Ashford School Magazine 2016 by AshfordSchool

LEARNING WITH PARTNERS 2015 TO 2016

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whatever an education is, it should make you a unique individual, not a conformist; it should furnish you with an original spirit with which to tackle the big challenges. It should allow you to find values which will be your road map through life; it should make you spiritually rich, a person who loves whatever you are doing, wherever you are, whomever you are with; it should teach you what is important, how to live and how to die.â&#x20AC;? JOHN TAYLOR GATTO

WHAT IS AN EDUCATION?

This quote from John Taylor Gatto, an American teacher of long standing, is not a bad definition for schools to work towards.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;It should furnish you with an original spirit with which to tackle the big challenges in life.â&#x20AC;? Well, there are plenty of those for young people and adults alike; not least navigating the teenage years in order to emerge as a well-rounded, physically and mentally healthy, young adult with the resilience to cope with adult life and the vision to see joy. Joy can be found in most places but principally it arises from the fulfilment of working closely with others. Our families, our workmates, our teammates, our acquaintances are all sources of joy and fulfilment. If only we could see more clearly. Learning to see joy in others is one of the big challenges of life. Too often we strive to place ourselves ahead of others in our desperate search for personal achievement, money, fame or position. In doing so, we often find fleeting enjoyment or pleasure but rarely long-lasting joy and fulfilment. And yet, long-lasting joy and fulfilment are there, waiting for us, in the form of all we do together. The theme that runs through this edition is partnership; working and playing together for mutual benefit and fulfilment. I hope you enjoy reading about the many areas where the children and young people in the school find fulfilment through doing things together. This magazine can only provide a small glimpse of these activities; can only hint at the challenges that the youngsters have had to overcome and the support they have received from the adults around them. I am sure you will see joy in their eyes. Mike Buchanan Head

CONTENTS

Ashford School Magazine 2015 • 2016 • L E A R N I N G W I T H PA R T N E R S

06 10 NEWS

16 ACADEMIC

A LEVELS & GCSES

46 EXTERNAL EXPERTS

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54 MUSIC

PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY

ART

PARTNERSHIPS WITH CHARITIES

94 DRAMA

106 MARCHING TOWARDS ADVENTURE

114 SPORT

126

BOARDING

134 A MODERN COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP

144

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Ashford School Magazine 2015 • 2016 • L E A R N I N G W I T H PA R T N E R S

NEWS

Ashford School Magazine 2015 • 2016 • L E A R N I N G W I T H PA R T N E R S

ASHFORD SCHOOL WINS PRESTIGIOUS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL AWARD At the prestigious TES Independent School Awards 2015 Ashford School was named the winner of the Strategic Education Initiative of the Year category for an opportunity we provided to nearly 100 employees. The initiative was introduced by the Head, Mike Buchanan, who gave every employee the opportunity to learn an instrument or take Drama lessons. “This is about us understanding and remembering what it is like to learn; to understand how a student feels, to remember how hard work and determination are necessary for success and that success is not instantaneous,” he explained. In awarding the prize, the judges described the school’s initiative as “highly creative and innovative”. They said the scheme was “an innovative way of showing vulnerability in staff to promote empathy in the pupils.” Head of Rugby, Mr Marc Boyd, said: “Learning to play the guitar has given me renewed determination. I now remember what it is like to be a student, to learn something from scratch and to persevere. It was a challenge to be on

A TOP UK BOARDING SCHOOL We were once again named a Top 50 UK coeducational boarding school based on our A Level results for 2015. The annual list is compiled by www.best-schools.co.uk and celebrates excellence in academic achievement. Judges look at A Level results and the number of A* and A grades obtained, as well as the number of pupils with exam success.

the other side of the fence. Seeing me learn has actually encouraged my six-year-old daughter to take up guitar which is great.” Winners attended a black-tie event at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London, hosted by Michael Portillo, where over 400 attendees celebrated all that is outstanding in independent schools across the UK. The TES awards have 13 categories, including British International School of the Year, Special Needs Initiative of the Year and Senior Leadership Team of the Year. The Times Educational Supplement is a leader in the world of education and its awards are highly prized. At the time of writing, the school has been nominated in two categories for the TES Awards 2016.

CHAIRMAN OF GOVERNORS STEPS DOWN After years of dedicated service, Peregrine Massey, Chairman of the School Council, stepped down at the end of the school year. In a letter to parents he explained: “This is a good time to have a child at Ashford School, and therefore a time when I judge that I can hand over to my successor with great confidence in the future.” Head Mike Buchanan paid tribute. He said: “Peregrine Massey has been an active supporter of the school as a parent and governor for decades. In the last nine years, he has been a wise counsellor and incisive questioner. I owe him a great deal for the support and guidance he has generously provided, as does the school.” Peregrine is replaced by Will Peppitt who has been involved with the school for many years. His mother in law and wife both attended Ashford School and his youngest daughter, Maisie, left at the end of this year.

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CHAIR OF THE HMC The school year 2015-16 has been a particularly busy one for our Head, Mike Buchanan, as he was named Chair-elect of the HMC. The Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference is a professional association of Heads of the world’s leading independent schools. The association has an important role in influencing policy and public opinion with regard to the independent sector, as well as promoting the discussion of national and international educational issues. Mr Buchanan took up his role as Chair in September 2016 at which point Tom Wilding took up the Headship of the Senior School. Mr Buchanan remains as Head of Ashford School.

HEAD ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT Our much-loved Prep School Head, Richard Yeates, and his highly respected wife Sue who is Head of Nursery, have announced their retirement.

After more than 10 years at Ashford School, they will be handing over the reins of Head to Penny Willetts, who is currently Deputy Head, in September 2017.

AN AWARD FOR ROBIN Our wonderful Prep School caretaker, Robin Simmons, was named Caretaker of the Year by the Kent Messenger Group. At a sparkling ceremony, they gave out awards to teachers and support staff from across the county and Robin was singled out for dedicated service and for always going that extra mile. Robin doesn’t just take care of the Prep School and its facilities. Every year, he feeds the family of ducks that breeds in the Prep School playground before it marches off through the car park and along the road to find nearby ponds.

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ALEVELS & GCSEs

The end of the Trinity term is always an emotional time as chapters close for Year 13 and Year 6.

There is cause for much celebration as they mark such significant steps and much to look forward to. You can read all about the special leavers’ events that they enjoy over the next few pages. Come the summer, emotion turns to anticipation - and a good deal of nerves - as those all-important envelopes arrive with the results of those very important exams: A Levels and GCSEs.

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MEDICINE, MATHS AND THE BEST UNIVERSITIES Results day confirmed a place to study Maths at Cambridge University for Sam Zhang after he achieved four A*s and an A grade. His fellow student Toby Clifton has also taken up a place at Cambridge University with four A* grades under his belt. He will be studying Natural Sciences. Other headlines are: • Nearly a quarter of all students achieved at least three A*/A grades • 40% achieved at least two A*/A grades • Three quarters of students celebrated at least one A* • Nearly half of all students achieved the grades needed for entry into the elite universities (A,B,B) Head Mike Buchanan said: “This is another set of impressive results for our students who come from varied academic backgrounds. The results are testament to their hard work and attitude - but also to the ability of our teachers to draw out the very best from our students.” Those students in the top 25% of the national ability range (equivalent to the grammar schools) achieved 67% A*/A and 88% A*-B. This is in line with the top 50 most selective schools in the country and ahead of the Kent grammar schools. Those students in the second 25% of the national ability range achieved 42% A*/A and 71% A*-B, also well ahead of most of the Kent grammar schools. Those students in the third 25% of the national ability range achieved 33% A*/A and 63% A*-B, ahead of many grammar schools including those local to Ashford. Lizzy Aviss, a keen violinist who is off to study Medicine at St George’s University of London, said: “I am absolutely over the moon. It was hard work but it has paid off.” Congratulations are also in order for Euan Nicholls who, despite competing at national level on the cross-country field, is taking up a place at Keele to study Medicine after achieving A*, A*, A.

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Special mention to the Maths department who had some particularly outstanding results this year. With over 50% A* results in both Mathematics and Further Mathematics this was a record-breaking year for the department. Of particular mention are Tingjun (Sam) Zhang and Mengyuan (Angel) Huang both of whom are going on to study Mathematics at university. Sam studied all 18 possible A Level modules and achieved an astonishing 100% in both Maths and Further Maths (one of only six students in the UK) as well as a very high A* (563/600) in Further Maths (Additional) with special mention from Edexcel for the third highest mark in the country (1763/1800). Sam also achieved UKMT British Maths Olympiad silver and distinction gradings. Angel studied 13 A Level modules and achieved 100% in Maths (one of only 136 students in the UK) and a very high 572/600 for Further Mathematics. Angel has won a place at Imperial College to read Mathematics.

GCSES

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NCE A R E V E S PER FL E S D N A FF O Y A P F BELIE

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WISHING THEM ALL A GREAT ADVENTURE The end of the Trinity term is always filled with sadness but excitement as our Year 6 and Year 13 prepare to take the next step on their journeys through life. Year 13’s final day comes on the Friday before half term starts and they mark it in many special ways, starting with breakfast on the lawn with staff. A highlight of the day – but one of nervous anticipation for the staff! – is the leavers’ assembly which is put together by Year 13 and contains many comical memories of their time at Ashford School. The Leavers’ Ball 2016 was held at the glorious Westenhanger Castle where the fun and laughter went on late into the night.

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It’s not every day that you see threeyear olds learning how to create an electrical circuit; or how about asking 11-year-olds to create their own business and make a profit? The experiments in the senior Science department are adventurous and inspiring and the love of books that runs throughout the school is vibrant and alive. Read on to understand how our students become bold, curious and capable.

CIMEDAC

Academic opportunities and enrichment at Ashford School are vast.

CADEMIC

THE CHALLENGE OF DEBATE

Ashford School’s debaters have been active this year, making their impact on the national scene. Ten of our students took part in the first external competition of the year, the Dulwich Schools’ Debating Competition. They are not told what the motions are until they arrive and then they have just 15 minutes to prepare their arguments. Motions included ‘This House would cap the annual income of all individuals’ and ‘This House would abolish all maternity and paternity leave and replace them with mandatory state-provided day care’. Debating takes practice but is an incredible skill to master, giving students confidence and the ability to think quickly on their feet. Congratulations to Olivia Boutwood and Jonathan Cho who came second in their round; Alex McCarthy and Jack Barham who won their debate in the second round and Jordan Boucher and Sasha Smityukh who won their final debate of the day and in the final rankings took first place from the novice teams in the competition; a fantastic achievement.

Our debaters made it to the regional final of the English Speaking Union Schools Mace Competition. This is the largest schools debating competition in the UK, with 350 schools entering each year. Competition is fierce, and the standard of debating was high, with five teams competing to progress to the Regional Final. In the first debate, the Ashford team of Alex McCarthy and Jack Barham were up against local rivals, King’s Canterbury. Ashford opposed the motion ‘This House would only allow people who pass a simple current affairs test to vote’, with Alex making a very good opening speech. Jack followed this up with a wellreasoned extension speech, placing the Ashford team well in contention. There followed a nailbiting wait during the other debates. The second debate was between Simon Langton Boys’ Grammar and Walderslade, while the third debate of the evening featured Folkestone Academy and an Ashford ‘swing’ team of Tinatin Gabashvili and Abdullah Rashid. The swing team is there to make up the numbers, and is not able to progress in the competition, but Tinatin and Abdullah performed admirably, comfortably winning their debate. In the end, Ashford and King’s Canterbury progressed to the Regional Final.

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Other debating competitions included a challenging afternoon arguing topical news stories at the King’s School Debating Competition. Each team achieved a second and third place and enjoyed the experience. Motions were ‘This House would ban NHS staff from going on strike’, ‘This House would pull down statues of historical figures whose values are considered morally repugnant’ and 'This House believes that universities should make lower offers to candidates from state schools’. The competitors were Alex McCarthy, Sasha Smitkyuh, Jonathan Cho and Tom Xie. The Cambridge Schools’ Debating Competition saw our teams travelling to Hammersmith for the regional round. Run by the Cambridge Union, this is one of the biggest annual debating competitions with a notoriously high standard. In this round, Ashford teams faced strong competition from schools such as Westminster, Latymer Upper, St Paul’s Girls School and Whitgift.

STARTING YOUNG All the basics to cement a successful education are learnt in Nursery, of course. The joy of being read a story, the self-pride in creating a colourful picture, and the engagement between teacher and pupil all set the wheels in motion.

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EADING R F O Y O J E H T

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BOOK W EEK

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WHAT COULD YOU DO WITH £5

There’s nothing like starting early when it comes to acquiring business acumen and this is just what our Year 6 have been doing. They took part in the Virgin Fiver Challenge, where every child is given £5 before forming a small team with friends and coming up with a business idea. The aim is to make a profit of course, but to do that the teams need a tested idea and plans to support it. In last year’s competition two former Prep pupils were named runners-up in the national competition. Celine and Amelia did well in the advert category, creating a persuasive advert for their tattoo company. Another pupil, Helena, was also selected to attend the awards ceremony as her innovative company made over £300 selling wild flower seeds donated from local companies. The girls were invited to a special ceremony at Eros in Piccadilly Circus where they met other winners before moving on to Ripley’s Believe or Not Museum. Awards were presented by Liz Barker, an ex-Blue Peter presenter and Mark Wright, the 2014 winner of The Apprentice, who spoke about his business experiences. After popcorn and drinks, the group took part in a drumming and music workshop. Around 780 schools took part in this Young Enterprise initiative with over 2700 teams being entered into the competition. Following such success, this year’s Year 6 were equally excited about creating their businesses. They had one month to plan and set it up which allowed them to use and develop their leadership and teamwork, negotiating, business skills, planning, marketing, budgeting and selling skills – so they were pretty busy! Each week, they worked on a different part of the challenge: Week 1 – Planning and Logo Design; Week 2 – Sales Pitch (True Dragons' Den style!); Week 3 – Advertising; and Week 4 – Selling and Trade Stand. There were a variety of businesses this year which included Alpha Rings which sold made-to-order key rings; Fruit 4 U with fruit on a kebab; and Bouncy Boys who sold bouncy balls. At the end of the action-packed month, the most profitable business, raising over £200, was WEBALLS and now most of the Prep School own their own stress ball with an exclusive face drawn on! The most enterprising business was ALPHA RINGS. This was a very profitable business in which the girls took orders and the money up front so were able to get their business up and running very quickly. Buyers could choose their initial made out of Hama beads and put it on to a key ring – it’s often the simple ideas that are the best! The best teamwork award went to SWOKES. This enterprising group even started selling extra jokes for 5p! The overall profit made was £850 with many groups deciding to donate some to a charity of their choice. Teacher Rosie Clifford said: “Already the Year 5 children are getting excited and discussing their ideas. So the money boxes are closed again for another year. Lots was learnt again. Business is not easy, particularly working to deadlines and with healthy competition around.”

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AWARDS

S N O I T I T E P COM

GOLD AWARD FOR PHYSICS

Sam Zhang – who achieved an incredible four A*s and an A at A Level – achieved a highly coveted Gold Award in the first round of the British Physics Olympiad. Sam was one of only 50 students in the country to achieve this. The British Physics Olympiad is a very demanding national competition and the first round is taken by the top 1600 students in the country. Other Olympiads entered this year include the UK Linguistics Olympiad where Year 9 gained Bronze, Silver and Gold certificates at Foundation Level and Year 8 completed the Breakthrough Challenge.

