Leweston Life 2016

2016

Leweston Life

Head’s Welcome

3

Public Examination Results 2016

4

Academic Awards and Successes

Contents

8

Creative Life

14

Senior Sport

24

International News

31

Extracurricular Life

34

Junior Department

36

Junior Department Sport

46

Nursery

50

Boarding

52

Spiritual Life

54

OA News

63

Dates for your Diary

64

www.leweston.co.uk

LEWESTON SCHOOL, SHERBORNE, DORSET DT9 6EN 01963 211010 • ADMISSIONS@LEWESTON.DORSET.SCH.UK Leweston is a registered charity number 295175

Welcome from the Head Welcome to the 2016 edition of Leweston Life,

Equally well received has been our vision to

the magazine which offers a snapshot of the

provide an affordable quality education from

incredibly varied, vibrant and vivacious world of

start to finish. Parents that were being priced out

Leweston School over the past 12 months.

of the independent school market are returning to Leweston full of praise for the small class sizes,

Looking back over the last year I have a great

the individual nurturing and the challenging

sense of awe for the school and for everything

range of enrichment opportunities on offer for

that our amazing students and staff pour into it

their children. There is a buzz in the corridors,

to make it the rich and nourishing environment

new life breathed into the Friends of Leweston

that it is for us all. Results have continued to go

parent committee and a palpable sense of

from strength to strength with sensational

excitement at the new direction the school is

academic achievements across the board and

taking.

awards for excellence in a number of areas, including English and Performing Arts and

It has been a record breaking year at Leweston in

LAMDA. But Leweston stands for so much more

so many areas: a world class Chemistry Olympiad

than results and awards. Our Christian ethos

result (page 8), a plethora of medals and

based on our Catholic foundation puts service

accolades for our multisport stars (pages 25-26)

and care of the individual both in the school and

and an amazing production of “The Lion King�

the wider community at the heart of all that we

which saw tickets selling out faster than ever

do. So, peer mentoring within the school now

before (page 15). But these are just a glimpse of

complements the expanding programme of

all the incredible things that have happened at

community service that sees so many of our

Leweston over the last year, so do read on to find

students helping the elderly and young mothers

out more‌

in the area, in addition to all the charity work and fundraising that takes place across the Junior Department and Senior School. So we encourage our students to flourish, both academically and spiritually.

Kate Reynolds Head

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Another Strong GCSE Performance by Leweston Pupils

2016 marked another year of strong GCSE results at Leweston.

Special mention goes to Clementine G who achieved 10 A* and As, Bonnie L who secured 8 A* and As and Lauren S who was awarded 7 A* and As. Of particular strength with all these students were their Maths and Science results.

Kate Reynolds, Head of Leweston, congratulated the students on their achievements:

combining this with a wide range of extracurricular achievements. I am particularly impressed with the results in Latin and Further Maths. 100% of the pupils taking Latin achieved an A grade, with 66% of

In a first for the school, two students took Japanese GCSE in 2016 as a result of our popular Japanese club for non-native speakers. Both candidates gained the top A* grade with one, our Head of English as a Foreign Language, proving that it is never too late to return to the classroom!

students taking Further Maths achieving an A*. It is a

This year at Leweston

testament to Leweston’s

30% achieved A*-B with 38% of all GCSE

“We are delighted with this

inspirational teachers that the

year’s GCSE results. The

girls do not shy away from

girls worked exceptionally

subjects such as these that

hard and I am really proud of

are perceived to be highly

them for successfully

challenging.”

candidates achieving an

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A* or A grade.

Once again, Leweston is celebrating superb A Level results. Over half of all exams taken were passed at A*, A or D3 grades, with 76% passed at A*-B or Pre-U equivalent.

A third of students gained A* or A grades in 3 or more subjects, with certain departments celebrating sensational A Level success stories. Topping this list is the School’s English department; in this subject an outstanding 80% received distinctions. This follows on from Leweston’s recent Good Schools Guide award for excellence in English Literature at Cambridge Pre-U. Modern Foreign Languages, Art and Design and Further Maths also saw excellent results: with Modern Foreign Languages seeing 50% of exams passed at A*-A (across 6 different language options); Art and Design celebrating a 93% A*-B rate in the specialist areas of Fine Art, Textiles and Graphics; and Further Maths seeing a sensational 75% of examination applicants achieving A* grades.

These results have enabled almost all Leweston’s leavers to win places at their chosen universities or specialist colleges. This year’s outstanding achiever was Katarzyna Z with 5 A* grades, who is now reading Natural Sciences at Cambridge. Another notable success story came from Natasha P, whose change of direction in Year 13 saw her completing A Level Music in one year and gaining an A grade. Natasha has also recently achieved an ATCL Performance Diploma on the flute and is now reading Music at King’s College London.

Leweston Celebrates Superb A Level Results

Mrs Kate Reynolds commented:

“We are delighted that the high academic quality of education our students receive has been reflected in their superb exam results and we are absolutely thrilled with another set of brilliant results across the whole ability range. These results build on our strong record of success and pay testament to the hard work and aspirational attitudes of both the teachers and staff alike. All pupils should be immensely proud of these achievements which will undoubtedly carry them far in their further studies and lives beyond the school.”

Mrs Emma Massey, Head of Sixth Form, added:

“I am delighted that the students’ hard work, dedication and work ethic has paid off. We are particularly pleased to have been able to help the students follow their own individual aspirations whether it is following a highly academic route through a world class university, a more creative and artistic future in fashion promotion or the theatre, or a specific interest in Sports Science and Nutrition.”

52% of all exams passed at A* - A or Pre U equivalent 5

Affordable education for all at Leweston.

New Senior Schools fees announced for the academic year 2017/18.

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Leweston is committed to offering a high quality affordable education to as many local families as possible. Following the success of the fee restructure in the Junior Department, the school has reviewed its Senior School fee structure and is delighted to announce new competitive fees across both day and boarding from September 2017. Fees will now start at £4,950 per term for day pupils in all years from 7-13.

Canon Richard, Chair of the Governors commented:

“The Board some time ago made decisions in reviewing the school’s fee structure. This was trialled in the Junior Department with extremely encouraging results and, as planned, we are now rolling this out to the Senior School.

The fee reduction on the back of a new dynamic leadership team, together with continuing excellent A Level results of 52% A* and A grades means there has never been a better time to join us at Leweston.”

Kate Reynolds, Head of Leweston added:

“I have spoken to so many parents who have said they would love their children to have the head start that a Leweston education can give them but that independent schools have effectively priced themselves out of the market. Our new affordable education from Reception through to Sixth Form means local families as well as those from further afield can now afford to give their children the best possible education.”

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Academic Awards and Successes Medals for Leweston in UK Biology Olympiad Congratulations to the nine girls who have achieved a certificate in the first round of the 2016 UK Biology Olympiad. Four girls were awarded a Commendation and two girls a Highly Commended.

Special congratulations go to Julia K, Evie D, and Katarzyna Z who achieved Bronze, Silver and Gold medals respectively.

Over 7200 students from around the world took part in the competition and Evie and Katarzyna were placed in the top 10% of competitors.

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Best Ever Result for Leweston in Chemistry Olympiad Katarzyna Z, who completed A Levels at Leweston in 2016, achieved a Gold award in the first round of the 2016 UK Chemistry Olympiad, scoring so highly that she was, in fact, amongst the top 3% of 5,822 UK entrants! Congratulations also go to Flora C, who was awarded a silver medal in this round.

In light of her exceptional achievement, Katarzyna (Year 13, 2015-16) then progressed to Round Two held at Cambridge University, where she was one of only 21 participants from secondary schools in UK. This final selection round involved a threehour theory paper based on earlyundergraduate concepts and a three hour laboratory practical exam, involving the synthesis of an organic compound and the quantitative analysis of an inorganic compound.

Katarzyna excelled once again, performing so well that she was then selected by the Royal Society of Chemistry to represent the UK in the prestigious 48th International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) held in Tbilisi, Georgia over the summer of 2016. The IChO is an illustrious Chemistry competition for the world’s most gifted secondary school students, which aims to promote international contacts in Chemistry.

The most successful Chemistry students from 80 countries all over the world participated at the event and Katarzyna was one of only four pupils to be selected for the UK team. The British team did exceptionally well at the final, achieving two Bronze awards (Katarzyna and Muhammed Khan) and one Silver award (Jimin Li).

Dr Kemal, Head of Chemistry at Leweston commented,

“All the theoretical and practical challenges of the Olympiad are a true test of a pupil’s chemical expertise.

Katarzyna’s ability to apply her knowledge of Chemistry to novel and demanding problems enabled her to be amongst the top competitors in UK and thus to go on and represent the country with such success at the final in Tbilisi. This result is the best ever obtained by a Sixth Form Chemist at Leweston School.”

Katarzyna is now reading Natural Sciences at Cambridge University following her success in the Chemistry Olympiad. During her time at Leweston, she was also awarded the prestigious Chemistry Roentgenium Award which placed her in the top 0.7% of all entrants (8,481 students) nationwide and qualified her to attend a three day residential chemistry camp at the university.

In addition to this, Katarzyna also had an article published in a recent edition of the Young Scientists Journal. The journal, which is run across the globe, publishes genuine original research at the forefront of science. The best articles are selected and printed into a twice yearly issue.

Katarzyna researched the topic of Coeliac Disease and wrote an outstanding review article for the publication.

Chemistry Symposium The first meeting of ‘The Chemistry Symposium’ between the Sherborne Schools, Leweston and for the first time Claysmore School, focussed on a variety of topics which included “How Isotopes Can Be Used in Investigations” “Chemical Weapons”, “Electron Transport Chain”, “Non- Steriod AntiInflammatory Drug” as well as “Terraforming Mars”. Leweston Chemists Eunice L, Sharon H and Natalie T presented a talk on the discovery, synthesis and uses of nitro compounds as explosives, dyes, polymers and pharmaceuticals. It was interesting to learn how scientists trying to synthesize a more effective explosive ended up making a perfume ‘Musk Baur’ which was used in Chanel No. 5. The world of science never ceases to amaze!

Lower Sixth Cambridge Chemistry Challenge The Cambridge Chemistry Challenge consists of a written paper designed to stretch and challenge Lower Sixth students. The students are tested on whether they can think their way successfully through unfamiliar material.

Six students from Leweston School were successful in the challenge this year: Elizabeth H and Eunice C gained Silver Awards and Polly J, Sharon H, Valerie L and Monika O gained Copper Awards.

Success for Leweston in the National Cantenian Public Speaking Competition Following Leweston’s House speaking competition, Lizzie D and Flora F were chosen to represent the school at the regional heat of the 2016 Catenian Public Speaking competition at St Edward’s School in Poole. Competition was fierce with a wide range of speeches from highly individual speakers.

Flora spoke with great clarity and conviction against our Government’s recent military policy in Syria, while Lizzie was both entertaining and enlightening in her defence of reading the classics. The final decision was very exciting for Leweston as, on our first attempt at this particular competition, Lizzie was placed first. Lizzie then went on to compete at the National Final, as the representative of the Diocese of Plymouth, where she performed superbly to take third place. The competition, which was held in Manchester on Sunday 11th September, was open to qualifying pupils from Catholic schools across the country. Lizzie

dazzled the judges and assembled audience once again with her talk entitled “Why study Classics?” and was rewarded for her confident, intelligent and thought-provoking address with a top three placing. This was a great achievement as Lizzie was pitted against the very best public speakers from schools across the country.

“Leweston is immensely proud of Lizzie for doing so well on a national stage. She is a wonderful ambassador for the school and is a shining example of how aspirational our pupils can be.”

