@ Gryphon
SPRING 2016
ONE MINUTE WITH THE HEADTEACHER The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
MUGGLE WIZARDRY TRANSFORMS THE GRYPHON
Rock Challenge Students travel to Barcelona, Berlin and Moscow
2. THE GRYPHON SCHOOL IN TOP 100 The Gryphon School has been congratulated by the Minister of State for Schools for its ‘excellent improvement in GCSE and equivalent results between 2013 and 2015’. Nick Gill MP wrote to the Headteacher confirming that The Gryphon is ‘one of the top 100 non-selective state-funded schools in England showing the greatest sustained improvement in the percentage of pupils achieving five or more A* - C grades, including English and Mathematics GCSEs’. He went on to say that this provides a strong basis for students’ further education and employment and praised the staff for their hard work and professionalism.
Muggle wizardry transforms The Gryphon Languages
Competition We took 5 students to a regional heat of the Routes into Languages Speaking Competition early in March. Each of the students spoke confidently and passionately about their chosen topic and were excellent ambassadors for the school. The competition was very tough but one of our students, Ana Richard, who is in Year 12 and spoke incredibly passionately about France in the Native Speaker category, won her category and has been invited to the Regional Final in June. An excellent day and an excellent achievement for all of the students involved. Amy Whiting – Modern Foreign Languages
Bronze award in National STEM Competition Four Year 8 students from The Gryphon have won a CREST Bronze Award for reaching the semi-finals of the BP Ultimate STEM Challenge competition. The nationwide schools competition, launched in September 2015 by BP, STEMNET and the Science Museum, challenges UK students aged 11-14 to put their Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) skills to the test by tackling real-world problems. Schools from all over the country took part in the competition. Students were invited to develop an energy efficient solution to one of three real-world challenges: Streamline Ships, Better Buildings or Trim Turbines. The Gryphon students developed their best ideas for the Better Buildings Challenge, where they had to come up with an efficient way to keep a building cool in summer or warm in winter. The students have worked so hard and really grown as people. It has inspired them to pass on their experience to next year’s potential STEM Challenge students. I am very proud of them all and what they have achieved. Ian Davies – Supporting Teacher
The Gryphon School became Hogwarts for one night only this term thanks to its participation in Bloomsbury's national Harry Potter Book Night. 20 students, from Years 7 to 9, came dressed for the occasion as witches and wizards and stayed after school to enjoy a range of magical adventures. Starting with a ‘sorting ceremony’ in the specially decorated library, the students were placed into one of the four Hogwarts Houses and then feasted on cupcakes and squash. Best behaviour was maintained under the watchful eyes of staff who had taken a polyjuice potion to become Hogwarts’ professors, including Mr Freddie Jobbins who metamorphosed into Professor Snape and Mrs Julie Hoskins, the LRC Manager, to Professor Trelawney. The young wizards and witches attended a range of classes hosted by the Science Department. They brewed a lava lamp potion and a foam volcano potion, and were shown a magical
colour-changing concoction. In Herbology class Professor Sprout (Ms Le Good) made plant colours separate before the students’ eyes! Next, the students moved on to the Food Technology Department. Here, Mrs Baxter, assisted by Mrs Elsworth, helped the students decorate biscuits in the Hogwarts’ House Colours, then offered them glasses of butter beer (lemonade and butterscotch sauce) and ‘every-flavour biscuits’, with tastes ranging from cherry or vanilla to marmite or sardines! The students returned to the library for Marauder's Map reading lessons, before taking part in an inter-house Harry Potter quiz, with Ravenclaw winning and taking home the prize. All in all, a fun night was had by both students and staff, and The Gryphon School Library hopes to run another Harry Potter Book Night next year. Freddie Jobbins - LRC
One minute with the Headteacher WHEN WERE YOU HAPPIEST? Most days – I am a pretty optimistic person and feel blessed with what I have WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST FEAR? Getting dementia and I am not a great fan of roller-coasters
WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP? It evolved from a butcher, train driver, airline pilot to baker and farmer WHAT IS TOP OF YOUR BUCKET LIST? To climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge
WHICH LIVING PERSON DO YOU MOST ADMIRE, AND WHY? Not any celebrities - most people who make a difference to someone else everyday
WHAT IS YOUR GUILTIEST PLEASURE? Sourdough bread
WHAT IS THE TRAIT YOU MOST DEPLORE IN OTHERS? Rudeness and dropping litter
WHAT IS THE WORST JOB YOU’VE DONE? Prawn peeling, on a night shift, in a large freezer, 6 miles away on a bike
PROPERTY ASIDE, WHAT’S THE MOST EXPENSIVE THING YOU’VE BOUGHT? Probably a car
IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHERE WOULD YOU GO? Roman times
WHAT IS YOUR MOST TREASURED POSSESSION? Family photos – grandfather’s WW1 medals
HOW DO YOU RELAX? Reading, running (slowly), volleyball (I used to be quite good), gardening, visiting places
WHAT MAKES YOU UNHAPPY? Bath Rugby losing The litter alongside roads
WHERE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO BE RIGHT NOW? Somewhere warm and sunny looking out over an azure sea
WHAT DO YOU OWE YOUR PARENTS? Genes, attitudes, care, family
WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO YOU ABOUT EDUCATION? It can make a real difference to life chances – the type of job, apprenticeship, training or university you can get into. Just as important is the way a person can develop – the ability to communicate, share, trust, perform, listen and care. It really is a great privilege to watch and contribute to the changes in our students from Year 7 into the Sixth Form and beyond. TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAMILY I have three children, two at university and one still at school and my wife is a primary school teacher, so, at the moment, we are all in education.