PREP PUPILS WIN COMMENDATION Prep pupils once again proved their love of languages after performing with ease in this year’s Love Languages Competition. Run by London Freemens College, the competition featured entries from 19 other schools and the Ashford Prep School team came away with a Commendation. They performed Wendy Part en Vacances, which featured the Peter Pan characters, but was written by their French teacher Dot Hamilton. Last year’s team won the competition with their performance of Cinderella.

RUNNER-UP IN POETRY COMPETITION A Year 13 student was named runner-up after taking part in the regional final of the Poetry by Heart competition. Scarlett Spicer recited two poems as part of the contest at the Gulbenkian Theatre in Canterbury. Participants had to choose one pre-1914 poem and one post-1914. Scarlett’s poems were Aphra Behn’s A Thousand Martyrs and WH Auden’s Musée des Beaux Arts.

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MATHS TEAM AMONG THE UK TOP Ashford Senior Maths Team finished in the top quartile in the UK at the UK Mathematics Trust Senior Team Competition. At the event at Lindley Hall in London the team was placed 17th out of the 86 teams taking part. All 86 teams had won a regional round to qualify for the national event in London which brought together the top young mathematicians in the country. Ashford dropped only 17 points out of a possible 186 in three rounds of fast-paced questioning including a group round, a cross number and a relay. A really brilliant effort by team leader Sam along with Angel, Chak and Riley.

ASHFORD MATHEMATICIANS AMONG TOP SCORERS AT COMPETITION A team of Ashford mathematicians was awarded a high-scoring certificate at the regional round of the Maths Feast 2016 competition. In this competition the overall placings are not announced but the Ashford team was one of the top scorers on the day. Maths Feast 2016 is an exciting competition organised by the Further Maths Support Programme and tests mathematical, communications and teamwork skills. Questions include both recreational maths and those of a more traditional nature. In addition, there is a round that covers a topic that Year 10 mathematicians will not have seen before. This year, they tackled complex numbers, which is more normally a topic in A Level Further Maths and university courses. The Ashford team of Satsna Zhou, Christy Jiang, Yilong Liu and Victor Ye performed brilliantly in all rounds. Mathematics teacher, Mr Thomson commented: “The students excelled, particularly when they tackled unfamiliar problems. Most importantly, they enjoyed working together and learning new material on complex numbers.”

D E D N EXTE G N I N LEAR

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FUGEES SPEECH ON RE EAKING GOLD AWARD INS SP W FOR PETITION OMPHYSICS C

ey ssioned when th geable and impa led ow kn s of lve rt se Sam Zhang – who achieved an incredible four A*s andee an A pa em chAesatas Year 8 proved th me convincing sp liver soGold x to de Level – achieved abohighly coveted Award in the first round of . sh took to the soap gli es’ for En eech -fiction Sp the British PhysicsonOlympiad. Sam was one of only 50 students in their work on ‘N m o best speeches fro the country to achieve this. ers selected the tw ch tea sh the gli e En for 8 be Hall The three Year competed in Brake and thoisseasix Theon British Physics nts Olympiad very demanding national am g their stude competition and the . first round is taken by the top 1600 entire year group students in the country. They were: Crisis’ Refug Other Olympiads enteredab this year include UKee Linguistics e Syrianthe eaking out ‘Th nis, spYear • Olivia De Olympiad where 9 gained bronze, silver and gold certificates ’ ianism eaking on ‘Vegetar Eve Moug, sp h’ alt at• Foundation Level and Year 8 completed the Breakthrough He tal en n, speaking on ‘M • Josie Whitingto Challenge. Testing’ eaking on ‘Animal sp y, Homework’ • Isobel Cufle ‘The Abolition of on g kin ea sp in, art -M am bh Bra • Gabriel ‘Bullying’ Born, speaking on • James van den

RUNNER-UP IN OOL H C S D R POETRY OMPETITION O F H S A HOSTS AN EU REFERENDUM A Year 13 student was named runner-up after taking part in the regional final of the Poetry by Heart competition.

Scarlett Spicer recited two poems as part of the contest at the Gulbenkian Theatre in Canterbury. Participants had en they whchoose try to coun the will of the ted post-1914. lec ref nts de one Se pre-1914 poem and one Scarlett’s poems were stu r nio t only just. ndum - bu n EU refereMartyrs’ owThousand Aphra and WH Auden’s ‘Musee des ld their ‘A heBenn’s Beaux Arts’. ole Senior School public vote, the wh the e for be so th or A month erendum where bo ll for their own ref Ha ke Bra in red gathe ce to vote. re given the chan pupils and staff we m both sides of the oned speeches fro e They heard impassi ld remain in Europ ether the UK shou wh to as t en um arg or leave. Leskaj fought to s Short and Elona h Sixth Formers Jame colleague Abdulla r Marchant and his xte De the ile wh for e ain rem Then it was tim ‘leave’ campaign. Rashid fought the votes. staff to cast their whole school and uld be as they possibly co ults were as close res the d en the In g to remain. with 49.5% votin

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PHYSICS CHALLENGES FOR YEAR 5 Year 5 had great fun learning some physics basics during a Senior School DT Challenge Day. They worked in teams of four to design and build a glider using balsa wood, a powered paper plane and an air-powered rocket. They were given a range of materials including soldering irons to build their constructions, and straight after lunch the teams put their creations to the test. They launched their rockets from the stage in Brake Hall and there were some pretty impressive results. Awards were given for the Furthest Travelled, the Best Construction and Against All Odds. The furthest distance travelled by a powered plane was 7.49 metres; by the glider, 4.84 metres; rocket - one hit the ceiling twice and another travelled 13.6 metres.

YEAR 7S TAKE ON THE MICROBIT Year 7s were given BBC microbit computers - a pocket-sized codeable computer with motion detection and a built-in compass. The pupils were given iPads at the start of the year and one of their first challenges was to work out how to ‘pair’ the iPad with the microbit to create and download programs wirelessly. Ahmad, pictured, said: “I’m looking forward to creating car games using the motion sensor and a ‘chase the pixel game’.”

CAN YOU SPELL...? Pupils from Years 6 and 7 put themselves in the front line when they competed in the annual Ashford School Spelling Bee. The candidates were watched by their peers as they took to their feet in the Senior School’s Brake Hall and took on the challenge of spelling words ranging from ‘veil’ to ‘detrimental’. The competition was won by Eleanor Audsley and Edward O’Neill from Year 7, and Elizabeth Thorne and Katie Regan from Year 6.

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E D I S T U O G N I N R A E L

M O O R S S THE CLA A lot of academic learning takes place outside the classroom. We organise excursions such as a Geography field course or theatre trips. There have been numerous this year.

GEOGRAPHERS IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS Year 5 went to Westgate Outdoor Learning Centre to find out more about river dipping and identifying life forms. The Canterbury trip was part of their Geography studies and they enjoyed activities designed to measure the speed and direction of the river flow. But the highlight for many was the chance to watch a mayfly nymph hatch out. The trip also brought in a bit of Roman history and discussions on the impact of flooding.

TRIP TO THE UNIVERSITY OF KENT Psychology students had a fascinating day exploring the subject department at the University of Kent. They enjoyed lectures on Forensic, Political and Physiological Psychology, had a tour of the department and tried out some of the equipment.

CROSSCURRICULAR TRIP TO CANTERBURY Year 7 pupils experienced a fantastic crosscurricular Humanities trip to Canterbury. They explored the Medieval City defences on a walking tour, learnt of the Thomas Becket martyrdom and pilgrimage in Canterbury Cathedral, and finally experienced life in Medieval times through the Canterbury Tales experience; the latter even more relevant as pupils had just learnt about the Miller’s Tale through studying Chaucer in English lessons. The trip combined History, Religious Studies, Geography and English.

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DEBATING THE FUTURE OF EUROPE Some trips take us abroad and in the Trinity term 24 Economics and Business Studies students took part in a cutting-edge debate in Paris when they attended the ‘Your Future in Europe’ conference. The timing of the conference - in the lead-up to the British referendum - made the debates all the more lively and the students came away with a deeper understanding of the UK’s role in Europe and its impact in the European Union. Sixth Formers Amanda Wu and Kristin Liu put their own questions forward to leading politicians and journalists. Jason Oh (Year 12) took the opportunity to quiz speakers, including Evan Davis (TV presenter on Newsnight and Dragons' Den), Dominic Grieve MP and Alan Johnson MP. The students also found time for a cultural exploration of Paris, enjoying the Bateaux Parisian Seine River Cruise, Notre Dame, Champs-Elysées, Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower and Sacré Coeur.

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EXPERIENCING AN EARTHQUAKE

DESIGN WORKSHOP AT UCL

Students from our International Centre spent the day at London’s Natural History Museum expanding their learning of Geography and Art.

Year 12 and 13 Product Design students went to University College London to take an in-depth look at design in different industries.

The group spent the day immersed in the volcano and earthquake section - topics they had been studying in Geography. They entered through the ‘hazardous world’ exhibition before going on an earthquake simulator which is similar to the earthquake in Kobe in Japan.

They attended the Inspire by Design workshop where they heard from some of the UK’s best designers and entrepreneurs. Key speakers included Matthew Beaven, the chief exterior designer at Jaguar who spoke about the automotive industry, and Jay Osgerby from Barber & Osgerby who spoke about the design and development of the 2012 Olympic torch.

The students also drew sketches of dinosaur fossils which they used later as inspiration for their Art exam material.

THE LARGEST PARTICLE ACCELERATOR IN THE WORLD A Level Physics students had an amazing trip to CERN - the largest particle accelerator in the world. They visited LHCb, one of the main detectors, where an experiment is set up to explore anti-matter and to find out what happened after the big bang. The annual trip is designed to help students understand and put into context the part of the A Level syllabus on particles. During their few days in Switzerland they also found time for a visit to the Natural History Museum and a cable car ride which gave them spectacular views of Mont Blanc.

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FINDING OUT HOW IT ALL WORKS There was a lot of fun for Year 2 on their trip to Ashford Fire Station - they got to try on helmets, sit in the cab and hold the hose. The visit was part of the year-group’s cross-curricular learning. They had been studying the Great Fire of London and the plague in History, making rats in Art and cemented their learning with a trip to the fire station.

THEATRE TRIPS Year 13s enjoyed a theatre trip to London to extend their study of Elements of the Gothic in literature. The English students watched Susan Hill’s classic ghost story, The Woman in Black, at the Fortune Theatre. Year 6s more than enjoyed a theatre trip to London to see the hit musical Matilda! Some of them thought it was the best show they had ever seen - and came out with new inspiration and enthusiasm for their school drama lessons. The trip was part of the academic extension programme, aimed at enriching the students’ understanding and appreciation of theatre. Other theatre trips this year have included J B Priestley’s An Inspector Calls at Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre. Fifty Year 11s went to see it as they were studying the play as part of their English Literature GCSE and seeing the live production gave them a valuable insight into Priestley’s dramatic methods.

FUN WITH ANIMALS For Reception, it was as trip to the Rare Breeds Centre in Woodchurch where they met all kinds of animals, from a snake to a shire horse.

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PRACTICAL LEARNING Year 12 Geographers got knee-deep in water to study the characteristics of the River Darent. They took their studies to the outdoors to look at various sites along the river, ranging from the source to a site close to the mouth. They wanted to discover if the characteristics of the river change downstream so they measured the width at each site, the depth, the speed of the water and measured the size and shape of 10 pieces of bedload at each site.

LIVING LAND

Learning how our land works was the focus for Year 4 when they went to Kent County Showground for the Living Land exhibition. They explored farming, agriculture, the countryside and healthy eating during the one-day event. They met farm animals, enjoyed local produce, and even saw dancing sheep at the Sheep Show.

EXTENDING LE ARNING

Year 6 extended their learning wi th a visit to Dove dressing up in th r Castle. They lov e old army costu ed mes and absorb the site. They als ing all the history o visited the Battl at e of Britain memo rial at Hawkinge.

Ashford School Magazine 2015 • 2016 • L E A R N I N G W I T H PA R T N E R S

By Jessica Learmont

THE MUCH-ANTICIPATED

BIOLOGY FIELD TRIP

Ashford School Magazine 2015 • 2016 • L E A R N I N G W I T H PA R T N E R S

I remember the morning we were called into the Science labs to begin the 2016 Biology Field Trip. Finally, our year was here. All of the stories and fictitious tales we had wallowed over from past expeditions seemed suddenly so close. Consumed with anticipation we sat impatiently, waiting to find out where we were going and to be given our hoodies, a timely tradition which everyone was looking forward to. After a sufficient amount of mockery from the embarrassment of personalised nicknames deemed “entirely rational” by the teachers, our journey commenced to the first destination: Brockhill Country Park. Here, we began ecology work looking at species diversity, measuring many abiotic factors such as light intensity, pH and the gradient of the land. We investigated the impact these may have on different organisms by studying the variety of species within the stream at certain points along a transect. Although we were not working in particularly fast flowing waters, the more ambitious ecologists got particularly wet toes whilst wading through the stream as we discovered some uneven ground, which sadly not even our wellies could account for. The following day we departed for Botany Bay. This gave us a chance to attempt dune sand and sea shore sampling, investigations of polar opposites. In small groups we raced against the tide to collect as much data as possible, noting the different species of seaweed we found using belt quadrat sampling along a transect. With each member of the group taking charge of a job we managed to work quickly and effectively in order to complete the study. Conversely, dune shore sampling seemed somewhat slower, as we inched up the beach using continuous quadrat sampling analysing the different species present. Exhausted and sun-blushed we continued to our final destination: Port Lympne Zoo. With rumbling stomachs we followed the group leader to the ‘Pinewood’ camp site. However, we became quickly alarmed when we realised the area we were headed to stay for the night was in the same direction as the wolves’ enclosure. After collecting our keys and perusing the beautiful pods in which we were staying, we clambered into the off-roading trucks and set out for an evening safari. This gave us the opportunity to see the African Maasai Mara game in their natural reserve, featuring species such as giraffes and wildebeests. On our arrival back to camp we congregated in the café and tucked into a delicious meal. Before we knew it a thunderstorm had set in, however this did not deter us from the bonfire as we proceeded to sit around the camp with waterproofs and high spirits. The final day was our individual investigation. This was the point in the trip where we could use the skills we had practised to design our own study. I chose to look at light intensity vs species diversity and picked a location with an equal amount of light and shade provided by trees. Using continuous quadrat sampling we recorded species of ‘self-heal’ plant along a transect and looked at whether light intensity had an effect on its distribution. From this data we would then calculate a mean and use statistical tests to support our hypothesis possibly showing significant results. Overall, it was a thoroughly enjoyable trip and certainly a highlight of my AS year studying Biology.

