and concert pianist, Govind Dhiman on the Steinway Grand piano in Brake Hall This was complimented with a coaching session with Sara and Athena, two of our most talented young pianists. This was captured in a photoshoot for the School Tie Magazine. Our long established connection with Steinway saw pupils invited to participate in a piano masterclass and an evening performance at the Steinway Hall in London.

At 101 days Autumn term was a very long term. It started with the arrival of Mrs Archer, our new Head Teacher, and a brand new pupil leadership team for 2024 –2025. Early in the term Y5 had a Campfire Wild Adventure, while parents were invited to talk to Mrs Archer and Mr Hall about the School’s Strategic Objectives. At 101 days Autumn term was a very long term. It started with the arrival of Mrs

Nine Lessons and Carols

Christmas Carol Service

Concert

Cello Lessons

Wealden Times Mid-Winter Fair

Steinway Hall Performance

Drama

The Year 4 Entertainment Evening took the audience back to Victorian times with a Dickensian themed programme of music, dance, drama and visual arts. Multilingual carols were sung and the drama was supplied by a version of A Christmas Carol in Friars Hall decorated with Christmas wreaths.

Senior School Drama group went on a trip to New York. They visited the iconic Radio City Music Hall and a meet-and-greet with the legendary Rockettes. Sailing past the Statue of Liberty was another highlight.

Year 4 Entertainment Evening

LAMDA & Drama Scholars Showcase

New York Cultural Trip

Art

This term, the Senior School Art department went on multiple trips including a Year 10 trip visit to the Natural History Museum, a Sixth Form trip to the Tate Britain and the Wes Lang Exhibition at the Newport Street Gallery.

Our Year 7s practised still life drawing - over three classes they observed the subject matter and experimented with light, shadow and perspective to bring their pieces to life.

Meanwhile our Prep students in Year 2 dived into the world of charcoal, exploring new artistic techniques. We also held our yearly Christmas Card competition at both the Prep and Senior School. Tara in Year 10 won with her ‘Four Candles’ design, and Niyanta in Year 5 with her Christmas themed design.

The outside back cover of this Termly Review shows the beautiful ‘stained glass’ window, designed as part of a competition, in the Quiet Room next to Reverend Bellamy’s office in Brooke House.

Year 10 trip to the Natural History Museum

Year 2 Charcoal Art

Christmas Card Competition

Winner - Tara (Year 10)

Christmas Card Competition Winner - Niyanta (Year 5)

Year 7 Still Life Drawings

A Level Artwork

Sixth Form trip to Tate Britain

Sport

This season has been a remarkable one for our Rugby and Hockey squads.

The Rugby 1st XV finished their season with the strongest record in the school's history (Played 11, Won 9 Lost 2). The term concluded with a 31-12 win over near neighbours Cranbrook School. The team also won against Sevenoaks School, St Lawrence College and King's School Rochester. They will play in the Rosslyn Park National School 7s in March.

The 1st XI Girls Hockey team performed spectacularly well during the 4th round of the National Plate against Hurstpierpoint College, winning 5-1. Girls Indoor Hockey came third in Kent - losing out despite their high impact style and impressive team work.

The swimming relay team were championship winners with 12 golds, 12 silvers and 8 bronze, well done to the whole swim squad!

1st XI Hockey Team

1st XV Rugby Team

Crawley Fast & Festive Meet

U16

Will, Pentathlete

Boys Hockey in Lisbon

Pickleball taster session at Prep

Tia wins bronze in

European Karate championship

Judo Practice

Co-Curricular & Enrichment

Our co-curricular programme is an integral part of every child’s education at Ashford School. Our pupils engage in a wide variety of weekly activities every term.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards are a particular strength at Ashford. This term eighty nine pupils collected their Gold, Silver and Bronze awards, giving Ashford School one of the

Green Goblin

Snack Shack

E24 Car Club

Partnerships

As part of the annual Carnival of Baubles, the Art Department worked alongside Ashford Borough Council to create an Ashford Market themed lantern High winds forced the carnival to be moved indoors, but despite Storm Bert, it was a huge success. Our ‘Big Red Tractor’ lantern and multiple smaller decorations helped consolidate our thriving and creative connections with the town.

Every year since 2015 Ashford School’s Community Swim Progamme has taught around 1000 children to swim. They come from 21 local primary schools. In November, Lynne Oliver, the project leader, announced that Ashford School had been approved as a Training Centre for the Royal Life Saving Society UK.

Our partnership with FareShare and Ashford Family Food Bank continued this term. The Senior School’s efforts were led by prefects Emily and Vanessa who organised a minidocumentary film to show the valuable work of these charities, as well as a ‘food glean’ and spearheading our 2024 food donations.

Newfoundland House raised money by holding a non-uniform day for ‘Doctors Without Boarders’. Uno Voce Coro (One Voice Choir) performed twice at Brabourne Church raising £1000!