Questions were posed by The Gryphon School Council
This term The Gryphon School has hosted its first Year 10 Maths Feast – a team competition for students in Year 10 from around South West England. Ten schools took part, and there were 13 teams in total. The schools involved were Ansford Academy, Blundell’s School, Clayesmore, The Gryphon School, King’s Bruton, Sherborne Girls, Sherborne International, Preston School, Wellington School and Westfield Academy. The day consisted of a number of different activities, each requiring the students to work as a team and think in new and challenging ways. Rounds included Countdown, a geometric Pentominoes puzzle, a team relay and a particularly difficult round based on Complex Numbers (which most students had never come across before!). The Gryphon teams competed strongly with The Gryphon A team finishing in 6th place overall.
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
Year 10 Maths Feast
Take one hundred talented young people (actors, dancers and stage crew), a classic of English Literature, the magical setting of Narnia at the end of the Christmas Term and the vision and drive of the highly committed Drama Department and what do you get – our production of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe which was truly professional in every respect. The acting and choreography that took the audience from sad farewells on a London railway station to the triumph of Aslan at the end of a huge battle were amazing. Madeleine WebsterHarris was a White Witch that could freeze the soul of any woodland creature and her fierceness was cleverly matched by the compassion and self-sacrifice of Leoni Fretwell’s Aslan. Will Watts, Georgina Fiennes, Amber Wright and Matthew Stokes made very convincing siblings as the four children at the centre of the adventure. Clever characterisations were also provided by Sterling Wilder-Gay (Mr Tumnus), Ella Foster and Liam Beard (Mr and Mrs Beaver), Sophie Ward (Maugrim), Anna Mylan (Mrs Macready), Josh McSevney (The Professor), James Derrick (Grumpskin) and Michael Woolley (Father Christmas). The costumes, make-up and staging were simply enchanting and provided stunning visual impact – they were truly works of art in their own right.Huge thanks must go to Mrs Beale, Miss Young, Mrs Prigg and all the team (including many other members of staff) for all their hard work and dedication. This was a first class production that will provide many happy memories for the audience, the cast and the crew.
Patrick Unwin - Maths
Maths Challenges
In February this year, 120 students from across Years 9, 10 and 11 took part in the Intermediate Maths Challenge. This is a National competition designed to challenge the most able students in a variety of problem solving, mathematic and logic questions. Awards are given to the top 40% of students competing, with Gold, Silver and Bronze awards being given in the ratio 1:2:3. Between them the students gained a fantastic 34 bronze awards, 13 silver awards and 13 gold awards. As far as we are aware, this is the most Gold awards The Gryphon has ever achieved in this age range! The students achieving gold awards are: Year 11: Elmo Barratt, William Blake, Jonathan Dey, Callum Henry, Noah Peet, Curtis Pope, Bartek Trojanowski. Year 10: Scott Suri. Year 9: Alexander Macey, Matthew Stokes. By virtue of these fantastic results, eight of these students have qualified for the follow-on rounds. Patrick Unwin - Maths
Rock Challenge
Photographs - Nick Scott Photography
Nicki Edwards – Deputy Headteacher
The overall winners of the day were the students from Clayesmore.