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G N I G N E L L CHA

R O F S H T A M

P E R P E TH L O O H C S

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The whole Pr ep School - fr om Receptio to Year 6 - do n wned their te xt books and took part in a special Mat hs Challenge designed to Day show the child ren how Mat is used in the hs real world. The event w as organised to help child think creativ ren ely and outs ide the box an to explore ne d w ways of pr oblem-solving Activities wer . e also focuse d on developi logic and mem ng ory skills. So me were run in-house by the teachers but we were also visited by a company w ho ran some professional workshops. The focus was ‘Maths is Ev erywhere’. Activities incl uded orientee ring, puzzles, Maths-based art, mental M aths, problem solving and measuring in PE. And it went down well w ith the child Ellis Spedding ren. in Year 4 said : “I really enjoyed the 3D shape bu ilding becaus the shapes tu e rned out real ly well or wen horribly wrong t !” Ellis was pl eased becaus he learnt ho e w to make an octahedron an could identif d y the numbe r of sides, ve and edges of rtices many 3D shap es after the activity. Adrian Hosse ini in Year 3 said: “I enjo the Maths ar yed t because I am very creative and the Mat hs orienteerin g because I running arou like nd. Because I am good at Maths I was able to help others and th made me feel is good.”

Ashford School Magazine 2015 • 2016 • L E A R N I N G W I T H PA R T N E R S

PP! A N W O R U O D E WE’VE CREAT

teacher Helen signed by Year 1 the Apple Store. De in le ab ing used ail be av dy w no levels and is alrea Star Speller app is ing app covers 50 ell The long-awaited sp e th er mm d a parent progra Garsed-Bennet an ool. sch successfully in

AN EXCITING ER FIND AT RECULV l to e making things rea There’s nothing lik eper de d understanding an encourage better on Mexico t jec pro lebrated their learning. Year 2 ce and a pinata, lete with dancing with a party comp them to hical studies took while their Geograp citing ex ere they made an Reculver beach wh discovery.

ENABLING BETTER LEARNING: Q&A WITH DR NEELAM PARMAR, DIRECTOR OF E-LEARNING Our vision: to integrate the use of technology both purposefully and appropriately within the culture and in the curriculum to enrich studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; learning with the relevant 21st century digital skills. Where are we on the journey? In the last year, every student in Years 3-10 has been given an iPad for school use which has seen more creative and collaborative work with students and their peers. Teachers can now offer assessment and feedback in real time and where planned, some students have used e-books to enhance their learning and development. We have also developed the Firefly Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) to streamline teaching and learning processes. More teachers are offering online interactive videos and have made resources available for students to access anytime, anywhere and anyhow â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a very exciting development. What else do we need to look out for? Most important is the central role of the IT team in providing a solid foundation for all the technology to work together and in keeping the students safe online. The integration of educational technology at Ashford has been carefully planned and the school has implemented a secure and robust technical strategy to ensure that students can access appropriate information useful to their education when needed. The IT team recognises that striking a balance between protecting and mollycoddling is a clear responsibility and as a consequence, are there to support and educate the students as required.

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PARTNERSHIPS THE EXTENDED PROJECT QUALIFICATION (EPQ) The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) – which many of our Sixth Formers choose to undertake – produces some incredibly interesting studies on subjects outside the curriculum. This year students have researched everything from infinity to allergies. The EPQ is an important but voluntary part of an Ashford Sixth Former’s study. They choose a topic and carry out independent research with the aim of producing either a 5000-word essay or a product with a 1000-word report and presentation. Run by the exam boards AQA and Edexcel, they are highly regarded by the best universities and are the equivalent of an AS Level in UCAS points. Over the next couple of pages you can read summaries of their projects written by our EPQ students – it makes for an interesting read.

U FELL PPEN IF YO A H D L U O WHAT W CK HOLE? INTO A BLA

INSIDE Y IT IN F IN HOW DOES OLE AFFECT ITS H THE BLACK ? PROPERTY ang

her force in there is no ot nuclear fuel tells of t ou n re ru l ra lativity e stars gravity. Gene of When massiv ll pu e th form d collapse and can withstan ch object will nature which su y an s as on r-m sive r such conditi hole. A supe us that unde tually not a ac is le ho k So, a blac s of solar a black hole. or even billion ing millions gh ei w ity le av ho black time where gr on of space gi re light. a en is s ev t se no mas pe, ing can esca th no at th ite is so strong me and infin ely small volu with extrem nsity ar de st a ite is fin le in ed by this So, a black ho , what is caus e middle. So density at th hole? of the black at the centre e centre? gularity at th It forms a sin space time? curvature of ity cause the ns de ite fin k How does in fall into a blac ppen as you ha ill w t ha bu , t w er imagined d die instantly Have you ev stretched an be ill w u th yo d e rest ediction, ive and spen hole? As a pr will still be al u yo e, tim rit e la y. e sam ach the singu actually at th le until you re ho k ac bl e th aller and of your life in les will get sm ion, black ho at di ra end of ng e ki th Haw ly, so, what is According to ear eventual pp sa g to be di in ly go al is fin nsity end? It smaller and an infinity de n ca w Ho ? a black hole g EPQ! an interestin

By Zhiyuan Zh

THE REAL STORY BEHIND FAIR TRADE

NEGATIVE IMPACT OF FAIR TRADE by Anna Walker My EPQ is on the negative impacts of fair trade in Tanzania and specifically looking at the fair trade of coffee. I wanted to research the negative impacts of fair trade as the media has portrayed it as an amazing development that gives equality to everyone and where workers get paid above the minimum wage. However, I am sceptical of this and believe that big companies are pocketing all the profit and not treating their workers fairly. I want to explore the political side of this system as well as the social side and how it affects not only the workers in Tanzania but the whole chain from picking to packaging to selling. I want to hopefully contact a worker in Tanzania to get their thoughts and compare the fair trade system to a non-fair trade system. Finally, I would love to research another country in comparison, maybe one that is not so well known for its fair trade and see what the competition is like around the world depending where it is.

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MACHINES FOR THE FUTURE

HOW TO BUILD A REMOTE-CONTROLLED MACHINE THAT CAN RUN ON WATER, ON LAND AND IN THE AIR By Jonathan Engineering extensively affects our daily lives through offering innovative ideas to solve challenges. My plan after A Levels is to study engineering at university and, ideally, to be able to design and invent products that reach to the people who need them, making their lives healthier, more productive and enjoyable. My EPQ title is: How to build a remote-controlled machine that can run on water, on land and in the air. This will be challenging but very interesting at the same time. More than that, it will give me the opportunities to learn a wide range of useful skills, such as building electric circuits, designing prototypes, trialling and testing, computer programming and more.

MAKING FO OD BETTER

CHILDREN AN D ALLERGIES

by Francesca

I am investigat ing the psycho logical impact children with all on families with ergies and how life can be mad families. I have e easier for chosen to rese arch food aller which have deve gie s in children loped from a yo ung age and ev leading on to ho en from birth, w we can make recipes more ex these children citing for especially at pa rties. One exam ketogenic diet. ple of this is th I would also lik e e to find a way recipes fun in or to make these der to get child ren involved in My aim in the preparing them EPQ is to creat . e a recipe book children with all tailored toward ergies making s it ea sie r for them to ea adventurous fo t more ods without th e fear of havin reaction. I would g an allergic really like to fo cus on children’ as I feel for child s party foods ren their birthda ys are big even which should be ts in their lives celebrated with as much fun an possible. d ease as On a trip to the University of So uthampton, I ha research my to d the time to pic where I gath ered lots of int about how food er es ting journals allergies can sta rt and alternativ with these aller es for people gies. I also looke d into the issue families with ch s faced by ildren that have allergies.

WHICH IS BE ST?

THE IMMUNO LOGICAL EFF ECTS OF BRE MILK COMPA AST R ED TO FORM by Georgina W U LA MILK illiams

From plagiarism , research and effective note-ta months we have king to referenc been learning ho ing and academ w to produce an ic writing, over at university m essay of academ the past six y chosen topic ic research. As wa s infant health. I hope to study comparison to In particular th Medicine infant formula. e immunologic al effects of br east milk in As well as my int erest in paediat rics, inspired by my topic becaus work experienc e I wanted to ta e at the William ke a more specific Harvey Hospita research so far angle on the po l, I chose has mainly been pular debate of online, consisting breast vs bottle. At Southampton of re ad My ing academic ar University we ha ticles by scientif d the opportunit campus where ic researchers. y to spend a fe we used compu w hours in their ters to find relev extensive library ant academic jo on main urnals, locate an Although I hope d take notes fro my EPQ will he m them. lp me to stand I want, I also th out from other ink that learning applicants and to research ind help me to get further education ependently is pr to the university . oviding me with skills I will use throughout

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UNDERSTANDING PSYCHOLOGY

WHY DO PEOPLE STAY IN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS? by Tinatin Gabashvili My research is focused on the effects of physically and emotionally abusive relationships on the victim, as I thought this would be an appropriate way to connect multiple areas of my interests and prepare myself for what I am hoping to study at university - Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience. In the project, I am planning to focus on the reasons people stay in abusive relationships, as well as the possible consequences, such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, The Stockholm Syndrome, Dissociative Identity Disorders and other neurological and physiological effects. Apart from reading about my topic, I am planning to contact lead researchers in this area to help me develop and evaluate my arguments as well as possible. I believe that doing the EPQ is a unique opportunity to develop research skills and look deeply into any topic that one might find interesting, gaining knowledge and experience beyond the A Levels.

WILL ROBOTS TAKE OVER?

SHOULD RESEARCH INTO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE BE LIMITED? By Xinrui Hu My EPQ is about whether the power of an artificial general intelligence (AGI) should be limited or not when it is initially built. According to the definition on wikipedia, AGI is the intelligence of a (hypothetical) machine that could successfully perform any intellectual task that a human being can. In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) seems to be an increasingly popular topic and the fear of its potential threat is also growing. Essentially, it is a question about trust. What I want to discuss in my project is can we trust an AGI and how? To ensure the interests of human beings and to make ourselves trust the AGI, what can we do when we initially build it? After the AGI was built, what would be the possible consequences and how can we prevent adverse results? Instead of finding an exact answer to these questions, I want to expand my understanding of the topic and eliminate some misunderstanding about AI through my project.

CREATIVE EVENT FOR CHARITY

ONE SIXTH FORMER USED HER EPQ TO RAISE OVER £400 FOR THE BRITISH LEGION. Jess O’Shaughnessey based her EPQ on the styling element of fashion, looking in particular at the 1940s and1950s. She said: “The drastic change which history imposed on garment design shocked me in the V&A fashion exhibition when I first visited. I would like to educate others about other eras where some of our modern trends have rejuvenated from.” So Jess, together with another student, Ellie Elam, staged a vintage event where she sourced and styled clothes to portray the gradual changes. Ellie created 40s and 50s classic housewife hairstyles on models who acted as waitresses at the event and represented the housewives of the ages. It was a flamboyant afternoon with tea, cakes, games, dancing and vintage education. The girls also gave a brief speech about the model styles and their findings from the EPQ. Profits made through ticket sales and donations were given to the British Legion charity because of the wartime theme. Teacher in charge of EPQs, Mrs Claire Miller, said: “I was blown away by the event and the amount of effort the girls put into it. Not only did they organise a super event in aid of charity but they put so much thought into the history. The history of hair and clothes was well researched and offered a wonderful insight into the life of women. “The atmosphere was buoyant and swinging and the girls considered every aspect of this event with precision, detail and authenticity.”

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AN EXEMPLARY PIECE OF WORK Some students work towards their CREST awards where they can achieve Discovery, Bronze, Silver and Gold. The awards are run by the British Science Association and open to 11-19 year olds. Fiona, who secured a place to study Physics at Imperial College, London, after outstanding A Level results of four A*s, studied the effects of air gaps on sound levels for her Gold award. Her work was so admired by the BSA that they are showcasing it as an example to other students.

AT THE END OF THE TRINITY TERM A GROUP OF EPQ STUDENTS VISITED THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON WHERE THEY LEARNT SOME VALUABLE RESEARCH SKILLS TO HELP THEM WITH THEIR STUDIES. Rebecca Turton explains how they got on. Once we arrived at the university we were welcomed and taken to the computer rooms and given a useful talk that built on our research skills short course offered by the school. This talk taught us many helpful skills from note-taking to referencing which will not only be applied to the EPQ but also university. After receiving our individual log-ins for DelphiS and WebCat we were free to research our individual topics and download any relevant material from the university that we can use later on. I found this extremely beneficial not only because I could put my note-taking skills into practice but also because I now have the foundation for my project on which I can build. We then had time for lunch and had the opportunity to walk around the university campus. Although it wasn’t very busy because many of the students had finished exams, we were still able to get an insight into university life. After lunch we were free to navigate the Hartley library for any books that could also be useful for the project. This was a new and exciting experience for us as A Level students; university libraries are a lot bigger than school libraries so it took time and patience to locate the books we needed. However this didn’t deter us, we found books successfully and the whole experience was invaluable.

SOUND ADVICE by Fiona

I researched and carried out an experiment to determine the effect of an air gap on the absorption coefficient. Using the impendence tube at Southampton Solent University, I varied the size of the air gap behind an absorbing material, measured the maximum and minimum voltages achieved and from this calculated the absorption coefficient at a series of frequencies. From this I showed that increasing the air gap increases the absorption coefficient. During this project, not only did I learn the effect of an air gap, I also learnt about sound absorption, the absorption coefficient and how the absorption coefficient affects the reverberation time of certain frequencies. My results show that installing absorbing panels with an air gap behind them will reduce the reverberation time of lower frequencies in a domestic setting thus reducing noise levels. This could be used to reduce noise levels in converted historic buildings which are often poorly soundproofed due to structural constraints. In the future, in order to perhaps have a more complete understanding of the practical implementation, the effect of the thickness of the absorbing material on the value of the absorption coefficient would be investigated. It might also be useful to repeat the experiment with the actual construction materials i.e. wood, plasterboard etc and to scale up the experiment into a mockup of an actual interior.

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JOSHUA AND MEGAN WERE AWARDED THEIR SILVER CREST AWARDS IN JUNE FOR RESEARCH INTO ASPIRIN. By Joshua and Megan Having carried out four different investigations into aspirin, we have successfully achieved what we set out to in the aims. We found that there was around 0.2g less active ingredient in the shop-bought aspirin tablets than advertised on the packet. However, this result may not be completely accurate, so the experiment would need to be carried out with more sophisticated analysis equipment to find the true value. Whatever the results of the experiment, we have still learnt how to find the quantity of an ingredient in a medicine and what calculations are needed. So we have successfully achieved what we had planned. Next, in methods 2 and 3, we extracted salicylic acid from both Oil of Wintergreen and willow bark. Although we did obtain salicylic acid from the Oil of Wintergreen, the product was unusable from method 4 and it had soaked up far too much water. In method 3 we learnt how salicylic acid would have been extracted for use hundreds of years ago, and how only a small amount of salicylic acid could be obtained from what seemed a large amount of willow bark. So we discovered that extracting salicylic acid from Oil of Wintergreen was more effective than from willow bark, but neither method was ideal. In method 4, we synthesized pure aspirin. We learnt how over the counter drugs would be produced in industry and used a range of equipment to emulate this in the laboratory. Overall, we have achieved all of our aims: we have compared the purity of shop-bought tablets to the stated quantity on the packaging, we have extracted salicylic acid from both Oil of Wintergreen and willow bark, and we have synthesized pure aspirin from reagent grade salicylic acid. We have learnt how to perform calculations, use specialist equipment, use the internet to research the history of aspirin and present information, as well as finding out about the specific compounds present in widely-used OTCs that make them effective.