Mrs Emma Massey Head of Sixth Form

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English & Performing Arts Lead the Way with Prestigious Awards & Sensational Examination Results

PUPILS IMPRESS AT INTERMEDIATE

YOUTH SPEAKS Two teams from Leweston took part in the Rotary Club of Sherborne Castle’s Youth Speaks competition at Sherborne Prep. The girls kept their audience captivated with convincing motivational speeches entitled: “Why goals are good for you” and “Why intelligence is not enough”.

The Speakers (Regina SP and Lucy H), were complimented on their lively delivery, pace and confidence. Lucy’s speech was commended for its logical argument and skilled use of rhetorical devices. Both Regina and Lucy were praised for their

considered answers to some difficult questions.

The Speakers were ably led by Chairs, Maria H S and Jessamy B, whose thought- provoking introductions were commended by the Judges. The Proposers of the Vote of Thanks, Angharad J and Isabelle B, both received compliments on their thoughtful speeches of appreciation.

The teams fully deserved their places of second (Team B – Maria, Lucy and Isabelle) and third (Team A – Jessamy, Regina and Angharad) in a strong field.

New Gifted and Talented Programme Launched The new Gifted and Talented programme was launched in 2016 with Miss Flannery taking a group of Year 9 and 10 girls to Taunton School for a series of lectures on topics as diverse as “The Mind and Music” and “Death of Individuality” to inspire the girls to think outside the box. She was particularly pleased that our girls actively took part in the discussions – all proof of the fun that can be had with semantics, lateral thinking and elaboration on an apparently simple concept. Do encourage your daughters to join Miss Flannery for her Tuesday lunchtime TED talks, where these skills are further honed.

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Leweston was recently awarded two Gold Awards by the Good Schools Guide; the first for the best performance by an English independent school for girls taking English Literature at Pre-U and the second for the best performance by girls taking LAMDA Speech & Drama.

2016’s superb A Level results also gave the school much reason to rejoice, with a third of students gaining A* or A grades in 3 or more subjects. Here the English department led the way, with an outstanding 80% of students receiving distinctions at Pre-U. Weekly Performing Arts lessons are available to all pupils at Leweston in years 2 to 9. In years 10 and 11, pupils who do not opt for GCSE Drama still can be involved in this area via the incredibly popular and perennially spectacular Senior production.

The school is also delighted to be offering free LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts) lessons as part of the scholarship package for all major scholarship holders in the Sixth Form and at 11+ and 13+, as of September 2017. Each year the school prepares pupils for this wellrecognised award and, as highlighted by the GSG Award, sees a great deal of success, with the majority of entrants often gaining distinctions.

TED TALKS are our popular weekly lunchtime sessions open to the whole Senior School on a variety of topics to stimulate, engage and challenge our minds. Topics range from the freedom of the press to body image, and from presentation skills to how to improve listening skills. Everyone is welcome, come along and be inspired.

French Drama Workshops

House and International Public Speaking Competitions

Leweston was delighted to play host to Onatti Productions on two occasions in 2016. The educational drama troop travelled to the school to present two plays (“Parlez-vous Francais?” and “Shipwrecked en France!”) and to hold workshops with the pupils, who were joined by visiting groups from Hanford and Knighton House schools.

The 2016 International and Year 12 House Public Speaking competitions were held on December 5th. The judges had difficult decisions to make. Every competitor spoke confidently and kept the audience interested and entertained. The results were:

On both occasions the pupils worked collaboratively in writing their own versions of the plays before acting them out in front of their peers. Not only did they have a lot of fun during these activities, but they also felt better prepared to watch the plays themselves. The plays were a big hit with all the students, who particularly enjoyed the audience participation, and all of them came out confident with their knowledge of French, as well as having learnt one or two new words. Bravo tout le monde!

• Year 12: 3rd place, Kitty G-D of More House, arguing in favour of lifting the foxhunting ban; 2nd place, Mollie C of Campion, taking the fashion industry to task for using only very underweight models; 1st place was awarded to Krystyna S of Fisher House, with her thoughtprovoking speech on the disadvantages of specialisation in education.

In the International Paired Competition, the runners up were Kristy C and Angela W and the winners were Beatrice L and Sally L.

Bath University Spectroscopy Workshop For a second year running the Chemistry department welcomed PhD students from Bath University to train our A Level students in a number of analytical techniques based on Spectroscopy and Spectrometry. This initiative which is funded by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) enables cuttingedge spectroscopy equipment to be brought into the classroom. By relating the techniques to real investigative activities students can see for themselves why spectroscopy is such a vital tool in analysis. The workshop also has an emphasis on promoting chemical sciences as a stimulating and profitable career.

“We are grateful to the RSC and the enthusiastic team from Bath University for the practical experience of the theoretical techniques our pupils have been studying in their lessons. Our students enjoyed the workshop and found all the activities worthwhile and relevant.”

Dr Kemal, Head of Chemistry

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Pupils Enjoy German Workshop at Sherborne School Girls studying German from years 9 to 11 were invited, along with pupils from other schools, to take part in a German Workshop at Sherborne School.

The girls enjoyed working in groups with other students and at the end they all took part in a German play.

Sixth Former Wins Oxbridge Place Lizzie D has accepted a highly coveted place at St John’s College, Oxford to read Classics.

Lizzie was also offered a choral scholarship which is a testament to her hard work and dedication both to her academic studies and her love of music. It is also a reflection of the school’s outstanding Music department which has nurtured her exceptional talent.

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Speech Day 2016 The summer term concluded with the celebration of 2015-16's many achievements at the Senior School's Speech Day. We were delighted to welcome OA Olivia Bolesworth as the guest of honour at the event, to speak about her incredible record breaking row across the Atlantic with her Row like a Girl crew (more on page 63). The ceremony also saw the gowning of the new prefects. Congratulations to our New Head Girl, Elizabeth Hobbs and to the team of prefects that will support her throughout the year.

After the prize giving, guests enjoyed celebratory drinks and were invited to picnic in the

school grounds, before enjoying entertainment provided by the school houses in the Theatre. The day was brought to a close with the 2016 Leavers’ Ball in the evening. Parents, girls in Year 13 and their guests enjoyed a wonderful evening of fine wine, food and entertainment.

Pupils Embrace Italian Exchange Programme Leweston welcomed two Italian students, Beatrice and Laura, who joined the Boarding house to enjoy a week of Leweston life as part of a current school exchange programme for Italian GCSE students.

The girls, who study at the School of Modern Languages in Genoa, were shadowed during their week by Carlotta G (Year 9) and Kiara M (Year 10) and took part in all the lessons, sports and activities that Leweston has to offer. All the girls thoroughly enjoyed the experience and were excited to meet up again over the October half term break, when Kiara and Carlotta spent a week with Beatrice and Laura in Italy, improving their language skills and experiencing life in an Italian school.

Classics Symposiums Challenge and Inspire In 2016, Leweston’s Classics department launched a series of thought-provoking inter-school lecture evenings, otherwise known as the Classics Symposiums. Held once a term, the Symposiums have been a great success and we look forward to hosting more in 2017.

Leweston was delighted to host the inaugural Classics Symposium in the summer term. Students studying Classics in year 10 and above from Leweston and other local schools were invited to deliver short talks on a classical topic of their choice, and the evening proved to be inspiring and interesting for all. Speakers from Sherborne School and Leweston delivered impressively and knowledgeably on subjects including “Women in Art and Literature”,“Orphism”,“Justice in Ancient Greece” and “Comparisons between Ancient Rome and Modern American Politics”. The second Classics Symposium was

then held during the autumn term, where we played host to Classics students from years 10 and above from Leweston, Sherborne School, The Gryphon and Sherborne Girls, who were challenged and inspired by five Upper Sixth students delivering presentations on the topics of: “Inscriptions”, “Classical Reception”, “Aristophanes and the Sophists”, “Plato and Aristotle”, and “Comparative Mythology”.

Ateneo!

This year Sixth Form Spanish students have attended the Ateneo! meetings held at Sherborne School. This Spanish society provides the perfect environment for all Spanish students to gather and share information about their travel experiences, study visits and general academic enquiries.

Leweston Welcomes the Return of the Leweston Lectures In 2016, Leweston was delighted to relaunch the Leweston Lectures – a series of inspirational, challenging and engaging lectures for pupils and staff at Leweston and other local schools, by some exceptional external speakers. So far, the lectures have played host to Dr Philomen Probert, who delivered an interesting discourse about language learning across languages, cultures and time, and Johnnie Boden, founder of the Boden clothing company, who spoke on the topic of “Entrepreneurship”. More Leweston Lectures are scheduled for the 2017, including talks by Professor Edith Hall, Revd Dr Rodney Holder and Revd Nicholas Mercer. Please see the website for further information.

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Sherborne Young Musician of the Year Congratulations to Evie D who won the singing category in the Sherborne Young Musician of the Year competition, which saw her qualify for the Douzelage Young Musician of the Year competition held during the International music festival, Douzelage Zvolen, in Slovakia in July.

Talent is Celebrated at Whole School Summer Concert A stunning Summer Concert saw some exceptional performances, notably Natasha P in her final school performance and Evie D who demonstrated why she was such an easy choice for 2016-17 Music Prefect. Despite these virtuoso performances, few would argue that our Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 rendition of “Sing a Rainbow” stole our hearts and the show!

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Creative Life...

The Douzelage Young Musician of the Year 2016 On July 6th five students from local schools – Evie D (Leweston School), Elizabeth H (Leweston School), Joss N (Sherborne School), Valerie T (Sherborne Girls) and Christiana B (Bruton School) – accompanied by Rachel Milestone and Tim Roberts from Leweston School, boarded a plane to Zvolen, Slovakia, to compete in the Douzelage Young Musician of the Year 2016 competition, alongside 45 students from nine other Douzelage towns across Europe.

The project was originally conceived to give young musicians a range of experiences; to let them mix with their peers from other nationalities and to help them appreciate how music brings them together. This year’s competition did just that. Our

students worked hard musically, practicing independently for their own competition recital and in ensembles with the other musicians. However, there was also time allocated for sight-seeing around the town and social events such as the bowling and crazy golf evening.

All five musicians performed admirably, all receiving praise from the judging panel. The standard of competitors was extremely high but ultimately it was Valerie T on the piano that got through to the grand final in Zvolen Castle. In the end the title of Douzelage Young Musician of the Year 2016 went to a young trumpeter from France, but all the Sherborne musicians performed in the final concert and it was, without a doubt, an experience that will stay with them all for a long time to come.

The Magic in Me All girls in years 7 and 8 performed outstandingly in “The Magic in Me”. This was a devised production put together using an ‘organic’ dramatic process based on a series of student-led workshops in their weekly Performing Arts lesson. It was a show built upon a selection of musical theatre songs that would lend themselves to different styles of interpretation, performed with choreography and linked together with outline dialogue.

The show was set in a Performing Arts School and the girls were in charge of their own props and costumes. It was a real show stopper and a joy to witness!

Years 7-13 staged a sell-out run of “The Lion King” to great acclaim. It was a spectacularly colourful showcase of the outstanding performing talent in the Senior School. The vibrant, energetic spectacle, with original songs

by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice, delighted audiences over three days with acting, music, singing, dancing, costumes and set design of the highest standards.

Leweston was delighted to welcome pupils from Bishop’s Caundle, All Saints Primary School, Sherborne Prep and Sunninghill to the premiere performance, along with pupils from Leweston’s Junior Department and Nursery and was honoured to receive wonderful feedback from the teachers and pupils.

The Lion King

The Sun Shines for the Sinfonia Concert The Sherborne Schools’ Sinfonia concert was hosted by Leweston on a beautifully sunny Sunday afternoon. With performers drawn from all the local senior schools, the audience enjoyed a varied concert including Cantemus (our Year 7 and 8 choir), the Leweston Jazz band and, of course, the Sinfonia orchestra in which several of our girls play.