The Gryphon School team has won 13 awards in this year’s international dance and drama competition ‘Rock Challenge’. The team’s fantastic performance also secured them third place in their heat at The Pavilion Theatre in Bournemouth. This year around 70 students took part. Rock Challenge encourages young people to lead healthy lifestyles and to be their best without the need for tobacco, alcohol or other drugs. This heat of the competition saw nine schools from around the Dorset area showcase an eight minute performance on their chosen theme. Our piece was titled ‘You’ll never know who I really am’ and explored the concept of being safe on the internet as we saw online predators using the mask of a circus to lure two young girls into a world of abuse. The production was led by India Essex and Jaz Ncube, both Year 11 students, who choreographed the performance, ran rehearsals, created ideas for set and costume as well as choosing the soundtrack. Their fantastic dedication to the piece was recognised by the Rock Challenge judges who presented the girls with the ‘Student Leadership Award’ for their hard work and commitment to the performance. The Gryphon Rock Challenge team were also given 12 individual awards for excellence in: performance skill, choreography, drama, entertainment, concept, stage use, visual enhancement, set design and function, lighting, soundtrack, stage crew and costuming character.
Holly Young - Drama
4. Mad Hatters and Jilted Brides Staff and students dressed for World Book Day. They came to school representing books from Great Expectations and Alice in Wonderland to Where’s Wally? Everyone made a huge effort and looked superb. A Book Quiz was held in the LRC at lunchtime and once again the day was great fun. It was fabulous to encourage so many discussions of character and literature.
The Gryphon School is one of only seven secondary schools in the South West to win a Pupil Premium Local Award. Only 147 schools across the country have been named as having this award. The awards are given by the Department of Education to celebrate the success and innovation of schools in supporting their disadvantaged pupils. We are delighted and proud to receive this award recognising the outstanding quality of the support we give our students.
Primary Chess Day Programming Club
In mid-February, seven local primary schools each sent a team of four chess players to The Gryphon in order to compete against their fellow primary schools.
Lego Mindstorms has made an appearance at The Gryphon in the last few weeks. At the lunchtime Programming Club the Computing Department is using one to help develop students’ creative problem solving skills and enabling them to become the critical thinkers and creators of the future. Alongside this it is hoped working on Mindstorms will build on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) links that are already strong in the School. The Mindstorms system has already seen collaboration between the builders from the Lego Club and the programmers from Computing start to come together to create their first functioning project. Although it is early in the project’s life, it is hoped that students will engage further with the unit in order to develop skills and enter national competitions.
Each player took part in 7 matches during the day, accumulating points for their respective schools. The final totals saw Sherborne Primary School and Thornford tied for second place with 48 points, whilst Bradford Abbas scored 49 points to take the trophy. Congratulations to all took part and a special mention to Matthew Douglas, Cameron McKinnon and Kieran Neller from Year 9 whose help throughout the day was invaluable.
Dylan Trevor (Year 9) and Connor Butler (Year 7)
Nigel White - Head of Computing
The English, Geography and Languages Departments at The Gryphon School have once again been awarded the Prince’s Teaching Institute Mark. It was for their work in 2014/15. The Prince’s Teaching Institute (PTI) launched the Schools Programme in 2007 to recognise and reward school departments that develop inspirational ideas and activities which enhance teaching. To achieve the PTI Mark, departments have to demonstrate that they have increased the challenge within their subject curriculum, developed their staff’s own specialist subject knowledge, developed subject-based links outside school, and enthused their pupils through subject-based activities beyond the curriculum.
Patrick Unwin - Maths
Youth Speaks Competition Early this term The Gryphon School hosted the local heats of Sherborne Rotary Club’s ‘Youth Speaks’ Senior Competition. We entered two teams from Years 10 and 11 and the students involved performed extremely well. Unni Shaik, Joe McCloskey and Harry Webb presented a confident, thought provoking speech titled ‘Where do we draw the scientific line?’ and were placed 4th on the evening. Callum Henry, Callum Morley and Rory Baird, our Year 11 Team, engaged the audience with their entertaining and well-executed speech on ‘Negativity’. They were placed 1st meaning that they went on to the next stage hosted by Beaminster School. After a few weeks of perfecting their speech further, our Year 11 team again delivered an outstanding speech in that round of the competition and were placed 2nd overall. The students received excellent feedback from the judges who struggled to differentiate between the top two teams and congratulated the boys on their enthralling performance. A fantastic achievement for all involved! Sadie George and Laura Howell - English
Bake-Off Success Three students from Years 7 and 8 recently represented the School at The Great Rainbow Bake-Off in London. Emily Townsend, Finley Niblock, who are in Year 7, and Sophie Read , Year 8, won their places in the final during Gryphon Pride’s AntiBullying Week cake sale. Photos of their cakes were sent to Educate & Celebrate who conducted an online poll to choose the finalists.