ASHFORD Ashford School Magazine 2015 • 2016 • L E A R N I N G W I T H PA R T N E R S

PA R T N E R S H I P S

EXTERNAL EXPERTS

The wider learning is, the more interesting and relevant it is. This is why we often work in partnership with experts, whether they be visiting speakers or people spending longer on projects with us. The next few pages give just a taste of some of the collaborations we’ve enjoyed in the last academic year.

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AN OLD THEATRICAL STYLE IN A NEW PRODUCTION Our younger Drama students were lucky enough to work for a term with Richard Franklin from the company Three Half Pints. He ran various workshops teaching them an old theatrical style – slap-stick comedy – and together they wrote a festive production, In the Nick of Time. Mr Franklin said he had been inspired by the children’s enthusiasm. “My experience at Ashford School was second to none,” he said. “The students embraced this style of theatre with enthusiasm and it was great to see young people performing a very old style of theatre.” Three Half Pints have had two very successful runs at the Edinburgh Fringe and filmed a series for CBeebies, called Spot Bots, which was aired in January 2016.

FUN IN DIFFERENT HISTORICAL PERIODS We love an excuse to dress up and there are several very exciting days set aside in the Prep School for a very special type of practical learning. The year groups don costumes from the period they are studying and welcome Charlie Lupton from Make Your Own History. This year saw Year 3 learning how to build a road and make equipment for battle when they became Romans for the day; they turned their hand to craft a complete longship when they transported themselves back to the time of the Vikings.

It was a highly specialised day for Year 6 when they used willow branches to create their own spitfires. They also built – and tried out – an Anderson shelter.

Year 4s learnt the art of Tudor living when they wore some really colourful costumes and built a Tudor house from scratch. Year 5s really enjoyed their day spent in ancient Egypt and were highly amused at the prospect of embalming organs and making their own mummies.

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A slightly more terrifying day was had by Year 5s when they welcomed Ian Roberts as their Victorian schoolmaster. They learnt the strict rules of the classroom and got to try out slates and different learning equipment before having fun in the playground with traditional toys.

INTERACTIVE HISTORY with Oliver We have great fun ps in Time Ste m fro an ch McMe ildren to ch who transports the rlds. wo l ica wonderful histor

EXPLORING SCIENCE Nursery have a lot of fun on their annual Science day when they get to try their hands at making electrical circuits. They find out which materials conduct electricity and they are introduced to the laws of motion and physics. A particular highlight of the day is the grand coca cola experiment which draws gasps of amazement from the three-yearolds. The day is run by Mr Laing, a former Science teacher.

takes the In just an hour he host of a gh children throu and stories rs cte ara ch colourful ds. from different perio r life, – his version of Tudo – and taking part in ing tch wa ed joy en Year 5 nt Egypt. aracters from ancie while Year 3 met ch re baker when they we judge but the guilty the ly on t no . t on me nd 2 Year Great Fire of Lo ctive sketch on The treated to an intera

GETTING CREATIVE WITH SHAKESPEARE Years 3-6 enjoyed a really creative workshop run by West End in Schools before performing Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Members of the company worked with each year group on a different scene from the play – and it all made sense when they came together at the end of the day to perform. Not only did the children learn about the play, they explored different ways of acting and facial expressions, as well as taking on the challenge of a play in a day!

VISITING AUTHORS We were lucky enough to be visited by the best-selling author Andy Mulligan as part of our academic extension programme. Mr Mulligan had the students in fits of laughter as he revealed the inspiration behind his popular novel Trash. The novel has recently been made into a film, directed by Richard Curtis, and was released in the UK last year. Mr Mulligan is also the author of the Ribblestrop trilogy and The Boy with Two Heads. After the talk, he signed copies of his books for the students.

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EXTENDING LEARNING WITH PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOPS We’ve also been extremely lucky to have been visited by some world-renowned performers, the a capella group Voces8 and former BBC Jazz Musician of the Year Clare Teal. As well as performing in the evening, they have run invaluable workshops with our students. Our singers also had the wonderful opportunity to work with Voces8 before joining them in a public concert at St Mary’s Church, Ashford. Meanwhile, Drama students from Years 11-13 took part in a workshop with the company Frantic Assembly, who are behind the hit production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. They focused on physical theatre and the students learnt useful stage skills, including how to lift a performer safely, and how to create movement in the space they have.

Ashford School Magazine 2015 • 2016 • L E A R N I N G W I T H PA R T N E R S

ASSES L C R E T S A SPORTS M

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Ashford School Magazine 2015 • 2016 • L E A R N I N G W I T H PA R T N E R S

HARNESSING THE POWER OF… PAPER The annual STEM day for Year 9 received a boost this year with a visit from Steve Noyce, a senior engineer from Delphi. This year school staff designed the challenges and ran the day which combined Science, Technology, Economics and Maths skills. The students set up their own businesses in a bid to tackle the United Nations’ goal of universal electricity by 2030. They were challenged to design and build a water tower and a water turbine to generate electricity. The students were divided into teams and each individual took on a different role in the company, from Team Leader with responsibility for ensuring everyone is working and motivated, to Marketing Manager with responsibility for creating posters and writing the pitch. At the end of a busy - and challenging - day, teams had to present their work to the rest of the year group and explain why their product was the best. But the crucial moment came when towers were tested in a real paddling pool full of water! There was a lot of fun throughout the day.

EXPANDING AND DEVELOPING STUDY Dr Guy Sutton has got to be one of the most fascinating and energetic researchers around – and students at Ashford School are visited every year by the renowned neuroscientist. Psychology students spent a truly inspirational day with him when he took them through a brain dissection and explained exactly how the brain works.

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BACK IN TIME It was back in time for Year 1 in a special interactive workshop that taught them about Toys in the Past. But as well as looking at the differences in toys through the ages, the workshop mixed in a bit of Drama by giving the children the chance to pretend to be toys.

MAKING AN IMPACT We have a wonderful and varied programme of talks for our senior pupils, both in our Wider Horizons series and as part of general studies.

risking life and limb to capture

The programme is designed to give students an insight into all kinds of subjects, from careers to ethical issues, and we’ve welcomed all kinds of inspirational speakers this year.

Another popular talk was entitled

One of the most memorable was the truly inspirational photographer Rick Findler who risks his life to document the horror of war zones.

author of the bestselling book Why do

He has captured iconic images in war torn areas including northern Iraq, Libya and Syria where, on his most recent trip, he was snapping on the front line of the combat zone in Aleppo,

who is a non-executive director of NHS England and on the

A POPULAR VISITOR One of the more popular visitors to the Prep School is Basil the dog. Children clamour to take the puppy for a walk at break times – he belongs to the Registrar, Jenny Garrard.

images that show the reality of the on-going battle.

‘10 ways to win a Maths bet in the pub’ and delivered by Rob Eastaway, Buses come in Threes? We heard from former top barrister Margaret Casely-Hayford Metropolitan Police Panel that is overseeing the investigation into police corruption.

Ashford School Magazine 2015 • 2016 • L E A R N I N G W I T H PA R T N E R S

What a year it’s been for ensuring music plays a part in every child’s education! From informal end-of-year performances for Years 7, 8 and 9 to celebrations of Harvest and Easter in Nursery – every child has had the opportunity to explore their musical likes and dislikes. “Our all-inclusive attitude to music is at the foundation of all we do,” explains Barn Vafidis, Head of Music at the Prep School. “Children from all parts of the school experimented, listened and performed to many different audiences.”

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SOUNDS OF HARMONY The busiest Prep School music group is the Senior Choir whose repertoire includes pieces for our regular church services in Great Chart. These happen at the beginning and end of each term with a few festival days in the Michaelmas and Trinity terms. The anthems range from festival specific to more general liturgical text and the choir now numbers more than 60 singers. Performances this year have featured pieces by John Rutter, Benjamin Britten, Ronald Corp and Barry Rose.

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TAKING RECORDER TO THE NEXT LEVEL The Recorder Consort continues to grace us with its tight playing and beautiful renditions of traditional and modern classics. Mr Winters’ tuition of the group is an inspiration to all the children.

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE With three major concerts throughout the year, the Prep School’s groups are very busy. From the Senior Choir, Junior Choir and Young Voices Choir, to Orchestra, String Orchestra, Guitar Ensemble and a Recorder Consort, it is true to say there is plenty for everyone. All of the groups perform pieces from a wide variety of genres and styles and children move on to the next stage of their education with confidence in their musical abilities, a sound musical education and a curiosity to find out more. Particular well done to the Guitar Group this year. This band of dedicated musicians plays intricate 3-part pieces and was outstanding in their performance of the traditional song The Greenwood Tree in the Summer Concert.

MUSIC FOR BETTER DEVELOPMENT The Nursery musical curriculum isn’t just fun – it develops key motor skills and enhances the brain’s capacity to distinguish between sounds, as well as encouraging a life-long love of music. Here are our children celebrating the arrival of autumn with a rousing and colourful special assembly. The 3-4 year olds delighted family and friends with their performance of a selection of seasonal songs, using instruments and colourful scarves to bring the songs to life.

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THE CONFIDENCE TO PERFORM Many a star is born in our weekly performance assembly – the Friday morning Sparktacular. Throughout the year we have been delighted by many young soloists who through their hard effort and perseverance have performed wonderfully on piano, string, brass and recorder. They have played in different venues – as part of our weekly Sparktacular and as part of the more formal school concert. In the Sparktacular we have seen developing talent making their first tentative steps towards a performing career, and then later on in the year the same children performing in the wider school concert. There have also been many musical Entertainment Evenings and two full musicals performed this year. You can find out more about these in the Drama pages.

AN ECLECTIC ORCHESTRAL REPERTOIRE Our School Orchestra and String Orchestra exist not only to create great music but to give every child a chance. With more than 20 players ranging from initial grade to Grade 5, the groups have an eclectic repertoire which stretches from Tudor classics to Star Wars and traditional songs from England to Eastern Europe. The very early start on Tuesday mornings does not seem to dampen their spirits.

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CONCERT HIGHLIGHTS The Summer Extravaganza was a spectacular end to the musical year with a wonderfully fluent and musical performance of the first movement of the Chopin F minor piano concerto with James Short as soloist and a combined student/adult orchestra, two movements of Rachmaninov’s Suite for 2 Pianos performed by Govind Dhiman and Stephen Dandridge, a highly entertaining rendition of the Sergeant Major’s song from The Pirates of Penzance by Matthew Nicholls and polished performances from our vast range of musical groups, including Elastic Band, Wind Band, solos and jazz ensembles.

James in rehearsal

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OPPORTUNITIES TO PERFORM Every child in Years 3 and 7 learns an instrument as part of the curriculum and this year saw the whole of Year 7 form an orchestra to perform to family and friends. It was an incredible sight – testament to what is achievable if you are prepared to push yourself out of your comfort zone and to try something new. Years 8 and 9 also gave informal presentation evenings where every pupil was part of a group and performed their own compositions. We’ve also enjoyed the Senior and Junior Scholars’ Concert where our most talented musicians wowed the audience with some dazzling performances, as well as our annual GCSE and A Level recording performance evenings.

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Other concert highlights this year have included the beautiful Nelson Mass which gave our singers from the upper years a wonderful opportunity to work with a professional orchestra, four excellent soloists, and visiting guest choral singers, to perform one of Haydn’s best choral masses. It was an excellent evening of music-making.

MUSIC IN THE COMMUNITY The world of music outside school is an active and busy one which is why we encourage our students to find out more about it. Extension opportunities this year have included the chance for two of our best organ students to spend the evening playing the organ at Canterbury Cathedral – an inspirational opportunity to play a magnificent instrument in a wonderful acoustic. We’ve seen our jazz musicians providing the music at the Kent Creative Awards; and there’s been a trip to London to see the London Philharmonic Orchestra perform music linked to Shakespeare. Several of our pianists took part in the Kent International Pianoforte Course at Tonbridge School where Govind Dhiman and James Short won two of the top recital prizes. Held over three days, the course attracts some of the very best young musicians from across the south east, ranging from those still at school to students at the country’s top music colleges. James has also performed this year at Lancing College and King’s College, Cambridge, as well as being awarded the recital part of his ARCO Diploma, while Govind took a remarkable 3rd place at the Sevenoaks Festival competition where he was competing against students from music college.

A TRADITIONALLY CHILLY START TO SPRING But this didn’t deter our hardy Chamber Choir who celebrated May Day with break-time madrigals to welcome spring – even though they were wrapped in overcoats and scarves!

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PA R T N E R S H I P S

We consider it part of our role in the community to share some of our events and facilities with other schools and our pupils benefit from new ideas and friendships. This year has seen a diverse programme of opportunities, some of which you can read about here.

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THOUGHT-PROVOKING DEBATES

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We teamed up with the eminent philosopher Dr Peter Vardy to host an ethics conference at Ashford School. As well as our GCSE students, we invited pupils from other schools to the conference. The programme was designed to start the students thinking about ethics and the moral issues that we face in our modern world. Debates centred on Medical Ethics, including genetic selection, Human Rights and the treatment of animals. Dr Peter Vardy is a leader in the fields of Philosophy, Religious Studies and Ethics and is Vice Principal of Heythrop College, University of London. He is also a prolific academic author.

BRINGING VIRTUAL UNITED CLASSROOM TO LIFE We hosted a national residential workshop for A Level students from across the country, who normally meet only via their online lessons. As part of national schools group United Learning, Ashford School was chosen as the venue for the first residential weekend for United Classroom students. United Classroom is the group’s innovative distance learning initiative in which A Levels in Physics and Economics are taught to students across the country via a mix of live, online lessons and residential meetings. During the online lessons a teacher in one part of the country can interact with and talk to students from United Learning schools from Carlisle, Sheffield, Leeds, Northampton and Reigate. The residential workshop was held in our new International Centre which is equipped with cutting-edge educational and boarding facilities that make it ideal for such events.

AN INCREDIBLE AND INSPIRATIONAL PERFORMANCE Imagine the scene: 1200 singers from across the country together in London to stage a vibrant performance of an African-based vocal piece, Zimbe! Add to that that it was directed by the composer of the piece himself, Alex Lestrange, and you’ve got the ingredients for an unforgettable experience for our students. We took 40 singers, from Years 7-13, to the Lyceum Theatre (home of The Lion King) for a wonderful day of rehearsing, followed by an exhilarating performance. Our Chamber Choir even enjoyed an enhanced role, singing in a selected small group on the main stage. Ashford School students and staff joined a host of other schools from all across the country to perform songs from Zimbe! Those involved were all part of United Learning – the group which owns Ashford School and other state and independent schools across the country. Jon Coles, Chief Executive of United Learning, said: “One of the advantages of being a national group of schools is that we can bring our most talented pupils together from all over the country to participate in events like this. An opportunity to sing in a magnificent theatre like the Lyceum is an ambition that many have but few have the chance to realise. So it was wonderful to see our singers enjoy the experience and come together to perform.”

Ashford School Magazine 2015 • 2016 • L E A R N I N G W I T H PA R T N E R S

COMMUNITY COMMEMORATIONS The Prep School commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme with a service in Great Chart Parish Church. They were joined by four other local primary schools for the event where Year 5 pupils displayed their artwork and a poppy installation that they had designed and made especially for the event. Fought in Northern France, the Battle of the Somme has become known as 141 days of horror, with over one million soldiers losing their lives. The 1st of July 1916 was the first and bloodiest day of the battle.