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A Winning Performance at the Mid Somerset Festival of Speech and Drama Leweston was delighted, once again, to take the top spots in Solo and Duologue acting categories at the 2016 Mid Somerset Festival of Speech and Drama.

World Book Day 2016 A fabulous effort was made across the Leweston campus for World Book Day. In the Senior School girls enjoyed taking part in the “Who’s Reading What?” quiz, as well as dressing up as their favourite literary characters. Proceeds raised by the event were donated to Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Leweston enjoyed a clean sweep in the Under 14 Duologue category with Perdi D and Scarlett C and Freya S and Emily A, both coming 1st in their groups, and Alice S and Jessamy B and Sacha G-D and India C, taking 2nd and 3rd places respectively.

In the Under 12 Solo category Lily C came 2nd. In the Under 13 Duologue Saskia CC and Libby K finished 2nd with Grace P and Sophie W in 3rd. Portia A and Olivia K came 3rd in the Duologue Under 15s and in the Under 17s, Alice L and Bella C came 2nd with Beatrice L and Carlotta G 3rd.

There were some particularly strong and in some cases very moving performances which were reflected in these outstanding results, with girls receiving high marks, certificates and medals.

Leweston excelled, even managing to improve upon the brilliant results seen in previous years by gaining so many places in such large classes.

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Solo Acting Success Congratulations to Izzy H for her winning performance at the recent Sherborne Solo Acting Competition at Sherborne School.

The competition was held on Saturday 16th January at Sherborne School’s Powell Theatre with students between the ages of 13-18 taking part.

The participants, who were representing The Gryphon School, Sherborne Girls, Leweston and Sherborne School, performed both classical and modern individual speeches to a panel of

judges, which included actress and director Sharon Miller. Izzy took first prize in the Senior Modern category and it was the second consecutive year that Leweston has won this class.

There were some outstanding performances from the competitors across all the categories. Leweston would also like to congratulate Olivia K, Portia A and Bella C; they all received excellent feedback from the judges and were wonderful ambassadors for the school.

PUPILS ARE INSPIRED BY WELL KNOWN CHILDREN’S AUTHORS

In conjunction with the Sherborne Literary Festival, Leweston pupils experienced a series of creative writing workshops and special talks by some well-known authors.

Pupils in years 6, 7 and 8 were privileged to take part in two creative writing workshops courtesy of children’s authors David Solomons and Jae Malone.

First to visit was Dorset based author David Solomons. With a background in writing screenplays for films, including an adaptation of “Five Children and It”, David then turned his attention to children’s fiction and has now written two novels. His first, “My Brother is a Superhero”, saw him winning the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and the British Book Industry Awards Children’s Book of the Year, and its sequel, “My Gym Teacher is an Alien Overlord”, is now gaining much critical acclaim.

The second visit was by Jae Malone, author of the Winterne series which includes the books “Silver Linings”,“Queen of Diamonds” and “Fool’s Gold”. Jae was born in West London but spent most of her childhood in Dorset where a visit to Wookey Hole caves sparked her interest in the myths of the Mendip Hills. Later, returning to the West Country – this time Somerset, near Glastonbury and Wells – she again fell in love with the area and the thread of a story was born. Jae now resides in Nottingham, but her love for the West Country is reflected in her writing.

Visit from Children’s Author Rebecca Westcott We were delighted to welcome local children’s author Rebecca Westcott, to Leweston for a talk and writing workshop with the girls in years 7, 8 and 9.

Rebecca spoke about how she came to write her first novel “Dandelion Clocks” and how she went about getting it published. “Dandelion Clocks” is the first of three novels by Rebecca to be published and was recently chosen as one of the national ‘Book Buzz’ books. A brilliant and inspiring morning!

A First-class Master Class

On Friday 14th October Leweston hosted a Baroque Masterclass led by composer, conductor, Baroque technique expert and the Musical Director of Devon Baroque, Andrew Wilson-Dickson.

Devon Baroque is the principal orchestra in the South West specialising in baroque and early classical music played on period instruments and in appropriate style. The members of the Leweston Baroque Ensemble were Andrew’s performers for the evening, putting on a fantastic show for the assembled audience.

Cantemus Win for the Second Year at Taunton Festival of the Arts Congratulations to Leweston’s Junior Choir, Cantemus, who have recorded another sensational win (their second in as many years) at the Taunton Festival of the Arts.

The choir, made up of girls in years 7 and 8, faced stiff competition in the 11-16 years choir category but sang their two pieces beautifully and were rewarded for their skill with first prize. They came home with the cup and very smiley faces!

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Schola Perform at the Sherborne Abbey Festival The Sherborne Abbey Festival saw a large and very appreciative audience justifiably impressed by the excellent musicianship demonstrated by Schola Cantorum.

The programme featured “Parliament of Owls” by Karl Jenkins, as well as a duet and solo pieces from Sixth Form instrumentalists.

Young Writer Shines in Rotary Club Young Writer Competition Congratulations to Abigael NA (Year 8) who achieved second place in the regional final of this year’s creative writing competition for young writers.

Abigael’s entry was praised highly by the judges and was so well received that it was chosen to progress to the National Final. Inspired by the theme ‘”The World is Beautiful”, Abigael’s piece was given the following glowing endorsement: “We found Abigael’s entry to be an interesting take on the Bible’s Genesis story. The style read like a rap (yes we are older but we recognise that!) with a very strong message of warning; a beautifully presented, thoughtful piece of writing.”

A Celestial Carol Service The Senior Carol Service was held on Thursday 8th December in Sherborne Abbey.

The service featured spectacular performances by Schola and Cantemus, as well as a number of poignant readings from pupils, staff and parents. It was a tremendous and atmospheric occasion, with the stunning festive songs filling the majestic interior of the Abbey from floor to vaulted ceiling.

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Pupils Star in Music Video with Jo Burt In March Leweston’s Director of Music, Rachel Milestone, was approached by musician Jo Burt regarding providing a string quartet for his next video. An initial meeting was arranged at the school and after the involvement of the Leweston String Quartet was confirmed, Jo and his wife and Creative Consultant, Antonia, were taken on a tour of the grounds.

They were so impressed by the beauty of the grounds and the four hundred year-old Trinity Chapel, that they sought permission to use the school as the location for the video.

The official video for Jo Burt’s ‘”King of Fools” is beautiful in its simplicity and admirably demonstrates the talents of Jo, his creative team, dancer Chloe Burton and of course the inimitable Leweston String Quartet (Evie D, Alice B, Coco F and Eunice C). As the video shows, Leweston’s grounds provided the perfect setting for this wonderful music making. Thanks to Adrian Mitchell for sharing the official photos.

After further meetings with Jo and the Director, Graham J Trott, and rehearsals with the String Quartet and Jo, the day of the shoot was set for a very hot Saturday in May. The day began at 8am with the production team finally leaving the grounds at midnight! Filming started in the Trinity Chapel, before moving to various locations in the grounds. It was a tiring day - there was much repetition and the sun was so fierce that the girls had to be shaded with umbrellas between takes - but ultimately it was a fantastic experience for everybody involved.

The 2016 Senior Christmas Concert was held on Saturday 3rd December in the Church of the Sacred Heart and St Aldhelm, Sherborne. The successful and thoroughly entertaining concert raised the roof with superb performances by Schola Cantorum, Cantemus, ensembles and soloists.

The event was attended by family and friends of the performers, Leweston staff members and local parishioners. The concert was held to raise funds for the Church and Macmillan Cancer Support’s Dancing Day Project.

CHRISTMAS CONCERT RAISES THE ROOF

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GCSE and A Level Art and Design Exhibition Over 40 guests were welcomed to the Manor House for the opening of the Summer Art and Design Exhibition. The private viewing showcased this year’s GCSE and A Level coursework and exam pieces. The guests were captivated by the remarkable exhibition which is a testament to the wealth of art and design talent in the Senior School.

Daisy L

The exhibition then remained open to the public for a week, during which time it received many visitors and much praise.

Here are some of the highlights...

Emma W

Emma W

Coco F

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Vicky W

Issy H

Bella C Nessie L

Coco F

Claudia Y

Chloe S

Elena A

Daisy L Neen J

Coco F

Natasha L

Emma W Coco F

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Senior Sport

Olympian Helps Launch Pentathlon Academy at Leweston We were thrilled to welcome Jamie Cooke, Olympian and current World Number One Pentathlete to the school for the official launch of our GB Pentathlon Academy.

Leweston was to delighted to have been awarded Academy status by Pentathlon GB in January, making it the eighth Pentathlon Academy in the country, in recognition of the contribution the school has made to the sport of Modern Pentathlon and the development of Leweston and local community athletes.

On Friday 7th October we hosted pupils from Sunninghill and Knighton House for a Pentathlon Academy taster day to help us celebrate this important accolade.

The children from Sunninghill and Knighton House joined a group of our pupils for a morning of multisport action, trying their hands at Biathle (swim/run), 24

fencing and shooting and witnessing a Triathlon demonstration by seasoned Leweston athletes. The session was overseen by Team GB and resident Leweston coach/Head of Pentathlon and Swimming, Mick Flaherty, specialist fencing and shooting coaches and of course Jamie Cooke, who was on hand to offer encouragement and advice throughout the morning.

Jamie recently returned from Rio where he sadly missed out on a medal, despite setting a new Modern Pentathlon Olympic Record in the 200m freestyle swimming with a time of 1:55.60!

Jamie was a real hit with the

pupils, with many stating what an inspiration he is to them. One pupil, Libby T (Year 11) even challenged Jamie to a ‘shoot off’, which she then won!

As a Pentathlon Academy, we run a number of popular training programmes, camps and competitions throughout the year for the multisport events for 9-18 year olds. These are targeted not only at pupils from Leweston, but at local athletes from schools and clubs in the region. All are welcome to get involved. Details of all such upcoming Pentathlon Academy events are published on our website.