Emily, Finley, Sophie and I travelled by train to The Urswick School in Hackney to take part in the national final. Students were given three hours to bake a cake and decorate it with the theme “LGBT History Month – Religion, Philosophy and Belief”. After a lot of whisking, beating and piping all three students had a beautiful cake to present to the panel of judges which included celebrated food writer Jack Monroe and Ex-Gryphon student Luke Garrett. Each student was highly praised by the judges for their efforts, but Sophie, in particular, impressed the judges, coming away with one of the top prizes as her cake won the ‘Best Taste’award! Catherine Moore - Gryphon Pride
5.
Music
Raising the roof at London Waterloo! Following last year’s successful trip, more than 100 singers and musicians plus staff from The Gryphon School and Sherborne Girls’ once again raised the roof of Waterloo Station before Christmas. Thousands of travellers were entertained with carols during the rush hour at London’s busiest station to raise money for both the Waterloo and Sherborne Food Banks. The final sum raised was a staggering £3,000 within two hours, £500 more than last year. I would like to say a huge thank you to the volunteers who turned out to collect donations from passers-by. It took Chris Loder of South West Trains Network Rail Alliance (an exGryphon student) months to plan the day and our travel to London and back was courtesy of South West Trains who added extra carriages especially. With the help of Allens’ Organs, a full-sized organ was played on the station concourse by Simon Clarkson to the delight of passers-by. Commuters received an unexpected and uplifting reminder of the meaning of Christmas as the joint choir directed by John Jenkins (Director of Music at Sherborne Girls’) and Val Mizen and Ellie Walker (from The Gryphon) sang, alternating with playing from our own Gryphon Brass Ensemble directed by our Brass teacher Miles Hewitt. This was an exciting event and we felt enormously privileged to be part of it once again. The Food Banks play a vital role in the community and we are very pleased to be able to support them in this way.
Carol Service A massive thank you to all students who performed in this year’s School Carol Service. The standard achieved was superb and many parents and staff commented afterwards on the quality and the variety of music and ensembles that performed. Thanks too to our organist Kris Emmett and Ellie Walker who directed the Choirs. This service was also the last musical event involving Maggie Nightingale’s direction of the Recorder Ensemble. We are extremely grateful to Maggie for all her many years of dedicated service, and wish her an extremely happy, lengthy and well-earned retirement!
Primary Schools Music Roadshow Earlier this term the Music Department went on our yearly music tour to Primary Schools to showcase each of our extracurricular ensembles and to promote playing instruments and singing. We visited four of our local schools in two days, giving four 45-minute concerts. A special mention for our vocal soloists, Sam Kidd, Rosie Bradbury and Amelia Kelly-Slogrove, our recorder soloist, Brooke Stent and our piano soloist, Ella Smith. Val Mizen – Head of Music
Barcelona 2016 n Friday 19 February, after a 3am start, four hours in a coach, a stop at Fleet Services and an hour and a half on a plane, a group of Year 9 and Year 10 pupils from The Gryphon School arrived safely in Barcelona. We were immediately greeted by the iconic relaxed atmosphere of the city and the Spanish sun that so many of us had hoped to see. During our visit, we stayed in the Hotel Roma Reial, which was in the centre of the beautiful tourist street ‘Las Ramblas’. By staying there, we were able to sample a taste of the life and culture that Barcelona has to offer, including the language, food and shops. Over the course of the trip, we visited a variety of tourist sites, such as Camp Nou, Poble Espanyol, the Picasso museum and the beach, where we played different sports and which turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip for many people. Overall, it was an amazing trip where everybody could test out their Spanish speaking skills and experience life in Barcelona; I would definitely encourage anybody to go if they got the chance.
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Hannah Cox – Year 10
Berlin 2016 espite a delayed departure, this year’s Berlin trip was another great success. The tour started with a visit to the concentration camp at Sachsenhausen where the remains of barracks and guard house were studied before a guided tour of the gas chamber facilities. The site includes a selection of photographs taken of Soviet prisoners of war before they were executed. Some were little older than the Year 10 students visiting the site.The tour also included a trip to the prison used by the Communist government of East Germany to interrogate political prisoners from 1951 to 1990. Cells remain as they were left in 1990, complete with hard wooden beds that were too short for the average prisoner and a bucket that served as a toilet. Our guide was a former inmate of the prison who had been arrested for trying to flee the country. His personal account left our students in awe at his bravery and resilience.