MUSIC WITH THE MASTERS A group of our students were joined by invited pupils from local grammar schools, Highworth and Norton Knatchbull, for an incredible experience with one of the UK’s top bands. The premier British soul / funk fusion jazz group, Incognito, spent an afternoon hosting a workshop with students where they coached them in improvisation and harmonic techniques. The students joined the band on stage the same evening in Ashford School’s Brake Hall to perform what they had learnt. Incognito’s debut album, Jazz Funk, was released in 1981 with 15 more following.

WORKSHOP WITH HOCKEY INTERNATIONALS It may have been constant drizzle, but that was nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of our hockey players as they took part in a masterclass with two internationals. We welcomed Grace Balsdon who plays for Canterbury, England and Great Britain, and Dirkie Chamberlain who plays for Canterbury and South Africa. Ashford School U12 and 13s enjoyed an afternoon of intensive coaching with them and we also extended the invitation to pupils from Highworth and Wye schools.

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LONG-LASTING FRIENDSHIPS IN SPAIN

PA R T N E R S H I P S

Long-lasting friendships were formed in September when a group of students from our Spanish partner school - the Colegio San Francisco de Paula - spent just under a week taking part in lessons at Ashford School and visiting nearby attractions, including London, Brighton and Dreamland in Margate. The visit was returned in April when some of our students from Years 11-13 enjoyed their Easter break in Seville. They spent time in lessons, visited the world famous mosque of Córdoba, and explored the centre of Seville with its immense cathedral, Giralda, the Reales Alcázares and the beautiful Barrio Santa Cruz (the old Arabic/Jewish quarter). They all enjoyed the María Luisa Park and the Plaza de España, where they hired rowing boats and proved themselves to be accomplished oarsmen and women.

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SHARING TECHNOLOGICAL EXPERTISE

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Ashford School’s Director of E-Learning, Dr Neelam Parmar, is a regular speaker at technology events across the world after being singled-out as an industry leader. In January she spoke at London’s Bett Show which attracts speakers, exhibitors and audiences from across the world. She was also a speaker at The Academies Show and Education ICT16. It comes after her first year at Ashford School where she has overseen the introduction of iPads to the majority of year-groups across the school.

LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER In February our Sixth Form Drama students hosted a showcase evening when they invited pupils from other local schools to come along and perform their exam pieces to each other. They gained feedback from examinees who understood the grading criteria and could give constructive criticism.

COMPETITIO N FOR ALL

The Prep Sc hool hosted a Competiti and Langua on ges morning that was attended by several scho ols in Kent an judged by te d achers from Ch ristchurch Canterbury University an d the former Head of Lang uages from Norton Knatchbull G rammar Scho ol. Children perf ormed song s and poem played Read s and y Steady Co ok – all in Fren They even ha ch. d lunch with the royal family in Fren ch. Pupils had so me fun with a treasure trail and qu iz in French as well as m language le ini ssons in Russ ian, Mandarin German and , Latin.

RUNNING TO WIN SINGING TOGETHER Most children love a challenge and the annual Prep Schools Music Day is just that. Year 5 children from Prep and Primary schools across the local area meet in Brake Hall for a day of music-making. Some bring instruments and some bring their voices. They are challenged to perform to friends and family by the end of the day.

Eager Year 5s love the annual Maths Competition which is held at the Senior School and sees teams from other schools across East Kent compete for the trophy. This year saw about 12 teams who each had to work out the answer to a Maths question before running to get the next. The first team to finish – and with the most correct answers – is the winner.

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SHARING EXPERTISE THROUGHOUT THE GROUP Being part of United Learning gives us access to an enormous bank of expertise. Staff regularly share ideas and there are numerous training opportunities. Head of the Prep School, Richard Yeates, has taken on the responsibility of developing leadership for teachers in the group. He helps run a residential course of middle and senior managers where he delivers coaching in the art of leadership. “It makes teachers more self-aware and helps their schools to function better,” he said. “Our group connections are very strong and beneficial.”

TAG MASTERCLASS

Our BTEC sports students organised and hosted a wonderful tag rugby masterclass for children from local schools. They planned the whole day as part of their course and Year 5 boys and girls from local primary schools enjoyed specialised training and coaching. At the same time, they raised money for Macmillan Cancer Support by selling teas, coffees and cakes.

HEARTSTART We’ve teamed up with the British Heart Foundation and some of our Sixth Formers have undergone the training required to save lives. The partnership has been running for the last three years and our students are successfully running courses in CPR for staff and students.

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PA R T N E R S H I P S

A HALL BRIMMING WITH OPPORTUNITIES We welcomed 39 exhibitors to this year’s Opportunities Fair where universities showcased what they have on offer. It was an excellent chance for students of Year 10 upwards to speak directly to the universities before making some of the most important decisions of their lives. They were able to question exhibitors on everything, from the courses on offer and the criteria for entry, to life at university and fees. The event attracted universities such as Edinburgh, Cambridge and Oxford, and Imperial College, London, and we opened it up to students from Highworth and The Towers.

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Creativity, ideas and the freedom for these to grow abound in our Art and Design Technology departments.

ART

Sometimes the children are given a challenge and asked to solve it – read how our Year 5s designed and built different forms of transport; at other times they are given more detailed and specific instructions and encouraged to be creative within these guidelines – see the results of our A Level students’ work on portraits. The results are often exceptional, always individual and are, without exception, a learning experience.

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TRAVELLING THE ARTISTIC WORLD The flames of curiosity have been amply fanned by numerous trips to exhibitions and galleries. The Prep School have enjoyed workshops at the Turner Contemporary in Margate and a visit to the Keeping Gallery in Shortlands, Kent. Pop Art was the theme of the Year 7 trip to the Tate Modern while Year 8 enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime chance to view the blockbuster exhibition ‘Painting the Modern Garden: Monet at the Royal Academy’.

THE LAWS OF MOTION The Senior School annual design challenge is a muchanticipated event for Year 5. This year they were challenged with designing and building an air-powered rocket, an electricpowered aircraft and a glider. They had a lot of fun getting to grips with the electrics and applying the laws of physics to their designs. Many craft flew a considerable distance when put to the test, the furthest being just over 13 metres.

FREEDOM TO CREATE We’ve seen some great designs for electronic Christmas decorations, audio amplifiers and concrete-inspired desk lamps from Years 7-9. Computer-aided design and manufacture has produced pewter jewellery and clocks, flower holders and headphones.

REACHING OUT FOR INSPIRATION There is nothing like a visit to the professional – and historical – world of design to nurture the seeds of inspiration and this year our Year 10 students have been to the V&A Museum to immerse themselves in a wealth of art and design culture. They also visited the British Museum where the highlights were undoubtedly the Elgin Marbles and the Egyptology collection. Members of our Jewellery Club visited locallybased Ottewill Silversmiths who are internationally renowned for their excellence in silverware.

ROBOTS OF THE FUTURE Year 4 love their Design a Robot challenge and this year produced some very weird and wonderful creations that were admired by the whole school as they adorned the corridors.

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ear 9’s project on Identity took them on a visit to the National Portrait Gallery Y where they saw both contemporary work and portraiture through the ages. They produced some excellent studies of the works while they were there and on their return worked on a group installation in the style of Michael Craig Martin which now colourfully adorns the dining room walls.

SUCCESS IN COMPETITIONS Our senior students excelled yet again in the annual Ashford Photographic Society competition with Wesley Hovelmeier, Amanda Wu, Helena Xu and Dexter Marchant receiving awards. Meanwhile, we were a runaway success at the Dover World War 1 painting competition, stealing the show with first place being awarded to Rowan Mayes, third place to Amelia Wright and a special award to Arthur Webster. The work has been on permanent exhibition this year.

IT’S ALL IN THE DESIGN Year 5 have been getting creative with Knex and coming up with some fabulous car designs, while Year 6 took part in their own wacky races, designing and making cars that Dick Dastardly would be proud of. Lots of glitter, sparkle and imagination was on show when Year 3 designed some fabulous party hats.

Learning the skills of textiles crosses over many centuries, and Year 4 were inspired by the Queen and flowers when they explored Tudor Blackwork. Year 6 took a more modern approach and took to the sewing machines to create some very groovy 60s themed drawstring bags. Year 3 proved they are master weavers by creating mats, mobiles, cd and nature weavings using sticks and a variety of different materials and textures. Using a number of different embroidery techniques Year 5 worked hard to produce some stunning cushions.

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Year 12 and 13 students enjoyed an incredible visit to the Biennale International Art Festival, which is arguably the foremost international art exhibition in the world. They managed to pack in a huge amount in the few days they were there, including a gondolier ride, a stroll along the Grand Canal, over the Bridge of Sighs and on to St Mark’s Square to visit the golden mosaic, St Mark’s Basilica. The students returned with hundreds of sketches of not only the art work, but the architecture and the culture they took in while in the country.

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Bridge Nursery

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Ashford School Magazine 2015 • 2016 • L E A R N I N G W I T H PA R T N E R S

P E R P HOOL SC

ativity e r c d n a fidence n o c c i t s nd as i a y Art r e s r u the N begins in ve up the school mo variety children e g u h a lore ions. t they exp i d a r t d s an of culture

T R A

f artists, variety o n from a o ti a ir ey’ve h sp T wn in the way. ti have dra ry along to wn graffi is Children h ir d e n a d th o up culture develope , g ts in s. k se it a n ra so tiful su self-port me beau d drawn created so masks an n a ti e n ade Ve styles, m

Year 1 cheered up the paving slabs by the swimming pool with their study of Kandinsky and later in the year experienced what it must have felt like to be Michelangelo and they drew (on paper!) on the ‘ceilings’ of their desks.

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ing ry enjoying mak Here are Nurse s. llie we with their colourful prints

TANTALISING THE TASTEBUDS The art of excellent cooking comes not only from taste but from the ability to get creative with different colours and textures.

Recipes have come from across the world in the Senior School with Year 7s and 9s conjuring up some inventive curries. There has also been a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Roald Dahl with Years 5 and 9 joining together to create various delights from his stories, while Year 8 turned the HE room into Charlie’s Chocolate Factory when they invented their own rocky road bars.

This year we saw some fabulous designs from Year 6 when they created their gingerbread houses. Year 5 have been growing their own vegetables which they turned into sandwich fillings and smoothies; Year 3 learnt how to create a balanced diet; and Year 4 looked at ethical cooking, using Fairtrade ingredients to produce some warming soups.

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ASHFORD

PA R T N E R S H I P S

Team spirit and a healthy sense of competition are engrained in an Ashford School pupil. From Year 1 children are placed in Houses. In the Prep School these are Nightingale, Lendrum, Headley and Mountbatten; in the Senior School they are Yeomen, Squires, Merchants, Pilgrims, Franklins and Knights. The Houses compete against each other in numerous events throughout the year. These events give wonderful opportunities for pupils to discover what they are really good at. Maybe it’s being a valuable member of a team; maybe it’s leadership; maybe it’s simply finding the confidence to take part and voice an opinion. Our House system also exists though to promote empathy with the world. Often this comes in the form of charity and each House chooses a charity to support for the year. The partnership sees a variety of inventive and creative fundraising events. There are other charity events outside the House system, sometimes organised by staff, sometimes instigated by pupils. Take a read through the House reviews, written by the staff Head of each House for an insight into what goes on in the House system – and you can also read more about the charity partnerships we have.

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MERCHANTS By Mrs Jennie Denton

Under new Head of House, Jennie Denton, Merchants had a strong start to the year, winning the House Debating, House Maths and House Creative and Performing Arts competitions. We celebrated this success with a Merchants outing to the bowling alley. We have also accomplished much on the sports field, winning several of the inter-House competitions. The highlight was an old-school sports day for staff – we had teachers doing the egg and spoon race, sack race and three legged race. Pupils paid to watch or to challenge staff to a race. We also had a home clothes day and the obligatory cake sale and succeeded in raising over £700 for Children in Need.

FRANKLINS By Mr John Curry

The year was approached with enthusiasm and vigour throughout, typified by the ‘can do’ attitude of students and staff alike across the wide range of House events enjoyed at Ashford School. Sporting success arrived at Franklins this year in the shape of the successful intermediate girls’ netball team, as well as many other individual successes in the sporting arena. The highlight of the year yet again was the House charity day. In what was a fantastically well organised event, Franklins in conjunction with Knights ran the ‘summer beach party’ – a well-supported event that raised £700 for Cancer Research. A special thanks must be extended to the senior prefect team, who worked hard to instil enthusiasm and engagement within the students, and to make this such a memorable year.

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YEOMEN By Mr Marc Boyd

It was a busy year for Yeomen House with considerable success too. We were winners of the Junior and Intermediate House rugby competitions and 2nd overall in the CPA competition, although we were proud to win the food and story-board categories. Two of our members – Toby and Sam – won places at Cambridge University and Bella Askey-Brown gave an impressive performance with Charlotte Ramsey and two members of staff on Channel Radio Station to discuss the Arts. Our chosen charity was BLISS and our charity day saw a fair-style day with an Easter theme with lots of traditional stalls including Easter egg shy, pancakes, guess the mini eggs in the jar, Easter egg hunt, catch the bunny and lots more.

KNIGHTS By Mr Chris Newth

The highlight this year was winning the end of year House Shout – the Music Competition! But we also thoroughly enjoyed the Knights / Franklins beach-themed charity day, which was a huge success. As well as the normal cake and ice cream sales, Jess Newall (House Captain) and her team organised events such as a beach volleyball tournament, a coconut shy and even a surfing competition!

SQUIRES

By Miss Carly Summers Although we have been unable to replicate the success of the previous two years when it has come to competitions, it is undeniable that the House haven’t faltered in their enthusiasm and support for one another. This was evidenced by us having the biggest team for the House swimming competition earlier in the year. Our annual charity day was again a huge success with Valentines and Easter-themed events running throughout lunchtime and one of the biggest cake sales ever seen! Again, an impressive number of the House turned out to run stalls and events. The House have done themselves proud this year with their team work and comradery; they should be proud of themselves!

PILGRIMS By Mrs Claire Miller

Pilgrims tackled the year with vigour and energy. Of particular note is the Wilton brothers who continue to be a huge success within the swimming field at a national level, Euan Nicholls who was offered a place to study Medicine and our Year 12 cohort who started the new A Levels. We had a wonderful charity day raising money for Children in Need where students took on teachers in a friendly sports day. Pilgrims have continued to excel on the sports field winning many of the inter-House competitions, including the new House Senior Swimming Gala.