Multisport Stars Enjoy their Best Year Ever

• The British Triathle Championships were a qualifier for the 2016 World Triathle Championships and 4 Leweston pupils were selected for the British team after this event

2016 was an exceptional year for our multisport athletes, with the dedicated training provided by the Leweston GB Pentathlon Academy reflected in the sensational results that our pupils are generating at every level, from school and Pony Club events, to European and World Championships. Here are some of this year’s very best results:

• South West Triathlon U17 Champion – Libby T

• U13 Girls European Triathle Champion – Lily A • European Triathle Team – Libby T, Lily A, Portia M, Holly J and Vivien T • European Biathle Team – Libby T, Molly C and Ginny B • World Triathle Championships U13 Triathle team silver – Lily A and Vivien T • World Triathle Championships U17 Mixed Relay team bronze – Libby T • U11 British Triathle Champion – Molly C • U17 British Triathle silver – Libby T

• South West Triathlon Series (race 1) winner – Daisy D • Triathlon England South West Junior Series, Bath Duathlon, Tri Star 3 Race winner – Daisy D • South West Schools Biathle at Leweston – 3 team and 4 individual gold medals for Leweston • National Schools Biathlon at Leweston – 1 team gold and 3 team silver medals for Leweston • National Biathlon Championships – U10, U11, U12 and U14 team gold • South West Biathlon Championships at Millfield School - 4 team golds and 1 individual gold • Pentathlon GB Dorset Schools County Biathlon Championships at Leweston - 4 team golds and 3 individual golds

• South and West Dorset Biathlon, Portland U13 gold – Vivien T • Southern Schools 10M Air Pistol Championships – Junior individual silver (Darcy D) and bronze (Lily A) • Southern Schools 10M Air Pistol Championships – Junior team gold and silver • Millfield Laser/Run U11 individual gold – Molly C • Millfield Laser/Run U13 gold – Darcy D, silver – Lily A and bronze - Vivien T • Millfield Laser/Run U17 silver – Libby T • National Tetrathlon Championships – individual silver – Lily A and bronze Vivien T (team gold) • National Tetrathlon Championships U17 bronze – Libby T • National Tetrathlon Championships U15 team silver – Elektra C and Issy C • Pentathlon GB World Class Talent Programme – Libby T selected to join the programme

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• 1st, 2nd and 3rd at Sherborne Girls Fencing competition Lily A, Elektra C and Issy C • National Pony Club Triathlon Championships bronze – Lily A • 1st Mendip Farmers Pony Club Triathlon U11 – Lily A • 1st Mendip Farmers Pony Club Triathlon U9 – Molly C • 1st Cattistock Hunt Pony Club Triathlon U11- Lily A • 1st Sandroyd Tetrathlon U14 – Issy C • 1st Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Triathlon U11 – Lily A • 1st Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Triathlon U14 – Elektra C • 1st Cotley Pony Club Triathlon U11 – Lily A • 1st Cotley Pony Club Triathlon U14 – Elektra C • 2nd Cotley Pony Club Triathlon U14 - Issy C (both Elektra and Issy have qualified for the National Pony Club Triathlon Championships)

Equestrian Team Wins NSEA Regional Points League The school is currently celebrating topping the NSEA (National Schools Equestrian Association) Regional Points League for schools in the South West. Points were accumulated at affiliated events throughout the past academic year. This win comes hot off the heels of another brilliant year for our riders, who have enjoyed the following successes: • 1st Intermediate Show Jumping team competition, St Mary’s Calne - Issy C, Sacha GD, Alice S and Rosie G • 2nd Bicton NSEA Show Jumping 80cm class - Sacha GD • 1st Bicton NSEA Show Jumping 80cm team class (qualifying for the final at Royal Windsor) – Sacha GD, Freddie DR, Mimi D and Alice S • 1st Bicton NSEA Show Jumping 90cm team class (qualifying for the final at Royal Windsor) – Eve S, Sacha GD, Mimi D and Elektra C

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• Two teams represented the school in the Jungs InterSchool Show Jumping competition at the Royal Windsor International Horse Show • 5th place for the Red Novice team at the Hickstead Inter School Show Jumping event • 1st Moreton Equestrian NSEA Show Jumping 60cm individual class (qualifier for NSEA County Challenge Show Jumping Finals) – Molly C • 1st Moreton Equestrian NSEA Show Jumping 80cm individual class (qualifier for NSEA County Challenge Show Jumping Finals) – Issy C

Swimmers are the Best in North Dorset!

• 1st Moreton Equestrian NSEA Show Jumping (Spring) 80cm team class (qualifier for NSEA County Challenge Show Jumping Finals) – Issy C, Rosie G, Elsie G and Sacha GD • 1st Moreton Equestrian NSEA Show Jumping (Spring) 1m team class (qualifier for NSEA County Challenge Show Jumping Finals) – Charlotte T, Elektra C, Alice S and Portia A • 1st Intermediate Grand Prix at the Pony of the Year Show – Perdi D • 1st St Mary’s Calne Inter-School Show Jumping, Intermediate team event – Alice S, Sacha GD, Issy C and Rosie G • 2nd St Mary’s Calne Inter-School Show Jumping, 90/95cm Jumping with Style – Issy C (qualifying for NSEA Championships) • 2nd West Wilts Equestrian Centre 90/95cm Show Jumping team competition – Portia A, Kitty GD, Elsie G and Elektra C (qualifying for NSEA Championships)

• Winners of the team events in 3 out of 4 classes at the Leweston Inter Schools Show Jumping competition • 1st Moreton Equestrian NSEA Show Jumping (Autumn) 70cm team class - Minnie A, Isabel W, Flora S-B and Isabel H (qualifying for NSEA Championships) • 1st Moreton Equestrian NSEA Show Jumping (Autumn) 1m team class – Elektra C, Sacha GD, Kitty GD and Charlotte T (qualifying for the NSEA Championships) • Moreton Equestrian NSEA Show Jumping (Autumn) 1.10m individual class - Portia A qualifying for the NSEA Championships • Representing the school at the NSEA Championships at Addington Manor in 8 different classes (a record for Leweston)

Leweston’s swimmers have enjoyed some great successes this year, culminating in the school being crowned the top swimming school in North Dorset! Here are some of the best results: • Wins for the U13 and U15 teams at the St Mary’s gala (also smashing many year group records) • Wins for the U12, U13 and U15 teams at the Sherborne Girls gala • 2nd place for the U14 team at the Sherborne Girls gala • 1st for U11 and U13 teams at the Inter Schools Relays at Leweston School • 3rd place for Junior team (years 7 and 8) at the Dorset Schools Swimming Relays • Wins for the Year 8 and Year 10 teams at the North Dorset Schools Gala • 2nd place for the Year 7 team at the North Dorset Schools Gala • 2nd for Year 4 team at the Dorset Schools Swimming Finals 27

Leweston Recognised as the Top Cross-Country School in Dorset!

Leweston finished the 2015-16 season as the top Cross-Country school in Dorset.

Here are their results: • County Champions – Senior Girls, Dorset Cross-Country Championships

• 2nd Dorset Cross-Country Championships – Minor Girls • 2nd Dorset Cross-Country Championships – Intermediate Girls • 3rd Dorset Cross-Country Championships – Junior Girls • 1st Kingswood Cross-Country Races for Senior Girls • 1st Downside Cross-Country Races for Senior Girls • 1st Intermediate Girls Race at the Ken Bailey Cross-Country Races at Bryanston

• 2nd Canford Relays for Junior Girls • Hosted the South West Cross-Country Championships for school teams where both the Junior and Intermediate Teams finished 5th out of over 60 teams who originally entered the competition • For the 26th consecutive year Leweston has had girls selected for the South West and English Schools Cross-Country Championships The 2016-2017 season is now in full swing and the girls have started it off with a bang:

• 1st St Mary’s Shaftesbury Cross-Country Relays

• Team and Individual 1st Minor Girls – Leweston Relays

• 1st Sherborne Trophy for the 6th time in 7 years!

• Team 2nd Junior Girls – Leweston Relays

• 1st for Junior and Senior teams at the Bryanston Relays

• Team 3rd Senior Girls – Leweston Relays

• 1st Minor Girls - Leweston Relays

• 23rd out of 399 schools in the English Schools Cup Final

• 1st Intermediate Girls - Leweston Relays

• Team 2nd Year 7 – Canford School event • Team 2nd Year 6 – Canford School event

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Dragon Boat Finals at Sherborne Castle Country Fair

Pupil Awarded Young Mountaineer of the Year Year 8 pupil Sophie L-M has been awarded Young Mountaineer of the Year by Trail Magazine in the 812 year category. After being inspired by the UK’s Three Peaks Challenge, Sophie completed an impressive list of mountain climbs, including Snowdonia, Dartmoor, Scafell Pike in The Lake District, Ben Nevis, The Gower Penninsula in Wales and Loch Leven.

Accompanied sometimes by friends but mostly just by her mother, Moira, Sophie challenged herself by performing nearly every aspect of mountain activity possible in the UK, summiting mountains in every variation of weather and season, from full winter conditions to perfect summer days.

Sophie is currently competing in the British Mountaineering Council Youth Series events as a member of The Quay’s climbing squad. She trains with her squad on Saturday’s in Exeter and midweek at The Oxley in Sherborne.

WOW! What a fantastic effort from the girls in the Dragon Boat racing at Sherborne Castle Country Fair, coming 3rd in the final in a really tight race. They just got better and better, improving by 11 seconds by the 3rd race! They were a real credit to the school and it was noted by many people watching the event. The Leweston team of

Jennifer P, Alice H, Eliza D, Kate B, Eliza H, Freddie DR, Beatrice L, Missy B, Poppy B, Sacha GD, Daisy P, Scarlett C, Ottie M, Matilda J, Lauren S, Alice L, Eve S, Olivia R and India C (drummer), were raising funds for the Hidden Needs Trust to create awareness of the needs of SEN children.

Sri Lanka Sports Tour In July, 15 girls from years 10-13, accompanied by Mrs Guy and Ms Parnell, set off on an incredible sports tour to Sri Lanka. The tour offered the girls the opportunity to compete in netball and swimming events in stunning locations around the island of Sri Lanka, and also gave them some amazing once in a lifetime cultural experiences. The girls worked long and hard in preparation for the trip, both in their sports training and in their fundraising activities for the Sri Lanka Emergency Relief Fund, which provided aid to those affected by the recent monsoon floods and mudslides (in which

100 people are thought to have died, and over 300,000 people were displaced).

Highlights of the tour included: A swimming gala against Highgate College and open water aquathlon in the River Kalanay and a lagoon.

Netball matches against Kandy Girls High School, Pushpadana High School, St Bridget’s Convent and girls from the Foundation of Goodness. Visits to the Temple of the Tooth and the markets in Kandy, a tea plantation and factory, an elephant sanctuary and a turtle hatchery and conservation centre.

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Sports Day

An action packed Sports Day was held at the end of the summer term. Always a favourite with pupils and staff alike, the competition saw the House teams rallying their troops and offering enthusiastic support to each and every participant. The afternoon was brought to a close by the crowning of the Junior and Senior Victrix Ludorums: Issy C and Libby T respectively and the House Champions: Fisher House.

SUMMER NETBALL LEAGUE

Congratulations to all the girls who took part in the Summer Netball League. The final evening came at the close of a perfect summer’s day and saw excellent performances from 10 teams and over 100 local players, ranging from Yeovil Netball Club, to teams raised by the Brownies and the Guides. Our girls, playing inspiringly, came 1st and 2nd in the U11 and U13 respectively.

A Record Breaking Swimming Gala The Inter House Swimming Gala was held at the end of the summer term. The hotly contested event saw no less than 27 School, Year Group and Team records smashed!

The overall House results were as follows: 1st Fisher, 2nd Campion, 3rd Mayne and 4th More.

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Pupil Completes London Marathon Many congratulations to Daisy L (Year 13 201516) who completed the London Marathon with her Father Justin in just over 5 hours. Together they raised over ÂŁ4,500 in aid of the Spinal Injuries Association. Daisy was one of the youngest participants in the race having just turned 18 two weeks before the event.

INTERNATIONAL

GIRLS IMPRESS AT INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETITION

International Day Leweston held its first International Day in 2016, with colourful costumes galore! The day culminated in a mini ‘street festival’ in the hall for all pupils, with stalls promoting activities and food from many different countries. Stalls ranged from a Mexican piñata, to a competition to name all of the states of the USA. There were traditional English scones, as well as a huge range of Chinese snacks and sweets.

Particularly popular was the Sixth Form Chinese girls’ calligraphy stall where they offered to translate names into Chinese characters using traditional calligraphy brushes, ink and paper.

Two students and their supporters went to the Park School to compete in the final of the 2016 International Public Speaking competition. Pupils Paola R-A and Valerie L were part of a programme of 12 speakers from various other local schools. All the talks were impressive; some educational, some funny and some thought-provoking. Paola inspired everyone with her positive message to treat each day with a smile and be the best person you can be, while Valerie took us on an entertaining tour of how YouTube can enrich your life. This was the final part of a process that has seen all Leweston international girls in Years 9, 10 and 12 prepare and deliver a speech to an audience of teachers and peers.

Head of EAL, Jo Taylor, commented:

“I was particularly struck with how students endeavoured to communicate something meaningful about themselves. They showed tenacity, a willingness to challenge themselves and overall a desire, not to beat others, but to achieve their best.”