D
One new addition to the tour this year was a visit to the DDR Museum, which covers aspects of life under Communism. The museum is very hands-on and included a chance to sit in one of the infamous Trabant cars. These were built as a car of the ordinary worker but due to a shortage of materials were constructed of plastic resin mashed with pulped paper. Most citizens of East Germany had to wait for ten years before getting one but they were relatively cheap. They were in short supply and often were sold as soon as they were delivered as they were worth more second-hand than new. Many East Germans had a lot of money in the bank because there was so little to buy in the shops. Our thanks to the students and to Mr Baker, Mrs Brighouse, Miss Darby and Miss Ward for helping to ensure the trip was a great success. Steve Phillips - Head of History
German Exchange 2015 avaria is arguably the most beautiful federal state in Germany and possibly the most cliché ridden: think beer festivals (in fact any street festival), sausages, chocolatebox scenery, dirndls and lederhosen and you are in the world which our German Exchange students experience every time they go to Germany.
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The Bavarians are incredibly hospitable and love having our students to stay. They enjoy showing off their beautiful countryside and our students are taken all over Bavaria to see the tourist sights. Some of our girls even had the good fortune to be taken to Nürnberg (we call it Nuremburg) shopping. Bad Kötzting, Sherborne’s German twin town, lies close to the Czech-German border, making the Czech Republic very accessible. As ever, the Allianz Arena, home to Bayern Munich, proved very popular with everyone. We managed to track down our tour guide from last year, Austin from Texas, who loves Munich so much he has adopted it as his home. Austin’s potted history of Munich had us all in stitches and the group voted him the best part of the Munich experience. Google “Prague” and you will find it regularly listed under “the 10 most beautiful cities” and for many it is considered the most beautiful city. The countless old, well-preserved buildings, the terracotta and gold roof-tops, the famous Charles Bridge, all add to its charm as does the entertaining street life with buskers, mime artists and street markets. Staying with a German family is initially a nerve-wracking experience, but all of our students settled in well with their host families. They accompanied their hosts to school and enjoyed the novelty of finishing at lunchtime. After five busy days in Germany, we returned home, laden with German chocolate, sweets and souvenirs and with many memories to treasure. Many are looking forward to going back again this year! Are you going to join us? Sarah Slade 2015 Exchange organiser
6.
Duke of Edinburgh Awards & Ten Tors Update At the end of the Summer Term the School ran a final expedition across the Purbeck Hill which saw 25 students complete their Bronze Awards and a further 20 Year 11 students achieve their Bronze Awards following their final expedition in September. Last term 39 students enrolled on the Bronze Award and 12 on the Silver Award. 18 of the DofE students have put themselves forward to undertake the 35 mile Ten Tors Challenge this year. We will be entering two teams which is fantastic.
Russia 2016 The USSR of the Cold War Era has long departed, as 41 sixth-formers discovered in a five day trip to Moscow and St Petersburg over the February Half-Term. Though plenty of vast statues honouring the soviet past remain, they are monuments of a historical period rather than sinister reminders of a ruling power. Souvenirs of Lenin and Marx have been replaced by images of Putin in various guises, from demi-god to explorer. The Kremlin in Moscow is still intact and foreboding in appearance, but as Lenin lies in his mausoleum, the square echoes to the musical sounds of capitalism and the bright lights of winter festival markets. The thing that struck many of the group, was the sheer scale of the colours on display. The myriad of colours of the two main cathedrals of Saint Basil’s in Moscow and the Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood in St Petersburg are famous with their mosaics and intertwining onion domes. However colour is everywhere in the baroque and neoclassical architecture of St Petersburg, most prominent in the Hermitage Museum and St Catherine Palaces – painstakingly restored after its Second World War destruction.
Those currently doing the Bronze Award have completed walks around Mere Down and Cheddar Gorge for map reading training. The Ten Tors Teams have visited Dartmoor on two separate days to experience one of the last great wildernesses in the UK. Whilst the young people were resilient and keen to learn, the most amazing thing was the number of adult volunteers who turned out to help. Fifteen teachers, parents and staff turned up on a Saturday to ensure things went smoothly. We are all extremely grateful to them, without their help expeditions and training wouldn’t happen. There are many more hours volunteering, physical activity, new skills to learn and miles to walk before any completions.