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SES U O H L O O H C S P PRE ro Sparks Mountbatten, by M

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work value of great team tten have shown the g. On rin the ga int Once again Mountba po use mpetitions and Ho co use Ho with! of d ar ne ye in a busy a House to be recko shown that we are ve ha we nts fro many st s, finishing either fir had a lot of succes ve ha we ld fie 16 rts ly On the spo orts Day we were on er of events. On Sp Mayes or second in a numb needs to go to Rory on nti rum! Special me trix Vic r nio (Ju points behind Lend n il Areeso in Year 3 and Abiga g nin win for ) and Louisa England rum do ith (Junior Victor Lu Sm les My d cri an ) use cket, Ludorum o won the inter-Ho on the day. We als urs no ho al ng Gala and du mi ivi ind inter-House Swim ckey, the Pre-Prep la; 1st in Ga ng mi the inter-House ho im Prep inter-House Sw the in ll we ly ning me we did extre Abbie Fleming win Years 5 and 6 with in d 2n d an 4 d an Years 3 ent Shield. the Year 4 Achievem use, we proved our not only a sporty Ho are we t tha w tion and sho Just to Knowledge Competi 1st in the General ng mi co by ect ell int mpetition. 2nd in the Maths Co e all House d otherwise, involv ns, both sporting an . ort eff All these competitio are a team achievements really members so these ster r now legendary Ea nt term, we held ou up g tin set s At the end of the Le wa ether it arity fundraiser. Wh (or all zes pri Egg-stravaganza ch go bin for gs providing Easter eg the event a or running a stall or and effort to make e tim of lot a in t pu ren ild Pilgrim’s ch all the ), to ee thr ich was given an amazing £243 wh re. the do y the success. We raised t work tha of all the wonderful sed by rai 00 2,0 Hospice, in support £1 er ov of the magnificent sum ce, in honour We couldn’t match Year 3) for the Hospi , en att ntb ou (M ins mm Cu on rris Ha lps. we hope that it he of his mother, but

HEADLEY By Mrs Rachel Heron

Headley had another great year, led by House Captains, Jessica Stuttle and Claudia De Vivo. They did a sterling job of coordinating and overseeing many of the inter-House events with growing confidence and maturity, often coming forward with suggestions of their own and offering their help. In addition to winning the Mathematics Day, Headley have worked hard in sport. Achievements include coming 2nd in the Michaelmas term Years 5 and 6 girls’ hockey; in the Lent term we were 1st in the rugby, 3rd in hockey and cross-country and 2nd in water polo; and we crowned our achievements in the Trinity term with 1st place in the Years 5 and 6 swimming competition and 2nd in the cricket. In July we held our much-anticipated fundraiser, The Mini Olympics which raised £548 for the charity Abbie’s Army, which seems fitting as this would have been Abbie’s last year in the Prep School. Children enjoyed Beat the Goalie, Speed Bounce, hula hooping, Netball Shoot, skipping, obstacle races, a cracker eating race, ‘Forward Fun’ rolling and (the most popular) Teacher in the Stocks! There were two new stalls this year to add to the fun: the sock matching challenge and the ‘gunge’ feely game!

PA R T N E R S H I P S

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NIGHTINGALE By Mr Scott Wiseman

It has been a super year for Nightingale. As holders of the House Cup, we knew that a whole House effort was needed this year if we were to lift the cup again on speech day. Benefitting from a strong Year 6, the first order of play was to select House captains for the year. After careful consideration Zak Birley and Katie Regan emerged as the front-runners and were duly appointed to lead the House. In the inter-House sports competitions, we performed consistently well throughout the year, finishing 2nd or better in over half of the events. It was particularly pleasing to see our pre-prep pupils winning their sports day, an indication that even better years are to come for Nightingale sports. Away from the sports field we organised our ‘Jeans for Genes’ charity day in October, raising a superb £364.45, to assist children living with genetic disorders. In the Trinity term, the House captains conceived and organised a competition to design a House mascot. Ellis Spedding came up with the winning ‘Sir Gale of Nightingale’ character and Miss Tiltman has already created our banner, which will no doubt spur us on at events in future years.

House points reflect pupils’ efforts throughout the year, in the classroom, on the sport fields or simply in everyday life around the school. Therefore it continues to be a source of immense pride for the staff involved in Nightingale to see our members work together with such passion and bring their immense range of talents to bear for the benefit of all.

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LENDRUM By Mr Phil Newton

It has been a fantastic year for Lendrum. Overall House achievements and individual displays have secured outstanding sporting successes throughout the year. The House was guided this year through the strong leadership of James Mountenay and Elizabeth Thorne who were integral in the welcoming of those new to the House and leading by example in all House events. In the inter-House sports competitions, we performed consistently well throughout the year, the obvious highlights being the House crosscountry and athletics which we won. A special mention here to Sienna Bates who was key to the success on sports day. Away from the sports field there was runner-up success in the interHouse Maths competition.

There are numerous other charity events throughout the year, including the Macmillan Coffee Morning in September and a Design a Welly competition in support of the RNLI. It raised £466. One of the most popular Prep events is the whole school Wiggle. This year we congregated on the new AstroTurf and danced for the entire playtime, raising just under £500 for Cancer Research. One of the biggest charities we support is Amnesty International and to raise awareness and funds there have been several wellsupported events throughout the year. In December students sent a huge number of greetings cards during the Write for Rights Campaign to a wide variety of different countries and causes. They also sold candy canes to be sent as gifts within school as a fundraising initiative and again broke their record. Later in the year they were one of the top three finalists in the Amnesty Youth Awards for their fundraising event Minute to Win It and so were invited to the Human Rights Action Centre for a day of presentations and workshops on early forced marriage in Burkina Faso.

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DO YOU DARE TO BE DIFFERENT? The Amnesty group agreed to hold this event in aid of the Save the Children Syrian Crisis Appeal – and they raised just over £3000! About 86 students and staff signed up to do a sponsored activity connected to a human right. Some students wore masks all day to signify disappearance, some sang all day, others vowed not to speak and some stood up all day. Other events saw a teacher going into detention, several students fasting and some wearing national dress. Two students wore a blindfold for the day and had to be guided around by others while Katie Godlington and Charlotte Martin did a sponsored walk out of school time and raised over £500. There was even a giant Pavlova up for auction which was made by one of the pupils, Lucas Kimber, and won by Foundation Director, David Young.

THE MINUTE TO WIN IT CHALLENGE The fabulous Minute to Win It challenge sees staff take on students in a hilarious charity fundraiser. The opposing teams were given challenges to complete in a minute. One involved mimicking an elephant thanks to some tights and a ball - and attempting to knock over plastic bottles; another saw the competitors trying to blow bubbles through a hoop; and one of the funniest of all saw the Head of Biology, Mrs Claire Miller, in a contest with Sixth Former Michael Etete, to try and empty balls from a tissue box strapped to their backs. The staff won - just!

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It really has been a busy year for Drama throughout the school. We’ve seen our students given more opportunities than ever before to perform, from special assemblies in Nursery to showcase evenings in the Sixth Form. It’s been a blast of skill, colour and creativity. Read on for a taste of all we’ve been up to.

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r ye a this e d e l . l s Th exce e show e d v e a ha al stag as stag l ram n a w o D n i d t r o o cep s an essi in Juni o ex tma ng prof s s w i i t r h h i ut t with at C f a tour abo was ore lp o m e first h . d n rea the d ctio with You can erts se o en at t p . e r x r t o E a d al act rnal a re e n te E x te d by o r s p r e s Oz – e the f w o i o ll n d s fo ery e ju izar a h t W w as v The ow This ar when f h o w to ye ion the ve r s al To . rful a re t u h o t o l i h u w co ur, e te roug l h p t colo d com , t of ave s h a e l b f fun ab well lot o nd was a l a a y y l c usi lear st raph c m g d e o n e e ca Th n th ity a er chor v e i e t etw c r e a n g c l ev ort b uri app r feat l u derf won ers. b mem

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• 2016 • 2015 • L•ECelebrating Ashford Ashford School School Magazine Magazine 2015 2014 A R N I N G 10 W IYears T H PA of Excellence RTNERS

S K C O R • 2016 • 2015 • L•ECelebrating Ashford Ashford School School Magazine Magazine 2015 2014 A R N I N G 10 W IYears T H PA of Excellence RTNERS

PRODUCTION

THE HALL The upper years presented a truly outstanding production of the musical Schools Will Rock You during a threenight run.

Based on the hit musical We Will Rock You which features the music of Queen, the production – from the cast to the technical team – showcased the huge talent in the school. The leads were taken by Year 13 students, including Jess Newall, Jamie Seamer, Amira Rayner and Dexter

Marchant, who held the stage and helped create what will be remembered as a spectacular production.

The audience were given glow sticks and arranged around the stage which extended down the middle of the hall, and the live band was provided by several of our peripatetic music teachers. The show was directed by the school’s new Head of Drama Mrs Leanne Dinsdale and conducted by Director of Music Mr John Hall.

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and orm ourful perf o col t the nce e in fide e n ! s k o c a r t o i ca l O i n the ing s cle us n a r m w r’s a he ye a o f l e t h e j oy of t this ars n d e u d r gs, y n n i a eP ght ar a n of e– Littl o-ni h ye atio inut w e c n t e i m a r a hs. ed ed e The Th c u l m e e ve r y ipat the laug stag f v ntic le o It’s o lo s of h ey t a t a d t s y g a l o in 6a the ger nd l grow f Year d on is ea gs a so son tion nt. Base e c c b u r a f rod upe poi rs, s r 6 p t disap Yea ’ a c te r n e a d h i h T yd at c ainl f gre cert ull o f s a it w

N A I R A T E G E AV ’T N D L ! U E R O U I W SO S BE

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A STORMY TALE OF AMBITION A small band of drama enthusiasts gave up their Friday evenings and Saturday mornings to rehearse their production of The Tempest. They were part of this year’s LEAP group – Learning Enrichment Activity Programme – and eager to learn and perform. Director Mrs Penny Willetts chose a musical version of Shakespeare’s The Tempest to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the playwright’s death, but also to challenge the children with the language and themes in the play. “This project saw children from Years 4, 5 and 6 working together and the teamwork meant some huge improvements in acting skills and confidence in themselves,” she said.

FESTIVE CELEBRATIONS Years 1 and 2, meanwhile, took to the stage to tell the Christmas story in a modern setting. The 45-minute production told the story of Mr Potts, the school caretaker, who decorated the Christmas tree with baubles telling the Christmas story. As well as the main characters, there were angels and sheep, shepherds and kings, and the children showed remarkable concentration skills in their beautifully polished performance of a complex tale.

What better excuse than Christmas for some lovely productions of the traditional Nativity. Nursery dazzled while Reception sparkled with their versions of the Xmas tale. Children took on all the roles, from the donkey to Mary and Joseph, and played them with enthusiasm and delight. There were shepherds and angels aplenty and some very hearty singing.

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With more opportunities than ever to perform this year, Years 7-13 presented the results of their learning from their drama lessons in a special Drama Showcase evening. The audience in Brake Hall was treated to an eclectic mix of short sketches and excerpts from plays. Years 7 and 8 took a modern approach to history by replicating a giant iPad screen on stage with the cast appearing behind it to act out various scenes.

There were monologues and duologues including some from Shakespeare and a touching piece about a Syrian child dealing with the issues of war.

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A BALANCED VIEW OF HENRY VIII Family and friends enjoyed a hugely entertaining afternoon when Year 2 took to the stage to tell the story of King Henry VIII. But as well as the story of his unfortunate wives, they also told of his more impressive legacy, such as building a larger navy and forging a closer union with Wales. We heard of the mystery of the sinking of the Mary Rose and the afternoon ended with a colourful Caribbean-style dance. Head Richard Yeates said: “It was absolutely terrific. The children were thoroughly enjoying it while having clearly worked enormously hard to polish it so well. It is such a joy to see how they have developed over the years.”

SKILLS OF COMMUNICATION Pupils take Speech and Drama exams throughout the year and their results are always impressive. In the Lent term, for example, of 21 entrants 15 gained merits and three distinctions. In the Trinity term students gained an exceptional 20 distinctions out of 29 entries. Students entered various categories, from Acting in Pairs to Individual Acting Skills and Communication Skills. The demanding exams require students to be able to debate a topic and give a presentation – essential skills for life.

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MARCHING TOWA COMIBINED CADET FORCE

ARDS ADVENTURE ASHFORD

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A new type of adventure is opening up at Ashford School following our appointment by the Ministry of Defence as a CCF trainer. CCF â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Combined Cadet Force â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is a challenging and exciting way of teaching leadership and teamwork skills to teenagers by providing basic Army, Navy and RAF training. It is an incredible opportunity for the pupils at Ashford School, who are joined for training sessions by students from Wye School, and the scheme has seen the appointment of a dedicated leader, WO1 Simon Burke, who joins us straight from the Army.

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The past six months have seen the first students sign up to the fledgling CCF where they have been learning many skills. However, the CCF will officially launch in the autumn of 2016 where Wye and Ashford pupils will parade and march together as a contingent. The occasion will be supported by family, friends and Army dignitaries and will be a very proud day for our foundling CCF. The tradition of cadet units in schools goes back 150 years to 1860 and ever since it was formed in 1948, the Combined Cadet Force (CCF) has been recognised as a first class activity for the development of young people, and particularly to provide cadets with an exciting opportunity to learn responsibility, confidence and leadership in a disciplined environment.

Q&A WITH SIMON BURKE

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HEAD OF MFL AND EAL, PAOLA SAGASTUY, EXPLAINS WHY SHE IS AN ADULT VOLUNTEER CCF – Combined Cadet Force – is basically a partnership between the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and schools. There are only around 300 schools in the UK who have achieved CCF status but it brings with it incredible challenging, exciting, adventurous and educational opportunities. WHAT ARE ITS MAIN AIMS? Ultimately it gives teenagers the unique opportunity to experience the discipline and expectations of one of the world’s most successful and highly respected organisations. Our CCF gets support from the Army’s Cadet Training Team. Through a programme of strategically planned activities and training, it’ll give students not only experience in leadership and teamwork, but they’ll learn resilience, problem-solving and survival skills and a positive mental attitude.

WHAT WILL STUDENTS BE DOING? The main training session is on a Wednesday after school where they will be doing anything from learning how to use a compass and map read, to planning a solution to a scenario. Students learn the basics of Army life, including how to march and salute, and there are numerous practice opportunities, from planning and leading a successful assault during a paintballing session to survival expeditions away from school. The contingent will also be representing the schools at special events such as Remembrance Day where they will be expected to parade. Ashford and Wye School pupils have the opportunity to be involved in the CCF as much or as little as they like, but everyone will take part in the basic 90-minute CCF period per week, one training weekend per year and an annual camp of seven days – for which we have exciting plans!

HOW IS IT STAFFED? Ashford School has several ex-military on its staff, including Neil Cufley who was a Major with the Royal Logistic Corps and – a well-kept secret, Mike Buchanan who has a wealth of experience in the CCF having spent many years as an officer. Together we will be overseeing the contingent, but already seven cadet force adult volunteers, including the newly appointed Head of MFL Paola Sagastuy and Head of IT Duncan Ricks, have signed up for training. Four have recently received the Queen’s Commission and been appointed as officers after completing their training.

As a child and teenager, I was a member of youth groups where I learnt leadership and life skills beyond what can be learnt in school and they have played an important role in shaping who I am as an adult. When I heard about CCF, it seemed only natural to join as an adult volunteer to try to contribute to the lives of today’s young people in the same way. And the experience has been better than I expected. Not only have I had the chance to spend time with our cadets in our sessions and teach them some of the skills I learnt in my youth, but I have also attended a training camp and learnt many new skills. Other adults have even gone on a fully-fledged basic training camp at Frimley, which was a fantastic experience. We, the officers, have formed a tight-knit group that has extended to friendships and make an awesome team. I look forward to the new academic year, when we will be issued all our uniforms and equipment, have our formation parade, and embark on a series of exciting new adventures.