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“The event was a huge success, with wonderful food, a great family and community atmosphere and lots of fun. An evening to remember and one of my favourite events of the year!”

Mrs Larkin Home Economics

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Trips • DAY TRIP TO THE FESTIVAL OF EDUCATION AT WELLINGTON COLLEGE FOR YEAR 10

To make the theatre look festive for the occasion, Mr Bush and his team made and hung beautiful decorations. The pupils who attend Sugar Craft Club made and decorated a monkey cake, as well as birthday cakes for Father Robert and Mr Whitehead. A fun video was shown and games were played during the evening to keep the party lively.

• A LEVEL GEOGRAPHY TRIP TO ICELAND

Our annual Chinese New Year party to celebrate the start of the Year of the Monkey was held at the end of February. The monkey is the 9th of the 12 Chinese animals in the recurring 12-year Chinese zodiac cycle.

Year 12 pupils Natalie T, Eunice C and Valerie L planned the whole event, with entertainment organised by Sharona N and Claudia Y. The menu was planned, tried and tasted at length, before being cooked on the day by the older Chinese girls for 103 guests.

• LATIN LECTURE DAY AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM FOR SIXTH FORMER

Chinese New Year

• GCSE GEOGRAPHY FIELD TRIP TO DORCHESTER AND POUNDBURY

• SIXTH FORMERS VISIT AUSCHWITZ WITH THE CHARITY “LESSONS FROM AUSCHWITZ”

• YEAR 10 AND 11 ELIZABETHAN HISTORY TRIP TO LONDON TO VISIT THE GLOBE THEATRE AND THE GOLDEN HIND

Visits

• PUPILS ENJOY END OF TERM VISIT TO MARWELL ZOO

• YEAR 10 GEOGRAPHY FIELD TRIP TO CORFE CASTLE

• YEAR 9 LATINISTS LEARN THE ART OF GLASS MAKING AT STUART WILTSHIRE GLASS IN WEYMOUTH

• GRENADA TRIP FOR YEAR 10 AND YEAR 11 SPANISH STUDENTS • YEAR 13 GEOGRAPHY FIELD TRIP TO STUDLAND • YEAR 7 GEOGRAPHY FIELD TRIP TO SHERBORNE

• YEAR 9 PARIS TRIP • YEAR 12 POLITICS TRIP TO LONDON • SIXTH FORMERS ATTEND CONFERENCE ON US POLITICS AT QUEEN ELIZABETH’S HOSPITAL, BRISTOL • GCSE DRAMA TRIP TO LONDON TO WATCH “THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT TIME” 33 • A LEVEL BIOLOGY FIELD TRIP TO STUDLAND BEACH

Extracurricular Life

Examination Success for Leiths Students Congratulations to our fifth group of girls who successfully completed all elements of their Leiths Academy of Food and Wine course. The course is run as an extracurricular subject, over the first 5 terms of the Sixth Form. The girls put in an incredible amount of work to achieve both practical and theory restaurant standard cookery skills, in addition to learning how to match wine with food and plan menus for dinner parties, family weekends, ski chalet suppers, buffet and canapé parties.

As the perfect ending to the course, the girls cooked a sensational buffet to showcase their skills for friends and family. In a charged atmosphere, the eight girls prepared a hot and cold buffet of breads, salads, some very skilled main dishes and four desserts, all chosen from their Leiths syllabus and menu planning exercise. With perfect timing, the food was ready to serve on the table when their guests arrived.

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Guests commented:

“The variety and quality of food was remarkable and the girls’ professionalism from hosting to clearing, was really wonderful to see”.

Mrs Larkin, who runs the Leiths course at Leweston, commented:

“Thank you girls for the last two years, you are wonderful and have achieved so much, very well done.”

Most of the guests left clutching 'doggy bags' - a sign of wonderful food!

This year all girls passed the course, with Lily G, Ella M and Isabel B achieving distinctions, and Ni’ima S a merit award. Lily gained the highest marks overall and was awarded the Leiths book prize.

Record Numbers Take Part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award In 2016 Leweston had a total of 36 girls participating in the DofE Award with great success all round. Here’s how they got on ...

Bronze 17 girls took part in 3 teams. Their final expedition was held on Cranborne Chase and all girls passed.

Silver 14 girls were split into 2 teams. Their final expedition took place in New Forest and once again they all passed.

Gold 1 team consisting of 4 girls undertook their Gold Award in 2016. Despite logistical challenges with the expedition on Dartmoor taking place during the summer holidays, the expedition was a success with all girls passing.

2017 is set to be an exciting year for DofE at Leweston with a new Kayak Gold expedition planned!

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Junior Department JUNIOR DEPARTMENT CONCERTS At the end of each term, the Junior Department stages a concert to showcase the hard work they have put in during their Music and Performing Arts lessons. The Junior Department Choir performs as do pupils from each class, many of whom perform as soloists or as part of an ensemble, demonstrating their prowess on a number of different instruments, as vocalists and as dramatic performers. Each term we are astounded by the wealth of talent on show and always look forward to what the coming term will bring. Here are some visual highlights from this year’s concerts‌

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A Wonderful Carol Service

The Junior Department held a wonderful Carol Service in the School Chapel on Thursday 8th December. The children sang beautifully, from the youngest in Nursery and Transition (who reprised a few numbers from

their spectacular “Noisy Nativity”), to the oldest in Year 6.

They also gave a number of superbly delivered readings. It was a fabulous event and the perfect way to end a busy and successful term at Leweston.

OUR YOUNGEST CHOIR SPREAD CHRISTMAS CHEER IN SHERBORNE

Transition, Reception and Year 1 enthralled crowds outside Waitrose in Sherborne with a reprisal of their songs from their recent “Noisy Nativity”. Their efforts were rewarded with a delicious cupcake and a drink and Waitrose provided every child with a special activity pack to take home.

Pupil Wins Sherborne Festive Shopping Day Children’s Competition Congratulations to Amy F (Year 6), who won first prize in the Sherborne Festive Shopping Day Children’s competition, which challenged entrants to create a reindeer model. Amy received her prize from the Mayor at the ceremony to mark the switching on of the Christmas Lights. Her winning entry was then displayed in the window of Oliver’s café.

Congratulations also go to Cecily F (Year 3) and Darcy D (Year 6) for their highly commended reindeer models.

The Waitrose staff members were particularly impressed by the children, as evidenced by the following remark overheard by one of our parents: “They were just lovely. So cute, and do you know what? Every single child said thank you to me when I held open the door for them. Such lovely manners.”

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Youth Makes Music

The Junior Department ended the first half of Sherborne Rotary Club’s Youth Makes Music concert in the Digby Hall, Sherborne, with an uplifting medley of songs from “Mary Poppins”. Pupils from years 5 and 6 joined performers from other Sherborne schools for the event, which was held to raise funds for local charities.

Mrs Bridgeman-Sutton, Head of the Junior Department commented: “They particularly uplifted the spirits with their rendition of ‘Let’s Go Fly a Kite’ which was the last piece in their Mary Poppins medley and there were roars of approval from the whole audience”.

A Fascinating Science Demonstration and Lecture

Pupils from years 4-8 participated in an enjoyable and exciting Science Demonstration and Lecture hosted by Dr Chris Hamon at Sherborne School. The Junior Department are pictured with Professor Tim Harrison and Dr Alison Rivett from Bristol University Chemistry Department who invited the girls to take part in some dramatic experiments!

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Crazy Creatures Junior Department pupils came face to face with some exotic visitors when we welcomed Crazy Creatures to the school. Among the visitors was an African land snail, a cockroach, a millipede, a leopard tortoise, a snake and a spotted gecko.

Three of the most popular creatures were a very friendly bearded dragon called Tristan, a royal python called Galaxy and Frodo the owl. A tarantula and a scorpion were also brought along but they remained in their containers while pupils observed them. All the children had a very exciting time and loved seeing and handling so many unusual creatures. They asked lots of questions and were increasingly brave when handling creatures that they were initially nervous about.

Pool Party and Film Night The Hungry Caterpillar Pupils in the Reception Class gave an engaging class assembly where they wowed the audience with their re-telling of the story of “The Hungry Caterpillar”. Their performance featured gymnastics and musical accompaniment. Well done to all involved who performed with confidence and enthusiasm.

One proud parent commented...

“It was spectacular and each child shone in their own right.

Being up able to stand up in front of all those people and speak clearly with a big smile on their face is a skill money can’t buy.”

Junior Department pupils had fun at a special Pool Party and Film Night organised by the Friends Committee. Whilst the younger

pupils enjoyed watching a film followed by pizza, older children made the most of having the pool to themselves.

Junior Pupils Learn Essential Bike Skills Junior Department pupils gained skills and confidence when they undertook their Bikeability Cycling Proficiency Training Level 2. Bikeability is the only government-recognised cycle training scheme, underpinned by national standards and Leweston was fortunate to be able to run two courses on site, both funded and run by Dorset County Council Safety Team.

Year 6 Enjoy Enthralling Study Trip The Year 6 class participated in a local history field trip to Trent Manor. The house has documented royal links, chiefly as a refuge for King Charles II, who hid there for at least 17 days during his escape journey to France, following defeat to Cromwell’s troops at the Battle of Worcester in 1651. It also happens to be owned by a Leweston parent, Mr Hohler, father of Ondine (now in Year 7).

Alice A (Year 6, 2015-16) commented: “My favourite part of the trip was when I leant against the wall and found the priest hole. When Mr Hohler lifted up the floor boards to show us where Charles II hid, I was astonished that a King of England had actually been there.”

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Pupils Explore the Sherborne Town Trail Mixed weather did not dampen the Year 5 pupils’ spirits as they enjoyed an enriching geographical tour of our local town. With a focus on changing land use in Sherborne, both historical and more recent, buildings were explored in greater detail than the children would have previously imagined possible!

They discovered how local residential properties on Long Street had originally been used as shop premises; visited Charterhouse auctioneers, Abbey Pharmacy and Macintosh Antiques to discover the past uses of the buildings and were invited into St John the Baptist & St John the Evangelist Alms House to find out more about its colourful history from one of its current residents. The pupils all enjoyed the opportunity to interview members of the public about their shopping habits outside the Sherborne Waitrose supermarket, becoming more confident as the interviewing process continued. Finally, everyone enjoyed lunch (and hot chocolate) at the top of the Bakery Café which served to warm us up after this year’s unusually chilly, yet enjoyable Sherborne Town Trail.

Fun and Games at the Junior Department Summer Fayre

Hosted by the Friends of Leweston, the 2016 Fayre was as popular as ever.

Despite the slightly gloomy weather, the children had a wonderful time with an array of traditional stalls, including face painting, tombola, lucky dip, cakes, ice creams and much more. The highlight of the event was the much anticipated Dog Show with a large attendance of very obliging canine members of the family (real and toy!).

Junior Department Inspired by Guest Speakers The Junior Department was lucky to be visited by two very inspirational speakers: Rachel Goodfellow and Olivia Tuffin. First up was Rachel, who initially came in to tell the pupils about her plan to run 26 marathons over 26 days to raise money for the Hidden Needs Trust (for local opportunity groups and special needs children). A short while later, Rachel returned to Leweston to begin a leg of her marathon, where she received a spirited send off by the pupils after they had presented her with a cheque for the money raised by the school in support of her amazing campaign. The second visit was made by Dorset author Olivia, who delighted and inspired the children with her tales of “The Palomino Pony.”

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Brenscombe Trip for Years 5 and 6 Years 5 and 6 enjoyed an action packed two day stay at Brenscombe Outdoor Centre near Corfe Castle. The pupils participated enthusiastically in activities ranging from team building and problem solving, to canoeing, high ropes, raft building, abseiling and much more.