Alumni
Alumni Alumni
Alumni
Alumni Alumni JAMES GARD
Since leaving The Gryphon I have begun my undergraduate degree in Engineering at the University of Cambridge. I finished my first year with a 2:1 and currently plan on specialising in Manufacturing in my third year with the ambition of developing entrepreneurial skills to one day set up my own business. The course has proved incredibly challenging and has pushed me to the very limit of my abilities both academically and physically with the sheer quantity of work and its level of difficulty. Highlights include a masterclass with Dyson engineers, building a working AM radio from scratch and testing material properties in a bath of liquid nitrogen. Out of lectures, supervisions and lab work I have performed a stand-up gig with the Cambridge Footlights, built and raced a cardboard boat, taught Maths in a local school and helped run a choir. During the summer I spent two months gaining work experience with a local engineering firm specialising in film special effects and pyrotechnics.
‘The Gryphon not only gave me an outstanding academic education but provided all the support and advice I needed to confidently make my next steps.’ This year the DofE Award Headquarters announced important changes to the age requirements for the Awards which will have a big impact on next year’s delivery. This reduction in the age limit means that anyone in Year 9 can now start and complete Bronze with Year 10 being able to do the Silver Award. In order to align the School with these changes the School will run a double cohort next year with both the current Years 8 and 9 being offered the chance to undertake the Bronze Award simultaneously. All this requires support from parents so if you would like to help in any way please contact: geoff.cooke@gryphon.dorset.sch,uk
Relations between Russia and the West have been strained recently but the sheer friendliness and openness of the people showed no hint of bitterness and perhaps would show the politicians that face-to-face diplomacy always works best. Russia is a country, like Britain, steeped in a culture that causes national pride. Like Britain, they are embedded by history, far deeper than the Communist years, that defines their character and shapes their present. It is a wonderful country that once experienced will always call you back. The only disappointment, for a February visit, was that it was no colder than home!
Geoff Cooke – DofE and Ten Tors Co-ordinator
Youth Parliament
My thanks to Mrs Beale and Mrs Redmond-Fareham for helping the History Department look after the students and for adding even more colour to the trip and thank you to the fantastic students who got an opportunity to look beyond the textbooks at a wondrous country. Rob Harris – History
The Gryphon School has taken part in the Annual Youth Parliament Election. This involves every student voting for candidates to represent them at a National Level through the Youth parliament. Edward Walters in Year 10 was a candidate for Dorset and came fifth in the county. This means unfortunately he will not get a place within the Youth Parliament at a National level but will represent us at The Dorset Youth Council. This annual event replicates the national voting system allowing students to watch candidates' manifestos and make an informed decision on where to cast their vote. It is a fantastic opportunity to be part of a democratic electoral system. Hayley Andrews - Business
ROSIE FOOT After I left The Gryphon School in 2012 I went to the University of East Anglia to read English Literature. I spent my three years stumbling into poetry slams, book launches and performance pieces which all contributed to a thriving social and creative life. I met people who boosted my activity in areas such as feminism, LGBT+ rights and mental health, which helped inspire my writing. During my studies I worked as a Language Buddy and an English Tutor which inspired me to teach in Thailand last summer. I spent two months living in a small rural village teaching English classes in the local secondary school. I gained invaluable experience integrating within the local community and adapting to a different culture. I graduated in July with First Class Honours and I am currently organising a placement at retailer White Stuff’s HQ in London to gain work experience in their creative marketing team.
‘The academic support and creative guidance I had from my teachers at The Gryphon School was instrumental in how I effectively approached challenging questions and lively discussions throughout my degree.’
Just after Half-Term I travelled to the U.S Space and Rocket Centre in Huntsville, Alabama for a week of aeronautical challenges courtesy of Honeywell. The course is aimed at improving Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths skills and presented a wide range of challenges for the 160 students who attended from 36 different countries.
Rosie on the right pictured with her sister Rebecca
It is Rocket Science!
Ballet Star
Sixth Form This term has been as busy and productive as the last; we have completed Pre-Public Exams (PPEs), had our very successful Open Evening, taken part in PSHEE events and had success both within and outside of academic study. Our Year 13 PSHEE in March focused on being out in the ‘real world’ with talks given by a Recruitment Agency, a Travel Advice Service and Victim Support as well as activities such as ‘Cooking on a Budget’, basic car maintenance and how to manage money. Year 12 visited the University of the West of England in Bristol for a Careers Fair. They too have had talks from external speakers. All of our students are now working hard as the summer exam season approaches.
The English Youth Ballet Company has completed its most recent selection and one of our talented Sixth Formers has been picked to join its dancers. Congratulations to Rosie Pritchard, who is in Year 12, and has gained a place in the company to perform in their production of Coppelia at the Princess Theatre, Torquay in April. English Youth Ballet auditions are always well attended and the director said that the standard was extremely high this year. Rehearsals are now in full swing and we wish Rosie the very best for all of her performances.