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ASHFO

PA R T N

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SKILLS THAT STAND OUT

It’s not ou r Senior st udents who leadership have all th and teamw e fun. A pr ork training and in the ogramme will be grad Trinity term of army-ba ually rolled sed it w they took as Ye out across ar 5 who had an part in a sp the school ecialised pr afternoon would be m actical even of excitem ost suited ent when t to help st to Head G aff unders irl and Boy tand who Under the an d Prefect po guidance of sitions in Ye Simon Bur worked thei ar 6. ke and his r way thro assistant H ugh three way over va ar ry ac Lancaster, tivities, whi rious obstac teams ch ranged les – witho blindfolde from makin ut touching d person ov g their the ground er the sam – and lead e route. ing a

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The sporting programme at Ashford School is vast, and the expectation that pupils contribute and subsequently benefit from all that we have on offer is at the heart of all that we do.

Consequently, it’s been another action-packed year of sport at Ashford School and with it came the introduction of a new system of recognising the achievements and commitment of individuals and teams. We hope that the introduction of the Sports Awards evening has further enhanced the recognition given to our most able, but the termly Awards Assemblies and Founders’ Day prizes also provide other opportunities to reward performance, progress and commitment. In addition to the most improved and player of the season awards given for each school team, pupils can receive junior colours, half colours or full colours and a junior and senior cup is presented at the end of the year in each of our main representative sports. But, while such recognition is important, the contribution by all pupils, staff and parents in supporting our ‘competitive sport for all’ ethos should not be overlooked. For this reason, Outstanding Contribution Awards were also introduced this year.

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RUGBY The Senior School rugby programme has grown to an impressive eight squads ranging from U12 to 1st XV all playing on average 10 matches. Despite intentionally creating a more challenging fixture list, our teams have secured some notable victories. Our 1st XV had easily their best season to date, winning seven of the nine games played with a points difference of +112. Weekly video analysis and a renewed focus on strength and conditioning have reaped huge benefits and seen our first ever wins over Kings Rochester, Buckswood and Bethany School at 1st XV level. Presley Farrance (U14) and Joseph Whitby (U16) have both retained their positions in the County squad and we are monitoring their progress with great enthusiasm. Prep School rugby players had a muddy season – a highlight being the U9 team reaching the semi-final of a tournament at Junior Kings. They narrowly lost 4 tries to 3 in the final, despite the cold and windy conditions. Around 80 Prep and Senior pupils enjoyed a fantastic trip to watch the Barbarians vs New Zealand at Twickenham, while the Year 9s toured Holland playing both rugby and hockey.

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GIRLS’ HOCKEY Our fixture list now presents greater challenge, with matches against St Edmunds, Sutton Valence and Sir Roger Manwoods and has required our teams to improve their performance level. A win rate of just over 40% in the 100-plus fixtures suggests that we are exposing our talented squads to the right level of competition. Our 1st XI reached the County Quarter-finals and it is hoped that the success of our 1st XI over the next few seasons is assured, given the strength of our current U15 team who had a very strong season that included a dominant win over a very strong Kent College team. Pupils currently gaining representative honours include County players Alex Sharp and Daisy Keet, whilst Sophie Pinney and Lauren Piper have progressed from County to Regional performance squads with Lauren also making a scoring debut for Canterbury ladies 1st XI in the Investec Premier League. The pupils were inspired by a trip for all year groups to watch Super 6s hockey at Wembley in January.

BOYS’ HOCKEY The opening of the enormous new AstroTurf at the Prep School was celebrated with an U9 hockey tournament where we welcomed 11 other schools. We secured 4th place after a tense afternoon. In the Senior School, fixture lists for nine teams across seven age groups, including a 3rd XI for the first time, resulted in a 40% win ratio in the 140 fixtures played during the Lent term. Our 1st XI are the strongest to date, having reached the last 16 of the National Plate and the final of the Kent Plate. Despite only fielding a 2nd XI for the first time in 2014-15, we now have one of the strongest 2nd teams in the County, evidenced in their wins over 1st XI sides from Kings Rochester and Dover College as well as 2nd teams from Kent College and St Edmunds. Our U15 team won the Plate at the County tournament, where a number of U14 players showed they were up to the challenge of competing in this older age group. Hamish Roberts is currently training with the England U17 team and playing in the National Premier League for Canterbury 1sts. Not too far behind are Max Howitt, Tom Semadeni and Elliot Carter who all compete at Regional level. Presley Farrance, Joe Tonna and Ethan Broadbank are currently competing at County standard. For the second year, we earnt an invitation to the U16 International Tournament in Holland.

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NETBALL A win ratio of just over 50% is greatly helped by a 1st VII and an U15 A team who have both won all but one of their games this season. The 1st VII were particularly impressive in a 29-20 win over a strong St Edmunds side. Despite losing key players to injury the strength in depth has seen them dominate most games, with only a loss to St Lawrence College to prevent a 100% winning season. Bronwyn Hall in Year 7 is now established in the Kent Junior Academy and it is hoped others will join her in this elite squad within the next 18 months. A particular highlight of the Prep netball season was the U11A and U10A team wins in the inter-school tournament.

CRICKET AND ROUNDERS Prep boys displayed some skilful batting, bowling and fielding, climaxing in a great win over St Lawrence. The U9A and B teams conquered the season unbeaten in a tremendous finish to the year and we look forward to replicating this achievement on our own new wickets in the coming year. Prep girls have had a lot of fun this year, culminating in victory at the U9 girls’ Kwik Cricket Tournament. Helped by some fine weather, over 60 matches have been played by our six Senior teams in what has been a busy season. A win rate of 65% is largely due to the excellent pre-season nets programme. The U15 team defeated St Edmunds and Cranbrook on their way to the Quarter Finals of the Kent Cup, where they unfortunately lost out to a strong Simon Langton side. Our reputation among local prep schools was greatly boosted by our hard fought victory at U13 level against Dulwich Prep. Not to be outdone, the U14 team progressed to the semi-final of the County Plate competition, a run that included a thrilling victory over local rivals Norton Knatchbull. Harry Stracey, Luke Perkins and Benjamin Niewoudt are all in line for selection to the full County teams having been invited to attend County training. The 1st XI have suffered just two defeats in a season that included an exam break. Once it was over, they enjoyed a cricket tour of the south coast in which they beat Ryde School 1st XI. Rounders continues to be an extremely popular sport, with a number of teams in each age group playing regular fixtures against local schools. The U12A team were undefeated and greatly contributed towards an overall win percentage of 70%.

Ashford School Magazine 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ L E A R N I N G W I T H PA R T N E R S

SWIMMING

PENTATHLON

Our increasing number of competitive swimmers have

It has been an exceptional year for James Wilton who was selected for the Pentathlon GB World Class Programme and Tom Wilton for the Pathway Talent Identification Programme. They are ranked 2nd and 3rd respectively in the U17 Boys' National Rankings and competed in the Modern Triathlon European 2016 Championships in Solihull in August.

greatly impressed on the County and National stage. A hugely convincing win over Kings Rochester in all four age groups was one of the only opportunities for inter-school galas outside of the County events. A record 16 swimmers represented the school at the Kent Schools Championships and it was the boys who took the most of this opportunity with all making finals in their events, including a win for Tom Wilton in the 200m individual medley, 2nd place for Rain Li in the 100m breaststroke and 2nd for Eddie Estcourt in the 100m backstroke. Our most able swimmers then went on to compete at the Kent Championships where several swam multiple events, most notably Tom Wilton and Eddie Estcourt who reached a staggering 13 finals between them! Eddie, Tom and his brother James all qualified for the Regionals with Eddie finishing 4th in the 50m backstroke. Tom Wilton also had a busy summer after qualifying for Summer Nationals in the 400m individual medley and 400m freestyle. Prep School swimmers have enjoyed six inter-school galas, winning five, and have scooped up success in both County and National competitions. At the Kent Swimming Championships, Claudia de Vivo finished 2nd in the girls' 50m butterfly with Heston King 3rd in the boys' 50m freestyle. And after competing in the Middle Schools relay category, swimmers were selected to represent Kent in the regional finals. Sienna Bates, Claudia de Vivo and Jess Wilton were all successful at the regional time trials and were selected for the finals at the IAPS National Swimming Championships. All three girls swam well with Claudia finishing 8th overall. The squad training programme has been busy throughout the year and a number of our young swimmers have represented the Ashford School Swimming Club which was set up this year by Denise Walsh, Director of Swimming and Multi Sports.

We had 41 entries in the Regional Modern Biathlon Qualifiers with 14 competing in the British National Championships and 24 in the British Schools Championships resulting in Tom Wilton winning the U15B and James coming 5th in the U16B. Euan Nicholls produced an excellent run to finish 2nd in the U19B at the K2 Biathlon. The National Modern Triathlon held in April produced an excellent 2nd place for Sienna Bates in the U13s and the U13G team of Sienna, Claudia de Vivo and Olivia Young finished 2nd. James and Tom Wilton were 2nd and 3rd respectively in the laser Triathlon. Gabriel Brabham Martin and Aaeron Lambert performed well at the Whitgift Biathlon with Aaeron winning with a very strong run and Gabriel coming 5th. With the appointment of Mhairi Spence, Olympic and World Modern Pentathlete, we are looking forward to exciting times ahead. The introduction of the modern pentathlon disciplines of fencing and shooting into the curriculum, alongside an already highly successful swimming programme will enhance the opportunity for pupils.

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ATHLETICS AND CROSS COUNTRY We had a record number of pupils representing the District at the Kent Schools Championships, thanks in part to our selection and early season preparation which involved a number of trial events at the Julie Rose Stadium and also hosting friendly athletics fixtures. Well over 100 pupils from five different schools took part in the Granville Schools athletics fixture that we hosted on Mace Lane. Euan Nicholls went up to the U20 age grouping facing longer distances and athletes up to three years older. Euan raced the Kent County Championship cross-country and came 3rd, gaining selection for the Kent County and Kent Schools teams. He stormed to 17th at the South of England XC champs and against around 300 came 36th at the English National. On the track he became the County champion in 2k steeplechase with a National ranking currently of 11th. He took on the Snowdon Supercup and the GB Trial up Skiddaw during the summer. Showing maturity and a commitment to his sport that extends beyond his own participation, Kian Crawford started the year by becoming Kent Young Official of the Year. This was on the back of him going to officiate at the School Games in Gateshead last July. He’s continued to officiate in league fixtures for Ashford Athletics Club as well as Kent fixtures. He also coaches the young athletes at Ashford AC and is working towards gaining his Level 1 coaching certificate in November. When competing, Kian became Kent Hammer Champion at the Kent Championships in May and followed this with a silver medal in the same event at the Kent Schools. He has since been selected to represent Kent in the intercounties championships. Having dominated the 1500m event at the IAPS County finals, Aaeron Lambert qualified for the National IAPS finals. Despite an incredibly wet day, children from Years 5 and 6 competed in the Kent IAPS Athletics Championships where Sienna Bates qualified for the National competition in Birmingham and achieved a personal best of 5.16.99 and finished 5th.

There are many talented runners at the Prep School and it is a sport the children love. This year has seen them taking part in various competitions and making their mark on the cross-country scene. At the Primary Schools’ Cross-Country at Godinton House Sienna Bates won the Year 6 girls’ race and, with her team of Olivia Young and Elizabeth Thorne, won the team event. Else Nepp won the Year 5 girls’ race and together with Abigail Areeson and Alice Baxter they won the team competition. Jess Wilton came 2nd in the Year 5 girls’ race; Amelie Baxter won the Year 3 girls’ race with Anne Orpin coming 2nd and, along with Louisa Pollard, they won the Year 3 girls’ team event. There was success for the boys at the same competition with Myles Smith, Edward Thompson and Jasper Smith winning the Year 4 boys’ event and Oliver Gee, Rory Mayes and Thomas Callander coming in 2nd in the Year 3 boys’ team competition. Another big cross-country event – the Rawlinson Run – saw the Prep School entering teams from Years 2, 3 and 4. Our Year 2 boys and girls claimed the best runners’ shield. Ismail Adelaja won the Year 2 boys’ race and Hannah Areeson came 2nd for the girls. Sienna Bates continued her success by winning the U11 girls’ race at Kent College, Pembury, conquering a very muddy course. Sienna, Elizabeth Thorne and Olivia Young won the fastest Year 6 team at the Kent Schools’ Cross-Country at Detling with Sienna and Elizabeth gaining selection for the Kent team in the National event. The children have also enjoyed taking part in House cross-country competitions as well as the annual Abbie Mifsud Cross-Country event where we welcomed competitors from Smarden, Egerton and Pluckley Primary Schools who all ran in memory of former Ashford Prep pupil Abbie Mifsud.

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DANCE

Year 2 showed just how polished their dance and co-ordination skills are with a special afternoon’s performance. Family and friends packed the hall to watch first the girls, then the boys, and finally a joint dance. The girls delighted in leotards and animal masks with a funky jungle dance which ended with two boys disguised as wolves chasing them all away! The boys put together a routine which portrayed all kinds of sports, from skiing to football.

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ROWING

Molly Bishop’s participation was restricted to just two competitions this year due to her giving priority to her GCSEs. However she had success at both with most notably a win in the WJ16 8+ at the Cambridge Regatta while competing for Maidstone Invicta Rowing Club.

GOLF

Year 10 pupil James Wright continues to enjoy a great deal of success on the golf course and is now training with the Kent U16 boys squad. He secured his fourth consecutive Order of Merit title at Ashford Golf Club as well as the much coveted Order of Merit title at Chart Hills Great Chart. He has won the Chairman’s Cup at Ashford GC, The Captain’s Charity Trophy at Chart Hills GC as well as the Ashford Junior Club Championship (Webb Trophy) and has been runner-up in a number of senior events. His handicap has been reduced from 8.4 to 5.9 this year and he is hoping to become a category 1 player by the end of the year.

SKIING

In September, Year 10 pupil David Williams-Gravener was selected to ski for Great Britain in the Lowlands Championships in Holland, gaining a 4th place ranking out of GB racers at U16. This achievement was followed by a victory on the dry slope when he became the London and South-East champion. Unfortunately, David’s season was cut short when he broke his leg while racing in January. He is now well on the road to recovery and we look forward to hearing of his achievements in the 2016-17 season.

TENNIS

Congratulations to Felix Wilding who won the Prep boys’ tournament and to Sienna Bates who won the girls’. In a play-off for the cup, Felix was the winner. Louisa Pollard won the Year 3 competition, Luciana Francis Year 4, and Carolina Stutchbury Year 5. The Senior School’s 11 tennis teams, ranging from U12 to U18, played a number of friendly block fixtures as well as league matches in the nationwide LTA Aegon competition structure. Our 70% win rate is greatly boosted by the lower age groups with very promising players in Years 7 and 8, evidenced by the boys U13 team qualifying for the County finals day at Polo farm. The U15 boys team is particularly strong with all four boys able to compete in the top division. The disappointment on show after a narrow defeat to Kings Canterbury is a sign of where these talented boys place themselves in the County standings.

SCUBA DIVING

James van den Born (Year 8) secured an impressive 94% in the theory exam for his Padi open water qualification. He eagerly put his new skills to the test with a shark diving adventure in Cuba during the summer.