All the activities enriched the Science and Geography curriculum and encouraged the girls to develop their leadership and investigative skills. The trip was thoroughly enjoyed by all and much fun was had in glorious weather.

RYA Certificates Awarded for Years 5 and 6 Children from Year 5 and Year 6 participated in two days of exciting and challenging sailing activities at the Rockley Sailing Centre, based at Poole Park. The children were all working at different RYA stages, based on their previous experiences of sailing. They all managed to achieve their relevant RYA certificates, ranging from Stage 1 to Stage 3. In doing so the pupils had to demonstrate their competences across a range of practical and theoretical sailing challenges. The activities included rigging/derigging their boats, sailing around a shallow triangle and knot tying to picking up a mooring and attempting dry capsizes of their single or double handed dinghies.

A Beautiful Harvest Mass at the Junior Department The Junior Department celebrated a beautiful Harvest Mass led

by Father Robert, with a particular highlight being the wonderful centrepiece: the Harvest Loaf created by the Cookery Club. All of the items that were so kindly donated by our families and staff were very gratefully received by the Sherborne Food Bank.

Year 6 Enjoy Coasteering!

Year 6 pupils undertook a new and exciting challenge at Lulworth Cove: Coasteering. To complement their autumn term Geography unit on ‘Rocks and Landforms’, the children managed to get ‘up close and personal’ with the exact Portland limestone formations that they had previously studied.

This involved donning wetsuits, buoyancy aids and helmets then swimming out into the sea at Lulworth to explore the amazing caves, blowholes, stacks, stumps and arches around the Stairhole. In doing so, the girls had to overcome their fears and jump from rocky ledges of increasing heights. All the pupils managed this feat, (beating some of their teachers in the process!).

Everyone completed the morning’s challenges, before enjoying a fantastic powerboat ride along the coastline from Lulworth Cove to Durdle Door.

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“PETER PAN” WOWS AUDIENCE The Junior Department excelled, once again, with their powerful performance of “Peter Pan”.

Playing to a full house over two afternoons and two nights, the talented cast dazzled all in attendance with their professional and polished performances, bringing the show to bright and vibrant life in the school theatre.

Leweston was delighted to welcome pupils and staff from St Andrew’s Primary School, Yetminster, to the Wednesday performance and was honoured to receive wonderful feedback.

It was a truly spectacular show; congratulations to all involved!

Junior Department End of Term Beach Trip The Friends Committee organised a wonderful family day for the Junior Department to Knoll Beach, Studland. The trip was a reward for all the pupils’ hard work throughout the year and gave them a chance to develop their leadership and team building skills.

There were activities including a science treasure hunt and art sand sculptures, as well as a lot of paddling, swimming and running around. The visitors to the beach, 42

particularly those close by, said that the Leweston children were a credit to the school. It was a joy to watch the children enjoying themselves whilst at the same time being thoughtful, polite and considerate to each other and to the public at large and it was wonderful to see the older children looking after the younger ones throughout the day.

Friends’ Welcome Back Barbecue Thank you to the Friends Committee and their helpers for organising a wonderful Welcome Back Barbecue for the pupils and their families. It was a hugely happy event with a buzzing atmosphere. It provided the perfect opportunity for our new families to meet the Leweston team and for the children to really get to know each other.

A highlight for the children was the massively popular inflatable assault course and a bouncy castle disco dome.

With delicious burgers and even Pimms for the adults, it was the perfect way to start another exciting year at Leweston.

Pond Dipping at Gore Farm Years 2 and 3 enjoyed a wonderful trip to Gore Farm, an educational centre and working farm in Trent, near Sherborne, that teaches visitors about farming and land management, covering such areas as: machinery, stockmanship, habitat, feed, silage, incubation and rearing. The highlight of this particular trip was the pond dipping exercise, where the children learnt about the aquatic habitat and the creatures living there.

Brass Taster Morning for Junior Department Pupils The children in the Junior Department were delighted to meet Mr Andy Fawbert and his family of brass instruments with their array of shapes, sizes and sounds. They were enthralled by Mr Fawbert’s playing and were eager to try the instruments out for themselves. Quite a few budding brass players were discovered during the course of the morning and some of them have already signed up for lessons!

A Woodland Afternoon

The children in Transition, Reception and Year 1 enjoyed a Gruffalo activity afternoon in the Enchanted Wood. They worked in teams to track down the Gruffalo numbers hidden around the wood, collecting bags of autumn treasures for hedgehog making and they listened to the story of “The Gruffalo” too. As always, the older children did a wonderful job of caring for their young counterparts.

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Fun on the Farm Reception and Year 1 enjoyed a class trip to Gore Farm. The weather was lovely and they spent the morning exploring the woodland and fields. They went foraging for brightly coloured objects in the woods and created their own scrap pages; they travelled around in Purdy the trailer; and they ventured into the maze field and picked their own cobs to use in their art lesson. They then finished their morning by planting Oil Seed Rape to grow in the classroom back at school.

Grandparents’ Celebration Morning Leweston celebrated another fabulous Grandparents’ Morning at the Junior Department. It was lovely to welcome the grandparents to the school, to spend the morning experiencing life at Leweston first-hand. The grandparents were invited to join their grandchildren in their lessons and to listen to prayers written by the children in the Chapel. They were then treated to a delicious lunch.

Safety First

Year 6 spent a day contemplating safety at Safewise in Bournemouth. During the day the children thought through how to keep themselves safe in a wide variety of scenarios including in a bedroom, a kitchen, on the road and at the beach. They even practised

vacating a building by crawling out beneath the ‘smoke’ and then making a 999 call to get the fire brigade. As for cycling without a helmet, a dramatic test with an egg showed how fragile our skulls can be when not protected. A thought-provoking and fun day was had by all.

Year 4 and 5 Explore the Natural World in Nether Cerne Year 4 and 5 spent a lovely day out in the village of Nether Cerne where they visited Mr and Mrs Gallia’s farm. The pupils looked at present day maps and old maps of the same area and learnt about the water cycle and crop growth. Thank you to the Gallia’s for hosting such a great trip.

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Year 6 Explore Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door Year 6 pupils enjoyed a wonderful day exploring the coastal rock formations at Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door.

The Lulworth Education Rangers shared fascinating information into the geology, natural and human history of the area. The pupils also undertook field sketches of the Stair Hole and Lulworth Cove, identifying the natural rock features of each locality.

Sir Charlie Stinky Socks

YEAR 6 TAKE PART IN CPR TRAINING

Reception and Year 1 enjoyed an interactive talk at Sherborne School for Girls given by author, illustrator and Old Antonian Kristina Stephenson about her character Sir Charlie Stinky Socks. She gave a brilliant reading of her latest book, “The Mummy’s Gold”, which included actions and responses from all the audience. The children were completely enthralled.

Ms Parnell made a special visit to the Junior Department to train Year 6 in CPR and the use of the defibrillator. It was an extremely interesting session and all the children were completely engaged.

They all received a certificate and a wristband for attending the training.

LAMDA

2016 was another brilliant year for the Performing Arts at the Junior Department, with pupils excelling in their LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts) examinations once again. We are thrilled to report that they all passed with either a distinction or a merit!

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World Book Day Brings Literature to Life World Book Day was celebrated in good spirit at the Junior Department, with Mrs BridgemanSutton leading the way as Paddington complete with her jar of marmalade! Pupils throughout the school paid ÂŁ1 to dress up as their favourite literary characters and the resulting costumes were diverse, imaginative and entertaining.

Nursery and Junior Department pupils also had the opportunity to choose from a wide range of nearly new books at a book sale at break time. All proceeds raised by the event were donated to Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Speech Day At the end of the summer term, the Junior Department held their Speech Day to mark the culmination of a fantastic school year.

The packed schedule for the day incorporated a Mass of Thanksgiving, addresses by Mrs Reynolds, Mrs BridgemanSutton and our guest speaker, departing Chair of Governors Mrs Mary Head, as well as performances by the children and the muchanticipated presentation of prizes.

Leweston Juniors Qualify for ESSA National Finals Lily A, Alice A, Holly J and Jessica S from Year 6 (2015-16) travelled to Millfield to compete in the regional round of the ESSA Primary Schools Swimming Relays competition. The girls performed brilliantly to finish second in both the Freestyle and Medley relays which means they then qualified to compete in the National Finals in Sheffield.

This was the second year running that a team from Leweston qualified for the finals of this event. Huge congratulations to the four girls involved!

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Sport

Team Qualify for Dorset Swimming Gala Five pupils travelled to Clayesmore for the North Dorset Swimming Gala. Eleven schools took part and the Leweston pupils performed brilliantly in all of their races. Molly C finished 2nd in both the 25m Freestyle and 25m Breaststroke; Esme F was 2nd in the 25m Backstroke and Loki M was 2nd in both the 25m Freestyle and 25m

Backstroke. The girls’ 4 x 25m freestyle relay team also came second and then won the final race of the morning, the 4 x 25m mixed stroke relay! Congratulations to the team of Molly C, Esme F, Luisa C and Maria K who then qualified to represent North Dorset at the All Dorset Gala.

Medal Winners at Junior Wessex Athletics Championships Nine pupils from years 3-5 travelled down to the New Forest to take part in the Junior Wessex Athletics Championships. All of the children proudly wore their Leweston vests and put in fantastic performances against competitors from 25 other schools. Two girls had their efforts rewarded with trophies – Molly C who came 2nd in the U10 800m and Darcy D who came 1st in the U11 800m in a time of 2.41, breaking the 19-year-old course record by over 4 seconds! Well done to Darcy and Molly and their teammates Ginny B, Flora S-B, Isabel W, Esme F, Luisa C, Loki M and Jessica W. 47

Netball Festival for Local Schools

Pupils ‘Give it a Go’ at Athletics Festival with Sherborne Prep Leweston hosted an athletics festival for years 5-8 with Sherborne Prep to allow the pupils the opportunity to take part in a competitive match against another school. The children took part in a minimum of two individual events and a relay.

They were able to compete in as many as four individual events and chose which events they wanted to participate in. We hope everyone enjoyed the experience, recorded some personal bests and feels excited to involve themselves in more athletics competitions in the future.

Pupils in Years 1 and 2 have also enjoyed some friendly sporting events with Sherborne Prep this year, participating in their own mini athletics meet and swimming gala.

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Junior Department netball players immersed themselves in a brilliantly organised U10 and U11 Netball Festival. We hosted players from Sherborne Abbey, Sherborne Primary, Bradford Abbas and Trent Young’s Endowed and invited the girls into specialist coaching sessions before the afternoon culminated in matches and a delicious tea. There were awards all-round and a real sense of camaraderie and achievement.

Sports Day The Junior Department were blessed with warm, dry conditions for their Sports Day. All pupils from Reception to Year 6 took part in a wide range of track and field events from hurdles to high jump and sprinting to speed bounce!

There were a variety of delighted medal winners in all age groups and numerous Sports Day records were broken. The most impressive performance of the afternoon was

by Darcy D who broke last year’s Year 6 record for the 800m in a time of 2.46!

South & West Dorset Biathlon Success

Six girls from the Junior Department took part in the South & West Dorset Biathlon at the Osprey Leisure Centre on Portland with outstanding results for all competitors. Lauren D (Under 8), Evanna B (Under 9), Molly C (Under 10), Ginny B (Under 11) and Holly J (Under 12) all came 1st for their age groups, with Ellen D also coming 4th in the Under 12.

Congratulations to all the girls! For more incredible results from our multisport stars, please see the Senior Sports News on page 25.