Philippa Huggins – Head of Sixth Form
Drive Safe Stay Alive Year 12 attended a moving and shocking session run by Dorset Fire and Rescue to educate them on the dangers of unsafe driving. I’m sure the students will agree that despite having a clear understanding of safety and its importance, the reality of the story told on the day was truly hard hitting. The impact of the session has been extremely positive for students, and following a request from a group of students an opportunity to attend a First Aid course has been organised so they can learn more about how to help in an emergency. This important session, though difficult, helps to keep our students safe on the roads.
Shooting Success The challenges included: designing and creating a model rocket as well as completing a simulated space launch and flying simulated jet missions. I gained a lot of knowledge about the aviation industry and widened my knowledge of aeronautical engineering, an area I am particularly interested in studying in my further education. Overall, I really enjoyed the week and would definitely recommend it to anybody interested in a career in aviation. Pete Bennett – Year 12
One of our Year 12 students spent Half-Term in Spain taking part in the British Shooting’s Academy and Talent Programme. Harry Maunder joined an international training camp which gave him the chance to train in varied weather conditions and prepare for the upcoming season. This opportunity allowed Harry to work with high quality international competitors. Now he has been selected to represent Great Britain at the Suhl Junior Cup. We would like to congratulate him on this fantastic news. The competition, which is set to take place from 29 April - 6 May in Germany, will feature all the Olympic shooting disciplines from shotgun, rifle and pistol.
Enrichment Our enrichment programme gives students the opportunity to try something totally different. The introduction of climbing, bowling and golf has proved to be very successful. Students use
Reaching for the Stars
enrichment time to widen their
This term the Physics Department took ten pupils considering Physics A Level to the Festival of Ideas at Gillingham School. Plasma physicist Melanie Windridge gave a talk about her studies of the Northern lights. This follows a Sixth Form trip last term when we visited the Norman Lockyer Observatory in Sidmouth. Norman Lockyer was one of the scientists involved in the discovery of helium in the sun. Whilst there, we watched computers scan the sky for meteors, saw telescopes that have not been bettered for 100 years and took a tour of the night sky in the planetarium.
interpersonal skills. Students have
Clark Davies – Head of Physics
experiences and further develop also taken the lead in running some of their own enrichment activities.
Carnival Project goes ahead for 2016 A project that helps Gryphon students develop their language skills has been saved by a grant from the Rotary Community Fund. The £620 award to The Support Carnival Project operated by the Sherborne Douzelage means it can continue to help Sixth Form students develop their understanding of the French language and culture for another year. The project, which has been going for three years but was under threat because of a lack of funding, enables seven students to stay in a French home for five days. During this time they undertake daily tasks, participate on a French float in the biggest carnival in France, give presentations at the Lycee and visit Mont St Michel and Granville.
One group is creating a science magazine to help consolidate their knowledge while another student has created a UKCAT group to support others preparing for their university application process. Students can also opt to complete work experience during this time to broaden industry specific experience for CVs and university applications.
Michael Balfour, Vice President of Douzelage International, Clifton Jelbert, Chairman of Sherborne Douzelage and David Havar, President of Rotary Club of Sherborne Castles with the students taking part in the Support Carnival Project 2016
Sport 8.
Gillingham Football Tournament
Hottest Ticket in Town!
ANDREW SIMPSON Olympic Legacy Award – 2016 winners he Andrew Simpson Olympic Legacy Award was set up to provide financial assistance for pupils at The Gryphon School to reach their sporting potential. The scheme is funded by the two Rotary Clubs in Sherborne in memory of the sailor and gold medallist Andrew Simpson and to build on the success of the London 2012 Olympic Games. The bursary is now in its fourth year and Jasmine Moore and Angus Buckland, who are both in Year 9, have been selected, against very strong competition, as the 2016 winners. Pupils who compete at a level above County standard apply for the funding. Jasmine is a high level swimmer who has her sights firmly set on reaching the National Championships. Angus is a very talented rugby performer who has excelled in School Rugby as well as captaining the Sherborne RFC team in his age group.
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Alan Cummings - Head of PE and Sport
30% OFF for parents and guardians of Gryphon students. Apply at the Centre’s reception, bring a passport photo and proof of your child’s Tutor Group.
Editor: Liz Oatts
For more information email gryphonleisure@dorset.gov.uk or phone us on 01935 814011.