FOOTBALL

Huge congratulations to our U9A team who played 22 games without defeat, winning three tournaments including the 16-strong Kent School tournament held at Ashford Prep School. The U9B team had success in the one tournament that they entered where they also won. The U11 football team also had a busy season, climaxing in winning the plate trophy at Junior Kings, Canterbury.

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Sports Days NURSERY

PRE-PREP

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PREP

SENIOR

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An action-packed year

It’s been a busy year for our boarders with so many trips and activities to choose from that it is difficult to choose a highlight. For some it was the afternoon spent gliding over the Kent countryside, for others it was simply our proximity to London which has resulted in various visits to the capital. There have been days at theme parks, paintballing, a flight on the London Eye and shopping in Covent Garden. In the evenings, boarders can get involved in everything from cooking and language clubs to team sports, dance and horse riding.

We held a number of special events over the course of the year, with the Winter Wonderland black tie party, Chinese New Year celebrations and the inaugural boarding pool competition being particular favourites.

NIDRAO

OARDIN

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HALLOW E E N HORROR

Girls in Bra bourne Ho use staged and to en their own sure the en party to m d of their ark Hallow celebrated first half o een in style. Fo f term tog llo ether was wing their girls took pyjama p on the job arty in Sep of plannin tember, th mark Octo g all the m e ber 31. usic, gam es and ho rror to The sitting room was decorated prizes for in approp the scaries riate style t costumes and there for a screen and make were ing of Wo -u p. There w m an in Black as even ti too much II – which me screaming was watch ! ed withou t

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E V I T S FE S N O I T A R B E CEL

-up and ks of build After wee d . n fu f o t . g Girls ha was a lo in full swin mas Party r Party was fo d s n la oy The Christ b er d hile r Won s dresses w the Winte ed with glamorou planning, ening start pping for o ev sh e h s T d ! n es ke ss ee la w g ht t n ig en su n sp ig nd even for their b ark suits a ers ready ry rd a to o ra b b bow ties, d e le tch th for their ce shots to ca stive ing room fe in h d it e paparazzi w th te to le ey moved hall comp th co is re d o a ef b out rned into Hall was tu meal. Brake sparkle. f o ts ns and lo decoratio

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ME O C WEL IS CHR

of Head a new us from d e m elco ined we w ho jo ton w coln. nuary is a J L n is I in Lin r g, Ch LSST in y d r m nd Boa ca d e ing a open iory A r e P h e t Th s first ersaw emy’ he ov e a ca d coln e led th h in t L d f d In ent o se, an Ofste u m g o p h in lo g oard d e ve b ardin t o s b ir f nly the h its . and o ieved roug egory it ach my th y ca t h e r ic d e v h a e w ac in in , t ding ction le gra t eigh inspe spen possib e t H s . e t n s at high to Ke olitic new and P y r s not ’ ran o e t o h is But he als ing H es. here hous te a c h w g s l r o in a o d r h ye a c o S b oung k wo y s six broo ave t Cran hool’ h c s la spare e o f th in his e Nic if d w n one o a is rla, e’s and h and O e–h Chris elt! liver thlet O ia , r his b t n r e n r unde child a kee s n is o is Chr arath time 10 m y got d a e alr

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OPENING OF OUR INTERNATIONAL CENTRE We celebrated the official opening of Ashford School International Centre (ASIC) in September when we welcomed 10 one-year students from France, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia and China. The international centre underwent a complete refurbishment to transform it into a modern, bright and airy boarding house where our students lived under the care of Head of House, Luke Kadinopoulos and his team of House parents. While studying iGCSE courses, boarders have also enjoyed international music evenings, cooking competitions, games nights and the first ever inter-boarding house pool competition – which was won by ASIC’s Nikita Malyshko. Students have enjoyed numerous trips, including an electric cycle ride to Biddenden Vineyards, and a day spent with Kent Search and Rescue. The House quickly grew into a happy family community and many of the students are continuing their studies at Ashford School in September.

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PA R T N E R S H I P S

A 'MODERN' COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP

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The appointment of a team of specialised coaches and a successful bid to various sports funding bodies has seen a comprehensive swimming and modern pentathlon programme take root and make great strides at Ashford School. It has been so successful that it now offers a swim programme to 700+ children and pentathlon training to nearly 100 children and teenagers from the local community as well as offering specialised training for our own students. Ashford School has been competing in swimming and biathlon (run and swim) competitions for a number of years. However, in 2015 the school significantly increased its multi-sports capability by engaging highly qualified and experienced coaches in swimming, Denise Walsh, running, Stella Bandu and employed Miranda Palmer who was previously a Development Officer for Pentathlon GB (the National Pentathlon governing body). This year the programme was further enhanced with the employment of Mhairi Spence, a world champion Pentathlete and Olympian.

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PA R T N E R S H I P S

WORLD CLASS COACHING As a pentathlete, Mhairi won the world championships in Rome in 2012 and competed in the Olympics at Greenwich Park in the same year, and is proving an incredible inspiration to our students.

Asked what her advice to pupils is, she said: “I tell them to never give up. Try everything to discover what you love. If a child wants to aim for the Olympics, I say go for it. There is no reason why you can’t.” The Scottish-born athlete was lucky enough to have very supportive parents who went out of their way to give her any opportunities and to keep her on the right path. “I am not from an affluent background but there is so much support and funding out there for talented athletes,” she said. “Passion drives determination. If you are passionate enough, you can find a way to make it work.” Mhairi knew from age eight that she was aiming for the Olympics after watching the Sydney Olympics and being inspired by British athletes. She was already a keen horse rider and soon started competing in Pony Club tetrathlons (swimming, running, riding and shooting). It wasn’t long before she was training in at least one of the sports every day after school. She chose to study at Bath University which is the National Training Centre for Modern Pentathlon and, after graduating in 2008, stayed in the city and trained full time, funded by UK Sport. The pinnacle of her career came at the Modern Pentathlon World Championships in 2012 where she started by competing against 100 other pentathletes, only to win the competition. That qualified her for the London 2012 Olympics. Now – at the age of 30 – she is retired and is devoting her time to passing on her passion and skills. “Now it is time for me to make it more available to children at a younger age,” she said. “Doing it in a school with so many facilities means that we can give children the chance to try different things. I love the sport and I want children to experience what I did. It is a great life and a great career.”

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PA R T N E R S H I P S

MULTIS P O RT S E N C E EXCELL

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MULT IN PA I-SPORTS RT N E RSHIP

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MAKING A SPLASH

The Ashford School swimming programme is huge. Headed up by our Director of Swimming and Multi-Sports, Denise Walsh, it now offers a Learn to Swim Programme for 700+ children from the community, swimming as part of the curriculum for Ashford School pupils from Nursery to Sixth Form as well as a coaching programme for pupils from Year 4 upwards. The programme enables pupils to supplement the swimming sessions they attend at their local clubs. Several of our pupils have swum in the Kent Championships for the school and the local clubs, with Eddie Estcourt gaining a 4th position in the South East Regional Championships. The school now exists as a swimming club in its own right, giving students the right to compete at club competitions if they are not members of any local clubs and is also a member of East Invicta eXcel (Performance squad for the East Kent Region). With two swimming pools, our facilities and team of specialised staff are helping children across Kent learn to swim. The school has also provided support to the local primary schools with its Primary Schools Swimming Programme. This year eight primary schools have taken advantage of the opportunity. Our holiday programme sees a programme of Learn to Swim crash courses, Swimming Stroke workshops, and technique development workshops. And the investment is most certainly paying off. Denise Walsh explains: “Not only is it giving hundreds of children the chance to get active and to learn an essential life skill, our swimmers are routinely selected for talent camps and used on coach training seminars. The latter this year resulted in training for our pupils from Lyndsay Dunn, GB Development coach.”

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A VERY SPECIAL MIDSUMMERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NIGHT PA R T N E R S H I P S

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It’s been the most incredible year for some of our drama students after we were chosen to work in partnership with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC).

open-air performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dreamland: Re-imagined in Margate, along with children from eight other schools.

It was in 2014 that we were selected to be one of a cluster of schools where training opportunities were provided for our teachers to develop the teaching of Shakespeare.

The production took place on midsummer’s night and different scenes were performed at different locations in Margate, starting at the Turner Contemporary art gallery and ending at Dreamland theme park. Ashford School’s specific scene was acted out on King’s steps.

The workshops focused on active learning techniques and collaborative performance – but this academic year, the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, was the highlight for our students. A group of 20 children from Years 5 and 9 enjoyed the chance to work with an expert from the RSC, culminating in an

In May, the Year 9 pupils took part in a prop-making workshop at Turner Contemporary. They worked with artists and other primary schools to create lanterns from willow and paper which were lit and held during the performance in June.

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PA R T N E R S H I P S

TREADING THE BOARDS IN STRATFORD

Our international centre (ASIC) students followed in the footsteps of some of the world’s best known actors in July when they performed in Stratfordupon-Avon as part of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s (RSC) Dream Team Playmaking Festival for Schools. The partnership was formed to celebrate the playwright’s life and work in the year that marked the 400th anniversary of his death. The ASIC students were among 1600 children from 53 schools across the UK who descended upon Shakespeare’s hometown to perform their work in front of a live audience. The 10 pupils from China, Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, aged between 15-16, performed a multi-lingual adaptation of part of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The students, along with their directors Andrea Dengate and Luke Kadinopoulos, created a gender-blind production, including movement sequences, to enhance the drama and comedy of one of the funniest scenes from the play (Act 3, Scene 2). They cleverly used a combination of their own languages, regional dialects and Shakespearean English; some nine languages in all. Very few of the students had set foot on a stage before and they faced a cultural as well as linguistic challenge in adapting a part of one of the playwright’s most well-known plays. Head of ASIC, Mr Luke Kadinopoulos, said it was a truly memorable event. “It was a culmination of an intensive but wonderful year and was the last chance these students had to work together as the close-knit group they became.” Commenting on the Festival, Fiona Ingram, Head of Young People’s Programmes for RSC Education, said: “We have been blown away by the imagination, energy and sheer quality of the work. The project has generated a lot of fun and creative expression, but it’s been especially inspiring to see young people tackling some of the really difficult issues that they see and encounter in the world today and exploring them through their interpretive choices and performances.”

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Some trips and activities are organised with the simple aim of helping children develop personally.

DEVELOPMENT

Sometimes these are challenging physically, such as Bushcraft, other times they are aimed at giving students new experiences.

PERSONAL

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ADVENTUROUS LEARNING WEEK The last week of the year in the Senior School sees students down their pens, don their home clothes and embark on a programme of adventure. This year saw them creating the perfect pizza in Food Studies, producing and performing a Roald Dahl classic in Drama, and exploring string art in Design Technology. There was a trip to London for Year 8 who visited the Wallace Collection and took part in creative writing workshops. What could be more fun than finding ideas to change the world – we were delighted to welcome back 7billion Ideas who ran workshops to inspire pupils to ‘think big and dream bigger’. There were final Duke of Edinburgh Bronze and Silver award expeditions, a Junior Sports Tour at an outdoor activities centre in Hampshire and a special UCAS day for Year 12 where they learnt about the university application process, personal statements and life as a student. Year 10 got to try their hands at being doctors and Year 12 were also lucky enough to explore The Royal Observatory, the Cutty Sark, the National Maritime Museum, the Tate Modern, and so the list goes on. The summer break was well deserved!

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THE ADVENTURE OF THE SALMON EYE This year, eight intrepid adventurers conquered the challenge of devouring a salmon eyeball. The Year 5s were taking part in the annual Bushcraft adventure where they spent three days camping and learning to fend for themselves in rural Oxfordshire. They made and slept in shelters, and learnt to light fires and cook their lunch on them; they made survival bracelets and camouflaged each other and played games in the woods. The trip is organised to build confidence and encourage better team skills. Some of the challenges involved swimming in a lake, taking part in ‘Tribes Got Talent’ and making animal (teacher) traps.

CLIMBING TO ADVENTURE Zip wires, poles to climb and a rowing race to win are all part of the attraction of the much anticipated trip for Year 6 to Osmington Bay. This year, despite the full spectrum of Great British Weather, both spirit and humour remained at a consistent high throughout the four days. Children learnt about the geology and saw first-hand the world heritage sites of Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove, before enjoying an afternoon of dragon boat racing at the GB sailing marina in Weymouth. The next two days encompassed a variety of adrenaline filled activities, which saw children scaling heights they had never reached before.

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BORNEO A group of dedicated explorers spent time in the summer making a difference in Borneo. Bob Cooke, Joey Griffiths, Ellie Gutteridge, Amelia Pearce, Harriet Rogers, Harry Webb and Aoife Williams were joined by Prep Head of Boys’ Games Paul Hyde for a challenging and adventurous expedition to the Sabah Region of north Borneo (Malaysia). Together they worked on community-based projects to improve infrastructure in local villages; taught English and other skills at nursery level; tried their hand at building projects such as helping to lay the concrete floor for a new kindergarten building at Camp Bongkud and Camp Gana; worked on environmental team projects such as beach cleaning on Mantanani Island or afforestation of a clearance within the rainforest at the Batu Puteh jungle camp. This participation and volunteering helps build sustainable communities in Borneo, adding to the work completed by Ashford students during two previous expeditions. The group also found time for adventures of their own. They went on a river boat and trekked through the jungle where one of the students was bitten by a poisonous giant centipede making a full recovery at the local medical centre. Along the coast of Gaya Island all but one of the students completed and passed their PADI Open Water Diving qualification. They will share fond memories for years to come – the hardship of completing infrastructure projects, the awesome wildlife of Borneo’s rainforest and the exhilaration of diving on some of the best-conserved and most diverse coral reefs in the world.

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HROUGH T G IN H C L E U Q S MUDDY FIELDS

through the part in the Duke hool pupils took Sc ord hf countryside. As 50 Around . scheme this year d ar aw gh Each group ur inb of Ed ed in the mp ca s nt was given grid de stu y hard o tw ok The pictures show rto de un ey references on p School when th art as Ch grounds of the Pre t ea Gr nd ou ar a map and e countryside expeditions in th . ion dit expected to ce expe part of their practi ed ail plan their spirit prev an excellent team r fo dit “Despite the rain, cre route before ormous really deserve en id sa d,” en and the students ek we ce setting cti d during the pra Mr F, CC what they achieve d an gh ur off with a of Duke of Edinb the school’s Head compass. Simon Burke. the next day’s e s spent planning nc e and independe turday evening wa nc Sa de nfi co cooking a , as ills ll sk in good the rain - as we “The leadership ute - and avoiding able and put them ro alu inv re we ed they develop tents. meal outside the l expedition.” stead for their rea sfully achieve ions were succes those hoping to Sunday’s expedit ed ce lud On inc and ich wh , ow The groups for a good sh er turday morning leted, it was home r awards, spent Sa mp ve co Sil d an ze on their Br the Prep School t. nts in a field near an afternoon’s res lk erecting their te ge en of a 5km wa all ch e th on ok before they to

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Ashford School, East Hill, Ashford, Kent TN24 8PB Admissions: +44 (0) 1233 739030 Ashford Prep School, Great Chart, Ashford, Kent TN23 3DJ Admissions: +44 (0) 1233 620493 The school is open for enquiries Term time: 08.15 - 17.00

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