Medals Galore for Runners at Sandroyd

Congratulations to the Leweston U11A and U11B teams on their success at the Sandroyd Cross Country Competition.

The U11 A team took 1st place with the U11 B team coming in a respectable 6th place. A special mention must go to Lily A who came second individually and to Alice A who came third.

IAPS CrossCountry at Malvern College Six girls from the Junior Department travelled up to Malvern College to compete in the IAPS Cross Country competition. All the Leweston girls competed in the U11 race which had 258 runners. The team of Alice A, Holly J, Ginny B, Victoria P, Flora S-B and Isabella L finished a very credible 18th out of 47 teams. A special mention must go to Alice A who finished 30th!

Team Competes at IAPS Swimming Finals Eight girls from the Junior Department travelled to Crawley for the IAPS National Swimming Finals 2016 after putting in a winning performance in the qualifying round. The team competed in the 8 x 25m Small Schools Relay and finished 4th, knocking an incredible 11 seconds off their qualifying time! Congratulations to all the girls who were an absolute credit to the school.

Junior Swimmers Triumph at North Dorset Swimming Gala 8 pupils saw success at the North Dorset Swimming Gala for years 5 and 6. The Year 5 (2015-16) relay team of Ginny B, Ellen D, Flora P and Flora S-B won both the medley and the freestyle relays. The Year 6

(2015-16) relay team of Lily A, Alice A, Holly J and Jessica S won both the medley and the freestyle relays.

Individually, Lily won the 50m Breaststroke and 50m Freestyle and Holly won the 25m Butterfly.

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Nursery & Transition Class News

Sports Day The fun filled morning saw the children competing in a variety of track and field events including an obstacle race, a sprint, bean bag throwing and a distance run. The children were then all awarded a special medal for their efforts. The morning was thoroughly enjoyed by the children and spectators alike, with big smiles all round.

Revamped Parent and Toddler Group Led by our new Head of EYFS, Miss Alanda Phillips, the weekly Parent and Toddler Group has had a revamp and now runs from 10.00am to 11.30am every Thursday in term-time. The group will not run in the holidays (excluding additional Christmas sessions). We will be welcoming you all into one central area, where there will be a weekly theme and a range of activities available for all age groups, including art and craft, role play, messy play, cookery and more. Music time with Amanda will run from 10.30am – 10.50am, with fruit provided for the children at 11.00am, before we return to our activities.

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Fun Nursery 'Spring Along' Activity Morning The sun was shining for Leweston’s Nursery ‘Spring Along’ Activity morning. 18 children and their parents came along for some Easter themed fun. A creative Easter crafts session was spent making colourful Easter bonnets, crowns, baskets and daffodil windmills before singing along at the top of their excited voices to Toddler Tunes with Amanda Slogrove. The grand event of an Easter Egg Hunt in the Nursery play area and gardens was followed by hot cross buns and refreshments.

The Gruffalo Nursery Activity Morning Our first Nursery Activity morning of the autumn term was held on Thursday 13th October. It was wonderful to welcome so many parents and toddlers to this special “Gruffalo” themed morning which featured heaps of exciting and engaging activities in our Enchanted Wood.

Highlights were: Hide and Seek the Gruffalo, autumn arts and crafts, magical music, woodland play and story time.

A Noisy Nativity!

A Busy Autumn Term for Transition Class

On Wednesday 30th November, pupils from the Nursery and Junior Department wowed us all with their stunning performance of “A Noisy Nativity!” We would like to congratulate all of the children for captivating us throughout and for putting on a fabulous show!

JINGLE ALL THE WAY!

The Christmas Jingle Nursery Activity Morning took place on Thursday 1st December. The Nursery was filled to bursting with babies and toddlers and their mums, dads, grandparents and childminders all enjoying the fabulously festive activities on offer. The arts and crafts proved immensely popular, as did the opportunity to visit Father Christmas and Mrs Claus

Transition Class enjoyed a busy autumn term both in and out of the classroom. They spent a lot of time expanding their learning out of doors by exploring the Enchanted Wood and the 46 acres of beautiful parkland in which Leweston resides. They went on some magnificent trips (including a fabulously festive outing to Castle Gardens), welcomed some wonderful visitors (such as Harold the Giraffe and the Life Education Bus, “Fergus the Tractor” author Steven Burnside and even Santa and Mrs Claus) and even made friends with some new class pets, namely Frank and Norman, two Giant African Land Snails. They even made time to star in the spectacular “Noisy Nativity” and to sing for Christmas shoppers in Sherborne, alongside Reception and Year 1.

in their grotto. A particular highlight was the singing session, where everyone joined in with the well-known Christmas Jingles! Thank you to the group of Sixth Formers who came down to help and to everyone that came along and made it such a success. It was a wonderful morning full of festive fun and seasonal cheer!

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Boarding Life There’s never a dull moment when you’re a boarder at Leweston.

Here’s a snapshot of life in and out of the boarding houses...

Circus skills

Chilling out!

Years 5-9 disco

Dog agility!

Countryside walks

Performing "Seussical the Musical"

White Roses supper for Year 11 boarders Summer fun!

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Longleat trip

Team building Pizza making

Chococo in Swanage

Year 7 Boarding Taster

Year 4 Boarding Taster

Trip to Bath

Ice breaker games Quad World

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Spirituality, Community & Charity

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Leweston Celebrates 125 Years of the Religious of Christian Instruction In May we were delighted to celebrate 125 years of the Religious of Christian Instruction in Sherborne. It was an action packed time, with intricate cake making, retreats, a specialist Mass, tree planting and a mammoth concert on the eve of half term.

Leweston was incredibly honoured to be able to celebrate its legacy in such a way. 125 years ago the first Sisters travelled from Belgium to set up our school in Sherborne. Throughout the years our relationship with the Parish has remained strong and it was truly a delight to welcome back Old Antonians, former staff and parents, parish members and VIPs, alongside our current staff, pupils and parents to celebrate the founding.

Mrs Lu Worrall, our Lay Chaplain, worked hard to pull together both appropriate celebrations and also periods of reflection with a specialist Mass and retreats. The eve of half term was dedicated to celebrating. We were delighted that five of the Sisters remaining in Sherborne could join us

Leweston Remembers the Holocaust On Thursday 28th January 2016 Leweston joined in with others all over the world in remembering the 6 million men, women and children who, between 1939 and 1945 were systematically murdered by the German Nazi party. They were murdered simply because they were Jews. for the occasion and we hope that they enjoyed the commemorative books that we gave them as a gift containing memories from OAs and staff of their time at Leweston.

The standard of musical talent in the special concert to mark the occasion was simply staggering and included an endearing rendition of “Sing a Rainbow” by Reception, years 1 and 2, the stunning vocals of Jessamy B and Jessica V singing “Beauty and the Beast”, accomplished performances across a multitude of instruments from Evie D and Natasha P and the foot tapping jazz band. It was quite simply a wonderful afternoon of entertainment.

World Porridge Day Challenge On Monday 10th October, the Junior Department and all our boarders took part in the World Porridge Day Challenge to raise money for Mary’s Meals. Mary’s Meals provides daily meals to more than 1.1 million of the world’s poorest children every day they attend school. In Malawi, where they have their largest school feeding programme, the children receive a nutritious mug of maize porridge (likuni phala) every school day. World Porridge Day celebrates the huge difference this daily mug of porridge makes to the lives of chronically hungry children.

They came from Germany itself, Poland, Holland, France, Greece and many other lands. A display was created in front of St Anthony’s Chapel and pupils and staff were invited in to think, pray or light a candle. The candles were gradually lit throughout the day until all were burning brightly as a reminder that Christ’s presence brings peace and light into every darkness.

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Junior Pupils Celebrate Ash Wednesday EPIPHANY was celebrated at Leweston with pupils learning about the traditions of different countries. In Home Economics, the pupils baked delicious French ‘Galette des Rois’ following the

tradition of discovering the ‘fève’ and becoming King and Queen for the day. They also created crowns in their French and Spanish lessons to represent the Three Kings.

Pupils in the Junior Department celebrated Ash Wednesday with a Mass led by Father Peter and the pupils in Year 5. It was a beautiful service during which the ashes were created by burning last year’s palms.

Year 8 Enjoy Pilgrimage to Lyme

Girls Cycle for Nepalese Sister School Congratulations to the four Upper Sixth (2015-16) girls, Freya L, Amy B, Daisy L and Natty P, who successfully completed a 24 hour cycle ride in the school’s Reception to raise money for Leweston’s sister school, Jana Jyoti, in Nepal.

The money raised by their marathon cycle ride has funded vital equipment for pupils at the 56

school, after it was so badly impacted by last year’s earthquake. The girls raised over £500 for the cause ahead of their summer trip to Nepal, which saw them working at Jana Jyoti, as well as visiting the retired Ghurkhas in remote villages for the Ghurkha Welfare Trust.

On 20th April, Year 8 left Leweston for their annual pilgrimage after a blessing given by Father Peter in Mass. After parking in Uplyme we made the riverside walk into Lyme guided by a picture pilgrimage map which helped us to stop along the way and reflect on matters of faith, the way we might want to live our lives and the stumbling blocks along the way.

The weather was perfect for paddling and fun in the sea and after lunch and ice-creams on the beach we made our way back to Uplyme for the short trip back to Leweston.

In aid of Sport Relief 2016, girls in the Senior School let their creative ideas flow by dressing up in sports themed mufti clothes, whilst members of the Junior Department wore PE kit all day and took part in a challenging obstacle course in the Sports Hall.

Great fun was had in the Sport Relief Mile, run around the beautiful school grounds and more money was raised by selling novelty Sport Relief pens from the Tuck Shop, while Year 7 were busy participating in a French Dance.

The fun culminated in a hotly contested Netball match of staff versus students! The school raised over £600 for this worthwhile and enjoyable event!

home clothes days at school and other charitable endeavours in the Sherborne area and by the end of the campaign, they had managed to raise over £2,000.

The challenge, set over three days, involved travelling over 1,300 miles and trekking for approximately 22 hours in total, over incredibly difficult terrain.

Accompanying the group were three teachers, two of whom are experienced mountaineers. The team members from Leweston were Flora F, Hannah S, Alana G, Selena L and Mathematics teacher Miss Cozens.

THE THREE PEAKS CHALLENGE

Sport Relief 2016

In June four Leweston Sixth Formers joined four pupils from Sherborne Boys to complete the National Three Peaks Challenge.

The intrepid group took the harder, more challenging and rigorous routes up the highest Mountains in England, Scotland and Wales (Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Mt Snowdon). All of their efforts were in support of World Vision, a Christian charity which provides aid to disadvantaged children, such as abuse victims in the UK, malnourished families in Africa and Syrian refugees. The group began their fundraising in 2015 with cake sales, a concert,

Injured Jockey Fund Charity Day The Junior Department had a wonderfully fun day dressing up as either a horse or a jockey to raise funds for the Injured Jockey Fund. Staff and pupils excelled themselves with inventive costumes and the day finished with a House Steeplechase in the Sports Hall, organised by Mrs Smith and Mrs Bowditch (no doubt inspired by the Grand National which took place the weekend before)! As his chosen charity, the event was held in memory of Junior Department Secretary Louise Gillett’s father, who passed away just before Christmas 2015.

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Excelling at Fundraising The Junior Department was delighted to support local charity School in a Bag. Year 6 (2015-16) Charity Captains Holly J and Polly H, were instrumental in initiating many successful fundraising events, including popular weekly draws, across two terms to raise over £1,100 which enabled the school to fill 73 bags which were then handed over to the Charity’s School Liaison Officer, Lis Foy. School in a Bag was founded in 2009 as an initiative run by the Somerset based charity The Piers Simon Appeal, created to specifically help vulnerable children across the world. To date the charity has reached children in 32 different countries, most recently in Syria. Each bag was filled with stationery, notebooks, a drink bottle and lunch box.