Capture the Flag has captured the imagination of more than 60 students in the School who have been coming along to the weekly club on Tuesdays. It is the most popular activity that we have run in this specialist club that caters for students who don’t regularly represent the School at sport. It gives them a chance to access the health benefits, both physically and mentally, from regular physical exercise, whilst getting to know other students. The game itself is a slightly more complicated version of playground tag. Attackers try to penetrate enemy territory without being caught, which, if they are, will result in a spell in prison! If successful they ‘Capture the Flag’ and then have to make the brave journey back to home territory whilst again evading the ever alert defensive guard. It is as simple as it sounds and judging by its popularity – it’s a great deal of fun! Chris Barker – PE
Southampton Winter Series Champion Sophie Faber in Year 10 has continued her fantastic performance on the ski slopes with another winner’s medal. In the final skiing competition of the Winter Series, a technical problem with her bindings affected 2 of her 4 runs but in the end only three hundredths of a second separated the top 3. Sophie took Bronze - however she had done enough to keep her top overall spot and was crowned the overall Southampton Area Winter Series Under 15 Girls Champion 2015/16. Well done Sophie!
The Gryphon School, Bristol Road, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 4EQ School and Sixth Form – T: 01935 813122 • F: 01935 816992 • E: office@gryphon.dorset.sch.uk • Conference Centre – T: 01935 810103 E: conference@gryphon.dorset.sch.uk Nursery – T: 01935 810112 • F: 01935 816992 • E: nursery@gryphon.dorset.sch.uk The Gryphon School is a company limited by guarantee • Registered in England with Company Number 08130468
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F: 01935 816992
The annual Gillingham Football Tournament has been taking place over the past few weeks where each Year Group is invited to send a team to compete in this tournament which is well attended by North Dorset Schools. The Year 7 team were full of enthusiasm but drew two matches and lost one, which meant they didn’t go on to the finals. The Year 8 team also did not progress after a late goal condemned the team to going out at the group stages. However, we go into the full pitch season with a very talented team and confident of success.
Year 9 are a very well organised team who are confident on the ball and with each other. With a draw and two wins against King Arthur’s and Blandford they made it to the semifinals but that match ended with a penalty shoot out where we came fourth. Special mention has to go to Seb Goddard who was awarded Player of the Tournament by the officials and other coaches. The Year 10 Football Team have made an impressive start to their season. The tournament allowed them to enhance their footballing abilities as they put on an impressive display in each of the matches. It was clear to all members of staff on the day that they were the best team in terms of footballing quality but due to the nature of the game, this team too lost out on penalties in a sudden death thriller in the final. Year 11 followed this pattern on reaching the finals but once again lost on penalties after dominating the match. Alan Cummings - Head of PE and Sport
NEW SPORTING OPPORTUNITIES AT THE GRYPHON The Gryphon now has its own American Football Club which practices every Thursday lunchtime on the Astro. We have been selected as one of 32 schools nationally to take part in the Flag American Football Competition which will be held next year. If this is something that you would be interested in please do come along, it is open to all age groups boys and girls and no experience is required. It is noncontact which means everyone will enjoy learning this fast growing sport in the UK. We have also secured funding for the Boys Hockey Club to continue this year, Mr Chris Smith is running the club after school on Wednesdays and we are looking to increase the numbers further, please do come along. All equipment will be supplied, all you need is your PE kit. The Fencing Club is still going strong with new students signing up and entering their first Competitions.
Cross Country This year has been a particularly successful season for our cross country runners. Early this term we travelled to Kings Park in Bournemouth to attend the Dorset Schools Cross Country event. Amy Northam, Emelia MacDonald, Alan Flechon, Daniel Preston, George Biss and Jonathan Ellis took part. The students performed really well with Amy, Alan and Jonathan all qualifying to represent Dorset at the South West Championships. The three students ran well with Amy finishing 40th, Alan 61st and Jonathan 48th. All three finished 7th out of the Dorset runners, up on their qualifying 10th place. They have been selected to represent Dorset in the English Schools Cross Country.
Netball The Year 8 Netball team have had a fantastic start to the season. Having finished as District Champions last season they had much to aim for. The girls are currently unbeaten winning all of their games convincingly. They also represented the school at the Dorset Schools Netball Tournament finishing a fantastic 5th in the the county for their age group. The Year 9 netball team have also made a fantastic start to their season with two wins. A 14 – 7 win against Preston, the team we lost against in the finals last year, and a 50 – 3 win against King Arthur’s. Everyone in the team has been performing incredibly strongly, particularly Katie Giles who is on very good form. 4 more matches before we hopefully make the finals again this year and reclaim our champion status. Chris South - Director of Sport