Pupils enjoyed being involved in filling the bags whilst learning how different life would be for a child without these simple learning tools and resources. Via the charity, they will be able to trace the individually numbered bags to see where in the world they have gone and hopefully forge links with their donor school.

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Community Service Afternoon Tea Parties Each fortnight girls from Year 12 visit residents in Longburton and Sherborne in a timetabled session. At the end of each term, we then host a seasonal afternoon tea, to which all participants are invited. Highlights often include bingo, scrabble, performances from our choirs and lots of edible delights!

In 2016 we hosted two such parties: the Spring Tea Party and the Christmas Tea Party. The Spring Tea Party saw conversation and laughter, as well as daffodils and mini egg nests, enjoyed in abundance! In December, Leweston’s Year 12 Community Service Team hosted a festive tea party for some of the elderly residents they have been visiting during the autumn term.

Under the careful guidance of Neve D, tables were laid and bedecked with foliage from the grounds, cakes baked and fairy lights were borrowed from the Sixth Form Centre. The addition of carols from our Cantemus Choir created the perfect festive atmosphere and everyone had a really wonderful time. Our guests left happy and full of cake – with a special gift given to them from Mrs Larkin in the Home Economics Department, their own individual Christmas cake decorated by our Sugar Craft Club.

Year 10 Pilgrimage 2016: Leweston - Lillington - Sherborne In the spring term, Year 10 left Leweston on foot after a blessing given by Father Robert in Mass for their Pilgrimage. The pilgrimage saw the girls walking from Leweston to Lillington and then on to Sherborne. The theme chosen for this year’s pilgrimage, bearing in mind Pope Francis’s exhortation in this Year of Mercy, was about pilgrimage being an important part of the journey of faith.

Following the path down to Lillington we made our way steadily into Sherborne across beautiful countryside guided by a picture pilgrimage map which helped us to stop along the way and reflect on matters of faith, the way we want to live our lives and the obstacles faced along the way.

spoke to us about his own pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, inspiring us with his experiences and reminding us especially, that “God goes at our pace”. Dr Milestone joined us and taught us “Adoramus Te, O Christe”, a Taize chant which we sang whilst the Gospel was read.

A time of quiet meditation followed, allowing us to think and pray about the challenges we face if we are to stay close to Jesus.

After arriving for lunch at the Parish Church, Father Robert

May Devotions On Monday 16th May, blessed with a beautiful sunny day, Leweston School celebrated their May Devotions to Our Lady in the Belvedere.

With the stunning backdrop of the Blackmore Vale, the whole school sang Marian Hymns, said prayers to Mary and listened to Father Jean-Patrice, who spoke to us about the importance of Mary in our lives and how she inspired the lives of the Religious of Christian Instruction who started our school 125 Years ago.

Christingle Service in Trinity Chapel

Boarders from all Houses joined in with a special candle light Christingle Service in Trinity Chapel. We thought about our own expectations for Christmas and what we are really waiting for during Advent. Mrs Worrall then explained the significance of the different parts of the Christingle - which means “Christ’s Light”.

Journeys: The Year 11 Pilgrimage 2016 Year 11 had their annual pilgrimage which focused on the theme of “Journeys”. Rev Richard Wyld from Sherborne Abbey Team Ministry sent us off from St James’s Church in Longburton where we walked towards Folke, stopping for lunch near Thornford before heading back. Our day ended with a short service led by Rev Wyld in which Year 11 built a small stone Cairn of prayers at the bottom of the Altar in Trinity Chapel.

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Pupils Raise Funds for Children in Need Night Cap Year 13 girls regularly attend Night Cap - the Chaplaincy’s weekly slot for ‘chewing over the meaning of life’. Girls are invited to come along between 9.15 10.15pm every Tuesday for a time of interactive reflection.

Pupils enjoyed a special mufti day in aid of Children in Need…

Junior Department and Nursery pupils and staff had a particularly dotty day, as they all came to school dressed in their favourite spotty outfits. They also held a spotty cake sale for the cause, with lots of delicious treats

donated by parents and staff. At the Senior School, pupils and staff also embraced the day by donning their brightest outfits. All proceeds from this most vibrant of school days were donated to Children in Need to support the vital work that they do both in the UK and abroad.

The Great Festive Bake Off The Head of Home Economics, Mrs Larkin, together with her Sugar Craft Club and team of bakers were very busy supporting our Community Service programme at the end of the autumn term, by making dozens of beautiful cakes for local events. We were delighted that we could support the Sherborne Voluntary Ambulance, as well as the Catholic Church’s Advent Coffee Morning in this way. Mrs Larkin and her team then embarked on a “mince pie marathon”, preparing over 200 mince pies and more Christmas cakes for the Community Service Tea Party and Christmas Concert.

Year 7 Retreat In September, Year 7 travelled to St Rita’s Retreat Centre in Honiton for two days of fun, food and friendship! Hosted by the Father Gerald Wilberforce, an Augustinian Priest, everyone had a chance to think about their relationships with one another and their relationship with God. The highlight was definitely Father Gerald’s recreation of the Passover and Last Supper, where he taught everyone how to make unleavened bread.

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Christmas Jumper Day for Save the Children On Wednesday 7th December, Leweston held its annual Christmas Jumper Day in support of Save the Children. The Nursery and Junior Department ran a competition for the best Christmas jumper with prizes generously donated by the Friends. Mrs Reynolds had the difficult task of judging the winners. She particularly liked the jumpers which had been embellished with handmade additions.

The winners from each class were: Transition – Henry, Rec and Year 1 – Venice, Years 2 and 3 - Elizabeth, Years 4 and 5 - Honor, Year 6 – Darcy

The Junior Department Supports Operation Christmas Child

On Tuesday 15th November the Junior Department was visited

by Darwin the Donkey, Merlin the pony and Father Christmas and his wife Mrs Claus, who had all travelled to the school to collect shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child from the pupils.

Christmas is about giving as much as receiving and so, in this spirit, the children were given the opportunity to hand over their lovingly prepared boxes for children less fortunate than themselves. Every year the Junior Department donates shoeboxes to Operation Christmas Child, the

World’s largest children’s Christmas project, run by the Christian charity Samaritan’s Purse. Samaritan’s Purse has been sending gift-filled shoeboxes around the world since 1990, bringing joy and hope into the lives of over 100 million underprivileged children.

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Animal Thanksgiving Service at the Junior Department The Junior Department held its popular Service of Thanksgiving for Animals once again. There was a wonderful spiritual and community feel to the event, with families and staff bringing in a menagerie of pets including tortoises, guinea pigs, chicks, hens, budgies, ponies, dogs and cats to name a few! Our gratitude goes to all the families and their animals who were able to attend and to Father Peter for leading the service with highly competent assistance from the pupils in years 3 and 4.

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Junior Department

Service of Remembrance To mark Armistice Day there was a short Service of Remembrance in the Junior Department. Everyone stood in a solemn circle and some children gave readings. A representative from each class then laid a poppy by the candle in the centre and a two minute silence was observed. The children also helped to create a special display for the Junior Department Reception area to mark Remembrance Day by bringing in family photographs and military medals from the two World Wars and by writing accounts of the wartime experiences of their family members.

OA News OA Awarded Prestigious Pathway Prize for Illustration

Record Breaking Finish For OA Congratulations to OA Olivia Bolesworth (’06) and the Row Like a Girl crew for completing the World’s toughest rowing race, the Talisker Whisky Challenge, and finishing in 2nd place!

After five long and gruelling weeks at sea, where they battled the elements and overcame numerous challenges, including managing to row without an auto-helm or a water-maker pump and mending a broken rudder, the crew achieved their goal of completing this incredible challenge. In doing so, they also broke the World Record: becoming the Fastest Ever Women’s Atlantic Four and the Youngest Ever Team! Teams vary in size from crews of 4 to solo rowers and include people from all over the world. Crossing the Atlantic is particularly hazardous and a real test of physical and mental strength.

The girls travelled over 3,000 nautical miles, achieving speeds of a truly impressive 3.5 knots.

The Row Like A Girl crew were raising funds for PLAN Internationals “Because I am a Girl” campaign, which protects the rights of adolescent girls, keeping them safe from harm, giving them access to a quality education and delaying marriage or childbirth, so that they can break the cycle of poverty to look forward to a brighter future.

The girls encompass the ethos of this worthwhile campaign, as four young females who had ‘the choice’ to row across the Atlantic. They are passionate about campaigning for adolescent female rights and inspiring girls to get out there and get involved in sport. They managed to raise a staggering £25,951.32 for the cause, towards which Leweston was delighted to contribute.

OA Harriet Cooke (’15) has been awarded an illustrious pathway prize for Illustration. Harriet was chosen from hundreds of Art and Design Foundation students for her outstanding illustrative booklet created during her time at the Arts University Bournemouth. Harriet is now undertaking a BA (Hons) in Illustration.

OA Completes Budapest Marathon OA Sophie Hawkins (‘12) completed the 2016 Budapest Marathon in a superb time of 3 hours 31 minutes. Sophie was running on behalf of the University of Bristol where she is studying Medicine and managed to raise over £1,300 for Action Against Hunger.

Sophie told us: “I enjoyed the whole thing! I ran with a friend until 29km and then I went ahead (she had awful blisters!). We ran through the half way point in 1 hour 44 and I went on to finish it with a time of 3.31.30. I found the next day more painful than the run itself! I really put my love of running down to Mr Barlow and the amazing team at school, so thank you!”

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Open Mornings 2017 Thursday 23rd March Nursery Activity Morning: ‘Easter Eggstravaganza’ 9am – 11.30am

Bank Holiday Monday 1st May Whole School Open Morning 10am – 1pm

Dates for your Diary Sunday 5th March 7.30pm Leweston Choral Society presents ‘Gloria’. An evening of Baroque music, including pieces by Vivaldi, Handel and Lotti Week 1: Monday 3rd – Friday 7th April Week 2: Monday 10th – Thursday 13th April EASTER HOLIDAY FUN CLUB: OUTDOOR EDUCATION SPORTS AND ADVENTURE WEEKS for 5 – 11 year olds 9am – 5pm (early/late drop off available) Sunday 9th – Friday 14th April EASTER PENTATHLON, BIATHLE, TETRATHLON AND TRIATHLON TRAINING CAMP Residential training camp for 9 – 18 year olds run by GB Biathle and Triathle Coach Mick Flaherty Saturday 6th May Gaudy Reunion for various leaver years Friday 9th June GCSE AND A LEVEL ART EXHIBITION PRIVATE VIEW Manor House 5pm – 7pm (Exhibition open to all Monday 12th June – Thursday 6th July)

Monday 10th July – Friday 25th August LEWESTON SUMMER CLUB (Enjoy the use of Leweston’s swimming pool, tennis courts and extensive grounds – various membership packages available) Monday 24th July – Friday 25th August SUMMER HOLIDAY OUTDOOR EDUCATION, SPORTS AND ADVENTURE WEEKS for 5 – 11 year olds 9am – 5pm (early/late drop off available) Monday 7th – Saturday 12th August SUMMER PENTATHLON, BIATHLE AND TRIATHLON TRAINING CAMP Residential training camp for 9 – 18 year olds run by GB Biathle and Triathle Coach Mick Flaherty Weekly Events: Aquatots: Every Wednesday from 10 – 10.45am in the School Pool Parent and Toddler: Every Thursday during term-time from 10 – 11.30am at the Nursery For more information about any of these events, or to register your attendance, please call 01963 210783 or email office@leweston.dorset.sch.uk